I Do Not Confess

As an Orthodox Christian, I reject Leonid Kishkovsky's repentance on my behalf at the  World Council of Churches on Feb. 18. He wasn't alone; a number of mainline leaders from the U.S. were on hand to confess American sins in a public letter: "From a place seduced by the lure of empire we come to you in penitence."

Requisite "Lord, have mercys" were interspersed to form a litany of confession to the rest of the WCC delegates. Alan Wisdom of the Institute on Religion and Democracy was on hand and describes the event in more detail here. He claims that even the WCC delegates received the litany with tepid applause. (Since when does one applaud a litany of confession anyway? Maybe on an Oprah episode, I suppose). Perhaps they were embarrassed to witness what he calls a "spectacle of self-mortification."

It's a self-mortification that is not so hard to do when the real sinner in question is Wisdom believes, someone else, George W. Bush. The sins of the empire thus confessed include aspects of post-9/11 responses, racism revealed in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, poverty, environmental degradation by America; you get the idea.

Though I won't say that this confession (which was read as a letter) was made entirely without some knowledge of costs. Kishkovsky, and others, when pressed, acknowledged that there are others in their churches who didn't share these views. He even said, "It is entirely possible that, in returning to the U.S., I will be subjected to criticism within my own church." No longer is this just possible, it's now happened, and even before he leaves Brazil and the WCC behind.

Comments

[Christopher]

My family recently moved (from New Orleans) to a city with only one english speaking Orthodox church, an OCA church. I consider the OCA the most moribound (rivaled perhaps only the the Greeks) "jurisdiction", yet one with influence for two reasons. First, St. Vladimir's seminary, and second because they arguably have the most claim to being the cannonical jurisdiction in America. Yet they seem to have more than their share of dinasours like Fr Kishkovsky (no offense intended to the real dinasours ;). Actually, Fr Kishkovsky seems to have moved beyond failed religious liberalism into being a simple fool. From a short bio: (http://www.svots.edu/Press-Releases/2004-1209-schmemann-lecture/index.html)
one quickly grasps the depth of his left/activist politics (ACT, Council on Foreign Relations, etc.). Despite this St. Vladimirs has a man like this deliver the Schmemann memorial lecture?? In an effort I to be a responsible churchman I do my small part by NOT sending $$$ to places like St. Vladimirs or even the IOCC. They simply have too many dinasours in positions of influence ;)

Beyond that, what is one to do? Can you imagine having a man like this as your parish priest!?!?

[Luthien]

"I consider the OCA the most moribound (rivaled perhaps only the the Greeks) "jurisdiction", "

Please leave the Greek archdiocese alone, and reserve your attacks for those who deserve it. While I can't pretend that attending a Greek church is _all_ wonderful(esp. as I still dislike olives, spinach, and kalamari), I have not noticed any particularly moribund tendencies in the Greek church. The faith is alive and well here, and I, for one, am absolutely sick of Orthodox Christians from other jurisdictions looking down their noses at the Greek Archdiocese. Worry about your beams first and others' splinters later.

[Susan Peterson]

Christopher, As a Catholic who has had the disobedience and silly liberalism of some Catholics held up to me by Orthodox as something that doesn't happen in their church, I confess that this story inspired in me the feeling known as "schadenfreude." Yes, I can imagine.
Susan Peterson

[William Gall]

There is ample precedent in the Holy Scriptures for prayers of repentance on behalf of one's people- the three holy youths, for example.
Not having heard or read this man's address, it is possible that he went too far. But the question for me is how our country's folkways stack up against the legacy of the poor widow who gave all she had and the Desert Fathers and their example of radical relinquishment. Are our actions evidence of a people focused on building and sustaining an economic empire at the expense of others or not? Yes, this is my land, these are my people, the neighbors I am called to love. And we must defend our loved ones when necessary. But not everything we do is cause for us to hold our heads high. And if not, we must admit it.

[Jim Kushiner]

Please, no more attacks on jurisdictions, dear Orthodox brothers and sisters. What happened in Brazil at the WCC, while it involved an Orthodox priest (and thus I focused on him, and he was the one who read the letter of "confession"), also included non-Orthodox churches. The phenomenon of such "confessions" is noteworthy. Especially the neat trick of pointing out someone else's "sins" by confessing how we have failed to convince so-and-so of the error of his ways. We have failed as prophets: Nineveh just wouldn't listen.

[GL]

William,

Our country has much to repent for, but somehow I doubt that those who have done so on our behalf have repented for our actual sins: filling the rest of the world with our porn and soft-porn (i.e., by the latter, I mean movies, TV shows and music which we enjoy with our children), attempting to export our own materialistic lifestyle, financing the drug trade, exporting "family planning," and living extravagant lifestyles while many in our world are ill-housed, ill-clothed, and ill-fed, just to mention a few.

I love my country, but surely orthodox Christians should recognize that our society is deeply sinful and that its sinfulness has impact around the globe.

[Christopher]

I believe my words were taken out of context. I am not sure how being critical is taken as an "attack". I stand by my analysis that the Greek jurisdiction has some real problems. I know this from personal experience having been a member for several years. I also stand by my analysis that the OCA (my current jurisdiction) also has real problems.

