November 3, 2003
The Pious Pastors of the Holy Metropolis of Denver
Beloved Concelebrants in the Lord,
For some time now, it appears that there are priests claiming to be Orthodox who suddenly appear at your doorstep and wish to concelebrate with you or to request the use of your church for services. Some of them display ordination papers indicating that they are canonically ordained. It seems that most of these priests lately have been from Romania.
If in the future any priests come to your church claiming to be Orthodox, they must have a letter from one of the SCOBA bishops under whose jurisdiction they claim to be. The letter must be an original with a current date. Do not hesitate to request such letters; you must preserve the integrity of the priesthood and proper canonical order.
The formal and proper procedure, of course, is for a priest to request a blessing from me to enter one of my parishes and to concelebrate with you or to celebrate specific services. My office is responsible for establishing the bona fides of any clergy making such requests. I realize that sometimes there are time constraints regarding visiting clergy entering the Metropolis. Nevertheless I must be informed of their presence and if they have a currently dated document from a member of SCOBA.
With Paternal Blessings,
Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver