Episcopal Group at the Consecration of the Bishop of Quebec (1915)

(Front Row) Bishop Mills of Ontario; Bishop Williams of Quebec; Archbishop Hamilton; Bishop Worrell (Acting Metropolitan of Canada) of Nova Scotia, the consecrating prelate; Archbishop Germanos (Orthodox Greek Bishop); Bishop Courtney (retired). (Back Row) The Rev. F. J. B. Allnatt, Ven. Archdeacon Balfour, chaplains to the new Bishop of Quebec; the Rev. P. Callis, chaplain to Archbishop Hamilton; Bishop Bidwell of Kingston; The Rev. R. A. Parrock, Principal of Bishop’s University and Chaplain to the Acting Metropolitan; Bishop Farthing of Montreal; The Rev. Agapios Gholam, priest, and the Rev. Sophronios Beshara, deacon of the Greek Orthodox Church.

From The Living Church, February 27, 1915, p. 585.

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The Boyhood of Samuel Seabury (1915)

Long, long ago, with brave New London boys
Young Seabird place. By the serene blue Thames
He roamed, or marveled at the sea’s loud noise;
And Churchly ways learned well in old St. James’.
Near Foxen’s Hill, he and his schoolmates found
Arbutus sweet, or watched, on southern slope,
Some home-built vessel sail, Barbadoes bound—
The sturdy little colony’s brave hope.
He lived in valiant times, devoid of ease.
He loved all virtues and all noble ends.
He loved the little town beside the seas,
And, loyal friend to all, he loves his friends.
The godly son of godly sires, his youth
Was trained in courage, charity, and truth.

—Anna H. Funnell, The Living Church, June 19, 1915, p. 282.

Comity with Syrian Christians in America (1910)

THE large number of Syrians coming to this country, and the desire of their resident Bishop that, in cases where no priest of their own communion can easily be obtained, these should look to the clergy of the American Church for priestly ministrations, led the Syrian-American Bishop, Raphael, to read a paper before the Anglican and Eastern-Orthodox Churches Union relating to the subject. This paper is now reissued, addressed to the Bishops and clergy of the American Church as below.

Right Reverend and Reverend Brothers:

I thank God for the great work which is being done by our Union, in the way of promoting fellowship and a better understanding between the Holy Orthodox and Anglican Churches.

I assure you also of my full appreciation of all the kindnesses and courtesies extended to me and my people.

Now, in order that all complications may be avoided in the matter of mixed Services, that is, when a Syrian Orthodox may desire to have any Sacrament performed by a Bishop or Priest of the Anglican Communion in North America, I offer briefly some of our rules, as Orthodox Catholics, which, if possible, I beg to have enforced.

However, in this matter I am only speaking for myself personally, as an Orthodox Bishop, and in no way binding my brother Orthodox Bishops in North America. I speak alone for the Syrian people.

First—It is against our law to marry two brothers to two sisters.

Second—It is equally contrary to the same law to marry a man to a deceased wife’s sister, and vice versa.

Third—We do not permit marriage within the fourth degree of consanguinity.

Fourth—Civil Divorces are not acknowledged by the Orthodox Church, unless for causes she sanctions; and, therefore, no civilly divorced person can be reunited in wedlock to another party, unless divorced by the Church, as well as by the State.

Fifth—The Orthodox Church requires that a child shall be baptized by a Triune immersion in the water, and be immediately afterwards Chrismated.

Inasmuch as there is a variance between your and our Churches in these matters, I suggest that, before any marriage Service is performed for Syrians desiring the services of the Protestant Episcopal Clergy, where there is no Orthodox Priest, that the Syrians shall first procure a license from me, their Bishop, giving them permission, and that, where there is a resident Orthodox Priest, that, the Episcopal Clergy may advise them to have such Service performed by him.

Again, in the case of Holy Baptism, that, where there is no resident Orthodox priest, that the Orthodox law in reference to the administration of the Sacrament be observed, namely immersion three times, with the advice to the parents and witnesses that, as soon as possible, the child shall be taken to an Orthodox priest to receive Chrismation, which is absolutely binding according to the Law of the Orthodox Church.

Furthermore, when an Orthodox layman is dying, if he confesses his sins, and professes that he is dying in the full communion of the Orthodox Faith, as expressed in the Orthodox version of the Nicene Creed, and the other requirements of the said Church, and desires the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, at the hands of an Episcopal clergyman, permission is hereby given to administer to him this Blessed Sacrament, and to be buried according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Episcopal Church. But it is recommended that, if an Orthodox Service Book can be procured, that the Sacrament and Rites be performed as set forth in that book.

And, now, I pray God that He may hasten the time when the spiritual heads of the national Churches, of both yours and ours, may take our places in cementing the union between the Anglican and Orthodox Churches which we have so humbly begun; then there will be no need of suggestions, such as I have made, as to how, or by whom, Services shall be performed; and, instead of praying that we “all may be one” we shall know that we are one in Christ’s love and faith.

Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn.

From The Living Church, August 6, 1910, p. 476.

Orthodox Catholic Church (1913)

To the Editor of The Living Church:

I BELIEVE the question of the “Change of Name” has reached a point where, so far at least as the next General Convention is concerned, it is purely academic; nevertheless it is a living question and will remain so until it is finally solved, and solved right. Will you permit me, therefore, to offer an amendment to the legislation so ably urged by The Living Church, and to the effect that while the agitation should go on without pause, the title aimed at should be, not “The American Catholic Church,” but the Orthodox Catholic Church?

My reasons for suggesting this new title are these: A minority only of the Church is unalterably opposed to dropping the words “Protestant Episcopal,” a minority only in favor of the name “American Catholic,” but the great majority, I believe, is in favor of adopting an accurately descriptive title, if it can be found. It is possible to argue that “American Catholic” is not accurately descriptive, it is not possible to adduce the same argument against “Orthodox Catholic.” Either the Churches of the Anglican Communion are that or they have no reason for existing. Either they stand for, and on the basis of, primitive Catholicity without Roman additions and accretions, as the Eastern Orthodox Churches stand, or they do not. If they do, then the suggested title is accurately descriptive, and its adoption is to be argued for or against on the single basis of expediency. If they do not, then their continued existence cannot be justified and they had best be decomposed into their component parts, one of which will amalgamate with the Protestant denominations of individual choice, one with Unitarian or other forms of free thought, one with the Church of Rome.

Whether the Church in America stands for Orthodox Catholicity in any exact sense is not the question; the fact remains that such is its contention, and such its very raison d’être, and this being so, when the change is made let it be on the basis of an honest acceptance of the claims put forward, and to the end that these claims may be clearly expressed in the title by which it is known.

From the standpoint of “expediency there are many arguments in favor of the name here proposed; it avoids the pitfalls of territorial assumption; it connotes the growing rapprochement with the Churches of the East; it adds to the title “Catholic,” which no member of the Church is at liberty to deny or reject; the descriptive adjective “Orthodox,” which cannot be offensive to the most Protestant ears; and it provides a name, or colloquial designation, which is accurately descriptive, which needs no further word of explanation or elucidation, which is euphonious, and which cannot be confused with the titles already born by other religious bodies.

I beg to suggest, therefore, that for the future all efforts be directed toward the adoption of the following title page:

THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER
TOGETHER WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS
AND OTHER RITES AND CEREMONIES OF
THE ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH
IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
TOGETHER WITH THE PSALMS OF DAVID.

RALPH ADAMS CRAM
Boston, August 6, 1913.

—The Living Church, August 16, 1913, p. 566.