www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Metropolitan Jonah tenders resignation

I could hardly align myself with the GOA, but as an Orthodox believer would happily be absorbed into the ROC or ROCOR. The forced resignation of Met. Jonah by a sinful group of bishops was shameful.

When in Moscow we worship at our ROC parish and when in the USA at our OCA parish. I'm ashamed of my Bishops right now.

http://russianreport.wordpress.com

Well, you may change your mind after you read this:

Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah [oca.org]

Ah! The Synod that couldn't bring itself to correct years and years of financial scandals suddenly somehow worked up a backbone to protect the OCA from a legal issue regarding one priest?

Please.

I'd be so much more impressed if their actions were consistent over time.

Let us pray for both the Holy Synod and Metropolitan Jonah.

Hmm ... I find it's getting harder and harder to believe some of the things said on this thread.

Please do not subscribe to Dreher's theories about what happened. Given what we know, the synod did the only correct thing, and that is how synods are supposed to work: they hold the primate accountable, and he holds them accountable; nobody is untouchable or infallible. I have further thoughts here: http://easternchristianbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/sex-and-canons.html

Bravo Subdeacon Adam, with the most reasonable observations yet.

The Synod was negligent in the past, so it should continue its neglect in order to impress the gentleman with the consistency of its negligence.

If you think that is what I meant then (sigh).

This is the Synod that still hasn't really apologized for the past. A massive dose of humility and approaching both their leader and their flock with a great deal of grace might have been a better approach when making the change.

Are you of the opinion that the Synod will deal with other sitting Bishops if there are members among them who might be found to have moral shortcomings?

Are you saying that the same Synod that found it so hard to reign in past fellow Bishops has somehow found the guts to do their jobs in 2012?

I respect your opinion.

I don't wish to speculate on hypothetical questions or on the motives of the Synod Fathers. They have made their reasons [oca.org] clear enough.

You, on the other hand, seem to think that the Synod Fathers have ulterior motives and have been conspiring against Metropolitan Jonah, using the allegations of misconduct against him simply as a cover for their machinations. Have I understood you correctly, and if so, what proof is there for your view?

I am not in the OCA, but I know and respect a number of their Bishops. Whether the issues are in the OCA, the Roman Catholic Church or wherever among us, it pains me to see people paint a broad picture and making sweeping indictments of an institution rather than the individuals responsible for creating such messes.

It seems to be lost in the minds of many that the current Synod of nine OCA Bishops has only ONE member who has been a Bishop on the Synod since 1980. The other EIGHT Bishops were consecrated after 2002. FOUR of them after Metropolitan Jonah was enthroned.

This group of men is NOT the group of men who worked with former Metropolitan Theodosius nor are they the ones who were in power during the actual time frame of the bulk of the financial and management scandals in which the OCA found itself mired after 2005 which led to the retirement of Metropolitan Herman. Those events occurred on another's watch.

This idea that there is a conspiracy and that the Synod is 'evil' is absurd and I would strongly urge anyone who is of such a mindset to step back, learn the truth and pray.

Absurd? No, not really.

Even with the recent release of information from the Synod,the existence for skeptics comes with historical reasons. The anti-Jonah movement didn't begin just this year.

After contacting individual bishops I'll be more than happy to change my opinions. If so led by the Holy Spirit, I'll gladly repent. However, those who accept the Synod explanation without reflection should also step back, learn the truth and pray. Regardless of the outcome that is healthy for each one of us.

Indeed, the anti-Jonah sentiment had its beginnings quite early in his tenure, when he gave his infamous sermon in Dallas insulting the Ecumenical Patriarch and the rest of us who are not in the OCA in America. That notwithstanding, as a lifelong friend of Bishop Michael there is nothing you can say to convince me that he is part of any cabal or whatever. Metropolitan Jonah summed up his problems eloquently in his own words of resignation when he admitted he lacked the temperament for the task. I've said it before and I will say it again - the best Bishops have extensive pastoral experience along with any other academic or monastic backgrounds which they may bring to the job. Jonah's lack of pastoral prudence was his ultimate undoing.

Wonder of wonders... today at the Feast of the Dormition at Holy Virgin Cathedral(ROCOR)SF, mentioned here [sfsobor.com] "Tuesday, August 28", in conjunction with the Fort Ross Celebration, Met. Jonah was present and apparently representing OCA. Any of the commemorations were in Russian or Slavonic so I don't know what was said. He is not listed there amongst those who will be concelebrating. I wasn't expecting him. It was nearly impossible to see who was celebrating at Fort Ross so if he was there we didn't notice him. I didn't make the trek to the cemetery due to an ankle problem but I think my husband and another parishioner would have noticed had Met Jonah been at that part of the celebration. I'll have to go back and look at that Fort Ross Celebration slide show [facebook.com] again and see if he shows up there.

At the close of the Liturgy today while First Hierarch of ROCOR, Metropolitan Hilarionof Volokolamsk (MP) addressed the people, Met Jonah was on his right and Met Hilarion (Kapral)(ROCOR) on his left, Bishop Benjamin (OCA) to the left of Met Hilarion (Kapral)(ROCOR) as was His Eminence Kyrill, Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America..

Unfortunately it took me double the normal time to drive there this morning so I missed the first 15 minutes, but I probably couldn't have identified Met Jonah then either. Since his back was more or less to me when two heirarch stood in the cathdra I don't know it was him but given that the two, Met Jonah and Met Hilarion (Kapral) were together with Met Hilarion (MP) at the close I am now guessing it was the two of them early in the Liturgy together. I will post the only photo I took.