Our Believe as Genuine Orthodox Church of Antioch

General History

Established by our Precious and Life-Giving Lord Jesus Christ, and continued by the Holy Apostles and their successors, and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit through the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church, a.k.a. Eastern Orthodox Christian Church. The Christian Church, as founded by Christ God originally consisted of five patriarchates  being those of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople (New Rome), and Rome. Rome was a valuable part of the Holy Church from its beginning but the Roman Patriarchate broke from Orthodoxy in A.D. 1054. The Orthodox Church itself has a continuous and unbroken existence down to the present time free from any post-schism reformations as in the West. The Orthodox Church knows nothing of such tremendous upheaval as the Roman (Latin) Church experienced during and after the Reformation. Orthodox theology and canon laws are based upon those tenets and doctrines approved at the Ecumenical Councils of Nicea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381),  Ephesus (A.D. 431), Chalcedon (A.D. 451), Constantinople (A.D. 553), Constantinople (A.D. 680), and Nicea (A.D. 787). We accept the Seven Ecumenical Councils. Thousands upon thousands of  Orthodox Christians have sealed their faith with their own blood. History reveals that no other branch of the Christian Church has given so many martyrs who have died for Christ God. Yet many know little about this ancient Christian faith dating back to our Lord. In reality, as said by Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph of Blessed Memory in 1980, “All Christians by heredity are Orthodox, however many have left and we pray for their return home.”

Orthodoxy was the state religion of Russia until the Revolution in 1917 when many churches were closed and many priests and laity suffered martyrdom. Atheism was promoted by the goverment throughout the land. Today most churches have been returned to the Russian Orthodox Church and it flourishes once again throughout Russia. In addition to Russian Orthodox, there are many other  jurisdictions which belong to the Orthodox Christian (Catholic) Church. However, not all are “patriarchal” as many are autocephalous, autonomous, and there also exist the Oriental Orthodox Churches.  Among the Eastern Orthodox groups are the Greek, Serbian, Italo-Albano, Ukrainian, Polish, Finnish, Japenese, Syrian-Antiochian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Byelorussian, Romanian, Albanian, Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic, Korean, and the Eastern Orthodox, and others who fall under the collective term “Eastern Orthodox”; and the Armenian, Ethiopian, Malankarese, Syrian, and Coptic (Copts) who are referred to as “Oriental Orthodox” i.e., those who have rejected the Council of Chalcedon, and those following, mostly over the semantics dealing with the two natures of Christ God. Although united in faith, not all jurisdictions are in communion with one another because of political or administrative differences. There are many other jurisdictions not mentioned above which also are part of the Holy Orthodox Church. One must be aware that there are also some imposters who use the words “Orthodox and Catholic” and misrepresent their particular religious bodies which are not part of the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church. Such charlatans have added other words, e.g., Ecumenical, Apostolic, Old Catholic, or Reformed to “Orthodox” to name a few. They are in some cases heretics who are “Orthodox” in name only – but not in faith, and are mostly schismatic groups from the Roman Church. Many of these also claim succession from Old Catholic hierarchy which are, in many cases, not recognized by Rome, the Union of Utrecht, or the Eastern Orthodox Church. 

Genuine Orthodox Church of Antioch Metropolia

This was always an American jurisdiction with many foreign missions.  Its orders originate from the Antiochian and Russian (Greek) Churches. It’s  beginning as an Orthodox jurisdiction in America began on May 29, 1892, when Father Joseph (Vilathi), a priest who served the Belgian congregations of Little Sturgeon and Green Bay Wisconsin, was summoned to Ceylon to be consecrated the first Bishop for the Church in America. The consecration took place at the Church of Our Lady of Good Death, Colombo Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and was done canonically resulting  from a Bull issued by His Holiness Ignatius Peter III, Patriarch of the Orthodox Syrian Church of Antioch. He was consecrated by Archbishop Julius Alvarez I, Archbishop Paul Athanasius (Bishop of Kottayam), and Archbishop George Gregorius (Bishop of Niranam) who was later canonized a saint of the Indian (Malankara) Church. The Bull authorizing the consecration was issued on December 29, 1891 and he was given the name “Timotheos”. The American Church eventually separated from the Orthodox Syrian Church over politics and a difference of opinion regarding the Council of Chalcedon, which the American Church accepted along with all seven Ecumenical Councls. So, Archbishop Timotheos was appointed Archbishop for the Americas by Patrairch Ignatius Peter III, and he returned to the United States and continued to establish parishes in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and New York. Many of these parishes still stand today, Archbishop Timotheos reposed on July 8, 1929. The Church was originally known as the “American Orthodox Catholic Archdiocese,” but because of several schisms which caused various unorthodox groups to form, the Church was later renamed and restructured. Today, the name American Orthodox Catholic Church is used by many Old Catholic groups.

