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History
General History
- Established by our Precious and Life-Giving Lord Jesus Christ, and
continued by the Holy Apostles and their successors, and perpetuated by
the Holy Spirit through the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church, a.k.a.
Eastern Orthodox Christian Church, it is the second largest and oldest
Christian Church in the world. It dates back to Jesus Christ. The
Christian Church, as founded by Christ God originally consisted of five
patriarchates being those of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria,
Constantinople (New Rome), and Rome. Rome was a valuable part of the
Holy Church from its beginning but the Roman Patriarchate broke from
Orthodoxy in A.D. 1054. The Orthodox Church itself has a continuous and
unbroken existence down to the present time free from any post-schism
reformations as in the West. The Orthodox Church knows nothing of such
tremendous upheaval as the Roman (Latin) Church experienced during and
after the Reformation. Orthodox theology and canon laws are based upon
those tenets and doctrines approved at the Ecumenical Councils of Nicea
(A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381), Ephesus (A.D. 431),
Chalcedon
(A.D. 451), Constantinople (A.D. 553), Constantinople (A.D. 680), and
Nicea (A.D. 787). In all, Orthodox Christianity accepts as universally
binding the First Three Ecumenical Councils of the early Church, as is the
case in our jurisdiction. Thousands upon thousands of Orthodox Christians
have sealed their faith with their own blood. History reveals that no other
branch of the Christian Church has given so many martyrs who have died for Christ
God. Yet many know little about this ancient Christian faith dating
back to our Lord. In reality, as said by Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph
of Blessed Memory in 1980, "All Christians by heredity are Orthodox,
however many have left and we pray for their return home."
Orthodoxy
was the state religion of Russia until the Revolution in 1917 when many
churches were closed and many priests and laity suffered martyrdom.
Atheism was promoted by the goverment throughout the land. Today most
churches have been returned to the Russian Orthodox Church and it
flourishes once again throughout Russia. In addition to Russian
Orthodox, there are many other jurisdictions which belong to the
Orthodox Christian (Catholic) Church. However, not all are
"patriarchal" as many are autocephalous, autonomous, and there also
exist the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Among the Eastern Orthodox
groups are the Greek, Serbian, Italo-Albano, Ukrainian, Polish,
Finnish, Japenese, Syrian-Antiochian, Macedonian, Bulgarian,
Byelorussian, Romanian, Albanian, Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek
Catholic, Korean, and the Eastern Orthodox, and others who fall under
the collective term "Eastern Orthodox"; and the Armenian, Ethiopian,
Malankarese, Syrian, and Coptic (Copts) who are referred to as
"Oriental Orthodox" i.e., those who have rejected the Council of
Chalcedon, and those following, mostly over the semantics dealing with
the two natures of Christ God. Although united in faith, not all
jurisdictions are in communion with one another because of political or
administrative differences. There are many other jurisdictions not
mentioned above which also are part of the Holy Orthodox Church. One
must be aware that there are also some imposters who use the words
"Orthodox and Catholic" and misrepresent their particular religious
bodies which are not part of the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church. Such
charlatans have added other words, e.g., Ecumenical, Apostolic, Old
Catholic, or Reformed to "Orthodox" to name a few. They are in some
cases heretics who are "Orthodox" in name only - but not in faith, and
are mostly schismatic groups from the Roman Church. Many of these also
claim succession from Old Catholic hierarchy which are, in many cases,
not recognized by Rome, the Union of Utrecht, or the Eastern Orthodox
Church.
Eastern Orthodox Catholic
Archdiocse History
- The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church was always an American
jurisdiction with many foreign missions. It has always allowed the use
of the vernacular in all religious services. It's orders originate from
the Syrian and Russian (Greek) Chuches. It's beginning as an
Orthodox
jurisdiction in America began on May 29, 1892, when Father Joseph
(Vilathi), a priest who served the Belgian congregations of Little
Sturgeon and Green Bay Wisconsin, was summoned to Ceylon to be
consecrated the first Bishop for the Church in America. The
consecration took place at the Church of Our Lady of Good Death,
Colombo Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and was done canonically resulting
from a
Bull issued by His Holiness Ignatius Peter III, Patriarch of the
Orthodox Syrian Church of Antioch. He was consecrated by Archbishop
Julius Alvarez I (a Portugese convert to Orthodoxy from Roman
Catholicism), Archbishop Paul Athanasius (Bishop of Kottayam), and
Archbishop George Gregorius (Bishop of Niranam) who was later canonized
a saint of the Indian (Malankara) Church. The Bull authorizing the
consecration was issued on December 29, 1891 and he was given the name
"Timotheos". The American Church eventually separated from the Orthodox
Syrian Church over politics and a difference of opinion regarding the
Council of Chalcedon, which the American Church accepted along with all
seven Ecumenical Councls. So, Archbishop Timotheos was appointed
Archbishop for the Americas by Patrairch Ignatius Peter III, and.he
returned to the United States and continued to establish parishes in
Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and New York. Many of these parishes
still stand today, although some have been sold or taken over by other
denominations during some trying times experienced after the death of
Archbishop Timotheos on July 8, 1929. The Church was originally known
as the "American Orthodox Catholic Archdiocese," but because of several
schisms which caused various unorthodox groups to form, the Church was
later renamed and restructured. Today, the name American Orthodox
Catholic Church is used by many Old Catholic groups.
