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Protocols 1998 |
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Protocol
98-1
The
Pious Priests and Deacons of the Holy Diocese of Denver,
As the season of Holy and Great Lent approaches, many pastors are beginning
to prepare their schedules for the various special services and commemorations.
To assist you in your planning I am pleased to provide you with the
following guidelines. Second, on the First
and Third Sundays in Great Lent the appropriate processions should be
observed. The Procession with
the Holy Icons normally takes place at the end of the Divine Liturgy
on the Sunday of Orthodoxy; it may also be held later on Sunday afternoon
at Vespers when this is celebrated in the city as a Pan-Orthodox service. The veneration of
the Holy Cross on the Third Sunday of Great Lent is specified to take
place at the end of Orthros, but it is now held at the end of the Divine
Liturgy when a majority of the congregation is present. Third, to increase
participation in the liturgical cycle which has as its purpose the sanctification
of time and of our temporal lives, all parishes throughout the Denver
Diocese should, as a minimum, offer the following services during Great
Lent:
Fifth, since Holy
Week services are the most important and compunctionate, pastors in
all parishes should as a minimum schedule the following services:
*
Note: The Holy Unction Sacrament is not to be repeated over the same
oil, if two services are scheduled as is the practice in some of the
larger parishes.
Seventh, please
note that the Divine Liturgies on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday should
be scheduled at the regular time for a morning Liturgy (usually 9:00
or 10:00 AM) — not at 6:00 or 7:00 AM. In addition, parishioners
should be advised that Holy Communion is given during the Liturgy —
not before, or after, or "throughout the day." The Holy Gifts
must be consumed immediately following the Divine Liturgy, and not kept
for "latecomers." If parishioner work
schedules prevent them from attending the Thursday Morning Liturgy,
however, the Presanctified Liturgy on Holy Wednesday may be scheduled
early (such as at 6:00 or 7:00 AM) so that individuals
may have an opportunity to receive Holy Communion during Holy Week.
The Holy Eucharist of Holy Wednesday morning is no different than the
Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday morning; it is the same Body and Blood
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Eighth, keep in
mind that no Memorial or Trisagion Services are permitted between the
Saturday of Lazarus and the Sunday of Saint Thomas, inclusively. Ninth, during the
period the Great Fast, beginning on Clean Monday, the pastors should
schedule times for Holy Confession for the benefit of the people. An
excellent time for this is before or after Saturday evening Vespers
and the Sunday Vespers on the five Sunday evenings. Times for confession
should be scheduled after each of the Great Compline Services on all
Mondays of the Fast. Sadly, the Mystery of Holy Confession has become
a "forgotten sacrament" among our faithful, often because
they do not know what it entails, or even what one does in confession.
In addition to scheduling times for confession, you should consider
offering clear and thorough instruction from the pulpit, in your periodic
mailings, and in Bible study/inquiry classes regarding this important
Mystery. Finally, a few comments
are in order regarding fasting and March 25 celebrations. During the
Great Fast parishes may not sponsor meals at which meat is served, nor
festal celebrations at which there is drinking or dancing. This holds
true on March 25th as well, although fish is allowed on that day since
— just like Palm Sunday — it is one of the twelve great and
holy feasts. Unfortunately, the
few who celebrate Greek Independence day (25 March) with feasting and
dancing ignore the solemnity of the Feast of the Annunciation to the
Theotokos and violate the discipline of the Great Fast. Perhaps unbeknown
to many in America, such celebrations also neglect the pious and long-standing
tradition in Greece of commemorating their national sovereignty - which
was proclaimed auspiciously on the Day of the Annunciation, symbolizing
the freedom of the Greek People from centuries of foreign subjugation
— with parades and patriotic lectures, but not with dancing and
feasting, since the Greek people always respected the solemnity of both
this Feast and the Great Fast. The past two years
I have sent you a translation of the Paschal homily of Saint John Chrysostom.
This is the only version of the homily that is to be read in all parishes
of the Diocese at the appropriate place during the Resurrection Liturgy
instead of any others you may have found in the various Holy Week service
books. If the Paschal homily is read in Greek at the traditional part
of the Divine Liturgy where the people respond — just before the
Dismissal — then it should also be read in English as a sermon
immediately following the Gospel reading of the Divine Liturgy. The
homily was printed in two colors and laminated so that you could save
it as a permanent copy. Please feel free to duplicate this translation
in your parishes as necessary. Additional copies may be requested from
the Diocese Office. Through these additional
services and schedules, the priests and deacons will also benefit by
entering more easily into the spirit of the Lenten season. It is of
utmost importance for the priests and the deacons to remember that the
additional services and sacraments of this most holy period greatly
benefit the clergy as well as the laity. Even if few, or even none,
of the laity attend a service, your prayers in the services are on their
behalf and for their spiritual well-being. Do not be discouraged, but
rejoice in worshipping God Whom we are privileged to serve as His priests. May this coming
Great Lent bring many spiritual benefits to all the clergy and the laity
of this holy Diocese.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
98-2
The
Pious Pastors of the Holy Diocese of Denver,
Beloved
in the Lord,
We
have been informed by the Secretariat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
that the recently published Volume One of the Liturgical Calendar of
the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Hmerologion tou Oikoumenikou Patriarxeiou),
which contains the Typikon for the year 1998, contains an error. A copy
of this notice is enclosed for your reference. The Tone of the
week and the Sunday Eothinon cited for the Sundays from 4 January 1998
through 5 April 1998 are incorrect; they are behind by one week. This
also means that the first phrases of various stichera and troparia published
in the Hmerologion are also incorrect. It should be noted
that the Kanonion previously mailed to each parish, and which is printed
on pages 18 and 19 of the Hmerologion, does correctly reflect the Tone
and Eothinon and should be referred to on all Sundays through Palm Sunday. Attention and care
should therefore be exercised in selecting the correct resurrectional
stichera and troparia according to the Kanonion, rather than those indicated
in the Hmerologion. I ask you to ensure
that your chanters and choir directors are informed of this error in
the Hmerologion and that they follow the published Kanonion in determining
the Tone of the week.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
98-3
The
Pious Pastors of the Holy Diocese of Denver,
Beloved
in the Lord,
It
has come to my attention that during the recent Feast of Theophany some
pastors chose to "move the Feast" and the Great Blessing of
the Waters from Wednesday to the preceding or following Sundays. This
is not correct, and there is absolutely no provision in the Typikon
of the Great Church nor in our Liturgical tradition for such practices. The reasons given
for this action were purportedly pastoral; viz., to permit the faithful
to observe the Blessing of the Waters when they came to church as they
customarily do only on Sundays. This expression of pastoral concern,
however, can have a detrimental effect upon the faithful because it
can lead to spiritual laxity. Our obligation is to submit to the will
of God and to conform our lives according to His ways. This practice
of "moving a feast" is a failure by the pastors in question
to conform with the norms of our liturgical tradition and it indicates
that the ways of God's Church can be conformed to the weaknesses of
the people. Festal commemorations,
such as Theophany and the Exaltation of the Cross, are to be celebrated
on the appointed days and not transferred to the "nearest Sunday." May our merciful
Lord strengthen each of you in His service, and inspire you to do all
things in accordance with His holy will.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol 98-4
The
Devoted Priests The Esteemed Parish Councils of the Holy Diocese of
Denver
Beloved
in the Lord,
Please
accept my sincere thanks for being faithful stewards of the Lord and
His Church by accepting the challenge of remitting to your Archdiocese
offices the parish offerings for the continuation of our national ministries
during the year 1997. In this regard you continue the tradition set
forth by the Greek Christians of Achaia and Macedonia (Romans 15:26,
2 Corinthians 9:1-8) as well as the first Christians throughout the
Middle East. I must nonetheless
report to you that we have not yet reached our anticipated goal of $564,294.
It is not too late to fulfill our goal and I am hopeful that the parishes
which are behind will demonstrate their unity with the rest of the parishes.
