Posted by Leo
on 11/23/2008, 9:47 pm
I just learned something I didn't know, that might shed light on the road ahead for Orthodox Unity, if it can be facilitated to happen: The OCA's territorial dioceses 'evolved' into existence, weren't 'legislated' all at once. The (incomplete) chronology is included in this book, a small, pretty, and informative 'coffee-table-book' from 1994's traveling Anchorage, Alaska, Museum of History and Art bicentennial exhibit of Orthodoxy in Alaska, North America, and Siberia:
1870: In view of U.S. sovereignty in Alaska, the Holy Synod {of Russia} creates the Diocese of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.
1900: Holy Synod in Russia changes the name of the Diocese of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to "Aleutian Islands and North America."
1903: Alaska becomes {an auxiliary see} within the Diocese of the Aleutian Islands and North America and Bishop Innocent (Pustynsky) is named vicar bishop.
1916: {An auxiliary see} for Canada is created and Alexander (Nemolovsky) is consecrated {vicar} bishop.
1922: ...Creation of the Diocese of Chicago and consecration of Priest Theodore Pashkovsky as Bishop Theophilus.
1926: Creation of the Diocese of Canada and consecration (in Belgrade) of Archimandrite Arseny as Bishop of Winnipeg.
1927: ...Creation of the Diocese of San Francisco and consecration of Archimandrite Alexy (Panteleev) as bishop.
1928: Creation of Diocese of Detroit and consecration of Archimandrite Paul (Gavrilov) as bishop.
1929: Metropolitan Platon, as {Primate} of All America and Canada, on authority of the All-American Church {Sobor}, proclaims the Church in North America to be the North American Metropolitan District.
1933: Creation of the Diocese of Pittsburgh; Archimandrite Benjamin (Basalyga) is consecrated; he is the first American-born bishop in America.
1935: {Auxiliary see} created for Boston and consecration of Makary (Michael Iljinsky) as bishop.
1946: Bishop Benjamin of Pittsburgh is sent to Japan to assume the leadership of the Japanese Orthodox Church, which is placed under the spiritual protection of the North American Metropolia after World War II.
1951: {Auxiliary see} created for Washington, D.C. and consecration of Archimandrite Jonah as bishop.
1972: The Exarchate of Mexico is established to care for Mexicans received into Orthodoxy. Archimandrite Jose (Cortes y Olmos) is consecrated Bishop of Mexico City, Exarch and Auxiliary Bishop of Mexico.
1978: The Diocese of the South is established.
1980: ...Creation of the Diocese of Washington, D.C. and transfer of the Metropolitan's see from New York to Washington, D.C.
So maybe as it becomes possible for some clusters of parishes / regions to accept / receive a single bishop regardless of ethnicity (theirs or his), they can be set-off first ad experimentum as territorial auxiliary sees or episcopal vicariates, and when they're ready, full dioceses. Maybe as auxiliaries / vicariates, they could nominally have as their Ruling Hierarch the Chairman of SCOBA / "President" of "Assembly of Bishops", with the understanding that they'll actually be ruled collaboratively by all the jurisdictions / ethnicities involved, with nobody steamrolled or Hellenized / Russified / "Americanized" (whatever that means!) against their will. And maybe as full dioceses, since no Orthodox diocese is supposed to stand alone, they can have as their de facto synod, SCOBA / the "Assembly of Bishops."
--Leo
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