somewhere on here, i saw where juvenaly stated that the tikhonite and josephite catacmob churches joined ROAC. i cannot find it now, of course, which explains the lack of a direct quote. at any rate, he did state that these two catacomb churches had joined ROAC.
not having heard anything about either church prior to seeing them listed in the "traditional orthodox chruches" category on the forum here, i asked who had been the head of either or both of these churches, and when they joined ROAC. when no answer was forthcoming, i commented that this unfortunately seems to be 'business as usual' for ROAC supporters on this forum-statements seemingly pregnant with meaning and weight are casually tossed off, yet no references or sources are listed-nothing in the way of proof to back up these statements is ever offered.
in light of the "catacomb church" website ik just found, i would like to ask again: which "catacomb churches" joined ROAC? who headed these churches? how many hierarchs were in these churches? did these churches join as an entity (that is, the entire church), or only some members of these churches joined ROAC? i think anyone would agree that only some people joining ROAC would certainly not justify such a statement as "the tikhontie and josephitye catacomb churches joined ROAC." and, if this statement is not justified-why was it made? did juvenaly have incomplete or incorrect information? where did he come by that information? in some quarters there seems to be a great admiration for the catacomb church; with that understood, it would seem to me to be a quite serious matter to claim that these catacomb churches "joined ROAC" (and what juvenaly said certainbly seemed to indicate that he meant both churches joined ROAC lock, stock, and barrel-that is, entire memberships and hierarchies) if they indeed did not. and, again, if they indeed did not, i think an explanation would be in order here as to just exactly why this claim was made.
in perusing the "katakombnaya tserkov" website, liksted in the links section of the eusphrosynos cafe portal, i found two references to hioerarchs: in a document dated from 1992, there was reference to Schema-Metropolitan Feodosii and Metropolitan Epifanii of the "Tikhonovskoi Katakombnoi Istinnoi Pravoslavnoi Tserkvi" (the "Tikhonite Catacomb True Orthodox Church"). in a document dated from 2003 (pronouncing a clergyman as a heretic and 'anathema'-) there was reference to Schema-Metropolitan Feodosii, Archbishop Vasilii, Archbishop Adrian, Archbishop Ioann, and Bishop Vladimir; somewhat confusing was the fact that this church is now named as the "Seraphimo-Gennadievskaya Vetvi Katakombnoi Tserkvi" (i have absolutely no idea what this means-i think there is a wonderking icon of the Most of God names "Seraphimo-Gennadievskaya;" "vetvi"-i have no clue!) i assume these two were the same as both listed Schema-Metropolitan Feodosii as their head, and both documents were found on the same "Catacomb Church" website.
i also looked at the ROAC website, which lists the following hierarchs: Metropolitan Valentin, Archbishop Feodor, Archbishop Seraphim, Archbishop Victor, Bishop Antony, Bishop Ilarion, Bishop Timofei, Bishop Amvrossy, Bisho Geronty, Bishop Gregory and another Bishop Antony-noen of which share the names of any of the "Tikhonovskoi Katakombnoi" hierarchs.
so, can anyone enlighten us as to the relations, or lack thereof, between the "Tikhonite and Josephite Catacomb Churches" and ROAC? obviously, since a website currently in existence certainly indicates an independent existence for the "Tikhonite Catacomb Church," can it indeed be claimed accurately that this church "joined ROAC"? if this "Tikhonite catacomb Church" did not join ROAC as was claimed, are they in communion with ROAC? if not, can anyone offer explanations of that siutation? it does not seem that there is any representation of members of either the Tikhonite of Josephite Catacomb Churches on this forum; perhaps, however, there is someone who is knowledgable about these groups.
if one or both of these groups are indeed legitimate and continuing Catacomb Churches, in my mind, and i would think others-it certainly brings up the question as to why be associated with the relatively johnny-come-lately ROAC in the face of the existence if a g ebnuine Catacomb Church!
mwoerl