Church of England to Allow Gay Bishops in Civil Partnerships

Well, it looks like the OCA/Anglican love feast at Nashotah House has to be abrogated… Fathausen certainly screwed up on that one, didn’t he? Just you watch, Nashotah House is just going to let this latest C of E instalment pass, too… they’re TEC, and that’s never going to change. We should discipline all of the Orthodox who took part in this fiasco.

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The Church of England lifted a ban on gay clergy in civil partnerships from becoming bishops. On Friday, the Church’s House of Bishops announced that those gay clergy members in civil partnerships who remain celibate could become bishops. The decision occurred in mid-December, but surfaced in the Church Times only on Friday. The C of E already allowed people in civil partnerships, introduced in 2005, to become clergy, if they’d remain celibate and repent for active homosexuality in the past. The new development extended the rules to bishops. Single gay bishops must also be celibate. A C of E spokesman told PinkNews.com.uk, “There technically was never a ban on gay bishops, what there was an issue was bishops in civil partnerships”. The C of E’s debated the issue since 2003, when gay cleric Jeffrey John was forced to step down as Bishop of Reading. Rev John is now Dean of St Albans.

4 January 2013

RIA-Novosti

http://en.rian.ru/world/20130104/178583978/Church_of_England_to_Allow_Gay_Bishops.html

Editor’s Note:

Watch for the usual caterwauling from the usual cast of konvertsy suspects. “The world’s going to hell in a handbasket”, “If we don’t watch out, it’ll happen amongst us”, and they’ll gird themselves for a loud and bootless witch-hunt. Frankly speaking, what goes on amongst the C of Es goes on amongst the C of Es. It’s none of our affair. We shouldn’t comment on it. We’ve got our own messes to clean up, and as far as depravity’s concerned, what about Gleb Podmoshensky, Panteleimon Metropoulos, Sam Greene, Seraphim Storheim, and James Paffhausen (his over-a-decade-long and intimate relationship with Podmoshensky is more than troubling), just to name a few (the list is rather longer, I’m afraid)? We have no call to point fingers whilst we have such immorality left to fester in full public view. You know what they say, the loudest denouncers of homosexuality are often gay blades themselves… that’s true of some of the self-appointed so-called “Orthodox” crusaders, isn’t it?

This is just the logical development of the Broad Church… it’s what the C of E is. Leave them be… we have our own problems, and that’s what we should be attending to… but we’re not. Ponder that, if you will…

BMD

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31 May 2012. Neither the ROCOR or the OCA Have Placed Any Major and Substantive Coverage of JP in Mayfield on Their Official Websites… FOR SHAME! JP Promised “Transparency”… If THIS is What He Means by “Transparency”, “NO THANKS”

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Where is the Mayfield story on the main sites? One of the BIGGEST stories of the decade… and they’re silent… draw your own conclusions, kids.

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Four days have passed since JP’s visit to Mayfield. FOUR DAYS. Let that sink in. An OCA First Hierarch visits St John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Mayfield PA, the site of one of the bitterest battles of the Church War, and we get… links to a local parish website on oca.org and nothing on the official ROCOR website. This is professional dereliction of the highest order. Peter Perekrestov’s a priest, so, he’s got an “excuse”. In any case, priests shouldn’t be doing things that are the laity’s portion… the Mother Church has a communications director who’s a layman… ‘nuff said. Ginny Nieuwsma of the OCA is a paid apparatchik… this proves that she’s nothing but a mouthpiece and flack for Fathausen, a lickspittle of the worst sort, she’s not only a running dog, she’s incompetent to boot.

As for me, I’ll not give a detailed rundown of what I would’ve done… I don’t give free lessons to worthless layabouts like Lil’ Mizz Ginny. However, I’ll give an outline of what you would’ve seen. Firstly, this didn’t happen overnight, there was planning involved in such an undertaking. I’d have been present in Mayfield, I would’ve had a camera in hand, I would’ve have seen to it that audio and video recordings were not only up to snuff, but that there’d be redundancies in the case of failure of this-or-that piece of equipment, and I’d be certain that there’d be several laptops available loaded with photo-edit software so that postings could go out IMMEDIATELY. On Sunday, there would’ve been an initial post giving the details (not just names of clergy), plus four to six of the best images (anything over that is overburden, and pros avoid it). On Monday, there’d be follow-up coverage, with more images. On Tuesday, I’d post commentary on the event plus an interview with tough questions with Fr John, the rector in Mayfield. We’d wrap things up on Wednesday, with an interview (again, not skirting the “hard” topics) via phone with Metropolitan Hilarion Kapral giving his POV on the whole matter.

There. That’s what I would’ve done, and I’d would’ve done it in such a way that people got the news quickly, accurately, and as completely as I could do it. That’s what journalists do. Peter Perekrestov’s no journalist… he’s a priest. He should stick to “priesting”… that’s the gift that God gave him. A priest isn’t a journalist, and a journalist isn’t a priest… the skill-sets and outlooks are that radically different. Hey, don’t come to me with this-or-that spiritual problem… I’m not clergy (wrong gender, not ordained, no training in it, etc, etc, etc)… go to someone like Fr Peter. However, if you want someone to chase down a story, someone who’s not afraid of crook clergy and bishops… I’m the person that you’re looking for.

Fathausen continually opens his Southern-fried yap about “transparency”. I observe that he doesn’t practise it. If he was what he claims he is, trust me, I’d defend him. However, over four years, I’ve found him to be nothing but a liar, a secretive SOB, a man who gives favour to konvertsy scummers over all others, and someone who says one thing to that party and another to this party. Therefore, no sale. Fathausen claims that he’s surrounded by disloyal and crank retainers… we all know what kind of people make such paranoid accusations. In any case, no one twisted Fathausen’s arm to give a paper at a Uniate conference or to hobnob with oddbod Anglicans and Proddies. I’ve observed and reported his actions… and they don’t match his recent words… ergo, I don’t believe them to be sincere and truthful. He’d have to repudiate the Uniates, HOOMies, Nashotah House, and his ill-considered political dabblings PUBLICLY and disassociate himself from Bobby K, Brum, Jillions, Lyonyo, Benjamin Peterson, and Eliel before any decent person should give him a hearing. Bluntly speaking, nothing’s changed… it’s mere wind up to this point.

This was THE momentous occasion of the decade… and look how it was handled. Hand me the jug… I know that the world’s not a nice place… but this? I compare this hutsky-klutsky disaster to the on-the-spot coverage offered by the ACROD people… and they don’t have a pot to piss in. If you want respect, guys, you can start by “doing the right thing”. You haven’t… and people won’t trust you until you do… and I don’t have anything to do with that. The ball’s in your court, and you’ve failed, up to this point. Shall you do what’s right? Don’t ask me, c’mon tell us… “transparency”, dontcha know…

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Thursday 31 May 2012

Albany NY

1 November 2011. A Friend Sent Me Two Interesting Quotes from the Monomakhos List… Food for Reflection, Kids…

“They’re such NICE people”… that’s why the schmutz has run rampant in the Church. “Forgiveness” isn’t “Pardon”… nor is it “Get Out of Jail Free for Clergy”. By their fruits ye shall know them… bad pun… deep truth. 

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The careerists want a compliant figurehead like Theodosius who was so compromised by his homosexuality that he was basically useless. They propped him up. It’s the only way to secure their salaries ($8 million (246.7 million Roubles. 5.85 million Euros. 5 million UK Pounds) wasted in the last three years alone). The careerists use the homosexuals; the homosexuals use the careerists. Kishkovsky needs Stokoe; Stokoe needs Kishkovsky. Your money keeps their sordid affair alive. Their sin will strangle this Church.

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It’s quite a merry crew… JP (and his guru Podmoshensky), Storheim, Lazor, Swaiko, Peterson, Soraich, and the late Messrs Royster and l’Huillier… and the Syosset apparat and SVS just SMILED at it all. They DEFENDED them… they attacked everyone who brought up the obvious fact of rampant homosexuality in high places in the OCA. It’s so obvious that no one’s unaware of it… except for starry-eyed radical rightwing konvertsy… who take JP’s and Moriak’s fulminations against homosexuality at face value. One wonders about their general intelligence and/or motives, as they’re “missing” something that everyone sees and talks about. For what it’s worth, I believe that they see it, but they cynically ignore it… they lost a fight to take over the TEC… they’re determined to win the fight to take over the OCA and remake it in their Anglican image. Do note the Nashotah House débâcle, Reardon’s continued presence as a professor in an Episkie seminary, and Hatfield’s acceptance of an honorary degree from his Episkie Alma Mater… all signs that the Episkie semi-converts haven’t given up the Branch Theory (condemned by His Holiness himself). Also, note that the Episkie semi-converts are “soft” on Uniates and Old Ritualists. They’ve REFUSED to internalise the Church’s view of itself.

