Metropolitan Council to Meet

Unfortunately, I think we already are. Now the Greek Bishop in Boston forbids his clergy to serve with OCA clergy. What is that all about?

(+Methodius, according to his letter on the OCL site, is angry that there is more than one Orthodox Bishop of Boston besides himself. Why he suddenly chose this moment to protest a situation that exists, in many cities across the nation, has perhaps more to do with his not being invited to attend an Albanian celebration at St. George's OCA cathedral led by the Primate of the Albanian Church. Since that celebration was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Albanian language liturgy ( that is, the first liturgy served not in Greek, but Albanian) the question of inviting, or not inviting a Greek Bishop, was awkward. Since multiple holders of the "same" see are not going away for the foreseeable future, it is unclear how this moves the question forward....)

At the funeral of ROCOR First-Hierarch Metropolitan Laurus, the MP's Metropolitan Yuvenaly refused to concelebrate with the OCA delegation. +Tikhon of EPA stood in the altar, while +Yuvenaly concelebrated with the 6 ROCOR bishops, the Serbs, and the Antiochians.

The day before that, Metropolitan Herman served a panikhida in Jordanville but was asked to leave and not stay for the funeral. Thus, the OCA delegation at the funeral was limited to +Tikhon, and Frs. Behr and Kishkovsky, none of whom was invited to serve.

That's OK. There are still deep feelings in ROCOR regarding the OCA and they didn't want anyone "raining on their parade." It will take years to sort everything out, but it will sort. The funeral was a 7 hour endurance test; who needs that?

Michael got what he wanted out of this and that was for RSK to hang. As a matter of fact, it was a good thing to happen. But, Michael has also steadfastly defended both Herman and his sidekick, Paul Kucynda, through this. So, for him, its over, and anything else can only be bad news for him. So, for as far as he's concerned, the case is closed.

However, Michael, Nikolai is still around and he's a Kondratick appointment, who paraded him up and down the east coast after his consecration. Surely you want to see this remnant of the Kondratick regime dismantled, no?

It looks like Bishop Nikolai is going to skate through his meeting with the Holy Synod without any repurcussions based on the timeline he has on his website. I'm not a fan of his but it certainly looks like the folks in Syosset unfortunately dropped the ball once again. The "official" report from Syosset regarding Sidebottom was never released. The canons referenced by the Holy Synod in the letter to Bishop Nikolai were misapplied (he was never formally accused of anything nor deposed). Asking someone to take a leave of absence and then telling his diocese not to pray for him (again, keep in mind he was not suspended or deposed) can't possibly be correct.

And while we're at it, can someone explain to me how it is that the Holy Synod can ask Bishop Nikolai to take a leave of absence while an investigation is under way yet somehow the same standard wasn't applied to Metropolitan Herman?

As I said, I'm not a fan of Bishop Nikolai but the way the OCA is going about trying to rid of the guy just doesn't make any sense.

True....all they need to do is depose him for the fact he knowingly tonsured a convicted criminal into the lesser orders. That's sleazy enough on his part to warrant his deposition.

I don't know if "important" is the word. The document is accusatory and placed mostly in the pronoun of "you". I don't need to read another person trying to represent another person. The document would have been far better if it was put in the person of "I", i.e the person writing it.

Furthermore, I find it to be unintelligent in places. Unfortunately, the page it is on disallows me from copying and pasting text, but I refer you Page 2 Paragraph 4. BN is not the current bishop of Alaska, and also not deposed, because he has simply not been stripped of the rank of a bishop. It's not that hard to figure out. The Greek church has a-geographical bishops as a rule (Met. Kallistos is a shining example). One can question whether or not this is a good thing (even whether or not it is canonical) but it is normal in modern Orthodoxy. BN, simply put, is suspended from his duties, not deposed. Originally, the suspension was to be only temporary, but due to his disobedience it is quickly on its way to becoming permanent. I don't understand what is difficult about this, it's not illogical at all. BN agreed to the document which allows for the suspension of clergy who come under investigation of misconduct. What, is it good enough and canonical enough for others but not good enough or canonical enough for him? What hypocrisy.

