For Orthodox Christian readers, I have a big international news story to report from Dallas. You might have read the red-hot shots a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew took at the OCA Metropolitan Jonah recently, as part of the EP's plan for all American Orthodox Christians to submit to the headship of the EP, who is based in a compound in Istanbul.
Well. Last night at Pan-Orthodox Vespers here at St. Seraphim Cathedral here in Dallas, Metropolitan Jonah of the OCA responded. Watch his sermon here. It's a bombshell that will rock the Orthodox world. Concluding line: "We might affirm to our bishops that they might tell the churches of the Old World: 'There is an American Orthodox Church. Leave it alone.'"
Details below.
Jonah said to the congregation that two things unite us: we're all Orthodox Christians, and we're all Americans, even though we're under many jurisdictions. Right now in world Orthodoxy, it is being propose (by the EP) that "we all submit to Constantinople, we all submit to a foreign patriarchate, where all decisions are made there. ... We surrender the freedom we have embraced as American Orthodox Christians to a patriarchate still under Islamic domination. I think we have a better solution."
Jonah said that this is something hugely important, and imminent. He pointed to a meeting to be held in Cyprus in June, as a possible precursor to a move to put Orthodox churches under more direct control of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Said Jonah, derisively: "I would submit that if we wanted a Pope, we would be under the real one."
He went on to say the Old World patriarchs don't understand what it means to be Orthodox and American. He said we want to be governed by the Orthodox faith, yes, but we also must appreciate our diversity.
"I don't think the Holy Fathers in the Phanar" -- the compound in Istanbul where the EP lives and works -- "understand that we're a church, albeit of separate administrations, that has a common value of determining our own destiny. A church that is dedicated to the conciliar process, which does not ignore the voice of the laity, which does not ignore the voice of the priests. A church that is united in its common commitment, because we are Orthodox not simply by birth [or] our ethnic heritage. We are Orthodox because we have chosen to be Orthodox. We are Orthodox because we have chosen to be committed to Jesus Christ and the Gospel."
More:
We have, said Jonah, an evangelical commitment to the Gospel, "not to some nationalist or imperialist ideology from some forgotten empire. Not the imposition of foreign customs and the submission to foreign despots, but to a united church in this country, a church in which we value the diversity and we value the unity equally. A church in which we appreciate one another, and listen to the voice of one another, so that no person is devalued. So that the traditions which our fathers in the faith have brought to this country are valued."
More:
"There are those there who say there was no canonical Orthodox Church in North America until 1924" until the Ecumenical Patriarchate established the Greek Orthodox Archidocese here, Jonah said."Excuse me? The Russian Orthodox Church established a missionary work here in 1794. It established English-speaking churches where priests were trained to speak, to serve the liturgy, to teach the Gospel, and to bring faithful people into the Orthodox Church. From 1857, in San Francisco, they say that our unity in America before was a myth. That the time of St. Tikhon. Well, yes, there were a few dozen churches that were not part of it. But what about the 800 that were? Churches that may have had Russian clergy, or clergy that were trained by the Russians, but were composed by Greeks and Serbs, of Arabs, Romanians and Bulgarians, and of converts who have stood for the integrity of the Orthodox faith and the integrity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the integrity of the witness, the missionary outreach, which is essential to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not to make people Greeks, not to make people Russians, not to make people Arabs, but to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this land ... in the fullness of its integrity.
There are those there in the Old World who devalue this. Who say that they are the only criterion of Orthodoxy. Who are ignorant of our saints. Who refuse to recognize the sacrifice of so many of those who have come before us in Christ to establish the Gospel here. I think we have a different solution. It's imperative for us to come together. It's imperative not for all the other churches -- the Antiochians, the Serbians, the Bulgarians, the Romanians and everyone to join the OCA -- but to come together in a new organization or Orthodoxy in North America that brings us all together in one church ... so that all the bishops sit under one synod, so that all the metropolitans get together in one synod, something like that."
Jonah said we must continue a fraternal relationship with our sister churches in the Old World, and to help protect them against any threats, "whether it be an aggressive Islam, or against communists who now call themselves democrats." But:
"It is imperative, brothers and sisters, imperative on us, that we come together, and with one voice, as the Orthodox Church in North America, to say to the holy fathers of the Old World: the Orthodox Church exists in North America. We're grateful for the support that you have given us. We love and support your work, and we rejoice in your victories, and we're sad with your tragedies. But you have to give us the freedom to take care of our own church in our own country in our own culture, and not to be controlled by people who have never heard a word of English, much less would allow a word of English to be spoken in the liturgy. We can't allow our church to be controlled by people who have no appreciation for our culture, and who have to bow to the Turkish Islamic authorities."
