Metropolitan Laurus Škurla (1929-2008). Vladyki is looking down from heaven and weeping at this. Vladyki Hilarion, it’s time to “bish”, as my Nicky would say. Protect our seminarians from this overbearing dictator.
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Editor’s Foreword:
I received a phone call from my original informant. Part of what was writtten was valid, part was not. He didn’t receive “the rest of the story”. Nevertheless, Fr Vladimir’s still persecuting the American seminarians, and that isn’t right. THAT still needs to be set right.
BMD
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Yesterday, I received a ring from a ROCOR clergyman with an urgent message. It appears that one Fr Vladimir, the dean of Holy Trinity Seminary, is “playing favourites”. According to this man and his matushka, this Fr Vladimir’s a “perfumed prince” who makes life hellish for the American-born seminarians. The Russian-born seminarians get away with the easiest obediences, whereas the American seminarians are given the grottiest jobs to do. Fr Roman Krassovsky stuck up for them, and all that happened was that Fr Vladimir haughtily ignored him.
This is NOT right. As matushka said to me, “This didn’t happen in Vladyki Laurus’ time”. No, it didn’t. What I think is happening is that there are those who are taking advantage of Vladyki Hilarion’s more easygoing personality. We see this in such things as Vassa Larina’s Orthodoxy is Not a Religion of Fear and some of the statements issued forth by Andrei Psaryov (some of which sound straight out of SVS, by the way). It’s time for Vladyki Hilarion to lower the boom on these pretentious and overbearing “intellectuals”. I’d say to him, “Sir, this isn’t right, the American seminarians have the same right to be there as the Russian boys. It’s time for you to stand up and ‘bish’, as my Nicky puts it. Act in the manner of the late Vladyki Laurus of Happy Memory. Both Father and Matushka told me that Fr Vladimir is making life difficult for the American seminarians. One of your jobs is to stand up for the powerless and defenceless. It’s time to do that now”.
Fr Vladimir deserves coal in his stocking for this overbearing and noisome action. Is this what we have descended to? Have we become a pale imitation of SVS and its pseudo-intellectual hubris? One would hope not. God willing, Vladyki Hilarion will act on this before the holiday. In fact, I am sending this on to clergy friends with the e-mail address of my informant so they can pass it on to Vladyki.
This isn’t right, Vladyki… do something… it’s your duty, after all.
BMD
PS:
My machine is still in the hands of the geeks. I’m using the library machine so I could get this up today. Time IS of the essence.
