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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Turmoil in Arizona on Charter Issues; Holy Trinity Cathedral Adopts Resolution George Kokalis and Other Community Leaders Reject the Proposed 2003 Charter The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix, Arizona adopted a resolution at a special general assembly meeting on May 2 asking that discussion of the amendment of the 1977 charter of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese be on the agenda of the July Clergy Laity Congress. The resolution was approved by a vote of 93 to 7. The meeting was held as planned despite a letter from the Chancellor of the Metropolis of San Francisco written on behalf of Metropolitan Anthony ruling it out of order. The communication took the position that the meeting was illegal since input from the parishes regarding the charter issue should have occurred earlier when there was a call for agenda items for a diocesan assembly. However parishioners believed that they had the right to express an opinion on an issue crucial to the governance of the Archdiocese. More than the required 10% of parish stewards in good standing had petitioned for the special assembly and it was convened in accordance with provisions outline in the Uniform Parish Bylaws of the Archdiocese. Some 250 Greek Orthodox from the Phoenix area attended the meeting to become informed about the charter controversy. Peter Haikalis, President of the Orthodox Christian Laity, was present and invited to address the assembly. He reviewed the history of the Charters of the Archdiocese and pointed out how the church in America has devolved from an autonomous entity in the Charter of 1922 to an eparchy or province of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the proposed 2003 charter. Haikalis also compared the key provisions of the 1977 charter with those in 2003 charter emphasizing how the status of laity and clergy in church governance has been greatly diminished with a shift of legislative authority from the Clergy Laity Congress and the Archdiocesan Council to the Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese. Following the Haikalis presentation a number of parishioners and community leaders expressed their opinions. George Kokalis, archon and the founder of Leadership 100, reiterated what he had said at the 2002 Clergy-Laity Congress stating, I rejected this charter [then] and I still standby my word. George Souvall, archon, benefactor of the parish and the Diocese, as well as one of the plaintiffs in the legal action said, Those of us who are plaintiffs have been threatened and intimidated. I think that the time has come to express our opinions as a parish because if they get their way, who knows what will happen next. In a related development, Peter Maniatis, an archon, founder of the Assumption Church in nearby Scottsdale and also a plaintiff in the legal action was barred from running as a parish delegate to the Clergy Laity Congress. In response to this interference in local parish matters by Metropolitan Anthony, the parish elected Maria Maniatis, his wife as a delegate. Fr. Andrew Barakos, the Assumption parish priest, recently banned Maniatis from any participation in parish life beyond his attendance in at the liturgy. The parish council president and priest have also refused to convene a special general assembly at Assumption to consider a resolution similar to the one adopted by Holy Trinity despite the fact 25% of the parishioners have signed a petition requesting the special meeting. St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Tucson earlier this year also adopted a resolution (March 14) asking their delegates to the July Clergy-Laity Congress to put the issue of the amendment of the 1977 Charter on the agenda the Congress. In commenting on the actions in Phoenix. OCL President Haikalis said., It is tragic that our church leaders are so driven to stifle discussion in a matter as crucial to our Church as the way we chose to govern ourselves. I see it as a matter of power and control. Whenever the faithful finally succeed in openly discussing this issue at the parish level with input pro and con, they invariably conclude the 2003 charter is not the way to go. I urge all parishes to call for special general assemblies to express their views in this matter. The text of the Holy Trinity Resolution is as follows: BE AND IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, the 2nd Day of May, 2004 by the Special Parish Assembly of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Phoenix, Arizona as follows: 1. Discussion and action on the 1977 Charter of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, including any revision shall be the first order of business on the Agenda of the Plenary Sessions of the 2004 Clergy-Laity Congress. 2. All business at the Plenary Sessions of the 2004-Clergy-Laity Congress shall be conducted pursuant to Roberts Rules of Order. 3. All votes on the mater of the 1977 and any revision thereof shall be by written, secret ballot.
4.
Copies of the Resolution shall be respectfully
forwarded to His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios and
to His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony. |
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