Orthodox Christians: An American Presence (1981)

[@TheFeralcatz]

As a 24 year old man it's hard to imagine a world where a tv network has such a positive and genuine showing about our Orthodox faith. The priest who narrated did such a fantastic job. It seems that people spoke with more grace, vocabulary and class in that time.

[@Lafayette320]

Supplimenting: Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of N. and S. America and Metropolitan Phillip (Saliba). Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, were featured in this video. Both, along with the former Archbishop Athenagoras, Primate 1930-1949, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople 1949-1972, were the most strong and dynamic hierarchs in America. Near the end of WW II, there was an effort to bring together the Primates of the Orthodox jurisdictions to get the U.S. Dep't. of Defense to accept the Eastern Orthodox Church as an identifier for their dog tags. I don't recall the name of the coalition; it was something like Federation of Primary Jurisdictions of the Orthodox Catholic Churches. NY Governor Dewey supported the effort. Example of the problem, my Dad's parish priest advised him to to identify himself as an Episcopalian---reconciliation with the RC church didn't begin until 1964; my uncle identified himself as a Roman Catholic. Both were members of the same Greek Orthodox parish. It wasn't until some time in the 1950's when "EO" was finally accepted. Archbishop Michael was the GOANSA Primate at the time whose administration had continued the campaign. Upon the election of Bishop Iakovos of Meletia (Malta) to the GOANSA Archdiocesan Throne, he generated interest in developing a conference of Eastern Orthodox hierarchs in the Western Hemisphere. In 1960, he invited the Primates of the Pan Orthodox hierarchy in the U.S. to the GOANSA HQ in Manhatten who formed the Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in the Americas which became known as SCOBA. I think one of the Russian jurisdictions did not participate.

[@mathyre232]

Let's hope that the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox don't get too friendly, I'd hate to see the Holy Orthodox Church polluted by the heresies of the West.

[@TheFeralcatz]

Indeed my brother, dialogue in the proper context that we are right and they are wrong! ha ha

[@spiderb3367]

Very interesting note about the Roman Catholic priest who ministered to the Orthodox faithful in their absence of an Orthodox priest, performing baptisms and funerals for them. What a blessing that in a new world, cut off from the Church, they were able to be ministered to and receive grace. That is true ecumenism in a positive sense. Not to concede our theological disagreements, God forbid, but when the rubber meets the road, it plays out a little different. God bless the Roman Catholic priest Fr. Pedro and may his memory be eternal.