Month: May 2021

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is presently in Ukraine. He is meeting with the unrecognized “bishop” Epithany Dimenko of the so called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” (OCU). Reports do not indicate that he is planning to meet with Metropolitan Onuphry of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) which enjoys recognition from the free Orthodox Churches which have not been influenced by the State Department.

Here lies the root of the schism in Orthodoxy. The State Department claims to espouse religious freedom. The reasonable position to have taken in Ukraine would be to advocate that all Ukrainians should be free to go to whichever Church that they want to. Before September 2018 there were three choices Ukrainians had (discounting the Uniate Church which is in communion with Rome).

There was of course the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church which until September 2018 was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece as the real Church in Ukraine. There were two schismatic Churches of dubious origin consisting of hierarchs and priests who were either anathematized by the real Church or whose ordinations and consecrations could not be considered valid because they were done outside the real Church. The responsible position by Washington would have been to condemn violence or force by all of the above and to respect the rights of Ukrainian citizens to make up their minds as to where they wanted to go.

But, the State Department did not take this position. Their claims to be supporting religious freedom are lies. The canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been facing persecution by the Ukrainian government, by the schismatics (who merged into one church after the illegitimate council of December 2018 presided over by one of Patriarch Bartholomew’s hierarchs) and various Neo-Nazi militias. It has been a very ugly affair.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and “Ambassador” to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt openly intervened in ecclesiastical matters. They endorsed the OCU which consists of the merger of the above mentioned schismatic factions. This is not an advocacy of religious freedom. This is taking a position on what constitutes a canonical Orthodox Church.

The American constitution forbids the government from pronouncing on religious matters. But this is what State Department officials have done in Ukraine. They have joined the Ukrainian government of former President Poroshenko in deciding what constitutes an Orthodox Church. This is an outrageous and blasphemous assault on the Church of Christ by secular political interests.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Greece during the fall of 2019 to ask Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens to recognize the OCU. Now, it must be said that the “bishops” of the OCU are not bishops or priests. They are laypeople because they were never ordained into the authentic Orthodox Church. Dressing like an Orthodox Bishop does not make one a bishop if he has not been ordained and consecrated into the real Church.

American officials have ridiculed Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and the fathers of the Church. The Orthodox Church considers itself to be the true Church of Christ. Orthodox ecclesiology originates the scriptures, canon law, and holy tradition. The Church is led by Christ himself. American officials had no business asking the Ecumenical Patriarch or the Church of Greece to recognize unordained lay people as a “church”.

This is the cause for the schism in the Orthodox Church. The Churches of Constantinople and Greece have been followed by the Patriarchate of Alexandria and the Archbishop of Cyprus in recognizing the OCU. The Church of Cyprus is especially divided as four bishops have publicly condemned the actions of their Archbishop.

The violence being directed at the canonical Orthodox Church whose priests and faithful are being beaten, and whose churches are being seized has not been condemned by the State Department. As a Greek, I am horrified and appalled by the way the Greek speaking Churches have bowed to the secular demands of the State Department.

Anthony Blinken is likely to continue the policies of his predecessor Mike Pompeo. This is disgraceful and dishonorable for the United States which is not supposed to make pronouncements on matters of religious doctrine. This entire affair is likely to destroy the legacy and reputation of Patriarch Bartholomew.

The reputation of the Church of Greece in Orthodoxy has also come to suffer considerably. May the risen Christ grant wisdom so that the Church may come together in an ecumenical council as is customary in Orthodoxy to repair this schism and to expel the enemies of God from his holy Church!

Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen!

Former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has endorsed a two state solution for Cyprus which would effectively legitimize the Turkish aggression and ethnic cleansing of the occupied territories. In the mindset of this typical Englishman recognition of the occupied territories would settle the problem. Never mind the Republic of Cyprus and the interests of the Greek Cypriots.

The ex Foreign Secretary presumes that the Greeks on Cyprus are privileged because the Republic of Cyprus remains internationally recognized while the Turkish occupation is not. The typical racist mentality is at work in Straw who does not see the ethnic cleansing of over 200,000 Greek Cypriots and the massacres that were perpetrated by Turkish forces in 1974.

The British have never recognized their crimes against humanity that began in 1955 when George Grivas and the heroes of EOKA began the struggle for the freedom of Cyprus by seeking to achieve union with Greece. It should be remembered that Greek and Turkish Cypriots lived peacefully together at the time. It was the British who invited Turkey to make a claim on Cyprus, and together with Ankara armed the Turkish Cypriots who attacked the Greek Cypriots. The Greek Cypriots were fighting against the British, not the Turkish Cypriots.

The British have left behind misery and misfortune wherever their former Empire reigned. The Middle East is a perfect example. The British had promised Palestine to both the Jews and the Arabs during the First World War. The British left behind misery in India and what later became Pakistan.

The British should have no base in Cyprus. Cyprus should address the issue of the British base. The British legacy in Cyprus is one of evil and misery. Both Greece and Cyprus should ensure that the British will not be permitted to take part in any negotiations that have to do with the future of Cyprus.

Finally, the British are not alone in their hatred of the Greeks. The Germans continue to arm Turkey as Ankara threatens Greece. The traditional blindness that Greeks have had toward Europe has contributed to the present problems that both Athens and Nicosia face. The West is no friend to Greece and Greeks everywhere must accept this reality.

Aside from the British military presence in Cyprus, Nicosia needs to address the unscrupulous English thieves who have settled in the occupied territories of Cyprus over the years and who reside in the homes of Greeks who were forced to flee from their homes. Both Greece and Cyprus should be sending a warning to the British of diplomatic consequences in the event of any recognition of the occupied territories whatsoever.

The Biden administration has broken the President’s campaign promise to maintain an embargo on Azerbaijan. The United States is resuming sending military aid to Baku even after that country’s war of aggression against the Armenians of Artsakh. The recognition of the Armenian Genocide which initially was something to be applauded has been completely undermined as Azerbaijan is going to be receiving American aid.

This indicates that Biden was never serious about changing policies toward Turkey. Once again, the American foreign policy establishment has the upper hand. Azerbaijan is a Turkic Republic with genocidal ambitions and has the unconditional backing of Turkey. The threat to Armenia has increased.

Furthermore, the threat to Greece has also increased. Support for Azerbaijan equals support for Turkey. Biden is proving to be one more Democrat making promises to the Greeks and the Armenians that he does not keep.

President Joseph Biden has wished the Orthodox world happy Easter. This is reminiscent of President Bill Clinton’s wishing the Orthodox a Happy Easter in 1999 while bombing Serbia on Orthodox Easter. The Clinton administration subsequently forced Serbia to withdraw from Kosovo where the most holy Churches and Monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church are located.

Today, President Biden wishes us a happy Easter while the canonical Church of Ukraine is being fiercely persecuted and Churches are being seized by Neo-Nazi extremists and given over to the schismatic entity masquerading as a Church. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is planning a visit to Ukraine where he plans to meet the fake Bishop that leads the fake Church. He apparently plans to talk against alleged Russian aggression.

American officials are talking out of both sides of their mouths. Their intervention in the affairs of the Churches of Constantinople and Greece has estranged both of these Churches from universal Orthodoxy. Shamelessly, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has celebrated Biden’s wishes.

The restoration of peace and unity within the Orthodox Church can only come under the following conditions. First, the American government must cease interfering in internal Church matters. Unfortunately, this appears to be a big hurdle to overcome. That is why the universal Orthodox Church is going to need to address the American problem at some time. It is widely known that American officials have caused the schism and surprisingly the local Orthodox Churches have not protested this blatant intervention in Church affairs.

Secondly, Patriarch Bartholomew will either have to completely reverse himself on the Ukrainian matter and his pretensions to authority over the whole of Orthodoxy or be deposed. The latter option will be the most likely one the longer this crisis drags on. It seems unlikely that disciplinary action can be taken against Patriarch Bartholomew as long as the American problem is not addressed.

The most promising road to the recovery of Orthodox unity comes from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem convened a council in Amman, Jordan in February 2020. He has recommended that a similar gathering be convened when it becomes possible for Orthodox primates to meet again.

For the time being it appears the Church schism will not be resolved. President Biden has previously taken a position favoring recognition of the Ukrainian pseudo-church. Those comments were completely out of order as Church matters are none of his concern.

Meanwhile, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese with whom the President has a relationship with does not correct him on his mistakes. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, and by extension the Ecumenical Patriarchate has forfeited any claim to leadership considering they have chosen to rely on secular non Orthodox authorities to pursue their claims of authority over the Orthodox world.

Greeks should remember that Turkey continues to remain intransigent on Cyprus and intends to maintain the occupation of the island Republic. President Biden has done nothing to punish Turkey or to take action to restore the sovereignty of Cyprus. Nor has he proceeded to stop Turkish aggression against Greece. What a friend.

As Secretary of State Blinken precedes to meet with the Ukrainian pseudo bishops it is abundantly clear that the American foreign policy apparatus supports Constantinople only to pursue its anti Russian foreign policy. When the time comes, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese will find themselves friendless in Washington and the Patriarchate will fend for itself in a hostile Turkey as it has for the past century.

It will do so without support from the Orthodox world which Constantinople has alienated.