George Matsoukas, Executive Director of Orthodox Christian Laity
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity
Why have there been no announcements all these weeks about the resolution of the Election of the Metropolitan of Chicago? Members of the Holy Synod went to Istanbul before August 15. What were the results of this meeting? They are going back in early September? Why is the work of the Greek Archdiocese (GOA) done with no input from the faithful? The Church is a community, a communion. It is about communication. Where is the transparency in its actions and decisions? What role does the Archdiocesan Council play in this process? Do they just pay and obey?
Chatter is about pertaining to the selection of an Archbishop to succeed Archbishop Demetrios. Chatter exists, because there is no communication from the top. Therefore, there is all this speculation. The same questions raised in the selection of the Metropolitan of Chicago (see last month’s Musings) apply in this situation also. Who decides? The Archdiocese has many qualified candidates to succeed Archbishop Demetrios when the proper time for that action comes. We need a candidate who knows the American Cultural setting. We need a candidate who has lived and ministered here. If we are serious about creating canonical order and unity, maybe one of the best qualified candidates within the Assembly of Bishops would make a great Archbishop of the GOA. Such a selection would surely put our theology into practice. It would show that we can truly move beyond words to actions. It would show, to paraphrase His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, that what is mine and yours is what is ours. This would be a meaningful follow-up to the work of the Holy and Great Council. It would be a dramatic conciliar action.
George Matsoukas
OCL Executive Director