Dokos Pleads Guilty

Fr. James Dokos

Fr. James Dokos

L’affair Dokos is now at an end as far as the secular courts are concerned. Evidently, the priest in question has plead guilty and will avoid prison time. Having been through the court system myself, I am not without sympathy. The entire process is the punishment. (In due time I’ll tell my own story.)

It will have been all for naught if nothing is learned from this imbroglio. Perhaps the biggest lesson is that the Orthodox Church should rely on the tithes of its members for its functioning. Trust funds, endowments (especially endowments with only one executor) are an unfortunate way of financing the Church. If you say “O-P-M” real fast –which is short for “other peoples’ money”–it comes out as “opium.”

Now I understand why Dokos felt the need to milk the Franczak Trust like the cash cow it was. It made it easy to grease the palms of the higher-ups. Metropolitans Nikita Lulias and Demetrius Kantzavellos were recipients of close to $10,000 each.

He didn’t do it from the goodness of his heart or because he felt these two bishops were penurious and needed the money, but in order to buy influence. In the Middle East this is called baksheesh and it’s the standard way of doing things. It’s not necessarily efficient but when the Church itself is a captive institution not supported by the State, it’s basically the only financing mechanism around.

This was the case for the Orthodox Church in America during the first two immigrant generations. However this is not the case now, especially with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the largest and richest jurisdiction in North America. The bishops are paid handsomely, somewhere in the low six-figure range. They retire at full salary as well. There’s no need for bribes from priests who wish to ingratiate themselves or want a more plum position, as Dokos did.

Therefore internal reform must happen. Not only should the bishops in question return their ill-gotten “honoraria,” but the transfers of priests must be subject to an external lay review. This is unfortunate in a way as it dilutes the episcopal prerogative but in the GOA at least, there is no choice in matter given the level of corruption that exists in the episcopate. In addition, parish councils should not be subject to immediate removal barring anything less than moral and/or criminal transgression. When a parish council rises up in indignation en masse it’s usually a good sign that something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

That’s enough for now. I would welcome all commentary to stick to the issues involve and not degenerate into personal insults against Dokos. He was wrong no doubt but at this point he’s the fall guy. He’s received his day in court and is being punished accordingly. Others however are skating. And that’s the scandal.

Greek Orthodox priest pleads guilty in church theft case, avoids jail

Source: Chicago Tribune

A Greek Orthodox priest charged with stealing more than $100,000 from his parish pleaded guilty Monday to felony theft in a case that caused deep rifts in the church and prompted criticism of Greek Orthodox leaders in Chicago for their handling of the controversy.

The Rev. James Dokos was accused of taking the money from a trust fund that was intended to benefit Annunciation Church in Milwaukee and instead spending it on himself, family members and other church leaders, including cash gifts to a high-ranking church official in Chicago.

Dokos was later transferred to Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Glenview but was suspended after he was charged with felony theft in Milwaukee.

Under a settlement approved in Milwaukee court, Dokos avoided any jail time. He agreed to plead guilty to felony theft, and prosecutors agreed to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor if the priest meets the terms of the agreement and remains out of legal trouble for one year. He has already paid the church full restitution, officials said, and also must serve 40 hours of community service.

In court, Dokos, 63, told the judge he understood the terms but he did not speak further. He also left court without commenting.

One Glenview parishioner said he was disappointed that Dokos did not apologize during or after court.

What remains unclear is whether Dokos will now resume his priestly duties. A spokesman for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America said it was too early to say whether Dokos would be subject to disciplinary action by the church.

Prosecutor David Robles called the outcome “appropriate” and said it was “in the interests of everyone” to have closure in the case. Robles said he presented the terms of the deal to church leaders and members in Milwaukee last week and said they were generally supportive of it.

The scandal roiled the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, causing rifts between the church hierarchy in Chicago and some leaders and members of the Glenview and Milwaukee parishes. Metropolis leaders, who oversee dozens of churches in the Midwest, ousted the parish council president in Glenview after he raised questions about how the internal investigation was handled, and other members left in protest. The priest who replaced Dokos in Milwaukee, and who had spoken out about the case, was later transferred.

Before church leaders in Milwaukee contacted local authorities about concerns over the trust fund, the Metropolis conducted its own investigation and determined that Dokos had spent the funds in accordance with the wishes of the couple who had willed the money to the church.

Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos


Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos – Warned by Prosecutor about Witness Intimidation

Court records and a Tribune investigation showed that Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, the No. 2 official in the Metropolis in Chicago, received more than $6,000 in checks over about a three-year period that were written from the trust fund account and signed by Dokos. A spokesman later described such gifts to priests as “honoraria” that are traditional in the church and said the source was not questioned.

The bishop was later warned by a Milwaukee prosecutor about “potential efforts to intimidate witnesses” in the case related to emails he exchanged with the Milwaukee priest who was later transferred.

