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Basil Osborne

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The Ecumenical Patriarchate subsequently accepted Bishop Basil into its jurisdiction on the basis of his appeal which followed, although Moscow had not issued a canonical release and had instructed him not to be received into another patriarchate until matters could be looked into by an appropriate commission. Additionally, it requested his presence in person numerous times, which Bishop Basil refused to heed on all occasions, instructing others to do likewise.<ref>Facts that were eventually reported by the [http://www.sourozh.org/archives/docs/commission_en.html commission established to investigate the issue]. This report also noted the bishop's use of the internet to propagate information on the disputes outside of official channels.</ref> Given these circumstances, the Moscow Patriarchate did not regard his incardination into the Ecumenical Patriarchate as valid, nor did it recognize the title ''Bishop of Amphipolis'' given to him by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on [[June 8]], 2006.<ref>[http://www.ec-patr.gr/docdisplay.php?lang=en&id=678&tla=en Press Release for the Election of Bishop Basil of Amphipolis] - Ecumenical Patriarchate, June 8, 2006</ref> Considering him still a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, but in retirement, it referred to him in official correspondence without titular connection, as 'The Right Reverend Bishop Basil (Osborne)'.<ref name="MP1">[http://www.sourozh.org/info/docs/synod190706_en.html Decision of the Holy Synod concerning Bishop Basil (Osborne)] - Moscow Patriarchate, July 19, 2006</ref> Similarly, it did not regard as valid the 'letters of release' issued by Bishop Basil to all his former clergy in the Diocese of Sourozh - letters either backdated or prepared earlier, in early February.<ref>As noted in a [http://www.sourozh.org/archives/letters/letter220506.html Letter by Archbishop Innokenty] - 22 May 2006.</ref> Bishop Basil was summoned to appear before the MP synod on July 17,<ref>[http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=1559 Russian Church: It considers Osborn's move to Constantinople's jurisdiction invalid as he is still one of its bishops fax, June 14, 2006</ref> Bishop Basil declined to appear. From 19 July 2006 the Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate placed him under temporary suspension, forbidding him 'from celebrating divine services until his repentance or until the decision of the matter by a court of bishops'.<ref name="MP1" />
The resolutions of the Moscow Patriarchate of [[July 19]], 2006, therefore made Bishop Basil's canonical stature a matter of intense dispute between Moscow and Constantinople. According to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Basil could legitimately celebrate as a bishop; according to Moscow, he was forbidden to do so. Accordingly, no communicant of the Moscow Patriarchate who wished to remain faithful to the decisions of his hierarchy could knowingly participate in a Liturgy at which Basil celebrated as a bishop, nor could they receive Holy Communion from him. Similarly, after these resolutions, no Moscow Patriarchate priest could[[concelebration|concelebrate]] with Basil.<ref name="Innokenty1" />
The ancient Patriarchates of [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]] ([[June 19]], 2006)<ref>[http://www.ec-patr.gr/docdisplay.php?lang=gr&id=698&tla=gr Letter from Pope of Alexandria concerning Bp. Basil Osborne] - June 19, 2006</ref> and [[Church of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]] ([[June 6]])<ref>[http://www.ec-patr.gr/docdisplay.php?lang=gr&id=697&tla=gr Letter from Patriarch of Jerusalem concerning Bp. Basil Osborne] - June 6, 2006</ref>, along with the [[Church of Cyprus]] ([[June 14]])<ref>[http://www.ec-patr.gr/docdisplay.php?lang=gr&id=699&tla=gr Letter from ''locum tenens'' of the Archbishop of Cyprus concerning Bp. Basil Osborne] - June 14, 2006</ref> and the [[Church of Albania]] ([[August 12]])<ref>[http://www.exarchate-uk.org/News/anastasios.html Circular Letter from the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Albania on the subject of the election of Bishop Basil, addressed to His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew II] - August 12, 2006</ref>, later confirmed their support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's authority to act in the manner that it had.<ref>Refer to ORDOs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the latest being that of 2006, for the official designation of titular bishops as "bishops/hierarchs" of the "Throne" and to the text of canons 9, 17 and 28 for the rights and privileges of Constantinople regarding extraterritorial appeals and jurisdiction in the "varvariki", regions beyond the borders of the other senior patriarchates.</ref>
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