"Hellenism as the best expression of Orthodoxy will never be forgiven us."
I proudly will wear the badge of forthrightness in defense of the Mother Church and Orthodoxy, unworthy as I am. I will remain a watchdog against those who would gladly see the Ecumenical See vanish into the mist of the past. I have done and continue to do what is unpopular here in the comfort of the United States although I've been cautioned to "Agree quickly with your enemy while you are in the way, lest he take you before the magistrate and the magistrate turn you over to the jailer."
The only weaknesses of the Patriarchate is with those here in America who choose to do nothing, who choose to make nice with those too comfortable to really care. As an ardent supporter of the Ecumenical Patriarch, especially in his ministry of assisting the other Churches in witnessing to the unity of our faith to turn a blind eye, or a deaf ear, all in the name of civility is to be an infidel. I have never suggested that by simply the virtue of a bloodline someone is a faithful Orthodox Christian. In fact His All Holiness emphatically and repeatedly releases statements which condemns unequivocally any notion of phyletism.
Lastly it is a complete diversion and a waste of time to attribute all criticism to bigotry, racism or 'judgement'. This is simply a rhetorical tool meant to shut down discussion. There is a patriarch for America; the church has already provided him. he need not change his zip code to lead. The idea that a [separate] patriarchate is the inevitable end result for all countries is silly. All should be well aware that the GOA is hardly 'ethnic' for example Met. Isaiah, Met. Methodios, Met. Nikitas (to name just a few) etc. In fact many of the other Met. have been in the Americas for decades and are barraged for their Greek accents.
The difficulties in America stem from the false assertions of the OCA and its irregular and provisional autocephaly, the distorting of canon 28 to somehow not apply to the Americas or to Russian expansionism. There is more effort expended to discredit or religate the Phanar to the past then to encourage or build up relations. This tension and conflict is unique to the U.S why? Because of Greeks? No because of irregularities, illegitimacies and a proactive Internet pentarchy who fancy their own ramblings to church position. This propaganda machine has set course for destruction seeking their own ambition and their understanding of Orthodoxy for America before the Church Herself.
2 comments:
"The difficulties in America stem from the false assertions of the OCA and its irregular and provisional autocephaly, the distorting of canon 28 to somehow not apply to the Americas or to Russian expansionism."
The only distortion of canon 28 was done at the 1907 conference in Constantinople, which ended up in the 1908 Tomos, a document of limited canonical validity and none when it comes to the New World. It is not whether canon 28 applies to the Americas or "Russian expansionism," but the distortion that canon 2 of Constantinople I and canon 8 of Ephesus doesn't apply to Constantinople.
The only thing "irregular" about the OCA's Tomos is that its Mother Church freely gave it: usually, like in the Tomos of the Church of Greece, it has to be pried out of the hands of the Mother Church by a fait accompoli. And if its structure is provisional, its autocephaly is not.
If this blog is any representative of Greek Orthodoxy, then while I can respect my Greek brothers in Christ, but if ever required to become one, will refuse in order to save my eternal soul.
No jurisdiction, whether OCA or the GOA, is worth eternal damnation. The OCA has not suggested that the EP, first among EQUALS, move to America. In fact I don't want to become Hellenic, I'd prefer to be Orthodox Christian.
I deplore the treatment of the EP but also am not so stupid as to believe that the next EP could possibly be legitimate if the selection was limited to the 3500 Greek Christians, including women and childre, who remain in Turkey.
Post a Comment