For information about the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in North America (1924-1970), known informally as "the Metropolia", see Orthodox Church in America.
The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles is an Old Calendarist Orthodox Church with its principal see in New York and New Jersey. It is the daughter Church of the Holy Synod of Milan. It is administered by Metropolitan John (Lobue) of New York and currently consists of three Bishops and two Bishops-elect. There are currently approximately 25 parishes and missions of the Synod in North America with missions in Latin America and Canada. It is currently not in communion with the mainstream Orthodox Churches due to their involvement in the ecumenical movement. The Metropolia is in communion with True Orthodox in Greece, Bulgaria, Russia and South America, but has since broken communion with the Synod in Milan.[1]
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Before the formation of the Metropolia, the history of the American Archdioceses of the Milan Synod were adminstratively independent and in communion with no one. Both Archdioceses previously were closely tied to separated jurisdictions related to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.[2]
In 1977, Archbishop Hilarion of Texas was elected under the oversight of Archbishop Joseph (McCormack), who was a spiritual son of Archbishop Palladius (Rudenko) and had been made Bishop ten years earlier. The Abbey of the Holy Name, the spiritual center of the Archdiocese of New York and New Jersey, has been the continuation of a monastic compound extending back over 100 years. Archbishop John (LoBue) was originally the spiritual son of Metropolitan William Henry Francis (Brothers, +1979), who—originally an Old Catholic cleric—had been ordained as a Western-rite Bishop at St Nicholas Cathedral, New York, in 1931, and who had extensive ties to Metropolitan Anastassy of ROCOR.[3]
As Traditional Orthodox communities, formed primarily of Western converts continued to develop in Europe, Archbishop Auxentios of Athens, primate of the True Orthodox Church of Greece (+1994) first established a West European Diocese in 1978 by elevating Archimandrite Gabriel to the Episcopate of Lisbon. Six years later, a second Bishop, Tiago of Lisbon was established for Western Europe. In 1984 Archbishop Auxentios blessed the Westerners with self-governance. With this blessing, the Synod of the West grew well beyond Portugal quickly. In 1990, after a period of upheaval in the TOC of Greece during which Metropolitan Gabriel departed for the Orthodox Church of Poland, the Western Synod elevated Bishop Evloghios of Milan to be its second Metropolitan, re-establishing an Orthodox Episcopate in the see of St Ambrose for the first time since the Great Schism of 1054. The Archbishop of Milan was chosen as Primate of the Synod of the West (hence the popular title “Milan Synod”) and became known for its stance against ecumenism as well as her frequent use of pre-schism Western services.[4]
In 1990, the Western Synod entered into communion with Metropolitan Mystyslav of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Exile, which in 1991 became the Orthodox Patriarchate of Kyiv. In 1994, Patriarch Volodymyr (Romaniuk) recognized the autonomy granted by Archbishop Auxentios and confirmed it with his blessing before his death in 1995. Factionalization in the Ukrainian Church forced the Bishops of the Synod of Milan to separate from the newly-elected Patriarch, former Bishop Filaret Denisenko of the UAOC, and in 1997, the Bishops of the Western Synod elevated Metropolitan Evloghios to "Metropolitan of Milan and Aquileia", restoring the original rank of the Autonomous Church of Milan.[5]
In 1997, the Archdioceses of Texas and of New York were received into the Milan Synod. To correct any deficiencies or perceived ambiguities in their consecrations, which were performed while they were associated with the various splinters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, they were accepted through the rite of Cherothesia.. (The clergy of North America, originally comprised an independent jurisdiction known as the Synod of Orthodox Bishops of the Western Rite.) [6]
The Milan Synod's American Archdioceses operated under the formal headship of Archbishop HILARION of Texas from 1997 until 2011, with two Bishops and a generally stable presence of approximately 25-30 parishes during most of this period.
Discussions towards establishing an independent American Metropolitanate in communion with the See of Milan began in November 2010. Previously the second ranking Archbishop for the United States, Archbishop John (LoBue) of New York was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of North and South America for the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles in Milan, Italy.
