Letter from Syosset

Mark,

Thanks for keeping this website alive. While there may be a bit of a lull in Orthodox news, you are providing an incredibly valuable service.

I would be very interested to hear your perspective on what was discussed at the last MC meeting with the MC members, the metropolitan and the HS regarding the meeting of American Orthodox leaders this summer. From the short statement from Met. Jonah and the actions regarding the group in Central America (or was it South America?), it seems that His Beatitude is throwing in the towel regarding the OCA taking any sort of leading role regarding the future of Orthodoxy in the Americas. From his remarks, it seems that he is content to let the Ecumenical Patriarch have his way. Is this a fair and accurate assessment? I can't imagine that this issue wasn't discussed at least a little bit with all of the members of the MC, HS, and HB.

His Beatitude's remarks regarding the changing face of Orthodoxy in America are certainly true; it's just interesting to contrast his latest remarks vs. his remarks in Dallas almost a year ago that caused all the controversy with the EP. Boy how time flies.

And what about His Beatitude's desire to live in Washington vs. a staff in Long Island? While he is certainly fulfilling the letter of the law by living in his diocese, as a practical matter, this is the exact same situation under Metropolitan Herman, an absentee leader (and is it safe to assume that the church is spending a lot of money travelling back and forth?).

It's not my intention to bash His Beatitude, the HS, or the MC. I think all of them have come a long way in the past few years. But I also think that it is not unreasonable to know more about how the church is actually operating and where it is going. Your website has been one of the only places of information. The little bits of information from the OCA website have now swung it in the opposite direction of a few years ago. Instead of a Potemkin village, we now have almost no information.

Please keep up the good work, it is greatly appreciated.

(Editor's note: The lack of information is not from lack of desire: it is from lack of staff to do it. I, too, am guilty for not helping out more. I simply wanted to sleep after a full day of meetings, as did, no doubt, the "administration", who had a longer day than I. It is something we really need to work on.

No, we did not discuss Guatamala at the MC meeting. Or if we did, I was brain dead during it. BUt I don't think we did. Yes, it costs money to commute. Is it good stewardship? You tell me - or better, you tell him if it is an issue. As for the EP - what happens in America is probably low on his radar at the moment. Have you been watching Greece slide into bankruptcy on the morning news? What happens there is far more important to him, above all financially, I would suspect, than whatever decisions are taken in Syosset. If Greece has to abandon the Euro - or rather, the Euro abandons Greece - the Greek Church, whever it may be found, takes a big hit. )