Difference between revisions of "Holy Orthodox Church in North America"

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[[Image:Holy Transfiguration Brookline.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, Massachusetts]]
  
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The '''Holy Orthodox Church in North America''' or '''HOCNA''', also known as the '''Panteleimonites''' or as '''HTM - Boston''' is a jurisdiction whose [[monastery|monasteries]] and [[parish]]es originally formed under the auspices of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]].  After breaking from the Greek Archdiocese and being received into the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]], it broke from the latter in 1986 after allegations of sexual misconduct at [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)]] in Brookline, Massachusetts. HOCNA regards itself as being the last true remnant of the Orthodox Church.
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The '''Holy Orthodox Church in North America''' (or "HOCNA"; also known as "the Panteleimonites") is an [[Old Calendarists|Old Calendarist]] jurisdiction, headquartered at [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)]], initially formed by former members of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]] who joined the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] in the 1960's in protest of the excessive ecumenical activities of Patriarch [[Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople]] and Archbishop [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America]]. Following the suspension of the abbot and founder of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Archimandrite Panteleimon (Metropoulos), by the ROCOR in December, 1986, for multiple accusations of sexual immorality, the monastery and its supporting communities left the ROCOR and following a brief period under two independent Old Calendarist bishops in Greece, were received by the Old Calendarist Synod of Archbishop Auxentios of Athens. HOCNA is not in communion with any mainstream Orthodox church.
  
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==History==
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==HOCNA today==
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===Within the Greek Archdiocese===
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The ''Holy Orthodox Church in North America'' is an Eparchial Synod with parishes and monastic communities in the United States, as well as Europe and Central America. Today HOCNA consists of five monastic communities and 13 parishes.  Their monastic communities are well known world wide for their incense, hand painted icons and mounted icon photographs, pure beeswax candles, vestments and clerical clothing.  Also, since the founding of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, the brotherhood has dedicated themselves to producing translations of texts necessary for Orthodox Church life. Many books of the lives of the Saints and concerning matters of the Faith have been published. Especially, out of desire to benefit the Church, liturgical books of primary importance have been translated into English and published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery: ''A Prayerbook for Orthodox Christians'',  ''The [[Pentecostarion]]'', ''The Great [[Horologion]]'', the complete 12-volume set of The [[Menaion]] and ''The [[Psalter]] According to the Seventy''. Some patristic works have also been translated and published, most notably ''The [[Ladder of Divine Ascent]]'', ''The Ascetical Homilies of Saint [[Isaac the Syrian]]'', and ''The [[Synodicon of Orthodoxy]]''.  HOCNA has published ''The Struggle Against Ecumenism'', the most extensive history of the "True Orthodox Church" available in English[http://www.homb.org/Sword.htm] and also has published a series of [http://homb.org/PUBs07-23-05.pdf tracts] on the spiritual life, contemporary Church issues, and moral issues.
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[[Archimandrite]] [[Panteleimon (Metropoulos)]], the leader of HOCNA, had grown up in the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]]. During his time in the Greek Archdiocese, he was able to use his considerably charisma to attract many to the monastic life, founding [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]] along with a convent, and a number of [[parish]]es formed under his influence. He had been [[tonsure]]d as a monastic on [[Mount Athos]] where he was advised, because of the allegedly increasing [[modernism]] and [[ecumenism]] of Archbishop [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America]], the [[primate]] of the Greek Archdiocese, to break from that jurisdiction and join himself and his followers to the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]].  And so in the mid-1960s, Panteleimon disavowed the authority of Iakovos and joined with the ROCOR.
 
