Corona

Published by The National Herald, September 12, 2005

Archbishop To Corona: Let's Solve Controversy

BOSTON – In a letter dated July 29, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America expressed his intentions to resolve the issue of the 19-member group of the former parish council of the Transfiguration Church in Corona New York who are currently under penance due to a ruling of the Archdioceses spiritual court.

Demetrios Spanos, vice president of the former parish council, sent a letter to Archbishop Demetrios on behalf of the group before this past Easter, registering their regrets and asking for reconciliation and forgiveness. In his reply, His Eminence told Mr. Spanos that he read the letter "very carefully." The Archbishop said the Ecumenical Patriarch had him read another letter during his visit to Constantinople in the beginning of August, which the group had sent to the Patriarch asking for his intervention.

Archbishop Demetrios replied to Mr. Spanos’ letter (with copies to all 19 members of the group) saying, among other things, that "your letter shows a praiseworthy trend on your behalf to acknowledge the very serious mistakes which were committed against the Church."

In his letter to Mr. Spanos, the Archbishop asks that each of the 19 individuals send him, individually, "brief letters to acknowledge their mistakes against the Church; express their sincere remorse; ask for forgiveness from God and from the Church; and their willingness that they will follow its directives."

The Archbishop also clearly states his willingness to close the issue: "When this takes place, which is a very simple and basic but necessary move, I will be most happy to receive you at the Archdiocese, so we may together glorify God because a very painful matter has been ended."

The group now appears to be divided into those who are willing to comply with Demetrios’ request and others who will not send him any letter asking for forgiveness.

"I will personally reply to the Archbishop’s letter. My letter will include those points which we had written to the Patriarch, and to the Archbishop, that we had made a mistake as far as the election and taking of the oath is concerned, and whatever else had to do with the spiritual court," he said.

"I have not received the letter, but after I receive it, I will reply to His Eminence with honesty, love and respect. If it is necessary to ask for forgiveness for something that I did or I did not do, I will ask for forgiveness, because forgiveness is decency, the ideal of Christianity and civilization," Demetrios Kakavas told the Herald.

"I do not agree with these things. Today we have democratic governments, not dictatorial ones. I do not agree what the Archbishop is asking for. I agree to meet with him, to talk to him, to kiss his hand, but not to sign. It is not right for (the Archdiocese) to have our signature. I have done nothing wrong. I tried to help my parish, and I found myself in this situation," Elefterios Martakis said.

Michael Papadopoulos said he had not yet received a copy of the Archbishop’s letter: "I have not received the letter. When I do, I will call you to tell my opinion."

Michael Vrettos, who is vacationing in Greece, said, "at this moment, I have no response. I do not know anything; I have not received any papers. I have not spoken to anybody. I can not respond."

The matter began a few years ago after an internal dispute between the former parish council and its former president, Basil Livanos, and the former parish priest, the Very Rev. Cleopas Strongylis.

Mr. Livanos accused Father Strongylis of forgery because the priest was allegedly signing church checks with Mr. Livanos’ name, including his own salary, bonus to himself and miscellaneous expenses. Members of the former parish council, which was dissolved by the Archdiocese earlier this year, allege that the archimandrite made checks payable to his secular name, Panagiotis Strongylis.

Father Strongylis says that Mr. Livanos had authorized him to sign the checks while he was vacationing in Greece. Mr. Livanos maintains that he never had given Father Strongylis any permission either verbally or in writing to sign the checks on his behalf.

The Archdiocese initially agreed to transfer Rev. Strongylis under the condition that Mr. Livanos step down, as well. Mr. Livanos refused to do so, and the Archdiocese eventually dismissed the entire parish council headed by Mr. Livanos and transferred the archimandrite to Holy Trinity Church in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Mr. Livanos and his supporters then held elections despite the written directive of the Archbishop not to proceed. They took the oath of the office without the presence of a priest.

The Archdiocese invalidated the elections, citing the elections to be in violation of the Uniform Parish Regulations, and summoned each member of the group to the Spiritual Court of the First Instance, which recommended they be prohibited from participating in the Church sacraments until such time as they demonstrate repentance.



Volume 7 Number 37 - Tuesday, September 13th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY