As reported earlier, the canonical changes pushed forwards by Metropolitan Philip a few days ago have caused quite a bit of confusion and conversation amongst Orthodox in the US. You will note that, from the quotes of "former" diocesan bishops, that they were given no advance notice of this change. OCA News (a well-known and opinionated news outlet) has the below:
(OCA News) - As the Orthodox Church in America begins a debate about the status of its dioceses and that of its Central Church Administration, the Antiochians seem to have abruptly ended theirs. The result is of great consequence for all Orthodox in North America...Complete article here.
In short, a stunned 'Self-Ruled' Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America woke up on the morning of the 25th of February to find that it was not. In effect the Archdiocese has been returned, by Synodal fiat, to its status of some six years ago, prior to the establishment of its nine local dioceses. Then the Archdiocese was simply one entity with several regions. Now there are no longer six diocesan Bishops gathered around a Metropolitan Archbishop: there is but one Metropolitan with six auxiliary Bishops.
Metropolitan Phillip, the long-time leader of the Antiochian Archdiocese in North America, is widely held to be behind the Synods decision, as it affects his above all others. Although he did not sign the Synod's official decision, +Philip welcomed the change -even as he tried to downplay its importance by referring to it as "a narrow administrative decision". One can only ask: how many other 'narrow administrative decisions' has he ordered to be read immediately from every pulpit of every parish throughout the Archdiocese?
The answer: none.
For the average Antiochian parishioner the unexpected Synodal decision means changes that are both administrative and liturgical (only Philip will now be commemorated, unless an auxiliary is physically present) . But the most profound change is symbolic and psychological. How 'self-ruled' is the Archdiocese when it does not govern its own episcopacy or administration? For the Antiochian clergy, however, the potential consequences are much more immediate and personal - especially regarding placement in parishes, transfers and promotions. Once again everything will be run out of the Archdiocese's Englewood, New Jersey headquarters - and the Metropolitan's memory is famously long and famously unforgiving. Of course the greatest single effect will be on the six Antiochian Bishops, many of them publicly unhappy, as all of them have been singularly demoted, five years after what was certainly publicly portrayed as their elevations to ruling diocesan bishop status...
In a March 3rd letter to the Metropolitan Bishop Basil (Essey) of the former diocese of Wichita and Mid-America, joined those asking questions:
"What, Sayyidna, did my brothers and I do that resulted in our being so humiliated as to be summarily reduced from enthroned diocesan bishops to mere auxiliaries? And because I - like you and all members of the Holy Synod - publicly pledged on the day of episcopal consecration to 'confess, accept and defend' the sacred canons, I ask which of those sacred canons permit such an action to be taken without formal charges being brought?"...
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment