A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 31 - Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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Archbishop Addresses Clergy-Laity Congress
NEW YORK - “Our 37th Clergy-Laity Congress convenes at a time of significant events and unusual conditions, both domestically and internationally,” said Archbishop Demetrios last Monday in his address at the 37th Clergy-Laity Congress, which kicked off on Sunday, July 25 in New York City. The Archbishop pointed out that the Olympic Games in Athens in just three weeks, and the U.S. Presidential election this coming November, “both have an easily discernible common element: competition, athletic or political,” and added that the two events, “offer to us a strong challenge for striving and competing for excellence in what we are doing as a Church.” Monday’s opening ceremony was attended by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Metropolitan Panteleimon of Tyroloe and Serention, Consul General of Greece Ekaterini Boura and Consul General of Cyprus Martha Mavrommatis, Vice Chairman of the Archdiocesan Council Michael Jaharis and Philoptochos President Georgia Skeadas. The ceremony was chaired by Mr. Nicolaos Bouras. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios was represented by Metropolitan Theoliptos of Iconion. Among the hierarchs was Metropolitan Theoliptos of Iconion, Chancellor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, who represented Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios at the feastday of St. Irene St. Chrysovalantou, the Patriarchal monastery of Astoria, where he was escorted by Metropolitan Paisios of Tyana and Bishop Vikentios of Apameia.
The Special
Regulations were one of the In his brief address at the Congress luncheon, which was attended by an audience of 1,400, Mayor Bloomberg said he was eager to visit Athens this August to attend the Games. “Many of us will be in Athens to show the terrorists we are not going to allow them to run our lives,” said Mr. Bloomberg, who was introduced by the Archbishop as a “neighbor.” Mr. Bloomberg lives across the street from the Archdiocesan Building. “Mr. Bloomberg is a friend of the Greek Orthodox community and a friend of the Patriarch,” said the Archbishop. The Mayor praised the Greek American community of New York and recalled the destruction of the St. Nicholas church during the 9/11 attacks, saying the small Greek temple became a “spiritual point of reference for all Christians. We are all together in this war on terror and we cannot say it is an isolated problem that should be dealt only by one side,” added Mr. Bloomberg, expressing his further conviction that the Athens Games will be successful as well as his hope that his city will be selected to host the Summer Games in 2012. In his speech, Archbishop Demetrios referred to the premise of the Congress: “Building Communities of Faith and Love: Orthodox Parishes in Worship and Ministry.” The Archbishop reminded the audience and referred to “the encouraging events” between the 2002 Los Angeles Clergy-Laity Congress and the present saying, “a revised or new Charter of the Archdiocese,” reached its conclusion during a, “creative and open process.” He revealed that, “since January of 2003, for one-and-a-half years now, we have as operative and fully functioning the new Charter granted to us by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.” He said the fact that, “our Holy Archdiocese of America has been elevated to an Archdiocese consisting of Metropolises and Metropolitans, who constitute the Holy Eparchial Synod,” is, “a phenomenon unique in the Orthodox Church, since it is only Autocephalous or Autonomous Churches that have Metropolises and Synods comprised of Metropolitans. This is indicative of the love of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for our Church,” he added. The Archbishop closed his list of, “significantly positive events and blessings,” with a reference to ‘Faith: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism,’ the new endowment for assistance to Greek Orthodox ministries. Speaking about Hellenism and Greek Orthodox Schools in America the Archbishop clarified that, “the Hellenism we are talking about and which constitutes part of the title of the new Faith Endowment… is a designation of a superb synthesis of the Hellenic language, history, and culture that is transnational, undoubtedly universal, and purely diachronic and timeless.” He continued: “The Hellenic component, as part and parcel of our educational efforts, is therefore an indispensable component in any education worthy of its full name…It is unthinkable,” added Archbishop Demetrios, “that there might be communities without adequate Sunday School and proper Afternoon School. Certainly, it is not realistic, at this stage, to think of a full Day School for all of our more than 500 parishes. But Sunday School and Afternoon School, offering