BOSTON, MA (TNH) – His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America sent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate the List of Candidates for Election to the Episcopacy or to be eligible for election to the Metropolis of Chicago, exactly as Patriarch Bartholomew and the Synod had requested.
The List is divided into four categories: the first consists of the archimandrites, the second of widower priests, the third of active metropolitans of the Archdiocese and the fourth of those who previously served the Archdiocese and now are metropolitans in Ecclesiastical Eparchies of the Ecumenical Patriarchate abroad, namely, Sotirios of Toronto and All Canada, Nikitas of Dardanelles, Athenagoras of Mexico, and Cleopas of Sweden.
The next step is that the List will be approved by the Synod at its regular meeting on January 9. It will be returned to the Archdiocese where the archbishop will convene the Holy Eparchial Synod to select the triprosopon – the three-person ballot that will be sent to the Patriarchate, whose Synod will make the final election with all probability at its February 8 meeting.
It is reminded here that Archbishop Demetrios had created a big issue with the subject of the List because initially he had refused to comply with the Patriarchate’s directive.
Oddly, he justified his refusal by a report issued by attorneys, which the Patriarchate rejected as “unacceptable,” as TNH had revealed. That document’s authors cited U.S. law for in their reasoning. Among those who had signed that document were VP Archdiocesan Council Vice Chair and Leadership 100 Chair George Tsandikos, who is also an archon of the Patriarchate.
The way the list is now structured, candidates can be all active Archdiocese metropolitans based on the method of transfer known as “metatheton” in ecclesiastical language.
TNH has learned that Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit would like to move to Chicago. Currently, he serves as locum tenens of the Chicago Metropolis. If Nicholas is not the choice, it might be Nikitas, who is said to be Patriarch Bartholomew’s choice.
Those in the know speculate that the actual election may be delayed so that it would take place under a new archbishop.
As past events have indicated, developments at the Archdiocese are often unpredictable.
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Future head of Greek Metropolis of Chicago still unknown
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what a byzantine web we weave - no wonder our youth are leaving in droves - you just cannot make this stuff up- what is needed is an american born, widowed priest, who graduated from st vladimir's, has a neatly trimmed beard and no pony tail and wears a business suit -- someone who knows america, the american way of doing things, and not a life long celibate but some one who has experienced family life and understands the trials of a family life, and lastly some one who does not have a perception of not being wholesome in sexual orientation......the best leaders we have had in the usa were platon, theophilus, leonty, ireney, kiprian, josephat, that the oca had, and orestes were widowed clerics -- those days have certainly changed -- it is now time for the goa to see the light -- time to invest in america --- in fact the greeks foisted a greek american upon the carpatho-russians,,,, why not put a person of russian heritage and a st vlads graduate in chicago ??????
ReplyDeletewe need to change the paradigms that are causing our churches to loose members --- it is time to have one, american orthodox church with all american born bishops, and no accents or scraggly beards-- if we did this it would be a good start, it is time to no longer be a emigre ghetto and most of all aren't these foreign prelates who won't let go of the americans like the tail wagging the dog --- in many ways the power and economic base is here -- and here it should remain -- we need to build our infrastructure, unite and perhaps washington can eventually become the fourth rome
just a perspective to consider
I consider your bigotry against traditional appearance of clergy very telling. You want to be "Merikan", fine. That's your thing, do not attempt to force it on the rest of us. You don't like long beards, don't have one yourself. When you're running down my Orthodoxy, Hoss, you're walkin' on the fightin' side if me.
ReplyDeletei must say that such traditionalist perspectives are the reason for our demise as it is occurring, just look at the recent studies that have been done for the council of bishops - the harsh reality is being presented -- beards do not make you holy, pony tails do not make you holy, worry beds do not make you holy --- it is what is in your heart that makes you holy and the love you bring into the world -- we have become so tied up with externalites and laws and regulations that we have forgotten what our mission is - what our faith should be --- to our youth we make ourselves look like members of a sect instead of being truly religious in our words and actions --- in order to be effective in this country we must be more american in our appearance - this is a reality that we cannot legislate away by polemics-- one knows when the truth is being told because the truth makes you uncomfortable and the fight'n side comes out. hopefully this helps us all to make positive moves forward -- reality is a very harsh pill to swallow - and we must recognize what reality is and how to work with in its boundaries - God Bless and may all of us have a blessed, joyful and healthy new year.
ReplyDeleteSir; Unless I'm much mistaken, your ancestors came from the Rusin homelands not only to escape poverty, but also because they were sick and tired of the Pole and Hungarian telling them how to worship. They came here and used the freedom this country granted to build their own churches so that they could worship as they did back home.When the local Latin bishops oppressed the Byzantine Rite Rusins, the latter followed St. Alexis Toth back to Orthodoxy. Thus, I find it ironic that you feel the need to tell us traditionalists what to do.
ReplyDeleteMerle Haggard sang about people running down our way of life our fighting men have fought and died to keep. When I refer to fighting , I mean the martyrs who fought for the faith in Russia, such as Patriarch Tikhon, who laboured over here. He and others martyred because they would not accept some of the changes you seem to advocate. While the Patriarch and others were fighting to preserve the Church, both the Soviets and the EP backed the modernist "Living Church." They had married bishops, twice married clergy, they eschewed beards. The infamous "Metropolitan" Vvdensky was a clean shaven twice married "bishop" who started the practice of reading the silent prayers out loud. That's why I find this practice by some modern clergy offensive.
As far as making the church more American, been there, done that. The clergy shaved and adopted the suit and Roman collar. Then benches were put in most churches. Then English was introduced, which I support btw. But then the calendar change, Matins were eliminated. What else must be done? Must we really entertain people to grow the church? Our society is already hostile to Christ, it is we who must reform, not the church. I suppose it's pointless to continue the argument. It would seem we are divided between those who favor some sort of "great commission", like our Protestant friends and those who agree with St. Seraphim of Sarov "aquire a spirit of peace and a thousand souls around you shall be saved."
sorry - but Rusin is not an identity that my people aligned with - Lemko, Halichina Rus, Russophile all work but Rusin/Rusyn does not --- we for Galicia had our holocaust at the Thalerhoff prison camps during WW1.
ReplyDeleteWhat you lost i my comments was that we cannot play in the sand box with ourselves as such where is the Christianity among us.
What we also focus on too much are the externalities and not the internalities --- no pews, long beards and hair, long - unto ages of ages church services do not get to the roots of one's faith -- we need to truly determine what makes us Christian in today's world and being part of the world as it existed centuries ago does not make our message relevant to today's youth --- Christianity has evolved to meet the needs of the dy however we resist this evolving and praise ourselves for how good we remain.
fundamentaly, we have no spirit of peace, why? because we are not united into one church - we re splinted into ethnic ghettos and experience scandal after scandal ----- for this our existence is tragic, and we need to rethink our mission and how best to move ahead.
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DeleteFor a little counter perspective, Metr. Nicholas has told the clergy of the Metropolis of Chicago that he is not interested in the metropolis switch.
ReplyDeleteFr. Peter
I should mention that His Eminence did not seem to make a secret of his stance and I am only bringing his words up to caution towards care in taking things whole-sale from various sources on the web.
Delete