Category: faith

The Zelensky government in Ukraine with the backing of Ukrainian fascists is attempting to expel two hundred umonks from the famous Kiev Caves Lavra. This policy has been condemned by Pope Francis and the World Council of Churches. Guess who is not condemning this blatant violation of human rights and religious freedom?

Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Elpidophoros, and the Churches of Greece and Cyprus. The Greek speaking Churches have been paralyzed since the Ecumenical Patriarch started all this in 2018 by recognizing the fake Church in Ukraine. The silence of Greek Orthodoxy to this brutal repression is shameful and deplorable.

The Ukrainian government is fascist to the core. The war itself is generally immoral as sympathy should be for the people on both sides who are suffering. It should not be forgotten that Ukraine has not only been repressing the canonical Church, it has violated the rights of the Russian minority.

The war needs to end and Zelinsky needs to be resign in favor of a democratic government. His Allie’s have been Neo Nazis. The fanatics who have been seizing Churches are not devout and have no intention of worshipping in them. The Ukrainian Church is under attack merely for being under the Moscow Patriarchate.

In America, groups like the Ku klux klan adopted an anti Roman Catholic position because Catholics looked to the Pope of Rome for spiritual leadership. The Monks of the Lavra are the victims of bigots and fascists such as them.

It is a pity that Orthodox Greeks are standing on the sidelines with indifference.

The Washington Post and Forbes magazine ran news items on the “gay” baptisms that have triggered so much anger in the greater Orthodox world. In addition, the story was posted on the website for ABC News. This incident easily eclipses any other controversy involving Archbishop Elpidophoros and that is saying a good deal about how bad this is.

Archbishop Elpidophoros appears to have acted unilaterally. This is in contrast to Metropolitan Antonios of Glyfada who upon learning that the “parents” of the children that had been baptized were both men stated that he would have asked for the holy synod of the Church of Greece to convene in order to rule on the matter before proceeding with the baptisms. It is beyond doubt that the Archbishop misled Metropolitan Antonios.

So far the aforementioned news reports have reported what has happened and have made no commentary on the matter. It would not be surprising if the secular media began making judgements against the Orthodox Church as it is very clear the media is very supportive of the LGBT agenda. On the one hand, the Orthodox Church could take the opportunity to be in the spotlight in order to proclaim the truth of the gospel and to teach America why LGBT is sinful.

On the other hand, the Orthodox Church could become a target of never ending hostility and hatred like the Roman Catholics and Evangelicals have. Whatever the case, this entire affair has been horribly mishandled. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has been plagued by scandals for many years and is clearly not up to the task of preaching the gospel to Americans.

Archbishop Elpidophoros has not only brought the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and the Ecumenical Patriarchate further disgrace, he has dragged the Church of Greece into this mess. Not a single word of apology or explanation from Archbishop Elpidophoros to Metropolitan Antonios of Glyfada or the holy synod of the Church of Greece.

In addition, there are the two children who received holy baptism. None of this is their fault. It is most lamentable that their baptisms are going to be associated with the nefarious actions of both the Archbishop and the “family” and other adults involved in this matter.

Regarding the adults involved in this matter. They deserve a certain degree of sympathy for the humiliation they may feel, but not for the choices they have made. It is clear these people are unchurched otherwise how could any of them have gone on social media to celebrate a Greek Orthodox “gay baptism”? Archbishop Elpidophoros is to blame for all hurt feelings and embarrassment in this matter and should have made it clear the Orthodox Church does not permit same sex marriages. The issue of the surrogate mother is further evidence of the Archbishop’s failure to provide moral and spiritual guidance.

The first step in cleaning up this mess is to depose Archbishop Elpidophoros. The opportunity is at hand for the Ecumenical Patriarch to be a spiritual leader by removing the Archbishop and to clarify for good measure before the whole world what the Orthodox Church actually teaches. The Ecumenical Patriarch must clean house.

There is still Ukraine and the schism, but for now all Orthodox Churches are watching to see what Patriarch Bartholomew and the holy synod of Constantinople are going to do in the aftermath of the scandalous behavior of Archbishop Elpidophoros.

Syriza leader (and former Greek Prime Minister) Alexis Tsipras has praised the baptisms of the two children of a homosexual couple by Archbishop Elpidophoros. Tsipras is an atheist and that is his business and his right. There is something irritating in Tsipras calling critics of the Archbishop “right wing”.

What secularists do not understand is that this is not a political issue. It is a spiritual issue with serious repercussions for the future. Saint Paul considered same sex relationships sinful as can be seen by his Epistle to the Romans. The law of Moses in the Old Testament likewise criticizes homosexuality.

The Orthodox Church is not a political party or a club. It’s leader is Jesus Christ. Its moral teachings are not reversible. This is the point that Tsipras and the attendees of the aforementioned baptism do not understand. God is real and protects the Church from persecution and keeps it on track despite the fact that it is filled with sinners (both heterosexual and homosexual) and some terrible bishops and priests.

What has created anger are the expressed views of family and others at the baptism that the first “gay Greek Orthodox baptism” took place. These people do not understand the Orthodox Church. It is well provocative for them to push this agenda on the Church.

Alexis Tsipras is way out of order in commenting on Church matters. Tsipras is not only not Orthodox, he is not even a real Greek. He is a Marxist and an internationalist and his tenure as Prime Minister was a disaster for Greece. No one wants to hear from him.

Archbishop Elpidophoros is of course to blame for this whole matter. Tsipras and the others are ignorant. The Archbishop has no excuse for his deplorable actions. This is a sorry situation created by a narcissistic man who happens to be an Archbishop.

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece will be meeting on Monday to discuss the matter. Criticism of the baptism and the family should be tempered by Christian mercy. Same sex relationships can never be recognized but the Church should make an effort to explain its teachings (which Archbishop Elpidophoros neglected to do) in a gentle manner to all those involved.

The Synod should also impose a lifetime ban on Archbishop Elpidophoros. The Archbishop should be barred from ever serving within the Church of Greece again. The Greek Churches have a special responsibility for stopping Archbishop Elpidophoros. Stopped he must be.

On the bright side, there are two babies who were baptized and are members of the Orthodox Church. This itself should be a source of rejoicing despite the sinister things done before and after the baptism.

Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has baptized the children of a Greek homosexual couple in Greece. Many people would argue that the children being baptized is good despite the life styles of the “parents”. That sentiment is well intended but misguided.

The problem lies with the fact that the “couple” do not intend to live a Christian lifestyle and the children are going to be exposed to a life (and more accurately a political movement) that is anti Christian. That makes the decision of the Archbishop to proceed with these baptisms deplorable. The “parents”, godparents, and others who attended the baptisms (wealthy Greeks the type who I suspect support the Greek left) did not celebrate the reception of these boys into the Church.

They celebrated the idea that the Greek Orthodox Church is becoming “modern” and adapting to the new pagan social agenda. The holy sacrament of baptism seems to have been overshadowed by the celebration of LGBT ideology. It is interesting to see that these baptisms did not occur under the auspices of a bishop of the Church of Greece. Greek Bishops remain traditionalist despite the heavy pressure and bullying that they have endured from the Ecumenical Patriarchate in recent years.

Archbishop Elpidophoros has a disregard for Orthodoxy. Upon being elected Archbishop in 2019 he had a poor reputation owing to his view that the Ecumenical Patriarch was “first without equals”. His views on Orthodox ecclesiology advocate the overthrow of the conciliar tradition which holds that only an ecumenical council in which ALL Orthodox Churches participate has authority in Orthodoxy. He has made horrendous blunders such as marching with the Marxist black lives matter whose members burned Bibles and advocate the defunding of the Police.

He also attended the Turkish gala at the Turkish consulate last year in which the leader of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus was present. It is clear that this man has no business being either an Archbishop or serving in the priesthood. His betrayals of Orthodoxy continue unabated.

He must be deposed.

A few weeks ago the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow) held a council in which the bishops declared their Church independent of Moscow. What this means remains unclear as they are not formally seeking autocephaly and they have enjoined a status of autonomy for thirty years in which they govern themselves while remaining formally under the Moscow Patriarchate.

