Month: April 2010

A contributor who asked to remain anonymous sent me this piece earlier. It asks why we have not heard more about the Episcopal Assemblies being held next week.

++++++++++

Around six months ago, SCOBA issued a press release indicating that the first ever Episcopal Assembly for North America would take place during the Pentecostal season of 2010. Much was made of the fact that this would be the first assembly of all canonical Orthodox bishops presently serving in North America. Although this was not in reality the first such gathering of all Orthodox bishops, it was the first that would transpire under the procedures that were settled on last year by the primates of the old world patriarchates as finalized by their representatives in Chambesy, Switzerland in June of 2009.

We have found out in the interim that all sixty-five North American bishops received invitations early in the Lenten season. Their travel expenses and room and board were to be covered so that even bishops from the poorer jurisdictions could make this historic trip. In the meantime, most of the websites of the various Orthodox jurisdictions have mentioned the meeting although some more than others: the OCA numerous times, the AOA at least twice, the GOA never. The ostensible host of this event–-SCOBA—likewise has not put out any press releases or made mention of it on its own website. Given the historic importance of such a meeting, the silence emanating from the various jurisdictions (and SCOBA) is stunning. Indeed, given the fact that SCOBA, which in itself was a historic milestone in American Orthodoxy, would cease operations lends even more urgency to this question. It’s as if the US Congress announced that it was being replaced by a parliament but failed to mention it in the Congressional Record.
Continue reading →