Philadelphia Archbishop Elected OCA Metropolitan

The Holy Synod of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) has elected Archbishop Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia as Metropolitan of Washington and All America and Canada. Axios! The election closed the special All-American Council in Parma, Ohio, held to nominate a new first hierarch for the OCA to succeed Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen). The Council was held on the old style feast of St. John (Kochurov) of Chicago, and was lifted up in the prayers of many, no doubt especially by Sts. John of Chicago and John (Maximovich) of San Francisco, before whose relics a supplication for the Council was held by cathedral clergy in San Francisco on 12 November.

Archbishop Tikhon was a frontrunner on the Council's first and second ballots, but was second in number of votes to Bishop Michael (Dahulich) of New York. There were no disruptions of the Council by supporters of Metropolitan Jonah, who himself only received seventeen votes on each round of voting, and there was no effort on anyone's part to have the election held off so that the former metropolitan could be reinstated. Metropolitan Tikhon's election was received by the Council with joy, and he was warmly acclaimed when he was presented to the Council.

OCA Holy Synod Releases Statement on Metropolitan's Resignation

Due to the ongoing controversy over the recent resignation of Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) the Holy Synod of the OCA has released a statement clarifying some of the reasons for its unanimous request that the metropolitan resign.

OCA Metropolitan Resigns

This past Friday Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) has submitted his resignation to the Holy Synod of the OCA at the unanimous request of the American Orthodox hierarchy, expressing in the resignation that he "had come to the realization long ago that that [he had] neither the personality nor the temperament for the position of primate." Who the Holy Synod will appoint as locum tenens of the Diocese of Washington, D.C., and whether Metropolitan Jonah will be elected to another diocese within the OCA have yet to be decided. The text of the metropolitan's resignation letter can be found here.

New Bulgarian Orthodox Bishop of Toledo Consecrated

Archimandrite Alexander (Golitzin) was consecrated Bishop of Toledo and the Bulgarians today by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and all the serving hierarchs of the American Orthodox Church (with the exception of Bishop Alejo of Mexico City). Axios! The consecration service was well attended, with many clergy and faithful from the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of Toledo, the Midwest, and East and West Coasts of the United States in attendance. More here.

Metropolitan Jonah Opens All-American Council in Bellevue

In getting the All-American Council of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) underway yesterday in Bellevue, Washington, Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) referred to the first three years of his tenure as first hierarch of the OCA as "an administrative disaster," asking the assembled hierarchs, clergy, and faithful for their forgiveness and announcing that he would be undergoing "a complete evaluation" through "a program [specializing] in assisting clergy." His full opening remarks can be found here.

Alaskan Church Lands Returned to Sitka Diocese

After years of their management by the central ecclesiastical administration the church lands in Alaska have been returned by the American Orthodox Church (OCA) to the ownership of the Diocese of Sitka and Alaska. The lands were formally signed over to the Alaskan Orthodox Church by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) this past Wednesday in the presence of Bishop Benjamin (Pederson) of San Francisco, locum tenens of the Diocese of Sitka. The return of the lands means that the Alaskan Orthodox faithful now legally own their churches and cemeteries. The decision to return the lands was taken by the Metropolitan Council of the OCA. More here.

OCA Metropolitan, Bishop Visiting Czech Republic

Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) has begun a visit to the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church at the invitation of Metropolitan Christopher (Pulec) of Prague. Metropolitan Jonah will be accompanied on his visit to the Orthodox Church in the Czech Republic by the OCA's Bishop Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco. More here.

Metropolitan Kallistos to Speak at Anglican/Orthodox Conference in New York

The North American Conference of the Fellowship of Sts. Alban and Sergius will feature Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diocleia this year, who will be delivering the Conference's keynote address. The Conference, which encourages dialogue between Orthodox Christianity and Anglicanism, is being hosted by St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York. Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of the American Orthodox Church, who was raised in the Episcopal Church (the US province of the worldwide Anglican Communion), will also be in attendance at the Conference. For more details please visit the Seminary's website.

DC Monastery Received into the ROCOR

The Greek Orthodox sisterhood brought by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) to establish a monastery in the District of Columbia has been received into the Diocese of New York and Eastern America of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). The Monastery was released to the ROCOR by Metropolitan Jonah, implying that its sisterhood was finally granted a release to the OCA by its diocesan metropolitan in Greece. More here.

