The rule in our Church is that if a believer wanted a divine service (Baptism, wedding or funeral) to be held by a Bishop, it must be the Bishop of his archdiocese because he is the responsible person for fulfilling any sacrament and because the believer’s relationship should be with him first. Otherwise, the parish’s priest should be enough for the Orthodox believer. If he wanted to invite another bishop for having a personal friendship with him, then he is free to do so, and this bishop can enter our archdiocese after the approval of its Metropolitan. This doesn’t cause problems because their eminences are all brothers and welcomed.
However, when a believer decides to invite a Metropolitan from another Archdiocese or a bishop without inviting the head of this archdiocese, then this is illegitimate because this means that you are moving away the master of the place and disclaiming his legal fatherhood.
I have written before in this sense and said that I do not wish to carry the burden of these services because the priest is able to fulfill them alone. However, I have always responded to you unless there was a real excuse such as illness, severe tiredness, travel, or time conflict. I don’t give an excuse because of an emotional position towards you. You are all my sons and have the love of a father to his children.
If you insisted on the participation of a bishop, the Canon Law forces you to invite the servant of this archdiocese first and you could add to him another bishop that you have a special relationship with. It is normal to understand that moving away the head of the archdiocese is an insult towards him, even if you didn’t love him for a personal reason as no one is forced to love him. My father and mother died and I took the permission from the Metropolitan of their archdiocese to participate in the funeral. And I didn’t have the right to say anything if this bishop refused.
Once, I took permission to participate in the Great Compline in an archdiocese during the lent. The bishop could attend, yet he can’t say a word. It is not acceptable for the local bishop to hear from people that another bishop came to his archdiocese.
You do not choose your father; nature imposes him. You are not asked to give your opinion in your bishop but to honor him and not to ignore his presence. We are the family of the Father and this family is headed in the Church by a person called bishop. No Episcopal celebration can be held without his acceptance or blessing. You live in a specific place that exists in one archdiocese.
Those who acted against the rule without knowing it are excused. However, those who know the rule and act against it have no excuse and I don’t have to talk about it with them but I do have the right to be sad over their ignorance.
Let the brothers who rule out their bishop think about the reason. In Church, there are organized relationships that come from the Orthodox tradition that was put by our fathers and not by me. A believer doesn’t act according to his lusts and emotions, but according to what was assigned by our holy fathers.
If you had any blame towards your bishop, go and tell him, and let your blame be firm. You all know that he welcomes you in complete simplicity, opens his heart for you and corrects his mistake if it was proved. Do not make your leaders sad and don’t let your hearts become separated from theirs, because this doesn’t please God. Be one with the bishop because “wherever the bishop appears, there let the Church be” (St. Ignatius of Antioch). Any bishop, when being in his place, has no alternative.
Pray for your spiritual father and let him be with you in any divine you want, and request to have in addition to him any brother you want and God shall preserve you forever.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “دعوة مطارنة إلى هذه الأبرشية” –Raiati 31- 29.07.2012
