Special Commission Dissolved

Can we, with any conscience stay in the OCA? I have never heard of a person so completely out of touch with reality as Herman. A person with a so pathologically delusional state that is able to retain an office of top leadership in an organization and no one with any ability to correct it, except for one lone voice in the wilderness, having the conscience or good judgment to do anything about it. This is not what God had in mind and He will remind us of that. The Church history is filled with people who have done their best to destroy the Church. Herman, and his minions, past and present, now have their names in the list of those that have persecuted the Church. This group has been more successful because they have actually been able to bring it to it’s knees. A Church brought to it’s knees before its persecutors. Earlier persecutors were faced with unflagging love and commitment that kept the Church strong. Not the case here.

To think Herman can bring about unity and return the OCA to integrity is so pitiful that it cannot even be considered comical or perversely funny. He knows he can't that's why he wanted the special commission to play this role for him. He thought they would but when they didn't buy into his demented reality, their days were numbered. This is a person, mind you, who hasn't been doing pastoral visitations, is holed up in his uncanonical home, and does not mingle with his flock. His idea of the flock was just a crowd that gave legitimacy to his twisted desires to be a Papal figure that people would blindly obey and worship and give material wealth that he had dreamed up.

An insecure person who used the Church to gain that security that he so badly desired. An insecurity that drove his decisions and actions overriding any ideals that he preached from the altar. The Church was, and still is going to, in his mind, be a tool whereby his personality defects would be overshadowed by the overwhelming adoration of his people. And when they didn’t do that by choice he made them do it by force. Apparently unity and integrity are just achieved when everyone forgets and passes by what has happened. Pathologically delusional. The gig is up, Herman. You're a fraud.

A very, very special and heartfelt thanks goes out to the other bishops who have had it so ingrained in their souls to bring about the end of a Church rather than capitulate to truth, love, and God's will. Your efforts at enabling bad to overcome and destroy the very symbol of good have been commendable and are noted. Your ability to be bought and remain bought, through very difficult times, have shown a backbone that if only used for good purposes would have been saintly. Good going guys, a real sterling example of Orthodox Christianity. Let's all go meet at the bar to have a drink, cigar, and pat each other on the back to a job well done. You get the loyalty award from a leader who means nothing. Good luck at your judgment.

Woe to the bishops who turned the other cheek and ignored God. As the old saying goes, “No one is completely useless, they can always serve as a bad example”. For years down the line, when we need examples of what not to do, people can point to a picture containing Herman, Dmitri, Nathaniel, Nikolai, Benjamin, Nikon, Tikhon, Alejo, Serpahim. A list of names that will be forever associated with corruption and incompetence, and a complete lack of love for God and his Church. In other words, a group of cronies. A group of people who do a disgrace to their patron saints. And to the younger ones who have many many years left of their episcopacy, it’s going to be a fruitless effort to have people believe you have any integrity or real character. For you, the path is going to long and difficult. People’s memories, at least those that have the stomach to stay any longer, will not fade easily.

It's fairly normal that a killer organism takes down a large body. Viruses do it all the time. When the host organism is not strong enough its susceptible to being overtaken and killed by that virus. We, as a Church, let the virus gradually eat away at us until here was nothing that could be recognized as strength to fight it. We lacked the strength to come through this. Chalk one up to the bad forces for what it has been able to achieve. We gave them nourishment and they used that to terminate us.

Will the last person out please turn out the lights.

There is no one who is free from blame in this entire mess from the laity to the Metropolitan. We all have varying degrees of blame in proportion to our standing in the Church.

I see the single worst failure in this scandal to be the bishops. Plain and simple. The biggest disappointment. When a building falls down it doesn’t fall down because a few windows popped out or a floor sprung a leak. It falls down because the foundation, the core, the integrity of the load bearing structures fail. We are in a situation where our load bearing structures are failing and willing to collapse under the stress of the load they face.

