While on a visit to Athens Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused the Russians of trying to “coopt” the Orthodox Church. This is laughable coming from a buffoon whose employees at the American embassy in Athens have interfered blatantly in the affairs of the Orthodox Church of Greece and on Mount Athos. It is the fake “church” of Ukraine that is persecuting the bishops, priests, and faithful of the canonical Ukrainian Church.
This artificial creation calling itself “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” is a political creation and has nothing to do with the Church of Jesus Christ and the Holy Apostles! The sickness of anti Russian racism is so depraved that all Russians are apparently being targeted. In the estimation of Mike Pompeo and the State Department Russian Bishops, Priests, and ordinary believers are nothing more than instruments being used by Moscow.
This is utterly despicable. It is Washington alone that has successfully co opted the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a significant portion of the Church of Greece along with the upper ranks of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. At a time when Turkish aggression is manifesting itself against the territorial rights of Greece, Pompeo should have stuck to political and diplomatic matters.
Pompeo should be fired as Secretary of State for being a violator of religious freedom. As a Greek Orthodox, I find it infuriating to watch the Greek Orthodox world being co opted by these secularists as part of their insane anti Russian agenda. The Trump administration has made some mistakes.
One mistake had the name John Bolton and was taken care of. Another mistake is named Mike Pompeo and it is time for him to be shown the door.
4 replies on “Pompeo must go!”
Unfortunately, most of our SOS are ‘required’ to have CFR and TC credentials and that limits the selection to folks with minimal religious credentials and a tendency to handle everything with Realpolitik approaches. I was encouraged when Pompeo made recent overtures to both Greece and Cyprus and at the expense of Ankara, that is the first time that has happened in my memory. I share your distaste for the anti-Russian nonsense that most SOS have embraced, but it seems to go hand in hand with their CFR taint. Who would you appoint in place of Pompeo? Some have mentioned Nick Burns, but he’s too close to Biden, Hillary and Albright for my liking. I doubt he’d be much of an improvement. Thorny issue.
Nick Burns would be much worse. I think Pompeo is not a bad guy in general but his intervention in Church affairs has created a Church crisis that may not end well. This intervention is very bad. On the other hand he is showing signs of leaning closer to Greece than Turkey.
You should write Pompeo. With your knowledge of Orthodox Church history you could give him a perspective on events he might not otherwise get. My October is pretty ugly from a work-busy perspective, but I may write him myself when I have a few days off at the end of the month. I’m sure he’s getting input from other Hellenic groups that may not be as favorably disposed towards Russia as you and I are. He needs to see the complete picture.
I do not think my letter would reach Pompeo. I have sent an email to the US Embassy in Athens in the past and got no response.