Parish

Published by GreekNewsonline.com, February 14, 2005

Corona Parish Council Member Received Harsh Punishment

New York - 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.

Mr Mavrides is reminded that “he is no longer considered a member in good standing and as a result he has no rights to sacramental participation, or rights to vote, hold office or otherwise participate in any activity reserved for a member in good standing”.

As it was predicted in an earlier commentary published in the GreekNews, acting under the advise of lawyers, the Archdiocese is using the spiritual courts in order to build a legal case against the parish council members, to use it in civil courts.

Finally, the Spiritual Court summons again Mr Mavrides to appear in front of the five “judges” on February 23, 2005.

On the case of the Vice President Demetrios Spanos, the council asked him to retract statements made by him in a paid advertisement published in GreekNews on May 30, 2004. He is ordered to publicly deny them in a paid advertisement, to be published not later than February 21st, in GreekNews.

Both Mr Spanos and Mr James Psaltakis, are required to send a letter until February 18 to the Archbishop, acknowledging the illegality of their actions and recognizing the authority of the Archbishop.

“These practices remind us of authoritarian regimes and inquisition”, told GreekNews a member of the Corona Council, who preferred anonymity.



Volume 7 Number 8 - Tuesday, February 22nd, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY