[sanormal]

I saw that the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of NA is now "Self-Ruled."

Is that a fancy word for autocephalous or autonomous or is it a new category? I've never encountered it before.

[jecIIny]

I think it can be called autocephalous light. They are administratively independent but their primate is still the Patriarch of Antioch. Met +Phillip has long been the most outspoken critic of the uncanonical situation here in the US. At one point he offered to put himself and the AOC under the jurisdiction of the GOA if they were prepared to move toward an independent American Orthodox Church. When the GOA showed no interest in ending its relationship with the old country church and the EP he sought and got a decree of self governance from the Antiochan Patriarch. Nothing is certain but rumors abound that Met Phillip is now considering union with the OCA. It will be interesting to see where things are in ten years.

[The_Reader_David]

It is a word for autonomy (being the English translation). For some reason our Partiarch insisted on the English translation in the new name of the Archdiocese (after he and the Holy Synod of Antioch insisted, over the objection of our Metropolitan, on fleshing out the requested change in status to what is recognizably full autonomy).