Author: Gary N. Brott
September 21, 2009
MEANING OF AB VALERIAN’S 1984 LETTER I was moved upon reading the 1984 letter by Archbishop Valerian to His Beatitude Justin which was posted on this website. It inspired me to speak up, even if my opinion is deemed unpopular. In pertinent part, the Archbishop expressed the following:
“The mission of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America is not only the preservation of its liturgical and Romanian heritage, but also to continuously educate its members in religion, combined with the propogation [sic] of Orthodoxy on the American continent. To assure its existence, the Episcopate in America must look only forward and not backward. For this reason, it voluntarily became affiliated with the Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America (OCA), which is made up of various ethnic Orthodox groups who all have the same goals. Since the purpose of this affiliation was fundamental for the very existence of the Episcopate, it is, therefore, irreversible.”
. . . .
“In 1950, in decisions motivated by political expediencies and totally lacking in wisdom, the canonical breach [between the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America and the Romanian Patriarchate] became inevitable. Today, using the same tactics, Your Beatitude will further push the members of the Episcopate toward an even greater and firmer stance beyond anyone’s expectations. Your Beatitude, then, will have to realize that, to be finally left in peace in our own home, one might even be tempted to forget about his or her Romanian origin.” (Archbishop Valerian D. Trifa, Letter to His Beatitude Justin, October 7, 1984) (emphasis added).
In an effort to contrast “forward” versus “backward” as expressed in the Archbishop’s message I believe all ROEA members should ask themselves the following questions:
1. Is it in the best interests of our children to trade peace in our homeland for a connection with an arm of an unstable corrupt foreign government?
2. Is it in the best interests of our children to trade the O.C.A., the future of Orthodoxy in the Americas, for the ethnicity of our grandparents that, from personal experience, we know will later be of little interest to our grandchildren and great-grandchildren?
3. Do we have an obligation to propagate Orthodoxy on this continent or an obligation to advance the interests of the Romanian government on this continent?
4. Will a connection with a corrupt foreign government encourage or discourage converts to our parishes?
5. Do we as Americans favor separation of church and state except where the Romanian government is involved?
6. Might our answers to these questions underlie the “irreversibility” of which Archbishop Valerian was referring?
Moreover, should we not have first tested the sincerity of the BOR by making as a condition precedent to any and all dialogue that the Patriarchate first actively participates in successfully clearing the name of Archbishop Valerian? At least there would have been an upside to all the time, effort, and expense consumed by this “dialogue” process, regardless of whether or not unification occurred.
As it stands, the ROEA has no upside in the current unification proposal. Think about it. By this most recent tactic in the BOR’s 60-year shell game it offers to the ROEA the liabilities of a failed Episcopate (ROAA) and its bankrupt parishes. In consideration for assuming responsibility for such liabilities, the ROEA would sever its participation in the O.C.A., and submit to the authority of the BOR. Deals don’t get any more lopsided than that. It’s all upside for the BOR-which gets everything it has ever wanted-and nothing but downside for the ROEA.
The current status of “dialogue” between the ROEA, BOR and ROAA, in a way, is reminiscent of the old “Uncle Remus” story about Br’er Fox, Br’er Rabbit and the Tar Baby where Br’er Fox had constructed a doll out of a lump of tar and dressed it with some clothes to entrap Br’er Rabbit. When Br’er Rabbit came along he addressed the Tar Baby amiably, but received no response. Br’er Rabbit became offended by what he perceived as the Tar Baby’s lack of manners, punched it, and in doing so became stuck in the tar. Once Br’er Rabbit was stuck, Br’er Fox jumped forward and pondered how to dispose of him. The helpless, but cunning, Br’er Rabbit begged, “Please don’t throw me in the briar patch,” prompting Br’er Fox to do exactly that. As rabbits are quite at home in thickets, the resourceful Br’er Rabbit escaped sure doom.
In our unification saga the BOR is Br’er Fox, the ROEA is Br’er Rabbit, the ROEA’s unification dialogue with BOR/ROAA is the Tar Baby, and the O.C.A. is the briar patch. The ROEA now finds itself in a “no-win” scenario-it’s “stuck” to the Tar Baby-and must devise a way to break loose to regain peace in the briar patch.
Consistent with Archbishop Valerian’s overview, I say run like a rabbit away from the fox; focus forward and not backward; and, secure peace in our own homeland-even if that means forgetting about our Romanian origin. The BOR wordsmiths can back-pedal all they want. Once the ROEA is under its jurisdiction, “maximal autonomy” will mean on any given day whatever the Patriarchate wants it to mean. Such slick terminology will prove to be a “Trajan Horse” (pun intended) by which the Patriarchate will entirely achieve its ultimate goal of the past 60 years.
Closing
Commencement of the unification dialogue was ill-conceived from the outset. Affiliation with the O.C.A. was fundamental to the existence of the ROEA for nearly 40 years and should FOREVER remain irreversible. Without looking back and without further explanation the ROEA should now simply lovingly say to the BOR and ROAA, “God bless you; go in peace.” Then, walk away.
Gary N. Brott
Venice, FL