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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In Rare Display of Resolve, Demetrios Defies Patriarch
BOSTON – The “New Lands” dispute between Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios and the Church of Greece’s Archbishop Christodoulos reached a fever pitch on April 30, when the newly broadened Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, convened by the patriarch, took drastic action against the Church of Greece and its prelate Archbishop Christodoulos. The Synod ruled that there will be no direct relations with the Church of Greece and Archbishop Christodoulos will no longer be mentioned in the prayers of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In a rare move, Archbishop Demetrios of America took a strong stand against the condemnatory actions against the Church of Greece and its prelate, which for the first time pitted him against his boss. The Herald learned that Archbishop Demetrios made every effort to prevent any extreme outcome from the start of the session of the Holy Synod. Demetrios expressed doubts on whether the Patriarchal Synod had the authority to terminate Eucharistic communion and intercommunion with the head of the Church of Greece, since Archbishop Christodoulos is a prelate of an autocephalous Church. “Our Synod here is not some type of Highest Synod; it does not consist of prelates of autocephalous Churches and thus how can we place Archbishop Christodoulos outside of the Ecclesiastical Diptychs and terminate Eucharistic and administrative communion,” Demetrios told the 41 Synod members. The archbishop told the Patriarchal Synod that he felt uncomfortable taking action against the Church of Greece and Archbishop Christodoulos. “How am I going to return to America and look our people in the eyes,” Demetrios said, adding, “The majority of the flock of the Church in America derives from Greece.” The Archbishop made extensive reference in the Synod to the ecclesiastical writings and positions of the National Herald. A week earlier, the Eparchial Synod had advised Archbishop Demetrios to make every effort to find a peaceful solution to the problem that had arisen between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece. Patriarch Bartholomaios, who was expecting unanimous support, was surprised by Demetrios’ strong stand. The patriarch actually announced he was going to cut off ties with Archbishop Christodoulos a week earlier, at a meeting held on Saturday April 24. Hierarchs close to Bartholomaios immediately tried to convince Archbishop Demetrios to vote along with the other 40 hierarchs in favor of the decision so it would be unanimous. Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Ephesus, who had taken a strong position against the Church of Greece and Archbishop Christodoulos, condemned Archbishop Demetrios, calling him "ignorant of history." The metropolitan is an active metropolitan and also a member of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. However, he does not reside in Constantinople, as do the other members but rather travels to the Phanar from his permanent residence in Athens. Metropolitan Chrysostomos has frequently attacked Archbishop Demetrios in the past. He also refused to vote for Archbishop Demetrios in his bid for the Archbishopric Throne of America. That’s not to say that Demetrios had no support among the Synod members. Metropolitan Evangelos of Perga, who is one of the most prominent and prudent hierarchs of today’s Ecumenical Patrirachate residing in Constantinople, came to a complete agreement with Archbishop Demetrios.
In the end,
however, Archbishop Demetrios, under the Patriarch
and his allies, signed the final condemnatory text
against the Church of Greece and Archbishop
Christodoulos. Still, while his recommendations
were not heeded, Archbishop Demetrios played an
important role in the final wording of the
decision of the Patriarchal Synod, which was read
during a special ceremony in the Patriarchal
Cathedral of St. George. The ceremony was
broadcast live in Greece. The Herald has learned
that early drafts of the text used more incendiary
language that appeared to be aimed at humiliating
the Church of Greece and Christodoulos. After
Archbishop Demetrios’ input, the text became
somewhat softer. On the following Monday,
Archbishop Demetrios held a teleconference with
members of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the
Archdiocese to update them on the events that took
place at the Patriarchate. During the meeting,
members of the Holy Synod praised Archbishop
Demetrios for his “strong and appropriate stand,”
and thanked him for relating to the Patriarchal
Synod their wishes not to act against the Church
of Greece and Archbishop Christodoulos. When asked
what can be expected from this point on, Demetrios
appeared to be hopeful that a solution would be
found. He also pointed out that the Greek
government was attempting to defuse the crisis by
sending Minister of Education Marietta Yiannakou
to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to try to convince
Bartholomaios to find a peaceful solution for the
benefit of Orthodoxy and Hellenism. |
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