Now, let’s sègue into the second quotation…

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Most formerly committed Protestant-turned-committed Orthodox (especially those into the “culture wars”) have almost no clue how Orthodoxy functions in its more natural environment, i.e. its historic homelands, and, hence, the vaguely cultish atmosphere and feeling of their parishes, enterprises, and publications. Orthodoxy functions basically like Catholicism or any other large established religion… with a set of dogmas and rules on paper; those rules don’t often change, but they aren’t often enforced either, except perhaps if someone has strong masochistic tendencies and really wants all the weight of the canons to fall on them, and, thus, they might go to a monastery for confession to some very strict monk, etc. Parishes are quite loose communities where, I dare say, from my experience, the glueing factor, if there’s one, isn’t religious, at least not in an overt self-conscious way, but more kinship, family relations, outside-of-church friendships, etc. So, because the religious factor is rarely overt in typical Orthodox communities of the Old World, there’s almost zero policing of the personal lives of those that show up for liturgy or communion.

But, alas, for a normally functioning Orthodox church, one needs large numbers and a relatively high degree of mild indifferentism. Most of these are lacking in America, especially in convert parishes. Of course, militant gay advocacy within the Church isn’t traditional, but culture warriors, don’t fool yourselves, neither is your wild-eyed defence of “traditional morality”, or whatever you took upon yourselves to defend. Orthodoxy, as I’ve known it from earliest infancy, on another continent, is a free-for-all religion, big stuff on paper, for those that bother to read it, and low standards in real life.

31 October 2011

Corneliu Ilea

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Let’s keep this focused, kids. Orthodoxy is the Big Tent… it’s the Salvation Station for ALL in the Nation… it’s NOT a Little Flock… it’s NOT God’s Elect… it’s NOT a self-satisfied semi-“Evangelical” set of the “Saved”. It IS Christ’s Holy Church… it IS the religious embodiment of the Nation… there IS room in it for all kinds of sinners. Let me tell you, greedsters, warmongers, money-lovers, and those who defraud their employees of their due compensation will go into the fires of Hell, whilst homosexuals and drunkards will win the Kingdom. NO… sin isn’t a good thing… but sinners aren’t lost. Sinners are like the Publican… God will pick them up and embrace them, for most sinners KNOW that they’re sinners. The “Saved” are like the Pharisee… and we all know what Our Lord Christ taught about him in His parable, for they’re “justified” in their own minds, dontcha know. As a friend of mine wrote me:

Strange isn’t it? This fixation in the West on sins below the waist… never mind screwing over the poor, unjust imperialist wars, and other societal sins… it’s always a fixation on sexual matters.

I replied:

There’s a reason, dear. You see, those who focus on “immorality” are often those trying to deflect attention from themselves, or, they’re gross sinners who favour greed, rapine, and war… but they’re “moral”, dontcha know! The Nazis were against homosexuality. As His Holiness put it, “We respect all human choices, including those in sexual orientation, but we reserve the right to call a sin a sin”. I’d say that greed, brutalising workers, waging aggressive war, and denying workers a just compensation are sins that make “immorality” pale into nothingness in comparison.

Let’s keep to the tried and true Orthodox Way… if it saved baba and dede, it’ll save us, too. Is that so hard to grasp?

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Albany NY 

5 August 2011. After Eight Days, the OCA Main Website and Stokoe Have Posted NOTHING on l’Affaire Wood…

“If not me, and you… then, who?” If we want to salvage the legacy of Leonty Turkevich and Antony Bartoshevich… we’re going to have to fight the konvertsy and First Families for it. It won’t be easy… are you with me?