Nevertheless, I am pleased to see that the Parishes in the Diocese of
Denver attained a 9.765% overall Total Commitment level in 1997, an
increase from the 9.349% level in 1996. I am grateful to
God for you and for the Christian generosity that the parishes of this
Diocese are showing toward the National Ministries of our holy Archdiocese. Yet, there are still
areas which we must all address. First and foremost we should keep in
mind the 15% Total Commitment goal required of every parish in the Archdiocese. This means that we are obligated to remit 15% of our total
parish income in the form of a monthly Total Commitment amount to the
Stewardship Office. As you know, I am
in fact prohibited from ratifying Parish Council elections unless this
15% Total Commitment amount has been fulfilled. I have, however, allowed
each parish to gradually reach this goal by increasing the annual Total
Commitment percentage by one percentage point each year. I am very happy
to report to you that at this time approximately 15% of our parishes
have attained this 15% goal, and another 20% are within a percentage
point or two of reaching this goal. In other words, in the year 1999
over one-third of the parishes in this Diocese will have reached —
or will be maintaining — this goal established at the Archdiocesan
Clergy-Laity Congresses by delegates from our parishes. For this year of
1998, I also ask you to show concern and sensitivity in the following
areas:
Once again, please
accept my sincerest thanks for demonstrating your commitment to Christ
and His Church during the past year. May your gifts return many times
over to you.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
98-5
The
Pious Pastors of the Holy Diocese of Denver
Beloved
in the Lord,
It
has been the practice in many parishes throughout the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese in America to permit pastors to schedule and celebrate the
Divine Liturgy on the evening before a weekday feast day. This is done when
there would be a positive spiritual benefit to the faithful by providing
them an opportunity to attend the Divine Liturgy in celebration of a
significant feast of the Church that falls on a weekday, when they would
otherwise not be able to do so. I ask you, the pastors,
entrusted with the spiritual care of the faithful, to consider the following
when you are deciding whether to celebrate the Liturgy in the morning
as is customary or to schedule it for the preceding evening. First, a primary
reason for celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the evening is the argument
that the majority of the faithful cannot attend daytime (morning) Liturgies
on workdays. Yet, this has always been the case throughout human history:
our daily work, be it in the fields or in city stores or in factories,
demands our time and attention during the work day. Second, you must
be very careful to avoid perpetuating the erroneous notion that the
only type of public worship we celebrate is the Mystery of the Holy
Eucharist. Also, people must not be led to think that they come to church
only to "receive their Communion;" the Church is not a fast-food
restaurant. Third, it can be
difficult to be properly prepared to receive Holy Communion in the evenings.
On the one occasion each year when we do this, Holy Pascha, we have
prepared throughout the Great Fast and Holy Week and have customarily
observed the strict fast of Holy Saturday with prayer and contemplation.
The frenzied pace and the many demands of the workplace during the day
are not conducive to preparation for an evening Liturgy, nor is the
often hectic drive in rush hour traffic from work to church (or the
more hurried drive from work to home to church!). Fourth, if the purpose
of an evening Liturgy is to commemorate the feast of a saint or an event
in the Life of Christ, you might consider that the prescribed evening
worship service of the Orthodox Church (Vespers) provides much more
liturgical material apropos to the celebration. Moreover, it is a shorter
service than the Divine Liturgy and affords an optimum opportunity for
the priest to preach about the feast. Fifth, it might
be useful to educate the faithful about the "other" services
of the Church, and to encourage their attendance at Vespers, the Paraklesis,
the Akathist, etc. in the evenings. Sixth, it is not
unacceptable for there to be only a few people at a weekday morning
Divine Liturgy. The Liturgy, after all, is not a "performance"
or a "show" for the people, but it is prayer on behalf of
the faithful. Those who are absent from the Divine Liturgy for honorable
reasons are mentioned in the Proskomide and are included in the liturgical
prayers. It is the obedience of the priest who celebrates and the privilege
of those who participate in the Divine Liturgy to pray for their fellow
parishioners and indeed for the whole Church. Seventh, consider
that the Church has not previously transferred the Divine Liturgy from
the morning to the evening; in fact, the Liturgy was an evening celebration
in the earliest days of the Church that was transferred to the morning
because it was celebrated in the homes after the evening services in
the synagogue. Note that even the true "Vesperal Liturgies"
of Christmas, Theophany, Holy Thursday, and Holy Saturday are specified
to be celebrated in the mornings by anticipation although the celebration
itself is certainly of an evening character reflecting its origins.