  
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===Break with ROCOR===
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===Hierarchs, Metropolises and Parishes===
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In January 1986, four former members of Holy Transfiguration Monastery came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against the monastery's superior, Fr Panteleimon. In response to these allegations, the synod of bishops of the [[ROCOR]] set up a commission to investigate HTM; the commission consisted of Archbishop [[Anthony (Sinkevich) of Los Angeles]] and Bishop [[Alypy (Gamanovich) of Chicago and Detroit]].  
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Today, HOCNA consists of Holy Transfiguration Monastery and an estimated 13 parishes throughout the United States, the most famous of which is St Nektarios American Orthodox Cathedral in Seattle, Washington[http://www.stnectariospress.com/]. Administratively, HOCNA is divided into 3 metropolises - Boston, Seattle, and Toronto. HOCNA currently has four hierarchs. With the exception of Gregory, all were monks at Holy Transfiguration Monastery for ten years or more.
  
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The commission presented its findings to the next meeting of the Synod, held in Mansonville, Canada. Six accusers presented testimony to the Synod. Fr Ephraim, Dean of the New England Deanery. spoke in defense of Fr Panteleimon. Fr Panteleimon was questioned, denied the allegations, but agreed to be relieved of his duties as superior. On May 16/29, 1986, the Synod suspended Panteleimon and appointed Fr Isaac as temporary administrator. In a subsequent meeting of the Synod, on November 12/25, 1986, the Synod suspended both Panteleimon and Isaac, and order a commission to investigate allegations against Isaac. Fr Justin was appointed as administrator.
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* Gregory, Metropolitan of Boston, President of the Holy Synod
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* Makarios, Metropolitan of Toronto
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* Andrew, auxiliary Bishop of Markham
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* Ephraim, retired Metropolitan of Boston
  
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In December 1986, despite the decisions of the Synod, the Holy Transfiguration Monastery elected Isaac as its superior. Then, on [[December 12]], 1986, the monastery notified Metropolitan [[Vitaly (Ustinov) of New York]] that it was leaving ROCOR because of modernism and ecumenism.  
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In 2011, after several years of controversy over the autonomous canonical status of HOCNA and the relatively recent controversy regarding the posthumous salvation of non-Orthodox taught by Metropolitan Ephraim and Archimandrite Panteleimon, the entire Metropolis of Portland (along with its bishops, Metropolitan Moses and his suffragan Bishop Sergius) and all the parishes of the Metropolis of Toronto were received by the [[Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America]]. Other clergy, including the dean of clergy of the Metropolis of Boston and rector of Holy Nativity Convent, also joined the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America along with the above clergy and bishops.<ref>Fr. Panagiotes Carras. ''[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrthodoxInfo/message/862 An Announcement].'' YAHOO! Groups - OrthodoxInfo. Fri Jun 3, 2011 2:35am.</ref>
  
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Fr Alexey Young in his history of the ROCOR writes that a few weeks before the schism, Fr Panteleimon had this to say about the ROCOR:
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In 2012, after continuing disputes involving accusations of heresy against Metropolitan Ephraim and Archimandrite Panteleimon, and further revelations regarding the sexual abuse allegations against Archimandrite Panteleimon, a majority of parishes, Bishop Demetrios of Carlisle, and 17 monks of Holy Transfiguration Monastery leave HOCNA for the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America under Metropolitan Pavlos. ''[http://nftu.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Chronology-Of-Name-worshipping-In-HOCNA.pdf]]"
  
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"The Synod Church [the ROCOR] is a real standard of Orthodoxy.... Therefore, discerning where the Truth is found, we remain in unity under our bishops in the midst of many trials...because grace abides in the Synod.... We uphold our Synod primarily and foremostly as a standard of Orthodoxy. All others have betrayed the Truth. This was demonstrated of late by the election of our new Metropolitan [Vitaly]...."
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On March 21, 2013, it was [https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzJKrDVZPwcvMWgxQ0MweHN2dTg/edit?pli=1 announced] that what remained of the Holy Orthodox Church in North America had entered into communion with the True Orthodox Church of Greece (Synod of Archbishop Makarios of Athens) as a "Sister Church".
  