We will have to accept there are going to be bad apples and that we have to deal with them when they come our way. The one place where there should be no nonsense of any nature and where the law is supposed to be upheld as the final defense for the Church and as much to what God would want is the Synod. To paraphrase our former chancellor, the Holy Spirit acts through the Synod. All acts of the Synod, we were told, were guided by the Holy Spirit. Is the Holy Spirit desiring that we stonewall and avoid getting to the truth? Is the Holy Spirit against weeding out disturbing and destructive elements in our midst? Is the Holy Spirit desiring that our Metropolitan lie like a rug? Therefore the Synod should act in accordance to what the Holy Spirit would want and not the desires of people who’s only concern is what they can get out of the Church. This is the highest official body that is responsible for keeping order in the Church. The only guiding principle should be that of what is right in the very simple laws of God.

You talk about a rotten tree, but its not the tree. The lower you go in the food chain the more pious and faith centered people you will meet from the laity to the clergy. We’re talking about rotten apples. When there’s a bad apple to be dealt with, when it gets to the Synodal level the standards under which they will be dealt with should be clearly understood and known to anyone with a decent grasp of common sense. In the case at hand its more like a quicksand of opinions and feelings in a situation where there is very little doubt that corrective actions need to be taken.

To be charitable, to date the OCA Synod has been completely ineffectual. They have had two years and they have done nothing to bring this to closure, but, it appears, deferring to whatever Herman, in a great conflict of interest, desires. Rather than being a group of equals entrusted with the good order of the Church, they are more and more seen as an advisory committee to Herman with him having the last and final say no matter what anyone else has said.

It was in this Synod that it was attempted to remove Job because he did what? He just asked whether allegations presented were true or false? For this, there was a move in the Synod to remove him. Is this the way we deal with problems? The Synod didn’t care to look into the allegations, we can only wonder why, they decided to go after the messenger.

As we come to the second anniversary where are we? The disappointment, to put it lightly, in the Synod, did not come about in November of 2005. It didn’t come about til late 2006 and has grown since. Why is that? Because we thought they were the body that would do what’s right, period. As time has gone on and this scandal stabs deeper into the spiritual life of the Church, seeing what they have seen, they have been useless. Herman’s intransigence has been met with requests for him to retire and when he refuses they move on to new business. We have sexual allegations of a serious nature in Alaska, and well, let’s just keep things how they are now. We have a Synod that votes to defrock a priest and one of them isn’t so sure he wants to recognize that. What is this?

I have held that if the Synod wanted to do something to bring this to closure it could be done in a day if they have the will. The will does not exist and that is not the way it should be because those on the Synod should have the burning desire to correct any problems in the Church that threaten its peace especially those that are so severe as to warrant Federal investigations and the highest of priced lawyers. We are not talking about the appearance of problems, we are not talking about petty problems, we are talking about problems . Problems that require decisive action. Problems that they don’t want to deal with in a decisive manner. Problems, that they see now, are causing great discord, a loss of financial support that may not be regained for decades, and to be honest, behavior from a Metropolitan that are just not consistent with how a Metropolitan should behave.

Look, if a bishop does not want to deal with these problems maybe he needs to realize that he was not suited for that role and do the honorable thing and retire or resign his office. Do not continue the charade. As they say, “lead, follow, or get out of the way.” Let’s go back to the pool and select another candidate. We need bishops who have a propensity to do the right thing under difficult circumstances, not those that will capitulate to whatever the big guy wants.

This all leads us to how the bishops are chosen. Out of the group of Nikon, Tikhon, Benjamin, Nikolai, which were consecrated to the episcopate as the result of an election at a diocesan assembly? These are our most recent additions to the Synod. These bishops were chosen, consecrated as auxiliaries, and then foisted upon a target diocese. When the diocese was comfortable with them, or they had staked out power in that diocese, an election was brought up where their name was placed in nomination with no others. Is an assembly going to vote against the person who currently holds power over them? Let’s be real. Talk about stacking the deck. So, the powers that are at the center of this scandal are the same people who picked the people who are at power to do something about it. No one sees a very big problem with that? What qualifications did these men possess that made them Episcopal material? Did anyone know they would be presented to the Synod for their approval before it happened?

