Phanar: Possession and use of weapons incompatible with Orthodox Clergy

The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has clarified that the possession and use of weapons, for any reason, are incompatible with the status of an Orthodox clergyman, regardless of ecclesiastical rank.

The statement was issued following the Synod’s meeting on Monday, November 2, 2026, under the presidency of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

According to the official announcement, the Synod began examining the items on its agenda and adopted the relevant decisions.

At the beginning of the session, Metropolitan Joseph of Proikonnesos, the senior hierarch among the Synod’s members, extended his congratulations to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the 35th anniversary of his enthronement to the Ecumenical Throne.

A particularly significant aspect of the meeting concerned the possession and use of weapons by Orthodox clergy.

In response to a question raised during the session, the Holy and Sacred Synod reaffirmed the Church’s canonical position, emphasizing that carrying or using weapons is fundamentally incompatible with the priestly vocation.

As stated in the official announcement: “The possession and use of weapons for any reason are entirely…