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===Overtures with the Old Calendar Greeks===
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===Monastic communities===
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On [[August 19]] / [[September 1]], 1986, the Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR formally deposed Panteleimon, Isaac, and all the clergy who followed them into the schism [http://www.hocna.info/ROCOR_Statement_December_1986.shtml]. The Synod stated that "...all the clergymen who have withdrawn with Archimandrite Panteleimon who dare to celebrate the divine services, ignoring their suspension, and thus violate the canons and pronounce upon themselves a sentence of condemnation."
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====United States of America====
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*[[Holy Ascension Skete (York, Maine)|Holy Ascension Skete]], York, Maine
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*[[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]], Brookline, Massachusetts
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*[[Convent of the Meeting of the Lord (Stanwood, Washington)|Convent of the Meeting of the Lord]], Stanwood, Washington
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*[[Holy Nativity Convent (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Nativity Convent]], Brookline, Massachusetts
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* [[Hermitage of St. Mary Magdalene (Warrenton, Virginia)|Hermitage of St. Mary Magdalene]], Warrenton, Virginia
  
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Panteleimon and HTM then joined a synod of the Greek [[Old Calendarists|Old Calendarist]] movement headed by Akakios of Diavlia and Gabriel of the Cyclades. After ROCOR forwarded documents about Panteleimon to Akakios and Gabriel, the latter quit the synod. Finding itself with only one bishop, HTM started negotiations with another synod, that of Archbishop [[Auxentios of Athens]] (the so-called "Auxentiites"). Despite warnings from Akakios and Panteleimon's previous opinion of Auxentios, whom he called the "garbage pit of Orthodoxy" (Auxentios was deposed for ordaining a homosexual to the episcopate for an undisclosed sum of money), HTM quit Akakios and joined the Auxentiite synod.
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====Republic of Georgia====
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*Hermitage of Saint Maximus the Confessor, Abastumani.
  
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In 1995, Maximos of Kephalonia replaced Auxentios. He then asked ROCOR for the same documentation that was provided to Akakios and Gabriel. Upon receiving the documentation, Maximos quit the synod, leaving HTM and the bishops ordained by Auxentios. The latter incorporated a new organization called the '''Holy Orthodox Church in North America''' or '''HOCNA'''.
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====Greece====
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*Convent of the Annunciation, Oinoussae, Chios
  
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== HOCNA today ==
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====Russia====
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Today, HOCNA consists of Holy Transfiguration Monastery and an estimated 30 parishes throughout the United States and Canada, the most famous of which is St Nektarios American Orthodox Cathedral in Seattle, Washington[http://www.stnectariospress.com/]. Administratively, HOCNA is divided into 3 metropolises&mdash;Boston, Seatle, and Toronto. HOCNA has three hierarchs:
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*Holy Dormition Convent, Chubayevo, Chuvashia
  
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* Ephraim, Metropolitan of Boston
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==References==
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* Makarios, Metropolitan of Toronto
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<div><references/></div>
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* Moses, Bishop of Roslindale, Massachusetts
 
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All three were monks at HTM under Panteleimon.
 
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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* [http://www.hocna.net/ HOCNA Metropolis of Boston]
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===Official HOCNA Sites===
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* [http://www.hocna.org/ HOCNA Web-Publication] (unofficial?)
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* [http://www.homb.org/ HOCNA Metropolis of Boston]
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* [http://quietlightcandles.net/ Convent of the Meeting of the Lord] Candle Shop Website
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Anti-HOCNA publications:
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* [http://thehtml.org Holy Transfiguration Monastery]
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* [http://www.hocna.info/ A website created by victims of Holy Transfiguration Monastery]
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* [http://www.holynativityconvent.com/ Holy Nativity Convent]
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* [http://www.pokrov.org/controversial/htmon.html HOCNA information on Pokrov website]
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* [http://www.stjohntheconfessor.com/ St. John the Confessor Orthodox Church], Ipswich, MA.
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* [http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/hocna_facts.htm Fr John Whiteford: articles about HOCNA]
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* [http://www.saintannas.org/ St. Anna's Orthodox Church], Roslindale, MA.
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* [http://www.saintphilaret.org/ St. Philaret Orthodox Mission Chapel], Chicopee, MA.
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[[Category:Jurisdictions]]
 
