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| | [[Image:Holy Transfiguration Brookline.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, Massachusetts]] | | [[Image:Holy Transfiguration Brookline.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, Massachusetts]] |
| − | 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)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]] in Brookline, Massachusetts, citing ROCOR following the ecumenical movement.
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| − | Today, HOCNA consists of five monastic communities and twenty-two parishes, missions and chapels throughout the United States; two monastic communities and seven parishes and missions in Canada; one chapel in Byelorussia, one hermitage and 3 parishes in Georgia, seven convents and one parish in Greece, four parishes and missions in Kenya, one convent and three parishes in Russia, five churches in Uganda, and one church in the Ukraine. HOCNA regards itself as being the last true remnant of the Orthodox Church.
| + | ''The first part of the article is under mediation and is being revised by [[User:FrJohn]]. Please check back in a little while.'' |
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| − | ==History==
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| − | ===Within the Greek Archdiocese===
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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 attracted many {{citation}}<sup>'': approximate number?''</sup> to the monastic life, founding [[Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts)|Holy Transfiguration Monastery]] and with a Holy Trinity Convent. A number {{citation}}<sup>'': approximate number?''</sup> of [[parish]]es also formed under his influence. He had been [[tonsure]]d as a monastic on [[Mount Athos]] where he was advised {{citation}}<sup>'': person's name?''</sup>, 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 and those who followed him joined ROCOR.
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| − | ===Break with ROCOR===
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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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| − | 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 ordered a commission to investigate allegations against Isaac. Fr Justin was appointed as administrator. | |
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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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| − | 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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| − | "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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| − | ===Overtures with the Old Calendar Greeks===
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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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| − | 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, as well as Panteleimon's previous opinion of Auxentios (once calling him the "garbage pit of Orthodoxy" because Auxentios was deposed for consecrating a homosexual to the episcopate for an undisclosed sum of money), HTM quit Akakios and joined the Auxentiite synod.
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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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| | ==HOCNA today== | | ==HOCNA today== |
Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, Massachusetts
The first part of the article is under mediation and is being revised by User:FrJohn. Please check back in a little while.
HOCNA today
The Holy Orthodox Church in North America is an Eparchial Synod with parishes and monastic communities in Canada and the United States, as well as Europe and Africa. Today HOCNA consists of nine monastic communities with a total of almost 100 monastics and 62 parishes with an estimated 6000 faithful. 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: 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 30 parishes throughout the United States and Canada, the most famous of which is St Nektarios American Orthodox Cathedral in Seattle, Washington[2]. Administratively, HOCNA is divided into 3 metropolises - Boston, Seatle, and Toronto. HOCNA has five hierarchs. All except one (Sergios) were monks at Holy Transfiguration Monastery for ten years or more.
- Ephraim, Metropolitan of Boston
- Makarios, Metropolitan of Toronto
- Moses, Metropolitan of Seattle
- Sergios, Suffragan Bishop of Loch Lomond (and abbot of St. Gregory of Sinai Monastery)
- Demetrius, Suffragan Bishop of Carlisle
Monastic communities
United States of America
- Hermitage of the Annunciation, York, Maine
- Holy Apostles Hermitage, York, Maine
- Holy Ascension Skete, York, Maine
- Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, Massachusetts
- St. Gregory of Sinai Monastery, Kelseyville, California
- Convent of the Meeting of the Lord, Stanwood, Washington
- Holy Nativity Convent, Brookline, Massachusetts
- Hermitage of St. Mary Magdalene, Warrenton, Virginia
Canada
Republic of Georgia
- Hermitage of Saint Maximus the Confessor, Abastumani.
Greece
- Convent of the Annunciation, Oinoussae, Chios
Russia
- Holy Dormition Convent, Chubayevo, Chuvashia
External links
Official HOCNA Sites
Anti-HOCNA publications:
HTM's Defense
Holy Transfiguration Monastery has made available to following documents in order to refute some of the accusations made against them:
