The fundamental principle of the system of the Orthodox Church is the equality of the laity and the clergy who belong to the mystical body of Christ. The clergy and laity are invariably participating in the deaconia of the Church, in varying degrees and ministry, yet they are always equally among themselves brothers in the universal priesthood. According to this triple dignity, laymen participate in the following spheres of church life: ritual, teaching, administrative and legislative. One of the main conditions for autocephaly is the will of the laity. This fact should precede the process itself, by which we mean a clear declaration of the will of the laity, that is, the faithful of a local church striving to achieve autocephaly. In almost all resolutions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from the 19th-20th about autocephaly of a particular church periphery there is clearly underlined the fact that the faithful have asked for it. There is no doubt that the term “believers” is understood to mean the same clergy and monks, as well as the laity. One-sided operation of one of the mentioned groups does not fulfill the above condition. In spite of this, the form of fulfillment of this condition can not be precisely defined, because it is strictly dependent on the political or other situation prevailing in a given place.
Wisdom and discernment of ecumenical patriarch Jeremiah II Tranos has helped to safeguard the Orthodox Church and the faith against foreign influence of the non-Orthodox who have pursued solely to ensure their benefits. Orthodox believers in Polish Republic have obediently followed his orders consistently rejecting any novelties and aberrations of the Latin Church who has not accepted a method of dialogue preferring to use calendar reform as a measure to apply papal propaganda. Initial failure of the Roma has not restrained its policy on Orthodoxy. Active and uncompromising proselyte activity of Jesuit order has repeatedly led to tensions and fights between faithful of both Churches. Initial trial to impose the new calendar has turned into battlefield of pressure and persecution. In such a particularly critical period in history ecumenical patriarch Jeremiah II Tranos has himself rushed to the aid of Kiev Metropolis located within boundaries of the Polish Republic. Orthodox Church in Poland continued to use the traditional Julian calendar and adopted the Gregorian reform after a time on 12 April 1924, for the sake of convenience in international trade. Orthodox people of the Polish Republic have protested against the new calendar treating it as one of the main reasons of their struggle
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