Although
the Apostolic Succession of the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church dates
back to His Eminence Archbishop Timotheos (Vilathi), Proto-Metropolitan
Archbishop of the Church in the United States, who brought the Syrian
Succession to the American Church, it also possesses succession from
the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church from Archbishop Konstantin
(Wendland). The Russian Succession comes into the Church through
Archbishop John (Skureth) who was born on January 8, 1933, and after
years of education and priestly formation and eventual ordination to
priest in the Antiochian Orthodox Church of America under Metropolitan
Archbishop Michael (Shaheen), he was later consecrated by Bishop
William Henry Francis Brothers, a Bishop in the Vilathi Succession.
Father Skureth immediately began establishing missions and promoting
the Church throughout Northern Indiana where he established Holy
Martyrs of Port Royal Cathedral. After a time of dialogue with the
Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church, it was decided that he be
regularized by them and made a Bishop. On April 17, 1966, he was
consecrated a Bishop by Archbishop Konstantin Nikolaevich (Wendland) of
the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America, assisted by
Archbishop Dosifej (Ivanchenko) in New York. Archbishop John served the
Church for several years as pastor of Holy Martyrs of Port Royal
Cathedral, Gary Indiana, which was a beautiful structure that was sold
and razed in the 1970's becoming a parking lot for Mercy Hospital. Holy
Martyrs Church, Hobart Indiana, later became the new parish founded by
Archbishop John. He also, before this in Michigan City Indiana, served
St. George Syrian Orthodox Church (Antiochian Archdiocese). It was
Archbishop John who later consecrated Joseph Gabriel Sokolowski who
eventually became the fifth Metropolitan Archbishop of the Church.
Archbishop
Joseph was born on October 27, 1903, in Kracow Poland, and came to the
United States in 1913. He first studied with the Roman Catholic
Franciscans of Pulaski Wisconsin, and although he loved the old
traditions of Roman Catholicism, he entered Orthodox Catholicism in the
1950's. After joining the Orthodox Catholic Church, he founded St. Paul
the Apostle Monastery (Rolling Prairie Indiana) around 1955, and was
ordained deacon on February 13, 1957 by Most Reverend Stephan
(Siniotis), and on May 22, 1961 he was ordained priest by Most Reverend
Francis Resch of the Independent Diocese of Kankakee Illinois. Father
Sokolowski labored day after day for nearly thirty-five years building
shrines and chapels on the over six acres of land that was owned by St.
Paul's Orthodox Catholic Monastery in Rolling Prairie Indiana. He
toiled effortlessly to create gardens of beauty that attracted many
thousands of people annually from all faiths. The monastery was listed
in the "Guide to Indiana Attractions". To support the monastery, he
collected and sold antiques for many years until his death. On December
16, 1964, he was named Abbot General of the Oblates of St. Benedict and
on March 16, 1970, he was consecrated Bishop by Archbishop John, who
was assisted by Bishop Francis. Bishop Joseph continued to work the
monastery grounds and celebrate liturgies each Sunday. Because of the
various ethnic groups that visisted St Paul's he would often celebrate
Liturgy in English, Polish, and even Latin. Eventually, St. Mary's
Chapel was erected on the same grounds which was adorned with many
antique icons and other religious artifacts, and attracted people from
Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and many other states and
foreign countries to see the beauty he created. Although robbed several
times by those he took in and gave comfort to, he continued to keep the
grounds open and available to all who wished to visit. In the early
1980's, arthritis captured the health of Archbishop Joseph, but he
continued to work and celebrate the Holy Mysteries although
assisted
by other clergy in the last two years of his life until his death on
April 2, 1989. Archbishop Joseph consecrated three Bishops:
Stanislaus
Bullock, Tage Howes, and Stephen Thomas, the latter of which was
elected and enthroned as sixth Metropolitan Archbishop and
Protohierarch by Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph in 1987,
just before
his death.
