Author: admin

Categories
Letters

Letter To National Gallery Of Athens

My name is Theodore Karakostas and I am a
Greek American. I would respectfully like to criticize the “art” that was displayed in your gallery. Those of us who are Orthodox Christians are offended and outraged by the blasphemous depictions of the icons of the most holy Theotokos and our God and savior Jesus Christ, and of the icon of Saint George the great martyr. The display of this “art” was thoughtless and a betrayal of Greece’s Orthodox faith which sustained Hellenism during the centuries of Turkish Occupation. 

The thoughtlessness of depicting this “art” 
Is exacerbated by the genocide now under way in the Middle East which Christian communities from Syria to Gaza are enduring. This is the time of year when the Orthodox are observing Great lent. This is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation.

Perhaps some apologies are in order. The museum and the artist might wish to apologize for the desecration of the icons. Christians are forgiving. The Greek Orthodox Church has permitted museums in America to display their sacred icons in the past. 

Is not the display of desecrated icons a step down for a museum to display? Many of us expect better from Museums which should display real art and not items that glorify destruction.

An icon is a holy item. Christians must not overreact but neither can we be indifferent  to such vile displays. There is a war on Christianity as can be seen by the aforementioned genocide in the Middle East, and an increasing intolerance for Christians among the powerful in Europe and America.

It was Saint John of Damascus who said  that 
Icons are Bibles for the eyes. To desecrate icons is to desecrate books. Those who desecrate books are usually fascists or 
Communists. They are not enlightened and 
the display of this “art” indicates a lack of enlightenment on the part of those who approved it. 

Theodore Karakostas 
Boston, MA
USA

Categories
Letters

Letter To Art News

As a Greek Orthodox Christian, I wish to respond to the article by Jo Lawson – Tancred
“Greek politician destroys art.. “. First, let me state that it is not consistent with the precepts of the gospel(especially during the Orthodox period of Lent) to engage in violence. Speaking for myself, I do not approve of violence in response to the blasphemous paintings in the Athens Museum.

It is indicative of how far the art world has fallen when it chooses to honor “art” that can only be seen as vile and reprehensible. The artist in question states that he did not mean to be offensive. It is indicative of his own ignorance if he did not understand how profaning the icons of Christ, the Mother of God, and Saint George the Great Martyr would offend Christians.

In my opinion the Art gallery in Athens should be defunded if public funds are being used to subsidize this sort of “art”. As Christians we are taught to forgive and to pray for those who persecute us. The artist in question would demonstrate enormous good will if he were to apologize for desecrating the holy icons and if the art community were to be more sensitive in terms of what they endorse.

Orthodox Churches (especially the Greek speaking Churches) have demonstrated remarkable displays of good will for the art community in the past. The Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai has in the past permitted icons to be displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Monasteries of Mount Athos have likewise cooperated with museums in the past by permitting icons to be displayed.

The artistic community is supposed to value and demonstrate artistic expression. The desecration of holy icons in Athens is nothing more than hooliganism and the equivalent of criminal elements who desecrate religious buildings in the commission of a hate crime.

In my view, the Orthodox Church should respond by ceasing any cooperation with the Greek Ministry of Culture in the future. Freedom of expression is one thing, but no one is guaranteed a right to display anti Christian displays in a Museum that is publicly funded by Christians.

In my opinion, this occasion should lead to mutual acts of forgiveness and understanding. The art world should acknowledge the sacrilegious nature of this “art” and should distance itself from it. The Greek Church in turn should call its faithful to order and to protest using peaceful means at a time when the Orthodox observe the period of Lent.

Theodore Karakostas 
Boston, Ma
USA 

Categories
political

Trump’s Great Start

Having learned a lesson from his first term where Democrats and Neocons conspired to impeach him and block his efforts to change foreign policy, President Trump is off to a rapid start enacting changes. He has begun cracking down on transgender madness by blocking federal funds for hospitals, schools, or other institutions who push this madness on children. He is also pushing for religious freedom for families who’s children are being indoctrinated by LGBT propaganda.

His most ambitious policies however are in the realm of foreign policy. Dozens of neocons and other warmongers including Mike Pompeo and John Bolton have had their national security clearances revoked. So has Geoffrey Pyatt, former Ambassador to Greece.

Pompeo and Pyatt played a role in the schism in Orthodoxy by blatantly interfering in Church affairs. Even more good news is that Tulsi Gabbard has been confirmed by the Senate as director of national intelligence. Gabbard is known for her pro Greek sympathies and condemning the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

It is not an accident that there was a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas right before Trump’s inauguration. Trump made it known he wanted a ceasefire and the slaughter stopped. Now, the President is speaking to Russian President Putin about peace in Ukraine.

