Gerasimos Emphasizes Family and Synergy

Published by The National Herald, April 8, 2005

BOSTON – Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco was officially enthroned Metropolitan of San Francisco last Saturday April 2, at the Ascension of Christ Cathedral in Oakland, California, succeeding the late Metropolitan Anthony who died on Christmas Day 2004.

Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh, Metropolitan Paisios of Tyana, and Bishops John of Amorion, Anthimos of Olympos and Demetrios of Xanthos were also present, as well as other Orthodox Bishops of various Orthodox jurisdictions. More than 60 priests participated in the service.

California State Treasurer Phil Angelides and Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco William Levada, accompanied by three Bishops, also attended the ceremony. Archdiocesan Council Vice Chairman Michael Jaharis and other Archdiocesan officials also attended the enthronement festivities. More than 1,500 faithful from throughout the Metropolis of San Francisco were present.

The Enthronement Service began with the offering of the archpastoral staff by Archbishop Demetrios to Metropolitan Gerasimos, symbolizing the official assumption of archpastoral and administrative responsibilities.

The Archbishop read the official letter of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew which, among other things, stated that "the Church, through Our Modesty, fervently prays for the abundance of the illumination and grace of the Holy Spirit for a God-loving pastoral diakonia (stewardship) in the Holy Metropolis that was entrusted to you, for the glory of the Triune God, joy and praise of the Mother Church of Christ, and salvation of the souls of your pious flock."

Archbishop Demetrios also offered words of praise to Metropolitan Gerasimos, and exclaimed "AXIOS (worthy)."

In his Enthronement Homily, Metropolitan Gerasimos made special reference to his spiritual father and mentor, Archbishop Iakovos, formerly of North & South America: "The Lord granted me the opportunity to serve His people as a deacon of the Church for many years, under a great spiritual leader, His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos – a man whose mission in the Church was beyond what most people at the time could perceive or comprehend. Serving with him, I witnessed firsthand how the Archdiocese functions in its multiple facets: our parishes, the lives of our priests and their families, the efforts of the faithful. I served and I learned. From these years of service, I especially learned that we need to listen attentively before moving into action. This lesson has become a part of my character."

Metropolitan Gerasimos thanked the members of the Holy Eparchial Synod for their confidence in him, and the Holy & Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople for electing him, adding that he is prepared to continue the mission started by his predecessor.

"Now, I stand before you, called to serve you, my beloved people of this Metropolis, as your shepherd, following in the footsteps of your much-loved spiritual father and bishop for many years, my respected friend and co-worker in the Lord’s vineyard, Metropolitan Anthony of blessed memory," he said.

Since he was Director of Student Life (then fondly referred to as "Archdeacon Gerry") and Registrar at Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline for many years, Gerasimos knows most of the clergy of the San Francisco Metropolis on a personal level, and took some time to address them directly.

"When you were asked to express your opinion regarding the kind of person you wished to become your new shepherd, you responded in a twofold manner. First, you summarized the characteristics of this Metropolis. You painted a vibrant picture with great clarity and depth. Then, you expressed concretely the qualities you envisioned in your future hierarch. Your prayers can be summarized by quoting St. Paul: ‘A bishop must be someone who is blameless and above reproach, gentle, hospitable, a lover of goodness, wise, righteous, devout and self-controlled. May he be, in all respects, a model of good work, and a teacher with a firm grasp of the Word which is trustworthy and true, that he might preach the sound doctrine of the Gospel’ throughout this Metropolis for many years to come. I joyfully accept this challenge that is placed in front of me," the new Metropolitan of San Francisco said.

"In response to your challenge, I have struggled for quite some time, desiring above all to be a true and sincere shepherd for you and all God’s people in this Metropolis. I believe that we must carefully examine our preparedness to serve Christ’s Church in a manner that meets the challenges posed by this post-modern Third Millennium. How will we be responsible stewards of the institutions that comprise the Church, from the parish to the Archdiocese itself? How will we ensure that our liturgical practice and life remain meaningful to succeeding generations? How will we care for our people, their families and relationships, even as we ourselves struggle with these issues," he added.

“The Lord granted me the opportunity to serve His people
as a deacon of the Church for many years, under a great
spiritual leader, His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos”

"In the past, a clergyman was respected by his flock more on the basis of his position, rather than on the basis of his character. God, the Church and religion commanded respect; the authority of the priest was beyond reproach. The faithful did not ask questions or express doubts. Today, in our post-modern environment, this situation has dramatically changed. Respect for the priest is not a given; it must be earned," he added.

Gerasimos also said he is "committed to providing continuing education programs for the clergy, which will serve to strengthen the intellectual and spiritual reservoir of our Metropolis, and assist in bringing the Church’s message of salvation effectively to its people… I have heard it said that this Metropolis is the ‘most progressive’ in the Archdiocese. What does ‘progressive’ mean? Progressive in what sense? In the way we interpret the message of the Gospel? In challenging our time-honored Orthodox tradition? In the way we approach our people? In the way we experience our liturgical life? To me, a progressive church is a church that, according to St. Gregory the Theologian ‘gives wings to the soul.’ Our Church is progressive when it provides the faithful with opportunities to engage Christ in meaningful ways. To accomplish this task, we must know Christ and pay attention to the world around us – the things in it that can bring us closer to Christ, as well as those things that can take us away from Him."

Metropolitan Gerasimos also promised to place emphasis on the family. "One of the greatest challenges we face today is ministering to the family, which is in a state of crisis. Loneliness, suspicion, fierce competition and mistrust characterize relationships among people. Half of all marriages in this country end in divorce. Families struggle in every aspect of their lives, coping with spiritual, emotional and economic distress. Parents wrestle with, and often defer to, disturbing influences on their children,’ St. John Chrysostom describes the situation this way: ‘The leader of the Church prays for peace to all, just as he would in his own home,’ but the effectiveness of this peace is nowhere to be found. In days of yore, the home was indeed a church; now, the church acts like a dysfunctional household. We, the clergy, are not immune from these ills in our own families, our relationships and in ourselves," he added.

The Church hierarchy and clergy can address these problems through a spirit of cooperation, Gerasimos explained, which begins at the local parish and extends to the Archdiocese:

"How can we address these issues as we labor to fulfill our mission? We can begin by drawing upon the inspiration found in the God-given tradition of ecclesiastical cooperation – synergy. Synergy refers to the cooperation of the individual with the family, the family with the community, the community with the Metropolis, and the Metropolis with the Archdiocese."



Volume 7 Number 15 - Tuesday, April 12th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY