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Dec 29th, 2019
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The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) has reestablished the Diocese of Washington and the Diocese of New York & New Jersey as two separate dioceses. Metropolitan JONAH is going to Washington, so the search is on for a new Bishop of New York & New Jersey ( source [ ocanews.org]). Mark Stokoe has a strongly worded leader [ ocanews.org] on his website [ ocanews.org] where he criticizes the nomination process for Bishop of New York & New Jersey as not being "conciliar" enough. Mr. Stokoe compares the process unfavorably with the nomination and election of Bishop MELCHIZEDEK of Pittsburgh recently ( article [ ocanews.org]), where he feels the nomination process was more transparent. * * * So, how to elect a Bishop? How does one avoid giving too much power to a small group of people, such as a nominating committee? And how does one balance the input from laity, clergy, and the Metropolitan and Holy Synod of Bishops, all of whom surely have a legitimate voice in the decision?
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So, how to elect a Bishop? I like the way they picked Ambrose of Milan, myself.
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So, how to elect a Bishop? I like the way they picked Ambrose of Milan, myself. The aim is that everyone should be in complete agreement, so of course election by acclamation is easy to like. But there should be a Plan B as well, shouldn't there? * * * Another question is whether Mr. Stokoe is overreacting here or whether there is legitimate cause for complaint about the nomination process for Bishop of New York & New Jersey?
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Well, there was always the way Damasus I was chosen to be Bishop of Rome.
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As I said, it's nice to have a Plan B (as an alternative to unanimous acclamation), because the election of Pope St. Damasus I was riven by partisanship and hardly constitutes an edifying example. And am I the only one to feel that Mark Stokoe is being just slightly hysterical in his most recent editorial [ ocanews.org]? On the Episcopal Selection Process in the Diocese of New York-New Jersey
The only way we are going to get out of the mess the OCA is in is to stop living lies. To label the episcopal selection process now being undertaken by the administration of the re-established Diocese of New York and New Jersey as “conciliar” is just a lie.
It is a big old fat lie that stinks - and it doesn’t just stink, it stains everybody who has anything to do with it.
There is nothing “conciliar” about four appointed men, all clergy, all of whom were intimate in the previous dysfunctional diocesan administration under Metropolitan Herman, privately reviewing candidates in a closed, “non-competetive” process (their words, not mine) and coming up with only two nominees after only three weeks, neither of whose names can be released. Rather, delegates will be allowed to know their names only two weeks before the election, but not given any opportunity to discuss them together before the election. Nor will they be allowed to do as at the Extraordinary Assembly.
If this is “as conciliar a process as we are capable of achieving, with God’s help”, I would suggest God had little to do with this. This reeks of men and their plans - most of which have involved cover-up these past four years in the OCA . (For that matter, how is the audit of NY-NJ proceeding? Sadly, Metropolitan Herman was right - it seems the Diocese will never learn where their money went.)
This is not conciliarity. This is worse than just imposing a bishop and forgetting the “show” - for this has the form of conciliarity but none of the substance thereof. Can’t we at least try to be an conciliar, honest, open, and transparent Church? If not, what then is the point of this autocephaly? So someone can wear a white hat and tour foreign Patriarchates?
Shame on Metropolitan Jonah, locum tenens, and the Diocesan Search Committee for making a mockery of conciliarity;
Shame on them for making a mockery of people’s hopes for change in the OCA;
Shame on them for asking the Faithful to assist and participate in this mockery of their own hopes;
And shame on the Faithful who do so, accepting the lie and pretending it is not.
In 21st century America, how you do something is as important as what you do, for it speaks to integrity. Even the right man, chosen the wrong way, becomes the wrong man.
So most of all, shame on any man who participates in this by accepting election through such sham “conciliarity”. For if he was going to be the real father and pastor that the Diocese of New York- New Jersey needs after 35 years of admitted pastoral neglect and financial abuse, he should condemn the process for the travesty it is, rather than profit from it. That would be leader the Diocese needs!
And finding that man in an real, open, honest, transparent and conciliar process would be worth another two, three or even six months. Unless, of course, that is precisely what one fears.
- Mark Stokoe
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"Riven by partisanship"--I like that. Sounds like a PTA meeting. "Marred by riots, bloodshed and murder" is more accurate, but not at all edifying.
As for Plan B, the ideal would be the selection of a candidate by the Synod, the presentation of his name to the people, the people express their opinion, and the Synod prayerful reflects and makes its decision. The people get the final word at the ordination, because "Axios" should not be a pro forma acclamation.
