Comments Posted By Stan Poulos
Displaying 0 To 0 Of 0 Comments
Why the Manhattan Declaration Matters
People don’t seem to understand regarding “gay marriage.” Yes, it is wrong, but understand this.
There has always been “Civil Marriages” and “Church Marriages.” Gay marriages are nothing more than the “State” recognizing couples living together who can be taxed as such and children attributed to them. Within “The Church,” these marriages can’t be recognized, endorsed nor is there a service to bring them into the fold of the Church. Like men & women living together in sin, so are homosexual unions. The priest must deal with this pastorally and it ain’t an easy task! The Church can’t marry these people, so now what????????
» Posted By Stan Poulos On July 2, 2013 @ 7:58 pm
George,
Your comments are just crazy. Stokoe’s forum came about to help reveal what was going on in the OCA with RSK, + Theodosius and + Herman. And thank God he did. This had nothing to do with his persuasion, whatever that may be. There were no “gay activists” except in your mind. When + Jonah was going off the deep end, Stokoe helped bring this to the public’s attention also. No issue of morality, a cabal or anything else contrived in your mind. And again, thank God + Jonah was relieved of his duty. And now, the OCA is moving forward on the right track!
» Posted By Stan Poulos On July 4, 2013 @ 9:56 pm
So, Where Are We? “Philippa” Comments on Auditor’s Report
Mark from the DOS,
You equate spiritual health with lack of bishops. One does not equal the other. In fact, you’ll find that most of the failed bishops of the OCA came from without. Johnstown for one. Looking for Orthodox bishops should not be an exercise in turning over every rock to find a celibate and then force them to take monastic vows. Looking at all the Orthodox bishops in North America, few are real monastics. As stated here previously, the Tradition of the Orthodox Church is to have both celibate and married bishops. We need to return to this model. Bishops no longer own the property of a diocese and they can’t pass the property down to their progeny. Therefore, no reason not to have married bishops again. The chancellors of each diocese are de facto bishops and most are married priests. We don’t need more phony monasteries making phony bishop candidates. We need to look for “good men” who can be good bishops. Again, take a trip and visit many OCA parishes throughout the U.S. You’ll find great spiritual depth and growing parishes with well-educated priests overall. The rhetoric here consistently trying to degrade the OCA is just disinformation and falsehoods.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On June 13, 2013 @ 7:53 am
You people have no real understanding of what is being said, Every Christian denomination’s numbers are down. Those who proclaimed the OCA as having 100,000 paying members were lying. In fact, the numbers of the GOA and Antiochians are also WAY inflated. ROCOR has less than 5,000 paying members. Get real people! You keep on attacking the OCA and it is doing fine on the parish level. Yes, it could use more money, but it hasn’t been aggressive in improving this. Met Jonah has been a disaster! The OCA will recover nicely and the scandals within the ROC are typical of ROCOR. 18th century Russian Orthodoxy that has nothing to do with Orthodoxy in America. Istanbul pushes it’s Greek nationalism and the Antiochians are in shock with Syria and Lebanon. The ONLY hope for the future of Orthodoxy in America is with the OCA.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On June 12, 2013 @ 10:13 pm
Many assertions made here that are just bogus! Reduction of funds into the OCA can be attributed to several temporary factors which have been corrected. The “dues paying” members of the OCA remains stable as it has for the last 5 years or so at approx. 20,000 members. This does not include approx. 5,000 non-dues paying members if not more. The OCA needs to be more aggressive in collecting membership dues and raising monies. The problem is that the RSK/Theodosius money scandal along with the Tikhon/Herman scandal has made people leery regarding giving to the OCA as they have in the past. Compound this with attrition and here we are. HOWEVER, these temporary financial issues have nothing to do with the “SPIRITUAL HEALTH” of the OCA. The strength of the OCA lies with its growing number of parishes, evangelization and abundance of well-educated clergy throughout North America. Pointing at certain bishops that had to be replaced, beginning with BT and Soriach, is not totally reflective of the spiritual health of the OCA. Although ROCOR members here would like people to believe (falsely) that the OCA is on it’s last legs, I refer to Mark Twain’s famous quote: “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
» Posted By Stan Poulos On June 12, 2013 @ 7:48 am
George,
No, not more monasteries where more evil & corruption can breed as we’ve seen. What we need is a return to how bishops acted, dressed and related to their communities as in the 3rd through 10th centuries. Humble, good men, married mostly, who came from local area churches and were dedicated to act like Christ. Not Byzantine Emperors.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On June 3, 2013 @ 1:07 pm
FideDefensor,
I believe it is you and others here who need enlightening. You want to be Orthodox yet, you have no idea what Orthodoxy is. Like Nit Picker who thinks that when Greek bishops retire to a Greek island live simply. Go see. The Bishop of Istanbul owns more than 30 palatial estates on the Greek islands with servants and access to young boys & girls. When certain Greek bishops retire, they live in luxury and debauchery. And all are treated like “little Byzantine Emperors.” The ROC and the Bishop of Istanbul et al, are very corrupt. Here in the U.S. we need to return to what bishops really are and how they should really live; not like “little Byzantine Emperors.”
