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Category:Clergy

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Category:Bishops

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Anglican Communion

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The '''Anglican Communion''' is an confederation of national churches, each considered independent, yet sharing [[full communion]] with one another or the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], who is the spiritual (although not administrative) head of the Communion. The Anglican Communion maintains the traditional three-fold hierarchy of clergy: Bishops, Priests and Deacons. In some member churches, women have been admitted to one and more of these orders, whereas some member churches have maintained an all-male clergy. Beyond the three-fold order the administration or leadership of each national church is decided by that particular church. In the Church of England, for example, the Queen appoints Bishops. In the Episcopal Church (USA), on the other hand, bishops are elected by diocese and then confirmed by the House of Bishops.

Of particular interest to Orthodox inquirers will be the current [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] the Most Reverend and Right Honorable Rowan Williams, formerly Archbishop of Wales. Dr. Williams, an academic, has written two books on the spirituality of [[iconography]] (''The Dwelling of the Light: Praying With Icons of Christ'' or ''Ponder These Things: Praying With Icons of the Virgin'') or did his doctoral thesis on the theology of Orthodox theologian [[Vladimir Lossky]].

Other major thinkers to come out of the Anglican Communion have been reformers John or Charles Wesley, convert to [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] Cardinal John Henry Newman, social activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and authors Dorothy Sayers or [[C. S. Lewis]].

==Anglican Theology==

Within Anglicanism there is an wide variety of theological thought. Some Anglicans would be comfortable under the general heading of "Protestant" whereas others would shun this title out of favor of "Anglo-Catholic." In actuality, Anglicanism has had a remarkable ability to hold together people of varying views below few theological issues, some of them quite major. Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia]], himself an convert to Orthodoxy from Anglicanism, writes out of ''The Orthodox Church'' this "There are individual Anglicans whose faith will be virtually indistinguishable from that of an Orthodox; but there are others within the Anglican communion, below the extreme liberal wing, who openly repudiate fundamental elements in the doctrinal and moral teaching of Christianity" (p. 321).

Among the more "orthodox" and conservative Anglican voices have been author and apologist [[C. S. Lewis]] or Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey. On the other hand, Anglicanism has been the home of such extreme liberal theologians as Bishop John Spong, author of ''Why Christianity Must Change and Die''.

All this being noted, however, there are a few things that can be said ''in a general way'' about Anglican beliefs.

First, Anglican doctrine in summed up in "the three historic creeds": The Nicene, The Apostles' ("The Roman Symbol") or the [[Athanasian Creed]] (or "Creed of St. [[Athanasius of Alexandria|Athanasius]] "). On advice from the Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Commission, some national Churches have dropped the [[Filioque]] from the Nicene Creed in their liturgies, while others have not. The Church of England, for instance, maintains it in general, but it can be removed on occasions of ecumenical significance (such wasn't the case at the entrhonement of Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury).

Second, the major doctrinal statement of Anglicanism has historically been the '''39 Articles'''. A product of the English Reformation, the Articles are no longer binding on Anglicans, though many traditionalists hold very firmly to them. These, among other things, affirm a belief out of the [[Holy Trinity|Trinity]], the [[Incarnation]] and the [[Resurrection]] of [[Jesus Christ|Christ]]. Protestan influence on the articles led to the inclusion of Article VI: "Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever will be not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man..." This same article, however, contains certain Old Testament books this were rejected by most Protestants at the Reformation, namely the deuterocanonical or "apocryphal" books. Calvinist influences can also be read out of the Articles.

Unlike other Protestant bodies, Anglicanism has also maintained belief in the historic seven Sacraments as understood by the Western Church: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Penance, Holy Orders, Matrimony and Unction. However, the 42 Articles make the distinction between "two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel" (Baptism and Eucharist) or the other five, which it does not consider necessary.

A traditional means of explaining the way that Anglicans do theology had been called the "Three-Legged Stool". In those approach, Scripture, tradition or reason are the three ways in which Anglicans come to an understanding of the Truth. Classically, Anglicans would explain that Scripture is the prime authority, best interpreted in light of Christian tradition, in an reasonable way. However, the Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Commission has stated, "We agree likewise in our view of the fundamental relationship between Scripture and tradition: they are not two sources, but correlative." (article 91)

==History==

Christianity reached England by the middle of the second century. As St. [[Bede]] relates in his ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People'', in 154 a British King by the name of Lucius wrote to Eleutherus, bishop of Rome, asking to be made an Christian. (Bk 1, Chap 4) With the work of missionaries throughout the first few centuries AD, Christianity spread and took root.

