The End of an Era

Metropolitan Philip is laid to rest. During his long tenure as the head of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese he established his place as one of the most important, and controversial, figures in the history of American Orthodoxy. May his memory be eternal!

Memory Eternal: Metropolitan Philip

A (sometimes controversial) giant in the history of American Orthodoxy has passed. May his memory be eternal!

Update on priest sacked for disobedience

The priest who was dismissed by Met. Philip for disobedience has entered communion with a schismatic group. Read the details here.

Note: This post has been modified. The original version referred to the priest as having been suspended for wearing a cassock. This was an error. See the comments for the correction.

Fraud alleged in recent Holy Synod decree regarding Antiochian Archdiocese of N. America

A bombshell may have just detonated in the Middle East. The fathers of Holy Trinity Monastery have posted a direct accusation that at least part of the recent decree of the Holy Synod of Antioch which purportedly gave autocratic authority to Metropolitan Philip was forged. Arab Orthodox blogger Samn! has the translation from the Arabic posted on his website. Met. Philip has been wielding this new found authority very aggressively recently, removing at least one troublesome bishop and two priests.

H/T Bill (the Godfather)

Metropolitan Philip sacks another priest

From OCANews via Byzantine Texas comes the report that Metropolitan Philip has suspended Fr. Elias Yelovich, of the Antiochian St. James Mission in Westminster, MD for criticizing the Metropolitan's recent actions. He is also barred from all churches of the Archdiocese.

Read the story here.

ANAXIOS!

Metropolitan Philip sacks priest for wearing cassock

On the day the Archdiocesan website officially published the Metropolitan Philip's October 22nd "Implementation" Order (read those 18 directives here or here), the Metropolitan dismissed Fr. David Moretti of Terre Haute IN from his parish, and the Archdiocese, ostensibly for disobedience, that is, wearing a traditional cassock rather than a clergy suit while in public. The letter announcing the Metropolitan's decision was short and direct:


"To the Priest David Moretti:
It is with sadness of heart that I write to you today. Because of your disobedience in following the directives I have set forth for liturgical dress and practice as well as public comments you have made disparaging me personally, I am releasing you from your duties as pastor of St. George Church and as a priest of the Antiochian Archdiocese effective December 1, 2010. Please plan to be out of the parish by that date.
In Christ,
+Metropolitan PHILIP"

Read the rest here.
H/T ByzTX

ANAXIOS!

Englewood Locuta Est – Causa Finita Est

Asserting an absolute jurisdiction over other bishops that would quicken the pulse of the most die-hard ultramontanist; Metropolitan Philip has issued a decree effectively proclaiming one man rule over the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese in N. America and reducing the bishops of the AOANA to mitered altar boys. I confess to not being too up on the more arcane history of Orthodox ecclesiology, but if there is any precedent for this I am unaware of it.

The sheer scope and audacity of the decree is breathtaking. There is simply no way to describe this except as one of the most gross and flagrant abuses of power I can recall. Metropolitan Philip is not the Pope (though he clearly thinks otherwise). Orthodox bishops do not treat other bishops like this, even when they have serious disagreements. The time has come to cease mincing words. His Eminence must resign or be deposed.

ANAXIOS!

Disturbing news from Damascus

Via Owen and Samn! comes the report that all of the bishops of the AOANA are to again be demoted to auxiliary bishops. See the linked sites for the details.

Met. +Philip takes a shot at the OCA and other disturbing developments

Metropolitan +Philip has begun pulling Antiochian seminarians from St. Vladimir's and St. Tikhon's seminaries. This is apparently in retaliation for the OCA failing to "silence" the owner and editor of OCANews.org, Mark Stokoe. Mr. Stokoe was one of the leading voices in exposing the recent scandals within the OCA's central administration. In recent months he has been directing his attention to the situation in the Antiochian Archdiocese which has been much commented on in the Orthodox blogosphere.

