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Message of the Episcopal Assembly of the Canonical Orthodox Canonical Hierarchs of North & Central America, May 26-28 |
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We glorify the name of the Triune God for gathering us at this first Episcopal Assembly of this region in New York City on May 26-28, 2010 in response to the decisions of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference held at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Switzerland, from June 6-12, 2009, at the invitation of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Gathered together in the joy of the Feast of Pentecost, we humbly recognize our calling, in our unworthiness, to serve as instruments and disciples of the Paraclete, who “holds together the whole institution of the Church” (Hymn of Vespers of Pentecost).
We honor and express gratitude to the Primates and Representatives of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches who assembled at the Ecumenical Patriarchate from October 10-12, 2008 to affirm their “unswerving position and obligation to safeguard the unity of the Orthodox Church” (Chambésy Rules of Operation, Article 5.1a) and emphasized their will and “desire for the swift healing of every canonical anomaly that has arisen from historical circumstances and pastoral requirements” (Message of the Primates 13.1-2)
We call to mind those who envisioned this unity in this region and strove to transcend the canonical irregularities resulting for many reasons, including geographically overlapping jurisdictions. For, just as the Lord in the Divine Eucharist is “broken and distributed, but not divided” (Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom), so also His Body comprises many members, while constituting His One Church.
We are grateful for the gift of the doctrinal and liturgical unity that we already share, and we are inspired by our leaders, the Heads of all the Orthodox Churches throughout the world, who proposed that which we painfully yearn for in this region, i.e., the “swift healing of every canonical anomaly” (Message of the Primates 13.2). We are also grateful that they established a fundamental process toward a canonical direction and resolution.
We are thankful to almighty God for the growth of Orthodoxy, for the preservation of our traditions, and for the influence of our communities in this region. This is indeed a miracle and a mystery.
During our gathering, and in accordance with the rules of operation of Episcopal Assemblies promulgated by the Fourth Pan-Orthodox Pre-Conciliar Conference, we established:
1. A registry of canonical bishops (Article 6.1)
2. A committee to determine the canonical status of local communities in the region that have no reference to the Most Holy Autocephalous Churches (Article 6.2)
3. A registry of canonical clergy (Article 6.3)
4. Committees to undertake the work of the Assembly, among others including liturgical, pastoral, financial, educational, ecumenical, and legal issues (Articles 11 and 12)
5. A committee to plan for the organization of the Orthodox of the region on a canonical basis (Article 5.1).
In addition to the above, we agreed that a directory would be created and maintained by the Assembly of all canonical congregations in our region.
We as Episcopal Assembly understand ourselves as being the successors of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), assuming its agencies, dialogues, and other ministries.
Moreover, at the formal request of the Hierarchs who have jurisdiction in Canada, the Assembly will submit to the Ecumenical Patriarch, in accordance with the rules of operation (Article 13), a request to partition the present region of North and Central America into two distinct regions of the United States and Canada. Additionally, at the request of the Hierarchs who have jurisdiction in Mexico and Central America, the Assembly will likewise request to merge Mexico and Central America with the Assembly of South America.
As Orthodox Hierarchs in this blessed region, we express our resolve to adhere to and adopt the regulations proposed by the Pan-Orthodox Conferences and approved by the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, and to do everything in our power by the grace of God to advance actions that facilitate canonical order in our region.
We confess our fidelity to the Apostolic Orthodox faith and pledge to promote “common action to address the pastoral needs of Orthodox living in our region” (Chambésy, Decision 2c). We call upon our clergy and faithful to join us in these efforts “to safeguard and contribute to the unity of the Orthodox Church of the region in its theological, ecclesiological, canonical, spiritual, philanthropic, educational and missionary obligations” (Article 5.1) as we eagerly anticipate the Holy and Great Council.
The Assembly concluded with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Friday, May 28, 2010 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral in New York City. During the Liturgy prayers were offered for the repose of the eleven victims of the current ecological disaster in the Gulf Coast, for the consolation of their families, for all those adversely affected by this catastrophe, as well as for all people living under conditions of war, persecution, violence, and oppression.
