Long-standing rivalries between Moscow and Constantinople – compounded by disagreements over the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria – threaten to derail the most important Orthodox Church gathering of modern times The venerable church of Hagia Irene in Constantinople was the venue in AD 381 for the momentous meeting of the Second Ecumenical Council, which helped cement the foundations of the early Church, underpinning what became known as the Nicene Creed and the doctrine of the Trinity. Thus, when it was announced that a pan-Orthodox Council would take place within those same hallowed walls, some observers were quick to draw parallels, ranking the meeting at Pentecost this year as equally momentous for modern Orthodoxy. While the proposed event could not be described as an ecume