04.06.09
Metropolitan JONAH on Jurisdictionalism
Metropolitan Jonah attended the Pan-Orthodox Vespers service at St. Seraphim Cathedral last night and afterward gave a talk on Jurisdictionalism in America. This I know second-hand as I was home with my other daughter who came down with digestive symptoms yesterday. I left the 14 1/2 year old at home alone during Liturgy, but did not think I should during the longer trip to Dallas. George related the talk to me afterward, and I hope he will fill things in in the comments when he gets home, since it is unlikely that he will blog about it.
His Beatitude said that in the Eastern Hemisphere, the push is for America to come under the Ecumenical Patriarch, and that there will be a meeting about this in June. He said that if this terrible thing occurs, that more uniformity in style will occur, even suggesting that services will be conducted in Greek. He does not believe that they understand how much we love diversity over here and rejoice in the cultural variety one finds among the different jurisdictions. They also do not understand American culture, and thus it would be horrible if their plans were carried out. He is firmly and resolutely against it.
What His Beatitude believes is the right thing to do is for the differing cultural American Bishops to form a sort of council that is accountable to each other, as well as a higher Metropolitan Council of Bishops that are all equal and accountable to each other. Not knowing the particulars of this, it seems to me that this differs from SCOBA in that the administrative accountability would involve more than just agreement on each others “Orthodoxy”. So far this sounds good to me because it seems there is a lot of inefficient overlap among American Bishops as well as gaps that need shoring up. If all the Bishops were concerned about all of the Orthodox in America, not just their own jurisdictional flock, then needs could be more adequately met.
Elias D. O Mytlinaos said,
April 6, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I can not believe Met Jonah said this
Andrea Elizabeth said,
April 6, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Why not?
Elias D. O Mytlinaos said,
April 6, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Because its untrue!
1. “more uniformity in style will occur”. Why? It doesn’t occur under the dozens of Jursdictions under the EP now.
2. “services will be conducted in Greek” Please this is ridiculous Vladyka would not promote fear mongering
3. “He does not believe that they understand how much we love diversity”. The word ‘Ecumenical’ in EP is all about diversity
This just sounds to igorant to come from His Beatitude. Perhaps you misunderstood. Is there some proof he said these things? I remain like Thomas, until i see or read it i will not believe!
I trust in Met Jonah.
Andrea Elizabeth said,
April 6, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Mr. Mytlinaos,
I also trust Met. Jonah, and my understanding could be incomplete as I said, it is second hand. I trust my husband will clear up any misunderstanding, or anyone else who was at the talk for that matter.
However, it seems consistent with previous statements from the Metropolitan that I have heard (via podcast) regarding his unchanging stance on the Autocephally of the Orthodox Church in America. He has always been unwavering on that, as well as his position that the American Church should not be “ruled” from overseas. The possible ramifications that you quote notwithstanding.
You can read his words from his paper, Episcopacy, Primacy, and the Mother Churches: A Monastic Perspective
Metropolitan Jonah
Here is an excerpt,
“Primacy
The absence of a functional ecumenical primacy within the Orthodox Church has severe implications. There is no ministry or point of unity or accountability functioning beyond the level of a national church, nothing to point to a Christian identity aside from national, linguistic, political, and cultural identities. This compromises the catholicity of the Orthodox Church, threatening division and competition between its various Churches.
The Patriarchate of Constantinople is universally accepted as having a primacy of honor; but given its current situation, it is unable to lead. Furthermore, it promotes a cultural agenda of Hellenism that mutes its voice to the other Churches.
The Patriarchate of Constantinople is universally accepted as having a primacy of honor; but given its current situation, it is unable to lead. Furthermore, it promotes a cultural agenda of Hellenism that mutes its voice to the other Churches. Its claim of jurisdiction over the so-called “barbarian lands,” or “diaspora” falls on the deaf ears of other patriarchates that have established identical institutions in the same territories, disregarding its claims to jurisdiction outside the geographic boundaries of existing Churches. Beyond this, having been the first to abrogate the unity of the Church in America, Constantinople’s own political adventurism has divided the Church in Estonia, and threatens the unity of the Church in Ukraine and other places, and hence, its communion with Moscow and other autocephalous Churches. By these actions it has broken trust in itself, and sacrificed its ability to lead.
The only way an ecumenical primacy could work is if there is a functional and active ecumenical synod, which meets at regular intervals and is composed of the heads of all the autocephalous Churches. Such a permanent synod, provided for by the canons as a permanent synod presided over by the ecumenical primate, would create a context for the up-building of the sense of unity of the Orthodox Churches, and for the resolution of particular issues as they arise. Its primate would be a point of accountability, responsible for preserving the unity and vision of the Orthodox Church. Now more than at any time in history is this feasible, given available means of communication and transportation. This would take the full cooperation of all the autocephalous churches, providing an opportunity for the Patriarchate of Constantinople to exercise real leadership, inviting the rest of the Church to unity.
