The Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew travelled to Geneva on 21 June to preside over the work of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Throne this month. The meeting will be held exceptionally at the Orthodox Centre in Chambésy/Geneva due to the restrictive measures for international travel during the pandemic. The work of the Holy Synod will start on Tuesday 23 June and is expected to end on Friday 26 June. As part of the work, the Patriarch and the members of the Synod will work on the first day with all the metropolitans in Europe to exchange views on the new pastoral circumstances due to the pandemic. In April and May the Synod could not be convened because of the restrictions. The Patriarch is accompanied by the Chief Secretary and the Under-Secretary of the Holy Synod, Archimandrite Joachim and Deacon Gregory, and by Mr. Panayotis Graphiadelis, Secretary of the Patriarch.

Source: www.orthodoxie.com

Communique on Holy Communion (https://orthodoxtimes.com/the-communique-of-the-ecumenical-patriarchate-for-the-holy-communion/):

During this meeting, the Official Letters of Their Beatitiudes the Orthodox Primates that had been received thus far in response to the letter of the Ecumenical Patriarch to them of May 17th of this year, on the issue of the mode of distribution of Holy Communion that emerged after the appearance of the coronavirus pandemic, were read and discussed. It was satisfactorily determined that their opinion coincided with that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This consists of the following:

a) The Mystery of the Divine Eucharist is non-negotiable, because we believe that through it is transmitted to the faithful the Body and Blood of the Savior Christ “unto the remission of sins and life eternal” and it is impossible that through this Mystery of Mysteries any disease might be communicated to those who partake.  For this reason, the Church remains steadfast and immovable in its teaching towards the essence of the Mystery of Holy Communion.

b) As to the mode of distributing the ineffable Mysteries to the faithful, the Church, respecting Holy Tradition that is interwoven inextricably with the daily ecclesiastical practice and kenoitc experience, and as the guardian and vigilant watchman of those traditions handed down from the Holy Father, finds no need for a change of this mode, especially under pressure from external factors.

At the same time, the Mother Church, mindful of the special needs of Her children in the Diaspora, urges the Chief Shepherds who serve in the Diaspora that with a pastoral sensitivity, responsibility, and consciousness, to temporarily make, by economia, accommodations to problematic situations that arise from local laws of the State for the greater spiritual benefit of the Christian people, always in coordination with the Sacred Center at the Phanar.