Episcopal Press and News

American Orthodoxy Still Needs Bonds to 'Mother Church'

Episcopal News Service. October 17, 1996 [96-1587E]

(ENI) Archbishop Spyridon, recently enthroned head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, said that he hoped to see greater unity among the various Orthodox jurisdictions of the United States, now generally divided along ethnic lines. But he also said that he did not think American Orthodoxy was yet mature enough for total independence, known as autocephaly. "I still see that we are going through a diaspora phase," he said. "This is a young new church, and it still needs to be nourished by its bonds with the mother church. Autocephaly is usually given to churches formed by very large Orthodox populations in Orthodox lands," he said. "It is not given to diaspora churches." Some American Orthodox want to see an end to the multiple jurisdictions, and the formation of one church with the same independence as the Orthodox churches in Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, the Middle East and other areas. Americans in this group contend that Orthodoxy could not fully develop and play its potential role in American life until it was able to set its own course without vetoes from Old World authorities they feel do not adequately understand the U.S. situation.