Mother Churches and the “Diaspora”
The fullness of the Church is present sacramentally in a local bishop and his community; but a local church’s integrity is actually compromised when its bishop belongs not to a local synod but to one in a foreign country, a synod which can neither hold its bishop accountable nor be responsible for the life of the remote diocese. We have seen this over and over again in America. The territorial structure of the Orthodox Church is rooted in very practical issues: only through a local structure of accountability is a church able to maintain responsibility for its integrity. Outside that territorial structure, it is a disaster waiting to happen. “
Andrea Elizabeth said,
April 6, 2009 at 2:48 pm
here’s the link to the rest of the paper,
http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles8/Jonah-Episcopacy-Primacy-And-The-Mother-Churches.php
George said,
April 6, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Just got home from work and caught up on Andrea’s post. She conveyed accurately what I heard in Dallas last night, with the lone exception being that Met. Jonah didn’t use the word “horrible” as far as I recall. He was in his “pull no punches” form last night, very blunt and clear in his opposition to a movement that took me and probably most of us there by surprise. I had no idea that this plan was in work overseas, and the Metropolitan drove it home by saying, I’m not talking about something that might happen to your grandchildren, I’m talking about something that could happen in June! My surprise about the movement that’s taking place was only eclipsed by my surprise at how vigorously the Metropolitan opposes it (and I think he’s right to promote a different approach). He said if we wanted a Pope we would have submitted to the real one.
He described the “eastern Fathers” of today as generally ignorant of Orthodoxy in America, ignorant of the history of Orthodoxy here (he mentioned incredulously a publication that suggested there was no unified Orthodox presence here until 1929 or somewhere around then), and having no understanding of our culture. He emphasized how unique we are in loving Orthodox diversity here – customs, languages, etc., and did in fact mention some likelihood of being forced into uniformity, including possibly no more use of English for the Liturgy! The Metropolitan was very strong on the inability of the Phanar to govern the Church in America, not just from a distant location and foreign culture, but from under the burden of Turkish muslim rule.
The main point of Met. Jonah’s talk was the urgency of need for all jurisdictions in America to unite – not by joining the OCA, but starting by forming common organizations as Andrea mentioned. A common Synod for the Bishops from all jurisdictions here, and another common conciliar body of some sort where all of the Metropolitans in America would convene and work together. He talked about how voiceless Orthodoxy in America has been, for example during the Kosovan war where nobody but a lone Serbian Bishop raised any public awareness here of the travesty we were participating in. All such issues could be addressed with a unified Orthodox stance in the future if we had the mechanism for unity he is proposing.
He also emphasized (kind of like in his paper that Andrea linked to) that we are already one Orthodox Church here, as the Church is manifest by the local body gathered around their Bishop. To be governed from afar, especially by a leadership out of touch with us and facing their own local crisis would not work. Met. Jonah said our message must be that we love the parent Churches, appreciate all they did for us and we support their ongoing missions, but he closed with… “leave us alone”.
I was standing pretty close, so I heard everything clearly, but I suppose I could have misunderstood some of the points. For example, on discontinuing English for Liturgical use, he might have been referring to the opinion of “some” in the east and not to any real plan or even consensus. The Metropolitan may have been using the strongest of what could happen eventually if this goes through, in order to shock us into action – I don’t know. I do know that he got our attention based on how the Cathedral went verrrry silent once people realized what he was saying! By very silent, I don’t mean there was any consternation – the various jurisdictions in the DFW area are quite friendly with each other, as evidenced by a good outpouring of donations immediately after the talk for the local pan-Orthodox brotherhood of priests.
George said,
April 6, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Oh wouldn’t you know – just after I post my comment, I find that the Metropolitan’s talk is already online! This videographer was right in front of me.
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4812572/12841013
George said,
April 6, 2009 at 9:09 pm
OK, I did relay a couple of things a bit wrongly. The reference to English was part of his statement that we must not be controlled by a group of people who “have never heard a word of English, much less would allow a word of English to be spoken in the Liturgy” (about 3:34 from the end of the video).
And he didn’t close with “leave us alone” – he made reference to the Orthodox Church that exists in North America and said “leave it alone”.
WordPress isn’t letting me edit my comment, else I would fix a few things, but it doesn’t matter much since the actual talk is linked now.
debd said,
April 7, 2009 at 7:09 am
I am confused as to why the EP would try to do this. What does Pat. Kyrill say about it? Didn’t Rome once try to force its weight around with disastrous results??
Andrea Elizabeth said,
April 7, 2009 at 8:21 am
Debbi,
It seems to me that the multi-jurisdictionalism of America has been seen as an anomaly and uncanonical, and so I suppose, best case scenario, they are trying to fix it. I also think it boils down to how autocephalous are the Churches that Moscow, and Antioch for that matter, granted that title to? There is also a rivalry between Moscow and Constantinople as to who is the “New Rome” since Constantinople fell in the 15th Century.
The EP has never recognized the OCA, nor the other Churches that Moscow gave autocephaly, such as Japan. I do not know why Moscow would hand us over, if that is the case. To me it undermines their own authority.