This is an especially welcome development. After the election, outgoing President Biden gave Ukraine the go ahead to strike the Russians on their own territory. The Biden administration may have been hoping to sabotage Trump’s plans to end the Ukrainian war. The Russians wisely avoided escalating the war. Perhaps they realized the Democrats and the neocons were trying to sabotage the incoming Trump administration.

Things are starting to look good. A great start for the second Trump term.


Categories
faith

Archbishop of Albania Reposes

Archbishop Anastasios of Albania passed away this morning at the age of ninety five. His eminence of Greek ancestry was well known for reviving the Albanian Orthodox Church following the collapse of communism. Previous to this he was a missionary in Africa.

He was known for his piety, education, and bringing many Albanians to Christ and his Church during his forty year tenure as Archbishop of that autocephalous Church. More recently, the Archbishop demonstrated his status as a defender of Orthodoxy by opposing Patriarch Bartholomew’s recognition of the pseudo church in Ukraine.

The Archbishop condemned the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church while at times protesting harassment of his own Albanian Church by the secular authorities.

His Memory be eternal!

Categories
faith

Fueling The Schism In Africa

The Greek government is reportedly going to fund the salaries of African priests serving under the Patriarchate of Alexandria. Before the schism of 2018, this could have been perceived as Greece supporting Orthodoxy. The schism that resulted from Patriarch Bartholomew’s intervention in Ukraine and the Greek government’s legalization of same sex marriage calls into question Greece’s actions.

There have been suggestions that African priests are moving to the Russian Church from Alexandria over resources and money. African priests left Alexandria for the Russians for spiritual reasons. Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria entered into communion with the artificial institution known as “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” a cabal of defrocked and unordained laypeople mocking the Orthodox Church.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis should not be trusted by Orthodox Greeks. His legalization of same sex marriage demonstrated his indifference to Orthodoxy. I doubt that he cares to find out the truth of what happened in Africa. The Greek foreign Ministry errs in backing Patriarch Bartholomew’s destructive intervention in Ukraine.

Backing hierarchs such as Patriarchs Bartholomew and Patriarch Theodore only serves to further estrange Greece from the greater Orthodox world. Greece would do better to use its influence to pressure these Patriarchs to reverse their uncanonical actions in Ukraine. That is what an Orthodox government would do.

Categories
political

California

California has long been under the misrule of Governor Gavin Newsom. The city of Los Angeles is under the authority of Mayor Karen Bass. In the aftermath of the burning of Los Angeles , there are movements afoot to recall both the Governor and the Mayor.

This is correct as both Newsom and Bass are unfit for the positions they hold. The horrors of California have their precedents. In 2020, after the covid outbreak, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York forced homes for the elderly to accept people with Covid. Thousands of people died as a result of Cuomo’s incompetence.

We have only to look at President Joe Biden to see what happens when the Democrats rule. Under Biden’s watch, we have come close to World War three. The Democrats produce nothing but utter destruction and devastation. The Democratic Party has an emphasis on ideology ranging from critical race theory to transgenderism. The Democrats have ceased to identify with normal people and support lunatic ideologies.

California under Newsom and others such as State Representative Scott Weiner have passed vile and undemocratic laws that would take children from families that that refuse to affirm them as trans. The Democrats will fulfill the demands of lunatic trans activists while simultaneously not feeling empathy with ordinary people who have lost their homes.

The Democrats in emergency situations are incapable of producing someone like former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Giuliani as Mayor cleaned up New York and showed real leadership during the 9-11 attacks. New York went to hell again under Bill Diblasio and is a hell hole under the current Democratic Mayor where crime continues to rise.

Under Newsom, California has become a failed state. The fires have confirmed the Democrats as a broken and pathetic party more committed to left wing ideology than public safety or the democratic rights of citizens. The Democrats are presiding over the destruction of America. If Harris had been elected President, the Democrats might have destroyed the world.

It is pathetic that Newsom and Bass were considered prospective Presidential Candidates. America got lucky with Donald Trump’s reelection. Trump has to work hard over the next four years and to leave a worthy successor for 2028. Neither America nor the world can afford the Democrats return to power at the national level. If Trump performs well, the Republicans should destroy the Democrats in the midterm elections for 2026.

Categories
political

Democrats For Evil

The Democratic Party is becoming more open about their embrace of evil. From a Christian standpoint evil originated with the devil who as the Angel Lucifer was cast down from heaven and later tempted Adam and Eve.The Democrats support post birth abortions and support the imposition of transgender ideology on children against the expressed wishes of Christian parents. The Democrats support war on Christian Russia even if it means supporting a regime that glories Naziism.