I also strongly disagree that the actions of the above priest can somehow be compartmentalized off from the general health of the OCA - that they are only related to the WCC and the actions of a single priest. Rather, it is evidence of an underlying systemic problem. No traditional or organic understanding of Orthodoxy/Christianity that I have heard of would support such a view.

We are not somehow resolving that the such "internal" situations of certain communions (e.g. Episcopalian and homosexualist priests/bishops) are open for discussion but Orthodoxy's real problems are that-which-should-not-be-named? If so, I would like to be the first to say that "I am absolutely sick of other Christian's looking down their noses at Episcopalian church"...;)

[luthien]

And, Christopher, I stand by mine that the Greek jurisdiction is just fine, thanks. Perhaps it's more an individual parish thing?

[Jack ONeill]

I hope that somebody at the conference, hearing the nonsense spouted by the cleric and his friends had a moment of clarity and asked himself: "What am I doing here?" Kishkovsky apologized to people who had no material interest in what we was apologizing for, on behalf of someone for whose actions he had no responsibility, and over whom he held no authority. It was a reprise of Bill Clinton's feeling someone's pain, a failed attempt at "cheap grace." The sadness is that the folks in the pews, who would never imagine such a performance from their pastor, had to contribute to the support of such tripe.

[revdave]

As long as we're speaking of the ECUSA:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002818625_taylor21m.html

[Daniel C]

I believe the OCA stopped supporting the NCC. That is a positive move for all of Orthodoxy in my book.

[Scott Walker]

Alas, the OCA has not yet opted out of the NCC, which grieves the priests at our parish, along with most of the laity. Maybe the bishops will wake up this year. Regarding hassles about the thoroughly uncanonical abominations called "jurisdictions", Brother Kushiner is right, as is Luthien. We are all sinners and we all fall short every day. We need to pray for our bishops and priests (even embarassments like Fr.Kishkovsky). Motes and logs, brothers and sisters. Holy Father Polycarp, pray to God for us! (BTW, Christopher, in Portland OR the OCA is far from moribund. Sorry about where you live, though.)

[Juli]

Maybe the bishops will wake up this year.

Our bishops have other concerns at the moment, closer to home (speaking of motes and logs).

[Christopher]

I am curious about the idea that says that because my parish/city/region is "not moribund", that is somehow separate from the organic health of the OCA as a Church (or, to use the ultimately uncanonical language of "jurisdiction"). Granting the premise, I do recognize the Church is only really 'the Church' at the parish level, however I still believe that something significant is reflected by a communions actions and health at the national level. Those of us who have traveled the long road from liberal Protestantism have a keen sense of what happens at the "institutional" level certainly does affect the local level - more often than not in a subversive way (e.g. through the "training" a seminary student undergoes). Don't get me wrong, Orthodoxy certainly does not face the general apostasy that has affected the mainline, or even the strange compromise with liberalism that has affected the American Roman church (certainly no offense intended to my protestant and catholic brothers and sisters). In fact, my local OCA parish seems to be a vibrant and growing community from what I can tell from my short time here.

Still, there is no denying the current financial difficulties at the national level. There is no denying Fr. Kishkovsky, or the fact that the OCA has suffered a demographic decline in the last decades and that is looking only to get worse in the short term. The bishops (along with the seminary professionals) are going to be the among the last to "wake up" concerning the NCC/WCC. Why is that? Does that point to a vibrant and healthy group of bishops who seem to be able to respond to the reality of the world around them and their flock? Could it be that they suffer from some of the same institutional rot and strange 'liberal' tendencies that seems to affect almost every communion at the national level here in America?

I don't know the answers to the above questions. As to the WCC/NCC I suspect that the bishops spend too much time with and/or are heavily influenced by the seminary professionals. These folks (whether priests or lay) have much of their scholarly careers and personal validation tied up with obscure committees (and the endless paper produced) of the WCC/NCC. What ever the reason, it is pernicious because any traditional Christian who has been breathing for the last 30 years knows exactly where the WCC/NCC is heading.

A friend has accused me of being an "Orthodox Congregationalist", and I suppose there is an element of truth in that in that I have not supported certain aspects of the national 'institutional' church for years. I recall attending a talk by then dean Fr. Hopko at St. Vladimir's in the late nineties. He took every appropriate (and a few inappropriate) turn to defend Orthodoxy's involvement with the WCC/NCC, though it was unrelated related to the subject matter at hand. I sense a certain stubbornness, and it does not inspire confidence (and worse, faith) in me.

As others have rightly pointed out our primary response to all this (and to everything) should always be prayer...

[Scott Walker]

Christopher, I get it. One priest whom I'm honored to also call a friend routinely shakes his head at some of the more unfortunate product of St. Vlad's. The "institutional" OCA seems to me to be all too similar to the institutional ELCA that I fled for Holy Orthodoxy. That being said, I suspect 'twas ever thus. To paraphrase a Catholic observer, perhaps Chesterton, "Those who travel in the bark of St. Peter should not inquire too closely about the engine room." That's surely not an accurate rendering, but the gist of it is clear. Time now to log off and get to Vespers!