Fr. Elias Yelovich, who was recently removed from the Antiochian Archdiocese for vocal disagreement with the recent actions of Met. Philip, has joined a non-canonical, Old Calendarist diocese. For more information on this story, please see here.
(Milan-USA) - The Reverend Father Elias Yelovich was received into the Archdiocese of New York and New Jersey of the Autonomous Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas yesterday, November 11/24 by Archbishop John at Holy Name Abbey, West Milford, NJ.
He will pastor a new mission in Orrtanna, Pennsylvania, with the Entrance of the Holy Theotokos into the Temple as the parish feast. Fr Elias is 60 years old and was previously a priest of the Antiochian Archdiocese.
Many Years to Fr Elias and his new mission!
Posts
So can this move be seen as a vindication of Bp Thomas' and Mp Philip's judgment that some of his behaviors were indeed ummmm... sketchy? Hm.
ReplyDeleteexactly, s-p. it would have been one thing if he's gone to ROCOR or any of the other canonical old calendar groups. this jump to a vagante jurisdiction does not present the priest in a good light.
ReplyDeleteSad and deeply regrettable.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe Fr. Elias Yelovich was dismissed for dress code violations. Fr. David Moretti was the priest who was dismissed by Metropolitan Philip for wearing a cassock.
ReplyDeleteFr. Elias was dismissed for disobedience - commenting on OCANews.org was the initial reason given, the reasons were later expanded to include other issues - and he is the priest who has now entered the Milan Synod. It's sad that "sketchy" and idiosyncratic behavior don't call for discipline or guidance until negative comments on OCANews.org regarding the Metropolitan are made. This fact makes much the same point as if Fr. Elias were dismissed only for commenting on OCANews. That is, the Metropolitan is arbitrary in his leadership and prizes unquestioning loyalty to himself over Orthodoxy and Her Traditions. That is the real rottenness in the Church of Antioch.
I wonder if the realization that the Antiochian Church and World Orthodoxy have succumbed to 'economia gone wild' is part of the reason behind Fr. Elias leaving the Church of Antioch for an Old Calendarist group? If no other canonical jurisdiction was willing to accept him (even though he had not been defrocked) thus 'ratifying' Met. Philip's decision, then one could see how arbitrary economia has become the bedrock of canonical Orthodoxy and an Old Calendarist group might offer more stability in tradition. (Not sure how the Milan Synod fits that bill over other True Orthodox jurisdictions, but...)
ReplyDeleteApologies. I corrected the post (removed the cassock reference).
ReplyDeletesmall tangent, and please excuse my ignorance here...why was Fr. Moretti dismissed for wearing a cassock?
ReplyDeleteThe brief answer to your tangential question is because Met. +Philip is a modernist, anti-monastic, and mentally frozen in the early 1960's when "looking American" and fitting into American society was a big part of the mental set of American Orthodox Christians. He would rather priests of the Antiochian archdiocese look like Latin or Anglican priests, rather than Orthodox priest (who tend to look like Orthodox monks).
ReplyDeleteThe long answer is as follows: The terse letter to Fr. David Moretti, published on ocanews.org after the fact, cited disobedience to a directive from Met. +Philip regarding clerical dress--the cassocks are only to be worn on church property, and otherwise those in major orders are to wear Latin/Anglian-style clerical suite--and a "disparaging remark".
No one has been able to bring forth any testimony to any disparaging remark Fr. David ever made concerning Met. +Philip. I have heard a rumor that the basis for the charge may have been clicking the "like" button attached to someone else's remark on Facebook.
As to the charge of disobedience in matters of clerical dress, all accounts point to it being flat false. When Bishop +Mark was understood to be, in fact, what he was consecrated and enthroned to be, the Bishop of Toledo and the Mid-West, he expected his clergy to do what is normal for Orthodox clergy--to wear their cassocks, period, with allowances for circumstances of secular employment, of course. When Met. +Philip again asserted ordinary authority over the whole Antiochian church in North America, he sent a letter to Fr. David demanding he stop wearing his cassock off church grounds, and all reports from Terre Haute indicate that Fr. David was immediately obedient.
In fact, it seems likely Fr. David was released (into thin air, not released to another bishop, not deposed, just "released" so that it would be a purely administrative action, not a canonical punishment subject to appeal) because he was thought to be too close to or too supportive of Bishop +Mark.
There are certainly worse groups to join and there are quite possibly better too ;-). God guide him!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Jon Marc. As Old Calendarists go, I have a lot of time for the Milan Synod. I would, of course, have preferred him to come to us in the Church Abroad. Were it not for our ecclesiology, I would suggest that he is better off where he is now.
ReplyDelete