You speak that these people who are bishops come from us. Based on how a good part of the current bishops were chosen, would you have chosen them as the best we have to offer in the OCA? There are many good candidates out there and because you and I might actually want one of them to be bishop and destroy the culture that is present is why that choice was taken from us. When we want to select the crème of our crop they wanted to pick the one that would be beholden not to us, but to them. Not beholden to God and his commandments, but beholden to them.

All eyes should be on Western Pennsylvania and whether the normal process for selecting bishops will be adhered to again. Another bishop bought by the powers that be answering to well, the powers that be.

Now, would the bishops feel more accountable to the people if their being on the Synod was a result of the people’s desires or would they have the same attitudes they have now? Let’s be real here. Becoming a bishop for some people is what they desire and for some what they have aimed for, no matter what you want to believe. It’s a perfectly normal human nature to be ambitious. A bishop of that nature would be more favorable upon those that fed that ambition.

In the end we have to realize that we get what we sow. We are more lucky that anything else when a person of quality makes it to the Episcopal level. The integrity and character of a Bishop should be of such high standards that the number of men who make those standards is incredibly low. How can we fill the number of sees we do without lowering our standards. When we lower our standards we end up with what we have now.

My issue is not that the Church is going through tough times, that’s to be expected and, in fact, treated as a learning experience. My issue is that the issue is not being dealt with decisively on the level that can resolve this immediately.

Most of you like your bishops because you don’t hear from him much, see him only at special events, and have no idea what he does when he’s not serving. And he’s got this really neat hat on! You may hear from him when you need a priest or when a problem of such gravity requires bringing in the “big guy”. For most people, however, the bishop is an unknown - a name, a face, flowing robes, but little more is known and not much more is offered. Do you know the history of your bishop, for instance? You only know your bishop’s big anniversaries where it is expected a banquet in his honor will be held.

He sends out a letter at Christmas and Pascha with nice words and he’s mentioned several times during each service as we pray for him. Some people may even see him serve and be in awe of the grandeur of a hierarchical liturgy afterwards there are pictures taken, usually with the clergy and servers, then the kids. The bishop pats their heads, asks their names, and everyone says what a nice man he is. He’s a nice man when he’s in public, but then he’s gone, forgotten, and no one then sees what he does when he’s not in the public view. How many people have sat down and had a talk with their bishop other than maybe a little small talk at coffee hour after a service? Far too few, far too few.

For many here, this scandal has provided our first look into what bishops do and what they fail to do. Sadly to say, that first look is enough to turn off anyone that feels anything for their faith. For many, their first real look at what their bishop is all about is in this scandal. For all those, except in the Midwest, this view has to be sorely disappointing, highly frustrating, and a complete opposite of what they thought these men were all about. How can this be you ask! They are nice when you walk up to them and ask them for their blessing. Sure they will be! You are bowing down to them! Anyone is going to be nice when that occurs. Just what the bishops want you to do besides keeping your money flowing in.

Don’t nice, holy men always do what’s right? Surely that veiled hat they wear lends them to be holy and follow in the way of the Lord, no? But what happens after they scurry away with their envelope containing their “tribute” in their cadillacs and then out of the sight and out of the minds of the rank and file of the Church?