It is clear that the war has made it difficult for the Ukrainian Church to remain under Moscow. In addition, there is renewed persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Ukrainian authorities. That persecution began long before the war.

What is most unclear is the situation in world Orthodoxy. There is no question that the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s intervention in Ukraine remans wrong canonically and morally. There is no change on that front.

What has changed is the relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Church. It is very unclear what the future holds regarding the Ukrainian Church or how it will affect the schism between Constantinople and Moscow. Whether this is good or bad remains to be seen.

There have been reports that the Ukrainian Church (the real one) was interested in talks with Constantinople’s “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”. The fake bishops of that entity ruled out the possibility of their bishops and priests being ordained properly. So, there is no resolution to the local schism in Ukraine while the canonical Church seems to be uncertain about its own relations with Moscow.

One can only pray that this mess is resolved in accordance with the Canons.

Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has received into the Archdiocese a “bishop” that was defrocked by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). Archimandrite Alexander Belya was defrocked by the ROCOR synod for various unethical actions. On that basis, the Archbishop had no right to receive him into the Greek Archdiocese or to consecrate him a bishop.

The other Orthodox Churches in America are threatening to withdraw from the Episcopal Assembly unless the Archbishop reverses himself. The Episcopal Assembly constitutes the gathering of all Orthodox bishops in North America. ROCOR withdrew in 2018 when the Ecumenical Patriarchate instigated the Ukrainian crisis.

The Archbishop has committed a variety of missteps such as marching with Black Lives Matter (a Marxist organization), attending the pro life gathering in Washington and contradicting himself by making both pro life and pro choice statements. Last fall, he attended a ceremony at the Turkish consulate in New York which was attended by Turkish officials and the Turkish appointee who presides over the occupied territories in Cyprus. That visit is particularly scandalous considering Turkish threats to seize the Greek islands. He is however most notorious for his extreme views regarding the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate which do not align with Orthodox ecclesiology.

The Archbishop must reverse this latest mistake. He should also resign as Archbishop as he clearly is not familiar with America and is not determined to learn how to govern the Church in America.

More news about the Great Church and it is not good. When Hagia Sophia was still a Museum there were between 18 and 19,000 visitors per day. As a Mosque, Hagia Sophia receives 40 and 45,000 visitors per day. As a Museum, a scientific council had concluded that human breathing was harmful to the building.

The extra visitors are naturally contributing to the demise of Hagia Sophia. Apparently, officials in charge of Hagia Sophia (apparently, the Ministry of Religion) tried to use a “special machine” to wash the floors of the Great Church. The floors have now been damaged.

The damage done to the floors follows the damage to the doors and the walls of the Great Church which suffer damage from the breaths of the large numbers of people visiting. It is apparent that the Erdogan government does not know how to preserve Hagia Sophia. It is apparent that Hagia Sophia will not survive in any form.

In the end this is because Turkey is under the rule of a fanatic who respects neither the Christian heritage of Constantinople nor history.

The Orthodox Church of Ohrid (Skopje) which has been out of communion with the Serbian Orthodox Church (and by extension the whole of Orthodoxy) has been formally recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Serbian Church. In addition, the Serbian Orthodox Church has bestowed autocephaly on Ohrid. It appears another Church crisis which could have worsened the schism in Orthodoxy has been avoided.

Unlike the situation in Ukraine where Constantinople intervened without the approval of the Russian Orthodox Church, it appears the Serbian Church has cooperated with Constantinople. The Serbian Church has accepted the autocephaly of this new Church and this brings a close to a schism in the Church of Serbia which began in 1967.

This brings us back to the Ukrainian schism. The Russian Church has been in the right in that situation. However, the Russian Patriarch’s silence regarding the war in Ukraine has cost the Moscow Patriarchate credibility among the Ukrainian faithful. At least twenty four bishops of the Ukrainian Church refuse to commemorate the Patriarch of Moscow during the liturgy.