  
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==Second Version==
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===Anti-HOCNA websites and documents:===
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The '''Holy Orthodox Church in North America''' or '''HOCNA''', whose ruling Archbishop was Archbisop Auxentios of Greece, now falls under the spiritual guidance of His Eminence's Metroplitan Makarios of Toronto, Metroplitan Ephraim of Boston and Metroplian Moses of Seattle. After breaking from the Greek Archdiocese and being received into the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (aka ROCOR), it broke from the latter in 1986 after HOCNA felt ROCOR was following the "Ecumenical Movement". Today, HOCNA consists of many monastic communities, missions and parishes throughout the United States, Canada, Greece, Russia, Georgia, Africa and South America. HOCNA regards itself as being the last true remnant and defender of the True Orthodox Church.
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* [http://www.hocna.info/ A website created by former members of Holy Transfiguration Monastery]
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* [http://www.pokrov.org/controversial/htmon.html Allegations against HOCNA on Pokrov website]
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* [http://www.saintjonah.org/articles/hocna_facts.htm Fr John Whiteford's articles about HOCNA]
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* [http://nftu.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Chronology-Of-Name-worshipping-In-HOCNA.pdf Collection of documents pertaining to the accusations of heresy and the scandals concerning Fr. Pateleimon by former clergy of HOCNA.]
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* [http://nftu.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/FrJohntoMetrEphraim.pdf Open Letter of Fr. John Fleser of St. Anna's Orthodox Church (HOCNA) to Metropolitan Ephraim concerning the name-worshipping heresy and Fr. Panteleimon's admission of guilt regarding sexual abuse allegations.]
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* [http://www.hocna.info/LetterFrSergiusRecentEventsHTM.shtml Letter of Fr. Sergios, former monk of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, on the heresy and immorality of Fr. Panteleimon.]
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* [http://onimyaslavie.blogspot.com/ Facts about name-worshipping]
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* [http://www.pokrov.org/display.asp?ds=Article&id=1941 Article in The National Herald], from the November 29, 2012 edition, on the sexual abuse charges against Fr. Panteleimon.
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* [http://forthosewhohaveearstohear.blogspot.com/ Who Has Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear], "the truth about why so many Orthodox Christians have left HOCNA for the GOC"; compiled by former monks, clergy and faithful of HOCNA
  
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==History==
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===See also===
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===Within the Greek Archdiocese===
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* [[w:Holy Orthodox Church in North America|HOCNA on Wikipedia]]
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[[Archimandrite]] Panteleimon (Metropoulos), the Elder of the monastic communities within HOCNA, had grown up in the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]].  During his time in the Greek Archdiocese, through his Christian example and love for God was able to attract many to the monastic life, founding Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery along with Holy Nativity Convent, and a number of [[parish]]es formed under his spiritual guidance.  He had been [[tonsure]]d as a monastic on [[Mount Athos]] where he was advised, because of the allegedly increasing [[modernism]] and [[ecumenism]] of Archbishop [[Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America]], the [[primate]] of the Greek Archdiocese, to break from that jurisdiction and join himself and his followers to the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]].  And so in the mid-1960s, Elder Panteleimon seeing the increasing separation from the true teachings of the Orthodox Church by Archbishop Iakovos, decided to join the ROCOR.
 
  
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===Break with ROCOR===
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[[Category:Old Calendarist Jurisdictions]]
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The break with ROCOR was primarily due to change in spiritual direction of ROCOR after His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret reposed.  As a result, members of HOCNA decided to leave ROCOR and search for true defenders of the Orthodox Church.
 

Revision as of 15:50, August 17, 2015

Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, Massachusetts

The Holy Orthodox Church in North America (or "HOCNA"; also known as "the Panteleimonites") is an Old Calendarist jurisdiction, headquartered at Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts), initially formed by former members of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America who joined the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in the 1960's in protest of the excessive ecumenical activities of Patriarch Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople and Archbishop Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America. Following the suspension of the abbot and founder of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Archimandrite Panteleimon (Metropoulos), by the ROCOR in December, 1986, for multiple accusations of sexual immorality, the monastery and its supporting communities left the ROCOR and following a brief period under two independent Old Calendarist bishops in Greece, were received by the Old Calendarist Synod of Archbishop Auxentios of Athens. HOCNA is not in communion with any mainstream Orthodox church.

HOCNA today

The Holy Orthodox Church in North America is an Eparchial Synod with parishes and monastic communities in the United States, as well as Europe and Central America. Today HOCNA consists of five monastic communities and 13 parishes. Their monastic communities are well known world wide for their incense, hand painted icons and mounted icon photographs, pure beeswax candles, vestments and clerical clothing. Also, since the founding of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, the brotherhood has dedicated themselves to producing translations of texts necessary for Orthodox Church life. Many books of the lives of the Saints and concerning matters of the Faith have been published. Especially, out of desire to benefit the Church, liturgical books of primary importance have been translated into English and published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery: A Prayerbook for Orthodox Christians, The Pentecostarion, The Great Horologion, the complete 12-volume set of The Menaion and The Psalter According to the Seventy. Some patristic works have also been translated and published, most notably The Ladder of Divine Ascent, The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian, and The Synodicon of Orthodoxy. HOCNA has published The Struggle Against Ecumenism, the most extensive history of the "True Orthodox Church" available in English[1] and also has published a series of tracts on the spiritual life, contemporary Church issues, and moral issues.

Hierarchs, Metropolises and Parishes

Today, HOCNA consists of Holy Transfiguration Monastery and an estimated 13 parishes throughout the United States, the most famous of which is St Nektarios American Orthodox Cathedral in Seattle, Washington[2]. Administratively, HOCNA is divided into 3 metropolises - Boston, Seattle, and Toronto. HOCNA currently has four hierarchs. With the exception of Gregory, all were monks at Holy Transfiguration Monastery for ten years or more.

  • Gregory, Metropolitan of Boston, President of the Holy Synod
  • Makarios, Metropolitan of Toronto
  • Andrew, auxiliary Bishop of Markham
  • Ephraim, retired Metropolitan of Boston

In 2011, after several years of controversy over the autonomous canonical status of HOCNA and the relatively recent controversy regarding the posthumous salvation of non-Orthodox taught by Metropolitan Ephraim and Archimandrite Panteleimon, the entire Metropolis of Portland (along with its bishops, Metropolitan Moses and his suffragan Bishop Sergius) and all the parishes of the Metropolis of Toronto were received by the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America. Other clergy, including the dean of clergy of the Metropolis of Boston and rector of Holy Nativity Convent, also joined the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America along with the above clergy and bishops.[1]

In 2012, after continuing disputes involving accusations of heresy against Metropolitan Ephraim and Archimandrite Panteleimon, and further revelations regarding the sexual abuse allegations against Archimandrite Panteleimon, a majority of parishes, Bishop Demetrios of Carlisle, and 17 monks of Holy Transfiguration Monastery leave HOCNA for the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America under Metropolitan Pavlos. [3]]"

On March 21, 2013, it was announced that what remained of the Holy Orthodox Church in North America had entered into communion with the True Orthodox Church of Greece (Synod of Archbishop Makarios of Athens) as a "Sister Church".

Monastic communities

United States of America

Republic of Georgia

  • Hermitage of Saint Maximus the Confessor, Abastumani.

Greece

  • Convent of the Annunciation, Oinoussae, Chios

Russia

  • Holy Dormition Convent, Chubayevo, Chuvashia

References

  1. ↑ Fr. Panagiotes Carras. An Announcement. YAHOO! Groups - OrthodoxInfo. Fri Jun 3, 2011 2:35am.

External links

Official HOCNA Sites

Anti-HOCNA websites and documents:

See also

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