Ten years removed from “The Holy and Great Council,” how should the large pan-Orthodox council, convened by the Ecumenical Patriarch and held in 2016 on the island of Crete, be remembered? What lessons have we learned? What can we see more clearly now, in retrospect?
The Council of Crete’s legacy was the subject of the Orthodox Theological Society of America (OTSA)’s Annual Meeting (June 11-13) and the Florovsky Lecture for 2026, hosted on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. His Grace Bishop Maxim (Vasiljević), who was present at the council in 2016, delivered a magnificent lecture.
“I can tell you that from the very first session, the experience was unlike anything I had anticipated. …” His Grace remarked.
He went on to express what he believed the council was and was not, but emphasized any evaluation of its significance must be measured against a proper understanding of conciliarity.
“Synodality in the deepest patristic sense is a theological reality before it is an institutional one. It relates to Pentecost, to the Eucharist, to the gathering of the dispersed children of God into one body. From this perspective, the Council of Crete was not diminished by the absence of four Churches or by procedural imperfections,” said Bishop Maxim. “What made it a council was the daily Eucharist, the genuine theological encounter, the charismatic atmosphere which I can testify to personally. The grace of the Holy Spirit was palpably present in the hall, and bishops who had never met once one another discovered that they shared not merely an administrative communion but a living faith.”
The entirety of Bishop Maxim’s lecture and the discussion that followed are posted to the Seminary’s YouTube channel. Bishop Maxim has also written about his experience in Crete in the book Diary of the Council: Reflections from the Holy and Great Council (Sebastian Press, 2016).
Bishop Maxim was originally one of four panelists, all of whom were present at the council, set to present at this year’s Florovsky Lecture. Due to unforeseen circumstances, however, the other speakers, Very Rev. Protopresbyter Dr. Nicolas Kazarian, Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, and Very Rev. Dr. Alexander Rentel, were unable to participate as planned. OTSA organizers hope to bring them all back for a virtual event in the coming months to continue the discussion.
OTSA’s 2026 Annual Meeting at St. Vladimir’s Seminary included several Seminary alumni and faculty members among others, including His Grace Bishop Irinej (Dobrijevic), OTSA’s President Very Rev. Dr. John Jillions, its Vice President Very Rev. Dr. Bogdan Bucur, OTSA Treasurer Very Rev. Dr. Peter Baktis, Dr. Peter Bouteneff, and Seminary Dean Dr. Ionuț-Alexandru Tudorie.
“[OTSA] was originally an association that put together the two faculties of two seminaries in North America: Holy Cross from Boston and St. Vladimir’s from New York. …” Dr. Tudorie noted. He pointed to the 2026 gathering at St. Vladimir’s Seminary as an opportunity to renew and strengthen those ties. “I am very happy that this was possible and I'm looking forward to more,” he added.
For more information about OTSA, visit the organization’s website at otsamerica.net.
