The History of Orthodoxy in North America, by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen), class 9

Content:
80. ROCOR 1934 - 46: UNITY
81. 2 jurisdictions in America
82. Metropolitan Platon's break with ROCOR - a few people follow him
83. Platon dies in 1934
84. Theophilus reconciles with ROCOR
85. Metropolitan Evolgi in Western Europe joins the Ecumenical patriarch
86. The 1936 Bishop's Council in Pittsburgh
87. All American Council in 1937 - the Metropolia Unifies with ROCOR for a time
88. The theologically progressive Russians in Paris involve themselves with St Vladimir's Seminary in the US
89. St Vladimir's develops as a graduate school
90. Archbishop Vitaly involved with St Vladimir's
91. In 1943 Stalin felt that the Soviet Union was losing the war, so he lightened up on the Russian Orthodox Church
92. Stalin lets 18 Bishops out of prison and they elect a Patriarch, Sergius, the former locum tenens
93. Thousands of Churches reopen in the Soviet Union
94. Some American Bishops recognize Sergius but do not submit to him.
95. The 1936 agreement said that only the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR could recognize the Moscow Patriarchate or make such agreements
96. Moscow put conditions on the recognition of the Church in America - an oath of loyalty to the Soviet State, the right to approve the election of the American Metropolitan and a ban on anti-Soviet politics
97. Theophilius was told to break with ROCOR
98. 4 Bishops opposed unifying with Moscow
99. A couple of American Bishops unify with Moscow but Theophilius played a dual game
100. Leonti severed with ROCOR
101. The 1946 Bishop's Council in Detroit - wanted cooperation with ROCOR but to be autonomous from both ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate
102. Some progressive laymen wanted the American Church to submit to Moscow
103. The All American Council in Cleveland and its uncanonical outcome
104. Metropolitan Vitaly, referring to the Synod of the Metropolia, stated that such ordering of Church councils with Bishops in a minority and having only one vote, up against the presence of laity and lower clergy, is unorthodox.
105. The 7th All American Council votes to be independent of both Moscow and ROCOR an uncanonical decision never ratified by the Bishops.
106. The continuing legacy of the nature of Church councils in the OCA
107. In Orthodoxy, the doctrine does not change but administrative forms have
108. By 1947 there were 3 divisions in the Orthodox Church in the US: ROCOR, the Metropolia and the Moscow Patriarchate
109. Both the MP and ROCOR declare the Metropolia to be in schism
110. Extensive discussion of Orthodox Ecclesiology
a. Apostolic Succession - not just a game of historical tag with the laying on of hands
b. The Church itself is passed along; it is a conciliar act that passes on the Grace of the Holy Spirit and the Apostolic Deposit of Faith
c. Vagante Bishops are unacceptable.
d. Schism is unacceptable and renders ineffectual the sacraments
e. Bishops must be elected by a Synod of Bishops and assigned a territorial see after consecration by three other bishops.
f. The geographical basis of Church governance dates to the beginning of the Church
g. Types of Schism set forth by the Canons of St Basil
h. The case of Philaret of Ukraine
i. The structure of the Church 3 orders - deacons, priest, and bishops organized a long conciliar/synodal lines with a primate at each level: parish, diocese, and synod
j. The goal is to maintain Eucharistic Communion centered around the Bishop.
k. The patriarch or Metropolitan does not act with the consent of the Synod and the Synod does not act without the permission of the presiding Bishop
l. The Bishop / Metropolitan / Patriarch is not over the other bishops but works from within the Synod, from within the Church.
m. A Patriarch answers to the synod of other Patriarchs.
n. The difference between autonomy and autocephaly
o. A discussion of the schismatic Ukrainian Church.
p. No other Church or Bishop, even a Patriarch has the right to interfere in the governance of another autocephalous Church.
q. The Patriarch of Constantinople can convene a tribunal to judge a Patriarch
111. In North America, the hope from the beginning has been to have one Church. The OCA is not the sole Church as there are some 15 other jurisdictions present here.
112. In Orthodoxy, there is no religious pluralism, only one Church for everyone.
113. Orthodoxy since the 1920s, outside of Orthodox majority countries has suffered from a multiplicity of jurisdictions present on the same territory.

Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Washington, DC
July 14, 2020
Subscribe here: www.youtube.com/StJohnDC