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"Riven by partisanship"--I like that. Sounds like a PTA meeting. "Marred by riots, bloodshed and murder" is more accurate, but not at all edifying.
As for Plan B, the ideal would be the selection of a candidate by the Synod, the presentation of his name to the people, the people express their opinion, and the Synod prayerful reflects and makes its decision. The people get the final word at the ordination, because "Axios" should not be a pro forma acclamation. That gives the initiative to the Synod, doesn't it. And isn't that a bit like how Patriarch CYRIL of Moscow was elected recently? The Synod of Bishops presented their candidates to a national council, which made the final decision. That seemed to work fine. I understand the OCA does it the other way round: the clergy and people present their candidate(s) to the Synod for election and ordination. This gives the initiative to the diocesan assembly of clergy and people, rather than to the bishops. But, then again, isn't it the role of the bishops to guide the people, rather than the other way around?
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I don't think that every diocese needs to have the same process, but must have the same moral and theological standards.
Ray
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Let us pray that our brothers and sisters in the OCA are able to find a holy, wise, and faithful Bishop for New York & New Jersey.
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And am I the only one to feel that Mark Stokoe is being just slightly hysterical . . . ? Christ is in our midst!! No, I had the same reaction, after reading the "approved candidate('s)" qualifications. No two situations are the same. The Pittsburgh situation took some time for any number of reasons. Might it have included the fact that candidates kept removing their names from consideration? I think they need to give the Holy Synod some consideration for knowing the backgrounds of candidates and making some prayerful decisions. That's what the grace of the episcopal office is about. BOB
Last edited by theophan; 08/04/09 10:10 PM.
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Typically, in the heyday of Byzantium, the Synod of a metropolitan province chose a new bishop from among the ranks of its own clergy. The candidate need not even be a presbyter--quite frequently it was the bishop's protodeacon, for who better to know what was on his predecessor's mind or ensure continuity of policy? Quite a few Popes actually rose from Protodeacon of Rome to Bishop of Rome with only a brief stop in the presbyterate.
Because dioceses in the East were small, most of the potential candidates would be known to the people, though occasionally outsiders might be brought in for political reasons. In any case, liturgy in the patristic age was a pretty raucous affair, and if the people did not like the candidate announced by the Synod, they could certainly make their feelings known. If, after expressing their displeasure, an unpopular bishop was still foisted on the people, they could sometimes respond with what we might politely call "civil disobedience", which sometimes led to a reconsideration. More often, though, it led to the Emperor calling in the troops. Very messy!
But this reflected very badly on the Synod, and the Emperor had ways of making his displeasure known--because, like parents, most Emperors weren't interested in who was right and who was wrong; they were interested in quiet. So the Synod tried to maintain calm, order and discipline--and that in turn meant paying attention to what the people thought about things, including the name of the next bishop for their diocese.
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And am I the only one to feel that Mark Stokoe is being just slightly hysterical . . . ? Stokoe is merely reflecting the old adage, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me". Due to its violation of the trust of the faithful, the Synod of the OCA seems to have lost the presumption of innocence for the time being, and must regain the trust they lost by being, like Caesar's wife and all Caesar's household, "above suspicion".
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The best candidate is always the man who doesn't want to be bishop, and so runs away rather than submit to ordination. They guy who has to be dragged kicking and screaming to the altar is always preferable to the guy who politicked his way to a mitre.
I also think we might want to revisit that old canon from First Nicaea that prohibited bishops from jumping from see to see. If a vacancy opens, it should be filled by a member of the local clergy, not by an interloper. The people of a diocese can be expected to know their own priests and deacons, so the chances of foisting a bad or even unpopular candidate are greatly reduced.
This rule, by the way, ought to apply to the Bishop of Rome, as it would to any bishop.
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Mark Stokoe has a strongly worded leader [ ocanews.org] on his website [ ocanews.org] where he criticizes the nomination process for Bishop of New York & New Jersey as not being "conciliar" enough. Mr. Stokoe compares the process unfavorably with the nomination and election of Bishop MELCHIZEDEK of Pittsburgh recently * * * I have this feeling that Mark Stokoe has become waaaay too convinced of his own importance.
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I certainly think highly of our Forum, and I believe that it meets a serious need. But I rather doubt that the OCA is making use of the Forum in searching for one or more candidates for the episcopate!
Fr. Serge
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