The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles was created by order of the Holy Synod of Milan on February 14/27, 2011.
Two new Bishops were elected to act as assistants to the Metropolitan. One was consecrated the week of February 27 (New Style) in Milan and the others were to be announced.
Immediately after the formation of the new Metropolia, Metropolitan John of New York established formal relations with the True Orthodox Church of the Patristic Calendar under Metropolitan Anghelos of Avlonos in Greece, Metropolitan Gervasius of the True Orthodox Church of Bulgaria, and Metropolitan Raphael of the True Orthodox Church of Russia. Metropolitan John first visited Greece to establish formal relations with Metropolitan Anghelos of Avlonos and his Synod in May 2011, and on July 13, 2011 (New Style), formally established communion with Metropolitan Anghelos of Avlonos in Greece, Metropolitan Gervasius of the True Orthodox Church of Bulgaria, and Metropolitan Raphael of the True Orthodox Church of Russia.[7]
On March 5, 2011, the Chancery of the Holy Synod of Milan made public statements that negotiations were taking place to unite the Synod of Milan to the Patriarchate of Moscow and that they rejected communion with anyone who did not agree with their position,.[8][9] While the public response of the Metropolia was a refusal to accept the claim as authorative statement from Milan, the response among the American clergy was divided. The majority of the clergy, siding with the Metropolitan, opted to strengthen the new Metropolia's bonds with their Sister Churches throughout the world. A minority, however, began dealing with the Patriarchate in secret from the Metropolitan, revealing their change in affiliation after it occurred. Upon early discovery, a provisional statement was released for signature for future incoming clergy rejecting ecumenism and modernism.[10] It is still open for debate as to whether the open publication of this document halted the schism in the Metropolia or accelerated it.
On April 4, 2011, the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia formally recognized that for the present communion with Holy Synod of Milan had been broken by the latter and reaffirmed her communion with the other True Orthodox Churches in communion with the Metropolia.
On July 8, 2011 the Holy Synod of the Patristic Calendar under Metropolitan Anghelos of Avlonos officially rejected communion with the Synod of Milan,[11] followed by a Pan-Orthodox meeting in Moscow where the remaining four first-hierarchs, including Metropolitan John, signed a formal Tomos of Intercommunion,.[12][13]
The Autonomous Metropolia has had in its possession and use both Eastern and Western Rites prior to its acceptance into the Milan Synod. Both Archdioceses were involved in the publication of pre-schism Western Rites (due to the Synod's concern for historical continuity with the pre-schism Orthodox West, they were markedly different from the Liturgy of St Tikhon and the Liturgy of St Gregory used in the Antiochian Archdiocese) and the Metropolia remains as the only Old Calendarist jurisdiction with Western Rites in continuous use.
Regardless of the historical continuity of the rites they use, the Western Rites continue to be a source of debate in some quarters of the Old Calendar Churches outside the Metropolia's communion. This debate has been exacerbated to some degree internally by the fact that the majority of the clergy defections to the Moscow Patriarchate were in fact Western Rite defections.
The Autonomous Metropolia, according to the structure defined in its Tomos, is an Autonomous Metropolitan Church with jurisdiction over North and South America, as well as the British Isles. It is currently headed by Metropolitan JOHN (Lobue) of New York. There are currently two Bishops-Elect for the Metropolia.
The other two Bishops are Archbishop HILARION of Texas and Bishop FANOURIUS of Lincoln.
The publishing arm of the Archdiocese of New York is St Gregory's Press, responsible for the publication of the Medieval Monastic Psalter, a 30-volume compilation of the rites of Orthodox England throughout the year, with the addition of certain more modern Orthodox saints. In May 2009 the whole of the text was authorized to be released to the public.[14] The texts were compiled and categorized on their own website for free download and study.[15]
A variety of publications have been written by clergy and monastics of the American Metropolia, with varying degrees of official sanction.