“If a man is passionate or mean, or conceited or boastful, or anything else of the kind, it [the priesthood] unveils all his shortcomings and speedily lays them bare.”
— St. John Chrysostom
Note: The following essay is part-parody of the blog post "Open Letter: OCA priest participates in Trump riot, reported to FBI" and part-call-to-action, since the information recorded here is absolutely true and should be challenged. My critique is meant to not only elucidate the partisan and peremptory suspension of Father Mark Hodges (more about his story in part 2), while also ridiculing the one-sided system from whence it came.
An observant reader has informed us here at Dissident Mama that there is a shocking double-standard in the policing of clergy in the Orthodox Church in America. To keep him/her safe from the very real and present danger of death threats in today’s sociopolitical climate, we are publishing his/her social-media research anonymously.
This fellow Orthodox believer has shared with us for dissemination to our readers around the planet evidence that while conservative priests are held to account for woke wrongs, left-wing priests are allowed to communicate without impunity highly partisan political rhetoric.
Yet, this is in direct opposition to the OCA’s social media guidelines for clergy: “Clergy should refrain from making political statements, joining political groups, or ‘becoming fans’ of particular political candidates or political causes on social network sites.”
And what’s more troubling is that the proof seems to suggest that the biggest benefactor of this glaring inequity is the Right Reverend Christopher Calin, an archimandrite (the highest rank of the priesthood and only one step below bishop) and dean of the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection in New York City.
“While we don’t engage fools in their folly, we must warn the Church about them.”
— Fr. Ioannes Apiarius
We at Dissident Mama are “chilled to the bone” that the OCA attracts the sorts of followers, like fellow-traveler Father Joshua Coolman. Below he displays a quote from the “progressive Christian theologian,” who encouraged young girls and women to surrender their purity rings so that they could be melted down and made into a vagina sculpture that was presented to longtime feminist Gloria Steinem. Father Coolman might be well advised to be more circumspect concerning with whom he makes common cause.
Were it not for our concerned reader who has brought these images to our attention, we might not be wise to the insurrectionists in our midst. “I did not do so out of political, social, or spiritual spite,” he/she explained.
Had it not been for his/her brave handiwork, we might be lulled into complacence by outwards appearances. “I did it out of civic responsibility,” he/she added.
Or because we faithful are always seeking unity to strengthen the Church, we might turn a blind eye to the revolutionary spirit brewing in some of our jurisdictions.
Perhaps some cassock-donned wolves, who are purposefully identifiable as Orthodox priests and representatives of the Orthodox Church, are attempting a siege – a kind of cucked coup within the OCA and beyond.
Concerned citizens at Monomahkos and Orthodoxy Today have already in years past pointed out that Calin’s public figure page on Facebook contains nothing of spiritual edification for Orthodox faithful, but rather a steady stream of left-wing conspiracy theories, election denialism, anti-Trumpism, anti-whiteness, and promotion of the rallies where domestic terrorist groups incited insurrections against law-abiding citizens. Yet, these condemnations have fallen on deaf ears.
Unfortunately, the woke priest’s actions cannot be reported to the FBI, since the government agency has not requested information on him/her because all of his/her beliefs fall right inline with the federal regime.
So, we pray that the stark inconsistencies, the abetting of violence and sin, and the hurt will end in our jurisdictions, and in our Church. Like Saint Ambrose opined, “Not only for every idle word must man give an account, but for every idle silence.”
Please contact the Most Reverend Michael Dahulich at [email protected] or (914) 779-6580 to register your concerns. You need not be part of the OCA’s Diocese of New York and New Jersey, or even Orthodox to write or phone him. We are deeply hopeful that His Eminence will recognize the gravity of the situation and swiftly suspend Calin and his collaborators.
Be sure to keep an eye out the forthcoming part 2.