Metropolitan Jonah on Lenten 'Time Off'

During the services for the Sunday of the Last Judgment this morning at St. Nicholas' Memorial Cathedral in Washington, DC, Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) sought to clarify the recent decision of the Holy Synod to grant him an informal leave of absence. In his remarks Vladyka Jonah stated that he needed "to set aside a period of time...during the Great Fast to spend in personal reflection and renewal," going on to emphasize that he remained "the active primate of the Orthodox Church in America." He also thanked his brother hierarchs in the OCA for taking on his workload during Lent so that he could have a rest. His full statement can be found here. Hat tip to Orthocath for posting this first!