Before Dokos left Annunciation in 2012, he controlled the seven-figure trust fund. The vast majority of the money in the fund — more than $1.1 million — was paid to the church, but court records indicate that Dokos spent tens of thousands on personal expenses such as jewelry for his wife, shopping trips and pricey dinners, and gave monetary gifts to family members as well as the church leaders.

After Dokos was transferred to the Glenview church, leaders at Annunciation began looking at financial records and raising questions about how the trust fund money was spent. They first reported their concerns to the Metropolis in 2013.

Metropolis officials argued that the matter should be settled by the church internally, rather than in court.

A Metropolis spokesman could not be reached for comment after the plea Monday.

Jim Gottreich is the former Sts. Peter and Paul parish council president who was ousted by Metropolis officials after asking them to place Dokos on leave during the criminal investigation. Before Monday’s hearing, Gottreich said he believed the priest should serve time.

“He has destroyed two churches,” Gottreich said. “I’d like to see him go to jail.”

Gottreich was among several people who have or had ties to the Glenview church and criticized not just Dokos but the Metropolis leadership for its handling of the case.

“The fish rots from the head,” he said.

George Karcazes, who served on the parish’s stewardship committee, called the plea a “good deal” for Dokos and called on the Metropolis to remove Dokos from the priesthood. Karcazes said he would have liked to see Dokos issue an apology, saying: “He apparently doesn’t have any shame.”

Karcazes also called for discipline for Bishop Demetrios and the church leader in Chicago, Metropolitan Iakovos, over their handling of the matter.

Milwaukee County Judge Jeffrey Conen approved the agreement. He found Dokos guilty based on the facts of the case that Dokos agreed to, but the conviction will not be formally entered into the record until it’s determine whether Dokos complies with its terms.

“I believe it is in the best interests of the parties and the best interests of the community,” the judge said.

Since he was charged, Dokos missed several court appearances, absences that have been mostly attributed by his lawyers to health problems

Comments

  1. John Pappas says

    The way it works in the GOA is the Fr. Dokos will be put on ice and Bp. Demetrios will most likely emerge unscathed. In the GOA you are dead meat if you are caught unless you are a Bishop. Then nothing done unless the scandal is so great you have to be removed but even then nothing is said (the Astoria bishops for example).

    Bp. Demetrios launched an ‘investigation’ of Fr. Dokos and found him innocent. Then he tore into two parishes, intimidating priests and firing parish council members. He should be removed for malfeasance of office. In many ways the GOA bishops operate like the OCA Bishops during the recent +Jonah parricide. They think they are above the rules and end up destroying all confidence in their leadership.

    A council of lay leadership wont the problem George. Things are corrupt on the inside and up high and another layer of oversight wont correct that. I hear the OCA Soviet is still using interment at St. Luke’s as an intimidation tactic. The injustice of Fr. Vasily Susan still goes on. The gay married deacon is still a deacon. No one has been called to account for trying to destroy +Jonah’s reputation. All the rot is still rotting.

  2. The bishop is a “monk” so certainly should have a cell. As the desert fathers said your cell will teach you everything. Time for school, let’s not deprive him. The priest too. It’s items like this that make me anxious that my children may someday discover the churchy levels beyond the parish. What a horror it becomes once a diocese or worse, a “patriarchate” is reached.

  3. Peter A. Papoutsis says

    A shameful deal. Sordid church politics. If he’s not defrocked, then Jesus’ story of the publican & the pharisee is lost on them. Steal $100 k and walk? A black or latino kid steals $200 from a gas station and he’s in prison. The shame of this, coming just before Greek Orthodox Lent is terrible. Patriarch Bartholomew, save your church in Chicago.

    – John Kass, Chicago Tribune Editorialist
    ______________________________________
    George Karcazes, who served on the parish’s stewardship committee (Sts. Peter & Paul), called the plea a “good deal” for Dokos and called on the Metropolis to remove Dokos from the priesthood. Karcazes said he would have liked to see Dokos issue an apology, saying: “He apparently doesn’t have any shame.”

    Karcazes also called for discipline for Bishop Demetrios and the church leader in Chicago, Metropolitan Iakovos, over their handling of the matter. (Emphasis added).
    _________________________________
    Jim Gottreich is the former Sts. Peter and Paul parish council president who was ousted by Metropolis officials after asking them to place Dokos on leave during the criminal investigation. Before Monday’s hearing, Gottreich said he believed the priest should serve time.

    “He has destroyed two churches,” Gottreich said. “I’d like to see him go to jail.”

    Gottreich was among several people who have or had ties to the Glenview church and criticized not just Dokos but the Metropolis leadership (i.e. Bishop Demetrios & Metropolitan Iakovos) for its handling of the case.

    “The fish rots from the head,” he said.
    __________________________________________
    The Metropolis handled this matter very poorly from the start and we here in the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago have suffered and continue to suffer under some of the worst leadership in the entire GOAA. I also know Bishop Dememtrios visits and reads this site so please let me address this to you my good bishop, for the Good of the Metropolis, please leave quietly. You handled this matter poorly. For all the good you have done over the years this matter needs yours and Metropolitan Iakovos’ resignation and reassignment. May Patriarch Batholomew and Geron Archbishop Demetrios take firm and swift action in this matter, and give us a new Metropolitan and New Bishop that can properly lead us Greek Orthodox faithful here in Chicago. This festering wound cannot continue.