Although the Apostolic Succession of the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church dates back to His Eminence Archbishop Timotheos (Vilathi), Proto-Metropolitan Archbishop of the Church in the United States, who brought the Syrian Succession to the American Church, it also possesses succession from the Russian Orthodox Church from Archbishop Konstantin (Wendland). The Russian Succession comes into the Church through Archbishop John (Skureth) who was born on January 8, 1933, and after years of education and priestly formation and eventual ordination to priest in the Antiochian Orthodox Church of America under Metropolitan Archbishop Michael (Shaheen), he was later consecrated by Bishop William Henry Francis Brothers, a Bishop in the Vilathi Succession. Father Skureth immediately began establishing missions and promoting the Church throughout Northern Indiana where he established Holy Martyrs of Port Royal Cathedral. After a time of dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church, it was decided that he be regularized by them and made a Bishop. On April 17, 1966, he was consecrated a Bishop by Archbishop Konstantin Nikolaevich (Wendland) of the Russian Orthodox Church in America, assisted by Archbishop Dosifej (Ivanchenko) in New York. Archbishop John served the Church for several years as pastor of Holy Martyrs of Port Royal Cathedral, Gary Indiana, which was a beautiful structure that was sold and razed in the 1970’s becoming a parking lot for Mercy Hospital. Holy Martyrs Church, Hobart Indiana, later became the new parish founded by Archbishop John. He also, before this in Michigan City Indiana, served St. George Syrian Orthodox Church (Antiochian Archdiocese). It was Archbishop John who later consecrated Joseph Gabriel Sokolowski who eventually became the fifth Metropolitan Archbishop of the Church.

Archbishop Joseph was born on October 27, 1903, in Kracow Poland, and came to the United States in 1913. He first studied with the Roman Catholic Franciscans of Pulaski Wisconsin, and although he loved the old traditions of the church, he entered Orthodox Catholicism in the 1950’s. After joining the Orthodox Church, he founded St. Paul the Apostle Monastery (Rolling Prairie Indiana) around 1955, and was ordained deacon on February 13, 1957 by Most Reverend Stephan (Siniotis), and on May 22, 1961 he was ordained priest by Most Reverend Francis Resch of the Independent Diocese of Kankakee Illinois. Father Sokolowski labored day after day for nearly thirty-five years building shrines and chapels on the over six acres of land that was owned by St. Paul’s Orthodox  Monastery in Rolling Prairie Indiana. He toiled effortlessly to create gardens of beauty that attracted many thousands of people annually from all faiths. The monastery was listed in the “Guide to Indiana Attractions”. To support the monastery, he collected and sold antiques for many years until his death. On December 16, 1964, he was named Abbot General of the Oblates of St. Benedict and on March 16, 1970, he was consecrated Bishop by Archbishop John, who was assisted by Bishop Francis. Bishop Joseph continued to work the monastery grounds and celebrate liturgies each Sunday. Because of the various ethnic groups that visisted St Paul’s he would often celebrate Liturgy in English, Polish, and even Latin. Eventually, St. Mary’s Chapel was erected on the same grounds which was adorned with many antique icons and other religious artifacts, and attracted people from Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and many other states and foreign countries to see the beauty he created. Although robbed several times by those he took in and gave comfort to, he continued to keep the grounds open and available to all who wished to visit. In the early 1980’s, arthritis captured the health of Archbishop Joseph, but he continued to work and celebrate the Holy Mysteries  although assisted by other clergy in the last two years of his life until his death on April 2, 1989.  Archbishop Joseph consecrated three Bishops: Stanislaus Bullock, Tage Howes, and Stephen Thomas, the latter of which was elected and enthroned as sixth Metropolitan Archbishop and Protohierarch by  Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph  in 1987, just before his death.

On October 18, 1987, Bishop-elect Stephen was consecrated by Archbishop Joseph, assisted by Archbishop George of Chicago Illinois and Bishop Norman of Indiana, at St. Mary’s Chapel in Rolling Prairie Indiana. Bishop Stephen was previously ordained deacon and priest in the Greek Orthodox Church (Ecumenical Patriarchate) at Holy Cross-St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church, Chicago Illinois in January 1976. However, after the death of his ordaining prelate, Bishop Timotheos of Rodostolon of Blessed Memory, the jealousy of another local priest and politics and unwarranted demands of a new administration soon caused him to leave the Greek Orthodox Church and incardinate temporarily under Archbishop Pangratios who made him an Archimandrite, but a few years later he joined with Archbishop Joseph. Archbishop Stephen consecrated Bishops Douglas (O’Connor) of Blessed Memory, Anthony (DeLuca) now schismatic and deposed, George (Singleton) now schismatic and deposed, John (Sowrimuthu),  John (Utz), and Timothy (Kjera). In August of 2007 His Beatitude will consecrate Archimandrite Cyril (Cranshaw) to the Holy Episcopacy and will become the first Bishop of Central and South America. He wll serve the Metroplia as an Auxiliary Bishop. The Coadjutor of the Metropolia, Bishop Timothy, in October 2006, consecrated Bishop Simeon of Cleveland OH assisted by Romanian Bishop Stefan and Byelorussian Archbishop Jovan. Metropolitan Stephen and Archbishop Timothy received Archbishop Mark Anthony through chirothesia in February 2014.

There are over 128,000 faithful represented in the Church in the Archdiocese of  the Americas & Diaspora that includes the Diocese of Cuba, Diocese of India, Diocese of Nigeria, and the Vicariates of Pakistan,  Kenya, Congo, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Spain, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

The True Antiochian Holy Synod of Bishops oversees seminaries and schools in various countries, e.g., Holy Trinity Seminary in Pakistan, St Mark – Romano Byzantine College (USA), St Mark-Romano Byzantine College Extension of Canada (Ontario),  St. Basil Seminary (Cuba), St Vasilios Seminary and University (Greece), St Nicholas-Romano Byzantine Institute of Tanzania, and Hellenic Orthodox University and St. Dionyssios Seminary both of Greece. Byzantine Seminary and St The Dean of Academic Affairs is Dr Basil Gikas. In addition, the Synod oversees the work of the Commission on Religious Counseling & Healing, the Metropolia Canon Law Society, and the Christ the Pantocrator Sovereign Order of Chivalry, under the current administration of Father Eric Demetrios Wruch DC.

Customs and Beliefs

The True Antiochian Orthodox Church is an Eastern and Western Rite jurisdiction, i.e., it uses the Eastern Orthodox rituals and the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom with all the rubrics and the Divine Liturgy of Saint James for the Western parishes and communities. The Liturgy of Saint Basil is celebrated ten times a year as with all other Orthodox Christian Churches. The Vestments are according to each rites.

The Church follows Byzantine tradition in the administration of the Sacraments (Holy Mysteries), and Baptism, Chrismation, and Holy Communion are given together, to both infants and adults being baptized. Married men may be ordained to the Order of Deacon and Order of Priest, but are no longer free to marry once ordained to the diaconate except in a grave case that dispensation may be given. Holy Unction is administered to the sick and dying by priests. Only Heiromonks otherwise known as Priestmonks (celibate or unmarried) priests may be ordained (consecrated) bishops of the Church. Priests whose wives pass on must remain celibate and then also become eligible for the Holy Episcopacy. Chorepiscopus may be mitred and granted episcopal jurisdiction over a diocese of territory, they are married but may not ordain or co-consecrate a Bishop. As with all Churches of Orthodox Faith women are not allowed to be ordained because of tradition and the decrees of the early Church Fathers.

The earliest chorepiscopus of whom we have any knowledge was Zoticus, whom Eusebius designates as bishop of the village Cumana in Phrygia in the latter half of the second century. In the beginning the chorepiscopi seem to have exercised all episcopal functions in their rural districts, but from the second half of the third century they were subject to the city bishops. The thirteenth canon of the Synod of Ancyra (314) and the tenth canon of the Synod of Antioch (341) forbade them to ordain deacons or priests without the written permission of the bishop; the sixth canon of the Synod of Sardica (343) decreed that no chorepiscopus should be consecrated where a priest would suffice; and the fifty-seventh canon of the Synod of Laodicea (380) prescribed that the chorepiscopi should be replaced by periodeutai, i.e., priests who have no fixed residence and act as organs of the city bishops.

It is a teaching of the Church (based on biblical facts) that prayer, fasting, good nutrition, and herbs are necessary for good health and wellness. The first Protohierarch of the United States, Metropolitan Archbishop Timotheos (Vilathi), was himself a skilled doctor of Chiropractic. So theocentric healing has always been part of the healing ministry of the jurisdiction. Hyperveneration is given to icons, and statues are not allowed except in the Western Rite communitues. It is a scriptural Church which teaches that both faith and good works are necessary for salvation.  The Church believes that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Theotokos, was the birth-giver of our Lord Jesus Christ and remained ever-virgin. Although her conception was immaculate and of the Holy Spirit, Orthodox do not accept the Roman dogma of “Immaculate Conception” as only Christ was born without sin. Communion is given to the faithful under both species, Body (Bread) and Blood (Wine), and the Real Presence is believed. The Church has one Sketes, Monateries and Convents across the world. The Monastic Community of Saint Basil, which is headquartered at St John’s Monastery in Nicaragua. Nuns of the Monastic Community are referred to as the Sisters of the Community of St Basil and are headquartered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Africa) at St Mary Mother of God Convent. There is a community of “lay religious” known as the Companions of St Basil open to married or single men and women. The Church follows the Julian Calendar for ecclesiastical matters. The Church strongly believes in the Separation of Church and State, and owes its total existence and obedience to Almighty God.

Intercommunion

The True Orthodox Church of Antioch, in adherence to its principles and doctrines, upholds a strict policy of non-communion with heretics, schismatics, ecumenists, sergianists or sergianism, name worshipping or onomatodoxy and heterodox assemblies. This decision is primarily rooted in the fact that these particular jurisdictions have strayed away from the orthodox teachings and traditions upheld by the True Orthodox Church.

The severance of communion with such individuals and groups is a direct consequence of their involvement in heretical confessions, as well as the establishment of non-canonical structures and institutions. These deviations may have occurred subsequent to the deposition or defrocking of their confessing hierarchs, who themselves were found to be in violation of orthodox teachings or canonical regulations.

Furthermore, the True Orthodox Church of Antioch does not maintain fellowship with those who have succumbed to heretical confessions, committed canonical infractions, been influenced by political factors, or engaged in financial scams. These actions undermine the integrity of the Church and its commitment to preserving the true orthodox faith.

Additionally, the Church refuses to recognize or accept individuals who have been consecrated solely or through heretical consecration. Such consecrations, lacking the necessary authority and adherence to orthodox principles, are considered invalid within the Holy Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Antioch otherwise known as the Genuine Antiochian Orthodox Church.

By maintaining this rigorous stance on communion, the True Orthodox Church of Antioch remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the true orthodox faith, safeguarding its teachings, and preserving the sanctity of its sacraments.

The Metropolia is in dialogue with the Genuine Byelorussian Orthodox Autocephalous Church in Exile, and the True Belarusan Autocephalous Orthodox Church. True Holy Orthodox Church – (Archbishop Anthony); and Northeastern Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Archbishop Paul). We welcome everyone who confess the same faith and receive converts from heretics, schismatic and heterodox through holy Baptism and Chrismation.

Apostolic Succession and Traditions

The True Antiochian Orthodox  Church first traces its Apostolic Succession back to St Peter the Apostle through the Syrian Orthodox Church and Catholicate and His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Peter III of Antioch. This was brought to America in the person of Archbishop Timotheos (Vilathi) who was our first Archbishop Metropolitan. Secondly, but equally as important, comes Apostolic Succession from the Russian Orthodox Church, as it was called in the 1960’s, through Archbishop Constantin and Archbishop Dosifej both of the Russian Orthodox Succession from St Andrew. This succession came into our Church through Archbishop John (Skureth) who was consecrated through Archbishops Konstantin and Dosifej in 1966.  It is because of these two historic facts that both the Antiochian and Russian Successions are contained in our Church.

Although our Succession comes from the Antiochian Church, and later the Russian Church through Saint Andrew, we have always been the True Antiochian Orthodox Church being the first to allow the vernacular in all liturgical and paraliturgical services dating back to before 1892. The Church in America has always used English but permitted ethnic parishes to use thier native languages as well. The Church itself uses liturgical customs from the Antiochian, Russian, and Greek Churches, and has also allowed some Western customs that date back to when the jurisdiction had many Western Rite parishes. 

Those interested in forming a mission parish or becoming a member of the True Antiochian Orthodox Church, or subscribing to the “Orthodox Christian Herald” a publication of the Synod, may request additional information by writing to:

The Vocation Director
Genuine Orthodox Church Metropolia
333 S 15th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17104