Harsh

Published by GreekNewsonline.com, February 14, 2005

Corona parish Council Member Received Harsh Punishment

The Archdiocesan District Spiritual Court of first instance reached last week the first verdicts on the cases of members of the Transfiguration Parish in Corona, New York. At the same time, the Chancellor’s office, ignoring the advise of respectable clerics who suggested to freeze the process for as long as the peacemaking effort of Bishop of Meloa Philotheos continues, summoned the rest of the members of the non-recognized by the Archdiocese Parish Council, to appear in front of the Court.

The harsher sentence was delivered against the long time Corona Parish Council Member, Fotis Mavrides, who has chosen not to appear in front of the court. The court imposed a penance, effective immediately, prohibiting him from receiving Holy Communion and participating in all other Sacraments of the Orthodox Church. Although he is encouraged to be present at the Divine Liturgy and he is allowed to receive antidoron, he is not allowed in the Narthex.

The Nature of Spiritual Courts in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Recent actions involving the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and members of the parish council at the Church of the Transfiguration in Corona have raised questions in the community about the nature of spiritual courts. Some believe they are increasingly being used to intimidate the elected leadership of parishes and not to reconcile an individual to his Church as they were intended. There is also a question of whether lay people have ever before been brought to spiritual court on issues of church governance as, some believe, has increasingly been the case of late.

Points raised in interviews with Rev. Fr. Michael Kontogiorgis, assistant chancellor at the archdiocese; Fr. Emmanuel Gratsias, pastor at the Church of the Resurrection in Glen Cove, N.Y. and a member of the spiritual court for Vassilios Livanos and others at the Church of the Transfiguration; Orthodox Christian Laity Executive Director George Matsoukas; and archon and former Archdiocesan Council member Evan Chriss may broaden our understanding of these proceedings.



Volume 7 Number 7 - Tuesday, February 15th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY