The statement from the Holy Synod...

"The Holy Synod of the See of Antioch, after long discussion and deep deliberation of the Synodal decision of February 24, 2009, and with the recommendations of His Beatitude, the Patriarch, it affirms that the nature of the Episcopate is one and the same to all those who are consecrated as bishops. The Holy Synod of Antioch affirms and reminds that all bishops of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America are bishops who assist the Metropolitan, and that, furthermore, any diocese of the one united Archdiocese, under any circumstances, cannot be considered an independent Archdiocese. The Holy Synod of Antioch alone has the prerogative to establish Archdioceses in the See of Antioch."

It appears that, on quick review, the statement affirms there is only one kind of episcopacy. This is in line with Orthodox polity that bishops vary in jurisdiction but not in standing. In other words there are not some who, for lack of a better term, are "more bishop" than others even though they may have a broader jurisdiction of responsibility.

While the term "auxiliary" is not used the wording "...bishops who assist the Metropolitan..." is not defined as to what that "assistance" is or what its scope is. Does "assist" mean "subordinate" or "auxiliary" or does it mean they are a synod of diocesan Bishops with a Metropolitan as president?

I'm missing the point on the phrase related to the dioceses except to think they are admonishing dioceses to be collegial and unified within the larger context of the Archdiocese. This seems odd, on first reading, because I was not aware that any of our dioceses were in the process of attempting to become an archdiocese.

Such are the difficulties of creating documents in the byzantine tradition and then also making the translation from Arabic to English. It would have been easier, frankly, for them to have simply said "All formerly diocesan Bishops are to remain as auxiliaries to their Metropolitan" or "All formerly diocesan Bishops are restored to their thrones and diocese to serve."

Oh well. Let the parsing begin...