Category: faith

Reports over the last couple of months indicate the theological school of Halki will reopen in 2026. Such news would have thrilled this blogger once upon a time. The problem is the Ecumenical Patriarchate has created more problems for itself and Orthodoxy than the Turks.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church continues to be fiercely persecuted by the government in Kiev. The Ecumenical Patriarchate’s recognition of the pseudo church of unordained and defrocked clergy contributed to the persecution. The Patriarchate must reverse itself and declare that Ukraine is outside its ecclesial borders. And should condemn the persecution.

Until the schism with the Russian Church is healed, and until the persecution in Ukraine ends the Patriarchate will be permanently isolated and its demise likely even with the opening of Halki. The Church of Constantinople has made errors in its history and has always come back. It is necessary again for the Patriarchate to correct itself.

An atheist group in Greece is suing to remove icons from court rooms on the grounds that they represent a bias against the non religious who appear in court. The group has appealed to the European Court On Hunan Rights. The Greek government appears to be fighting it.

As the government should. The Greek legal system runs on civil law, not religious law. The presence of icons reflects the Greek nations Orthodox faith and history. This is not a theocracy.

As in the United States, secular groups simply want to impose their views on the rest of society. Atheists have the right to their beliefs but tolerance is a two way street. Most Greeks are Orthodox and Orthodoxy has played a role in shaping Greek history. The atheists should be ignored.

Tucker Carlson has done an interview with Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. The Senator cited the Bible to justify his support for Israel. What follows is my opinion as an Orthodox Christian.

Believing Christians have a moral responsibility to the Jewish people. A moral responsibility, not a politically partisan one. Jews have suffered horrendously throughout history. We must concede that Anti Semitism was a problem in Christian societies. Jews were accused of responsibility for crucifying Christ.

Anti Semitism is a grotesque evil, and Christians have an obligation to condemn it when it appears. Christians have a responsibility to condemn anti Semitism everywhere in the world, and in every context, not just in the Middle East. Israel has every right to exist.

Judaism is important to all three of the monotheistic religions. Its contribution to Christianity is undeniable if we read the first chapter of the gospel of Matthew. Jesus and the first Christians were Jewish.

Christians must respect the Jewish people. What Senator Cruz is saying is somewhat different. He appears to interpret the Arab-Israeli conflict from his reading of the book of Genesis. This is a deeply flawed analysis of both Genesis and the Arab-Israeli dispute.

The New Testament does not mention the issue of who should possess Palestine. Christians interpret the Old Testament within the context of the New Testament and the establishment of the Church by Christ. Many Palestinians are Christians and so by the Senator’s logic, their misfortunes under Israeli rule are God’s will.

Christian Zionism is a heresy from the viewpoint of Eastern Orthodoxy. This ideology interprets the Old Testament as a political document rather than as a source of revelation. The Old Testament reveals to us the origin of creation. We read the prophets and learn about Christ before his incarnation. We learn about the trinity in chapter eighteen of Genesis.

In the Psalms, Christ is foreshadowed. The Old Testament is holy scripture that anticipates the coming of Christ. Christian Zionism is false and its interpretation of the Old Testament is not consistent with the teachings of Christ. The Old Testament must not be used to justify the denial of rights to the Palestinians.

A Christian settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict is one based on the Sermon on the Mount. Christ taught that “blessed be the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”. A truly Christian solution to the Arab-Israeli dispute is one that endorses a two state solution and the recognition that both Jews and Palestinians were created in the image of God.

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, Christians have an obligation to the Jewish people. But Christians have an obligation to the Palestinians of Gaza as well.

Christians also have an obligation to middle eastern Christians as well. American policies in the Middle East have led to the massacres or expulsions of Christians from the holy land, Iraq, and Syria. The views of Senator Cruz lack context and are based on ignorance.

Such ignorance is now driving the world to the latest crisis in the Middle East. Christians should pray for the people of Gaza, Israel, and Iran. Christians are obligated to love all people. The King of the Jews commanded us to do so.

For quite some time, Orthodoxy in Greece has been under strain mostly due to secularism. The secular parties and media have gradually pushed for a more European and less Hellenic orientation. They have been following Europe’s path to secularism.

It is therefore a pleasant surprise to see all Greek political parties and media closing ranks to support Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai. Make no mistake, the effort to deprive the Monks of Sinai of their property by Egypt is deplorable. The one good thing about this is that Greeks in all political factions including the left are supporting the Monastery.

