Boy, if this isn't the very definition of bittersweet news, I don't know what is. Bishop Jonah, the newly ordained bishop of Fort Worth for the Orthodox Church in America, was just elected Metropolitan of the OCA at the All-American Council.
I'm near tears, literally, and for completely selfish reasons. This is a great man. He arrived this autumn in Dallas, and I was fortunate enough to spend an evening with him and Brother Gregory, a young monk he brought with him from the monastery where he was abbot. I can't tell you how excited so many of us in the cathedral parish were to have him -- to have both of them -- here. Jonah had plans to establish a monastic presence here in Dallas, plans with SMU and its nascent Orthodox studies program, and so on. And now ... what? Does it all go away? I said goodbye to Bishop Jonah and Brother Gregory in the parking lot of the cathedral on Sunday, and told them I'd be praying for God's will, but hoping God's will wouldn't raise him to the Metropolitan's throne.
But it has, and what choice do we have but to say: "Thanks be to God!" In an unselfish way, let me say that I cannot imagine a better choice to lead the OCA out of this pit of corruption and slough of despond into which the previous leadership took it. Without betraying confidences, I can tell you that His Beatitude knows what the score is in the OCA. He knows where the problems are, and what they are. He is not fooled. And he is a good man. That's what makes this event so bittersweet: he really is the best. Just this past Sunday, I was speaking to a young theology student from SMU who is new at the cathedral. Jonah had given a great homily, and she told me after liturgy, "When I heard his sermon today, I knew I was home."
Oh yeah, parting will be such sweet sorrow.
Here's what I hope and pray: that this truly means that the scandal is over.
And I also hope that His Beatitude will sell all the church property in Syosset, relocate church headquarters to Dallas, and get a new start. Thanks in large part to the leadership of Archbishop Dmitri, the OCA is healthy and growing by leaps and bounds in the Archdiocese of the South. Orthodoxy has a very bright future in this region. Perhaps the Holy Spirit, in His infinite wisdom, will make this come about. Nudge-nudge. I mean, really, Brother Gregory was all set to hold his first homebrew session for us menfolk this Friday night. St. Arnold of Metz, pray for us!
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Axios!(He is worthy!) To our new Primate of the OCA! With God's help, we can move on to spread Jesus' "Good News" to a world that is covered in darkness!
Fr. J,
It's not unheard-of (wasn't St. Nicholas a still a catechumen when elected bishop?) but not very common, either. Without detracting from Kristen M, yeah-- it's unusual to put a guy in charge of your Church when he's been bishop for less than two weeks.
Because of his youth, Met. Jonah was the only of the bishops unscathed by the scandal-- this is one point in his favor. And his legacy as abbot of the monastery in California is already quite considerable. He hasn't been a bishop for very long, and he is very young, but by no means is he untested.
It's a bold choice, and marks a major break from past failings. But yes, it's an unusual choice. His Beatitude Jonah could be Metropolitan of the OCA for the next forty years.
Congratulations! I hope that the OCA will steer through gentler waters with a new captain.
I wonder . . . when was the last time that a primate of any of the Churches was a convert? I suppose that this is the first time in a very long, long time, but I could be wrong.
As a trivial note, your Metropolitan Jonah sort of looks like a younger version of our Metropolitan Hilarion. I suppose that bishops mostly fit into a small number of stock looks, though. The beards . . .
I'm not sure what you mean by 'primate', but Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp), head of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate, is a convert (from Eastern Rite Catholicism).
As an Orthodox Priest with a brother in the OCA I am very excited about this news. AXIOS! And may God grant him nay years!
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