For some people, what happens in Church stays in Church. That’s the sad reality. This is no less true for our bishops. In the first real trying case of a systematic problem in our OCA the bishops have shown a corruption that would make any Chicago official blush with envy. They honor their legal responsibilities with a disregard that would never be thought of in corporate board rooms. When faced with a sexual allegation, corporate executives move to rectify the problem as soon as possible. Our bishops look to sweep it under the carpet as soon as possible, unless of course, it can be used to dispose of an enemy one of them has. Politics, New Jersey style. When faced with corruption that is so blatant as to reek of millions of dollars missing and Federal involvement, the bishops are not deer caught in the headlights, being “monastics” and not knowing what to do. They know what they are doing and they act to sweep it under the carpet and hope it goes away. Keep the gig going. They do this because they’ve been weened in their roles knowing that the average people know not what they do when they are not at a special event. They do this because the quicker they can sweep it under the rug and forget about it, without you knowing, the less of a problem it is because you have that impression that they are just nice guys who are the symbols holiness. Bunk.

The next time you see one of these guys at an event, and a major one is coming up this Saturday, ask him, what he doing about this? Sit him down, buy him a half dozen pierogies and a Pepsi and have him look you in the face and tell you why he feels that the course that he and his fellow bishops are taking are the right steps. Quiz him on why Herman refuses to let the special commission continue to look at this scandal unhindered after he, this bishop, and his fellow bishops, voted to let it continue. Why does he not raise his voice in objection!? Ask him why the report hasn’t been released when he and his fellow bishops voted to release it. Why does he not raise his voice in objection!? Ask him how he expects the Church to function with a lack of funding that is already reaching a level causing distress to his buddy in Syosset. Ask him why he does not contradict Herman who feels that we’ve already taken care of all our problems, namely our former chancellor. Ask him how he can serve liturgy, hold the body of Christ in his hands, and allow the Church to continue in increasing distress and division all in the name of covering up what have to be criminal actions undertaken. Ask him if that is protecting the body of Christ from dark forces? Ask him how he can preach to you what you should be doing to fight the forces of evil and fight the good fight when he cannot deal with evil when confronted with it face to face. Ask him, plainly, if he can sleep at night knowing he’s doing what he is doing in this situation.

If need be, buy more pierogies as he works through his answers – you’ll be lucky if he hasn’t walked away, leaving them uneaten, by this time. If he says that the Church needs to move ahead and forgive those that have not lived up to their responsibility, ask him what we should forgive? Surely something bad happened if we need to “forgive”! Forgiveness, like a blank check, should not be given without knowing why. Oh, wait, blank checks are how they do work in Syosset, please excuse me! Ask him if he’s ok when people have stolen from God and he’s done nothing to find out, at least, what happened so we can prevent this in the future – afterall, you steal from the Church, you’re stealing from God Himself.

After he skirts all your questions and walks away shaking his head that you would ask this, think about if this “nice” guy you like is a fox in sheep’s clothing doing what he must do to keep you, in your ignorance, on his side. Maybe he walks away with the pierogies, because after all, you gave them to him for nothing.

Look people, this scandal has been allowed to continue for as long as it has (longer than it became public knowledge in October 2005) and of the magnitude it has because your nice bishop chose to disregard his vows, disregard his priesthood, disregard God, and look the other way when the Church has been violated. We’re not talking about a “failing” here, we’re talking about a concerted effort, concentrated in the circle of our bishops to lie, deceive, and get away with criminal behavior, and then act as if everything is ok. When pressed to comment on accountability, they blame Wheeler, Stokoe, and Nescott as the causes of this problem. One of our exalted bishops, in fact, two, would have excommunicated them if in their dioceses. These are “nice” men?

You don’t have to hate your bishops and that would be wrong, but to demand accountability from a successor of the Apostles themselves when the Church is under fire from within is not too much to ask for and if you didn’t you’d be derelict in your duties as well. They don’t want to lift a finger and be bothered to deal with this properly, but they want you to forgive and keep sending in the money. The old Beatles’ song is wrong, money CAN buy you love - the love of our bishops. Your bishop can be the nicest guy on earth, he can help little old ladies across the street and give candy to the kids, but if he can’t do what’s right he’s no example for you, me, or the kids. Don’t give me a nice bishop, give me a bishop I would want to emulate and who serves as an example for me when I need strength to face the trials I do in my day to day life. No wonder nowadays we look to sports figures for our heroes.