Luwalhati Sa Iyo O Diyos! Luwalhati Sa Iyo!
Doxa Si O Theo! Doxa Si!
Glory To You O God! Glory To You !
Peace!
After reading all the comments on my first post, it seems that there is one question that needs to be clarified.
1. Validity of the information that indeed Msgr. Jeptah and Rev. Pascualito were appointed as Vicars under the Antiochian Jurisdiction of Archdiocese of Australia, Oceania and Philippines.
And to answer this one, it’s for everyone to find out. Below are their e-mail addresses which in case you may want to get a personal answer from them.
“The two ex-groups, the Catholic Patriarchate of the East and the Evangelicals are in the Antiochian Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand and the Philippines . We have two vicars there; one in Manilla –
Father Yitzak, his email is:
mshf_stfrancis@yahoo.comAnd the other is in Davao , Rev. Jeptah and his email is:
bishop_aniceto@yahoo.com You can contact either one, and I am sure they will provide you with any help possible.”
(Part of content of e–mail correspondence with His Eminence Paul Saliba of Australia, Oceania and Philippines)
As for me I decided not to push through with the Antiochian Mission and perhaps continue to attend the Greek Church and struggle to go on a 2-3 hours trip against 30 minutes away from the Antiochians because of this issue.
I am not against any jurisdiction coming in the Philippines, as I have said, our country is too big for the Greek Church to serve… what I am questioning is the legality and canonicity of all this phenomena, the process because at the end this is a serious topic about unity of our faith and canonical standing of everyone that might be question and might be used against us by fundamental Christian sects in our country especially the INC or Iglesia Ni Cristo or Church of Christ (descendants of Arians) which is growing already in the US and other parts of the globe.
I admire the sincerity of everyone but I cannot take joy in this historic event for the simple reason but grave violation of the Holy Canons which I mentioned in my first post which until now none of us here discuss about it in the light of all this things.
In my opinion, the problem of administrative unity in America and other new lands is not jurisdictional or issue of ethnicities but issue of aligning ourselves according to the canons and patristic teachings which is unique to us and entrusted to us Orthodox Christians. I do know we have members of this forum belong to old style or who are Traditional Orthodox Christians who knows better about this serious breached of Canons more so this False Ecumenism (this is another topic of course).
As I see, this is not an isolated case or just a simple problem of miscommunication between Hierarchs but intentional violation of the Canons.
Let us be honest to ourselves brothers, if indeed those who call for unity in America are sincere enough, those who call themselves canonical Hierarchs, why until now they have not withdrew their Bishops in one city where multiple jurisdiction is prevalent. I my own opinion, it should be the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) who should be given presidency re on unity in America since they were the one autocephaly by The Russian Orthodox Church… but then again why, simply because they overlook what the Canon says on this matter and continue establishing their own diocese and installing their own Bishop… not the unlike the parishes under the Jerusalem Patriarchate, what they have only are representatives.
How easy for one Bishop to authorize the use of liturgical rite foreign to her practice if not, not clear for Filipinos. Where is conciliarity on this matter now? When the western rite was allowed and the Liturgy of St. Gregory and other western rites were revived, it has the blessing of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church during the time of Patriarch Tikhon.
I am saying these because the thing that we don’t want to happen in the Philippines which might creation confusion and sensationalize by fundamental Christian sects happened already by claiming the Philippines as one of Met. Paul Saliba’s jurisdiction and being him as the primate.
Again, as a Filipino I cannot partake on this joy not even as an Orthodox Christian not because I don’t want my fellow country men to embrace Orthodoxy like Sohma Hatori or any Filipino who happened to read this. We want to have a correct understanding of Orthodoxy and live the ethos of this faith… we Filipinos are very religious but please don’t bring anymore confusion in our country as we are divided already by politics and dead spirituality of Western thinking and religion.
I apologize if I offended anyone here. Rest assured that this is going to be my last posting. I hope and I pray like Filpiniana, that an Antiochian priest or Greek priest or Filipino priest will give communion to Greek or Antiochian or Russian or Filipino or perhaps ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS IN THE PHILIPPINES.
What I want to have in the Philippines, is just simply Orthodoxy, the way of life that we members need to embark and practice (orthopraxia)… not by numbers but by quality!
May this Great Lent and coming Pascha bring us Peace!
John