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Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos BOSTON – Dismissed Archdiocese Finance Committee chairman Mr. George Vourvoulias in an exclusive interview with The National Herald spoke about his dismissal, the $900,000 he received for his expenses, the $8.5 million deficit, the $15 million from St. Nicholas reportedly unaccountable at the September 26, 2017 meeting, Archbishop Demetrios, Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, and the work of the Finance Committee. The entire interview follows: The National Herald: Is it possible to comment about your dismissal from the chairmanship of the Finance Committee? George Vourvoulias: I don’t know if it would be proper or…

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos BOSTON – The restricted and inviolate Leadership 100 funds, in excess of 2.5 million dollars donated in 2017 which were to be allocated to various departments of the Archdiocese in support of specific programs and ministries, were not actually allocated for their intended purpose, according to reliable sources of The National Herald. Disturbingly, as in previous similar instances of misallocation by the Archdiocese, nobody seems to know what happened to the funds. TNH has learned that some of the heads of departments were persuaded, at the risk of losing their jobs, to falsify…

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos NEW YORK – George Vourvoulias, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is organizing a behind-the-scenes campaign in support of Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, Chancellor of the Metropolis of Chicago to be elevated to the rank of metropolitan. Vourvoulias is the one who received the sum of $900,000 over a period of ten years from the Archdiocese for his travel expenses; purportedly, he is a volunteer. In a September 12 email to Chicago parish officials, he urged them to bombard Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Demetrios of America, and…

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos CONSTANTINOPLE – The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which was convened at the Phanar on October 4, presided by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, directed Archbishop Demetrios to submit explanations about the Archdiocese of America’s finances. The Synod also asked about the List of Candidates for the High Priesthood and specifically about the Metropolis of Chicago, which unless things proceed expeditiously, will not have a new metropolitan in place for Christmas. The Synod also discussed paideia, given the closings of many parish day schools. Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, who is Demetrios’ spiritual offspring, attempted…

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos NEW YORK – Over 20 parish councils from various parts of the country, including cathedrals from Florida, New York, Connecticut and elsewhere, intend to reduce or even completely stop their payments to the Archdiocese. Parish council presidents who spoke to The National Herald on the condition of anonymity, to be protected for obvious reasons –in the future they plan to go public – said that “we refuse to pay the 16% increase that we received from the metropolises.” Some of them signaled to their local metropolitans that they are not going to send…

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos NEW YORK – His Grace Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America will take a medical leave, as was announced at the Archdiocese in a meeting on September 26. TNH has learned that Bishop Andonios will undergo some type of surgical procedure at the end of the month and will recuperate at home for a few weeks. Some in the Archdiocese, though, allege that his taking a leave now is a golden opportunity for him to distance himself from the Archdiocese’s looming bankruptcy. Andonios has assumed some additional…

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity How is it possible that in 2017, almost a thousand years after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks, the leadership of the Orthodox Church in the world, but especially in the United States, continues to operate as though it is still a part of the Eastern half of the Roman Empire? Our Churches have “Bishop’s Thrones” that were long-ago erected for the Emperor to sit upon.  Our Hierarchs carry miters, and wear robes and crowns evocative of long-gone Emperors. While nostalgically retaining some of these displays and accoutrements may not in themselves be harmful;…

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos BOSTON,MA – The annual amounts New England parishes are obligated to give to the Archdiocese are really revealing and interesting. They are required to give 15% of their annual expenses to the Archdiocese, as it was decided abruptly without any information or advance notice to the Parishes in 2006 at the Clergy-Laity Congress in Nashville, TN. That formula was changed from 15% of income because the Church officials believed that many parishes were not reporting all their annual income or keeping double sets of records in order to avoid disclosing how much money…

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos NEW YORK – Archdiocesan Finance Committee Chairman George Vourvoulias, although his position is a volunteer one, received $900,000 from the Archdiocese over the past ten years for travel expenses. The National Herald has learned that this discovery was made by the newly appointed CFO, Fr. Soterios Baroody, who reported the finding to Archbishop Demetrios. In turn, Demetrios asked Vourvoulias for an explanation and directed the Finance Department to cut off money transfers to Vourvoulias. The archbishop, Vourvoulias, Baroody, and recently ousted Executive Director of Administration Jerry Dimitriou, all did not respond to TNH’s…

Source: The National Herald By Theodoros Kalmoukos NEW YORK – In a lengthy and at times tense emergency meeting of the Executive Committee of the Archdiocesan Council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America on September 19, the existence of an $8.5 million deficit, as The National Herald had previously reported, was officially announced, as was that the Archdiocese’s finances were mismanaged for years. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America and Council Vice Chair George Tsandikos did not respond to TNH’s request for comment. The emergency meeting notwithstanding, the Archdiocese had already taken steps in the last few months…

Source: The National Herald Theodoros Kalmoukos Analysis: The least that His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, the Holy Eparchial Synod, the Archdiocesan Council, and the Finance Committee should do is to publicly ask forgiveness from the parishes and from the Greek-American community in general for the bankruptcy of the Archdiocese. Maybe the archbishop is trying to hide behind Jerry Dimitriou’s resignation, but the reality is that Demetrios, not Dimitriou, is the archbishop. Dimitriou was an employee of the Archdiocese, certainly a high ranking one, but it is not just and fair to place all the heavy blame and the responsibility on him.…

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…

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