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Last Thursday, on 28 July 2011, oca.org posted a spare notice saying that Dickie Wood was out as OCA Representative to the MP, with no detail given whatsoever. It’s now eight days since that barebones announcement, and the OCA has released… NO FURHTER INFORMATION. NOTHING AT ALL. Paffhausen promised that the secrecy of Herman Swaiko was at an end… indeed, Herman’s sort of reluctant stonewalling is over… JP replaced it with a defiant, juvenile, and petulant refusal to answer any questions at all. There’s been NOTHING official released on what the charges against Dickie are, on his whereabouts (is he still in the RF… is he in the USA… or, is he somewhere else?), or on his actual health. I’d tell “Parishioner” at “OCA Pravda” that they’re chock fulla beans. They’re defending an absolutistic, unruly, and tantrum-throwing adolescent-minded cretin… then, again, “Parishioner” is, probably, one of those blustering Episkie wannabes who has the goddamned gall to lecture their betters (I fought the good fight in the ‘90s against the Ustinovshchyna; I lost, but I’m not ashamed that I fought, even though I was defeated). There are many of us who bear scars that prove our loyalty… we’re not narcissistic snot-nosed kids who run away.

Paffhausen has had a full week to give his version of events. He’s refused… let that sink in, kids. He REFUSED to tell you ANYTHING. At the same time, he’s had his surrogates launch simultaneous attacks on Mark Stokoe and Lyonyo Kishkovsky. Indeed, I wonder where Moriak stands in all of this… is he going to do his duty as a bishop, uphold Vladyki Job’s oikonomia, and protect Mark from the mob? Or, is he going to punk out, prove himself a craven coward, and throw Mark to the lions? If it’s the latter, he’ll prove himself a foe of both God and man. That’s why you can’t trust any of the SVS crowd… they’re supporting El Gordo in this (at least, for now)… that means that you must be very sceptical about such people as Nina Dimas, Peter Bouteneff, Paul Meyendorff, John and Kate Behr, or Chad Hatfield (remember how he took an honorary degree from Nashotah House with Fathausen’s blessing?), they’re snakes who’ll switch sides in an instant… and never, ever, forget that all of them support the Iliff cover-up and want to bury the truth of the matter concerning it (don’t forget, Eric’s “suicide” led to the dropping of the lawsuit against SVS… ask yourself, “Cui bono?”… connect the dots).

You know what to do… send them NO MONEY. If you do, you’re a fool. In a related vein, I’ve heard people say many good things regarding Mel Pleska, but he’s been silent concerning this latest contretemps. I’d say, “Vladyki, where do you stand? If you support Fathausen, you’re my enemy, and the opponent of everything Christian… I say that to your face. I say that signing my own name… I’m not a gibbering and nasty-minded coward like the ‘OCA Truth’ crowd. Where do you stand, sir? Either you speak up about this untoward secrecy, or you reveal yourself as nothing but another self-serving, pietistic, and hypocritical cleric. As a bishop, you’ve the responsibility to “speak with the voice of the crane”… if you don’t, you forfeit all rights to any ‘respect’ or ‘honour’, and, again, I say that to your face. Only a friend would speak to you like this, sir… but I’ve no illusions… we’ll find out your true colours, won’t we? Act… or take the consequence, sir”.

If you’re not enraged at Fathausen’s contumacious secrecy, at his exercise of Star Chamber–style “justice”… I stand against you… so do many others. The true face of the konvertsy crowd is coming out… it’s ugly, isn’t it? They were vindictive, ruthless, and pushy oddballs in the PECUSA/TEC, so, why should we be surprised that they’re the same amongst us?

We have a Church to fight for… IN THE NAME OF LIFE!

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Friday 5 August 2011

Albany NY

Editor’s Update:

A friend sent me this:

“Parishioner” at “OCA Truth” is Jesse Cone from St Seraphim Cathedral in Dallas TX … he bloviates (your word) about JP and homosexuality, but says nothing about gay clergy like Edwin Norris at St Seraphim… an ex-Episcopalian… one of those converts who has to tell everybody how to be Orthodox. Someone told me not to be surprised if Dickie doesn’t make it out of hospital… wouldn’t that be something!

The pot calls the kettle black, eh… oh, well, what else did you expect?

BMD

Editor’s Further Update:

Another communication came in, kids:

Jesse Cone’s close to Rod Dreher, who’s another convert who loves to tell us how to be Orthodox and who’s bought the JP line full-throttle… he’s part of Fester’s crowd, and started OCA Truth, a real worm.

Rod Dreher… oh, my! I wish that Mark Shea and Agent 99 see this and make Dreher’s day “hot” for him! After all, Dreher lectured RCs on the failings of the Catholic bishops… now, one sees that Dreher SMILES at JP’s fagorama! Our fallen world’s certainly NOT boring…

BMD