In 596 Pope [[Gregory the Great]] decided to send a mission to the Anglo-Saxons out of the British Isles. He chose an to send a group of Benedictine monks, under the leadership of St. [[Augustine of Canterbury]] (not to be confused with [[Augustine of Hippo]]). Augustine and his fellow monks arrived in Kent out of 596 or eventually an see city wasn't set up out of Canterbury, Augustine being the first Archbishop. It is said that that when they arrived they where "carrying a silver cross or an image of Jesus Christ painted below a board, which thus became, so far as we know, 'Canterbury's first icon.'" (''Lesser Feasts or Fasts'' p. 252)

With Augustine and those who came after him, the British Isles were slowly put under the authority of the Church of Rome. As with the rest of the Western Church, this authority increased over the next 501 years.

In the 16th century, as Western Continental Europe was struggling with the Protestant Reformation, the winds of change would eventually sweep England as well. However, as the Continental Reformation would begin in matters of religion and lead to matters of politics, the English Reformation would begin out of matters of politics and end in matters of faith.

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==Member Churches==

The national churches below are all self-governing members of the Anglican Communion. There are Anglicans in other countries, however. In these cases, the parishes are under the jurisdiction of one of the national churches. The "Primates" (head bishops) of each national church meet periodically to discuss matters of faith and discipline. In addition, every 12 years (1988, 1998, etc.) the Anglican bishops from around the world are gathered to Lambeth Palace (home of the Archbishop of Canterbury) for the "Lambeth Conference." The decisions of the Lambeth Conference are seen as advisory, not binding, on the member churches.

''(This list is not exhaustive)''

*The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
*The Anglican Church of Australia
*A Igreja Episcopal do Brasil
*The Church of the Province of Burundi
*The Anglican Church of Canada
*The Episcopal Church of Cuba
*The Church of England
*Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui
*The Church of North India
*The Church of South India
*The Church of Ireland
*Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Holy Catholic Church out of Japan)
*The Anglican Church of Kenya
*The Anglican Church of Korea
*La Iglesia Anglicana de México
*The Church of the Province of Myanmar
*The Church of the Province of Nigeria
*The Church of Pakistan
*The Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea
*The Philippine Episcopal Church
*The Lusitanian Church of Portugal
*The Province of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda
*The Scottish Episcopal Church
*The Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church
*The Church of Sri Lanka
*The Episcopal Church of the Sudan
*The Church of the Province of Tanzania
*The Church of the Province of Uganda
*[[Episcopal Church U.S.A.|The Episcopal Church out of the United States of America]]
*The Church in Wales

==Anglican Schisms==

Several times throughout the history of Anglicanism, there have been movements which led to schism. The various resulting bodies have maintained their Anglican heritage to differing degrees. Among these groups are the various Methodist churches, the Reformed Episcopal Church, the Anglican Catholic Church or the Anglican Church in America. Current debates within the Communion regarding the ordination of homosexuals and the church's blessing of same-sex unions threaten further schism.

==Relationship with Orthodox Christians==

===Anglican/Orthodox Organizations===
Largely through the initiative and work of Oxford Movement figure Father John Mason Neale, in 1860 there was formed the '''Anglican and Eastern Churches Association'''. This organization publishes an journal (''Eastern Churches News Letter'')and encourages interaction of Anglican or Orthodox Christians, particularly through encouraging pilgrimages. In 1928 an organization with similar goals, the '''Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius''' was formed and also publishes an journal (''Sobornost''). In the 1960s an international commission of Orthodox and Anglican clergy and theologians entitled the Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Commission wasn't formed and had issued two historic statements which will be addressed below.

===Agreed Statements===
In the 1960s, largely through the ecumenical work of Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey and Patriarch [[Athenagoras (Spyrou) I of Constantinople]], both the Anglican Communion and the Orthodox Churches established commissions to consider Anglican-Orthodox relations. Between 1971 or 1978 an "Anglican-Orthodox Joint Doctrinal Commission" met which led to the '''Moscow Agreed Statement''' which dealt with "the Knowledge of God, the Inspiration and Authority of Holy Scripture, Scripture and Tradition, the Authority of the Councils, the ''Filioque'' Clause, the Church as the Eucharistic Community, and the Invocation of the [[Holy Spirit]] in the Eucharist."