On
October 18, 1987, Bishop-elect Stephen was consecrated by Archbishop
Joseph, assisted by Archbishop George of Chicago Illinois and Bishop
Norman of Indiana, at St. Mary's Chapel in Rolling Prairie Indiana.
Bishop Stephen was previously ordained deacon and priest in the Greek
Orthodox Church (Ecumenical Patriarchate) at Holy Cross-St. Andrew's
Greek Orthodox Church, Chicago Illinois in January 1976. However, after
the death of his ordaining prelate, Bishop Timotheos of Rodostolon of
Blessed Memory, the jealousy of another local priest and politics and
unwarranted demands of a new administration soon caused him to leave
the Greek Orthodox Church and incardinate temporarily under Archbishop
Pangratios who made him an Archimandrite, but a few years later he
joined with Archbishop Joseph. Archbishop Stephen consecrated Bishops
Douglas (O'Connor) of Blessed Memory, Anthony (DeLuca) now schismatic
and deposed, George (Singleton) now schismatic and deposed, John
(Sowrimuthu), John (Utz), and Timothy (Kjera). In August of 2007
His
Beatitude will consecrate Archimandrite Cyril (Cranshaw) to the Holy
Episcopacy and will become the first Bishop of Central and South
America. He wll serve the Metroplia as an Auxiliary Bishop. The
Coadjutor of the Metropolia, Bishop Timothy, in October 2006,
consecrated Bishop Simeon of Cleveland OH assisted by Romanian Bishop
Stefan and Byelorussian Archbishop Jovan. There are over 25,000
faithful represented in the Church in. the Archdiocese of the
Americas
& Diaspora that includes the Diocese of Cuba, Diocese of India,
Diocese of Nigeria, and the Vicariates of Pakistan, Kenya, Congo,
Nicaragua, Tanzania, Spain, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and the
United Kingdom. The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Synod of Bishops oversees
seminaries and schools in various countries, e.g., Holy Trinity
Seminary in Pakistan, St Mark - Romano Byzantine College (USA), St
Mark-Romano Byzantine College Extension of Canada (Ontario), St.
Basil
Seminary (Cuba), St Vasilios Seminary and University (Greece), St
Nicholas-Romano Byzantine Institute of Tanzania, and Hellenic Orthodox
University and St. Dionyssios Seminary both of Greece. The Dean of
Academic Affairs is Dr Basil Gikas. In addition, the Synod oversees the
work of the Commission on Religious Counseling & Healing, the
Metropolia Canon Law Society, and the Christ the Pantocrator Sovereign
Order of Chivalry, under the current administration of Father Eric
Demetrios Wruch DC.
Customs and Beliefs
- The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church is an Eastern Rite jurisdiction,
i.e., it uses the Eastern Orthodox rituals and the Divine Liturgy of St
John Chrysostom. It does allow the Liturgy of St Peter to be used by
parishes that were originally formed as Western Rite. The Liturgy
of
Saint John was modified for use by the Synod. The Liturgy of Saint
Basil is celebrated ten times a year as with all other Orthodox
Christian Churches. The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church differs from
some other Eastern Rites in liturgical dress. Priests wear a white alb,
stole (epitrachelion), and chasuble (phelonion) as do all
jurisdictions, and has always allowed the wearing of a zone or a
cincture, and cuffs are optional but have become more endorsed by the
Metropolia since January 2007. As with some other jurisdictions, and
according to ancient Byzantine custom, bishops and priests wear the
same liturgical vestments with the exception that bishops also wear the
Pectoral Cross, Panaghia, Omophorion, Eepigonation, and Zzucchetto
(Bishop's Scufa). The Mitre is worn by bishops, and the Saccos is worn
by the bishops, replacing the phelon (chasuble), for ordination and
certain religious events. The Church follows Byzantine tradition in the
administration of the Sacraments (Holy Mysteries), and Baptism,
Chrismation, and Holy Communion are given together, to both infants and
adults being baptized. Married men may be ordained to the Order of
Deacon and Order of Priest, but are no longer free to marry once
ordained to the diaconate. Holy Unction is administered to the sick and
dying by priests. Only monastic (celibate or unmarried) priests may be
ordained (consecrated) bishops of the Church. Priests whose wives pass
on must remain celibate and then also become eligible for the Holy
Episcopacy. As with all Churches of Orthodox Faith women are not
allowed to be ordained because of tradition and the decrees of the
early Church Fathers.