» Posted By Stan Poulos On June 3, 2013 @ 8:55 am
Nit Picker,
Your examples show just how far we have fallen from the Truth. Monastics are monastics. We elevate one of them to bishop and we dress them as a Byzantine Emperor. Do you know that REAL Orthodox bishops never wore a crown? This was for the emperor. They never wore the sachos (outer garment) which was the garment of the Emperor. Orthodox bishops never lived as an Emperor with 10+ dachas like the MP along with wearing $3,000 watches and a fleet of 10 limos. Orthodox bishops lived simply, dressed simply and acted like Christ who “served” and washed the feet of his disciples. Bishops don’t live in large homes with big expense accounts. And in retirement, they return to a monastery and live out their life simply praying for the world. Thank you Nit Picker, for showing all of us how these bishops have corrupted our own Orthodox faith.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On June 3, 2013 @ 7:37 am
Helga,
That’s not a very intelligent comment. Sounds like the Bishop of Istanbul talking out of jealousy. The OCA is doing just fine. All the scandals in the GOA, ROCOR/MP & Antiochians are far worse than a crazed Metropolitan or a Met playing fast & easy with monies. The difference is that they work full-time at hiding their scandals. The OCA has been pretty open. You should do your homework before making dumb comments.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On June 2, 2013 @ 2:47 pm
Nit Picker,
Not at all. When a monk takes a vow, they take a vow. He is no longer the Met and should retire to a monastery and pray for the world. A real monk doesn’t ask for $3,000 a month to live on. Phony!
» Posted By Stan Poulos On June 2, 2013 @ 11:08 am
We’ve been hoping they would “be gone,” but sectarians don’t die easily. They’ve now aligned themselves with the Russian fantasy of 18th century Czarist Russian Orthodoxy that was totally corrupt.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On June 2, 2013 @ 8:27 am
If you look at Barbara’s IPS you will see she is in upstate NY, Albany area. I am not!
» Posted By Stan Poulos On June 1, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
George,
Don’t you get it? The Orthodox Church has become as corrupt as the Pharisees of old. Read what Christ says about the Pharisees and those in the Sanhedrin. A “MONK” is supposed to live like a monk. A monk in the Orthodox Tradition says good-bye to all their earthly family and enters a monastery to “pray for the world” for the rest of their life. Monks were chosen from monastics for pragmatic reasons, no children to claim church property. There is no reason to continue looking for only celibates and forcing them to take monastic vows to be a bishop. When their bishopric is finished, they return to their monastery. They don’t get a retirement package of $3,000 a month. They took the monastic vow, now be a real monk. They are all phonies like the Pharisees of old.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 31, 2013 @ 12:29 pm
So much for a “REAL” monk. Parading around in regalia pretending to be a monastic on $3,000 a month. What a phony!
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 30, 2013 @ 8:13 am
George,
“That’s an extremely graceless things to say.” Typical ROCOR thing to say. As if only YOU know where the Holy Spirit will go and act and will not.
By the way George, is this your real name or are you someone else?
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 30, 2013 @ 8:10 am
Well, you know the old saying, “Give a man enough rope and he’ll hang himself.” We’ll see how long this takes!
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 28, 2013 @ 5:14 pm
“Things might have been different had the OCA proved itself to be a mature body but that’s all been thrown out the window now. It’s sad, really.”
