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His Eminence Archbishop + Haralambos, Primate 4414 Washington Road West Palm Beach, Florida 33405 561/832-5663 or 561/835-3557 Holy Ukrainian Autocephalic Orthodox Church In Exile [Blessings of Kiev] Serving International Jurisdictions |
The canons of the One Holy Apostolic Ecclesia contain a canon which was designed to ward off the practice of "nepotism". Please let me illustrate how we may understand today what nepotism is and means to the Body of Christ, His Church.
One may see nepotism practiced when one sees Franklin Graham take his fathers place on television programs or crusades of the famous Billy Graham. The choice may seem innocent enough, when the board of directors of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association used propriety in electing Billy's son as successor to his father. The wisdom included that his face was very familiar and close likeness to Billy's. Also, it must be said that the preservation for the monetary coffers would best be served if a "Graham" was the public front/face to keep building on, to do the good work of world-wide evangelism. Another example is the son of Rev. Pat Robertson now taking over his father's empire. The "700 Club" as it is called, has become such a political and business enterprise. It was built on Mama and Papa's dollars to a good cause, yet a billion dollar empire recently sold to CNN enterprises without the gross profit distributed to the church that built it, Why? The answer is "Nepotism". Rev. Pat Robertson has passed the mantle to his son. As an Orthodox Christian Hierarch, I will not edify the protestant philosophy's concerning Christianity. That would take another Treaties at another time. My address is to now write about nepotism in the Christian Church today.
How does neptism apply to the Holy Canons of Bishops not marrying? The bishops were doing precisely the exact action in the church. They were building vast reserves of wealth and property, all belonging to the church, yet controlled by the Hierarchs. This Ecclesia church business was a legitimate enterprise and highly sanctioned by the Holy Scriptures, as well as the commandment to feed the widows, the poor. Yet why decide to alter Holy Scripture in "Bishops Having Only One Wife"? Saint Paul asked in his epistle to the church. The answer is the common practice of "Nepotism" became a heavier burden to the Ecclesia and distorted the true intent of bishops being overseers of church welfare and coffers of their "fiefdom". This also applies to metropolitan sees. They would always ordain their sons as heir apparent to their ecclesiastical thrones, thus causing an unhealthy result since invariably the choice of the son was not the choice of the Lord's or the Holy Spirit.
Thus the canon was initiated to thwart the passing down of wealth and authority, breaking the chain of apostolicity of father to son to son and so on. Was this canon forever? Was the immediate need of Church Economia to have this measure to edify man's error in administering God's One Holy Apostolic Catholic Church to last indefinitely? Again we see the canons as "Rudders" for church direction. Canons are also to help the Church stay on God's course as being the important issues and to correct the problem in the Holy councils, which met, guided by the Holy Spirit, through the Synodical bishops to return to the proper course. However, the canon pertained to the problem that existed, mainly Nepotism. Simply speaking it does not exist today as father to son to son by birthright, but it does introduce a far greater sin to the church, since the canon states, "No bishop may be married to a woman". Does it not however leave no choice and eliminates our Lord's words that celibacy is a gift from God. Saint Paul said it was better to not marry, not one could not marry.
The canon has forced bishops to vent their human weakness on their very own who they have authority over as their mentors, and site the canons of obedience as the basis of sexual demands on these innocent who then becoming not so innocent! There are hundreds of sited cases of homosexuality involving sexual abuse with altar boys and bishops. Yes, one hardly notices the "live in" deaconessess, housekeepers who seem to be present in dioceses. Illegitimate births to clergy have been a commonplace throughout the history of the ecclesia.
Would not Saint Paul's words, "It is far better to marry than to burn in hell", be appropriate at this time? It is common knowledge that this fraternity of celibate heirarchs have formed a common bond and unity. They have cited their vows of celibacy as the price to pay for others being and joining the heirarchs, thus having paid the price themselves now and always being negative to the brave Orthodox Apostolic Christian churches who have reapplied the original truth, "Bishop with one wife". Such a meek and humble wife would no doubt be a far better watchdog to his affairs, helping to keep him always straight in morality and always in truth.