Although Mr. Stokoe is a member of the Metropolitan Council his website has no official connection to the OCA. Still multiple sources confirm that intense pressure was placed on the OCA by +Philip to shut down one of his most staunch critics. This pressure included unambiguous threats if the OCA failed to kowtow to +Philip.

That would be bad enough, but there is some significant, although as yet circumstantial, evidence that other even less savory methods of intimidation may be afoot. I strongly recommend that the reader peruse the Ochlophobist's most recent blog post which may be found here.

For the record I would advise anyone contemplating an attempt to strong arm Owen White into silence to first ponder his most recent work of literary criticism...


ANAXIOS!

The Antiochian Convention

Regular updates are being posted by the Ochlophobist and at OCANews which is also live blogging the convention. If anyone else is posting updates on the convention please leave a link in the comments or drop me an email (link in sidebar). I will update this post periodically as additional convention related sources are brought to my attention.

Some of the events so far have been absolutely shocking.

ANAXIOS!

Update: The Ochlophobist is so far the only online source that is providing regular "as it happens" (or close to it) updates. Just be sure you have set your coffee down before going there.

The Antiochian Archdiocese: It's getting ugly

I am not under the Antiochian jurisdiction. As such I am profoundly reluctant to throw stones in what some might argue is not my fight. However I AM an Orthodox Christian who cares deeply about the Church as a whole. And I recognize that more than any other jurisdiction excepting perhaps the OCA; the Antiochian Archdiocese has been and is going to continue to be an integral part of what will eventually be a unified local North American Orthodox Church. Thus while the scandal now gripping it affects all Orthodox everywhere, it is felt most keenly here in the United States.

When a close personal friend and honorary Trustee of the Archdiocese sends vulgar and menacing emails on your behalf to Orthodox laymen, clergy and even bishops, that's not what I would call a good character reference. When said Trustee is also a gentleman with well documented connections to large scale narcotics and weapons trafficking then it is time for serious questions to be asked. And this time executive privilege will not fly. I don't care that Met. +Phillip is a Metropolitan. I frankly would not care if he were the Patriarch. Extremely serious allegations have been made and silence, under whatever pretext, is not an acceptable response.

The details of the most recent chapter in the ongoing scandal in the Antiochian Archdiocese (AOANA) are up over at ocanews.org and also the Ochlophobist has more on Metropolitan +Phillip's latest champion, Walid Khalife. The situation is starting to sound like an episode of the Sopranos with critics of the Metropolitan receiving very threatening communications from a man with simultaneously close ties to +Phillip and organized crime. I am not going to rehash the details of what has been posted at the two linked sites. But I do strongly recommend reading both posts.

So where are we? We have a Metropolitan who has refused an independent audit of the Archdiocese's funds since forever, who has been living a lavish lifestyle, who has been implicated in the forging of Patriarchal documents, whose supporters have used wholly deceptive means in an attempt to subvert the canons of the Church and reduce in dignity lawfully elected and installed diocesan bishops, whose supporters have further been implicated in the forging of Synodal and Patriarchal documents already alluded to, and who now has mobbed up "Trustees" trying to muscle his critics.

Enough!

Metropolitan +Phillip has been accused of things that in another day and age would have seen a bishop run out of town one step ahead of the angry crowd with pitchforks and torches. The Metropolitan must summon an emergency and open meeting of the Archdiocesan Synod and answer these (among many other) allegations for as long as it takes to satisfy everyone that he is and has been on the up and up. A forensic audit of the AOANA’s finances must be conducted. The ranks of its Trustees, honorary or otherwise, must be purged of gangsters and persons of similarly questionable backgrounds.

If he can not do this then he has forfeited any claim to obedience that might enjoin the other bishops and clergy in the AOANA. If he defies the faithful of the Antiochian Archdiocese and refuses to answer these very serious charges the bishops and clergy of the AOANA should cease to commemorate him and demand that he be deposed. The offense of forging Patriarchal and Synodal documents alone warrants excommunication.

An Indictment

ANAXIOS!

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