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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMcClintock Biblical Encyclopedia: Nauplia, or Napoli di Romania
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a seaport town of Greece, and capital of an eparchy of its own name, situated fifty-eight miles south-west of Athens, with a population of 8543 in 1870, was the seat of the Greek government after the independent establishment of the modern kingdom in 1829, and is noted in ecclesiastical history as the place of a national synod held there July 15 to 27,1833, for the purpose of regenerating the Greek Church. The synod was convened by the then ministers of public worship and of education, instead of the patriarch, who resided at Constantinople, and was subject to Turkish influence. There were many causes for the convocation of the Nauplia Synod, not the least of which was the proper placing of all episcopal officers, many of them having been consecrated during the war of freedom, and being therefore without patriarchal ordination. At the time of the calling of the Nauplia Synod there were in the Church of Greece twenty- two canonical. or regularly consecrated prelates, and twelve uncanonical episcopates, i.e., such as had not patriarchal ordination; and besides these some twenty ex-bishops, deprived of their sees by the troubles of the times. The council was therefore called to settle the following two propositions, and they were approved by the twenty-six prelates who attended the synod:
(1.) The Eastern Orthodox and Apostolic Church of Greece, which spiritnally owns as head of the Christian faith Jesus Christ our Lord, is dependent on no external authority, while she preserves unmshaken dogmatic unity with all the Eastern orthodox churches. With respect to the administration of the Church which pertains to the crown, she acknowledges the king of Greece as her snpreme head, as is in nothing contrary to the holy canons.
(2.) A permanent synod shall be established, consisting entirely of archbishops and bishops, appointed by the king, to be the highest ecclesiastical authority, after the model of the Russilan Church.
The divisions of the dioceses of the kingdom followed next. Their number was definitely fixed at ten; and it was ordered that each province should constitute a diocese, which should bear the name of the province, and that the city which was the principal seat of the bishopric should be the ca pital of the province. Since, however, by degrees fifty-three Greek bishops came forward who all needed some provision, forty provisional sees were erected for such of them as were still able to superintend a diocese; the remainder were provided for in some other manner. The names of the definitive sees were as follows, the provisional bishoprics we have not thought worth while to insert:(2.) A permanent synod shall be established, consisting entirely of archbishops and bishops, appointed by the king, to be the highest ecclesiastical authority, after the model of the Russilan Church.
Corinth and Argolis ............... See of Corinth.
Achaia and Ell is.................... Patrae.
Messenia .......................... Cyparissia.
Arcadia .......................... Mantinea.
Laconi ........................... Sparta.
Acarniani and Etoliha........... Missolonghi.
Phocis and Locris ................. Amphissa.
Attica and Baotia................. Athens.
Eubaea ............................. Chalcis.
The Cyclades............ Hermopolis.
It was further arranged that in case of any vacancy of the provisional sees it should not be filled up, but the see should be united to the permanent diocese of the province, whose bishop had his seat in its capital; but this arrangement has not altogether been carried out. The synod is composed of a president, four members, who must be bishops, a secretary, a royal commissioner, and supernumerary members. See Neale, Introd. Hist. of the Holy East. Ch. part 1, volume 1, pages 60-61.