religious education and the cultural education of our heritage, must be a permanent reality of each and every community of our Church.” The Archbishop concluded his speech by announcing that the next year will be dedicated to the family, “with an elaborate number of specific measures and happenings,” which had already been reported by The National Herald the previous week. The Philoptochos Awards Dinner took place on Monday evening. The Special Regulations of the Archdiocese and the Metropolises as well as the Uniform Parish Regulations were the main topics of discussions at the Congress. A representative committee of clergy and laity drafted the regulations, which are based on the new Charter that has been in effect since December of 2002. The Administration Committee drew the most delegates. Metropolitans Iakovos of Chicago, Methodios of Boston and Nicholas of Detroit were present at the committee, as well as Michael Jaharis, vice chairman of the Archdiocesan Council, Legal Counsel General of the Archdiocese Emmanuel Demos, and Elenie Huszagh, member of the Archdiocesan Council and the committee that prepared the Regulations. In the start of the meeting the committee dealt with the issue of Peter Haikalis’ participation in the workings of the Clergy-Laity Congress since his local Metropolitan Anthony of San Francisco issued a directive to Haikalis’ parish—the Ascension Church of Oakland California—not allowing him to represent the parish. Mr. Haikalis was chosen by the general assembly of the parish. Metropolitan Anthony did not prohibit Mr. Haikalis because of his position as president of the OCL, but because he is one of the 34 plaintiffs who have filed a lawsuit against the Church in America and Archbishop Demetrios against the new Charter. Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh has taken the same measures towards Andrew Kartalis, OCL vice president, from Ss. Constantine and Helen parish of Cleveland, Ohio, since Mr. Kartalis is among the plaintiffs who have sued the Church and the Archbishop. It was noted at the beginning of the meeting that the text of the regulations were sent at the last minute to the parishes, some two weeks prior to the Congress, and thus there was no time to study and deliberate on them on the parish level. A motion to stall the process and bring the parish regulations to the next Clergy-Laity Congress was voted down. It was discussed extensively whether the Archdiocese has members and it was explained that it was a legal matter. Emanuel Demos gave a brief history of the origins of the Archdiocese and the first Charters that were granted to it. Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver made a motion for the Congress to be convened every three years instead of every two so that the small parishes can be able to afford the expense. The Finance Committee turned down a request made on behalf of Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology to increase its annual from $1.2 to $1.8 million. Harry Kavalaris, member of the Archdiocesan Council and a member of the Board of Trustees of the school made the motion, supported by Charles Krol, the school’s financial director. Mr. Krol told the committee that the school has reduced its personnel from 73 to 64 and has also reduced its expenses by eight percent. Mr. Kavalaris’ proposal was seconded by James Argyros, a member of the School of Theology’s Board of Trustees, but the committee of approximately 75 delegates voted against it, with only two votes in favor, those of Mr. Kavalaris and Mr. Argyros. The committee also discussed raising the allowance to the Metropolises from its present 25 percent to 37 percent. Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago advised the delegates not to rush to turn down the motion. It was decided that the issue should be studied and be presented to the next Clergy-Laity Congress. Archdiocese Finance Director John Barbagallo announced that the Archdiocese has a $6.531 million debt. It was also said that the Archdiocese has paid $1.5 million over the last three years to victims of sexually abused by clergy. Barbagallo explained that these are old cases and revealed that one case that was settled in the past has surfaced again after the revelations in the Roman Catholic Church. Archdiocese officials refused to give details about the molester priests and their victims, invoking confidentiality issues. Mr. Barbagallo said that the insurance companies do not insure the Archdiocese for child molestation cases and that the Archdiocese is looking into the insurance issue.
The Archdiocese paid $400,000 in legal fees for
sexual harassment cases against priests in 2003,
while the legal costs for 2004, including the
OCL’S lawsuit will amount to $500,000. It was also
reported at the Finance Committee meeting that the
Archdiocese pays insurance fees for the
monasteries without getting reimbursed from them. |
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