Updating this previous thread which attracted much commentary...
Metropolitan Hillarion has confirmed that Fr. Elias (Ranzi Musallam) is in fact a priest (not bishop) in good standing with the Russian Church Abroad. He was brought in by Metropolitan Jonah. Apparently the news story contained a number of inaccuracies.
The 4th Century Science of St Macrina (II)
3 hours ago
9 comments:
" Apparently the news story contained a number of inaccuracies. "
I wonder what exactly the inaccuracies in the news story were? (and in the other news stories) It would be nice if someone could do a little more to explain it clearly because a lot of what has been going on seems like very "out-there" fringe practice. The biggest thing that the one reporter got wrong was to refer to him as "Bishop Elias". Ok, that one seems obvious. But I'd like to know about the other odd stuff that was mentioned. Were all these other things inaccurately reported: ROCOR purchased the former St. Rocco's Catholic Church buildings in Pittson, PA ? (or Ramzi Musallam purchased the buildings ?) 3 "Masses" were held at St. Irene's ROCOR on Christmas day ? St. Irene's is a dual-rite parish holding both Western Rite and Eastern Rite services ? Former St. Rocco's (Roman Catholic) parishoners participating in the ROCOR Western Rite "Mass" ? Well, perhaps the former St. Rocco's parishoners were only "attending" the ROCOR Western Rite Mass at St. Irene's, not actually receiving the sacraments ... ? ok... but then why did the RC Diocese of Scranton feel the need to issue a warning to Roman Catholics that if they received sacraments at St. Irene's ROCOR that it would be "illicit" ... or have all these former St. Rocco's parishoners been recently received as Orthodox converts in ROCOR ? Too much is left unexplained.
By the way, it's an easy thing to change one's Facebook name . Archbishop (former) Ramzi Musallam has apparently been a ROCOR priest since August of 2015 , but his FB page still refers to him as Archbishop or Bishop and he responds to people on his FB page who refer to him as "Bishop" (no wonder that reporter was confused) so why not change it to Fr. Elias Musallam to avoid all the confusion ?
Still seems like he's holding on to the "Catholic Church of the East".
https://www.facebook.com/bishopramzi.musallam
.
"He was brought in by Metropolitan Jonah."
Not surprised.
The question still remains. Has Musallam retained his Catholic Church of the East website as an escape route should things go sour with ROCOR as they did two years ago with the WRV? Another question comes to mind. If he owns the building and he is undoubtedly of Arabic descent, why did he not go with the Antiochians? The whole affair smells fishy.
From http://www.catholicchurchoftheeast.org/:
Hieromonk Father Elias
Musallam, Administrator
D.D., M.Div. B.A
Father ELIAS Musallam was born and raised in Jerusalem, Palestine and was educated in the United States . He pursued Bachelor of Theology from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana and Masters in Clinical Psychology from American University.
Fr Elias' ministry began in the Polish National Catholic Church. He soon was faced with serving the needs of many Palestinian and other people from the Middle East. This evolved into the Catholic Church of the East. He had sought to create church home for the many immigrants who sought out his leadership. Knowing that they needed to be fully integrated into a canonical patriarchate, he was received into the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in 2015.
Was Ordained to the Deaconate at Saint John the Baptist Cathedral in Mayfield Pennsylvania by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and was elevated to the Priesthood by Metropolitan Jonah at Saint John Baptist Cathedral in Washington DC.
Father Elias has developed many Churches in the United States of America and Abroad for his people from the Middle East since 2008. The Church also to provides housing for many of its people.
I agree that there are some questions about this that beg for answers. However, the matter has now been brought to the attention of Met. Hillarion and others in ROCOR. I have a fair degree of confidence that if there has been any impropriety it will be addressed. Whether or not it is done publicly is a different matter. That said, in the absence of more definitive information I think that perhaps this thread has run its useful course. We don't want to turn a sober discussion into a forum for idle speculation or unfriendly gossip.
Statement from Metropolitan Hilarion on this topic: http://eadiocese.org/News/2016/feb/mhstmnt.en.htm
The tl;dr version is that Musallam's religious movement is in the process of converting to Orthodoxy through ROCOR, and their people could use some support in their efforts to adapt.
Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) is one person with ROCOR who is working with this group. His Eminence has only acted under the authority and with the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion.
Thundercat - that statement from Met. Hilarion was removed without comment from the ROCOR website .
http://eadiocese.org/News/2016/feb/mhstmnt.en.htm
Now gets an "Error 404 - Not Found" message.
And now having used ROCOR to obtain his ordination as an Orthodox priest , Ramzi Musallam has moved on and has recently been ordained a BISHOP in some Greek Old Calendarist group.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154192827687533&set=a.456746152532.241319.513182532&type=3&theater
He was deposed by his canonical orthodox bishop. These other people are schismatics and their sacraments are without grace. Mr. Musallam is just another layman playing dress up.
Post a Comment