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The Orthodox Christian News Service

Published by Orthodox Christian Laity, July 16, 2004

 Come and Let Us Reason Together - Isaiah 1:18

These wise words of Prophecy guided the actions of the Founding Fathers of the Republic and the Immigrant Founders of our Greek Orthodox Church in America.

This wisdom should likewise guide the Parishes of our Archdiocese and the Delegates to the Clergy Laity Congress as they consider the improper 2003 charter and 42 pages of new Proposed Regulations implementing it.

The Proposed Regulations were delivered to church doorsteps barely two weeks before the July 25 meeting of the Congress-a CLEAR VIOLATION of Archdiocesan rules, which require that all agenda items be received by communities no later than 60 days prior to convening a Clergy-Laity Congress.

These Proposed Regulations would implement a charter improperly imposed and under serious legal challenge in New York Courts.  It would be an act of supreme irresponsibility to consider such a document while a court case is pending and with such short notice, making it humanely impossible to intelligently digest the scope of its provisions.

Why the rush for approval?

Quick reviews of the Proposed Regulations indicate:

• Lack in pastoral concern, Christian love and conciliarity;

• Reflect a narrow approach to governance through sanctions and punitive measures, drastically limiting the ability of local parishes to manage their affairs; 

• Centralize authority previously shared with local clergy and laity into the hands of the Archbishop and Metropolitans, making them look more like Roman Catholic Cardinals than Orthodox hierarchs.

These regulations also deal with parish assemblies, parish property issues, mandatory parish payments to the Archdiocese and reduce lay responsibility in almost every phase of church life.  Essentially they are departures from traditional Orthodox governance and order in America.

If months of work went into formulating these so-called Proposed Regulations, how can they therefore be adequately reviewed and studied on such short notice and considered and approved in ONE OR TWO DAYS?

CONGRESS DELEGATES SHOULD VOTE TO POSTPONE CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS UNTIL THE 2006 CLERGY-LAITY CONGRESS.

To avoid haste and future conflict, these Proposed Regulations should be sent back to local communities for discussion by all parish members. 

Then truly, we can reason together in openness and respect.

That’s the Orthodox Way.  This is the legacy of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. 
 

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