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  Bishop Nikolai Supporters Respond to Criticism

By Ralph Gibbs
Kodiak Daily Mirror
March 18, 2008

http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=5968

Disputed Alaska diocese leader Bishop Nikolai Soriach has received a lot of bad press lately, rightly deserved, his critics say.

However, slowly his supporters are standing up becoming just as vocal as his detractors.

In Kodiak, freelance writer Judy Fulp sent in a letter in support of Bishop Nikolai to the Orthodox Church's leader, Metropolitan Herman.

"I have covered many stories about the seminary and the pilgrimage every year since Bishop Nikolai was installed," she said. "He has been very gracious to me and many, many others in Kodiak and around Alaska. He is a good bishop and has done amazing things for Alaska and has many friends and a few enemies."

She does admit that Bishop Nikolai can be abrasive sometimes and has done a few things that were clearly wrong but, overall, he has been a boon to the Alaska diocese.

It does not end there.

In an effort to counter the unfavorable speech published on the Web site ocanews.org, where a lot of criticism has been made public, the bishop, has begun publishing his own opinion using the Alaska diocese's official Web site at dioceseofalaska.org.

He has been using his Web site to answer questions about the current crisis in an attempt to explain himself and to show others all the news coming out of Alaska isn't bad.

It's working.

His supporters are posting in greater numbers on ocanews.org, where before they have been mostly silent. Postings range from full support to accusing Mark Stokoe, creator of the Web site, of trying to destroy the OCA.

Even some detractors are starting to look at this more critically.

"It is in any event, not in dispute is that he is now being ordered to go on a 'Leave of Absence,' a concept unknown in the canons," one commenter posted. "Can a diocesan bishop be compelled without any charges formally brought against him to hand over his authority in his diocese? The fact of the matter is that (Bishop) Nikolai is right about a crucial aspect of this affair."

Another poster commented that Stokoe should close down the comment portion of his Web site through Lent to keep people from being led down the "path of temptation." Stokoe declined.

Support is also coming from other corners.

The latest document posted by the Bishop is a letter from retired Bishop Tikhon, former bishop of San Francisco, Los Angeles and the West.

In the letter, Bishop Tikhon calls the action of the Orthodox Church's leader and the Holy Synod unlawful and disorderly.

"According to the letter and spirit of the Holy Canons of the Universal and Local Councils and of the Holy Fathers, no bishop may be deposed, alienated, or suspended from his bishopric without disciplinary procedures, which are the result of stated charges, and their specifications, that the given Hierarch has violated the Holy Canons or taught heresy," Bishop Tikhon wrote.

He said appointing a priest to rule the diocese and requiring Alaskan clergy to refuse to commemorate their ruling bishop's name in divine services was unlawful and disorderly.

"I appeal to the entire Orthodox Episcopate, in particular the First Hierarchs of all the Holy Local Churches, to address the problem of the above disorders introduced into the life of the Orthodox Church in America," Bishop Tikhon wrote.

Mirror writer Ralph Gibbs can be reach via e-mail at rgibbs@kodiakdailymirror.com.

 
 

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