Posted by Dean Calvert
on 8/3/2010, 8:32 am, in reply to "Re: Who Selects Your Bishop? Anyone you know?"
Al,
First of all, it's not me promoting "people choosing" - that's the Orthodox tradition, each time you say "axios" to a new bishop. And believe it or not, I've read historical accounts of cities "returning" bishops sent to them by metropolitan Sees - so this really has nothing to do with American democracy...it's an age old practice.
And while I certainly have no use for the eparchial model, and consider it to be anachronistic, this was simply an attempt to lay the facts out in front of everyone.
I think it's important to understand that for much of America, it would come as a shock to find out that the Prime Minister of Turkey, or (worse) the "President" of Syria must approve their next archbishop or patriarch. But people are not stupid, they will begin to figure it out.
As far as the OCA, you were there and I was not. All i can tell you is that the Local Church is the time tested and succesful Orthodox of governance. It's the only one that works, and it's the only one that will survive on this continent.
Somehow,I can't imagine Americans taking to a religion where the hierarchs are selected by Muslim dominated governments.
Best Regards,
Dean
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