The deal is that the canons say ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about how an investigation is to take place. Saying a "leave of absence" is uncanonical is only done by extension from the canons which mandate that a bishop reside in his diocese. Yes, but does "reside" mean *all the time*? If so, then every time a bishop goes to Syosset, or goes on a trip anywhere, he is being uncanonical and abandoning his diocese. It's silliness. BN was only asked to leave his diocese temporarily. He was not reassigned. He was not deposed. When he was insubordinate MH took over governance of the diocese, but, pending the conclusion of the investigation, BN has not been reassigned or deposed. Saying all this is illogical or uncanonical is little more than a bait-and-switch. BN has us all bunched up in a little canonical ball, making us think that he understands the better than everyone. I'd bet you anything that if was offered the position of Metropolitan he wouldn't have a bit of trouble abandoning his diocese, numerous canons which order excommunication for bishops who transfer their sees notwithstanding.

Also, just to add on, does anyone else think it strange that this document appeared on the website that BN, last I heard, still had control over? Rather interesting, considering that the document says all the things that BN wants us to think. 1) That it's all about the land. 2) That MH actions were uncanonical. 3) That Fr. Garklav's is a fool. 4) That Syosset has no idea what they are doing. Being couched in the language of "I wish that BN was deposed too, but only for the right canonical reasons" sounds a awful lot like it was pulled verbatim from...the comments on this very website.

Maybe I am reading too much into it, but all this makes me wonder if this meeting actually happened. Can others who attended this meeting affirm its existence and that this document is close to being a representation of what occurred there?

In the end though, I think it is more than ironic that the very one who complained incessantly about those "evil people" posting personal communication on the internet would, now, post a personal communique to Syosset on his very own website. The internet is a wonderful thing when you can spin it for yourself, now isn't it?

Can you tell that I really really really don't trust BN?

Just to answer a few points specifically to make myself more clear.

"Day to day affairs" are just that, the constant pushing around of paperwork. I read this as saying that the entire diocese was going to be put on hold during the suspension. I.e that BN would not be able to transfer or appoint anyone, such as sending a key witness to the Arctic to witness to polar bears let's say. Also, not being able to appoint one of his friends and supporters to a high-ranking and prominent position, which he has already tried to do. While the investigation was to take place, then, no transfers would be made, no positions filled, and no budget changes.

As for a-geographical bishops the point is that they have no diocese, no clergy, and no parishes. They do not live at or even near to where their see is, nor do they have any jurisdiction there. Yet, they are still bishops. Hence, not having direct control over parishes does not, obviously, make a bishop a non-bishop. Also, not physically residing in one's see does not make a bishop a non-bishop either (yes, this is non-canonical, but it does have long precedent, and I never heard BN whining about it until it suited...himself).

On a leave of absence, therefore, BN would not be deposed. He would still be bishop and commemorated as such. He would still be the bishop as much as any of the bishops sitting in Syosset at the moment are still, in fact, bishops of their diocese while they are in absence from it. Does not making any decisions in the diocese for a few weeks make one a non-bishop? No. Does not making any decisions for a few weeks in a diocese negate the fact that one is still the bishop of the diocese? No. Which is why I called it silliness.

BN is confused. You can see it in the news article. First it states that he was "asked to step down" and then it states that he was on put on a "mandatory leave of absence". The two are not the same thing, no matter how much BN tries to make himself think that they are, are not matter how hard to tries to make us think that they are. BN knows that we all don't trust MH and he knows that we think little of MH's decisions. All he's doing is trying to tweak himself into *us*, that he also is being repressed, mistreated, and abused by MH, just like all poor little us. It's absurd and sick.

