When an Orthodox bishop enters a sanctuary, he is traditionally greeted with the following words chanted in Greek \u2014 \u201ceis polla eti, despota.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
In English this means, \u201cMany years to you, Master.\u201d Witty bishops in the Orthodox Church in America have started using this sentiment as the punch line in a joke about the impact the episcopate can have on their egos.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cWhat happens to a guy?\u201d, said Bishop Jonah, during the church\u2019s All American Council in Pittsburgh. \u201cYou put him on a stand in the middle of the church, you dress him up like the Byzantine emperor and you tell him to live forever. You know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n
The audience of clergy and lay leaders laughed, but it was nervous laughter. The atmosphere in the recent gathering was so tense, Bishop Jonah said later, that some of the bishops were afraid that \u201ceverything was about to unravel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Only 10 days earlier, the 49-year-old monk had been consecrated as assistant bishop of Dallas. Now, he was facing the clergy and lay leaders of a flock that was reeling after years of bitter scandal \u2014 including the disappearance of $4 million \u2014 that had forced the church\u2019s last two leaders out of office. <\/p>\n\n
The new and, thus, unstained bishop volunteered to face the assembly and answer hard questions about reform. The bottom line, he said, was that investigators found a \u201cfundamentally sick,\u201d corrupt culture inside the national headquarters that was rooted in fear and intimidation.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cYes, we were betrayed. Yes, we were raped. It\u2019s over. It\u2019s over,\u201d said Bishop Jonah. In fact, whenever church members seek healing, \u201cwe have to confront the anger and the bitterness and the hurts and the pain and the resentment that we have born within us as reactions against the people who have hurt us.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cBy forgiving, we\u2019re not excusing the actions. ? We\u2019re not justifying anything. What we\u2019re saying is, \u2018My reaction is destroying me and I need to stop it. If I value Jesus Christ and the Gospel and communion with God, I need to stop it and move on.\u2019 \u201c<\/p>\n\n
The audience responded with a standing ovation. <\/p>\n\n
Then, 11 days after he became a bishop, the assembly \u2014 in a move that shocked young and old \u2014 elected Jonah as the new Metropolitan of All America and Canada. Current plans call for his enthronement at on Dec. 28th at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n
The new leader of the Orthodox Church in America, which has its roots in Russia, was born James Paffhausen in Chicago and raised as an Episcopalian. He converted to Orthodoxy during his college years in California, went to seminary and, while studying in Russia in 1993, became a novice at the famous Valaam Monastery. After returning to America, he was ordained and spent 12 years building several missions and the Monastery of St. John of San Francisco in northern California.<\/p>\n\n
Becoming a bishop turned his once secluded life upside down, explained Jonah. Now it\u2019s hard to even discuss his stunning election as primate on Nov. 12. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cThey talk about \u2018his beatitude\u2019 and I wonder who that is,\u201d he said. \u201cYour beatitude? Who? Where?\u201d<\/p>\n\n
On his 12th day as a bishop, he found himself delivering an address on his \u201cvision for the church.\u201d The new Metropolitan Jonah stressed college ministry, calling for Orthodox housing facilities and evangelistic ministries near as many campuses as possible, to help students living in \u201cAnimal House\u201d conditions rooted in \u201csex, drugs, alcohol and despair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
It\u2019s also time for leaders in the church\u2019s many ethnic U.S. jurisdictions to work together on charitable projects whenever and wherever they can, grassroots projects that he said will eventually produce Orthodox unity at the national, hierarchical level. Where are the Orthodox hospitals, schools and nursing homes? <\/p>\n\n
If nationwide change is going to happen, said Jonah, it will have to grow out of respect and cooperation at all levels of the church.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cHierarchy is only about responsibility, it\u2019s not all of this imperial nonsense,\u201d he said. \u201cThank God that we\u2019re Americans and we have cast that off. We don\u2019t need foreign despots. We are the only non-state Orthodox church. In other words, we are the only Orthodox church that does not exist under the thumb of a state \u2014 either friendly or hostile. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cSo the church is our responsibility, personally and collectively, individually and corporately. What are you going to do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When an Orthodox bishop enters a sanctuary, he is traditionally greeted with the following words chanted in Greek \u2014 \u201ceis polla eti, despota.\u201d In English this means, \u201cMany years to you, Master.\u201d Witty bishops in the Orthodox Church in America have started using this sentiment as the punch line in a joke about the impact […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":610,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[125,617,1543,773,802],"class_list":["post-1518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bishops","tag-oca","tag-orthodox","tag-scandals","tag-sin"],"yoast_head":"\n