Of the sixty-six Hierarchs in the region, the following 55 were present at this Assembly:
Archbishop Demetrios, Chairman
Metropolitan Philip, Vice Chairman
Archbishop Justinian, Vice Chairman
Bishop Basil, Secretary
Archbishop Antony,Treasurer
Metropolitan Iakovos
Metropolitan Constantine
Metropolitan Athenagoras
Metropolitan Methodios
Metropolitan Isaiah
Metropolitan Nicholas
Metropolitan Alexios
Metropolitan Nikitas
Metropolitan Nicholas
Metropolitan Gerasimos
Metropolitan Evangelos
Metropolitan Paisios
Archbishop Yurij
Bishop Christopher
Bishop Vikentios
Bishop Savas
Bishop Andonios
Bishop Ilia
Bishop Ilarion
Bishop Andriy
Bishop Demetrios
Bishop Daniel
Bishop Antoun
Bishop Joseph
Bishop Thomas
Bishop Mark
Bishop Alexander
Metropolitan Hilarion
Bishop Iov
Bishop Gabriel
Bishop Peter
Bishop Theodosius
Bishop George
Bishop Ieronim
Metropolitan Christopher
Bishop Maxim
Archbishop Nicolae
Bishop Ioan Casian
Metropolitan Joseph
Metropolitan Jonah
Archbishop Nathaniel
Archbishop Seraphim
Bishop Nikon
Bishop Tikhon
Bishop Benjamin
Bishop Melchisedek
Bishop Irineu
Bishop Irinee
Bishop Michael
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Has our Pursuit of the "American Dream" Become a Ball and Chain? |
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Both of my parents were born and raised in the same small village in Northern Greece. They both received the equivalent of a 6th grade education. My dad came to the states in 1919 and my mom in 1948, after they were married in their village in Greece. They settled in Detroit and gave birth in the early 1950s to my older sister and me. They came here and worked hard for a better way of life. They wanted their children to get a good education and go to college so they could get decent jobs and enjoy a better standard of life than they did. Something like “I don’t want my kids to have suffer like I did” way of thinking. This in a nutshell is the “American Dream”. It still motivates many who immigrate to this country today. It is a major value that still motivates those who have been born here and their families.
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The Giving Mind, the Giving Heart |
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The story is told that some farmers once were plowing the earth behind their oxen, when they saw a king pass by, majestically clad in purple and resplendent in his shining crown, and surrounded by an enormous crowd of body guards. Since there was nothing at hand for them to present to their ruler, one of them immediately scooped up some water in this hands – for there was abundant water flowing nearby – and brought it to the king as a gift. The king said to him, “What is this you bring me, my son?” And the peasant boldly replied, “I bring what I have, since I thought it best not to let my poverty hide my eagerness to give. You have no need of our possessions, nor do you desire anything from us but good will. But for us, giving you a gift is both a duty and a praiseworthy gesture; for glory has a way of coming to those who show themselves grateful.” The king was filled with wonder, and praised the man’s wisdom; he received the farmer’s act of kindness graciously, and bestowed on him many generous gifts in return. (From a homily of St. John of Damascus on the Dormition of the Mother of God)
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"Prayer Without Ceasing" Is Necessary for All Christians |
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By St Gregory Palamas
Let no one think, my brother Christians that it is the duty only of priests and monks to pray without ceasing, and not of laymen. No, no; it is the duty of all of us Christians to remain always in prayer. For look what the most holy Patriarch of Constantinople, Philotheus, writes in his life of St. Gregory of Thessalonica. This saint had a beloved friend by the name of Job, a very simple but most virtuous man. Once, while conversing with him, His Eminence said of prayer that every Christian in general should strive to pray always, and to pray without ceasing, as Apostle Paul commands all Christians, "Pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17), and as the prophet David says of himself, although he was a king and had to concern himself with his whole kingdom: "I foresaw the Lord always before my face" (Psalms 15:8), that is, in my prayer I always mentally see the Lord before me. Gregory the Theologian also teaches all Christians to say God’s name in prayer more often than to breathe.
