The website of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) notes that today marks the sixth anniversary of Metropolitan Tikhon’s enthronement as Primate.

This reminded me that, in December 2012, fresh back from four years of atheism, and having just read the news of His Beatitude’s upcoming enthronement and the pricey banquet to follow, I sent him the following heartfelt email. He never responded.

It was intended not as disrespectful of Metropolitan Tikhon (I had no opinion of him at the time), but as an appeal to act less like an emperor and more like a shepherd—more like Christ—in his new primatial ministry.

I share my email now as an urgent appeal to all Orthodox Patriarchs, Metropolitans, Archbishops, and Bishops everywhere. The portion of Christ’s Flock entrusted to each of you needs true shepherds after the likeness of the Good Shepherd.

Enthronement of Metropolitan Tikhon. January 27, 2013.

December 21, 2012

Dear Metropolitan Tikhon:

In view of the dismissal in disgrace of the last three metropolitans of the Orthodox Church in America, one looks for a preliminary sign, any sign, that you will fare better than they, and that your primatial ministry will be cut from a different fabric from theirs.

It has been many years since I last attended a hierarchal liturgy, but I remember them well. When at last the omophorion is placed upon your shoulders, you are reminded in the midst of the congregation of your most fundamental duty to us, that of being an imitator of the Good Shepherd who leaves behind the ninety-nine and sets out in search of the one. Read More

Metropolitan Epiphanius (L) and Patriarch Filaret (R). January 23, 2019.

Yesterday, January 26, both the Kyiv Post and Orthodoxy in Dialogue published my “The ‘Patriarch’ Has No Clothes.” In it I wrote:

In a tradition where visual symbols carry the power that they do in Orthodoxy, Filaret’s undiminished itinerary of public appearances and utterances—all while bedecked in the garish headpiece of a Russian (!) patriarch—reduces the real Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine visually to just another metropolitan among many. This glaring symbological disparity in so trivial a matter as a hat probably ensures that Filaret and Metropolitan Epiphanius never be seen together. Filaret thus maintains his iron grip on his role as leading man on the stage of Ukrainian religious and national life.

Twenty-four hours later one of Orthodoxy in Dialogue’s readers drew our attention to the photo above and the accompanying birthday greeting by Metropolitan Epiphanius, published on the website Єдина помісна Українська Православна Церква (One Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church) on January 25. While I’m not sure when or if I’ll have the time to translate the full text for publication, integrity demands that we issue this partial correction of my original conjecture that the two hierarchs might not be seen together in public. Read More

While this Act is dated November 27, 2018, and the certified copy January 12, 2019, this English translation of the Greek original became available only on January 26. For context see Greek Metropolitan of Venice Suspends Priest of the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe and the other articles linked in the introduction there.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople

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Bartholomew, by the mercy of God Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. The Church of Christ, as a loving mother, providing all that is necessary and useful for those who are near and those who are far, considers also as her worthy duty, not to leave in any place anything disorderly and disorganized, adapting the governance and salvation of the Christian Flock to requirements and circumstances; and also, not to abandon the care for the most advantageous administration and pastoral ministry, through which one secures and succeeds in guiding [the people of God] to the pastures of salvation. For our Holy and Great Church of Christ knows well how to change those structures made by Her from time to time in accordance with the needs of the people of God, always basing Herself on the historical circumstances so as to secure her canonical privileges. Read More

“Honorary Patriarch” Filaret (Denysenko)

Orthodox observers outside of Ukraine who generally support its Church’s autocephaly shook their head in disbelief when the Unification Council of December 15 named former KGB agent Filaret Denysenko as “honorary patriarch.” We hoped at the very least that he would follow in the footsteps of the current Pope Emeritus to a mostly hidden life of prayer and quiet, seldom to be seen or heard from again. Since all Orthodox bishops must first be monks—nominally, if a long monastic formation is not always possible in every case—it would have made perfect sense for former “Patriarch” Filaret to retire to a monastery.  

What a naïve hope that quickly turned out to be.

In a tradition where visual symbols carry the power that they do in Orthodoxy, Filaret’s undiminished itinerary of public appearances and utterances—all while bedecked in the garish headpiece of a Russian (!) patriarch—reduces the real Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine visually to just another metropolitan among many. This glaring symbological disparity in so trivial a matter as a hat probably ensures that Filaret and Metropolitan Epiphanius never be seen together.* Filaret thus maintains his iron grip on his role as leading man on the stage of Ukrainian religious and national life.

(Even the Ecumenical Patriarch wears the simple black hat and veil of an ordinary monk when the occasion does not call for full liturgical vestments.) Read More