A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 20 - Tuesday, May 18th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Chicago Forum Calls for Charter Discussionat Clergy-Laity CongressOrthodox Christian Laity, May 10, 2004 - More than 120 Greek Orthodox laypersons from Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin attended an informational meeting sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Laity in Chicago, May 9. Presentations were made by George Karcazes, Evan Chriss, Andrew Kartalis and OCL President Peter Haikalis on the legal action filed in New York Supreme Court related to the amendment of the 1977 Charter and concerns regarding the governance of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Peter Marudas served as moderator. Dr. Angelo Creticos chaired the organizing committee for the forum. Following the presentations there was discussion regarding charter related issues. A number of individuals expressed concern that the Archdiocese by moving away from the autonomy that it enjoyed in its original 1922 Charter and falling increasingly under the control of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is doing a great disservice to the faithful. The prevailing view of the participants was that this shift does not bode well for the future of the Church in America. Former Illinois State Senator, Adeline Geo-Karis received a standing ovation from forum participants with her statement: There is no doubt in my mind that the Patriarch has had very bad advisors, relative to the charter revision, and I would respectfully submit that the Patriarch recognize the importance of the Clergy-Laity congress, and get some new advisors, who understand that parishes in the United Sates are just as important as Cuba. I stand ready to help OCL in their efforts in any way that I can. At the conclusion of the meeting those assembled adopted two resolutions the first asking that the amendment of the 1977 Charter be placed on the agenda of the 2004 Clergy-Laity Congress and the second one asking that the Uniform Parish Regulations be amended to explicitly affirm that all members of Greek Orthodox parishes are also members of their dioceses, the Archdiocese and of the Church of Christ as a whole..
OCL has sponsored
similar regional meetings in Florida and Arizona
exploring charter issues and questions of church
governance. George Matsoukas, OCL Executive
Director, invites individuals or groups interested
in sponsoring regional or local programs to
contact him at 877-585-0245. |
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