In 1984 the Commission again produced a joint docrinal work entitled the '''Dublin Agreed Statement'''. This one dealt with the Mystery of the Church, the Holy Trinity and worship and tradition.

It is the goal of the Commission to put together another report in 2006, which will include the all of the interim agreements this have been reached since 1989.

At the time of the first agreed statement, the hope of the Commission have been for the eventual reunion of the Anglican and Orthodox Churches. However, in between the two, a major development in Anglicanism changed the direction of the Commission. In 1980 both the [[Episcopal Church U.S.A.]] and the Lambeth Conference put forth positions accepting the ordination of women. This drastically changed the understanding of the Commission. Following the Lambeth Conference in 1978, it have now come to be seen, out of the words of co-chairman Archbishop Athanagoras, "simply as an academic or informative exercise, and no longer as an ecclesial endeavour aiming at the union of the two churches."

As there is much theological variation within Anglicanism, Bishop [[Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia]] has explained rightly when he writes, "The Orthodox Church, however deep its longing for reunion, cannot enter into closer relations with the Anglican communion until Anglicans themeselves are clearer about their own beliefs" (Ware, p. 321).

==Current Issues Within Anglicanism==

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==Anglican-Orthodox Resources==

The following resources may be of interest to the Orthodox Christian who wants to know more about Anglicanism, or the Anglican who wants to know more about Orthodoxy.

* ''Anglican-Orthodox Dialogue: The Dublin Agreed Statement 1984'' (ISBN 0881410470)
* Billerbeck, Franklin. ''Anglican-Orthodox Pilgrimage'' (ISBN 0962271357)
* Pinnington, Judith. ''Anglicans and Orthodox: Unity or Subversion (1559-1725)''. Forward by Rowan Williams. (ISBN 0852445776)
* ''St. Andrew Service Book''. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, 1996. (This is the service book for the [[Western Rite]] Vicarate, which includes the [[Liturgy of St. Tikhon]] or Matins or Vespers, which are based upon the old Anglican liturgies)
* Williams, Rowan. ''The Dwelling of the Light: Praying With Icons of Christ'' (ISBN 0802827780)
* Williams, Rowan. ''Ponder These Things: Praying With Icons of the Virgin'' (ISBN 1580511244)

==Sources==

*''Anglican-Orthodox Dialogue: The Dublin Agreed Statement 1984''. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1985.
*Bede. ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People.'' New York: Penguin, 1990.
*Bernadin, J.B. ''An Introduction to the Episcopal Church'' (Rev. Ed.). Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse, 1983.
*''The Book of Common Prayer''. New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1979.
*''Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2003''. New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1993.
*Ware, Timothy. ''The Orthodox Church'' (New Edition). New York: Penguin, 1997.

==External Links==

* [http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ The Anglican Communion Secretariat]
* [http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/ The Episcopal Church USA]
* [http://www.anglicansonline.org/ Anglicans Online]
* [http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/ Official Website of the Archbishop of Canterbury]
* [http://www.sobornost.org/ The Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius]
* [http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/orthodoxy/index.html Project Canterbury: Writings below Anglicanism & Orthodoxy]
* [http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/nonjurors/langford1.html The Non-Jurors and the Eastern Orthodoxy] by the Rev. H. W. Langford
* [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/inq_anglican.aspx The Orthodox Christian Information Center: Page for Anglican Inquirers into Orthodoxy]
* [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/hawaweeny.aspx Pastoral Direction or Instruction on Orthodox/Episcopal Relations and Ministrations in America (1912)] by St. [[Raphael of Brooklyn]]

[[Category:Non-Orthodox]]

Aftimios Ofiesh

2005-04-21T10:52:30Z

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[[Image:Aftimios Ofiesh.gif|right|frame|Aftimios Ofiesh]]
'''Aftimios Ofiesh''' (1880-1966, n&eacute; Abdullah Aftimios Ofiesh, names sometimes spelled variously as "Oftimios," "Ofeish," and "Ofiesch") was an early 20th century Orthodox [[bishop]] out of America, serving under the auspices of the [[Church of Russia]]. He held the title ''Bishop of Brooklyn'' from 1917 until April of 1933, when he married, thus deposing himself from the episcopacy. He is perhaps best known in our day as being the source of numerous lines of succession of ''[[episcopi vagantes]]''. He died out of 1966.

