The History of The

The History of the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America The American Orthodox Catholic Church Old Catholic Orthodox Church Archbishop Gregory Morra, OSB Archbishop Scholarios-Gennadius III, OSB Metropolitan Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide Episcopal Imprimatur of the Holy Synod of the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide Old Catholic Orthodox Church This history of the church is hereby released under the authority of the Holy Synod of the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide which is a direct blood descendant of the American Orthodox Catholic Church chartered in 1927 by Metropolitan Platon and later led by Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh of Brooklyn, New York and eventually recognized as The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America. In its current form the Holy Synod of the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide and the Old Catholic Orthodox Church subsidiary recognizes the contributions of the early fathers of this historic church in the person of Metropolitan-Patriarch Denis M. Garrison (Emeritus) through the lineage of Archbishop Aftimios of blessed memory as the true spiritual father of the Church. Therefore, the Holy Synod hereby confers its official imprimatur on the history of the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide as a direct historical descendant of the American Orthodox Catholic Church as outlined in this document. Archbishop Scholarios-Gennadius III, OSB Metropolitan By the Authority of the Holy Synod of the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide On this 27th day of February (NS) Anno Domini 2013 Feast of Saint Raphael Hawaweeny of Brooklyn The History of the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide The history of the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide, hereinafter referred to as the “ŒCOCW,” has a long and glorious status, based upon its succession from the original American Orthodox Catholic Church, originally created as “The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America.” The American Orthodox Catholic Church was chartered in 1927 by Metropolitan Platon, primate of the then Russian Metropolia in an attempt by canonical Orthodox authorities to create an autocephalous Orthodox Church distinctively North American in expression and practice. The American Orthodox Catholic Church in its early years was ably guided by a young man by the name of Abdullah Aftimios Ofiesh as Archbishop of Brooklyn. The charter for this new church body on the North American continent was established in a letter from Metropolitan Sergius I (Stragorodsky), the 17th patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, which indicated that autonomous Orthodox churches could be founded outside Russia and granted to the new church body the full name “The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America,” informally referred as “The American Orthodox Catholic Church”. A portion of that letter of authority stated: “We hereby, on this 2nd day of February (new Style) in the year 1927, charge one of our number, His Eminence the Most Reverend Aftimios, Archbishop of Brooklyn, with the full responsibility and duty of caring and providing for American Orthodoxy in the especial sense of Orthodox Catholic people born in America and primarily English-speaking or any American residents or parishes of whatever nationality or linguistic character or derivation not satisfactorily provided with proper and canonical Orthodox Catholic care, ecclesiastical authority, teaching and ministrations of the Church or who may wish to attach themselves by +Archbishop Aftimios of Brooklyn the properly and legally provided means to an autonomous, independent, American Orthodox Catholic Church ... a distinct, independent, and autonomous branch of the Orthodox Catholic Church... (pp. 34-35).” In the creation of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) and similar earlier Orthodox bodies, this attempt at establishing a canonical Orthodox body to serve Orthodox Christians in North America met with less than favorable reception. This is evidenced by the continued attempt today of creating an autocephalous or autonomous Orthodox jurisdiction and the obstacles impeding such development by jurisdictions headquartered in the “mother” countries. Despite these obstacles, the American Orthodox Catholic Church continued in its mission to establish viable Orthodox jurisdictions on North American soil that reflected American or New World sensibilities. One luminous development in this attempt to establish a truly North American Orthodoxy was the consecration of Bishop Sophronios (Anthony Bishara) of blessed memory as Bishop of Los Angeles with Episcopal responsibility for all parishes under the Russian Orthodox Church and all territory west of the Mississippi River. These developments were signs of potentially great success, however, with the erection of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America the struggle for primacy by the “mother” churches increased, causing extensive difficulty for Archbishop Aftimios and the fledgling American Orthodox Catholic Church. Nevertheless, the battle continued even after the resignation of Archbishop Aftimios following extensive opposition by newly arriving Orthodox churches on the North American continent. In fraternal respect, the