The assembly began when delegates from the 14 autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches met at the Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Switzerland, on June 6–12, 2009.
[1] At that time, the conference decided to sanction the establishment of episcopal assemblies in 12 regions of the so-called Eastern Orthodox diaspora which are beyond the boundaries of the autocephalous churches.
The current jurisdictions in the region include the following, ordered according to diptych: The first act the Assembly took place in 2010 in the Holy Church Cathedral of Saints Andrew and Demetrius, in Madrid's Nicaragua Street.
After a visit to the cathedral and the recitation of the Lord's Prayer, Metropolitan Polycarp, ex officio President of the Assembly, offered some words.
He denied the Westerners' view of Orthodoxy as divided, since there is only one Orthodox Church, united in faith, sacraments, canons and sacred tradition.