Labor Pains

Back in March an archimandrite working for the Patriarch of Constantinople spoke at Holy Cross about how all American Orthodox Christians - he calls us "diaspora" like my ancestors came from Greece, like I wasn't born in Modesto, like I grew up eating dolmathes and souvlaki instead of pork chops and burritos - should be in the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople. I won't go into all of the reasons why what he said is wrong (they are at least 4) but what he said was odious and has resulted in some unpleasantness and, thankfully, some spine stiffening in America.

What I want to point out is how the senior Bishop in America, who is Metropolitan Jonah responded. He did not respond with a letter. He did not make a speech at a seminary or at a meeting of the Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards. He didn't write a magazine article. He didn't send out an archimandrite to speak for him. No. None of that. As an Orthodox bishop should, he preached a sermon during a service on the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, an eschatologically important day if ever there was one, surrounded by clergy and faithful from all the various jurisdictions in America. By saying what he said on this day what he really said was, "I'm Orthodox and Bartholomew of Constantinople is not."

I am proud he is the Metropolitan of the American Church. He is worthy to stand on the orlets.

Here is the sermon: (Due to technical difficulties I removed the embedded video that was here and have replaced it with this link.) Let God arise and His enemies be scattered!