The beginning of the end...

I am not going to dwell on this. However since I have taken note of the unfortunate problems in the OCA's central administration and have also been an occasional critic of Met. Herman I think I should take note of some very important and IMO positive developments in the OCA.

• There has been a joint meeting of the Metropolitan Council (MC) and Holy Synod.
• A very frank report was presented to both bodies describing in painful detail the systemic failures on the part of the church administration and prominent persons in the church that permitted gross corruption to occur for years in the Central Administration.
• Names were named in what reads almost like an indictment.
• The Holy Synod promptly published this report in its entirety for all to read.
• Metropolitan Herman has been granted retirement "at his request" effective immediately.
• Former Metropolitan Theodosius has been sanctioned by the Holy Synod at the request of the MC for his role in the scandals.
• Archbishop Dimitri of Dallas and the South has been named as locum tenens for the now vacant Metropolitan See.

I do not think this is the end of the problems confronting the OCA. But I do feel that this is the beginning of the end. There remain some other issues that need to be cleaned up. But at long last we can start looking forward instead of backwards. The Holy Synod and the MC have acted decisively and with firmness. I believe they have also acted correctly.

I wish former Metropolitan Herman a peaceful retirement.

The details of the recent activities may be found on the OCA website including the report in its entirety.