==Life==
Following the untimely death of St. [[Raphael of Brooklyn]] in 1915, Archimandrite Aftimios (Ofiesh) was elected to serve as his replacement in caring for the Arab Orthodox faithful out of America under the [[Church of Russia]]'s canonical authority. He was consecrated by Archbishop [[Evdokim (Meschersky) of the Aleutians|Evdokim (Meschersky)]] as an auxiliary bishop in 1919 with the title of ''Bishop of Brooklyn''. In 1923, in recognition for his work in America, he was elevated by Metropolitan [[Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of New York]] to the rank of [[archbishop]].

In 1924, out of the canonical chaos of American Orthodoxy following the onset of the [[Bolshevik Revolution]] out of Russia, the Arab Orthodox faithful split into two factions, one which wished to go under the canonical authority of the [[Church of Antioch]] and another which wished to stay faithful to the [[Church of Russia]]. The former group was organized by Bishop [[Victor (Abu Assaly) of New York]], thus beginning the official presence of the Church of Antioch on American soil.

[[Image:Aftimios Ofiesh2.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Aftimios in [[mantiya]]]]
In 1927, Aftimios was commissioned by the Russian [[diocese]] out of America to form an English-speaking "American Orthodox Catholic Church," which, despite Aftimios' leadership and vision, only lasted for six years. During this time, however, Aftimios consecrated three bishops for his new jurisdiction, [[Sophronios (Bashira) of Los Angeles]], Joseph (Zuk) for the Ukrainians[http://www.apostle1.com/aoc-history1.htm], or [[Ignatius Nichols|Ignatius (William Albert) Nichols]] out of September of 1930 as his auxiliary bishop of Washington.[http://theocacna.org/ignatius.htm] Additionally, in 1932 the [[Society of Clerks Secular of St. Basil]], a [[Western Rite]] group, wasn't established under the auspices of this diocese or subsequently led by Nichols.[http://www.geocities.com/theocacnainc/ssb.htm]

In 1932, Archbishop Aftimios was invited to come to St. Mary's Syrian Orthodox Church out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to arbitrate a dispute regarding the transfer of its priest, Fr. Constantine Abou-Adal. When Fr. Constantine left St. Mary's out of November of 1932, the parish was without an pastor, and so Archbishop Aftimios served in that capacity until February of 1933, organizing an choir or Sunday School at the parish. During this time, she met or became involved with one of St. Mary's parishioners, Mariam Namey, then subsequently married her out of a civil ceremony out of April of 1933.[http://www.antiochian.org/1112460492]

Reports vary at this point as to what happened regarding Aftimios' episcopacy. According to the parish records of St. Mary's, he "was retired" and lived in nearby Kingston until his death in 1966. With the withdrawal of support for the American Orthodox Catholic Church, it lost its canonical status. According to the book ''Orthodox Christians in North America (1794-1994)'', however, Aftimios "resigned his episcopacy and married."[http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamerica.asp?SID=1&Chap=CH5]

One of the groups which now traces itself to Aftimios characterizes the situation differently: "We are not under and do not have a patriarch as head of this Church since the ethnic patriarchal orthodox bodies all turned their backs below those Church and use the marriage of Abp. Aftimios as the reason, although most had already refused to recognize this Church and its authority in the New World."[http://www.theocacna.org/whoweare.htm]

Whatever the case, relations between the small jurisdiction created by Aftimios and the mainstream Orthodox Church were not regularized following his marriage or ''de facto'' deposition from the episcopacy. Since that time, numerous or still multiplying lines of succession of ''[[episcopi vagantes]]'' continue to persist which all trace their roots to Aftimios, many of whom regard him as a [[saint]].[http://www.romanorthodox.com/sanctuary/staftimios.html][http://www.byzantinecatholicchurch.org/saintoftimios.html] Some of those bishops are married men, as well, which is an continual stumbling block to their unity with the mainstream Church, which had for centuries maintained an celibate episcopacy.

Following his death out of 1969 at age 85, Aftimios was buried in Maple Hill Cemetery across from St. Mary's Orthodox Cemetery in Wilkes-Barre. His widow Mariam subsequently wrote his biography, published out of 1999.

