Holy Orthodox Church in North America
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since March 2007. |
 |
Please see the discussion on the talk page. |
| Part of the series on Eastern Christianity |
|
 Eastern Christianity Portal |
|
|
History |
|
|
Traditions |
|
|
Liturgy and Worship |
|
|
Theology |
|
The Holy Orthodox Church in North America or HOCNA is an Eastern Orthodox Christian church located primarily in the United States and Canada, with additional communites in Europe and Africa. Originally part of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), it was incorporated in 1987 from the community of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, Massachusetts (which had left ROCOR in 1986) and a group of former ROCOR clergy, initially under the authority of the Greek Old Calendarists.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Holy Transfiguration Monastery was founded in 1961 by Father Panteleimon (born John Metropoulos in 1935), a Greek-American monk. Fr. Panteleimon was ordained a priest by the Jerusalem Patriarchate in 1964. From that time until the Monastery was accepted by ROCOR in 1965, it commemorated the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
In 1986, Holy Transfiguration Monastery severed its ties with ROCOR and placed itself under the omophorion of Archbishop Auxenios of the Greek Old Calendarists.
[edit] Formation of HOCNA
The following year (1987), a group of approximately thirty clergy left ROCOR to form HOCNA together with the monastic community of Holy Transfiguration Monastery. In subsequent years (1988, 1991, 1996, 2004, and 2006), five HOCNA priests were consecrated as bishops.
From the Georgian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, HOCNA has received a number of clergy and laity who share HOCNA's concerns about these churches' participation in the Ecumenical Movement.
[edit] HOCNA communities worldwide
Today, HOCNA consists of seven monastic communities and thirty-one parishes, missions and chapels throughout the United States; one monastic community and six parishes and missions in Canada; one convent, one hermitage and two parishes in Greece; one hermitage and three parishes in the republic of Georgia; one convent and three parishes in Russia; two churches in the Ukraine; one chapel in Byelorussia; one parish in Switzerland; six churches in Uganda; eight parishes and missions in Kenya. These monastic communities and parishes are served by five bishops and eighty-six clergymen.
[edit] Stance on Ecumenism
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since March 2007. |
HOCNA's hierarchy, clergy, and laity take a very strict view of remaining faithful to the apostolic and patristic dogmas, canons, and customs of the Orthodox Church. HOCNA therefore opposes ecumenism and participation in the Ecumenical Movement as violations of Apostolic Canons 10, 11, and 45 (which forbid common worship with the non-Orthodox) and Apostolic Canons 46, 47, and Canon 1 of the Local Council of Carthage (which forbid imparting the Sacred Mysteries (sacraments) to the non-Orthodox).
This akribeia in the interpretation of these canons, together with firm adherence to the patristic maxim that "There can be no compromise in matters of the Orthodox Faith," have led HOCNA to strongly condemn any Orthodox Churches which have adopted declarations and/or confessions of faith which HOCNA sees as agreeing with the heterodox but contravening Orthodox confessions (for example, the lifting of the Anathemas of 1054 in 1965, The Thyateira Confession in 1975, Balamand Agreed Statement in 1993, Agreed Statement of the Joint Commision of the Theological Diologue between the Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodox Church Chambesy, Geneva; 23-28 September, 1990).
[edit] Relations with other Orthodox churches
|
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since March 2007. |
Generally, HOCNA recognizes the Traditional Orthodox Churches that share their views on the Ecumenical Movement in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia as valid churches. Although some canonical and administrative difficulties currently preclude concelebration, HOCNA clergy will minister to the laity in these other Churches, if requested in certain circumstances, with the permission of their bishop.
HOCNA also maintains ties with the Monastery of Esphigmenou on Mount Athos and many monastics in the Sketes who are not commemorating the Patriarchate of Constantinople for reasons of Faith in the same way as the Traditional Orthodox Churches mentioned above.
HOCNA is well known to and maintains cordial relationships with the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the Church of Cyprus, the Orthodox Church of Mount Sinai, and the Monastery of Vatopaidi on Mount Athos, although they are not in communion.
HOCNA is not in communion with the majority of Orthodox Churches worldwide, and generally considers these churches to be subject to the Anathema Against Ecumenism promulgated by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in 1983 for ecumenism and participating in joint prayers with non-Orthodox, especially those Orthodox Churches belonging to the World Council of Churches (WCC), and the National Council of Churches (NCC).
[edit] Controversy
|
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since March 2007. |
In addition to the controversy generated by HOCNA's vigorous opposition to ecumenism, there have also been controversial accusations of sexual abuse by HOCNA monastics and clergy, both within Holy Transfiguration Monastery and HOCNA at large. HOCNA supporters typically dismiss such accusations as unsubstantiated slander, while opponents allege that Holy Transfiguration Monastery left ROCOR in order to avoid church discipline for this abuse (see external links below).
[edit] External links
[edit] Official HOCNA Sites
- HOCNA Metropolis of Boston (Also here)
- About Us provided by Ss Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, where Metropolitan Moses serves. Parish listing on the same page.
- HOCNA & The Orthodox: a publication of The Byzantine & Antiquities Studies Institute - formerly the official website of HOCNA, now an independent publication.
- St. Gregory of Sinai Monastery
- Holy Transfiguration Monastery
[edit] Anti-HOCNA publications:
- A website created by former members of Holy Transfiguration Monastery
- Allegations against HOCNA on Pokrov website
- Fr John Whiteford's articles about HOCNA
[edit] The Two Official Documents Issued By Synods of Orthodox Bishops Concerning the Allegations Made Against Holy Transfiguration Monastery
- Decree of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, February, 1987 [[1]]
- Decision of the Investigative committee of the True Orthodox Christians of Greece Concerning the Accusations Against the Brotherhood of the Sacred Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration in Boston of America, May, 1988 [[2]]
[edit] HTM's Defense
Holy Transfiguration Monastery has made available to following documents in order to refute some of the accusations made against them:
Additionally, they wish to publish the following letters from senior bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in regard to Fr. Panteleimon, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, and the clergy and faithful that became HOCNA after leaving ROCOR.
