Source: Yankee Athonite
I see that Vox published an article which, in part, scolds me for saying that Archbishop Elpidophoros—leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America—is a CIA asset:
It’s why Michael Warren Davis, another Orthodox convert at the American Conservative, could directly call the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America a CIA asset without any evidence. Laypeople attacking their hierarchs is about the least “trad” thing one can do. It reveals just how little these conversions have to do with anything organic to these traditions, but are instead an act of rebellion against the American mainstream, with a dose of cultural appropriation thrown in.
I assume this piece was written before Elpidophoros called Donald Trump the new Constantine.
For those of you who don’t know, this was a dramatic about-face on Elpidophoros’s part. Both in 2016 and 2020, His Eminence made it clear that his sympathies belonged to the Democrats. Now he’s practically calling Trump the Enlightener of America…
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The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) established Greek Independence Day at the White House many years ago. Today, this event has been usurped by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA) as a photo opportunity for the Archbishop and the President. It appears that the Archdiocese has a tendency to usurp the many ministries conceived, implemented, and developed by the laity, such as most of the “approved ministries” of the Assembly of Orthodox Canonical Bishops of the USA (AOB), and claim them as their own as if they had spearheaded the establishment of these ministries. It is interesting to read the official history of the Archdiocese as it was presented at the 100th Anniversary in New York during the Clergy-Laity Congress. It was presented as if the clergy established and developed the churches in this country and the infrastructure of the GOA. The reality is that the laity developed the institutions, and clergy were sent to follow the development of a parish. A synergistic relationship developed between the clergy and laity in the foundational period of Orthodox Christianity in the United States. For the GOA, AHEPA played a leading role.
This year’s event at the White House makes the case for a unified and canonical Orthodox Christian Church in the United States. Since the replacement of former Archbishop Iakovos, of blessed memory, and the pushing aside of the reports on the Church in the United States, signed by all the bishops attending the Ligonier Meeting in 1994, the GOA has focused its vision on the needs of the survival of the Church in Istanbul, and the needs of the faithful in the United States are secondary. The events impacting world Orthodox Christianity, including schism, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the rise of authoritarian rule in Europe, and fear of Russian aggression, have caused all the Bishops of all jurisdictions serving here, who are all appointed by the old-world Patriarchates (except OCA Bishops), to focus on the needs of their mother churches. The needs of the faithful stewards living in this geographic area are secondary.
The status quo of the administrative disunity of the Orthodox Church in the United States is not meeting the needs of the faithful. It is time for the laity to encourage the Bishops to become a local synod and elect their own head. This unified Orthodox Christian Church in the United States will better serve the spiritual needs of the faithful stewards supporting the church. A unified synod in the United States will also serve the mother churches better because the United States synod could speak with one voice on behalf of the old-world Patriarchates.
See the OCL Declaration of Independence posted here on this website and add your signature.
God has never been the author of division. The Scriptures warn us that to know the truth and do nothing is a grievous failure:
“That they may all be one.” (John 17:21)
“To whom much is given, much will be required.” (Luke 12:48)
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
The Ecumenical Patriarchate holds the sacred responsibility of guiding the faithful and preserving the unity of the Body of Christ, yet despite possessing full knowledge of the truth, it remains inactive in the face of disunity among the Orthodox Churches.
The very canons of the Orthodox Church demand that a Church in a new land be unified and autocephalous, free from external jurisdictional fragmentation.
The weight of this responsibility cannot be ignored. To hold authority within the Church is to bear the burden of accountability before Christ Himself, and history has shown that God’s wrath is directed at those who conceal His truth, allowing pride and worldly concerns to fracture His people.
The Orthodox faith was never meant to be exclusive to one nation. The Ecumenical Councils guided by the Holy Spirit, did not seek to establish an ethnic church—but rather Christ’s Church. To insist on ethnicity as a marker of spiritual belonging is to reject the very nature of Orthodoxy—One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
How can we claim to be truly Orthodox when we are splintered, when our leaders falter in the face of the great responsibility entrusted to them?
The way people are being targeted for deportation, I see the benefit to appealing to the ego of the President.
How many of our American Clergy, monastics and immigrants are green card or visa holders including the Archbishop.
Just commenting negatively about Israel’s treatment of Palestine (Palestinian Orthodox) can shut down a Church.
Indeed, all the yayas who never learnt English in their decades here should be deported. And those who revisit their birthplace too often should be denaturalized. This is the only way to have an English-language American Orthodoxy.
Well, they SHOULD be deported. That is what AMERICAN Orthodoxy means! America is holy because of its association with the Lord’s Holy People. The PLO was founded by an Orthodox Christian. Mitrokin and Andropov archives reveal Orthodox Christian George Wadie Abu Hani Haddad established PLO as a soviet front, forewarning them of September 1970 hijackings. Russians and Armenians use their ill-gotten Jerusalem properties against the Lord’s People on behalf of their phoney “Palestinians”. Jerusalem Patriarch lived in Constantinople until Nesselrode sent Uspensky to de-Hellenize Antiochians and almost Jerusalem, eventually leading Michel Aflaq to found Assad-Saddam Ba’ath party. Nazi Balkan butcher Alois Bruner died as houseguest of Assads. Same Porphyry Uspensky who exposed Holy Fire Sulphur Fraud. Same Nesselrode who beat Capo d’Istria. Uspensky and Kapustin bought Jerusalem properties now under ROCOR to prevent Moses Montefiore (Jewish Tositsas) for British. (Theofanis Stavrou, Middle East J, 1963, pp. 91-103; Lucien Fray; Derek Hopwood 1969). In February 8, 1993, the other patriarchs decided to temporarily suspend relations with the Jerusalem Patriarch and dismiss two of his bishops and defrock five priests for challenging the Ecumenical Patriarch. Yet in April 1990, Diodoros swindled Russian Jewish settlers by having Mardos Matossian sell them lands not allowed to sell and then denying their claim. Irineos wrote Arafat on July 17, 2001, “You are aware of the sentiments of disgust and disrespect that all the Holy Sepulchre fathers are feeling for the descendants of the crucifiers of our Lord: actual crucifiers of your people, Sionists Jewish conquerors of the Holy Land of Palestine.” Theofrictos (Attalah Hanna) said Christian Zionists aren’t Christian. Constantine the Great was a Christian Zionist when he recognized Gemaliel IV as Patriarch of Israel.
You all should care more to fulfill the word of God and care less about deportation of immigrants. You all forgot you all came here from somewhere.
If you can’t say something nice people, best is to rather say nothing. You the ones that say they should be deported you forget not only that you all came here from somewhere, moreover you forget that this Earth is God’s creation and he did that for all of us to share it in peace and love.
Spread the word of love and peace not hatred and politics.
Check my Facebook profile and YouTube. I posted there videos with God and angel. They visited me more then once.
Peace and love brothers.
Mihaela , from Romania -Transilvania
Greek Orthodox.