This Is How You Go…
July 12, 2012 11 Comments
I’m going to draw a rather unhelpful comparison. But I’m going to do it anyway. Why? Because reading of the recent ‘resignation’ of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, who was asked to step down by his fellow Bishops (and I have no idea why, or the politics/thinking behind the request), I could not help but ponder on just how different his approach, his words, and his conduct are, as when compared to that of a certain ‘former-Primate’, who was also asked to go by his Bishops (obviously, for different and possibly far graver reasons).
This is text of His Beatitude’s letter:
“To the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America,
“Brothers,
“As per your unanimous request, as conveyed to me by Chancellor Fr. John Jillions, I hereby tender my resignation as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and humbly request another Episcopal assignment.
“I had come to the realization long ago that that I have neither the personality nor the temperament for the position of Primate, a position I never sought nor desired.
“It is my hope that due consideration will be made for my financial situation, both in any interim and in consideration for any future position. I am the main financial support for both my parents and my sister, beyond my own needs.
“I will appreciate your consideration in this, and beg forgiveness for however I have offended you, and for whatever difficulties have arisen from my own inadequacies and mistakes in judgment.
“Asking your prayers, I remain faithfully yours, “Metropolitan Jonah, Archbishop of Washington”
[A pdf. of the above is here]
And that’s how you do it. With your dignity and Christian conduct intact. You don’t self-destruct. You don’t destroy. You don’t run to the secular media/blogs crying foul for the world to see. You don’t advocate schism or start-up rival Synods. What you do, as a man of God, is turn to your brothers in Christ, and seek reconciliation with as much as lies within you. That is how you go…
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
- St Matthew 5:1-12
About Fr Stephen Smuts
Dignified indeed. They should now re-appoint him!
Yes, by all accounts, Metropolitan Jonah is godly, spiritual leader.
Wise in the things of the spirit, but it appears also naive in the ways of the world. Felix culpa!
Met JONAH was asked to resign because the other bishops finally realised that when he told them “I can’t do this, and I don’t want it; please elect someone else”, he really meant what he said. The great sadness is that they didn’t listen to him then: now, whenever he says something, no matter how important or perceptive, people will remember that he was dismissed from his post. Lord have mercy.
I’ve said it elsewhere and I’ll say it again, the OCA should have it’s autocephaly revoked. It has shown itself thoroughly incapable of running its own affairs.
Now perhaps he will have less minds full of hatred aimed at him. I didn’t keep up with the politics/arguments about Metropolitan Jonah, it was hard to even look when so much vitriol was being flung against him. It’s one thing to disagree, another to hate like that. I hope he can return to a life of peace and prayer, which is all he probably wanted to begin with.
I once said, tongue-in-cheek, to a deacon that I just try to keep my head down and stay low: “Nobody saw me, nobody heard me!” Then I heard the priest call out from behind the altar where he was finishing up after liturgy, “That’s the goal of my entire clerical career!” Ha
I’m going to draw a rather unhelpful comparison.
I would agree with you that any comparison is unhelpful. But, I would agree that this archbishop has done things in a dignified way whatever his reasons or what happened in that church. I continue to pray for Archbishop Hepworth regardless of what happens to him, any priests and faithful who still might be “with” him, and to the TAC run from India and South Africa.
I won’t say any more lest the trolls should have another go at me – though I have to say that I care less and less as the “letting go” process takes hold…
Basically this Church was or came from the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America. And the Russian Orthodox Church granted the autocephaly, (1970). The Autocephalous is seen by the Russian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Polish, and Czech and Slovak Churches. Over 700 churches.
Btw, when are we the Church especially in the 21st century going to realize that the battle is not with each other in the historic Churches, but with ‘the world, the flesh, and the devil’?!
Pardon me Frs, but out here in the secular world, it’s always the’Evil One’, and I’ve given up listening to him anymore, and just laugh at him when he tries. It took me a lifetime of heavy damage before I realized how to do that ! Peace, Love and Prayers to all of the Clergy, of whom I have nothing but great respect.Jesus speaks to all of us through all of you.
Fr. Chadwick – letting go and letting God is an honourable choice.