This website contains information about this Historic Church, Holy Scripture, Orthodox Canons and Tradition.
Corrections: We believe all information published to be factual. If you disagree with any information on this website you may send the corrected information in the manner you feel it should be corrected and any related documents to theocacna@msn.com. The details and documents you provide will be reviewed.
Before you continue please read this statement. This is not up for discussion. We are the one and only American Orthodox Catholic Church - (short name for) The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America that was canonically chartered by the Russian Synod in North America and headed by Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh. This Church continues today. We are the original 1928 corporation!
All the independent groups who claim to be us by using one of our names, claiming to be us but under another name and who claim to be us based on their lines that trace back to Ignatius Nichols are in no way associated with us, are not us and have no apostolic succession from us. We deny they are even Orthodox! Since we exist and continue they cannot be us. When they or the ethnic schismatic jurisdictions attack us and Abp. Ofiesh of blessed memory they prove their unchristian nature by their actions!
We welcome inquiries from clergy assigned to one of the old world orthodox churches presently in schism with the American Church. If you seek valid sacramental authority we look forward to hearing from you.
If you are Orthodox, follow the teachings, canons and traditions of Orthodoxy and are seeking a new bishop and a canonically established Church home we look forward to hearing from you. Our clergy must sign a clergy declaration.
We also welcome inquiries from the Episcopal Clergy who are unhappy with the direction their Church has taken.
We are the one and only Church that was canonically established by the Russian Synod in North America (Moscow Patriarchate) and headed by Abp. Aftimios Ofiesh of blessed memory.
We use the approved Orthodox Liturgy for the Western Rite as published by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Our Eastern rite clergy used the approved Eastern Liturgies. We follow Holy Scriptures, the Pedalion which is also known as the Sacred and Divine Canons and Traditions of Orthodoxy.
Today while some orthodox claim the canons are only a guide we still view them in the same historical manner as they were viewed in Orthodoxy 100 years ago - as Sacred and Divine.
To be canonical we do not need to be recognized by any other jurisdiction since they all have secondary gain motives as to why they ignore us. We do not attack any of them but we do publish the facts as to their canonical violations and the fact they are schismatics.
Odd how they can violate the canons and when called on it they ignore the claim as they can do nothing wrong in their own minds.
OCA: It was established as the second American Church in 1970, 43 years after we were canonically chartered as the first American Orthodox Catholic Church.
Antiochians: Their clergy continue to attack this Church and Abp. Ofiesh by publishing (orthodoxwiki) false claims about us to make them appear to be the American Church. They claim Abp. Ofiesh retired then go on to publish his widow stated he intended to continue as a married bishop. They claim we do not exist - we do and prove we do. They make this claim as an effort to show they do not need to recognize this canonically established Church. They publish statements by bishops from our first Synod that this Church never adopted the canon on married bishops, and it is published in Orthodox books that not all churches adopted the canon on married bishops.
They attack Abp. Ofiesh with claims he violated the canons which are false.
1. He married
2. He stated "God told me to marry" and this was never contested by a tribunal which is required to remove a bishop who violates the canons.
3. Priests and others claim he deposed himself and thus this church came to an end. A church does not cease to exist because a bishop violates a canon and since no tribunal was ever called Abp. Ofiesh remained head of this Church until his death in 1966 - 33 years after he married.
a. Since no tribunal was called over his marriage - marriage is an acceptable tradition in the American Church and is directed in Holy Scripture (1 Tim. 3:2).
b. Since these individuals made no formal charges but just published their own beliefs and claims they insult a bishop which violates the canons.
c. Since Abp. Ofiesh had been attacked contrary to the canons in life and after death he has been declared a Martyr for the faith.
We find a number of other violations of the canons within this group and their Patriarch appears party to at least one that was pointed out to him and no apology was made or correction of this violation acknowledged.
Greek: Abp. Alexander of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in 1929 told Abp. Ofiesh, with no canonical authority for this claim, that he (Alexander) and not Aftimios was over all Orthodox in North America, thus starting the formal Schism in American Orthodoxy and it appears had the support of Ecumenical Patriarch Basil when he made this claim.
The intent and purpose of this Church was to serve the English speaking Orthodox in North America and to be basically what these schismatics have made Scoba into.
According to the canons "Schismatics cannot pray together with Orthodox Christians, their baptism is unacceptable and a Schism can become a heresy". The canons go on to say "you must not pray in conjunction with heretics or schimatics
The Ecumenical Patriarch, and Synod, being made aware of such violatons of the canons had ignored the complaint made in writing. Thus they pray together contrary to the Sacred and Divine canons as Schismatics.
Holy Scripture is comprised of the writings of both the New and the Old Testaments. The New Testament reveals the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ, and His sacred teachings that we are charged to follow. The Old Testament is a history of the Hebrew people. It contains, among other sacred writings, the prophecies and the writings of the Prophets that foretold the coming of the Messiah. It therefore serves as an introduction to the revelation and the saving message of the New Testament.
Holy Tradition, of which Holy Scripture is a part, includes the writings, teachings, acts of the Apostles, saints, martyrs, and fathers of the Church, and her liturgical and sacramental traditions throughout the ages, the oral tradition of the early Church and the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils. All of this collective wisdom and experience through the centuries are combined to form this second great source of sacred authority.
The Creed contains the Church's basic summary of doctrinal truths to which we adhere as Orthodox Christians. It consists of the twelve articles of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed which is recited at each Divine Liturgy.
In Orthodoxy the Canons do not allow;
Women to approach the altar, to
speak (teach) in Church and
The Western Rite Service Book is similar to the Book of Common Prayer.
We seek members and clergy. If you have no Church home please consider us.
If you are Orthodox, follow the teachings, canons and traditions of Orthodoxy and are seeking a new bishop and a canonically established Church home we look forward to hearing from you. Our clergy must sign a clergy declaration and vow to obey the canons.
Church members are also welcome but we are limited as to our locations. We await a decision by another synod of a canonical bishop to see if they will be merging with us.
We welcome members and clergy of the various Liturgical Churches who leave or have left their Church due to many reasons including their allowing women clergy and other serious breaches in the Churches teachings and beliefs that are contrary to Holy Scripture. Non-Liturgical Church members as also welcome.
As a canonically established Orthodox Church who is recognized by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Episcopal Church USA we are the closest Church to the old world ethnic Churches available today. We are not a uniate Church and are not under the Pope of Rome. As the American Church we offer all in doubt, lost or those who have fallen away from their former Church a new home if they willingly submit to the Patriarch & Synod.
We are a traditional Orthodox Church and the only Church whose canonical jurisdiction is the New World (North America). We follow Holy Scripture, Orthodox Canons, the Rudder, and Orthodox Tradition. We were established as an Eastern Orthodox Church by the Russian Orthodox Synod of Bishops in North America with the knowledge and approval of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Our Western Rite uses the St. Andrews Service Book published by the Antiochian Church and it is very similar to the Book of Common Prayer. We are a historic Church from a historic old world jurisdiction.
If anyone claims to be a bishop of this Church you may verify their claim by checking with us.
We oppose war as an instrument of oppression and enslavement. We support our troops and we remember those who have given their lives in the Armed Forces.
The majority of the clergy and directors oppose
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