Letter to Secretary of State John Kerry

Source (ACOB)

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Download the Letter in PDF format

The Honorable John Kerry

United States Secretary of State

Dear Secretary Kerry,

We, the Members of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, kindly bring to your attention the urgent and very serious plight of the Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox Archbishops of Aleppo, Paul Yazigi and Yohanna Ibrahim, who were abducted this past week by “a terrorist group” in the village of Kfar Dael as they were carrying out humanitarian work.

Since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, religious minorities have not only come under increasing attacks by Islamic fundamentalist rebels, but also have been caught in the crossfire of the opposing factions. As you well know, on April 22, 2013, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released a report entitled Protecting and Promoting Religious Freedom in Syria. Religious minorities, including the Christian population, have been targeted for extinction in an attempt to create an Islamic State in Syria and to impose Sharia Law as the law of the land. To that end, Christian clerics have been kidnapped and murdered, even as they tried to bring aid and comfort to their people in this war torn country, while others are still missing, taken captive by rebel forces.

We fervently beseech you to immediately call for and actively work towards the immediate release of Archbishops Paul Yazigi and Yohanna Ibrahim, especially as Orthodox Christians around the globe are preparing to celebrate the Resurrection of OurLord and Savior Jesus Christ on May 5th. We would further hope that the United States government, which has always been a champion of civil rights and religious freedom and defends the dignity and safety of every individual, would exert pressure on all parties in Syria to stop the killing of innocent people and restore freedom of religion and respect for all religious minorities.

We are indebted to you and others within the administration for your tireless efforts. As Orthodox Christians, the most appropriate way to express this appreciation is to continue to pray for all our civil authorities. May the Lord bless and keep you: The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. (OT Book of Numbers 6:24-26).

Archbishop Demetrios, Chairman of the Assembly of Bishops

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Metropolitan Philip, 1st Vice Chairman of the Assembly of Bishops

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of New York and all North America

Archbishop Justinian, 2nd Vice Chairman of the Assembly of Bishops

Russian Orthodox Church in the USA

Bishop Basil, Secretary of the Assembly of Bishops

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America

Metropolitan Antony, Treasurer of the Assembly of Bishops

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA Eastern Eparchy

Metropolitan Iakovos

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago

Metropolitan Methodios

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston

Metropolitan Isaiah

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver

Metropolitan Alexios

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta

Metropolitan Nicholas

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Detroit

Metropolitan Savas

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh

Metropolitan Gerasimos

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco

Metropolitan Evangelos

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey

Bishop Andonios

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Bishop Demetrios

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago

Bishop Sevastianos

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Metropolitan Athenagoras

Holy Metropolis of Mexico

Metropolitan Nikitas

Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute in Berkley, CA

Bishop Gregory

American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA

Bishop Daniel

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA Western Eparchy

Bishop Ilia

Albanian Orthodox Diocese

Archbishop Joseph

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Los Angeles and the West

Bishop Antoun

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Miami and the Southeast

Bishop Thomas

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic

Bishop Alexander

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada & Upstate New York

Bishop John

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Worcester and New England

Bishop Anthony

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest

Bishop Nicholas

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, Bishop of Brooklyn and Assistant to the Metropolitan

Metropolitan Hilarion

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Eastern America and New York Diocese

Archbishop Alypy

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Chicago and Mid-America Diocese

Archbishop Kyrill

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, San Francisco and Western America Diocese

Bishop Peter

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Administrator of Chicago and Mid-America

Diocese

Bishop Theodosy

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Vicar – San Francisco and Western America Diocese

Bishop George

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Vicar – Eastern America Diocese

Bishop Jerome

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Bishop John

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Bishop-in-Charge of Old Ritualist Parishes

Bishop Longin

Serbian Orthodox Church, Chicago and Mid-America Diocese

Bishop Mitrophan

Serbian Orthodox Church, Eastern American Diocese

Bishop Maxim

Serbian Orthodox Church, Western American Diocese

Archbishop Nicolae

Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas

Bishop Ioan Casian

Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas

Metropolitan Joseph

Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church of the USA, Canada, and Australia

Bishop Daniil

Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church of the USA, Canada, and Australia

Metropolitan Dimitri

Georgian Orthodox Church, Dioceses of Batumi & Lazeti and America

Metropolitan Tikhon

Orthodox Church in America, Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

Archbishop Nathaniel

Orthodox Church in America, Romanian Orthodox Episcopate

Archbishop Nikon

Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of New England and Albanian Archdiocese

Archbishop Benjamin

Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of San Francisco and the West

Bishop Melchisedek

Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania

Bishop Michael

Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of New York and New Jersey

Bishop Alexander

Orthodox Church in America, Bulgarian Diocese

Bishop Irineu

Orthodox Church in America, Romanian Orthodox Episcopate

Bishop Mark

Orthodox Church in America

Metropolitan Sotirios

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto

Bishop Christoforos

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto

Metropolitan Yurij

Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada

Bishop Ilarion

Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada

Bishop Andriy

Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada

Archbishop Gabriel

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Bishop Iov

Russian Orthodox Church

Bishop Georgije

Serbian Orthodox Church

Bishop Irénée

Orthodox Church in America, Archdiocese of Ottawa and Canada

Bishop Pankratij

Holy Metropolis of Mexico

Metropolitan Antonio

Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Mexico, Venezuela, Central America & the Caribbean

Bishop Ignatius

Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Mexico, Venezuela, Central America & the Caribbean

Archbishop Alejo

Exarchate of Mexico Orthodox Church in America

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Metropolitan Philip II

Source, Acton Institute.

“He alone can in truth call himself sovereign who is master of himself, who is not subject to his passions and conquers by charity.”

Born Theodore Kolychev, Metropolitan Phillip II of Moscow, a saint of the Orthodox Church, took the name Philip when he was tonsured a monk at the monastery of Solovski in northern Russia, on an island in the White Sea. Though his father had been a minister in the court of Basil III, he chose instead the life of a monk at one of Russia’s most remote monasteries.

Having advanced to the point of living as a hermit in the nearby forest, Philip succeeded the abbot Alexis as head of the monastery at the latter’s request. As abbot, Philip set about to improve the monastery by encouraging a strong work ethic and developing salt production for the monastery to fund many enterprising projects. In all of these enterprises, Philip added his own physical labor to the efforts.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, a new sovereign had taken the throne: the Grand Prince Ivan IV, the first to take the title “Tsar [Caesar] of all Russia,” but better known to history as “Ivan the Terrible.” His paranoia over political intrigue led him to form a not-so-secret police, the Oprichniki, and through them to commit brutality against his own people, earning him his fearful epithet. When Athanasius, Metropolitan of Moscow, resigned his post in protest, Ivan, who despite his ruthlessness was an admirer of Philip, called Philip to fill the now vacant office of head of the Orthodox Church in Russia. Reluctant to accept, Philip requested that Ivan disband the Oprichniki, which enraged Ivan. Nonetheless, Ivan conceded to Philip the right of intercession on behalf of the Church and people.

Philip saw his role as Metropolitan of Moscow differently than Ivan, once saying to the latter, “If I do not bear witness to the truth, I render myself unworthy of my office as a bishop. If I bow to men’s will, what shall I find to answer Christ on the Day of Judgment?”

After 18 months of relative respite for the people of Moscow, Ivan the Terrible again set loose his Oprichniki after hearing rumors of a conspiracy between members of the aristocracy and the king of Poland, slaughtering countless innocents. In the face of such atrocities, Philip used his right of intercession and boldly denounced Ivan’s brutality, both privately and in public.

For Philip’s bold defense of the people and exercise of the freedom and responsibility of the Church, Ivan had him tried and convicted on false charges. He had Philip deposed of his office and imprisoned, moving him from monastery to monastery to distance him from Moscow. However, seeing how the people followed Philip out of their love for him, Ivan sent an assassin—one of his Oprichniki— under the guise of a messenger requesting Philip’s blessing for the Tsar’s expedition to Novgorod. Seeing through the charade, Philip simply said to him, “My friend, do what you have come to do,” and raised his hands in prayer. The sinister messenger took hold of Philip and suffocated him to death with a cushion, making him a martyr for his faith.

Much loved for his life of service to both Church and country, he is commemorated three times a year in the Orthodox calendar of saints: January 9, July 3, and October 5. Indeed, for his defense of the independence of the Church from the state and of human life in the face of oppression and tyranny, Metropolitan Phillip II of Moscow shines as a beacon of light at a dark time for liberty in Russia and remains a model for all those who take a stand for such freedoms today.

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American Individualism and Orthodox Asceticism

A new blog site, Ethika Politika, has published my essay exploring American individualism in light of the ascetical tradition of the Orthodox Church. Here’s the conclusion:

American individualism is not intrinsically immoral nor is it an anthropological heresy. For all America’s real faults and sins, it is founded on — and until recently preserved by — an ascetical intuition that helped Americans avoid the excessive of both the radical individualism of the Enlightenment and of pre-Modern aristocratic authority. The Puritan work ethic, the US Constitution’s separation of powers, our Bourgeois virtues, and commitment to Civil Rights all reflect that aspect of the American character that takes seriously the need to correct what is worse in us so that what is best in us can shine forth. Americans are not by any stretch of the imagination monks, but we are, in our way and when we are our best selves, an ascetical people nonetheless.

For the whole essay go here.

In Christ,

+Fr Gregory

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