Author: Administrator
July 23, 2014
In spite of some negative reactions to the creation of independent (and possibly Autocephalous) Orthodox Churches in non-Orthodox territories initiative (which comes mostly from Old country Mother churches and consequently their Foreign Governments which fund and thus control them, both wanting to maintain influence in what they consider their “Diasporas”), many local clergy and faithful are behind this desire for independent and territorially unified Orthodox Churches in their non-Orthodox countries. The Tennessee initiative, the growing number of Orthodox parish communities of various ethnic backgrounds in the same cities now sharing the same buildings, the creation of new parishes using only local languages, more and more local pan-orthodox activities, the growing interest in the OCL and the need to focus on the future of the local Orthodox Church if there is to be a Church here for our children, even the recent reversal of the Antiochian Patriarchate’s decision to withdraw from Assemblies of Canonical Orthodox Bishops worldwide, are all examples of how the local unified Orthodox Church is being discussed and emerging here. With the recent creation of Assemblies of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the USA, Canada and Latin America (whose mandate is to unite all Orthodox churches in these three territories into unique jurisdictions), discussions regarding the ROEA (OCA) and ROAA (BOR) unity/merger issue are now obsolete, particularly after 4 years of total inactivity. Therefore, the May 2012 Administrator article remains valid.
