Posted by from St. Vladimir's (dcalvert) on 4/1/2008, 10:54 pm
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Message modified by user dcalvert 4/1/2008, 11:56 pm
Statement of the Faculty of St Vladimir's Seminary
On March 31, 2008, the Faculty Council of St
Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, meeting
at the Seminary, issued the following statement:
To the Orthodox Faithful in America
We, the faculty of St Vladimir's Seminary, have
been troubled by the problems that have plagued
the Orthodox Church in America over recent years.
Until now we have not spoken out, hoping that the
regular ecclesial structures of the Church would
be able to restore peace and stability. The
continued suffering of our Church, however, and
now the plight of the Alaskan faithful, our
brothers and sisters in Christ, have both alarmed
us and deeply pained us, to the point where we
feel compelled to speak. We stand with the
priests, deacons, and faithful who have
courageously spoken out about their untenable situation.
St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological SeminaryTo the
Beloved Hierarchs of the Orthodox Church in America
Although we are all accountable to one another
before God, the high vocation of oversight
pertains in a unique way to you, the bishops. Our
sincere hope is that you will not neglect the
gift granted to you, the calling to preserve the
body and lead the faithful, listening attentively
to the needs and concerns of the whole people of
God — clergy and laity alike — in the spirit of
love and gentleness. We implore you to be
diligent in these matters, since, as the Apostle
teaches, you will thereby save both yourself and your flock.
Our Fervent Hope
Conciliarity, unity, and transparency — the
vision of the first pastors of the Orthodox
Church in America — have apparently been
abandoned. The Alaskan situation is more than
simply the most recent manifestation of this
tragedy. When one member suffers, the whole body
suffers, and so the whole Church is in pain when
an entire diocese is afflicted. We stand at a
seismic moment: the future of the Orthodox Church in America is at risk.
We strive to live as faithful, responsible
Christians under the leadership of our bishops,
who will answer to God the Father for the Church
entrusted to them. We therefore pray that the
Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America live
up to their high calling as imitators of Christ
and pastors of their flock. With the whole
Church, we are prayerfully and anxiously awaiting
a righteous resolution to these matters.
Priest John Behr
Dean
Archpriest Chad Hatfield
Chancellor
Archpriest Paul Tarazi
Archpriest Steven Belonick
Economos Harry Pappas
Archpriest John Erickson
Priest Alexander Rentel
Deacon Kevin Smith
Dr Paul Meyendorff
Dr John Barnet
Dr Peter Bouteneff
Responses:
