If we want a Church for our kids, we’ve got to chase out the rascals, nutters, tin-fiddle salesmen, and thieves… otherwise… Satan laughs!
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Firstly, here’s something from Dickie’s website (a friend sent it on, so, I don’t have a URL):
On Friday, 15 July 2011, by invitation of the Moscow Historical Enlightenment Society Russian America, Archimandrite Zacchaeus Wood, Representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate participated in events held in honour of the 270th Anniversary of the discovery of Russian America (Alaska) by Navigator-Explorers V I Bering and A I Chirikov. The events began with a memorial Pannikhida served at Holy Trinity Church near Sukharov Square in Moscow, which has designation as a “Sea Church”. By invitation of a cleric of the church, Fr Aleksandr Kholmogorov, Fr Zacchaeus led the Pannikhida, with Fr Vladimir Berzonsky (visiting Moscow from Holy Trinity Church in Parma OH) and Fr Aleksandr concelebrating. After the service, Fr Zacchaeus preached a sermon on the importance of the discovery of Alaska, especially in relation to the Russian Orthodox Missionary work there, which led to the spread of Orthodoxy throughout America. Following Fr Zacchaeus’ words, the President of the Russian America Society offered greetings to all gathered. Following the Pannikhida in Holy Trinity Church, the clergy and those praying with them processed to the Memorial Monument erected in honour of the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy, where the clergy offered prayers for the departed, and participants laid flowers in honour of their memory.
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Firstly, this Russian America Society is a nonentity that I’ve never seen mentioned in any major Russian source. No where. No how. No way. Probably, it’s just a couple of academic wonks with zip influence on the larger society. Note that this shindig involved no higher cleric of the MP, not even Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov, who’s supposedly tight with Dickie.
Secondly, “the importance of the discovery of Alaska, especially in relation to the Russian Orthodox Missionary work there, which led to the spread of Orthodoxy throughout America” is utter rubbish, completely untrue, and without foundation. There are NO organic ties whatsoever linking the Church in Alaska to the Church in the “lower 48”. The two bodies had an independent genesis, unconnected development, and completely unlike institutional cultures as a result. Their only ties are formal and de jure, not actual and de facto. Indeed, the so-called OCA is a loose and disunited agglomeration of five diverse and disparate bodies:
- The Church in Alaska, founded by the Holy Governing Synod in the Russian colonial period; its faithful are primarily Alaska Natives
- The OCA in the USA (lower 48) was founded as a mission amongst Galician and Carpatho-Russian Uniate immigrants in the early 20th century; its faithful are primarily the descendents of the early Slavic immigrants, it’s foundation owed NOTHING to the Church in Alaska
- The OCA in Canada is much like the OCA in the USA, but with far fewer converts, and the ethnics are almost completely Galician by background
- The konvertsy conventicles proper are either HOOMie cultists or Episkie/Sectarian disgrunts… they have little, if any, attachment to lived Orthodoxy… they’re temporary sojourners amongst us
- The OCA parishes in Mexico are a tiny infinitesimal body of no discernable importance or effect on the larger Mexican society or on the larger OCA
So, Dickie’s chock fulla beans on that one… but does that surprise you?
Let’s get down to details. Vlad Berzonsky is “thick as thieves” with Lyonyo; he’s a key member of the “get Kondratick gang”. He was a key actor in the rivalry and power struggle between the faction centred on Lyonyo, Connie Tarasar, and Stokoe, and the group collected about RSK, in the struggle for power in the twilight of the Hubiak era in Syosset. Berzonsky is “thick as thieves” with Stokoe as well; he’s probably one of the principal “leakers” to Stokoe (they ARE both in Ohio, after all). “Love BT” may be a crook sort, but he believes that to be true; his hunches and intel are often correct. To thicken the plot still further, Dickie hired Berzonsky’s son, DC lawyer Vladimir Berzonsky Jr, to “represent” him before the SIC. I’m told from multiple sources that Dickie was the only SIC interviewee who was accompanied by counsel when they presented testimony. He also requested that his testimony remain “off the record”.
Dickie’s supporting Fathausen to maintain his own position. Berzonsky’s a rabid autocephalist in close alliance with Lyonyo, but not Fathausen and Co. After all, Berzonsky’s not a pal of Dickie; could he have gone to Moscow at the behest of Lyonyo to scope out the situation? Hmm… do certain parties (Lyonyo, Garklavs, and (maybe) Mel Pleska) want Dickie out? When you remember that Wheeler, Hunchak, and Johnny Hopko aren’t FODs (Friends of Dickie)… what does that tell us about Tosi (“the records simply don’t exist”) and Stokoe? Certainly, it explains the latest outbursts of Silver and Love BT. True, Dickie and the Berzonskys were allies in a quest to take down RSK, and, after him, Metropolitan Herman (Berzonsky père and Herman are down n’ dirty foes, and have been since Adam… Berzonsky objected to and made much noise in re Herman’s episcopal consecration way back when); however, they may not be allies, now… Berzonsky doesn’t really support Fathausen.
Oh, one last thing… the “new” OCA website continues to publish the same old fabrications concerning Fathausen’s history in Russia in the ‘90s… is that the new konvertsy Pravda? It’s going to be an INTERESTING Sobor later this year… some say that there’s going to be beaucoup blood on the floor, and others say that there’s going to be a serious effort to mount a gigantic hush job. I predict that both are going to happen concurrently in the most slapdash manner possible (we ARE hutsky-klutsky by nature)… which shall lead to more confusion and upset than existed before the confab. Keep the faith… it’s the only thing that you can do. After the implosion (for no one will attend to the problems in time), we’ll have a fine mess to clear away, then, the hard part BEGINS… most of us won’t see the end of the rebuilding period here on earth (some of the younger sorts in their 20s and 30s may). Look at it as a peasant does when they plant their crops… you can’t rush the growth. It takes its own God-given time, and that’s the way of it.
Barbara-Marie Drezhlo
Sunday 17 July 2011
Albany NY