In the State Capital of New Hampshire, State Rep. Ellen Reed (D) invited the satanic temple, a lunatic group from Massachusetts to place an image of the demonic figure “baphomet” on state property. Christians have vandalized this offensive display on at least two occasions. The latest man to attack this evil display is an Orthodox Christian. He should be congratulated for expressing his faith by vandalizing this deliberate attack on all Christians.

News reports suggest he could be charged with a hate crime. The satanic display also includes two crosses that are displayed upside down. The desecration of the crosses alone constitutes a hate crime. The satanic display as a whole is a deliberate and open expression of hate against Christians.

Many liberals on Reddit have criticized the attack on the satanic display. This exposes the moral degeneracy of the Democratic Party. A blatantly amoral political organization whose war on the Christian faith is becoming more open. First Lady Jill Biden last summer praised the blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper at the Olympics.

The morally and intellectually depraved Democrats are waging a war on the Christian faith, the family, and children. Serious Christians must reject the Democratic Party in its current form.



Categories
faith

The Halki Rumors

Patriarch Bartholomew met with President Erdogan of Turkey and reportedly thanked him for agreeing to the reopening of the Halki seminary. It is strange that there has been no official announcement if such a development is true. This writer has been involved in previous efforts to open Halki.

Even if Halki is about to reopen, there is no justification for celebrating. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, an oppressed Church in Turkey is complicit in the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Patriarch and the Archbishop of America have transgressed by triggering the worst schism in Orthodoxy in close to 1,000 years.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate must cease doing the bidding of the anti Russian foreign policy establishment and cease being a source of division in Orthodoxy. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church must be freed from persecution. When the Ukrainian Church is free from persecution, and the schism with Moscow comes to an end then those of us who are among the faithful under Constantinople can rejoice over Halki.

This is assuming the rumors are true. Also, we must wait and see if Turkey sets conditions that are unreasonable for the reopening of Halki.


Categories
faith

Free Constantinople

Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon has attracted attention for wearing a shirt that says “Free Constantinople”. British politician Paul Golding went on X to show an image of the Greek Army outside Hagia Sophia. What to make of these pro Constantinople sentiments.

Everything should be kept in context. There is no possibility that Constantinople is going to be part of any country other than Turkey. This is actually quite funny more than anything else. Neither Greece, nor Russia, nor the west are going to take Constantinople. The Turks need to calm down.

Perhaps the Turks can now understand how Greeks feel when their President openly threatens to invade Greece and seize the islands that belong historically and by international treaties to the Hellenic Republic. Annoying isn’t it when others claim territory that is part of your country? The “Free Constantinople” calls are motivated by sentimentality and humor. The Turkish threats to invade Greece are very real.

There has been some questionable behavior on the part of some Greeks visiting Constantinople. Some Greeks displayed the Greek flag outside Hagia Sophia and others from Crete did a dance outside Hagia Sophia. This behavior is very questionable. If one wants to honor Hagia Sophia when visiting, how about opening up a prayer book and saying some prayers.

UNESCO will soon release a report on Hagia Sophia. If we wish to honor the great spiritual and cultural heritage of Constantinople, we should concentrate on ensuring the Great Church is restored as a museum and preserving existing Greek Churches and shrines which require caution and diplomacy.

Categories
cinema

The New Nosferatu

Nosferatu

Directed by

Robert Eggers

2024

In 1922, the first version of Nosfetatu was released starring Max Schreck.The filmmakers were sued by the widow of Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula which was published in 1897. In truth, Nosferatu was a ripoff of Stoker’s novel with the names of characters changed. Dracula became Count Orlok.

Stoker’s widow won the lawsuit but fortunately prints of the film survived despite court orders to destroy them. The 1922 film served as forerunner to Bela Lugosi’s Dracula which was released in 1931. In 1979, Nosferatu was remade in German and that version of the film remains a horror classic.

Now we have another remake and this is excellent as well. This was a fun and creepy film with an excellent portrayal of Orlok/Dracula. This is one of the most disturbing portrayals of the count ever depicted. This is an original and creative take on the character. As great as Lugosi’s Dracula was, they got Rumania’s Christianity wrong. The villagers always crossed themselves in the Roman Catholic tradition.

This film depicts the villagers crossing themselves Orthodox style. There are Orthodox priests and nuns in this film, something I really appreciated. Previous to this, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Dracula film showed the Orthodox but that film was boring.

This film is great and a tribute to old fashioned horror. Scary, creepy, suspenseful, and great atmosphere. Fine acting and directing. The best Dracula film in many years.

.