Sunday, April 14, 2013

Bishop Matthias is Sacked by the OCA

Read the announcement here.

4 comments:

Archpriest David Thatcher said...

Well, it seems as if the system worked. One got the feeling, reading in certain places, that there was a certain lack of willingness to see this matter through to the necessary conclusion; nevertheless, the authorities did it -- and that's good even if painful. It's time for the OCA to move ahead to electing new diocesan bishops: The South, Alaska, the Mid-west ....

bob said...

Someday, someday, we'll learn that selecting a bishop is actually similar to hiring a plumber, a roofer, an electrician, a fireman. When your house is on fire, does one call 911 and specifically request a *celibate* fireman? Oh, just married ones available? Never mind, we'll wait...Roof leaking; can I get a *celibate* roofer out here? Oh, the married one actually doesn't fall off the roof and doesn't get his foot stuck in a bucket of tar? That's OK, we'll take the *celibate* roofer who doesn't do a very good job, because *celibacy* is really the important point. Neurosurgeon? You know you want to wait til you can get an unmarried one for that brain tumor, because it's REALLY IMPORTANT.

Michael said...

@Bob;

So, your point is that we need to allow married bishops? That will not happen.

The problem is not that our bishops are unmarried. The problem is that (in the West) they are all too often bachelors and not monks.

The point behind an unmarried episcopate is that bishops are supposed to be monks, not bachelors. That is a big difference.

In traditional Orthodox countries, a candidate for the episcopacy is expected to have been monastically formed for many years before even being considered as a candidate. In the Anglosphere, monastic life is virtually nonexistent, so you either bring in bishops from the "old country" or you consecrate native bachelors.

The OCA has taken the latter approach. In my opinion, that is why there is so much corruption on that Synod.

Where I live, our local Metropolitan is a true monastic, and a very saintly man. He is also a true apostle and evangelist, who is planting churches far and wide. The two are very closely connected.

Jon Marc said...

Sad.

Bishop Matthias is a widower - not sure how that makes him a bachelor. Not even sure what the hell your use of the term is supposed to mean...