Readers may know by now that Metropolitan Jonah Paffhausen, leader of the Orthodox Church in America, resigned suddenly this past Friday night. It was Rod Dreher who broke the news , and for the better part of the weekend, hosted the primary forum for updates and feedback till word Sunday night from OCA headquarters in Syosset made it official.
It is very curious business – and a further burden on the people of the Church who have struggled to navigate the white water of recent leadership scandals in which Jonah played no part, and whose election was hailed by so many as the dawn of a new era.
So far, the main characters in the drama are staying quiet while websites grow long with lists of conjectures, regrets, accusations, frustrations, and exhortations – all of which throws into sharp relief just how opaque things are.
Barring the sudden engagement of Mr. Holmes, Dr. Watson, Monsieur Poirot and Captain Hastings, we may just have to wait and watch. We could also pray that Metropolitan Jonah, and the entire OCA, are able to discern and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit through what will undoubtedly be a difficult and painful process.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
