American “Ambassador” to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt delivered an outrageous attack on the Russian Orthodox Church in which he claims the Russian Church is intimidating other Orthodox Churches into not recognizing the fake “church” that Patriarch Bartholomew recognized in Ukraine. This outrageous statement reveals hard truths. American officials in Greece do not serve in a diplomatic capacity, they serve as defacto Governors.
Pyatt has absolutely no business commenting on Church affairs. There is one Ukrainian Orthodox Church and it is led by the pious Metropolitan Onuphry and his Synod. This is a Church facing persecution as a result of the unholy collusion between Washington, Kiev, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is legitimate because it possesses apostolicity, canonicity, and catholicity. Unlike the monstrosity that calls itself the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” and is a blasphemous parody of Orthodoxy the Ukrainian Orthodox Church can claim to be a part of the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church”.
Pyatt proceeded to praise Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. Praise from such a source does not give credit to either hierarch. It does suggest that the Greek Orthodox world is under the imposition of a foreign yoke that can be seen as the successor of the Frankish yoke that conquered Constantinople and much of the Greek speaking world in the thirteenth century. It also suggests that Orthodox Greeks need changes in ecclesiastical leadership very badly.
Any Orthodox hierarchs who need the endorsement of secular officials are unworthy of the sacred offices that they hold. The same can be said for those hierarchs in Greece, Cyprus, and Alexandria who have sold out Christ by colluding with foreigners who serve as the defacto rulers of Greece and who interfere with the holy Church of Jesus Christ! Orthodoxy has been hit hard over the past two years with the advent of the Ukrainian schism.
The honor and prestige of the Greek speaking world within Orthodoxy has been badly damaged. This honor can only be restored when the Greek Churches liberate themselves from secularism and from the evil of western officials who use the Church of Christ for political purposes. One fondly recalls the blessed memory of Archbishop Christodoulos (1998-2008) of Athens who never failed to condemn moral injustices and who defended the Church of Greece against its enemies, who spoke in defense of Cyprus, and who condemned Washington’s wars of aggression.
How far the Church of Greece has fallen under the cowardly Archbishop Ieronymos II. How far the Greek Orthodox world in general has fallen in two years! In the midst of darkness there is still light. There are hierarchs, priests, monastics, theologians, and lay people in Greece and Cyprus who are outspoken in their opposition to the Patriarch and their own bishops. The struggle may take time but the people of God will ultimately prevail in the Greek Orthodox world and those who use the Church of Christ for political purposes will face judgement.