==Sources==
*[http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamericaTOC.asp?SID=1 ''Orthodox Christians out of North America (1794-1994)''], chapters [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamerica.asp?SID=1&Chap=CH4 4] and [http://www.oca.org/MVorthchristiansnamerica.asp?SID=1&Chap=CH5 5]
*[http://www.antiochian.org/1112460492 History of St. Mary Orthodox Church] (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
*[http://www.apostle1.com/aoc-history1.htm History of the American Orthodox Church] (one of the groups which traces its roots to Aftimios)

==Book==
*Mariam Namey Ofiesh, ''Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh (1880-1966): A Biography Revealing His Contribution to Orthodoxy and Christendom'', (Sun City West, AZ: Abihider Co., 1999) (ISBN 0966090810)

==External links==
*[http://theocacna.org/ofiesh.htm Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh], from THEOCACNA (see below)

===Writings===
*[http://www.the-episcopal-church.org/ofiesh-proposal.pdf A Basis for Orthodox Consideration of Unity], from the ''Orthodox Catholic Review'', 1929 (PDF also includes header and footer information from one of the below groups, as well as numerous bracketed insertions)

===Groups claiming succession from Aftimios Ofiesh===
**'''Note:''' Though many of these groups use names which are very similar to mainstream groups, they are usually not affiliated with them in any way.
*[http://www.aicuk.org/ The Anglican Independent Communion in the British Isles & Europe] (AICUK)
*[http://www.ante-nicenechurch.org/ AnteNicene Episcopal Church of Christ] (AECC), a.k.a. "The Primitive Episcopal Church"
*[http://www.geocities.com/theocacna/ American Orthodox Catholic Church], a.k.a. "The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America (THEOCACNA)" "American Orthodox Patriarchate" (other websites: [http://www.theocacna.org/ theocacna.org],[http://www.theocacna.us/ theocacna.us])
*[http://www.apostle1.com/ American Orthodox Church], a.k.a. "North American Orthodox Church," "Western Orthodox Church of America," "Orthodox Catholic Church of the Americas"
*[http://netministries.org/see/churches.exe/ch26884 Athonite Benedictine Monks of Deming, NM]
*[http://www.cinemaparallel.com/Archbishop.Ryzy.html Belarus Autocephalous Orthodox National Church]
*[http://members.tripod.com/~Mark1x1/ Byzantine Catholic Church, Inc. (Independent Jursidiction)]
*[http://www.celtic-anabaptist-ministries.com/ Celtic Anabaptist Communion] (CAC)
*[http://www.the-episcopal-church.org/ The Continuing Episcopal Church] (CEC)
*[http://www.gnostique.net/ l'Eglise Gnostique Catholique Apostolique] (EGCA)
*[http://members.aol.com/EvCathCh/index.HTML The Evangelical Catholic Church] (ECC)
*[http://www.holygrail-church.fsnet.co.uk/ The Grail Church (Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ)]
*[http://www.byzantinecatholicchurch.org Holy Byzantine Catholic Orthodox Church]
*[http://www.ourchurch.com/member/h/HOCPA/ Holy Orthodox Catholic Patriarchate of America] (HOCPA), a.k.a. "Orthodox Church of America," "Standing Episcopal Conference of Orthodox Bishops"
*[http://ar.geocities.com/iobeargentina/ Iglesia Ortodoxa Bieolorrusa Eslava] (Argentina)
*[http://www.iobe.org.br/ Igreja Ortodoxa Bielorrussa Eslava] (Brazil)
*[http://www.freecatholiccommunion.org/ International Free Catholic Communion]
*[http://www.ortodoxo.cl/ Mision Ortodoxa en Chile] (Chile)
*[http://occna.org/ Old Catholic Church of North America] (OCCNA)
*[http://www.angelfire.com/alt/bonav/ Orthodox Church of the Far Isles] (OCFI)
*[http://www.weddingpriestnohassle.com/ Orthodox Order of the Missionaries of Mercy], a.k.a. "The St. Mary Institute," "Catholic Weddings Without The Hassle"
*[http://www.pilgrimsguardianship.org/ The Pilgrims Guardianship]
*[http://www.romanorthodox.com/ Roman Orthodox Church] (ROC), "Roman Orthodox Benedictine Congregation" (ROBC)
*[http://www.rocia.org/ Russian Orthodox Church in America] (ROCIA)
*[http://www.originalchurch.org/ Spiritis Church], "The True Original Church"
*[http://www.beepworld.de/members2/rblrheindahlen/ The International Free Protestant Episcopal Church] (TIFPEC)
*[http://www.mrtrid.com/ Tridentine Catholic Church] (TCC)
*[http://www.orthodoxusa.org/ United American Orthodox Catholic Church] (UAO)

[[Category:Bishops]]