OCA, ROCOR Metropolitans Concelebrate in NYC

Metropolitans Jonah (Paffhausen) of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) and Hilarion (Kapral) of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) have concelebrated the festal services in honor of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in New York's Cathedral of St. Nicholas together with the Moscow Patriarchate's Archbishop Justinian (Ovchinnikov) of Narofominsk, the OCA's Bishop Tikhon (Mollard) of Philadelphia, and the ROCOR's auxiliary Bishop Jerome (Shaw) of Manhattan to celebrate the nameday of Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow. More pictures from the services can be found here.

Update (25/5/2011): According to the website of the Moscow Patriarchate (neither the OCA nor the ROCOR websites have posted anything on this so far) yesterday's Divine Liturgy was the first time since the last break between the ROCOR and what was then the Russian Orthodox Metropolia of North America that hierarchs of the two have concelebrated. After the services Metropolitan Jonah gave relics of Sts. Herman of Alaska and Alexis of Minneapolis to Metropolitan Hilarion, who in return gave Metropolitan Jonah relics of St. John of San Francisco. More (in Russian) here.

OCA Dallas Cathedral Holds Town Hall Meeting with Bishop Nikon

Bishop Nikon (Liolin) of Boston and the Albanians, locum tenens of the American Orthodox Diocese of Dallas and Southeastern America, has held a town hall meeting at St. Seraphim's Cathedral in Dallas to discuss the rather numerous concerns of the cathedral parish regarding its future, the future of the Diocese of Dallas, and the place of Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington in the American Orthodox Church. More here.

Victory Day in New York Cathedral

At today's commemoration of Victory Day at New York's Cathedral of St. Nicholas the cathedral's rector, Archbishop Justinian (Ovchinnikov) of Narofominsk, was joined by Metropolitans Jonah (Paffhausen) of the American Orthodox Church and Hilarion (Kapral) of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, who joined him in congratulating the veterans and faithful present at the cathedral with the holiday. More (in Russian) here.

DC Monastery Closed; Nuns Returning to Greece

It appears that a Greek Orthodox sisterhood seeking to establish a monastery in Washington, DC, with the encouragement of both Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington and the city's Cathedral of St. Nicholas will be returning to Greece due to the concerns of the Holy Synod of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) over the refusal of the sisterhood's diocesan metropolitan in Greece to release them to the jurisdiction of the OCA. More here.

Controversial DC Cathedral Rector Removed

Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of the American Orthodox Church has removed Fr. Joseph Fester, a controversial priest closely connected with retired Metropolitan Herman (Swaiko) of Washington, as rector of his cathedra, St. Nicholas' Cathedral in Washington, DC. More here.

"A Brief Synopsis"

An excellent survey of the recent strangeness in the life of the American Orthodox Church can be found here. Hat tip to Byzantine Texas to posting it first!

OCA Holy Synod Begins Spring Session in Chicago

The Holy Synod of the American Orthodox Church (OCA) has began its spring session today in Chicago's Church of Christ the Savior. Please keep it in your prayers as it seeks to clarify the role of the metropolitan in the life of the OCA as a whole and also deal with other issues that have recently arisen in the life of the Church.

Update (3/5/2011): The first day of the Holy Synod's meeting was reportedly "conciliatory and peaceful."

The Truth Behind "OCA Truth"

OCA News has posted an excellent overview of the authors and motives behind the OCA Truth website.

Photo of the Day: Metropolitan Jonah at Agape Vespers

Metropolitan Jonah before this year's Agape Vespers at St. Nicholas' Cathedral in Washington, DC, looking very much like Patriarchs Daniel of Bucharest and P'awlos of Addis Abeba.

OCA Metropolitan Seeks Removal of Interim Chancellor

Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington has announced that he is removing Bishop Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh as interim chancellor of the American Orthodox Church and resuming the duties of locum tenens of the Diocese of Dallas and Southeastern America, which the Holy Synod of the OCA had transferred to Bishop Nikon (Liolin) of Boston. As both the appointment of an interim chancellor and of Bishop Nikon as locum tenens of the Dallas cathedra were decisions of the Holy Synod it remains to be seen whether Metropolitan Jonah's decisions will be taken as binding or not. More here.

Update (3/5/2011): The Holy Synod has rejected Metropolitan Jonah's unilateral attempt to resume his former position as locum tenens of the Diocese of Dallas and confirmed Bishop Nikon (Liolin) of Boston as its locum tenens. More here.

OCA Conspiracy Theories Continue

The conspiracy theories continue over at OCA Truth. My favorite in the latest is that the Holy Synod is going to "use" Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) to consecrate Bishop-elect Matthias (Moriak) of Chicago and then get rid of him - as though his presence was required above all others for consecrating a new bishop and therefore necessary until the upcoming consecration :-). "For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful words..."