A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 28 - Tuesday, July 13th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Iakovos Reflects On State of Church
BOSTON - Former Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America, eight years since he left the active ministry, spends his time now reflecting, thinking, reading and writing about his life-long Archpastoral ministry to the Greek Orthodox Church in America. Nearing his 93rd year on the 29th of this month, Archbishop Iakovos sustains his spiritual capacities, despite a minor stroke he suffered some three months ago. In an interview with The National Herald at his residence in Rye, New York, Archbishop Iakovos discussed the present course of our Church in America, and also shared some self-blaming sentiments for things he did not accomplish during his life-long ministry. He also revealed his relationship with Archbishop Demetrios. To the surprise of many, Archbishop Demetrios does not speak often with Archbishop Iakovos on Church matters, despite the impression he may be giving to the faithful, and despite Iakovos’ wishes: “I would wish to be in contact more often [with Demetrios],” lamented Iakovos. The former Archbishop also revealed that he advised early on Archbishop Demetrios “to exclude from his interests those who monopolize the connections with the White House, with the House of the Phanar (the Ecumenical Patriarchate), and with the House of Greece,” meaning a specific cleric official of the Archdiocese that acts as a “super-Archbishop” due to his nearness with Patriarch Bartholomaios. Iakovos also said that he would never sign a condemnatory decision against the Church of Greece and its Archbishop Christodoulos: “I would never allow myself to make such a mistake.” The entire interview with Archbishop Iakovos follows: NATIONAL HERALD: How is your health Your Eminence? IAKOVOS: Firstly, I want to tell you that I appreciate your concern and care about the present and the future of our Church. As far as my health is concerned, I do not expect to become better because I age and thus my spiritual and physical strengths are withering as time goes by. N.H: Where are we going as a Church? IAKOVOS: Our Church has not come here from Greece and other Greek dwelling places of the universe to die. It came, the Holy Bible says, like the seed of God to bring produce. The Church has flourished up to now due to its faithful. Their faith and contribution made our initially small and poor Greek Orthodox Church survive. The question is how are we going to get ahead? Some optimistic phenomena seem to exist, but they are not very strong. It seems we are doing something in trying to mobilize some youth groups. N.H: How is our past, in general, quick or slow? IAKOVOS: In times like ours, with all those tremendous ideological, social and political reenlistments, our Church should be on the front line. N.H: How similar or how different is our Church here in America today than it was during your Archpastoral ministry? IAKOVOS: I am sorry to say it because I blame myself too, but our Church today is more secular. N.H: Now that you have seen things with a clearer eye, looking back these past eight years you have been away from the active ministry, what are the issues that concern you the most? IAKOVOS: First of all, it concerns me that our efforts to rebuild our communities have not been successful, when our communities depend on the festivals to raise money. A spiritual authority does not depend only on finances for its survival. An authentic strength of sustenance of our Church is our identity, our Greek Orthodox identity. I hear that today we become pantheists by saying that Jews and Muslims and us, all believe in the same God. There is no greater illusion than this. The name Greek and Orthodox was not won in any lottery. N.H: What condition is the Omogeneia of the U.S. in today? IAKOVOS: Due to the fact that I am not in close touch with the life of our Omogeneia since 1996, I am not in a position to evaluate its degree of sustenance of the faith and heritage. It concerns me that new generations do not feel as closely connected to Orthodoxy and their Greek heritage as the older generations that are passing did. N.H: What have you missed the most during your eight-year retirement? IAKOVOS: I miss being in touch with the Omogeneia through the Church. N.H: Are there some things that you did not manage to finish when you were the active Archbishop? IAKOVOS: Nobody can say that I have finished the work. Only Christ said, “Father I have finished the work you have given me to do.” The thing that I did not succeed in doing, despite my efforts, was to root the Hellenic Paideia (Education) in our Omogeneia. N.H: Do you regret it now? IAKOVOS: I would have regretted it if I had the support and the encouragement of people that I disappointed. I feel so sorry that I was not able to reorganize the Greek Day School of Boston. N.H: What would you do if you began your ministry as an Archbishop of America today? What would you omit? IAKOVOS: I would sustain, intact and unchanged, my heritage. N.H: If you were to become Archbishop today, would you ‘make a school of,’ strive to educate, the Omogeneia? IAKOVOS: I would have never allowed myself to establish a Church on new soil without giving it roots in order to be able to draw life and vigor from its heritage. In other words, I wouldn’t assume the Archpastorship of an untutored flock, which does not know where it goes. N.H: What do you mean, that our unity has been shaken today? IAKOVOS: Mostly, I would say yes. N.H: Archbishop Demetrios completes five years as Archbishop of America next month. What three thoughts would you give him for the next five years? IAKOVOS: I think it is my brotherly duty to say to our Archbishop Demetrios the following three things: To somehow raise the awareness of his flock about our Greek Orthodox Faith and identity; second, to elect people who love and care for the flock; and third, I would ask him to exclude from his interest certain declinations which occur. N.H: What do you mean Your Eminence? IAKOVOS: I told him to exclude those who monopolize the connections with the White House, with the House of the Phanar (the Ecumenical Patriarchate) and with the House of Greece. N.H: I am afraid Archbishop Demetrios did not listen to you. IAKOVOS: I cannot say that because his directive was to reconstruct the Archdiocese from its foundations as the Patriarchate wanted. It was said by trusted and confident persons that he was told not to have any relationship with Iakovos and the past. He was told to redo the Archdiocese according to your [his] ideals, dreams or plans. N.H: Who told him that? IAKOVOS: I cannot say from the Phanar, although I do not preclude it. Probably some politely ambitious individuals or some advisors told him “place your own seal on your ministry.” N.H: Do you have the chance to speak often with Archbishop Demetrios? IAKOVOS: No. N.H: Would you like to speak with him more often? IAKOVOS: Yes, I would wish to have contact more often. N.H: Why do you think Archbishop Demetrios does not visit with you more often? IAKOVOS: I suspect that a sacred ambition prevails to create an Archdiocese more spiritual, different from the past, in order to be able to vaunt about it personally and among the Genos (All Hellenism). N.H: How would you describe what has transpired for more than ten months between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece? IAKOVOS: A characterization that Jesus used when he said, “not to align” with those who do not know the straight root. I would ask not only Archbishop Demetrios, but also anybody to show a personality that has been influenced by the Holy Spirit and the history of our Church. N.H: Are you saying that if you were Archbishop you would refuse to sign the condemnation of the Church of Greece and of Archbishop Christodoulos? IAKOVOS: Never. I would never allow myself to make such a mistake. I was praying during the time of crisis that it be resolved as soon as possible, because the Church of Greece is in need of the motherly support of the Church of Constantinople, and the Patriarchate needs the support of the Church of Greece. N.H: If you were a member of that so called broaden Synod and the Patriarch was telling you, regardless of your disagreement, that you have to sign this decision, what would you do? Would you place your throne in danger?
IAKOVOS: I would never execute such a Patriarchal
directive. |
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