Bishop Jerome's Flamboyant Behavior STOPPED !

[Barbara]

Good news ! The runaway train of Bishop Jerome's participation in Western-Rite activities has been summarily halted after an extraordinary Rocor-MP Synod session.

The embarrassment caused by the Rocor-MP's former Bishop of Manhattan must have reached new heights, for the Rocor-MP website admits
his most glaring mistakes :

"After exhaustive deliberation, IT WAS DECREED:

1) To halt the ordination of new clergymen for parishes adhering to the Western Rite.

2) To censure Bishop Jerome for his willfulness in administering the parishes adhering to the Western Rite, and in performing various ecclesial services not approved by the Synod of Bishops, and for criticizing his brethren in letters to clergy and laity.

3) To deny recognition of the ordination of a group of individuals by Bishop Jerome during a single divine service, and to regularize them following a thorough examination of the candidates.

4) To release Bishop Jerome from all duties, including those of Vicar of the President in administering Western Rite parishes, designating him as retired without the right to serve in the Synodal Cathedral “of the Sign” in New York, or to perform ordinations or award clergymen, and designating his place of residence at St Vladimir Memorial Church of the 1000th Anniversary of the Baptism of Russia in Jackson, NJ.

5) To bless Bishop Jerome to perform divine services within the confines of the Eastern American Diocese with the consent of its Ruling Bishop.

7) To establish a commission to examine the means of integrating clergymen and communities of the Western Rite into the liturgical life of the Russian Orthodox Church, consisting of: Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, President; Bishop George of Mayfield, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese; Protopriest David Straut of the Eastern American Diocese, and Protopriest Anthony Nelson of the Mid-American Diocese.

To address an epistle to the clergymen and communities of the Western Rite regarding the need for them to adopt the order of divine services of the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church, while preserving, when necessary, certain particularities of the Western Rite.

9) To emphasize our adherence to the rules and traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church in general and of the Russian Orthodox Church in particular."

http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2013/2013 ... eting.html

[StephenS]

I know very little of Bishop Jerome other than to have read a few threads here and there on these-called Western rite and seen a few photographs. In the latter he looked very much like another one of those wannabe clerics you come across from time to time, usually in company with a few similar but not quite authentic chums and an eccentric layperson or two.

Certainly pseudo-ROCOR appears to have reacted decisively in respect of this seeming maverick. What a shame they were not so attentive to maintaining the integrity of their formerly heroic jurisdiction.

[Barbara]

Good perceptive ability, Stephen.
You grasped from the little info circulating out there what the basic situation was.
By the way, I was looking for quite some time yesterday for that thread that has the links to pictures in order to add on
to that pre-existing one. Couldn't find it, though.

Outsiders cannot know much more than what was said there in the announcement, but I was impressed that they
came forward honestly with the retired-Bp Jerome's transgressions, even stating clearly that the former prelate had been speaking badly of other clerics.
That opens a window of truth into the workings of Rocor-MP, and makes its episcopate seem much more balanced and sober.
that they didn't hide this under the carpet but exposed the dark corners of this cleric's behavior for the world to evaluate.

I am sure there are a lot of sighs of relief being heaved up and down the East Coast of the U.S. !

Probably you didn't hear much, I would presume, because clergy and laity of the Rocor-MP would have been reluctant to speak out in public
before their Bishops made a ruling and thereby set the example to show what is not tolerable.

Every time someone draws a line at which behavior will NOT be acceptable, it makes them stronger and more credible.

By caving in and putting up with bad behaviors, the entire Rocor-MP looks bad unless strict action is taken to halt
such extra-curricular activities.

I want to say that I never have forgotten what a guy from a White Russian emigre family told
a mutual friend. He said, "Russians HATE WEAKNESS ; they LOVE STRENGTH".

He meant : caving in to intimidation or ridiculous demands makes a typical Russian [especially of the Soviet and post-Soviet era I susspect],to laugh derisively and not respect the person who capitulated imagining that that would keep the peace.

Whereas, a brave show of : "No, we will NOT stand to be pushed around" is the only way to handle a belligerent, blustering
apparatchik - type.

