A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 19 - Tuesday, May 11th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Demetrios takes brave standWe are deeply saddened by the war raging between Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios and Archbishop Christodoulos, leader of the Church of Greece. This past week their feud escalated to unprecedented levels—much to the detriment of Patriarch Bartholomaios. Our only consolation in this crises is the news, reported exclusively by The National Herald, that Archbishop Demetrios courageously expressed his disagreement with the Patriarch, in the Holly Synod, about the measures he pushed through against the Church of Greece and its archbishop. And when that measure failed, Demetrios tried—unsuccessfully—to soften as much as possible the language used in the decision. This is a courageous position for him—unlike any other we have seen him take during the past five years he’s been archbishop. That proves to a large extent that Demetrios cares and respects his flock. This action goes a long way towards reestablishing Demetrios in the conscience of the community. Now he’s closer to becoming part of the community and, therefore, becoming part of us. We are confident that, had our archbishop refused to sign the measures against the leader of the Greek Church, it would have been a historical moment, one that would have elevated him to an international ecclesiastical figure. An action that in the end would have served both his and the community’s interests, as well as the interests of the Patriarchate. Greece is going through a rough period. Its economy is sluggish; the Cyprus issue remains unresolved, with the Turks getting the upper hand in the court of the world public opinion for the first time in thirty years; and terrorism fears are casting a pall over the Olympic Games just a few months away. A Church split is the last thing Greece needs. It’s truly disturbing to see the Patriarch acting almost out of control, unable to understand what a deleterious effect his inappropriate behavior is having on the important position he holds. He also seems unable to face the fact the free Greek state will not allow 36 of its provinces (almost half) to be administered by an institution based in Turkey. Why doesn’t he exert this level of authority on the other Churches of Greek Orthodoxy? It’s self-defeating for Bartholomaios to use the hierarchs administering to the Greeks in the different countries to act against the country and the church from which most of them hail. In this respect Demetrios’ statements to the Holy Synod are particularly revealing: “How can I go back and look the people in the eyes?…Don’t you know that the flock in America comes from Greece?” It must also be said that our Church is not just any Eparch of the Ecumenical Patriarch. It is the most important one by far. Therefore, its voice, expressed through the Archbishop, should carry more weight than the voice of any other. And in this particular case Archbishop Demetrios proved that he can represent his flock in an honorable way. It is also possible that by openly disagreeing with the patriarch, who uses threats and intimidation as his main weapons to get what he wants, Demetrios is signaling that his limits of compromising are near. We close this commentary noting that our hearts bleed by the actions and words of the Patriarchate that in the end will damage his reputation irrevocably. We share his agony for the future of the Patriarchate. We consider however wrong his insistence in looking backwards into the history thinking that is where the solution for the future is.
The Patriarchate
will survive—as we hope—if it keeps many of the
traditions and the values it has amassed over the
centuries. But it must apply them in today’s
world. Values and the teachings of Christ about
love, compassion and forgiveness. |
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