Recently we all probably have been reading the news about the new mission of Mor Melitius at Burbank, California. StAperm Syriac Orthodox Church is a church with a membership of more than a thousand families. Only few families at the church support fr.Tarzi.Many people around here are saying that Fr. Tarzi who is running a liquor shop and if it is true you can all understand the decency and morality of a clergy who runs a liquor shop. Yesterday, Melitius ordained him as a Cor-episcopa. Only 25 families are with Fr. Tarsi.
A friend of mine is very familiar with the recent developments at Burbank Church and also knows of Fr. Tarzi's group. He is also watching the development in the Malankara Church and gave a report to me as follows.
"The group that split from the Church in Burbank, California, has created a difficult
situation for themselves. The former priest (Joseph Tarzi abandoned his priesthood) and his inner circle have been at odds with anyone who threatened his position as boss of the entire Los Angeles area since he was installed. When the North American diocese was split into three (Western USA, Eastern USA, and Canada), Los Angeles was the natural location for the seat of a new bishop. The presence of an archbishop placed the then Fr. Tarzi as less than the ultimate boss for Los Angeles area, and thus started the rift between Tarzi and his inner circle, and the canons of the Church.
Joseph Tarzi is notorious for being unable to get along with other clerics in the area, seeing them as a threat to his own "ministry". Let us remember, he was the sole priest for one church comprised of over 800
families. With a community of this size, spread out over a radius of over 60 miles (100 kilometers), other churches were (and still are) needed. At the very least, new priests were necessary. Bringing in an archbishop and more priests proved to be a major threat to Mr. Tarzi.
In order to appease Tarzi, the archbishop made him an archpriest (not a chorepiscopa). It was not enough for Tarzi and his inner circle, as they began a series of legal attacks to remove the archbishop from his seat. Naturally, they lost in court, wasting thousands of dollars that could have been spent on holy endeavors rather than indulging in egotistical quarrels.
Today, Tarzis community is quite small
compared to the numbers they boast. A brief look at the photos from Yuhannon Meletius' visit will reveal less than 100 (including children and the elderly). What's more, is that this small community is being lied to by both the former priest and bishop. The community is being told that Meletius has nothing to do with the Indian Orthodox Church, and purely represents the Syriac Orthodox Church in India; they are also told that they are not under any jurisdiction at all, but that Tarzi is completely independent, yet holding fast to all the canons of the Syriac Orthodox Church.
What we see are two desperate men, taking advantage of a community of people: some of whom are helping Tarzi manipulate, while others are being manipulated. Tarzi has taught them to hate, and it is based on this hate that these
people obey Tarzi. Most who were originally with him have seen through this charade, but still his inner circle remains.
Now the question turns to how desperate is Yuhannon Melitius? Perhaps it is because he is unable to gather any sort of following in India, that he has to expand the borders of Thrisur all the way to California. "
Fr Kuriakose. Chorattil
Los angles
California
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