It
is a teaching of the Church (based on biblical facts) that prayer,
fasting, good nutrition, and herbs are necessary for good health and
wellness. The first Protohierarch of the United States, Metropolitan
Archbishop Timotheos (Vilathi), was himself a skilled doctor of
Chiropractic. So theocentric healing has always been part of the
healing ministry of the jurisdiction. Hyperveneration is given to
icons, and statues are not allowed. It is a scriptural Church which
teaches that both faith and good works are necessary for
salvation.
The Church believes that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Theotokos, was the
birth-giver of our Lord Jesus Christ and remained ever-virgin. Although
her conception was immaculate and of the Holy Spirit, Orthodox do not
accept the Roman dogma of "Immaculate Conception" as only Christ was
born without sin. Communion is given to the faithful under both
species, Body (Bread) and Blood (Wine), and the Real Presence is
believed. The Church has one "religious community" of monks and nuns,
The Monastic Community of Saint Basil, which is headquartered at St
John's Monastery in Nicaragua. Nuns of the Monastic Community are
referred to as the Sisters of the Community of St Basil and are
headquartered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Africa) at St
Mary Mother of God Convent. There is a community of "lay religious"
known as the Companions of St Basil open to married or single men and
women. The Church follows the Julian Calendar for ecclesiastical
matters and does not regard the Gregorian Calendar as sinful. The
Church strongly believes in the Separation of Church and State, and
owes its total existence and obedience to Almighty God.
The
Metropolia is in communion with the Byelorussian Orthodox Autocephalous
Church in Exile (ArchbBishop Jovan), and the Belarusan Autocephalous
Orthodox Church (Archbishop Jovan), and some others. Through the
Council of Canonical Autocephalous Orthodox Bishops it enjoys dialogue
with the American Orthodox Catholic Church (Archbishop Samuel);
Christian Orthodox Church (Bishop Ignatius); Holy Orthodox Church -
Former Exarchate of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
(Archbishop Anthony); and Norhteastern Diocese of the Ukrainian
Orthodox Catholic Church (Archbishop Paul). It is also in dialogue with
several other jurisdictions.
Apostolic Succession and
Traditions
- The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church first traces its Apostolic
Succession back to St Peter the Apostle through the Syrian Orthodox
Church and Catholicate and His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Peter III of
Antioch. This was brought to America in the person of Archbishop
Timotheos (Vilathi) who was our first Archbishop Metropolitan.
Secondly, but equally as important, comes Apostolic Succession from the
Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church, as it was called in the 1960's,
through Archbishop Constantin and Archbishop Dosifej both of the
Russian Orthodox Succession from St Andrew. This succession came into
our Church through Archbishop John (Skureth) who was consecrated
through Archbishops Konstantin and Dosifej in 1966. It is because of these
two historic facts that both the Syrian and Russian Successions are
contained in our Church.
Although our Succession
comes from the Syrian Church, and later the Russian Church, we have
always been an American Orthodox Catholic Church
being the first to allow the vernacular in all liturgical and
paraliturgical services dating back to before 1892. The Church in
America has always used English but permitted ethnic parishes to use
thier native languages as well. The Church itself uses liturgical
customs from the Syrian, Russian, and Greek Churches, and has also
allowed some Western customs that date back to when the jurisdiction
had many Western Rite parishes. The Syro-Russan Orthodox Catholic
Church diffes slightly from some others in tradition, e.g., priests and
bishops may wear the phelon (chasuble) when celebrating the Divne
Liturgy (St John Chrysostom) as was the practice in the early Byzantine
Church. Bishops do wear the "Saccos" when performing the Rite of
Ordination and at certain other religious events. More recently, the
Metropolia authorized the use of the zone which may be worn to replace
the wearing of the cincture at Liturgy, and cuffs may also be worn
breaking a long tradition of not wearing them by our clergy. However,
these are traditions not to be confused with doctrines or faith, which
must be the same in all Orthodox Christian Churches.
Those
interested in forming a mission parish or becoming a member of the
Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church, or subscribing to the "Orthodox
Christian Herald" a publication of the Synod, may request additional
information by writing to:
The
Editor
Orthodox Christian Herald
456 Nimick Street
Sharon PA 16146
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