Following the protest of the Conference of Orthodox Bishops of the United States against the consecration of Alexander Bel, who was defrocked in ROCOR, the American Archdiocese of the Church of Constantinople postponed the ordination “until a consensus is reached,” writes Orthodox Times.

In the spirit of careful responsibility for the preservation of Orthodox Christian unity in the United States of America, the episcopal ordination of His Grace-elect Bishop Alexander Nikopolsky has been postponed until a consensus is reached.

According to the Archdiocese, “Archbishop Elpidophoros of America is committed to engaging in an open dialogue of brotherly love and understanding with other heads of jurisdictions of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States, while at the same time determined to prioritize constructive partnership and cooperation.”

Earlier, the Conference of Orthodox Bishops of the United States addressed a letter to the head of the American Archdiocese of the Church of Constantinople, Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis), protesting against the consecration of Alexander Bel, who was defrocked in ROCOR.