Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles
The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles is a Greek Old Calendarist Orthodox Church with its principal see in New York and New Jersey. It is administered by Metropolitan John (Lobue) of New York and currently consists of three Bishops and two Bishops-elect. There are currently approximately 25 parishes and missions of the Synod in North America with missions in Latin America and Canada. It is currently not in communion with the mainstream Orthodox Churches due to their involvement in the ecumenical movement. The Metropolia is in communion with True Orthodox in Greece, Bulgaria, Russia and South America.
Early History
The history of the American Archdioceses of the “Milan Synod” predate the creation of a Western European Synod in 1984 by Archbishop Auxentios of Athens, but even this date predates the eventual splintering of the “Florinite”divisions of the True Orthodox Church of Greece. The two Archdioceses are the Archdioceses of Texas and of New York and New Jersey (elevated 1997).
Both Archdioceses were closely tied to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, figuring closely into Her recent as well as Her early history.
The election of the Bishop of Texas occurred in 1977 under Archbishop Joseph (McCormack), who was a spiritual son of Archbishop Palladius (Rudenko) and was made Bishop ten years earlier. The formation of the St Hilarion monastery in Austin, TX, predates the election of its Abbot as a Bishop by two years, and has, for the past twenty-seven years, been known as a center for Orthodox Monasticism in Texas. The Abbey of the Holy Name, the spiritual center of the Archdiocese of New York and New Jersey, has been the continuation of a monastic compound extending back 100 years. Archbishop John (LoBue) was originally the spiritual son of Metropolitan William Henry Francis (Brothers-- reposed 1979), who had been ordained as a Western-rite Bishop at St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral in 1931, and who had extensive ties to Metropolitan Anastassy of the Russian Church Abroad. Archbishop John was made abbot of the Monastery in 1973.
The gradual establishment of Traditional Orthodox communities, formed primarily of converts in the West, was a fact not lost on Archbishop Auxentios of Athens (+1994), who first established a West European Diocese in 1978 with the election of Archimandrite Gabriel to the Episcopate of Lisbon. Six years later, a second Bishop, Tiago of Lisbon was established for Western Europe, as well as a Patriarchal blessing to exist as an autonomous Body on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 1984. With this blessing, the Synod of the West grew well beyond its boundaries in Portugal at a rapid rate, while the Synod in Greece began to fall apart through repeated schisms. In 1990, the Western Synod elevated Bishop Evlogios of Milan to be Metropolitan, confirming the re-establishment of an Orthodox Episcopate in the see of St Ambrose for the first time since the schism of the West. The new Archbishop of Milan was chosen as Primate of the Synod of the West (hence the popular title “Milan Synod”) and became known for its stance against ecumenism as well as her frequent use of pre-schism Western services, something which was not well-understood within the Old Calendar community.
In 1990, the Western Synod entered into communion with Metropolitan Mystyslav of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Exile, which in 1991 became the Orthodox Patriarchate of Kyiv. In 1994, Patriarch Volodymyr, a former catacomb clergyman, recognized the autonomy granted by Archbishop Auxentios and confirmed it with his blessing before his death in 1995.
Sadly, however, the situation in Ukraine was to show to be similar to the one in Greece, as the Patriarchate of Kyiv would eventually split into factions. This factionalization forced the Bishops of the Synod of Milan to separate from the newly-elected Patriarch, former Bishop Filaret (Denisenko, of the Moscow Patriarchate.) Since then, the Milan Synod has not been in official communion with any particular Patriarchate, but maintains a friendship with all canonical Orthodox Churches.
In 1997, the Archdiocese of Texas and Archdiocese of New York and New Jersey were received into the Milan Synod through the rite of Cherothesia, to correct any perceived problems in the canonicity of the consecrations performed while associated with the various Ukrainian Orthodox splinter churches. The clergy of North America, prior to joining the 'Milan' Synod had composed a separated jurisdiction known as the Synod of Orthodox Bishops of the Western Rite, or sometimes known as the Western Orthodox Catholic Church. Because of perceived ambiguities in this matter, they were accepted through the rite of Cherothesia.
