LOS ANGELES - Delegates of the U.S. Greek Orthodox Church approved a controversial new charter that would grant it greater autonomy from its leadership abroad.
The delegates said the move Wednesday signaled a yearning for an independent church that would remain linked to the mother church, headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, but not completely controlled by it. The new charter must still be accepted by the Istanbul patriarchate.
Under the proposed changes, Greek Orthodox clergy in the United States would submit three nominees for future archbishops to the patriarchate. The American church would elect bishops on its own.
Church leaders in Istanbul now appoint both bishops and archbishops. Although they routinely honor the recommendations of the American church, they are not bound by them, said Deacon Nektarios Morrow, director of communication for the archdiocese in New York.
In earlier negotiations, Istanbul rejected a request from U.S. Greek Orthodox church members for a greater role in the selection of bishops and archbishops.
Some 750 delegates attending this week's Greek Orthodox Clergy-Laity Congress approved the new charter during a voice vote. Nektarios estimated that about 70 percent of the delegates supported the change.
The 1.5-million member U.S. Greek Orthodox Church is the largest and most prominent of the country's Eastern Orthodox churches.