One of the Cabinet wrote me:
Talk on the internet can be a good thing… an official directive came out from Metropolitan Joseph after Reardon pulled his crap after the Supreme Court ruling. The directive said that no clergy are to engage in idiosyncratic public protests; they need prior approval from their hierarch. Therefore, my guess is that enough people spoke up, so, Sayedna Joseph had to listen and act.
What need I add?
BMD
Got this from one of my loyalists:
Paul Gassios (runner-up to Moriak in the Midwest’s last election for bishop) is now the diocesan administrator. It’s just a matter of time before he’s chosen bishop. I suspect that’ll come at the next diocesan convention in the fall. His appointment was back in March, but the news was only announced a few days ago.
A few weeks back you had a post about Maymon being a poor choice for the Eastern PA diocese. Back when he first came into the OCA, he served Paschal services at the OCA Dallas cathedral with another rebel priest from the Antiochians (he was in the Midwest and knew Maymon). Instead of the Russian melodies they should’ve sung, Maymon and the other priest sang everything in Byzantine chant. They were the only ones singing. I remember this being the subject of much discussion on OCANews then. I wonder if Maymon will try to shove Byzantine chant down the throat of the Eastern PA folks, good old Hunkies who know their Russian music inside and out.
There are rumblings about Maymon, but some on the MC are trying to save him from himself. If he’s to survive, Maymon’s got to understand two things:
He’s got to adapt to them, not the other way ’round. He wouldn’t know what hit him, because they’re po-nashemu, which means that they’d put up with a lot at first, then, they’d just snap and lay down the law. Maymon had best learn humility FAST… or he’ll be gone even faster…
BMD
Here’s a report from the Cabinet:
There wasn’t much English at Metropolitan Philip’s funeral. The Arabs are taking the Church back. I also didn’t see Freddie M-G… hardly any of the white bread Angliochian converts were in evidence. It’s all going to unravel now that Metropolitan Philip is dead. Watch the Bishops all become Metropolitans and watch the converts lose their power.
It’s too soon to make statements, but it’s been clear for some time that Archbishop Joseph al-Zehlaoui was the anointed heir to Saliba (being godson of the previous Antiochian Patriarch, Ignatius Hazim, sure didn’t hurt him). Does this mean that the Toledo crowd will elbow out the konvertsy? You know who I’m talking about, the pro-Russian crowd around the late bishop Michael Shaheen (don’t diss Vladyki Michael’s memory in Toledo… it’s not healthy). When one sees how AOCANA poured cold water all over the so-called “Episcopal Assembly”, it’s a possibility.
Look for changes. Look for blood on the floor. Oh, yes, “Metropolitan” in the Middle East means a ruling bishop, so, if the AOCANA bishops take on that title, they’d be in sync with their Mother Church (“Archbishop” is what they call what we call a “Metropolitan”… go figure, that’s Orthodoxy for ya… if ya want consistency, go to the Westerns).
Pass the jug and the popcorn… the real show hasn’t begun yet…
BMD
Voices from Russia 
13 September 2016. President Assad PROTECTS Syrian Christians
Tags: American terrorism, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Antiochian Orthodox Church, AOCANA, Assad, Assad family, Bashar al-Assad, Christian, Christianity, Christianity in the Middle East, Christians in Middle East, civil unrest, Eastern Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, ISIS, Middle East, Middle Eastern, Orthodox, Orthodoxy, peace in the middle east, political commentary, politics, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, Syria, Syrian Civil War, terror, terrorism, terrorist, terrorists, United States, USA, war and conflict
_______________________________________
I believe that Metropolitan Joseph, the First Hierarch of the AOCANA, should curb the konvertsy within his ranks, especially, loudmouth clergy such as Josiah Trenham (and those like him). Whatever they may mouth, they support rightwing political factions that support the terrorists that crucify Syria. Trenham in particular has shown that rightwing ideology means more to him than Orthodoxy… first by his support of the Mormon Romney, secondly, by his false teaching that artificial contraception is sinful. The first was collaboration with known and sworn enemies of Christ’s Church, the second was a conscious distortion of the Church’s Teaching (the Church of Antioch agrees with the Church of Moscow, which teaches that artificial contraception is licit via oikonomia). He’s also brought godless Evangelical sectarians onto his Ancient Faith Radio programme. Metropolitan Joseph, you have a shit-spattered byre to clean up. I don’t envy you the task. However, you must do it, but I’ll confide that many of your believers will thank and bless you for doing it. Follow in the footsteps of the late saintly Archbishop Michael Shaheen… not in the footsteps of arrogant konvertsy toddlers…
Remember the Golgotha of Christian Syria… remember who helped… remember who hurt… may God see and judge…
BMD