In regard to the period of Great Lent, evening Presanctified Liturgies
are acceptable because the faithful by far and large make extra efforts
to prepare themselves for receiving Holy Communion. Finally, please
keep in mind that I have not prohibited the celebration of the Divine
Liturgy in the evenings for a weekday feast in the parishes of this
Diocese, so long as the priests have a good pastoral reason for doing
so. Such Liturgies, however, must be celebrated in accordance with the
rubrics set forth for the complete Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom,
and not truncated and conjoined to an abbreviated Vespers. The evening
Liturgy may be preceded by Vespers and by Matins, so that in effect
a parish vigil is celebrated. Also, the Liturgy must be celebrated on
the evening before the feast (e.g., an evening Liturgy for the feast
of Saint Nicholas would be scheduled on the evening of December fifth,
not on the evening of the sixth). This, however, must never occur with
a Sunday evening Liturgy, for such would constitute two liturgies on
the same day. I do ask, however,
that the Divine Liturgy on major feasts (e.g., March 25th, August 15th)
be celebrated during the morning as is customary. As we prepare to
enter the holy Triodion season, I ask you to consider scheduling at
least Saturday evening Vespers — and feast day Vespers as appropriate
— so as to teach your parishioners that we have these beautiful
services for our spiritual edification as well as the customary Sunday
Divine Liturgy. May our merciful
Lord strengthen each of you in His service, and inspire you to do all
things in accordance with His holy will.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
98-6
The
Pious Pastors of the Holy Diocese of Denver
Beloved
in the Lord,
The
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has recently announced its strategy
for interconnecting all the Diocesan offices and parishes via the Internet
for the purposes of exchanging electronic mail (e-mail), transmitting
press releases, and interchanging other desired information as we become
increasingly involved in this era of modern telecommunications. At the request of
His Eminence Archbishop Spyridon, I have designated a Diocesan Internet
Team and have prepared a Diocesan Internet Web Strategy Document. Our first step in
implementing this strategy is to survey the parishes of the Dioceses
to determine the current status of Internet access available. Accordingly,
I ask you to fill out the enclosed questionnaire and return it to the
Diocesan Office as soon as possible. I am finding that
many of our parish clergy are already communicating with each other,
as well as with me and my staff, through the Internet. The e-mail message
is rapidly becoming a preferred medium for communicating routine information
and for obtaining information from the Diocesan Office. Wherever the Internet
will facilitate our vital purpose of communicating the Gospel of Christ
to all nations, I encourage its use. This may be directly through parish
"Web Pages" or simply by making your administrative tasks
easier and the Diocesan Staff more accessible. If you are not currently
connected to the Internet, there are several providers that offer you
free access for the purpose of sending and receiving e-mail. The attached
informative sheet titled "Getting Connected via E-Mail" provides
additional information regarding this process. Should you have
any technical questions, I encourage you to contact our Diocese Internet
Team Coordinator, Presvytera Pauline Pavlakos, either by phone at 303-471-2311
or via e-mail at pavlakos@maple.lemoyne.edu. May our merciful
Lord strengthen each of you in His service, and inspire you to do all
things in accordance with His holy will.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
98-7
The
Pious Priests and Deacons The
Faithful Members of Christ's Holy Church in the Holy Diocese of Denver
Beloved
in the Lord,
Once
again we enter into the most meaningful and most dramatic time of the
year, Holy Week and the Paschal celebration. Once again we are also
invited to prepare ourselves to meet the Lord Jesus Christ as He enters
the holy city, as He is betrayed, as He suffers and dies on the Cross,
and as He rises from the dead with the promise of a new, unending life
for His people. Yet, even as we participate
in the divine services which commemorate these life-giving events each
day of Holy Week, we must also acknowledge that these are truly the
latter days; for there are many false prophets and false Christs around
us. The days are evil; there are many people who have no sense of morality,
and have no respect for persons in every walk of life. The world is
really oblivious to Christ and His promises. What is our role, our
responsibility in the face of this reality? People of the Diocese,
we have a very awesome responsibility, every one of us, young and old,
working and retired. We must project the truth of our holy faith by
making Orthodoxy visible in this part of the country. The Lord is waiting
to see if we will hear His words which direct us to go out into the
world and to preach the Gospel to all people. This is the Gospel of
hope in a darkened world, and a Gospel which can teach people how to
live morally and to work together with respect for one another. In doing this, we do not
have to knock on doors, as persons of other religions do to us. Rather,
the best thing we can do, and the most effective, is to participate
in supporting the construction of the Diocese Center in Denver which
is the geographic center of this Diocese. The completion of this Center
will not only become a focal point for all Orthodox Christians of the
plains and mountain states, but it will also be the source of information
and materials needed to help our existing parishes to grow and to make
Orthodoxy known to all those who are thirsting for the Way, the Life,
and the Truth: our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. As we follow our Lord
throughout Holy Week to the glorious celebration of His resurrection,
we will contemplate upon His sacrifice to establish His holy Church.