This is a ridiculous statement. Close to the argument of + Bart regarding autocephaly in the U.S. “You aren’t mature enough.” Just silly and an invalid excuse. The Canons of the Orthodox Church call for each “territory” to have a “local church” run by “local bishops” without ANY foreign bishop interference. This is what the OCA is. The Greeks (under Istanbul), ROCOR (under Moscow), the Arabs (under Damascus), etc. are all non-canonical according to Orthodox ecclesiology and canon law. In fact, their “model” is anti-Apostolic. “Foreign bishops have no authority outside of their own territory.”
The OCA is doing fine; contrary to what some here want everyone to believe. Installing any celibate as a monk/bishop in every diocese is also a silly idea. Rather, good, strong archpriests running dioceses serving as “married bishops.” Practicality and a pragmatic approach is what the American church dictates, not models imposed from overseas.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 21, 2013 @ 8:37 am
Christine,
The bru-ha-ha surrounding + Jonah is the side show. He created issues and problems from the beginning of his tenure. Now, even after his dismissal, some people here wish to continue the “side show” as if the majority of the OCA cares; they don’t. The proclamation that ROCOR is the savior of Orthodoxy in America is just ridiculous. The idea that the GOA is the answer is equally ridiculous. The answer is a united, autocephalous Orthodox Church in America as SCOBA outlined in 1961. Not under Moscow; Not under Istanbul; not under Damascus or other. The American Church devoid of foreign bishop interference and not pretending to be 18th century Russians, Greeks or Arabs. An American Typikon reflecting Orthodoxy in America.» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 19, 2013 @ 8:58 am
There is a shift going on. In the Russian tradition, mitred archpriests were indeed at the same level as any bishop and therefore, married bishops. They became Deans of dioceses and returning to this idea is what is happening. Using the term “married bishops” may not be appealing to some, but pragmatically, that’s what they are. A strong “Dean” in a diocese many times can be better than a celibate running around causing chaos and issues.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 19, 2013 @ 8:47 am
1) Yes, I’m a member of the OCA, but I attend a Greek Church and Antiochian also.
2) Yes, I have witnessed lots of growth within the OCA all over N. Am. Get in your car and take a tour!
3) Diocese aren’t vacant. It’s a scandal to look under every rock for a celibate and then require him to take monastic vows when he has no inclination toward monasticism. ALL the Orthodox Churches need to get “REAL” and elect the best man as their bishop, celibate or married. The entire idea that all bishops MUST be monks is ridiculous and isn’t Orthodox Tradition. 11 of the 12 Apostles were married. Time to return to married bishops and in fact, OCA dioceses with married administrative priests might as well be married bishops.
4) Give it a rest in picking on Fr. Jillions. He’s a very good man and in reality, Fr. Garklavs should still be the Chancellor. Glad + Jonah got the boot.
5) OCA seminaries are doing well. Go see. SVS & STOTS should have merged years ago and maybe we’ll see that soon. Keep the Pocono’s property as a monastery, clergy retirement community, youth camp, conference center and cemetery.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 17, 2013 @ 7:27 am
No George, the majority of the people in the OCA could care less. YOU and your ROCOR cronies here wish to continue to make this an issue when it isn’t. The autocephaly of the OCA is healthy and doing well; OCA parishes are healthy and growing yet, YOU and the ROCOR nuts here want everyone to believe otherwise. Just like the GOP; lies, disinformation, rumors, etc. And why, to push your own agenda of undermining the American Church. Moscow isn’t the answer; the Greeks aren’t the answer; the Arabs aren’t the answer; the ONLY answer for Orthodoxy in America is the OCA. + Jonah was just a minor side show and it’s over.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 16, 2013 @ 11:17 am
Another posting filled with misinformation and pure baloney. What is this constant agenda you have with + Jonah? His brother bishops, unanimously, decided he could no longer be the Primate of the OCA. End of story. Psychiatric evaluations or no evaluations; he’s gone and a very humble, good Metropolitan is now leading the OCA. Why this on-going thing you have for + Jonah? He’s gone for good reasons, next case. Let him go back to his monastery and live out his life praying for the world as ALL monastics are called to do. Not so-called monks participating here or involved with all kinds of activities outside any monastery. So George, give this + Jonah thing a rest and move on.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 15, 2013 @ 10:55 am
