“His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman has submitted a letter to the Holy Synod of Bishops, in which he requests a medical leave of absence. Metropolitan Herman is scheduled for lumbar spine surgery on Tuesday, September 9, 2008.
The Holy Synod will review His Beatitude’s request at their session on Thursday, September 4, 2008. Further information ecomes available.”The OCA statement is titled: “Impending surgery forces Metropolitan Herman to submit request for medical leave of absence”. No mention is made of the forthcoming SIC Report, or as sources have confirmed, the Metropolitan’s meeting yesterday afternoon with three of the four officers of the OCA. OCA Chancellor Fr. Alex Garklavs, OCA Treasurer Fr. Michael Tassos and OCA Secretary Fr. Eric Tosi met with the
Metropolitan in Syosset and encouraged him to resign. The Metropolitan refused.
The SIC Report is scheduled for presentation to the joint meeting of the Synod and Metropolitan Council this morning.
-Mark Stokoe www.ocanews.org
