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A Special Assembly of the Latvian Orthodox Church took place ( 21.01.2009 )

At the day of January the 20th, Tuesday, a Special Assembly of the Latvian Orthodox Church took place. On this Assembly were present the Metropolitan of Riga and the all Latvia Alexander, and Alexander Bishop of Daugavpils, the representatives of the clergy, monastic order and laity.

More than a hundred Orthodox parishes from Latvia were presented at the Assembly, the Rizhsky Holy Trinity Sergei female Monastery, Ekapbil male monastery and the Rizhsky Seminary. The conference was performed at the Holy Trinity cathedral in Riga.

The reason for announcing this Assembly was the bringing in power the Law of the Latvian Orthodox Church by the Latvian Republic Parliament. The realization of this law became the most important event in the development of the relations between the Church and the state. In his speech, Metropolitan Alexander accented that such law was brought for the first time in the Latvian history, and such laws in many countries still do not exist. This law is a testimony of the high status of the Latvian Orthodox Church in the society, a high respect to the Church and its Head. According to the words of the Patriarch, the adopting of this law is a miracle, one more sign of God’s love to the Holy Orthodoxy in Latvia. The law should direct the relation between the Church and the State in the next decades. This law recognises the canonical power of the Head of the Latvian Church, in the frame of the Church’s Canons.

The Law accepts that it is inadmissibly to submit appeals on the decisions of the Church Court in State courts. A skete of the Holy Transfiguration with this Law got the status of a state holy place (“Holy Place in Valguda”) and it was enabled a financial help from state to the Church.

At closing, the representatives of the Assembly have sent letters to the President of Latvian Republic and to the Parliament of Latvia, expressing their gratitude for adopting the Law. This Assembly has been finished with a common prayer and a common photo in front of the church.   

          

 

Source: Latvian Orthodox Church