Posted by Photini Henderson
on 12/2/2008, 1:54 pm
A very interesting article with a provacative title ... regardless of undercurrents, there isn't the roiling boil as was in the OCA before the resignation of Met Herman, so is this a precipitious article projecting the resignation or retirement of Archbishop Demetrios?
Something's afoot ... stay tuned to thenationalherald.com for the continuing articles:
Interesting article, beginning apparently of a series:
The Course of the GOA and Succession of Demetrios
By Theodore Kalmoukos
Special to The National Herald
What is the course of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
today and where is it going in the future are the serious questions
that have been asked more frequently and intensely by many clergy and
laity throughout the U.S as of late.
The course of every organization is closely connected with the element
of leadership simply because leadership is sine qua none, in other
words, necessary. It seems that most, if not all indications
up to now show clearly that there is a lack of leadership, not only
on the Archbishop level, but in general. No visions are manifested,
no basic directives on very substantial issues of ecclesiastical
significance are drawn, but neither are issues of lesser importance
and local caliber are dealt with.
Without any doubt, Archbishop Demetrios is an educated hierarch,
and most certainly has his own charisma, including that cultivated
suaveness.
It is widely believed that the administrative structure of the
Archdiocese needs some type of restructuring in basic issues because a
"strange" ecclesiological system has been developed today with the
creation of the Metropolises.
Let me explain. On the one hand, we speak of one Ecclesiastical
Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
of America, having Archbishop Demetrios as its ruling hierarchshepherd
(ποιμενάρχης), and on the other hand we have the Metropolises
where the local hierarchs are commemorated as "shepherds," also
a fact that contradicts the basic principal of the unity of the
Church because we have here a "dual head" situation.
The Metropolitans are elected by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate and when they liturgize, they commemorate the name
of Patriarch Bartholomew. The latter, in an official letter sent to
the Metropolitans, stated that he prohibits them to communicate
(correspond) directly with him, but only through Archbishop Demetrios
and even placing their correspondence in an open envelope.
The relations between the Archbishop and the vast majority of the
Metropolitans are minimal and the faithful have sensed that.
The most important issue that seems to be of concern to the Church
in America, is the succession of Archbishop Demetrios whenever
that occurs. Despite the fact that the current, "strange" system of
the Metropolises seems to downgrade the office and the role of the
First (Primal), the fact remains true that the presence and the role
of the First is very pivotal and of great ecclesiastical and
structural significance. It seems to me that the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America was and continues to be Archbishopcentric.
On the other hand, the majority of the current Metropolitans are
over 60 years of age, some of them extremely beyond that and only two
are under 60, Metropolitans Nicholas of Detroit and Evangelos of
New Jersey, as well as the three auxiliary Bishops, Savas of Troas,
Andonios of Fasiane and Demetrios of Mokisos.
The election of the Archbishop of America is the exclusive
ecclesiastical and canonical privilege of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate. Also, the government of Greece plays a pivotal
role as the late Archbishop Iakovos had many times explained
to us in our private discussions during the last ten years of his
retirement. [*** FORTHCOMING ARTICLE *** ]
We reveal today that Archbishop Iakovos had telephoned in
August 1999, the then-Prime Minister of Greece Costas Simitis and
asked him to tell the Ecumenical Patriarchate to select Bishop
Demetrios of Vresthena, an auxiliary Bishop of the Church of Greece
for 50 years, as Archbishop of America. Simitis sent an official
representative to the Phanar prior to Archbishop Demetrios' election
and some days later, the over half a century forgotten Bishop
Demetrios of Vresthena, was elected Archbishop of America. The Herald
is in a position to know that Archbishop Demetrios knows that. [***
FORTHCOMING ARTICLE *** ]
We also reveal today that in 1996, Archbishop Iakovos upon his
retirement from the Archbishopric Throne of America after 37 years of
ministry had sent a multipage highly confidential letter to Patriarch
Bartholomew telling him not to select anyone from the pool of the
hierarchs from America, indicating also the reasons. We will say more
on this issue in another article. [*** FORTHCOMING ARTICLE *** ]
The majority of the clergy and laity in America seem to believe that
no one from the existing hierarchs is the proper choice to assume the
Archbishopric leadership for reasons of age and for other issues as
well. There are some priests and lay however that reservedly think
that there are probably two from all the hierarchs, ruling and
auxiliary, who could assume the leadership of the Archdiocese, but at
the same time they express serious concerns and they privately say
many and different things, which we will discuss at length at the
right time. [*** FORTHCOMING ARTICLE *** ]
The Greek government asks around, gets briefings about specific
persons from within and outside of America. The Patriarchate seems
to be reserved at this point and turns its eyes in different
directions, because it knows the magnitude of the penury of the
Archdiocese when it comes to Archbishopric material.
It has been said that Patriarch Bartholomew doesn't wish to find
himself in the situation he was in during the summer of 1999, because
he knows very well that the Patriarchate cannot afford to lose the
Archdiocese of America.
Responses:
