Metropolitan Herman attends SCOBA spring meeting

NEW YORK, NY [OCA Communications] — His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, was one of several hierarchs who attended the spring session of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas [SCOBA] at the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America here on June 21, 2005.

In addition to His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios, SCOBA chairman, who hosted the meeting, other hierarchs present included His Eminence, Metropolitan Christopher of the Serbian Orthodox Church; His Eminence,
Archbishop Nicolae of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese; His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese; and His Eminence, Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA.
Representing His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, was the Very Rev. Elias Bitar. Also present were His Grace, Bishop Dimitrios, SCOBA general secretary, members
of the SCOBA Study and Planning Commission, and the directors of two SCOBA agencies.

The meeting opened in Saint Paul Archdiocesan Chapel with a Memorial Service for His Eminence, the recently departed Archbishop Iakovos, who served as SCOBA chairman from its founding in 1960 until his retirement in 1995.

The hierarchs endorsed a statement on the environment, titled “God’s Earth is Sacred: An Open Letter to Christians in the United States.” They approved proposals creating two new commissions, the Orthodox Research Commission and the Orthodox Information Technology Commission. They received with gratitude a statement, titled “Barriers Do Not Bring Freedom,” issued by a National Council of Churches of Christ delegation to the Middle East.

Chicago was selected as the site of the 2006 SCOBA celebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy. Profound thanks were extended to the Council of Orthodox Churches in Worcester, MA, for hosting the 2005 celebration.

The hierarchs also voted to convene the third conference of all Canonical Orthodox Bishops under the SCOBA jurisdictions in the fall of 2005 and drafted a preliminary agenda.

Reports were heard from International Orthodox Christian Charities, the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, the Task Force on Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry, relations with the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox
Churches, and matters concerning military chaplaincy. The hierarchs approved the appointment of Prof John Barnet and the Rev. Theodore Pulcini to the ongoing Orthodox/Roman Catholic Theological Consultation.

The next meeting of the SCOBA hierarchs will be held in November 2005 at the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, South Bound Brook, NJ.