Let His example inspire us to make the sacrifices needed so that the
holy endeavor to build a Center to His glory and for the promulgation
of His teaching soon will become a reality. I know that you will surely
rejoice during this most holy time of the year in the knowledge that
our Lord conquered death so that we might receive the gift of eternal
life. I am also confident that you will also find great joy in knowing
that you are helping to proclaim the glorious name of our Lord Jesus
Christ and the Good News of His resurrection through your participation
in the building of the Diocese Center. I greet you with the love
of God and wish you and your loved ones a most joyful Pascha.
Christ
is Risen!
Christos
Anesti!
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
98-07*
The
Pious Clergy and Faithful of the Holy Diocese of Denver
Beloved
in the Lord,
The
Lord Jesus Christ came into the world and became one of us, so that
we may become like Him. He died on the Cross so that we would be able
to share His divine Body and Blood as He said we should do, in order
to become heirs of His coming Kingdom. In other words, by receiving
Holy Communion we are sharers of Christ's eternal glory. However, Holy Communion
can be detrimental to us if we receive it without taking seriously its
importance and the fact that we could be harming ourselves to the point
of sickness and even death. Saint Paul writes: Therefore whoever
eats this bread and drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner
will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. For he who eats and
drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not
discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among
you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:27-30) An increasing number
of our people have become careless in how they should prepare themselves
and their children for Holy Communion. For example many receive Holy
Communion while having feelings of resentment against others. They do
not talk with relatives and former friends and yet they approach the
communion cup as if they are receiving dessert. Others do not abstain
from certain foods as they should. Still others eat before receiving
Holy Communion and some are even feeding their school-age children food
in the back of the church before they send them up to receive Holy Communion.
A number of people go to receive Holy Communion and they are chewing
gum! Still others enter
the church after the Divine Liturgy has started and even after the Lord's
Prayer has been recited and they proceed to enter the communion line,
as if they are going into a fast food line. Probably the ones
who are in the greatest danger of allowing Holy Communion to harm them
are they who have gone through the procedure of preparation with prayer
and abstinence, but who are afraid to touch the communion spoon with
their lips. These people are afraid of "catching something,"
if they touch the communion spoon with their mouths after others have
gone before them. They think that they will catch AIDS or some other
terrible disease. Aside from the fact that the priest must consume the
remainder of the Holy Communion at the end of each Divine Liturgy —
and in 2,000 years there has never been a case in which a priest has
contracted a communicable disease — fear nevertheless exists in
the hearts of a number of our people that they will catch something
harmful. Actually such behavior which indicates a lack of faith in the
believer should convince them never to receive Holy Communion until
they have changed their thinking. For even though their lips may not
touch the communion spoon, they could very well become ill to the point
of death because of their lack of faith. In this way Holy Communion
can definitively prove harmful not because of what is in it but because
the Holy Spirit Who changes the bread and wine into the Divine Body
and Blood of Christ is offended. I ask the priests
of this holy Diocese to warn their parishioners about the seriousness
of receiving Holy Communion and I ask the people of this Diocese to
begin to be strict with yourselves because the receiving of Holy Communion
is one of the most important things we do on a regular basis in our
religious experience. Christ our Lord came into the world to give us
eternal life and to give it more and more abundantly. Let us not take
His extreme humility and His sacrifice so casually that we do not really
discern how much Holy Communion can really help us in so many ways,
as well as harm us to the point of sickness and death. How we receive
Holy Communion is up to each one of us; we decide if it will help us
or harm us; the Lord will respond accordingly.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
*To
be printed in the Parish Bulletins and Newsletters
Protocol
98-8
To
the Pious Priests and Deacons of the Holy Diocese of Denver
Beloved
in the Lord,
In
the context of our American society it has become customary for some
Orthodox clergy to adopt the western convention of wearing the "Roman
collar" and a dark suit as well as cutting their hair and beard
according to contemporary fashion. At the same time others have chosen
to maintain the Orthodox tradition of wearing the cassock (anteri) and
of allowing their hair and beard to remain long. Within this Holy
Diocese both the "traditional" and the "western"
practices are acceptable. This is because the Orthodox Church is not
legalistic in observing its traditions, and certain flexibility is allowed
so long as this is to the spiritual benefit of individuals as well as
to the whole of the Church. This flexibility
is in keeping with both the spirit and the letter of Holy Canon 27 of
the 102 Canons from the Sixth Ecumenical Council, which states: "Let
no one on the Clerical List don inappropriate clothing, either when
living in the city or when walking the road; but, on the contrary, let
him wear costumes that have already been assigned to the use of those
who are enrolled in the Clergy." Using the vocabulary of this Canon,
the "costumes" which identify and set a man apart in contemporary
American society as a clergyman or priest can be either the "Roman
collar" or the traditional cassock. Both are generally accepted
and are recognized by the public as clergy attire. Within this Diocese
it is acceptable at all times and in all places to wear the cassock
and, as appropriate, the exorasson and kalymavki. This traditional "attire"
is particularly befitting and preferred within the church and parish
buildings, as well as in all official church buildings and at all church
events. The "Roman
collar" (which actually is an English development) is also appropriate
in most public settings, when traveling, when visiting the hospitals
and homes, and when in the office. A coat should be worn whenever other
men in the particular situation would normally be found wearing suits
or coats. In regard to hair
and beards, it should be noted that the "royal or middle way"
of moderation in our tradition embraces both long hair and its proper
cutting. For instance, on the one hand Saint Paul states that long hair
is degrading to a man (1 Corinthians 11:14), and Saint Epiphanios said
that long hair on a man "is a thing that is alien to the Catholic
Church." Zonaras, the great canonist, similarly emphasizes that
men should cut their hair in a simple and modest manner, noting that
clergy in particular, "ought by their speech and by their conduct,
and by the outward decency and plainness of their garments, and of their
hair, and of their beard, to teach the laity not to be body-lovers and
exquisites, but soul-lovers and virtue-lovers." Nonetheless, on
the other hand it has become accepted practice in Orthodox lands that
the clergy not cut the hair of their head nor their beards. On the other hand
the Old Testament teaching of the clergy not cutting their hair or their
beard is the norm for monastics in the Church. A monastic does not cut
his hair or his beard after he receives his monastic tonsure because
the implication which comes from the Old Testament is that he has broken
his monastic vow. This holds true for every monk of the Church. Somehow from this
Orthodox tradition, priests in parochial life have chosen to follow
the monastic rule regarding their hair and beards. Within this Diocese
either practice is acceptable, but whether a priest or deacon chooses
to cut or not cut his hair and beard these must be neat and clean. There is an erroneous
impression some clergy seem to have, that long hair and beards are supposed
to "grow wild" and that in allowing this they are somehow
emulating the example of "traditional clergy" in the old world.
This is not correct. The clergy in traditional Orthodox lands ensure
that the hair on their head is neatly combed back and secured unobtrusively
in the back; often one does not even notice that they have long hair.
Likewise their beards are clean and present a neat appearance. While monastic clergy
living away from the public within their monastic communities have a
different standard, the married clergy who serve parishes in the world
must always keep in mind that they are representing the Church and Her
Bridegroom, Christ, to all people. Parishes are not monasteries, and
married clergy should not confuse the separate but parallel purposes
of parishes and monasteries — either in their marriages or in their
parish life. In regard to the outward appearance of all parish clergy,
the commentary associated with Holy Canon 27 is germane: "Clergymen
and all who are in Holy Orders ought to be modest and decent even in
respect of their outward appearance. For God looks into the heart, it
is true, but human beings look at the external condition of the body,
according to what has been written: 'A human being will look at a face,
but God at a heart.' Hence from what they can see on the outside they
draw inferences as to what is in the heart. I expect that each
priest and deacon of this Diocese will present a neat and clean appearance
at all times. If a cassock is worn, it should be neat, clean, and well-pressed.
It should not look like it was slept in nor should it be stained with
food. Being a priest and wearing a cassock is not an excuse for slovenly
behavior or for neglecting the norms of common civility. Likewise those
who wear the "Roman collar" should keep their clergy shirts
and their suits clean, neat, and in good repair. Simplicity, cleanliness,
and decency in accord with contemporary norms should guide us in all
these matters along with common sense. Clergy should be clearly identifiable
and set apart while at the same time they should present a neat and
respectful appearance as representatives of Christ and His Church.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
98-9
To
the Pious Priests and Deacons of the Holy Diocese of Denver
Beloved
in the Lord,
Is
any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
(James 5:14)
At
our recent Clergy Syndesmos during the thirty-fourth Clergy-Laity Congress
in Orlando, Florida the issue of Holy Unction and its proper administration
was brought up. Accordingly, I am providing you with the following guidelines. The Mystery of Holy
Unction is the healing sacrament of the Church. It is usually conducted
in the homes of church members who are seriously ill. Because of the
loving kindness of the Church and Her concern for Her children, the
sacrament found its way to Holy Week where it is conducted annually
on Holy Wednesday. Unfortunately, it has taken the place of the beautiful
Bridegroom Service of Holy Wednesday evening in many of our parishes,
which is actually the Orthros of the Divine Liturgy of the Last Supper
on Holy Thursday morning. The Mystery was
introduced by the Church into Holy Wednesday so that the faithful would
be prepared physically and spiritually to experience with a pure heart
the holy passion of our Lord. The administering of the Mystery only
to Orthodox Christians is for the healing of all maladies of soul and
body as well as for the forgiveness of their sins. The remaining Holy
Unction is kept by the priest for his healing ministry throughout the
year. This Mystery should
be celebrated on Holy Wednesday afternoon especially in the larger parishes,
so that the Bridegroom Service of that evening may become familiar to
the people. Actually nothing prohibits the priest from anointing the
faithful during the evening Bridegroom Service at the appropriate times,
using the Holy Unction from the afternoon service. Just as we do not
give Holy Communion to the faithful to take home, neither do we give
Holy Unction so that they would administer it either to themselves or
to other family members. As you know, the Mysteries are always administered
by the clergy. It may be that some
of the faithful are confused by the similarity of "holy oil"
taken from the kandili hanging before certain icons or the relics of
saints, which is often given to the pious faithful. This oil is taken
home, much like holy water, and is similarly used when a member of the
family is ill or troubled. On Holy Wednesday,
the Holy Unction should be administered by the priest (a deacon may
assist just as he does in the distribution of Holy Communion). This
is best done using a brush; Orthodox religious supply stores sell brushes
specially made for this purpose with wood or metal handles. An appropriate,
good-quality small artist's brush with a wood handle such as those sold
in hobby stores for painting pictures and the like may also be used. The practice of
using disposable cotton swabs (Q-tips) is impractical. Moreover, the
custom of placing the used cotton swab in a plastic bag to be taken
home by the faithful is not appropriate. There is no reason for doing
this since the Mystery is administered by the clergy, and in addition
this cotton saturated with Holy Unction is all too often disregarded
or simply thrown away in the trash. We have an obligation
to clearly teach the faithful about the difference between Holy Unction
and the holy oils received from places of pious veneration. The former
should be handled as we do Holy Communion and the latter like holy water. In the distribution
of Holy Unction and Holy Communion to the sick, it should be noted that
the services for these are short and simple. Just as we do not celebrate
the Divine Liturgy in a hospital room every time we give communion to
the sick, neither do we celebrate the full Service Mystery of Holy Unction
when we anoint them. Unfortunately one recent Service Book widely used
in our Church erroneously suggests that the Mystery of Holy Unction
can be celebrated with one Epistle, one Gospel, and one Prayer (rather
than the customary seven) when anointing the sick. This is not correct
and can be considered play-acting. Both in communing and anointing the
sick we are "distributing" or administering sacraments that
are reserved from a prior celebration of the Mystery. A useful order for
anointing the sick could be as follows:
Similarly, a useful
order for communing the sick could be as follows:
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Protocol
98-10
To
the Pious Pastors and Esteemed Parish Councils of the Holy Diocese of
Denver
Beloved
in the Lord,
As
we approach the time of year for holding Parish Council elections, I
pray that the parishioners will soon be choosing individuals "of
good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom" (cf. Acts 6:3) to
administer the temporal affairs of your parish in cooperation with your
priest. So that the elections
may be held properly and fairly, I exhort you to review the provisions
of the Special Regulations and Uniform Parish Regulations of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America (commonly referred to as the "UPR").
