21 November 1997
The Pious Priests and Deacons
of the Holy Diocese of
Denver
Beloved in the Lord,
From time to time the clergy of the Diocese of Denver are summoned to appear before the judicial courts to serve as jurors in criminal and/or civil cases that are brought before them.
The Canons of our Orthodox Church, however, prohibit clergy from participating in, or serving on, civil and secular courts, since to do so would require one to pass judgment on another individual. These same Canons prohibit any Orthodox clergyman from expressing partiality regarding persons under penalty of discipline by Church authorities.
The constitution and laws of this country have fortunately respected the separation of Church and State, and protect the free exercise of one's religious convictions and obedience to the teachings of one's faith. Consequently, when duly notified of the canonical status of an Orthodox clergyman, our courts have respected his right to abide by the Canons of his Church and have removed his name from the rolls of potential jurors within their civil jurisdiction.
The enclosed memorandum issued by the Chancellor's Office of the Archdiocese in 1990 clearly delineates the position of the Church in this matter, and is still in effect.
Should any priest or deacon of this Diocese receive a Jury Duty Summons, they should immediately inform the Diocesan Office so that an appropriate letter can be addressed to the civil authorities informing them of our religious position and requesting that they be excused from such duty.
With Paternal Blessings,
+ Bishop Isaiah of Denver
Enclosure:
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
8-10 East 79th Street ¥ New York, NY 10021 ¥ Tel: (212) 570-3500 ¥ Fax: (212) 861-2183
web: www.goarch.org ¥ e-mail: archdiocese@goarch.org
M E M O R A N D U M
TO: All Clergy of the Holy Archdiocese
FROM: Chancellor's Office
SUBJ: Jury Service in Civil Courts
DATE: August 23, 1990
This second memorandum in regard to civil courts comes as an additional reminder to civil courts comes as an additional reminder that the clergy of the Church are strictly forbidden by Canon Law to take part in any aspect of the civil court system. This included jury service.
No deacon, priest, or bishop of the Church may serve on any jury of the civil court systems, but only on ecclesiastical tribunals.
We are fortunate to live in a nation which respects religious freedom. As clergy of the Church, God's law comes before all others.
If you are ever sent a notice to appear for jury service, you must inform the proper authorities that this infringes upon the teachings of the Church and your religious freedom as a citizen of this great nation.