| The problems with Orthodoxy in America and the failure
of the Church
to grow are many. We have greed as a major problem that
caused conflicts
within the various jurisdictions in North America even at
the earliest
times when it was generally agreed that the Russian Church
had full jurisdiction
according to Tradition and Canons.
The problems were here in North America even before Archbishop Aftimios was appointed to head the North American Church. It was discovered that America had much to offer, and the wealth became a major point of concern. It still is today. The silence of the main stream ethnic Orthodox Churches and clergy under any name, i.e. Russian - Moscow Patriarchate, Russian outside Russia, or O.C.A., have their problems, and in many cases one group fails to recognize Orthodox people from other Churches and jurisdictions. If a Ukrainian Church member not under the Moscow Ukrainian Metropolitan attended Liturgy at a Church under the Russian Patriarch it was likely that person would not be allowed to receive Communion at that Church. The ethnic clergy keep quiet and are viewed as ill-mannered and impolite by many who seek information or invite them to various Church and social functions. No letter or call to decline or accept the invitation is the frequent rule. Their silence also allows the independent churches to function under the liberal American secular laws. How many independent groups claim to be under a Patriarch, canonical, to have recognized orders, and more when in fact they have none. They are not canonical, not recognized, and do not have recognized orders. They put up letters on websites claiming to be from a Patriarch, or they show or claim canonical lines that are not. In fact most of these independent orthodox groups were started uncanonically by the bishops of that group. Many are married or homosexual, some ordain women, most cannot say an ethnic liturgy (often referred to as "mass" by these groups), do not have any formal training or education in Eastern Orthodoxy, and were not orthodox when they sought out and obtained their holy orders from these independents. Many do not know the Rudder (Canons) as required of a Bishop by the Canons. |
| Orthodoxy cannot and will not grow in North America
until the Orthodox
clergy and members understand that all Orthodox people who
are baptised
into Orthodoxy by any valid Orthodox clergyman,
irregardless of ethnic
ties, is in fact Orthodox.
All the Orthodox no matter of the background are still Orthodox. If you are Old Calendar Orthodox you are Orthodox. If you are Russian Orthodox (no matter which branch of that Church, excepting the O.C.A.) you are still Orthodox, and so on. Until all Orthodox are viewed as equal and Orthodox the infighting will continue and Church growth will be at a standstill. Many Orthodox have already found new Church homes because they are tired of Orthodox Church politics. In the independent churches or groups you will find the so-called valid, canonical and recognized orders are not that. They compile their orders from every type of church imaginable. Some claim proud Roman Catholic lines from former Roman Catholic clergy who were excommunicated, or who later joined Rome after ordaining many into their old independent orders. Others claim Old Catholic, Episcopal, Anglican, and other lines. They usually claim their orthodox orders from some church or bishop who today does not recognize the very orders they claim. Many popular names are Zurawetsky, Propheta, Souris, Ofiesh, Contogeorge, and Noli, but there are many more being claimed today. |