Posted on 09/19/2015 10:51:49 PM PDT by NRx
The below is a huge blow to the idea of a united, canonical Orthodox Church in America. When ROCOR declared that they didn't want to be a part of the Chambésy process (see here) because they believed that their faithful needed strong Russian (or at least Slavic patrimony) oversight the popular reaction was "Oh, those crazy Russians and their extremism. Too bad for them that they'll be shunted to the hinterlands of American Orthodoxy just like the pre-reunion Old Days™." People thought we'd move on without them and maybe eventually they'd come back to the table.
The below declaration from the Antiochian Archdiocese, on the other hand, is a complete surprise to everyone I have spoken to.
Today we see that Antioch has made a similar declaration and a table set for the whole family is now half empty. "Why?" you might ask. The answer seems to be a combination of factors. First, and some would say foremost, is the amazing lack of primus inter pares-like action from the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the matter of Jerusalem's incursion into Qatar. Antioch was exceedingly clear on her dismay at the Orthodox world's lack of action on this topic and Constantinople's unwillingness to lead the charge for a correction to this territorial violation. Antioch responded by breaking communion with Jerusalem and the patriarchates of the world were silent.
Second, the Middle East is in a state of chaos not seen since Mohammedan scimitars cut a swath across the known world. We know that the so-called "Arab Spring" combined with ham-handed American interference has proved disastrous to the lives of our people in the Levant. A tie to the money, influence, and stability of her American parishes is a lifeline for a patriarchate seeing her people driven out of their homes when not sold into slavery or killed outright.
Third, there seems to be some reluctance to be under the "subjugation or domination of any." The Internet is rife with people decrying the perceived hegemony of the Greek Archdiocese in this Assembly of Bishops unification process. This does not now seem to be isolated to the vocal cyber-laity. This is apparently a very real impediment.
What the below appears to be saying is that the Antiochian Archdiocese is all for getting together and talking as "a voluntary Assembly" that can speak together with the other jurisdictions on topics and iron out difficulties. She simply doesn't want this body to cut the ties of Antioch with her parishes in the New World. That transformation into a single body is exactly what is supposed to happen and without fidelity to this charter, the process is essentially dead.
This doesn't mean things won't improve in the lives of Orthodox in America. If everyone is on the same page about in vitro, divorces, baptisms, crownings, clergy incardinations, excommunications, etc. we'll at least look like a single Church even if we continue on as a loose coalition. We seem to be happy under the equivalent of the Articles of Confederation with no Constitutional integration in sight.
For the many, many faithful hopeful for an Orthodox Church in America this is a very sad day.
(Antiochian.org) - Statement of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America to the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the United States Regarding the Draft Proposal of the Committee on Canonical Regional Planning
Presented at the Meeting of the Assembly of Bishops Convened in Chicago, IL
September 15-17, 2015
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America has always prayed for and been committed to unity and cooperation of all of the Orthodox Christians in North America. The unity that we seek is true Orthodox unity based on mutual respect, love and cooperation with all of the Orthodox in America without subjugation or domination of any. Unity must allow for the continued work and support of each of the jurisdictions for their people and continued unity with the respective mother churches.
There is no doubt that the Christian Fellowship and work of the Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America as well as that of the Assembly of Bishops has been very valuable. We have come to know each other and have discovered how we can even better cooperate and support each other. We can enhance the ministries of each other as well as promulgate corporate ministries. Our relationships provide even more effective ministries. We are grateful for the candid and honest exchanges of the bishops at the meetings. We are committed to continuing this process of building up our relationships and working together in every area possible.
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America continues to be committed to the unity of the Antiochian Archdiocese and the Antiochian Patriarchate. The Church of Antioch, even while under persecution, stands firm as a witness to the incarnation of Christ and the history of the Savior in this world. By maintaining our unity with Antioch we provide a subtle witness to the world that Jesus Christ is the incarnate God who lived in the Holy Lands among us and is one with us.
Each of our bishops at our first confession of faith committed “myself to the preservation of the peace of the Church and …(to) obey and follow the directives of His Beatitude, the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East; and (to) uphold and protect the honor of the Patriarch of Antioch all the days of my life.” The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Antioch and her Patriarch JOHN X remains committed to the unity of the Patriarchate with all of Antiochian faithful wherever they are. The Antiochian Metropolitan and bishops of North America remain committed to our consecration pledge.
