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Holy Orthodox Church in North America

Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, Massachusetts

The Holy Orthodox Church in North America (or "HOCNA"; also known as "the Panteleimonites") is an Old Calendarist jurisdiction, headquartered at Holy Transfiguration Monastery (Brookline, Massachusetts), initially formed by former members of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America who joined the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in the 1960's in protest of the excessive ecumenical activities of Patriarch Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople and Archbishop Iakovos (Coucouzis) of America. Following the suspension of the abbot and founder of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Archimandrite Panteleimon (Metropoulos) (+2016), by the ROCOR in December, 1986, for multiple accusations of sexual immorality, the monastery and its supporting communities left the ROCOR and following a brief period under two independent Old Calendarist bishops in Greece, were received by the Old Calendarist Synod of Archbishop Auxentios of Athens. HOCNA is not in communion with any mainstream Orthodox church.

HOCNA today

The Holy Orthodox Church in North America is an Eparchial Synod with parishes and monastic communities in the United States, as well as Europe and Central America. Today HOCNA consists of five monastic communities and 13 parishes. Their monastic communities are well known world wide for their incense, hand painted icons and mounted icon photographs, pure beeswax candles, vestments and clerical clothing. Also, since the founding of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, the brotherhood has dedicated themselves to producing translations of texts necessary for Orthodox Church life. Many books of the lives of the Saints and concerning matters of the Faith have been published. Especially, out of desire to benefit the Church, liturgical books of primary importance have been translated into English and published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery: A Prayerbook for Orthodox Christians, The Pentecostarion, The Great Horologion, the complete 12-volume set of The Menaion and The Psalter According to the Seventy. Some patristic works have also been translated and published, most notably The Ladder of Divine Ascent, The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian, and The Synodicon of Orthodoxy. HOCNA has published The Struggle Against Ecumenism, the most extensive history of the "True Orthodox Church" available in English[1] and also has published a series of tracts on the spiritual life, contemporary Church issues, and moral issues.

Hierarchs, Metropolises and Parishes

Today, HOCNA consists of Holy Transfiguration Monastery and an estimated 22 parishes throughout the United States and Canada, the most famous of which is St Nektarios American Orthodox Cathedral in Seattle, Washington[2]. Administratively, HOCNA is divided into 3 metropolises - Boston, Seattle, and Toronto. HOCNA currently has four hierarchs. With the exception of Gregory, all were monks at Holy Transfiguration Monastery for ten years or more.

  • Gregory, Metropolitan of Boston, President of the Holy Synod
  • Ignatius, Metropolitan of Seattle
  • Andrew, Metropolitan of Toronto
  • Chrysostomos, auxiliary Bishop of Lanham

In 2011, after several years of controversy over the autonomous canonical status of HOCNA and the relatively recent controversy regarding the posthumous salvation of non-Orthodox taught by Metropolitan Ephraim of Boston (+2019) and Archimandrite Panteleimon, the entire Metropolis of Portland (along with its bishops, Metropolitan Moses and his suffragan Bishop Sergius) and all the parishes of the Metropolis of Toronto were received by the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America. Other clergy, including the dean of clergy of the Metropolis of Boston and rector of Holy Nativity Convent, also joined the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America along with the above clergy and bishops.[1]

In 2012, after continuing disputes involving accusations of heresy against Metropolitan Ephraim and Archimandrite Panteleimon, and further revelations regarding the sexual abuse allegations against Archimandrite Panteleimon, a majority of parishes, Bishop Demetrios of Carlisle, and 17 monks of Holy Transfiguration Monastery leave HOCNA for the Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America under Metropolitan Pavlos. [3]]"

On March 21, 2013, it was announced that what remained of the Holy Orthodox Church in North America had entered into communion with the True Orthodox Church of Greece (Synod of Archbishop Makarios of Athens) as a "Sister Church".

In 2019, after the Synod of Archbishop Makarios of Athens issued a Confession of Faith condemning the name-worshiping heresy among others, it was announced on April 20, 2019 that HOCNA was breaking communion with the Synod of Archbishop Makarios. Following this decision, Metropolitan Makarios of Toronto announced that on the basis of this decision, as well as the continued promotion of the name-worshiping heresy by Metropolitan Gregory of Boston, the Toronto Metropolis was withdrawing from HOCNA and was petitioning to be received into the True Orthodox Church of Greece, Synod of Archbishop Makarios of Athens.

Monastic communities

United States of America

Republic of Georgia

  • Hermitage of Saint Maximus the Confessor, Abastumani.

Greece

  • Convent of the Annunciation, Oinoussae, Chios

Russia

  • Holy Dormition Convent, Chubayevo, Chuvashia

References

  1. ↑ Fr. Panagiotes Carras. An Announcement. YAHOO! Groups - OrthodoxInfo. Fri Jun 3, 2011 2:35am.

External links

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