Autocephaly for the Ukrainian Church may be inevitable. Patriarch Kyril of Moscow should consider granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church. Then Patriarch Bartholomew should use his influence on the schismatic bishops to join the canonical Church through repentance and to be legitimately ordained. The possibility of ending the schism exists and both Constantinople and Moscow should compromise.

Much praise should be bestowed on Patriarch Porphyrios of Serbia and his synod of bishops. Their attitudes are genuinely Christian and they avoided what could have been a further crisis in Orthodoxy. Here we have a real example of a shepherd guiding his flock. This is in contrast to the Patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, and Moscow.

The Turkish Newspaper Cumhiriyet has reported that Hagia Sophia may not survive t0 the year 2050. In one day a few weeks ago as many as 100,000 people visited Hagia Sophia. The article states that the moisture from the breaths of so many people could bring about the ruin of Hagia Sophia.

It is apparent that Hagia Sophia will in fact be destroyed over time. In the end only the Greeks cared for Hagia Sophia. We who are exiled from Justinian’s Church.

Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland is paying attention to the Monastic Republic of Mount Athos. Since the tenth century, Athos which is located in the Greek province of Macedonia has been a Monastic Republic. There are twenty Monasteries (most of them Greek).

The Serbs, Bulgarians, and Russians have one Monastery each. It is the Russian Monastery of Saint Panteleimon which has attracted the attention of Nuland and the State Department. Russian Monks have been present on Mount Athos for centuries. It is only in the minds of Russophobes and fanatics that every Russian is doing the bidding of Moscow.

There are disturbing reports of plans to expel the Russian Monks on the grounds that the Russians are serving Russian interests. American leaders being secularists do not comprehend that Russians might have gone to Mount Athos for reasons of faith. Greeks should be enraged by the plans to expel the Russian monks.

Greece is a Christian country with countless Orthodox shrines that are visited by pilgrims. Mount Athos is one of the most important. Politics do not belong on the Holy Mountain which is dedicated to the Mother of God.

The American government’s intervention on Mount Athos is sacrilege. The greatest blame for politicizing the Holy Mountain lies with Patriarch Bartholomew who for his own selfish plans for power has invited the State Department into the affairs of both the Holy Mountain and the Greek Churches. The silence of the Greek Bishops to both Bartholomew’s effort to become an Eastern Pope and their own failures to resist the Patriarchate’s hostile takeover of the Church of Greece speaks volumes.

The Greek government stupidly ignores the Phanariot-State Department alliance at the expense of Greece’s sovereignty. Bartholomew has become the King of Greece cutting deals with Washington even at the expense of Greek national interests and independence. The Greek Government and Church look the other way.

Greece and Cyprus face an existential threat from Turkey. It is insane for Greece to allow a Turkish citizen to accumulate the power and influence that the Patriarch has. The only good news is that the more conservative bishops, priests, and theologians are hostile to the Phanar. The bad news is they are a minority and many of them have been subject to bullying for daring to criticize Bartholomew’s anti Orthodox actions.

Greeks should be alarmed by the American influence on the Holy Mountain. The idea that Russia is going to take over is itself stupid and irresponsible. Mount Athos is in Greece and so Greeks will naturally be the majority. Saying the Russian Monastery is going to take over Athos is like saying that Argentina is going to take over the Vatican because of the present Pope’s nationality.

A further problem lies with the fact that the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America is a Turkish citizen. The Archbishop gave himself away when he attended that Turkish dinner in New York last fall. It is time to think about reforming Greek Orthodoxy.

The Church of Greece must be fully autocephalous in both fact and theory. Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens is a moral failure and a stooge of Patriarch Bartholomew. He must be deposed and all funding to the Patriarchate from Greece must cease.

Crete and the Dodecanese islands must be taken from the Patriarchate and given to the Church of Greece. Mount Athos should also be taken from the Patriarchate. The last vestige of Turkish influence in Greece must end.

The Church of Greece needs bishops such as those it had in the past. An Archbishop Damaskinos or an Archbishop Christodoulos. A man of spirituality and morality mixed in with healthy nationalism in defense of the Hellenic nation and its Orthodox faith.

The desecration of Mount Athos must awaken Orthodox Greeks from their slumber!