    – Peter A. Papoutsis

    • It is no wonder the pews of our churches have fewer and fewer young people. They see the greed and avarice of many of our clergy, witness the scandals, and see our clergy acting as if they are above the law. The Bishop and Metropolitan’s behavior in this situation, plus many other situations, requires them to leave and allow the Diocese of Chicago to renew herself. It’s customary to be defrocked this type of situation; will the Bishop and Metropolitan take actions to do this or will they continue to transfer Dokos, hoping that parishioners will “forget” past disgressions? At least the Bishop’s aspirations to be Metropolitan are completely dashed now.

      • Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald) says

        timothy, I know what pews are, but I don’t know what “disgressions” are. Are they a cross between discretion and transgression, perhaps?The most vital factor in retaining or losing “our young people” is HOME, not the behavior of church leadership or “programs/methods.” Faith, virtue, are the results of Grace, not methods!

        • To continue your sarcasm, yes, they are a cross between those factors, which are also missing from a lot of our clergy these days, especially the discretion part. Home does play a role, but when you have a clergyman reportedly stealing money, collecting “honorariums”, and/or betraying his avowed celibacy, young people see this and wonder where our Church is headed. Parents can do a lot, but only so much.

          • Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald) says

            A Russian emigre once asked me when many were loudly outraged by this or that foible or view of a Priest: “These people should have spent some time in DP camps and experienced the inexplicable behavior of DP Priests at times, and realize that existentially speaking we should ALWAYS be thankful for our clergy–it won’t hurt to be wrong sometimes. Try to imagine NO Priests!”

            • Peter A. Papoutsis says

              “Try to imagine NO Priests!”

              Why imagine? It’s called Protestantism.

              Peter

              • Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald) says

                EXACTLY, Peter! You hit the nail on the head! Indeed, the disappearance of the Priesthood would signal the disappearance of the Orthodox Church! No more Liturgies!

                • Peter A. Papoutsis says

                  How about no more BAD Priests.

                  Peter

                • Gregory Manning says

                  Thank you Vladyka. I had been told years ago when I was received into the Church that when there are no more priests to serve the Liturgy, the Church would cease to exist. It made, and still makes such an impression on me that to this day I am loathe to criticize or judge priests.

                  • Peter A. Papoutsis says

                    “I am loathe to criticize or judge priests.”

                    Well Fr. Dokos and the Illinois Criminal Court did that for you Gregory. May God have Mercy on us, especially here in Chicago.
                    Maybe that’s why the Icon of the Panayia is weeping here in the Chicago land area? At least She is weeping Myrrh, and that’s a good.

                    Peter

  4. John Skatakoulis says

    Mr. Papas:

    I don’t know the situation with Susan, but in ALL the Orthodox dioceses there homosexual clergy; GOA, Antiochians, OCA, SYNOD, etc. What would you have the bishops (many homosexuals also) do? Hang them? Regarding + Jonah; he tried to act “unilaterally” in decisions requiring the Synod’s approval and Met. Council. He did himself in. He knew the statutes of the OCA and ignored them.

  5. I’d expect this sort of thing in Chicago, but Milwaukee?

  6. Tim R. Mortiss says

    George, I propose that you restore the global “recent posts” feature. That was very useful.

    I agree that the “like” and “dislike” buttons are best forgotten.

  7. Michael Kinsey says

    Worldly, to an intolerable degree, is this influence buying by ( servants of Jesus Christ)?. There is a horrendous amount of worldliness and abounding iniquity all over the world. At least, the GOA can find others who will do the same useless mammon serving for far less money.

  8. Greg Pappas says

    The word on the street is that the Spiritual Court has recommended a one year suspension for Dokos. Say it ain’t so….

  9. Sam Magaratz says

    People have been removed from the Priesthood for less offenses.

  10. Wayne Matthew Syvinski says

    To think that at one time I wanted to be a priest. First in Roman Catholicism (where I actually was a seminarian), and then I considered it in Orthodoxy. Now the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach (and that’s not just a figure of speech). My experience now in TWO churches has taught me be very careful of the priests you trust and NEVER trust a bishop. The point of view I now take is that priests and bishops are the ministers of Word and Sacrament – and that’s it. The twenty-third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew reflects the rest of my attitude. For the sake of peace in my dealings with clergy, I will continue to bow and kiss the hand – but I won’t kiss anything else.

  11. Wayne–I don’t think being a priest is matter “wanting” rather a matter of “calling”. All Christians are members of the Body of Christ and among those members God calls certain individuals to serve Him as priest/bishops. The situation in the Church is not the issue but rather God’s calling. The greatest problem we have in the Church may in fact be that we have many among the clergy who have no calling but have chosen the priesthood as a job/profession.