So, this is why I feel better when I see the Rocor-MP make efforts to carve out their own path and
steer clear of MP manipulations or demands. And firmly resist pressures to toe the MP Party Line.

I agree, Stephen, that one would hope they will try to break free and resume their old status as - you nicely characterized it -
"a heroic jurisdiction".

That's the right word, too, that I was searching for : decisive. It really was a breath of fresh air to read that calm but forceful
statement which not only reined in but punished a wayward cleric who was, after all, the face of the Rocor-MP Synod for New York and
much of the East Coast. The Bishop of Manhattan post has often been a stepping stone to the Metropolitanate. So it carried with it
enhanced importance. From reading the news published on the Rocor-MP website, ceremonial duties, like receiving foreign "guests" and clergymen of other jurisdictions seems to have compromised some of the role, too.
With a clownish character filling that role, the entire Rocor-MP prestige dipped.

God grant that they select or consecrate a Bishop for the Manhattan post who will be soundly Traditional and urge
the dissolution of that scary union agreement, with fierce courage.

Rather than playing costumes.

See next post, too.

[Maria]

I did an E Cafe search, (see advanced search box at the upper right side).

I found this website, but I think some pictures of Bishop Jerome have been removed.

http://www.allmercifulsavior.com/Western.html

[Barbara]

Yes ! If this is the same set, which I am sure it is, there ARE several missing [the ones which attracted the most
scorn and set eyes rolling].

Honestly, some of these people look a little daffy, and could be examples of those clergy received by Rocor=MP who
were not vetted or not carefully enough vetted.

My guess is : ego got to the former Bishop Jerome and he wanted to feel important by ordaining large numbers so they
would be all under his direction.
That would in turn lead to so many other problems that surely the Rocor-MP Synod must have had a field day discussing the topic.
The epistle does say "EXHAUSTIVE deliberation". It must have been a complex and difficult case.

Inspired by Maria's search, I looked up on the internet to see if there were any blogs which had commentary.
To my surprise, I looked at the link given for "Ad-orientem.blogspot.com" and found a lot of grumbling after its publication of this Epistle. The complainers seem to be mainly disgruntled Anglicans [but who cares about them ?!]

More seasoned observers showed up to counterract the whiners.
"Anonymous", one of several, states :

"As an Orthodox priest for 10 years, I spent a year at a WR parish (Antiochian). My agonized conclusion after several months of kidding myself is that the WR is truly an "Emperor without clothes"; an entity filled with people who indeed want to be High Anglican or pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic without women priests, homosexual bishops or a Pope. The Western Liturgy is sparse and arid, (some say simple and dignified), compared to the richness, depth, sobriety and joyfulness of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

"Anonymous [a previous Anonymous poster] is right on the mark stating that the Byzantine Liturgy is not "eastern" but universal. The whole raison d'etre for WR; keeping Western worship while embracing Orthodox belief seems to me rank ethnocentrism -- recognizing the truth of Orthodox belief, yet being unwilling to embrace the worship which reflects and expresses this belief. "Lex orandi, lex credendi." Can anyone really say that the Western Liturgy reflects Orthodox belief with any of the profundity of the Byzantine Rite.

"Three cheers for the ROCOR Synod of Bishops, who seem to be recognizing that the Emperor has no clothes."

ad-orientem.blogspot.com [See July 14 article]

Elsewhere, Anglican complainers sniffed that Rocor-MP went back to its Russian roots, as though that were a terrible betrayal !
It's amusing to see these reactions, a window into a different mentality.

[jgress]

I think you may have a somewhat rosy view of ROCOR-MP, Barbara. Try to talking to those who were opposed to the MP union and struggled to stop it. They weren't exactly treated well.

ROCOR under Met Lavr betrayed Orthodoxy when they joined the sergianist, ecumenist organization known as the MP. These are the big details we always have to remember.

[StephenS]

I think you may have a somewhat rosy view of ROCOR-MP, Barbara. Try to talking to those who were opposed to the MP union and struggled to stop it. They weren't exactly treated well.

ROCOR under Met Lavr betrayed Orthodoxy when they joined the sergianist, ecumenist organization known as the MP. These are the big details we always have to remember.

Sadly you are right, the days of Metropolitan Philaret are long gone and the heroic integrity that went with it.