Thursday, November 13, 2008

Former Episcopalian elected head of Orthodox Church

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Episcopalian to Orthodox Primate ? I guess you could say he went from Cosmopolitan to Metropolitan. Does any other religion besides Christianity have a wider variety of odd hats?

Hundreds of clergy and laity of the Orthodox Church in America wept for joy yesterday as a monk who had become an auxiliary bishop just 12 days earlier was elected to lead their scandal-plagued church into the future.

Auxiliary Bishop Jonah of Dallas, a 49-year-old convert, was chosen by clergy, laity and his fellow bishops to be Metropolitan Jonah of All America and Canada at the All American Council held at the Hilton Pittsburgh.

His predecessor retired suddenly in September as the church released an internal report detailing the disappearance of more than $4 million in church funds under two successive administrations.

"We have to work together with one mind and one heart and one soul, striving with all our might to bear witness to Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God. Nothing else matters," the new metropolitan said.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08318/927528-85.stm

1 comment:

Robert Christian said...

no surprise here. My cousin was the Metropolitan His Beatitude Theodosis. He was I believe before this last Met. I also have another cousin who is dean at St. Vladimir's seminary and another who is a Ukrainian Catholic Bishop. I just happen to be half English and Episcopalian.