EDITORIAL
The Disinformation Machine Rolls On: An Imaginary Schism Takes Hold
http://www.roac.tk
9.08.2004. In an apparent response to disparaging comments on the Internet, the Website of Dormition Skete-- which previously listed only former Archbishop Gregory of Denver as the entire Synod of the Autonomous Russian Church-- now lists the majority of the Synod, minus Metropolitan Valentin of Suzdal. This was apparently done to imply that the Synod of the AROC agrees with Archbishop Gregory, although the Synodal actions taken indicate quite the opposite. The incredibly ridiculous position now taken on the Skete website means that the acting head of the Synod, according to Archbishop Gregory, is Archbishop Theodore of Sanino, who signed Protocol 48 removing Archbishop Gregory from the communion of the Church. Even more odd is that both protocols removing Archbishop Gregory from the communion of the Church are on the website.
Archbishop Theodore was not actually consulted in his sudden "election to the primacy" of the AROC and therefore is not aware that, according to the Denver schism, he is now the new first hierarch of the Church.
The other Bishops were not consulted either-- sadly meaning that they did not get a chance to take part in the momentous occassion of the establishment of a new Primate of the AROC from the hallowed halls of Dormition Skete.
For our part, NFTU's editor is also a little upset that he was not consulted. One could imagine that once news organs in Russia get a hold of the fact that Archbishop Theodore has "become the new first hierarch", they too will feel slighted, since Archbishop Theodore did not so much as tell them about it (which is forgivable, since he didn't actually know).
We must remember that the person most upset will likely be the Secretary of the Hierarchal Synod-- when he finds out that he was not even given opportunity to dispute his sudden elevation to the primacy, since, according to our Church's hierarchy, parishes, clerical and lay leadership, information bureaus, et cetera, the head of the Church is still Metropolitan Valentin, who, after his mysterious "removal" by the hand of Archbishop Gregory, went to the Baltics on a pastoral visit.
One must give the spinmeisters of Dormition Skete credit for being so creative. After all, such an incredibly inconsistent level of deception was certainly not taken into account in terms of gauging, precisely, to what depths the Skete would sink to justify themselves.
But the sad fact remains: in the Skete's attempts to make life appear normal in the schismatic world they have created, they ignore their own words. Now the "Buena Vista Bunch" seeks invisible and unwitting support from what they only days before referred to as "Metropolitan Valentin's paper Synod".
It would appear that the AROC's "paper Synod", unconsulted in their "elevation of a new primate" by the hand of Archbishop Gregory, is still worth more than the alternative faced just weeks ago by the former Archbishop and his followers--life as a Synod of one. NFTU