Fr. John,
I appreciate your love for + Philip. He has done much good and has done a nice job of reaching out to converts. I will allow God to judge. You can ponder his obsession for Joe Allen and Joe’s retribution on all who opposed him with + Philip’s support. The transfer of uber $$$ from Detroit to Englewood and no REAL retirement security for ALL Antiochian priests (objectively). When we talk about his role in Orthodox unity in America, he has stymied this effort from the get-go. Although he had great respect for Fr. Schmemann and Fr. Meyendorff encouraged + Philip time and time again to join the OCA, + Philip decided to play “Byzantine Church Politics.” He shifted between OCA and GOA playing both against each other. He knew that staying in between he could be the “Golden Vessel” they both wanted. The Pat. of Damascus sided with Istanbul and although + Philip knew he could be instrumental in Orthodox Church unity in America, all he offered was double-talk. So, he tried to restart unity talks in 1997 at Ligonier with himself & + Iakovos, but only ended in disaster. The Ukrainian bishop squealed to Istanbul and + Iakovos was forcefully retired and all the GOA bishops were emasculated. At that point, + Iakovos should have joined the OCA upsetting Istanbul’s apple cart and + Philip should have followed suit. But no, another missed opportunity. Now, the Episcopal Assembly (nothing more than a Greek power-play) offers everyone to go under Istanbul. RIDICULOUS! No real autocephaly, just an Eastern Pope sitting in Istanbul (maybe 1,000 Orthodox there) ruling over all Orthodox. Anti-Apostolic and Non-Canonical. Moscow also offers nothing except Russian domination along with KGB operatives. The ONLY real answer for Orthodoxy in America is under the OCA solving it’s own issues; whatever they may be.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 24, 2013 @ 9:49 am
George,
Now you reveal your true colors. You too are a Russophile and mimic + Jonah himself. The ROC is INDEED a very corrupt church. Of course they put out a good propaganda spread and there are good things happening within the ROC. However, if you speak to those inside at higher levels you will find their dismay with theft, sexual issues, criminal activity, etc. rampant within the the ROC. Understand, only returning to faith since 1991, 22 years ago, the ROC cannot recover from 75 years of atheism overnight. The ROC has taken their model from the 1800’s Czarist Russia and all the corruption the church offered. The ROC’s “joined-at-the-hip” affiliation with the KGB (FSB – Putin) has hurt it’s mission. Although a convenient union emulating Czarist Russia, the corruption within is rampant. Again, Moscow IS NOT the answer to the American Church. Neither is Istanbul or Damascus. The real hope for Orthodoxy in America is under it’s own autocephalous “local” church facing and solving it’s own issues and problems.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 24, 2013 @ 7:38 am
George,
You can have Moscow. The ROC is probably the most corrupt Orthodox Church in the world. This is due to it’s massive size and opportunities for fallen human nature to operate excessively.
Autonomy means nothing because a “local” church is still under the authority of foreign bishops. This status is OK for mission churches converting to an autocephalous church, but not an established church. Canon law dictates that once an autocephalous church is established in a territory, ALL Orthodox Churches are to unite under it. Both the Greeks & Antiochians have ignored this. ROCOR is an anomaly and it will take years for them to get anywhere close to what an American church should be.
Understand, that when the AOCNA wanted to come into Orthodoxy via Frs. Schmemann & Meyendorff’s consultation, the OCA put too many stipulations on them for entry. + Philip stepped in without demanding many stipulations. Their parishes virtually doubled the Antiochian Arch. yet, many of the churches were home churches. More people, more assessments, more churches and a claim of an American off-shoot. Not without issues.
The New Smyrna colony was nothing more than working Greeks WITH NO CHURCH OR PRIESTS, who arrived in America for jobs.
