Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles
The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles is an Old Calendarist jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church. It is predominantly known as the western rite synod of the IUGOC, one of the two major international Old Calendarist unions. As of 2020 the Metropolia consisted of some 42 parishes and missions serving approximately 12,000 faithful across North America and the United Kingdom.
| Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Eastern Orthodox |
| Classification | Independent Eastern Orthodox |
| Orientation | Chalcedonian, Old Calendarist |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Leader | Metropolitan John (Lobue) of New York |
| Associations | International Union of Genuine Orthodox Churches |
| Region | North America, United Kingdom |
| Members | ≈12,000 |
History
The Autonomous Metropolia traces its roots back to a formation of the Patriarch of Moscow in the early 20th century. The intention of the Patriarch was the formation of western rite parishes in Europe and the United States of America. In the 1930s several bishops were ordained by the Patriarch for this purpose, notably among them Metropolitan William H. F. Brothers (died 1979).
Following an altercation with the Stalinist Government in 1944 during which time an attempt was made to use the Metropolia for political traction in the west, the group broke ties with the Moscow Patriarchate and placed itself under the auspices first of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and later under Archbishop Auxentios of Athens, the primate of the True Orthodox Church of Greece, the major Old Calendarist jurisdiction of the Eastern Church.
In 1984 the Metropolia was granted self-governance and issued with its Tomos in 2011.
Following the end of the Cold War, the Metropolia chose to strengthen ties with its sister churches in the IUGOC in contrast to the Synod of Milan which attempted to re-unite with the Moscow Patriarchate.[1]
Expansion in Canada, the UK and the Far East
In 2014 the Metropolia received several parishes under Bishop Joseph (Royer) of Edmonton, leading to a legal dispute regarding the church buildings.
Among other noteworthy recent expansions has been the foundation of Botel Abbey in Scotland, under Bishop James of Whithorn which, following the restoration of a medieval chapel on the site, is currently the only ecclesiastical body in the UK which regularly performs the Sarum Rite.
Other key areas of growth for the Metropolia have come from the Far East, preeminently in the Philippines with the establishment of some 16 new parishes and the construction of numerous new church buildings.
Relations with Other Jurisdictions
The Metropolia is a member of the IUGOC (International Union of Genuine Orthodox Churches), one of the two main Old Calendarist unions of the Eastern Church, with some 200,000 practicing faithful across Europe and North America.
As an Old Calendarist denomination, the Metropolia is not currently in communion with either the Patriarch of Moscow or Constantinople. However, the Metropolia is notable in its calls for an Ecumenical Council which would seek to repair the schisms in the Orthodox Church. The Metropolia has a dedicated committee for Inter-Orthodox Relations,[2] which seeks to initiate dialogue between the bishops of the former Synod in Resistance concerning matters of ecclesiology and grace in World Orthodoxy.[3]
The Metropolia became notable in 2014 for its vocal opposition to the condemned heresy of Imyaslavie (name worship) in the Orthodox Church.
Criticism
Historical relations to other Old Calendarists
Critics have questioned the fact that the Metropolia lacks a similar historical succession to other Old Calendarist jurisdictions, leading to the regularisation of their orders by the Synod of Milan in 1997.
In addition to this, questions have been asked as to the historical relationship between the Metropolia and the UAOC, which has not traditionally been seen as a part of the ‘True’ Orthodox Church by Old Calendarists, but rather as an ethnocentric movement. This, combined with a tendency on the part of the Metropolia to defend other jurisdictions in territorial disputes has led some critics to claim that the Metropolia advocates a form of "jurisdictional ecumenism",[4] though clergy of the Metropolia reject such a designation.
Western rites
The Metropolia has also been criticized for the public use of Western Rites among some of its American clergy, which are generally regarded with suspicion among True Orthodox,[5] although private use of such prayers are sometimes permitted throughout True Orthodoxy. Defenders have responded that the Metropolia has done sufficient work to ensure that its prayers fall within the pre-schism Western Tradition of the Church, having researched and translated pre-schism texts from the Latin for nearly four decades, and having gone so far as to openly critique Western Rites used in the ROCOR and the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate.[6]
Scholarship
Today the Metropolia is predominantly known as one of the foremost advocates of the Western Rite in the Orthodox Church. The Abbey of the Holy Name in New York, as well as Botel Abbey in Scotland, have produced a significant amount of work on the pre-schism rites of the English Latin Church, focusing mainly on translation, commentary and resurrection of the musical traditions of the Use of Sarum.
The work produced by the Metropolia on these subjects has had a far-reaching effect beyond their Old Calendarist jurisdiction, and beyond the Orthodox Church in general.
Current structure
- Metropolitan John, Archbishop of New York and First-Hierarch of the Holy Synod
- Archbishop Philip of Philadelphia (ret.)
- Bishop Christodoulos of Miami and Santiago
- Bishop Alexios of Hazleton and Weatherly
- Bishop Sava of Caracas and Venezuela
- James, Bishop of Whithorn, Dumfries and the Marches [7]
Former bishops
- Archbishop Joseph of Edmonton and Canada
- Archbishop Hilarion of Texas *Transfer. Bishop Seraphim of Manhattan and Long Island[8]
- Bishop Fanourios of Lincoln
Footnotes
- Suaiden, Joseph. Western Orthodoxy Restored A Short History of the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles. academia.edu. pp. 1–31.
- http://orthodoxmetropolia.org/formation-of-commission-for-inter-orthodox-and-external-relations/
- http://orthodoxmetropolia.org/appeal-commission-inter-orthodox-extenal-church-relations-synod-resistance/. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - http://remnantrocor.blogspot.com/2011/02/jurisdictional-ecumenism.html
- http://symeon-anthony.info/WesternOrthodoxRite/A%20Western%20Orthodox%20Rite.htm
- http://orthodoxmetropolia.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/AN-OPEN-LETTER-TO-THE-CLERGY-AND-LAITY-OF-THE-ROCOR-WESTERN-RITE.pdf
- True Orthodox Metropolia of North & South America & British Isles is on
- In July of 2014, Bp Seraphim asked to transfer to the jurisdiction of the True Orthodox Church of the Patristic Calendar under Metropolitan Anghelos of Avlonos. The request was informally granted.