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Dear in Christ! Vladika Symeon has informed me that you have asked for information concerning our Church. First of all, let me commend you. In this day and age of people claiming to be what they are not, it is prudent to research a Church before having dealings with it. Having said that, I shall attempt to give you a brief and informative description. To begin, while we are conservative in our Orthopraxis and our sacred Theology, we our progressive in our stance on Social Justice. We are committed to the Old Calendar, following the Canons of the Undivided Church, the Creed and the Eastern Rite (Liturgy of St John Chrysostom). With our Russian heritage showing through in such areas as: Chant, Vestments, Iconographic style, etc. However, both Vladika Symeon and I strongly believe that the liturgy must be served in the language of the parish; presently English in our parish, but Spanish and other languages are equally acceptable. I feel that I must stress that our Eparchy is in agreement that there can be no compromise on the use of the natural language of the people. Furthermore, we are passionately dedicated to Evangelism, the spread of Orthodox throughout the World. We accept only the unmodified Nicene Creed as promulgated by the first Council of Nicea (and confirmed by successive councils) as the valid expression of the Faith of the Church. We offer the seven sacraments of the Church, which can only be valid where there are both valid Apostolic Succession and true Orthodox Doctrine, with the authority of the priest who performs these sacraments coming through the validity of his Bishop. The Church is, after all, only experienced as the Faithful in Christ, gathered around their Bishop. We honor and follow Holy Tradition, as well, and believe that while the Holy Spirit is, of course, alive and working within the Church, change should never be precipitous or unilateral. Furthermore, any doctrinal change would have to come through the outworking of a future Ecumenical Council. Whether it appears to be, or not, this does not conflict with our being committed to Social Justice, as we feel that the Church has always been. I will also attempt to give you a brief history of Vl. Symeon and the Church. The Russian Orthodox Church in America was originally part of the HEOCACNA (the American Orthodox Church) under Archbishop Aftimios. Vladika Symeon is the 10th First Hierarch of the Church, enthroned in 1989 by the Holy Synod of Bishops. With its fragmentation after his first retirement due to illnes, it was decided to re-charter with a new name to avoid the controversies that have since arisen. Vl. Symeon can give you much more detail concerning this and the whole history of the Church, after its chartering by the Russian American Bishops in 1927, depending on your interest level. Since, re-chartering as ROCIA, we have gradually worked towards our present status: a few parishes, missions, and a handful of dedicated priests and clergy. We are dedicated to working, not for the further disunity of the Orthodox Church in the Western Hemisphere, but to offer a welcoming, inclusive home for likeminded Christians, in a setting we feel resembles what the Church would have inevitably became in this country without the unfortunate intervention of the Soviet revolution in our Mother Russian homeland and all of its unfortunate consequences. Our Holy Synod is a diverse group of men. We differ greatly in our educational backgrounds and secular vocations, as well as our previous marital status, which we feel gives our leadership a breadth that is often lacking both in smaller Orthodox groups, as well as the mainstream, SCOBA-type churches. Our Apostolic lineages are very different, but equally valid, both coming from the Russian Church through Archbishop Aftimios (of blessed memory) but through several sources. Our lines are unquestionably valid, our Orthopraxis is traditional and canonical, as is our Theology. Thusly, our sacraments and the orders that we confer are valid and canonical. In closing, I hope that I have answered some of your questions. Both Vladika Symeon and I look forward to further communication. We await your further questions and look forward to future correspondence, hopefully leading to your joining us in the sacred ministry to our Holy Church. Chancellor
Russian Orthodox Church in America Imagine A Church Imagine a Church that practiced acceptance and unity, just as our Lord practiced, taught and prayed for. Imagine an Eparchy (diocese) where men that believed that they were called to the priesthood of Christ's Holy Church could examine that call and work towards that goal, regardless of their current circumstances. Imagine Bishops and Priests that weren't interested in politics, posing and platitudes; but in Pastorship. Imagine a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in YOUR town. |
Roswell, New Mexico U.S.A.
Metropolitan Symeon (Ioannovskij),
Our Archbishop