Today We Commemmorate the Prophet Ezekiel - Pray for Our Church
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, O Prophet of God, thou didst proclaim the fulfillment of mysteries: God the Word's ineffable abasement and the resurrection of the dead from all past ages. O glorious Ezekiel, entreat Christ our God to grant us His great mercy.
The Annual Convention for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, in Palm Desert, appears to be getting difficult. According to several reports, a handbill of details calling for independent financial audits of the Archdiocese has been distributed to delegates and "Security" (not hotel security, but apparently "Archdiocesan Security") has been trying to take them away from people on the grounds that it's not "official" (it was handed out by Antiochian Orthodox Christians in attendance) and has also been trying to intimidate people with communication devices and cell phone cameras. Sounds like Iran, not the U.S., eh?
Hard questions have been put to the Metropolitan and things are uncomfortable. Whatever the long term, I don't think that AOCANA will be the same after this week.
Pray that love will be maintained, and truth will be spoken.
posted by Hilarius at 12:44 PM
5 Comments:
As I'm not in the Antiochian Archdiocese, I'm keeping myself wayyyyyyyy out of the issues (as I did during our own struggles of late) but you definitely have my prayers.
Holy St. Ezekiel, pray to God for us.
Thank you Mimi - you are one to be counted upon
Thank you.
Prayers continue. I love listening to your Khouria's Podcasts! She's a delight.
The documents that riled Met. Philip's Securitate were not handbills, but carefully reasoned 13 page reports, which extensively quoted Met. Philip's praise for financial transparency measures taken by the OCA. Folks can download their own copies from antiochianinfo.org .
DNY:
I have read the 13-page document (in fact, I read it the day it was being distributed), and I called it a 'handbill' (perhaps an inappropriate use, but my Oxford American Dictionary renders the word: "a small printed advertisement or other notice distributed by hand" and it is this latter sense in which I use it) because it was not a formal minority report or other report formally presented to the Assembly b a delegate or the Board or Bishops. Let us call it an 'unofficial report.'
Do you know whether anyone attempted to present it to the Assembly?
Please do not take this as meaning it was improper. I have many times seen such materials used in small nonprofit associations (whether homeowners' associations, industry associations, churches, clubs, or the like) to provide information (usually, but not always, dissent information) to the members, without presenting it for official reception by the Assembly when gathered for a member meeting or similar annual meeting.
The document is well done and I have no issues with its contents - but the fact remains that it was not (to my knowledge) presented as a report to the gathered Assembly - as such it is something else.
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