|
Mar-May 2006 - Developments |
|
The Secret War in the OCA: The Battle Over Alaskan Land
An exchange of letters between +Herman and +Nikolai from 2003 reveals the nature of
the controversy and raises more troubling questions about the administration and finances of the OCA,
in a battle that has lasted decades. [5/18/2006] |
|
OCA Administrative Committee: Tens of Thousands in Cash Missing
The official minutes of the extraordinary Administrative Committee meeting, confirm that
"tens of thousands of dollars" from the general fund, as well as from other designated accounts, are missing.
[5/5/2006] |
|
Metropolitan Herman and Bishop Tikhon (West) Call for Each Other's Retirement
In a pointed exchange of letters over the past three weeks Metropolitan Herman and
Bishop Tikhon have both called on the other to consider immediate retirement. [5/2/2006] |
|
Lesser Synod Confirms Widening Of Investigation
The OCA has confirmed for the first time that the ongoing investigation into financial misconduct
at Syosset has widened. [4/28/2006] |
|
Metropolitan Herman Presides at Lesser Synod Meeting
The Lesser Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, under the chairmanship of
the Primate, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, met at the OCA Chancery here on Thursday, April 27, 2006.
|
|
Lesser Synod Meeting Today (4/27)
While no agenda has been published, the Lesser Synod of the OCA clearly has its plate full
as it plans the agenda for the annual Spring gathering of all OCA Diocesan Bishops at the end of May.
[4/27/2006] |
|
Fr. Thomas Hopko's Letter to the Metropolitan Council
In the letter to the Metropolitan Council by Fr. Thomas Hopko, former dean of St.
Vladimir's Seminary, outlines some of the challenges currently facing the OCA. [4/12/2006] |
|
+Tikhon Continues to Insult +Herman in Public Forum
"He [+Herman] apparently has those advisors (Karl Rove, Cheney types) who tell him
'You're the Metropolitan, You can do what you want, write what you want, live where you want, hire
anybody you want at any rate of compensation you want, and anybody who contradicts you is a liar.'
The Metropolitan wouldn't be the first to listen to such advisors. [4/10/2006] |
|
Bishops Nikolai and Tikhon Ban Metropolitan Letter
"No letters from any other hierarch can be read or posted in any publications of my
diocese without my blessing. I have given no blessing for this to be read, published or discussed.
The only Archpastoral letters that I am approving are the Paschal and Nativity ones until
further notice." [4/6/2006] |
|
Metropolitan Herman Takes Full Responsibility, Apologizes In Archpastoral Letter
"I wish to state unequivocally that I take full responsibility for what may have happened
during my service as Primate of the Church. If I have failed in any way to do that, I ask for your
forgiveness and God’s guidance to enable me to undertake whatever corrective measures may
still be necessary." [4/5/2006] |
|
+Tikhon to +Herman: Resign, Retire or Be Deposed
In the concluding paragraphs of his letter dated March 24 to Metropolitan Herman,
Bishop +Tikhon offers the Primate of the OCA three stark choices: resign, retire or face deposition. +Tikhon
proceeds to viciously insult, belittle, and attack +Herman and other prominent OCA priests, including
Fr. Thomas Hopko. [4/4/2006] |
|
+Tikhon Viciously Attacks Fr. Thomas Hopko
In his Letter to Metropolitan Herman of March 24, 2006, Bishop +Tikhon also viciously
and savagely insults, attacks, and belittles Fr. Thomas Hopko and his life's work. [4/4/2006] |
|
West Withholds Assessments as +Tikhon Protests Kondratick’s Dismissal
At the urging of Bishop Tikhon, the Diocesan Council of the OCA’s Diocese of the West voted
last week to withhold all payments to the OCA until the next meeting of the Holy Synod. The surprising
decision was taken, according to a March 24th letter of Bishop Tikhon addressed to Metropolitan Herman,
in protest to the Metropolitan’s recent administrative decisions. [3/30/2006] |
|
Orthodox Church in America Fires Chancellor, Brings in New Auditor
The Wall Street Journal - Faced with a former employee's allegations of financial
mismanagement, the Orthodox Church in America said Thursday that it had fired the church's chancellor and
hired outside firms to audit church finances. [3/17/2006] |
|
Orthodox Church launches financial probe
Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Confronting serious charges of financial mismanagement,
the head of the Orthodox Church in America has authorized a full investigation and ousted his chief aide.
[3/17/2006] |
|
Fr. Kondratick Relieved of Duties as OCA Chancellor
In response to questions regarding financial accountability, the Administrative Committee of
the Metropolitan Council of the Orthodox Church in America met today in Extraordinary Session at the
church headquarters in Syosset, New York. [3/16/2006] |
|
Mixed Signals From Syosset [OCA]
Despite repeated pleas for 'order' by the Synod of Bishops, recent statements by top church
officials themselves to the press and on the Internet are adding to the consternation of clergy and laity
as the OCA scandal receives growing national attention. [3/14/2006] |
|
Accusations swirl around leaders of OCA
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - The accusations, squelched for six years as church financial officials and even a bishop
sought an investigation, now are shouted to the world on the Internet. Former insiders from church
headquarters in Syosset, NY, say that, from 1996 to 2002, millions of dollars in grants and charitable
gifts were siphoned into two unaudited accounts. [3/12/2006] |
|
Major Diversion of OCA Funds Confirmed
There can be no dispute that obvious ethical lapses – lapses bordering on outright fraud –
have continued year after year, in the form of Appeal funds that are diverted from their intended purposes.
Syosset’s own documentation now fully confirms this practice and pattern. [3/10/2006] |
|
What The Bishops Said
What the Bishops said last Wednesday (3/1) hardly bears repeating. What they did not say,
though, is most revealing. [3/4/2006] |
|
Orthodox Leaders Reject Call for Audit
The Washington Post - Leaders of the Orthodox Church in America, facing allegations that
they mismanaged millions of dollars, rejected calls for an immediate investigation but promised to follow
better accounting procedures in the future. [3/3/2006] |
|
Orthodox Church in America wracked by financial scandal
Religion News Service - A former treasurer of the Orthodox Church in America is charging
that millions of dollars in church funds were misspent in the 1990s, a charge that church hierarchs have
been loath to discuss — until now. [3/3/2006] |
|
Orthodox bishops OK audit of 5 years
Associated Press - With a former church treasurer leveling charges of financial
mismanagement, bishops of the Orthodox Church in America decided at a special meeting Wednesday to order
audits and work toward tighter fiscal controls. [3/3/2006] |
|
Statement of the OCA Holy Synod of Bishops
The Holy Synod of Bishops of The Orthodox Church in America, under the chairmanship of the
Primate, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, met in Extraordinary Session. [3/1/2006] |
|