We suggest that the Assembly of Bishops in the United States work as a voluntary Assembly of all the Canonical Bishops in the United States to accomplish the mission of the Assembly as articulated in the founding documents: “The mission of the Bishops’ Assemblies is the proclamation and promotion of the unity of the Orthodox Church, the common pastoral ministry of the Orthodox faithful of the region, as well as their common witness to the world.” We also agree that decisions should be made on the basis of the principle of unanimity of the Orthodox which are represented therein by bishops. In order to show filial love and respect, we would like all of the officers to be elected by the local assembly and to sit by order of the diptychs. We encourage the bishops in each geographical area to meet regularly and cooperate in ministry. We also support the continued work with inter-jurisdictional agencies and Orthodox theological groups. In this day of easy travel and communication, bishops can effectively serve their parishes in America without restructuring present geographical boundaries. Our churches are not yet homogeneous and there are jurisdictional needs within our parishes.
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Many of the Eskamos of Alaska are Russian Orthodox.
This is indeed discouraging. The Antiochians are engaging in doublespeak — separate jurisdictions == unity.
It should be 1984!
Most of the world disrespects Israel... frankly Israel has done a heroic job under its constant siege.
Don’t know quite what is happening with Qatar but if it’s analogous to other similar events, Israel will turn out to have gone in there to clean the clock of some particularly troublesome terrorism.
If the Orthodox world groks this even as well as the rest of Christendom has (which is far from perfectly), it will be wise.
Could part of the problem be the very unhidden efforts of Russia to once again co-opt its local church, and the church’s rather feeble (if not nonexistent) pushback to that?
If you have a church that lets itself get torn in pieces by worldly agendas, pretty soon it will give up what unity it had.
“Sigh...”
Really? Does this surprise you? The Patriarchate of Antioch needs its American Archdiocese, especially now, just as Constantinople needed (and needs) us Greeks, to survive in a sea of Mohammedanism!
Interestingly, much of the impetus for an “American Orthodox Church” came from the Antiochians (along with the OCA and assorted Greek laymen. Its source lay in Met. Philip’s acceptance of the “Evangelical Orthodox Church” set up by a group of “protestants swinging the theemeeatoe” and its clergy with their “orders” intact for all intents and purposes (some of you may remember that Archbishop Iakovos, of blessed memory, showed that crowd the door when they came knocking). The level of convert clergy in the AOC is breathtaking and along with those convert priests, many of whom, frankly, are excellent priests, came this idea that we as Americans now know how to be Orthodox and that we don’t need even limited oversight from the “old country” patriarchates. The truth is that there is no American Orthodox phronema. Turning us into the OCA won’t change that. It will simply make matters worse.
As a practical matter, we DO control our own churches. If anyone doubts that, read the history of the removal of the unlamented Spyridon as Archbishop of the GOA. It’s a long story. I was intimately involved in that uprising. I can tell you that at the end, Black Bart of Istanbul was three or four days away from being removed himself had he not fired Spyridon.
I understand that our jurisdictional mess here is uncanonical. The world has not ended yet and won’t anytime soon. Orthodoxy, notwithstanding, still survives! I understand that the topic will be discussed at the upcoming Great and Holy Synod. Personally, I think the Russians, in pursuit of their “Third Rome” mania, will kill any changes not leading to Russian domination of the churches here. Moscow won’t be happy until we’re all kneeling on beans every day, as miserable as they are!
With continuing Christian immigration from the ME, the Balkans, Ukraine and places like Ethiopia and Eritrea, we should have another maybe three generations of infusion of Orthodox phronema in our churches here. We will also by then have two or three generations of “cradle” American Orthodox born of today’s converts. Then, maybe, we can have a single “pan Orthodox” church here and even that presupposes that the ancient Patriarchates can survive without local churches here.
For what it’s worth, I think the distant future of Orthodoxy here and in Canada looks more like the AOC than the GOA.
Vladimir Soloviev was right.
Oops! Didn’t see it was a caucus thread.
Many of the Orthodox churches in Alaska are under the OCA, not ROCOR.
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