SCOBA Hierarchs hold Spring 2007 session
The spring session of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas [SCOBA] was convened on May 23, 2007 at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Crestwood, NY.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman of the Orthodox Church in America hosted the session and welcomed the assembly.
His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, chairman of SCOBA, convened the session at 10:00 a.m. In addition to Metropolitan Herman and Archbishop Demetrios, other hierarchs present included His Eminence, Metropolitan Joseph of the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church; His Eminence, Archbishop Nicolae of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese; His Grace, Bishop Ilia of Philomelion of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese; His Grace, Bishop Antoun of Miami, who represented His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; and His Grace, Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, in his last official meeting of SCOBA as General Secretary.
Also present were the Rev. Mark Arey, who succeeds Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos as SCOBA general secretary, and members of the SCOBA Study and Planning Commission: the Rev. Nicholas Apostola (Romanian); the Rev, Frank Estocin (Ukrainian); the Rev. Thomas FitzGerald (Greek); the Rev. Jonathan Ivanoff (proxy for OCA); the Very Rev. Kiprian Kazandzhiev (Bulgarian); the Rev. Luke Mihaly (Carpatho-Russian); the Rev. Robert Stephanopoulos (Greek); the Rev. Patrick Tishel (Bulgarian); and the Rev. Bazyl Zawierucha (Ukrainian).
The hierarchs adopted “A Pastoral Letter on Suicide” and a “Statement on Global Climate Change: A Moral and Spiritual Challenge,” the separate texts of which may be found at http://www.scoba.us). Both documents were presented by the Rev. John Chryssavgis and Dr. Albert Rossi of the SCOBA Social and Moral Issues Commission.
The Rev. Nicholas Triantafilou, president of Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA, made a presentation on the establishment of an Orthodox Clergy Fellowship for all of North America. The hierarchs encouraged the initiative and requested additional documentation and a detailed analysis.
The Rev. Kevin Scherer, director of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, a SCOBA Agency, made a preliminary presentation on widening the Antiochian Archdiocese program OYO (Orthodox Youth Outreach) into a SCOBA agency. The hierarchs requested additional information on the concept.
Dr. Kyriaki FitzGerald presented the request for “Saint Catherine’s Vision” (an association of Orthodox women theologians from all Orthodox Seminaries in the Americas) for a “Second Level of Endorsement” of SCOBA as an endorsed group. The hierarchs were pleased to grant the endorsement.
Following the meeting, the faculty and staff of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary hosted a luncheon for the members of SCOBA, who were joined by members of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches (SCOOCH). Among the hierarchs who were present were the new primate of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church in America, His Eminence, Archbishop Abune Kewostos; His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian and His Eminence, Archbishop Vicken of the Armenian Church in America; and His Eminence, Archbishop Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim of the Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese.
Following the luncheon, the respective Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox hierarchs held a private discussion on issues of mutual interest and concern.