The Milan Synod's American Archdioceses operated under the formal headship of Archbishop HILARION of Texas until 2011, with a generally stable presence of approximately 25-30 parishes during this period.
Recent History
Discussions towards establishing an independent American Metropolitanate in communion with the See of Milan began in November of 2010. Previously the second ranking Archbishop for the United States, Archbishop John (LoBue) of New York was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of North and South America for the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles in Milan, Italy.
The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles was created by order of the Holy Synod of Milan on February 14/27, 2011.
Two new Bishops were elected to act as assistants to the Metropolitan. One was consecrated the week of February 27 (New Style) in Milan and the others were to be announced. Immediately after the formation of the new Metropolia, Metropolitan John of New York established formal relations with the True Orthodox Church of the Patristic Calendar under Metropolitan Anghelos of Avlonos in Greece, Metropolitan Gervasius of the True Orthodox Church of Bulgaria, and Metropolitan Raphael of the True Orthodox Church of Russia.
Schism
On March 5, 2011, Bishop Abundius of the Holy Synod of Milan announced that negotiations were taking place to unite the Synod of Milan to the Patriarchate of Moscow and that they rejected communion with anyone who did not agree with their position. While the public response of the Metropolia was a refusal to accept the claim as authorative statement from Milan, the response among the American clergy was divided. The majority of the clergy, siding with the Metropolitan, opted to strengthen the new Metropolia's bonds with their Sister Churches throughout the world. A minority, however, began dealing with the Patriarchate in secret from the Metropolitan, revealing their change in affiliation after it occurred. Upon early discovery, a provisional statement was released for signature for future incoming clergy rejecting ecumenism and modernism. It is still open for debate as to whether the open publication of this document halted the schism in the Metropolia or accelerated it.
On April 4, 2011, the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia formally recognized that for the present communion with Holy Synod of Milan had been broken by the latter and reaffirmed her communion with the other True Orthodox Churches in communion with the Metropolia.
On __________ the Holy Synod of the Patristic Calendar under Metropolitan Anghelos of Avlonos officially rejected communion with the Synod of Milan, followed by a Pan-Orthodox meeting in Moscow where the remaining four first-hierarchs, including Metropolitan John, signed a formal Tomos of Intercommunion.
Western Rite
The Autonomous Metropolia has had in its possession and use both Eastern and Western Rites prior to its acceptance into the Milan Synod. Both Archdioceses were involved in the publication of pre-schism Western Rites (due to the Synod's concern for historical continuity with the pre-schism Orthodox West, they were markedly different from the Liturgy of Saint Tikhon and the Liturgy of Saint Gregory used in the Antiochian Archdiocese) and the Metropolia remains as the only Old Calendarist jurisdiction with Western Rites in continuous use.
Regardless of the historical continuity of the rites they use, the Western Rites continue to be a source of debate in some quarters of the Old Calendar Churches. This debate has been exacerbated by the fact that the majority of the clergy defections to the Moscow Patriarchate were in fact Western Rite defections.
Current Structure
The Autonomous Metropolia, according to the structure defined in its Tomos, is an Autonomous Metropolitan Church with jurisdiction over North and South America, as well as the British Isles. It is currently headed by Metropolitan JOHN (Lobue) of New York. There are currently two Bishops-Elect for the Metropolia.
The other two Bishops are Archbishop HILARION of Texas and Bishop FANOURIUS of Lincoln.
Publications
The publishing arm of the Archdiocese of New York is St Gregory's Press, responsible for the publication of the Medieval Monastic Psalter, a 30-volume compilation of the rites of Orthodox England throughout the year, with the addition of certain more modern Orthodox saints. In May of 2010 the whole of the text was authorized to be released to the public.
A variety of publications have been written by clergy and monastics of the American Metropolia, with varying degrees of official sanction.