The STOC under Bishop Akakije - Where are they going?

[Barbara]

Those are EXCELLENT finds, Maria ! I am immensely enjoying the letter about the sad, sorry, stress-laden Rocor union with the mp. I have to finish it but it is SO well composed with such clear logic that one can only marvel.
Reading Archbishop Tikhon's eloquent denunciation of this ill-conceived idea takes me right back to those days. It is a wonderful refresher for us all about how dangerous the union really is and was.

Yes, Maria, that is precisely the document to which I was referring. I was wondering what the reply to that firm denial of ability to transfer to the STOC from RTOC is ? Maybe nothing has been composed in English yet. I received the impression that Lesna is going ahead anyway with complete disregard for their request having been flatly turned down by the Omsk Synod.

Thus I am wondering what the follow-up is. If Lesna has shrugged and said "We don't care what Archbishiop Tikhon thinks of our plan, tough luck to him", then is there anything that the RTOC hierarchs can do to stop Lesna from fleeing into the arms of STOC ?

For I really see that all this talk about STOC is still part of RTOC is questionable. If STOC were a firm daughter Church of the Omsk Synod, then why would Abp Tikhon and the other clergy refuse for Lesna to go under them ? Surely the Omsk Synod must
know that STOC is not really loyal to Abp Tikhon. Not only that, but the Omsk Bishops must regard him as a traitor or else somewhere dangerously near that state. Otherwise the rejection of Lesna's application to transfer would not have been so strongly turned down.

I am waiting anxiously for more information to emerge about the dynamics of this prickly situation. Please let us know if you, Maria, or anyone else hears any further news. This impasse can not endure TOO long, after all.

I like the idea of appointing Archimandrite Philaretos to administer RTOC's European diocese. Certainly a qualified Bishop must be found who could restore peace and order and mollify Lesna and if at all possible, the wild card, STOC. These both need to return to the umbrella of RTOC in my opinion. We have no word about what grievances Lesna may have with RTOC - at least not available in English as of this moment.

[Maria]

Why did Bishop Akakije appeal to the GOC-K to accept his Eparchy as a Sister Church of the GOC-K if he, Bishop Akakije, is not also a Cyprianist?

If that is the case, are the nuns at Lesna also Cyprianists?

I pray that this is not the case.

Since Bishop Akakije wants to preserve the Serbian Church as an ethnic or national church in order to preserve the Serbian culture, I can understand why he did not want to go under Met. Agafangel. What was or is the current status of the Serbian Eparchy in relation to the RTOC? Is it not a Sister Church to the RTOC?

[Barbara]

Excellent reasoning, Maria. It has been bothering me all this time since the first announcements of STOC abandoning RTOC and making overtures to GOC-K which it had been under previously. Then as we all remember, GOC-K refused to consecrate Archimandrite Akakije a Bishop, hence he went to RTOC which gladly helped out. Then after a relatively short time, there Bp Akakije is, maneuvering to edge into some other situation entirely ! He is never content with what he has !!!

We have to look up the answers to your important questions.

Further, the Cyprianism or tolerant-to-Cyprianism of the GOC-K must NEVER have bothered Bp Akakije. Or he would not have sought to be under their omophorion to begin with, presumably.

One could easily imagine that when he was starting the Serbian True Orthodox faction, he didn't know all the details about each jurisdiction and its ecclesiology. Hence he may have chosen a neighboring TOC jurisdiction out of convenience.

BY NOW, we can be sure that Bp Akakije knows well about which hierarchs espouse Cyprianism. That is why it is so perplexing that he would seek to be received as a Sister Church by his original 'parent' Church. What on earth was wrong with RTOC ?
I believe he had a fair amount of autonomy under Archbishop Tikhon of Omsk, if not regarded as a Sister Church at least in practice. This fact we need to check.

And the Lesna nuns are quite sophisticated, members here know from the superb contributions of Mother Evfrosinia, the second in command at Lesna. I wish she would appear so we could have her clarify all these obscure questions about Lesna's move to go under STOC. Could there be an internal battle at Lesna ? Or was it due to some external factor that the Convent made this startling decision ?

[Justice]

Has there been any news relating to this issue since?

[Maria]

Has there been any news relating to this issue since?

Bishop Akakije used to post here. Now he has ceased.

One of his nuns also used to post here, but says that she has been having trouble with her password. She also ceased posting.

[Barbara]

Was Bp Akakije Despotovac ??
I didn't realize THAT ! If that was he. It would make sense though, for he always posted the latest news.
However, he made a BAD turn in my opinion, so he probably didn't want to hear that.

Nor did I recognize the nun.

[Barbara]

Oh, I realize who you mean. I was thinking of a Serbian TOC nun, but hadn't noticed any here.
You are referring to Mother Evfrosiniya. Now the situation has changed with Lesna's going under STOC [Kallinikos ] -- without a release from Abp Tikhon of Omsk, sadly.

Mother Evfrosiniya can always ask for help to obtain a new password.
She made many excellent contributions exposing World Orthodox and especially MP frauds as far as 'elders' or 'saints'.