by Yianni Pappas
I have stood by and supported the Patriarch and the Ecumenical Holy Synod time and again, but if the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Ecumenical Holy Synod can flippantly “change their mind” and go back on their word, then Orthodox Christianity worldwide has another major crisis of integrity.
I have stood by and supported the Patriarch and the Ecumenical Holy Synod time and again against the fundamentalist Ephraimites who are more concerned with the outward form rather than content of substance. They have accused the Ecumenical Patriarch of betraying the faith because he said “all people under God are brothers and sisters”. That is not betraying the faith. The Ephraimite traditionalists show their arrogant, elitist, and superficial beliefs with this. I stood up and defended the Patriarch. But I am not blind either, and I could never be a sycophant. If the reports today in the National Herald are true (July 13, 2017) then we have bigger problems than anyone can ever have imagined. In this instance, I cannot support the Phanar.
The National Herald reported today (7/13/17) that the Patriarchate approved the list of candidates in March of 2017. Now the Patriarchate is saying that the list is incomplete. Were they not happy with the election results so they contrived a “do-over”? Where is the integrity in that? Can it be that The National Herald has it wrong? I don’t think so. I believe The National Herald has more integrity and honor than the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
It is possible that the Phanar caved in to a great deal of pressure from camps lobbying for hierarchs that were not on the previously approved list of candidates. These orchestrated lobbying events are biased toward a personality and may not be the will of the Holy Spirit. Barabbas emerged victorious and was released because of well-organized lobbyists that shouted his name to Pontius Pilate. The result is that Jesus was crucified. Innocence and purity were cast asunder. The same thing is now happening in our Church. Another possibility is that Turkey has pressured the Patriarch to not have a Cypriot Metropolitan. Who knows? What we do know is the word of the Phanar is compromised.
Let me add that I am involved in the business world. A man’s word must be his bond. If someone you’re doing business with does not keep his word, even only once, his credibility is shot, and no one (at that level) will deal with him ever again – at least no one who actually has integrity and honor. This is why I am so very deeply disturbed and saddened by the Patriarchate approving the list, but now going back on its word. Is the leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church that incompetent or manipulative? Whatever the answer, it illustrates that integrity and honor at the Phanar are optional.
The Patriarch and the Patriarchate are supposed to represent the cream of the crop. Instead, the Phanar seems to be operating like a bunch of Yiayias and right now Metropolitans are being summoned to the Phanar to huddle and come up with the company lines to disseminate to us. Forgive me for sounding disrespectful, I do not mean to be. I am merely giving you honest sentiments that many have, but few will speak. After all, who wants to admit they are disillusioned?
The actions of the Phanar again suggest we are being treated like a bunch of buffoons, or, that we are all hostages with the hierarchical attitude “what are they (the laity) gonna do?”. Leadership is not thuggery. Leadership is not so insecure and afraid that it insists on surrounding itself with sycophants. Leadership is engaged and not aloof to the needs of those who depend on them. Except of course in the Greek Orthodox Church. In my opinion, Niphon and others influencing the Phanar appear to me to be shallow sycophants that do not have the capacity nor character to objectively look at themselves, let alone to look after the needs of millions worldwide.
Margaret Thatcher once said “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” The Phanar needs to adapt this to their leadership, for example: “If you have to tell people you know best, maybe you don’t.”
Pray for our Church. We need it.
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4 Comments
It is absolutely disgusting with the turn of events concerning the selection of the Metropolitan of the Chicago Metropolis. The National Herald just published an editorial (in Greek) supporting the Patriarch and giving a false picture of the affairs of our Archdiocese in this country. It is obvious the editor is a friend of the patriarch and ignores conditions of the church life in the USA.
A number of questions arise from the Greek editorial. Let me enumerate a few.
— How does the editor know the mind of the patriarch? They aobviously keep in close contact and Bartolomew asked his support.
— How dare you humiliate Svastianos in such a barbaric manner? Do you know him? Tell us of his shortcomings.
—How come Kalmoukos has tried hard to project Sevastianos as the new Chicago Metropolitan?
—What are some of Evangelos accomlishments that impress you?
—What a unbecoming way to assess the life of Demetrios as Archbishop!
—Everything that has happened during the last 15-20 years is the result of Fanari tactics
—I can’t help thinking that our church life at the present resembles our political climate in this country,
the patriarch and his Synod, without knowing our circumstances, have a plan to control our church life for the their own material benefit. They have no regard how people feel here.
I am extremely unhappy with the National Herald’s editor for hisshortsightedness in this matter. His alliance with the patriarch in this case is hard to explain. Most of the unfortunate things that have happened and are happening in our church are due to the “Byzantine” ethos of the “Poli.”
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Archbishop Demetrios and seven of the eight Metropolitan of the Eparchial Synod chose Bishop Sevanstianos to replace the recently reposed Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago. They followed the established process. The action of Patriarch Bartholomew in rejecting that choice and demanding an “after-the-fact do-over” violates the letter and the spirit of that process and it has created a crisis of the Patriarch’s own choosing.
By disrespecting the decisions of the Church in America the Patriarchate risks losing the support of increasing numbers of the faithful in our parishes. The members of FAITH, Leadership 100 and Archons will not fail to notice what the Patriarchate has done here. Their support of the Archdiocese and the Patriarchate itself is not unconditional and automatic.. By this action the Patriarch apparently intends to assert absolute power over his colony in America. For his own sake, and for the sake of the Church in America he should reconsider and affirm the wishes of his Archbishop and American Synod. Everyone in the Church must be aware of the following:
“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” [Lord Acton]
“It is excellent to have a giant’s strength, but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.” [Shakespeare, Measure for Measure]
“He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.” [Proverbs 11:29]
Admittedly, the Greek Orthodox Church in this country is the best church that money can buy!