ŒCOCW refrains from enumerating the many unchristian trails that plagued the original founders of the Church and instead focuses on the canonical foundation of the successor jurisdictions of this original Orthodox Church in North America. Following many major challenges and the legal loss of the American Orthodox Catholic Church cathedral located in New York City in 1932, Archbishop Aftimios consecrated two new bishops to carry on this difficult work in the persons of Bishop Ignatius (Nichols) as Archbishop of Washington. Bishop Ignatius is recognized by many to have been the first convert Orthodox bishop in America (Damick, 2009). This assertion attests that Orthodoxy is not a recent addition to the North American religious landscape or North American cultural and ethnic communities. +Archbishop Ignatius of Washington To this leadership was added Bishop Joseph Zuk as Bishop of New Jersey and leader of the newly established Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA, being consecrated by Archbishop Aftimios and Bishop Sophornios Beshara in New York City to serve the Ukrainian Diocese. Bishop Joseph died in Florida in 1934 following a long illness (History of Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 2012). This brief history illustrates the official status of the American Orthodox Catholic Church as established under the unquestioned canonical authority of the Russian +Bishop Joseph Zuk of New Jersey Orthodox Church. An equally important highlight of this early Orthodox jurisdiction is the work accomplished by Metropolitan Sophronios Bishara, who is widely credited with the establishment of Western Rite Orthodoxy on the North American continent. This particular event has resulted in unqualified influence on North American Orthodoxy and is an accomplishment of which Archbishop Aftimios would be eminently proud. Out of these humble beginnings, the American Orthodox Catholic Church has operated under different names and has experienced many difficulties being beset by various internal coupes, desertions, and capitulations. However, despite stories of its demise following the retirement of Archbishop Aftimios and deaths of its early leaders such as Metropolitan Sophronios Bishara (1934), the American Orthodox Catholic Church has continued its difficult life and to date is an active Orthodox entity in a country of increasing ethnic, cultural, language, racial diversity, along with extensive diversity in liturgical complexity and beauty. +Metropolitan Sophronios Bishara On August 28, 1985, the Holy Synod of the American Orthodox Catholic Church following the unexpected death of Metropolitan Francis (Ryan), Bishop Denis Garrison was elected to succeed Metropolitan-Patriarch Francis, as Metropolitan-Patriarch c (Garrison) as Primate VIII of The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America/American Orthodox Catholic Church. MetropolitanPatriarch DENIS was installed and enthroned by the Holy Synod on April 5, 1986 at St. Nicholas Orthodox Catholic Church in Eldersburg, Maryland, at the Council of Baltimore of the North American Holy Synod. +Metropolitan Denis Garrison From the hands of Metropolitan-Patriarch DENIS (Garrison), the church was renamed the Ecumenical Orthodox Catholic Communion. Metropolitan-Patriarch DENIS ably and unselfishly served the church from 1985 through 2005. In January 2005, Metropolitan-Patriarch DENIS resigned as Primate VII and the Church was placed in the hands of Archbishop Scholarios-Gennadius III, OSB as Chairman Pro Tempore with the intention of restructuring the church for service in the 21st century, with the reestablishment of all orders, titles, ecclesiology, and Episcopal privileges held and exercised by Metropolitan-Patriarch DENIS and his predecessors. In 2008, The Holy Synod renamed the Church as the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide (ŒCOCW) as a direct successor of The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America/American Orthodox Catholic Church. Following a special synod called by the bishops of the ŒCOCW, Archbishop Jorge Rodriguez-Villa was elected as Metropolitan-Patriarch of the revitalized The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America/American Orthodox Catholic Church. The ascendency of Metropolitan-Patriarch JORGE to the Episcopal throne of the newly structured ŒCOCW/OCOC resulted in the OCOC being formally subsumed into the ŒCOCW with the OCOC remaining an autonomous ŒCOCW jurisdiction. When the ŒCOCW incorporated the Old Catholic Orthodox Church (OCOC) of which His Eminence JORGE was at the time Primate and Presiding Bishop and this merger of Episcopal jurisdictions brought extensive ethnicities, cultural diversity, territory, and +Metropolitan Jorge liturgical rites into the church making a truly diverse and culturally inclusive Orthodox jurisdiction. In September 2011, Metropolitan-Patriarch JORGE died unexpectedly near his home in Los Angeles, California. Following his death, His Eminence ScholariosGennadius III, OSB who was serving as Protosyncellus (Vicar General) was installed as locum tenens and ultimately elected as successor at the Holy Synod of October 15, 2011. In response to the election of Metropolitan Scholarios-Gennadius III, OSB as successor to Metropolitan-Patriarch JORGE, Archbishop Gregory Timotheos of Canada was elected Protosyncellus to His Eminence Scholarios-Gennadius III, OSB. In October, 2011, the Holy Synod unanimously decided to elevate the late Metropolitan-Patriarch JORGE to the status of “Blessed” within the tradition of the ŒCOCW/OCOC as Blessed JORGE Rodriguez-Villa, alongside of such important predecessors as Saint Aftimios Ofi<a href="/goto?url=http://www.antiochian.org/Bishops/raphaw_top.htm" target="_blank">esh and Saint Raphael Hawaweeny, Bishop of </a>Brooklyn, New York. The Orthodox Church in America ultimately canonized Saint Raphael Hawaweeny in March 2000. The ŒCOCW/OCOC will continue to grow and evolve based upon its commitment to absolute inclusion of liturgical diversity, multiculturalism, geography, and earnestness to attract members and laity who comprise these important attributes. We are all required to fulfill the Great Commission: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20) An explanation regarding the decision by MetropolitanPatriarch DENIS to operate the American Orthodox Catholic Church aka The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic +Metropolitan Scholarios- Gennadius Church in North America under a different ecclesiastical designation was that certain disgruntled clergy also aspired to leadership of the church. These aspirants began a concentrated campaign to dislodge MetropolitanPatriarch DENIS from the helm of the Church through the practice of filing frivolous lawsuits and other unfounded legal actions. These disgruntled individuals erected competing jurisdictions under the same name, which in turn discouraged other competent and loyal clergy, who unfortunately were incapable of repeatedly defending themselves in court under the threat of financial collapse. Accordingly, Metropolitan-Patriarch DENIS maintained the operation of the Church, along with the maintenance of its historic lineage, thereby ensuring the continuation of the Church’s valuable historical legacy into the 21st century and beyond. Metropolitan Scholarios-Gennadius III, OSB recognizes the wisdom of this practice and only alludes to the historical connection between the current Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide and The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America/American Orthodox Catholic Church. As explained below, the ŒCOCW as the most current Church entity makes no legal or proprietary claims to the signage or usage of the name The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America other than in a historical and public domain context. As of this printing, the ŒCOCW/OCOC is undertaking further restructuring to ensure its perpetuity and service to God’s people. It is anticipated that the ŒCOCW/OCOC will continue to grow and evolve based upon its commitment to absolute inclusion of liturgical diversity, multiculturalism, geography. It also possesses the earnestness to attract members and laity who personify these most important attributes that are required to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) and lead the Church into the 21st century marked by its ethnic diversity, liturgical inclusiveness and cultural representation. The Name of the Church The term Œcumenical in the name of the ŒCOCW is often misunderstood to reflect the secular definition of ecumenical denoting such concepts as “interdenominationalism, relatively “all” inclusive, generic or ecclesiastically equal. However, as the following explains, such miscomprehension is incorrect and strays wide of the apostolic and canonical practice, and history of the Church. The ŒCOCW is first Œcumenical1 in character as defined below, as well as Canonical, meaning it conforms to the accepted canons of the Orthodox Church comprised of ecumenical councils one through seven. It is Orthodox as defined 1 The term "Œcumenical" refers to the Greek words "oikos" meaning a house and family gathered into a worldwide Assembly of God's people and "oikoumenikos" of being a living church open to, and participating in the whole world as part of the Universal Church. This term should not be confused with the contemporary, generic term, "Ecumenical," which implies "relative" inclusiveness – stating that all doctrines are equal, but rather refers to the original, historical definition as traditionally taught by the Holy Church Fathers. above “right teaching and right practicing,” and is becoming worldwide in its membership, influence, and recognition. Canonicity of the Church* As indicated above, Archbishop Aftimios encountered many obstacles in his assignment to develop an autocephalous Church on the North American continent, such as the losing the legal challenge regarding the legal ownership of the Cathedral of the American Orthodox Catholic Church, and the abuse he suffered at the hands of the newly arriving Orthodox clergy, who in an effort to enhance their respective presence in the developing Orthodox communities, falsely challenged the Episcopal authority conferred upon him by the Moscow Patriarchate. The ŒCOCW like many other successors of the American Orthodox Catholic Church trace their canonical status to this same source, as well as the apostolic lines of succession received by Archbishop Aftimios during this original Albanian ordination. Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh was consecrated on May 11, 1917, by Bishop Evdokim Meschesky of the Russian Orthodox Church in America, CoConsecrators were: Bishops Alexander Nemolosky, Russian Orthodox Exarch of Canada and Stephen Dzubai of the Russian Orthodox diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These actions are prima facie evidence of Archbishop Aftimios’ legitimate canonicity beyond any doubt, thereby sealing the canonical status of all successor churches or jurisdictions who have not participated in any activity, heretical, e.g. that would invalidate their orders and apostolic lineage. The Holy Synod of the ŒCOCW therefore asserts its own canonical status irrespective of any individuals or organizations attempting to cast dispersion upon our full moral and ethical status among the community of Orthodox Churches. Further validating Archbishop Ofiesh’s valid canonical status was well-established occasion on which Bishop Ofiesh in 1923, was elevated as the Russian Orthodox Archbishop Bishop of Brooklyn, New York and the appointed head of the Russian Orthodox Church Syro-Arab Mission by Metropolitan Platon Rozhdestvensky. Particulars of the ŒCOCW The ŒCOCW, as with most Orthodox jurisdictions, does not ordain women to the holy priesthood or to the episcopacy. The Church, however, does recognize the ordination of women to the ancient order of Deaconess as a distinct Church office occupied by early Christian women as far back as the 3rd century as evidenced by the following: Saint Olympiada or Olympias, whose memory we celebrate on July 25, was a deaconess in the early church. The office of deaconess is described in the New Testament and Phoebe was called a deaconess in Romans 16: 1. This office is codified in the "Didascalia" (Chapman, 1908) written in the first half of the 3rd century and in the "Apostolic Constitutions" written in the later part of the 4th century. It is also mentioned at the 4th Ecumenical Council, which met in Chalcedon in 451. She was also reported to have served Saint John Chrysostom as she would a father and ultimately she was one of the few faithful who remained loyal to him when he endured his banishments from Constantinople (Orthodox Herald, 1988). Based upon this and many similar historical events, the ŒCOCW finds no impediment to truly pious Orthodox Christian women being ordained to the service of the Church through this valuable office. However, the Holy Synod of the ŒCOCW does not foresee any future reconsideration to the ordination women as priests or bishops within the Holy Church, but invites all the Faithful to come and minister in the Church according to their individual gifts and talents. A Married Episcopacy A very special charism or Holy Mystery that the ŒCOCW has embraced that has not been accepted by other canonical Orthodox jurisdictions is that of the married Episcopacy. This is one practice that sets the ŒCOCW apart from most other Orthodox Jurisdictions. However, the ŒCOCW recognizes that there does not exist any specific and unalterable apostolic canon that specifically forbids married men from holding the Holy office of bishop. With respect to all of its sister jurisdictions that have refrained from adopting this particular charism, the ŒCOCW recognizes that opposition to this practice is strictly a matter of adopted tradition that does not possess any canonical provision making this practice unacceptable and allowable within the confines of the Orthodox Church. Metropolitan-Patriarch DENIS among many knowledgeable Orthodox Episcopates has detailed that the early Church permitted the practice of a married Episcopacy to the extent that married men who entertained the possibility of the Episcopacy were forbidden from “putting away” their lawful wives in pursuit of the Episcopal office. “No Bishop, Presbyter, or Deacon shall put away his own wife under pretext of reverence. If, however, he put her away, let him be excommunicated; and if he persist in so doing, let him be deposed from office [Canon V of the Holy Apostles].” This canon clearly states that marriage is a not an impediment to the office of bishop and it is clearly stated in the Bible that St. Peter was a married man who was capable of performing his Episcopal duties despite this marital status. The blessed Apostle Paul weighs in on this important matter indicating that shunning one’s wife was an unholy act of dishonor: “Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed (1 Corinthians 7:27).” In recognition of the foregoing and with the utmost respect for monasticism, the ŒCOCW believes that a married Episcopacy is acceptable and honorable within the Church and therefore permits this practice. However, it should be noted that the ŒCOCW does not participate in any negative commentary regarding those Orthodox jurisdictions that have chosen not to allow this particular practice. Accordingly, the ŒCOCW respectfully requests similar respect regarding its decision to participate in this particular Holy Mystery. What We Believe Although the ŒCOCW may embrace certain traditions not followed or embraced by the larger universal Orthodox community, she nevertheless is faithful to the primary teachings of Holy Orthodoxy. The ŒCOCW faithfully embraces, teaches, and adheres to the first seven ecumenical councils and their various canonical decisions and directions. The ŒCOCW recognizes marriage as a sacred union that exists only between a man and women united in Holy Matrimony. We recognize the great ancient Patriarchates of Constantinople, Rome, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch. The ŒCOCW endorses the sanctity of life at all stages and therefore denounces such practices as euthanasia, abortion or the death penalty.

The History of The

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