This should serve as a reminder that Orthodoxy is the backbone of Greece’s heritage spiritually, culturally, and historically. Greece received the faith from Saint Paul in the first century. Saint Andrew the Apostle was martyred in the City of Patra. Saint John the theologian wrote the book of Revelation on the island of Patmos.

Greece’s future depends greatly on its maintenance of its great spiritual heritage.

The Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Catherine’s at Sinai is danger. The government of Egypt has announced plans to expel the Monks and to convert the Monastery into a museum for tourists. This is a moral outrage and an attack on the Christian faith.

The Monastery was built under the auspices of Byzantine Emperor Justinian. The site where God spoke to Moses through the burning bush is on the Monastery grounds. The Monastery was originally named for the transfiguration of Christ. Following the discovery of the relics of Saint Catherine of Alexandria it was renamed in her honor..

This move comes as a surprise. Five years ago, when Turkish authorities converted Hagia Sophia into a Mosque, Egypt criticized the move. The Egyptian government even gave money to the Monastery for the upkeep.

The Monastery features a document believed to be signed by the Prophet Mohammed that guarantees the right of the Monastery to function and the monks to reside there. This is why this move by the Egyptian authorities is such a shock.

The Church of Greece and the Greek government have protested vociferously. In a recent meeting between the Greek Prime Minister and President of Egypt, assurances were given that the Monastery would be left in peace.

Careful diplomacy is needed here. Up to now, Egyptian authorities have protected the Monastery. Over a decade ago, ISIS attempted to attack the Monastery. One Egyptian Police Officer was killed and four were injured protecting the Monastery.

If Greek diplomacy fails to reverse this announcement, it will be an enormous failure for Athens. The Church of Greece must also reverse its stance on the Ukrainian Church. There are no shortages as to why Constantinople and Athens were wrong to recognize the Ukrainian fake Church. The isolation of the Greeks in Orthodoxy at such a time is further proof that recognizing the Ukrainian schismatics was a disastrous move. Anyone expect Zelensky and his thugs to help out here?

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!

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.

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.

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.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis has reportedly asked Patriarch Bartholomew to remove Archbishop Elpidophoros from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. This is both good and bad.

It is good because the Archbishop is a destructive force within the Greek Archdiocese and in Orthodoxy generally. His removal is undeniably good. It is bad because Mitsotakis does not appear to respect the spiritual role of the Archbishop. The Mitsotakis government has been the most aggressively anti Church government in Athens since that of Costas Simitis.

On the matter of national issues, the Greek government is in the right. The Archbishop in 2021 was present at the opening of Turkish cultural center with Turkish President Erdogan and the leader of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus Ersin Tatar. This outrageous appearance with the Turks alone justifies his removal.

Previous to becoming Archbishop, then Metropolitan Elpidophoros wrote a notorious article comparing the position of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Orthodoxy to the person of the father in the holy trinity. He also denied that the Ecumenical Patriarch is “first among equals” as all Orthodox believe. Instead, he asserted that the Ecumenical Patriarch is “first without equals”.

The Archbishop became a propagandist for Patriarch Bartholomew’s efforts to redefine the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and was a player in the Schism with Moscow. This is when the Greek government should have interceded in the affairs of the Church of Constantinople. They should have stopped Patriarch Bartholomew from interfering in Ukraine and stopped the election of Elpidophoros as Archbishop in 2019. The Archbishop gave a speech some time ago against the Russians before various officials of American intelligence agencies.

The Archbishop created chaos within the Church of Greece by baptizing the children of a gay couple. He has also received into the Patriarchate’s Slavic Vicariate a defrocked Russian priest, a move all Orthodox Churches in America protested.

He has held for three years in row, divine services at an Episcopal church that celebrates the LGBT agenda and displays the rainbow flag. The Archbishop must go, but there is still a lot of cleaning up to do. The Churches of Greece and Cyprus for example.

The US government has interceded to get the Churches of Greece and Cyprus to recognize the pseudo church in Ukraine. Athens must defend its own sovereignty and the Greek Churches by demanding Washington stop trying to influence the Greek Churches. The Churches of Constantinople and Greece should not be under American influence.

The Archbishop’s removal must be a beginning, not an end to the housecleaning in the Greek Churches.