Please remember that your local bylaws may supplement, but cannot contravene,
these regulations. To clarify the provisions
of the UPR, and to permit my positive and timely response to your request
for ratification of the election results, I ask that your parish also
abide by the enclosed guidelines. Please note that Parish Council elections
will not be ratified unless all of the indicated forms are submitted. Please note: the
enclosed package contains the forms you are to use this autumn; forms
from previous years will not be accepted. You may, however,
reproduce these locally so long as all wording is included exactly as
provided. The members of the
Parish Council, are co-workers in the sacred task of administering the
operational affairs of Christ's Holy Church at their parish. These responsibilities
are serious inasmuch as they are a service to Christ, and consequently
Parish Council Members must never take this ministry lightly or use
their position for personal gain or to further any personal desire,
but must exercise it to the glory of Christ and His Holy Church. Parish Council Members
should also recognize that as the "board of trustees" for
parishes organized under the incorporation laws in their state, they
are legally answerable in the civil courts for any suit or complaint
brought against the Parish corporation during the time of their tenure. The Parish Council
is not a policy-making body, but rather an executive agent for the Parish
General Assembly. The Parish Council thus carries out the will of the
Parish General Assembly, and does not make decisions nor take actions
contrary to that will. In this regard,
I ask that you carry out the decision reached at the Clergy-Laity Congress
in Chicago requiring that the parish budget for 1999 be submitted at
the last regular General Assembly in 1998. This way your 1999 Parish
Council will have the mandate of the parish assembly as well as an approved
budget when they begin their term of office. From time to time
questions arise concerning membership status in our parishes and the
stewardship obligations of our faithful to their parishes. First and
foremost, we are "members" of the Church (the Body of Christ)
by virtue of the Mystery of Baptism and Chrismation. We remain "members"
by our spiritual struggle (ascesis), by our participation in the Holy
Mysteries, and by our association with the local parish. Only secondarily
do we have the notion of "membership in good standing" which
is an administrative distinction limited to determining those "members"
of the Church (as described in the previous paragraph) who are afforded
an opportunity to vote regarding certain parish administrative matters.
Such "voting membership" presupposes being a member of the
Church sacramentally, and additionally involves having demonstrated
a specified level of stewardship involvement in a particular parish. Finally, since both
membership by Baptism and Chrismation in the Church as well as "membership
in good standing" according to financial stewardship are spiritual
matters—insofar as both reflect one's responsibility to God—it
is only the parish Priest as the head of the parish and as spiritual
father of the members of that parish who can make a definitive determination
in this regard concerning the status of his parishioners. I pray that the
Lord will bless each ongoing and each newly-elected council member with
the wisdom and strength to continue serving Him as a faithful member
of the Parish Council.
With
Paternal Blessings,
+
Metropolitan Isaiah Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of Denver
Please
Note:
Protocol
98-11
To
the Pious Clergy and the Faithful Members of the Holy Diocese of Denver
You
have heaped up treasure in the last days. (James 5:3)
Beloved
in the Lord,
We
are living in the last days. Wherever one looks
today in the world, in his country, in his society or neighborhood,
or in his very home. he realizes that there is only one meaning to life,
one criterion of success, one purpose for living: it is money. Big industry has
raped God's planet. It has stripped the world of its forests; it has
gouged the terrain and even the bottom of the seas for minerals and
for the "liquid gold." It has polluted the rivers and lakes and
even large bodies of water like the Mediterranean Sea. Mankind has invaded
the natural places where birds and beasts have had their habitations
for thousands of years and he continues to destroy the animals that
forage in his back yard — the native habitat of the animals which
he now claims. He has callously harvested most of the edible sea food
of the oceans to the point of the extinction of some species. The mindset of man
is one: to heap up treasure! The lowering of
traditional moral standards among people of all ages has been reduced
to one response: "So what!" If the most powerful man in the
world states that his private life is his own business, then certainly
everyone else can easily say the same thing, with the further response:
"If you like it, do it." The concerted teaching
of "self esteem" to the young which allows false fantasies
in their young minds to believe that they are more and better than they
really are, fuels their selfish and self-centered philosophy among the
inhabitants of the planet. The frightening
result is that the planet earth which is a living organism has begun
to fight back and trying to heal itself from the many abuses and exploitations
that have been heaped upon it. The reaction has been floods, tornadoes,
hurricanes, fires in new residential areas, and increasing earthquakes. Without any doubt,
this greed for amassing treasures on earth has affected more and more
people in every place. It has also influenced and affected the people
of this Diocese and the Church in general. Although we have read so much material lately about the clergy attempting to control the people and the parishes, if one is honest and objective he would readily see that this is not so. Actually it is the opposite. Without mentioning specific persons or parishes, we are witnessing the fulfillment of Saint James' prophecy when he writes, "You have heaped up treasures in the last days." It is a sad reality that the clergy are considered only secondarily, while the main concern in the minds of the people is to gather more and more funds for the parishes. No one seems concerned about saving souls for God's coming Kingdom. The mark of success in the parishes is not the increase of members, but the increase of funds. However, in most cases it is even cutting back on responsibilities lik | |