tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post2328117097805053326..comments2024-03-22T11:37:52.668-05:00Comments on Byzantine, Texas: EP defends Serbian Church against Montenegrin separatismByzantine, TXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17845681957622343484noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-61424016254907468802019-07-01T08:17:12.727-05:002019-07-01T08:17:12.727-05:00This furthers my thesis that autocephaly is like n...This furthers my thesis that autocephaly is like national sovereignty: if you're big enough or important enough, then you just take it, and if enough people agree with you then it's yours. In other words, autocephaly is <i>recognized</i>, not given.<br /><br />Thus, it was easy for the large Russian diocese to take autocephaly when the Phanar was just a bankrupt ghetto in Istanbul. Montenegro, by contrast to Russia, is a large town and at any point in the future could be carved up among its three neighbors, and that would be the end of "Montenegrin Orthodoxy." <br /><br />The Phanar's situation is even more tragically comic: around 2,000 congregants, which is barely enough to support a viable priesthood much less a Patriarchal hierarchy. Would "Constantinople" even exist without the addition of the GOA in 1922? The gravest threat a sovereign can face is that nobody takes him seriously.<br /><br />Antioch has a similar problem, with no less than four bishops all claiming to be "Patriarch of Antioch," none of whom actually live in Antioch proper. But Antioch seems to punch above its weight, with the ardor of its congregants and lots of extremely savvy diplomacy.The Anti-Gnostichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04386593803225823789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-65548628563841292792019-06-30T14:43:40.973-05:002019-06-30T14:43:40.973-05:00https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegrin_Orthodox...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegrin_Orthodox_Church#Leader<br /><br />"Metropolitan Mihailo had worked as a professor for the Serbian Orthodox Church and then as a priest of the Greek Orthodox Church in Italy, where he uncanonically created a Serbian Orthodox Municipality out of the Greek Church, leading after a number of scandals, including adultery and accusations of embezzlement, to his permanent suspension from the Church in 1995. After becoming Metropolitan of the MOC in 1997, he was fully excommunicated by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople from the Eastern Orthodox Church."Fr. Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01377360010219230919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-44252666334687956972019-06-28T20:24:38.551-05:002019-06-28T20:24:38.551-05:00Autocephaly as practiced and understood today was ...Autocephaly as practiced and understood today was unknown in the eay church, so only modern "Fathers" could be looked to. In modern times, autocephaly is really just Orthodox, ecclesiastical, national self-determination. Best choice would be to turn the Ecumenical Patriarchate into a sort of standing Stnod with representatives from all the local churches, the monasteries, seminaries, etc.123https://www.blogger.com/profile/14514075641944568806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-10734514357615459182019-06-28T09:58:59.190-05:002019-06-28T09:58:59.190-05:00Spot on Mikhail! This is merely an opening salvo....Spot on Mikhail! This is merely an opening salvo. Classic misdirection. First identify a problem where there is none. Then agree with the Establishment. Then when things spin out of control go in for the kill. Because you have to.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04247563675318252855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-29959789789309181262019-06-28T09:49:11.796-05:002019-06-28T09:49:11.796-05:00When is a Local Church considered august enough to...When is a Local Church considered august enough to be autocephalous? Are there any writings by the fathers on this topic?The Anti-Gnostichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04386593803225823789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-63682470060603603782019-06-28T08:57:41.668-05:002019-06-28T08:57:41.668-05:00The EP, at one time, also recognized the Ukrainian...The EP, at one time, also recognized the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, under Metropolitan Onufry, as the only canonical Church in Ukraine and recognized as such by all the other Churches.<br /><br />His words mean nothing. Mikailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06189539560391433081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73042886598650075.post-86611520251920107002019-06-27T13:44:48.228-05:002019-06-27T13:44:48.228-05:00This is why the Serbian church plays both sides. T...This is why the Serbian church plays both sides. They support the canonical church in Ukraine, which is good. But they want to remain on good terms with the EP because of such situations as described above.BorisJojicjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02796218761394313699noreply@blogger.com