Biden Wishes Orthodox A Happy Pascha

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.