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Wrapping it up: The Relationship Between Preparation and Receiving Holy Communion |
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Over the last year and a half I have been writing about this above topic as it pertains to the following areas of the spiritual life: Fasting, Prayer, Repentance (Baptism & Confession), and the moral lives we lead. I have stated why these areas are important in their relationship to receiving Communion. I have addressed when one should or should not come to Communion based on how one has approached these above areas as we “work out our salvation in fear and trembling.” I am not going to rehash all that. If you have never read what I have written, you can go to our web page and find those reflections in the Pastor’s Corner of our web page. Or if you have pitched the old newsletters and still want to read what I wrote, see me and I will be glad to provide you those articles for you to read. What I want to do this month is summarize what I would ask you to do as your priest in these above areas as you prepare for Holy Communion. If this conflicts with what other priests have told you to do, please speak with me, and I would be glad to further discuss this with you.
Guidelines in preparing for Holy Communion:
• FASTING: Observe the Wednesday and Friday fast throughout the week to the best of your ability. If you aren’t able to keep the full fasting guidelines please see Fr. Paul and talk with him. Please keep a total fast from midnight on, until you receive communion on Sunday. For evening liturgies the total fast should be after you eat your noon meal. Children eight and older should be able to observe this as well. We should not approach the cup if we have totally disregarded the fast due to rebelliousness and self will. (“I just don’t want to do it.”). I have not addressed here the need to observe the four major fasts through the year (i.e. Great Lent, Advent Fast, Dormition Fast, and Ss. Peter & Paul Fast) I will speak about those at another time.
• REPENTANCE/CONFESSION: People should come to Confession at the minimum of twice a year; once during the advent fast before Christmas and once during the great fast before Easter. For those who receive Communion every week, their participation in the sacrament of Confession should be more frequent (at least four times a year). Once again, if someone is ignoring and choosing not to come to Confession at all, I would ask you not come to Communion and speak with me so we can work out what deters you from coming to Confession. I will not refuse Communion to those who still want to receive because I realize there is a long history in this parish of people who don’t go to Confession and receive Communion. Love, patience, prayer and education are the solutions to changing this habit, not legislation and a hammer.
• MORALS AND BELIEFS ABOUT THE FAITH: People should not be receiving Communion if they are committing major sins, living a lifestyle that is contrary to the teachings of the Church; especially if they are not repentant about it. Having an abortion, doing physical harm, or adultery are examples of major sins. Unmarried couples of the opposite sex or couples of the same sex who are sexually active or living together in a non-platonic relationship, should not be coming to Communion until they have come to Confession and repented of the sin. If anyone has rejected and renounced any of the beliefs of the Orthodox Christian Faith as defined in the Nicene Creed one should not be receiving Holy Communion until one can once again reaffirm those beliefs in the sacrament of Confession.
• PRAYER: Endeavor to keep a public and private prayer rule as part of preparing to receive the Eucharist. The public prayer refers to coming to the cycle of services the parish offers throughout the year. When taking a vacation during the summer, don’t take a three month vacation from Christ and the Church. Find a church to attend while on vacation. Do not forget to say your morning and evening prayers each day, this is your private prayer rule.
Finally I can’t reiterate how important we do all the above for the right reasons. I have said time and time again, we could do all of the above and be no closer to Christ and His Church if we have the self righteous mind of the Pharisee who uses his self justification to find fault with others. If our goal in fasting, confession, prayer, and living a moral life, is not to seek God, not to hunger for Christ, and not to do it in love, then we will only condemn ourselves before God because of our arrogance and self serving motivation. The way to approach preparation for Communion is to do it with the idea of esteeming all others as being better than ourselves and to acknowledge as St. Paul did that “I am the chief of sinners.” This concludes my series of reflections on this above topic. Take care, and God bless you, Fr. Paul. |
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