Pan Orthodox Churches are the natural outcome of the American Church. ROCOR nor the Greeks really offer this. The Antiochians on a limited scale. However, the canonical solution is what the OCA offers since 1970. Again, if + Philip & + Iakovos hadn’t reneged on joining the OCA, now 43 years later, we would have had a united Orthodox Church in America that worked out its issues and not under the thumb of ANY foreign bishop as canon law dictates.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 23, 2013 @ 5:15 pm
George & Fr. Webster,
Autonomy means nothing. With + Philip, he has been operating autonomously since his election in 1968. Why…because the Syrian Archdiocese in America had uber $$$ and + Philip used this to control overseas bishops. They needed him more that he needed them. However, you can take the boy out of the Mideast, but not the Mideast out of the boy. + Philip has done lots of very good things for the church & peoples in the Mideast and now, all for nought. Remember, + Philip not only supports Assad who is a mass murderer of his own people, but he also supported Ghadafi & Saddam. + Philip always wanted to be a hero among his people as a king-like figure doing good. American church unity interfered with his “Sultan-type” vision of his own legacy; it’s all ethnic-ego.
RE: + Jonah who many of you seem to be pre-occupied with here. Again, most of the OCA doesn’t care. Met. Tikhon is a far better choice as a humble, monastic figure-head. What you people don’t get is that a myriad of people recognized + Jonah’s issues. His fellow brother bishops, priests, his educators, professional lay people, fellow workers in the church, etc. Psych issues or no psych issues, it doesn’t matter. + Jonah was acting under his own agenda unilaterally without the total agreement of his brother bishops in the OCA Synod. + Jonah’s penchant for Russia as a Russophile is questionable as to “why” for a California Anglican convert. A “Super-Orthodox” type of mentality of “fringe Orthodoxy” contrary to normal American Orthodoxy. A mind-set that emulates 18th century Russia, Greece, Mideast, etc. The American Church is NOT the Russian, Greek or Arab Church; why can’t converts get this?
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 23, 2013 @ 8:55 am
Seraphim98,
…Because “foreign bishops have no authority outside their own territory” (Orthodox Canon Law) “Local churches are under the authority of local bishops” (Orthodox Canon Law) Without any supervision from foreign bishops. The OCA’s autocephaly is what SCOBA prescribed in 1961 and if + Iakovos and + Philip would not have reneged their promise, today we would be a united Orthodox Church in America. + Jonah’s “OWN” idea (also pushed by nuts like BT) to go back under Moscow is non-canonical. + Jonah thought this was the best way to unite ROCOR and the OCA, but clearly, he was brain-washed. I seriously believe + Jonah was psychlogically brain-washed while in Russia. This is why people wanted psych tests. Moscow working hand-in-hand with the KGB (FSB) and the ROC is trying to re-claim all of it’s claims prior to 1917. Using the Church is their prime tactic. Being under ANY foreign bishop is a National Security risk, esp. Russia.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 22, 2013 @ 6:15 pm
Um,
Ummmmm, you are seriously delusional. Met. Jonah was booted out by his brother bishops; no “gay activists” had anything to do with it. Your assessment of the OCA is also quite delusional. Apparently you haven’t visited the many growing OCA parishes throughout the U.S. Who’s been feeding you this misinformation?
» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 15, 2013 @ 7:20 am
James,
You seem to be fascinated with rumors of sexual misdeeds within the OCA. What a hobby! Interestingly enough, do you have proof for much of what you post? You seem to be “Mr. Know-It-All” on this subject. Are you an investigator with pics and videos? Have you interviewed the paramours? What in reality your “hobby” and posting are, is the work of the devil. Lies, innuendo, rumors, misinformation, etc.; James you have done this for years. So, give us all your biography. Are you in reality BT’s flunky?» Posted By Stan Poulos On May 13, 2013 @ 10:02 am
Do These People Count as “Sexual Minorities”?
«« Back To Stats PageDear Defend the Faith,
It is important for any Orthodox leader to address the issues effecting society. Homosexuality is one of these issues. In fact, Fr. Thomas Hopko has written and addressed this topic extensively. Priests and parishes need to know how to handle these issues and therefore, it is only proper and fitting for the Chancellor of the OCA to address this issue. “Homosexual mentor priest?” Who exactly are you accusing? As far as teaching at a Uniate or RC seminary or school, I know of maybe 10-15 “GOOD” Orthodox priests who currently or in the past have done the same. Why? Because they pay for good teachers. For ANY Orthodox to bring their perspective to the RC’s is very positive in deed. Besides this, extra income for Orthodox priests many times is the difference between living in poverty and living just above the poverty line.
» Posted By Stan Poulos On April 29, 2013 @ 8:31 am
Recent Comments