The EP maintains a few websites. This is from the more anglophonic site.
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(EP) - The Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate announced on 7 September 2018 that within the framework of the preparations for the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has appointed as its Exarchs in Kiev His Excellency Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon from the United States, and His Grace Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton from Canada, both of whom are serving the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in their respective countries under the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
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It's impressive how deeply involved the UOC-USA has been in this process, and how close to the Denisenko group they've been for years. I'm afraid this will amplify the repercussions of this disastrous move in the US.
ReplyDeleteHow so on the amplification of repercussions in your view? I think you mean in the UOCofUSA itself? Honest non rhetorical question.
DeleteI only meant that it will put at least a few US jurisdictions clearly on opposite sides of a possible schism; painful in very practical ways in an area like mine where Orthodox faithful are fairly close across jurisdictions.
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DeleteThanks for the clarification, it makes sense.
DeleteI hope and pray this does not come to full-blown schism within your communion... although in times like this (including the scandals plaguing my own Latin Church) I am beginning to think more and more that an honest war can be purifying, just as much as a false peace is putrefying.
ReplyDeleteThe Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA should immediately declare itself "autocephalous" if Pat. Bartholomew "grants" the Ukraine autocephaly.
ReplyDeleteThat might be cool, and as "canonical" as anything else in the current climate. But it's not gonna happen. GOA is still the largest body of North American Orthodox, and their breaking with the EP is unimaginable (now).
DeleteYep, one wonders how long a canonical and ecclesiological structure designed around a single Empire can be stretched over a world that has seen the dissolution of said Empire, east-west split, rise of nation states and the attendant secular polity/culture and religious pluralism.
DeleteOn the one hand, I want to say that surely the 20-21st century realities of the world and the Eastern Church will stress this anachronism to its breaking point...surely.
On the other hand, we have trudged through the status quo for many centuries as is, it can last as long as we are willing.
I suspect that the Ukraine (whatever happens) is going to to prove no more a straw-that-broke... than multiple jurisdictions in Europe/NA/SA and the like have proved so far a fundamental threat to the status quo...still, the myriad of contradictions are piled so high now that that one would not be surprised if a single small thing caused a very rapid collapse into a rather permanent Orthodoxy-as-national-church schism...
This whole "Orthodoxy as National Church" nonsense is getting old. The evidence is that there is solidarity against the EP's innovations much like the situation with the Latins a thousand years ago. Moscow is making sure that is there is a schism it will be blatantly obvious who caused it. The EP. Other than the Church of Greece I don't see how ANY Church would go along with an attempt to carve up the MP. They would know they would be next sooner or later.
DeleteWhat canonical Orthodox body in Ukraine has asked for autocephaly? Not the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which is the only canonical church I am aware of. It seems like any grant of autocephaly would necessarily be to a schismatic entity. How weird is that?
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DeleteThis is my question. I mean, granting autocephaly is something that perhaps can be argued. It's the people to whom it's being extended that troubles me.
DeleteSam, I think this is the big question on everyone's mind. *TO WHOM* could autocephaly be granted?
DeleteTo Metropolitan Onuphriy and the canonical Church? Makes no sense.
To "Patriarch Philaret" the schismatic? He doesn't even recognize the authority of the Phanar.
I keep on wondering - is the Phanar denying that Metropolitan Onuphriy and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) are canonical? If not, what need is there for a second canonical Church?
The EP looks to be doing in Ukraine what Moscow did with the OCA in North America.
DeleteThe EP looks to be doing in Ukraine what the EP did with the Estonian Orthodox Church (Ecumenical Patriarchate) in Estonia.
DeleteTake comfort in that She will survive no matter what prideful, power-seeking, sinful men do today or at any time.
ReplyDeleteBeing new to Orthodoxy (OCA), the E. P. considers USA "under" Moscow, yes? As he has not granted nor recognized US with autocephalous status. If that is true (and I concur, if so) then issuing a Tomos to US would signal to .......oh, never mind. Psalm 143, verse 3 covers.
Our Lord does show mercy, in spit of ourselves.
With, I believe, the same canonical and historical reasoning.
ReplyDeleteWhile colonialism can be hard, post-colonialism is harder.