Metropolitan PHILIP Responds to GOARCH establishing Arab Vicariate

www.antiochian.org

August 7th, 2008

To: The Esteemed Hierarchs, Members of The Archdiocese Board of
Trustees, Clergy and Faithftil of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox
Christian Archdiocese of North America:

On August 5, 2008, The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America issued a
press release which established a vicariate with the name 'Vicariate for
Palestinian/Jordanian Communities in the USA'. The membership of this
vicariate will consist of those communities in the USA which were
originally part of the Patriarchate of Antioch, but most recently (since
1993) were uncanonically claimed by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. From
an historical perspective, it has been clear since the disintegration of
Orthodox unity which existed in North America until 1917, that the
Arabic-speaking Orthodox people in North America have been exclusively
under the pastoral care of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian
Archdiocese of North America. Similarly, the Greek-speaking Orthodox
people (e.g. Cypriot, Greek, Egyptian, Turkish, etc.) have always been
under the pastoral care of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
What reaction would occur if the Antiochian Archdiocese were to
establish a vicariate for Greek communities which separate themselves
from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese?!

These former "Jerusalem Patriarchate" communities separated themselves
from the Antiochian Archdiocese without canonical releases, and in some
cases are served by priests who are under canonical suspension. It is
important to point out that since this separation occurred in 1993 we
have taken extraordinary measures to reconcile these communities with
The Antiochian Archdiocese and have appealed to both the Patriarchate of
Constantinople and the Patriarchate of Antioch as well as others for
their assistance. Unfortunately, none of our numerous appeals for
intervention were answered.

As such, our directive of May 2, 2003 remains in force. To emphasize the
main point or that directive, the clergy of The Antiochian Archdiocese
are still forbidden from communing and/or concelebrating with any clergy
who are a part of this newly-formed "Vicariate far Palestinian/Jordanian
Communities in the USA" of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America,
whether in our parishes, their parishes, or as a part of pan-Orthodox
gatherings.

We lament this action by the Ecumenical Patriarchate which further
complicates the already uncanonical jurisdictional situation here and
continues to undermine the efforts of all Orthodox hierarchs of SCOBA to
achieve administrative unity and canonical normalcy in North America.

Praying that this urgent situation will be resolved in a spirit of
peace, harmony and love, we remain

Yours In Christ,
Metropolitan PHILIP
Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America

Copy to:
His Beadtude IGNATIUS IV, Patriarch of Antioch and All The East
His Holiness ALEXY, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
His All-Holiness BARTHOLOMEW, Patriarch or Constantinople
His Beatitude THEOPHILOS, patriarch of Jerusalem
All Hierarchs of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops
in America (SCOBA)

First read HERE.