BN is, I believe, obsessed with his own authority. This is why he could not bear the thought to suspend his "function" of bishop for a few weeks. He can't go a day without asserting his authority over someone. This is why he couldn't leave the diocese for a few weeks, this is why he has always had difficulty getting to Syosset anyways, and this is why he had to make Job submit to him. He is completely unable to separate his ontological authority as bishop from his functional authority. He believes that a suspension of the functional equals a suspension in the ontological. This is, simply put, absurd and silly. This is not what MH had in mind when he asked BN to go on the leave of absence (MH is quite good at separating the two, if we haven't all already noticed) and it is not what the other bishops had in mind. Yet BN persists in not recognizing this. Hence, I believe him to be obsessed.

As for legal liability, I am not the first or only one to bring up this issue. The charges against BN included physical abuse. As well as a suggestion of sexual abuse if one takes into account the allegations of what Fr. Isidore said when he was drunk concerning his relationship with BN. As far as I know the legal system here in America holds that those who have knowledge of abuse, yet do nothing to prevent it from happening further, can be held liable for that abuse. Hence the policy of removing a cleric accused of being abusive.

To sum my position up in a few words: a suspension in the function of a bishop has no bearing on the ontological position of a bishop. This, as far as I can figure, is Syosset's position as well. This separation is a widespread and widely practiced assumption in modern Orthodox ecclessiology, as primarily evidenced by the existence of titular bishops. Is such a separation canonical or right? Simply put, the canons don't really address this issue. Yes, they do say that a bishop is to reside in his diocese, but this does not prevent him from temporarily leaving the diocese, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Therefore, I don't believe that BN original "leave of absence" request was the same as deposing him, and I don't believe it was uncanonical.

There are two things most everyone in the OCA agree on. 1) + Nicolai must step down or be removed. No one in Alaska wants him and there are serious charges which must be investigated. 2) + Herman must step down due to his involvement in the financial mess. Even if it is shown that he did not ACTIVELY participate in the filtering of monies, he KNEW about the irregular situation and did nothing. It has already been indicated that + Herman will step down at the AAC, but most would like to see it sooner. + Nicolai must step down immediately before Alaska descends into more chaos. + Herman still serves a purpose, but his credibility has been seriously compromised.

Cathy:
It is well-known that he will retire. There is too much going against him and he's just hanging on until the AAC. Look, he's 70+, he's had more mini-strokes than + Theodosius; ... everyone knows RSK was his hand-picked guy for Syosset; no public financial records are available for STOTS; Dn. Eric Wheeler told + Herman of RSK's stealing and he did nothing; etc., etc. , etc. The next Metropolitan will be + Seraphim as it should have been at the last AAC.

The problem is, none of the hierarchs have tried to groom ANY to succeed them - WHY? We need to turn to married bishops where more stability can be found. It is ridiculous to try and keep Orthodox thinking that "marriage" is an impediment to ordination or consecration - it isn't. Monks and celibates were chosen for expediency and at this time in the church in North America, it is no longer expedient.

While I am sure Vladyka Seraphim has his good qualities, I am still uneasy about having a Metropolitan who was not only on the SOB at the time of the scandalous behaviour, but who also help position in Syosset at the time (SOB Secretary).

If anyone from that time period, I could understand Vladyka Job as Metropolitan because at least he had the courage to speak out about the activity and to stand behind his convictions. I don't judge the others for not doing this, but I must at leat give credit to Vladyka Job for being a man about it . However, we all know of his intentions for retirement.

Wouldn't it be possible to elect one of the newer bishops or even someone who is not currently a bishop but who may be a bishop by then? I would sleep much easier knowing that it is a new administration with a clean slate and a fresh outlook. There were several votes for non-bishops in Orlando. Let's begin to think seriously about this.

..and no, Herman is not going to step down. He is the paperweight over all the evidence that, should he leave, will come to light. The only way he's going to leave is when he assumes room temperature.

God works in mysterious ways! Remember Gula on Bright Monday?