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[[Image:Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa-Bible.JPG|thumb|250px|Archbishop Lazar presenting a homily]]
His Eminence, the Most Reverend '''Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa''' (born '''Ronald Levi Puhalo'''), is a retired hierarch of the [[Orthodox Church in America]], and founding [[abbot]] of the [[Monastery of All Saints of North America (Dewdney, British Columbia)|Monastery of All Saints of North America]], Canada. A contemporary ''episcopus vagans'', he has served as a clergyman, in various ranks, in the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]], the Free Serbian Orthodox Church, the [[Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece]], the [[Holy Synod of Milan]], the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate), and the [[Orthodox Church in America]].
Prior to his reception into the OCA in 2002, Archbishop Lazar had served as a clergyman, in various ranks, in the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]], the Free Serbian Orthodox Church, the [[Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece]], the [[Holy Synod of Milan]], and in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) - leading some to, perhaps misleadingly, describe him as a "contemporary ''episcopus vagans''". Being part of the OCA has, however, normalised this status, and he remains a retired bishop of the Orthodox Church. Archbishop Lazar is known for his prolific (and, at times, controversial) theological writings, particularly regarding his criticism of the Orthodox teaching of the [[Aerial Toll-Houses]], and his positions on homosexuality and transgenderism. The Synod of Bishops of the OCA has forbidden him to speak on the subject of homosexuality in any way contrary to official position of the Church.<ref>See [http://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2013/11/puhalo-rants-again-on-transgenderism.html [http://web.archive.org/web/20010409063509/wwwPuhalo Rants Again.ccms.net/~milan/Statements.htm Statement concerning the ordination of Abp Lazar on Transgenderism and a call to repentance]Intersexuality ]</ref>
==Biographical timeline==
::Dcn Lev installed a pipeline, bringing cold water into the monastery from a spring on the mountain above the monastery bulding.
*1976: Deacon Lev returns to resume development of monastery. He travels a lot, lecturing and giving talks to youth. During this time he develops a sympathy for those Orthodox who lived away from a [[church]]. He often travelled as much as 10,000 miles on buses in a year for those who are isolated or those who request talks.
*1980: On December 2nd, 1980 n.s., Deacon Lev is ordered to cease lecturing in parishes on the subject of the toll houses<ref>[http://orthodoxinfo.com/death/tollhouse_debate.aspx The Debate Over Aerial Toll-Houses: Extract from the Minutes of the Session of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]</ref> by the [[Synod]] of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. He was deposed by ROCOR for disobeying his bishop by continuing to preach his heresy of "soul sleep", and "for having entered a jurisdiction not in communion with ROCOR" and went to the schismatic [[Free Serbian Church]].
[[Image:puhalo.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Archbishop Lazar Puhalo, censing an icon of Fr. [[Seraphim (Rose)]]]]
*1981 Mar: In response to a 1980 request from a small group of Romanian Canadians who wished to worship in the monastery [[chapel]], [[Bishop]] Ireney of New Gracanica (of the then schismatic Free Serbian Orthodox Church) ordains Deacon Lev to the [[priest]]hood for the newly-formed parish of St Tikhon and for the monastery, and [[tonsure]]d him with the name ''Lazar''. Later, Fr Lazar tonsures Vasili with the name ''Varlaam''.On November 24, 1981 n.s., He was suspended for disobeying his bishop, and on December 23rd, n.s. he was deposed because he had "disregarded the written admonition given him in writing and persists in his sin. Having cut himself off from his bishop, Lev Puhalo has violated a number of the canons of the Church: 15 of the Holy Apostles, 17 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, 3 of the Council of Antioch, 15 and 16 of the Council of Sardis." Therefore, the Synod determined: "1.) To declare the monastic tonsure and priestly ordination of Lev Puhalo illicit and invalid... 2.) For breaking with his bishop and uncanonically receiving ordination from an uncanonical bishop, the Deacon Lev Puhalo is deposed from his clerical rank and returned to the lay state. 3.) Lev Puhalo must not be permitted to lecture in our parishes, and his publications should not be disseminated among us."
*1983: Fr Lazar offers to help a group of Serbs found a parish in Los Angeles, with services conducted in Church Slavonic and English.
*At some point, Fr Lazar was called upon to help found [[St. Sava's Serbian Orthodox Seminary (Libertyville, Illinois)|St Sava Serbian Orthodox Seminary]] for the New Gracanica Metropolitanate. Metr. Ireney ordains Monk Varlaam to the [[priest]]hood to serve the parish. Fr Lazar stays there for three years.
*1990: Archimandrite Lazar is received by the [[Holy Synod of Milan]]<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20010409063509/www.ccms.net/~milan/Statements.htm Statement concerning the ordination of Abp Lazar and a call to repentance]</ref> and is consecrated as Bishop of Vancouver by Metropolitan Evlogios of Milan, Archbishop Gregorios of Turin, and Bishop Vigile of Paris.
*1991 Nov: After a search, the Monastery was able to acquire an illustrious property that the monastery rests on today. The property was named ''New Ostrog'', and the candle factory was dedicated to the protection of St Vasili of Ostrog.
*1996: The monastery, without a canonical release, moved under the omophorion of the schismatic [[Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Kyiv Patriarchate)]]. Patriarch Volodymyr (Romaniuk) elevated Bp Lazar to Archbishop, and consecrated Fr Varlaam as Bishop of Vancouver befor his death in 1995.*1997: Holy Synod of Milan breaks communion wih Kiev with the Kyiv Patriarchate over questions concerning canonicity of [[Filaret (Denisenko)]]]. Abp Lazar joins with Kiev Kyiv Patriarchate over protests of his ordaining hierarch. Metr Evlogios of Milan calls Abp Lazar to repent.
*2002: In a "Repentant Declaration" addressed to the Holy Synod of the OCA, dated 10/21/2002, Archbishop Lazar stated "I wish to express my sincere regret and repentance for my years of involvement in Orthodox Church bodies outside the Canonical Orthodox Church. While my long involvement with schismatic bodies such as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, the Greek Old Calendarist bodies and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kiev, was well-intentioned and motivated by a love of Orthodoxy, it was an error. I deeply regret this error and sincerely repent for it."
*2003: Monastery received into the [[OCA|Orthodox Church in America]] by [[oikonomia]]; Abp. Lazar received as a retired bishop with the title ''Archbishop of Ottawa''. Although in retirement from active hierarchal duties, Archbishop Lazar currently serves the Orthodox Church in America as the Civil Liaison for the Archdiocese of Canada with the Government of Canada.
*[http://orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/resources/hierarchs/oca/former_hierarchs.htm#lazar_puhalo_archb_new_ostrog Listing] at the Orthodox Research Institute
*[http://www.new-ostrog.org/ The Canadian Orthodox Monastery of All Saints of North America] (New Ostrog)
*[http://www.orthodoxcanada.org Othodox Orthodox Canada Journal]
*[http://synaxispress.ca Synaxis Press]
*[http://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2011/10/continuing-validity-of-moral-law-of-old.html The Continuing Validity of the Moral Law of the Old Testament], written in response to Puhalo's advocacy of Transgenderim, and his attacks on the Moral Law in Scripture.
