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title “His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah, former Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All-America and Canada”.
[[Image:Jonah Paffhausen.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Metr. Jonah at his election as metropolitan]]
His BeatitudeEminence, the Most Blessed Reverend '''Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington''' is was the [[primate]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA)until the Holy Synod of Bishops requested and accepted His Eminence's resignation on [[July 7]], 2012. He was elected as metropolitan on [[November 12]], 2008, and was formally [[enthronement|enthroned]] on [[December 28]], 2008, in Washington, D.C. Metr. Jonah is also the first convert to the Orthodox faith to be elected as the OCA's primate.
==Life==
After graduation from UCSC, James went on to study at [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]], graduating in 1985 with an M.Div. and again in 1988 with an M.Th. in Dogmatic Theology. In 1989, he began doctoral studies at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, but interrupted his studies to spend a year in Russia, working for ''Russkiy Palomnik'' in the publishing arm of the Moscow Patriarchate. During his time in Russia, he was introduced to Russian spirituality and its particular form of monastic life.
He eventually joined [[Valaam Monastery]] as a [[novice]], coming under the spiritual direction of Archimandrite [[Pancras (Zherdev) of Valaam|Pankratiy]], the monastery's [[abbot]]. Fr. Pankratiy's spiritual father, Elder [[Cyril (Pavlov)|Kyrill ]] of [[Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra|Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra]], later blessed James to become a [[hieromonk]].
In 1994, James was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] and [[priest]]hood, and then in the following year, he was [[tonsure]]d a monastic at [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)|St. Tikhon's Monastery]], South Canaan, Pennsylvania, receiving the name Jonah.
Eleven days later, on [[November 12]], Bishop Jonah was elected Metropolitan of the OCA at the 15th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America in Pittsburgh. His formal [[enthronement]] in Washington, D.C., was on [[December 28]], 2008, at [[St. Nicholas Cathedral (Washington, D.C.)|St. Nicholas Cathedral]].
After an episcopate that became increasingly controversial, Metr. Jonah submitted a resignation as the first hierarch of the OCA on [[July 6]], 2012.<ref>[http://oca.org/news/headline-news/metropolitan-jonah-tenders-resignation] Metropolitan Jonah tenders resignation</ref> On [[July 16]], 2012, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the OCA issued a "Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah".<ref>[http://oca.org/PDF/NEWS/2012/2012-0716-holy-synod-statement.pdf] Statement from the Holy Synod Regarding the Resignation of Metropolitan Jonah</ref>
{{start box}}
title=[[Diocese of Washington and New York (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington and New York]], <br>[[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2008-2009|
after=—[[Michael (Dahulich) of New York|Michael (Dahulich)]]<br><font size="-2">''Bishop of New York and New Jersey''</font>}}
{{succession|
before=—|
title=[[Diocese of Washington (OCA)|Archbishop of Washington]], <br>[[OCA|Metropolitan of All America and Canada (OCA)]]|
years=2009-present2012|after=—[[Tikhon (Mollard) of Washington|Tikhon (Mollard)]]}}
{{end box}}
==References==
<references/>
==Sources==
[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:21st-century bishops]]
[[Category:Bishops of Fort Worth]]
[[Category:Bishops of New York]]
[[Category:Bishops of Washington]]
[[Category:Metropolitans of the OCA]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity|Paffhausen]]
[[Category:Converts to Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism|Paffhausen]]
[[Category:St. Vladimir's Seminary Graduates]]
