Colonial Eparchy on the edge of a nervous breakdown?

Met. Philip Saliba

Watch the fist...

I’m reading through Met. Philip’s latest directive where he draws all power and authority back into himself (like stars collapsing into a black hole). I’ll have some analysis available as soon as digest all the material so please be patient. Meanwhile, here are some highlights:

4. All Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese are expected to express, either verbally or in writing, their unequivocal obedience to the terms of the Resolution in order that the hierarchs, as brothers in Christ, may express their unity to the faithful. No one shall express any disparaging remark or negative personal opinions with regard to the terms of the Resolution. It is has always been the policy of the Archdiocese, that in order to encourage and foster confidence in the administration, all hierarchs and clergy should conduct themselves in a manner which expresses unity and brotherly love.

7. In order to establish and maintain “ one voice” within the Archdiocese, any and all formal communications by an Auxiliary Bishop to another (non-Antiochian) Archdiocese. Diocese, Church or Organization must be communicated through the Archdiocese.

9. And an all fund raising activities and/or solicitations must be conducted through the Archdiocese and no Auxiliary Bishop is permitted to conduct any form of fund raising activities and or solicit donations through his chancery, unless he is authorized, in writing, by the Metropolitan. Furthermore, there shall be no direct disbursement of funds by an Auxiliary Bishop to any other (Antiochian or non-Antiochian) Archdiocese, Diocese, Church, or Organization without the express written approval of the Metropolitan.

10. In order to preserve consistency, all internet websites of any diocese and/or chancery must be designed and its contents must be in conformity with the policies and directives of the Archdiocese. The contents of said web sites must be fashioned so as to protect the integrity of the Archdiocese, and shall not in any way create confusion with regard to the administration prerogatives (sic) of the Archdiocese.

13. All Auxiliary Bishops shall always identify themselves, either on their respective letterhead, or in any other manner, as “Auxiliary Bishop” and in no other manner.

17. All “Presbyters Council” as they may exist, should be immediately dissolved as being inconsistent with the administrative prerogatives of the Archdiocese.

Typically, when authoritarians start to crack down, their only subsequent options are to crack down harder. Very destructive. More to come. You can read the full encyclical on OCANEWS.

Comments

  1. Where ya been man??? I’ve missed you on here!

  2. Sadly Metropolitan Philip is acting more like an absolute and unaccountable leader of the Antiochian Church in America, following a secular totalitarian model, rather than the servant leadership model taught and practice by Christ, supported by the Apostles, and proclaimed by the entire Orthodox Christian Church throughout the ages. With his latest directives he now claims for himself almost complete authority and power over all the other bishops in America, all Church finances, all communications, and all affairs of the AOCANA. It is clear that he will not allow any kind of true Orthodox conciliar approach to hierarchial leadership in America while he is in power. This is how a despot or a tyrant acts!

    And he signals that even these latest attempts to vest himself with full and unaccountable authority, is not the end. There is more to come:
    18. By no means are these policy changes and directives set forth herein to be deemed an exhaustive list. The Archdiocese reserves its right to issue further policy changes and directives it deems appropriate.”

    What a tragedy is now unfolding before our very eyes. A formerly true and loving shepherd has now gradually transformed into a wolf. Lord have mercy!

    “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or certainty of corruption by full authority. There is no worse heresy than the fact that the office sanctifies the holder of it.” – Lord Acton

  3. I miss you too! how are you?

  4. Sorry all: please disregard the above (wrong thread). All I can say about this is: ANAXIOS! ANAXIOS! ANAXIOS! Shame on Philip. He is acting like a typical kleptocrat which rule the run-of-the-mill Arab thugocracies! Even the EP observed at least the standards of decorum when he deposed +Iakovos of blessed memory.

  5. Christ's unprofitable servant, Seraphim says

    As a recovering academic, with an inherent tendency to view all things through the lens of scholarly analysis, who, by the grace of God, found his way to the doors of the Orthodox Church via a rigorous study of history & all facets of the Holy Tradition (including the canons), who only later realized, after years of living within the Church, drinking the life-giving waters & swimming in the very current of her divinely inspired life (i.e. Holy Tradition), that the heart is just as “powerful”, if not more so, than the head…I must admit that this news about Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Archdiocese leaves me heartbroken & nearly speechless with except of one word – MADNESS : (…

    May Christ have mercy on us all.

  6. Hi George,

    Great site..coming along nicely..and just in time!

    About 10 years ago, I met with Met Philip in Detroit for a private meeting. At that meeting he said about Abp Iakovos, “Poor man, he lost his nerve, and he paid the price,” referring to the actions at Ligonier.

    Now, 10 years later, we see Metropolitan Philip doing exactly the same thing.

    How pitiful and sad for our Antiochian friends…who must now choose between supporting the tyrant, and leaving. Just pitiful. And how disappointing to those of us who were taken in by his vision of unity.

    I guess the real question is this: How many times are we going to have to learn the same lesson over and over again? These Old World patriarchates are not to be trusted.

    Time for autocephaly now!

    best regards,
    dean