Memorandum Concerning Anonymous Mailing

To the hierarchs, clergy and monastics, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America:

Christ is in our midst!

On Thursday, June 7, 2001, the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America was informed that an anonymous letter had been sent to parishes and individuals of the Orthodox Church in America in which the unnamed author or authors announced the creation of a new web site for the purpose of “deflating the egos of bishops of ‘canonical’ Orthodox jurisdictions.” The anonymous letter also contains a number of derogatory allegations which are clearly intended to defame the name and character of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius, who at present is on a four-month medical leave at the recommendation of his physicians. The author or authors also state that they are dedicating the first page of the aforementioned web site to Metropolitan Theodosius.

The Central Church Administration is taking every measure to ascertain the origin of this anonymous letter as well as the libelous and defamatory statements and innuendos against the hierarchy of the Church in general and Metropolitan Theodosius in particular.

We ask you to join us in praying for our hierarchs, especially for Metropolitan Theodosius as well as for the perpetrators of the anonymous letter. We will continue to inform you on the latest developments on this unfortunate situation as further developments occur.

Asking for your ongoing support and prayers, I remain

In Christ,

HERMAN
Archbishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania
Temporary Administrator of the Orthodox Church in America