Jonah ended by saying God is calling all Orthodox in North America to come together as one, no matter where their ancestors came from. He said we all need to stand together, and tell the churches in the Old World: "There is an American Orthodox church. Leave it alone."
Boom! It's on. Hold on to your mitres.
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CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD--GLORIFY HIM!
It's too bad that Metr. JONAH had to apologize for speaking bluntly when he was speaking to a very derisive comment recently made by an official of the EP at Holy Cross Seminary. I don't think he has anything to apologize for since the opinion expressed by the EC official consitutes a delegitimation of the church which has long history and a strong canonical stance on these shores. If that stateent were not countered, silence on our Primate's part could be costrued as concession. In the face f the immanent meeting in Cyprus where the topic of American churches is due to be broached, the OCA's position (whch will not be aired then) hd better be known in advance. Metr. JONAH's public defence of his church is proper and dequate, unambiguous and ingenuous. Having known His Beatitude for over a decade I have never kown him to mince words or obfuscate. He has always spoke fearlessly, but yet not rashly. I think many responses to his speech are mistaken, imputing arrogance and other negative qualities to this speech. But it was precisely this manner which so impressed the All-American Council whose delegtes surprised even themselves by electing him after he addressed the Syosset mess with such clarity and compassion. His Beatitude should not be underestimated. He is a man of deep roots in prayer, a constant counselor to dozens if not hundreds of suffering souls and a true father to many.
The background to His Beatitude's speechcan be found in his lengthy essays on the subjet of autocephaly and canonical status of the OCA's jurisdiction in America, on Ancient Faith Radio and elsewhere on the web. I invite you all to look deeper.
BTW,Can anyone tell me if churchmen outside the EP construe Chalcedon 28 the way it's done by the Phanar?
I am a Greek Orthodox Christian from Athens, but I have to recognize that Metropolitan Jonas is absolutely right! The Patriarchate of Constantinople is interested only into remaining in Constantinople/Istanbul, so it depends on the Patriarch's public relations. The clergymen in Phanar cannot realize that Orthodox people in America, in Europe, or even in Greece, have the right to have their own synod and that they are not obliged even by Orthodox canon law to be administered by an "Eastern Pope" surrounded by a synod of bishops without flock and under constant Turkish pressure.
"BTW,Can anyone tell me if churchmen outside the EP construe Chalcedon 28 the way it's done by the Phanar?"
No! The "narrow" interpretation of the 28th Canon of Chalcedon Council by Phanar is absolutely arbitrary and it was promoted only after the Russian Revolution and more strongly during the patriarchate of Bartholomew I. It has no historical basis.
I try not to get involved in the controversial matters that do not affect the local parish I am charged with. Do I have opinions? Of course. When issues have a direct bearing on the individuals and families in my parish, I am compelled to speak. Gladly. As far as whose hand is at the "administrative" helm, I personally do not care - unless he starts to negatively affect the life of the parishioners. In that case be assured he will see a storm rain down upon him from across the country. "Foni laou, orgi theou". In other words, the singular voice of the church (clergy AND laity) is a force to be wreckoned with.
I do not think JONAH was off base. If he was, his comments would have been dismissed as a "newbie's zeal" or something like that. The fact that JONAH's comments have taken hold seems to me to be indicative of the fact that he is right. The HC Faculty's statement rebutting JONAH is very informative, yet markedly defensive. It does not seem to address the issues, but rather emphasizes how important the role of the Patiarch is. No one would disagree with that. Is that the only issue? No. But it seems it is the only one that is being examined. JONAH brought up many real life issues - whether in a subtle or overt manner. The faculty of HC touted the historical prerogatives and role of the patriarch. Ok. Thats nice. But the question that I get is, if he were addressing the issues that affect us now, perhaps he would not be viewed as a disconnected despot.
On the one hand, it seems that this is a battle of positioning. It is quite possible that the Lord Himself will return before the next Ecumenical Council. In the remote possibility that we do indeed have an Ecumenical Council, I believe that the administrative responsibilities of the Church in North America will be assigned to one hierarch. Yes, I am cynical, but it seems that there is a lot of positioning going on. I think that JONAH is speaking of obvious truths that I agree with him on. But... is he positioning? Is the Patriarch positioning? I will pray for them. I will also thank the Lord that I a not in charge of matters like this.
I just hope we dont start bickering with each other and scaring people away!
I am glad I am a local priest. I love my people.I know them. Whatever hierarch is at the helm, I just want him to know us, and love us as well.
Peace.
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