It’s human nature, I guess. Just ask David Pecker, the CEO of American Media Inc., the National Enquirer’s parent company.
Not surprisingly, Yours Truly has been receiving correspondence from several people inquiring about my recent post entitled, “Dark Clouds Forming Over Phanar”. People are understandably shocked and want to know if I believe it is true.
Yes, I believe it is true or I would never have run with the story and I’ll tell you why:
The means of obtaining this information exists.
Due to the global interest in Ukraine, Bartholomew was under considerable scrutiny by not one, but TWO world powers. By way of example, last August, our very own Gail Sheppard broke the story about Fancy Bear, the Russian hackers targeting the top aides to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew:
The AP reported that “among them were several senior church officials called metropolitans, who are roughly equivalent to archbishops in the Catholic tradition. Those include Bartholomew Samaras, a key confidante of the patriarch; Emmanuel Adamakis, an influential hierarch in the church; and Elpidophoros Lambriniadis, who heads a prestigious seminary on the Turkish island of Halki. All are involved in the Tomos issue; none returned recent AP messages seeking comment. . . The issue is an extraordinarily sensitive one for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Reached by phone, spokesman Nikos-Giorgos Papachristou said: “I don’t want to be a part of this story. . . Other church officials spoke to the AP about the hacking on condition of anonymity . . . Bartholomew, who is 78, does not use email, those church officials told AP. But his aides do, and the Secureworks list spells out several attempts to crack their Gmail accounts.” https://www.apnews.com/26815e0d06d348f4b85350e96b78f6a8
And it wasn’t only Russia who was interested. Bartholomew was under scrutiny by the United States, as well.
“In the last days of July 2018, Mike Pompeo held a meeting with the head of the American-Ukrainian Diocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Dimitri Trakatellis. At the meeting, Mike Pompeo reported that Washington is aware of the theft in 2017-2018 of a large amount of money (about 10 million US dollars) from the budget for the construction of the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in New York. Mike Pompeo noted separately for the Patriarchate of Constantinople that the US Attorney’s Office has documentary evidence confirming the withdrawal of these funds abroad on the orders of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Mike Pompeo suggested to the Patriarchate of Constantinople that he would “close his eyes” to this theft in exchange for the realization on the part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople of the idea to provide the Ukrainian Church with autocephaly. After this “American kindness” and “closing eyes”, the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew acted in the accelerated mode in the interests of Filaret-Denisenko. The Patriarchate of Constantinople sent two exarchs to “… help the construction of a local independent church. The two exarchs are called to pave the way for autocephaly. It should be noted that in this case the process is no less important than the goal. In fact, thanks to this process, the various branches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church can be brought together, “said Metropolitan Emmanuel of Gaul, the Locum Tenens of the Western European Exarchate of Constantinople.” http://katehon.com/article/how-us-prepared-split-orthodox-churches-horsemen-apocalypse-ukraine
The metropolitan’s bathroom breaks are probably well known by now.
Last April, Emmanuel announced he would not be replacing Archbishop Demetrios. Emmanuel “. . . himself reportedly has informed Bartholomew that he is not interested.” Why? Because he was compromised. Emmanuel, who had taken center stage in Ukraine, suddenly had to drop out of the picture. https://www.thenationalherald.com/240906/metropolitan-emmanuel-of-france-is-not-a-candidate-for-archbishop-of-america/
It simply does not make sense that the Authentic Transparency and Accountability folks, who have worked tirelessly to expose the truth, would jeopardize everything they stand for by posting something seemingly so outrageous if it could not be proven. Certainly not something this fantastic and over the top. If this story weren’t true, we’d be seeing some other muckraker want-to-be posting it. http://protectingorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2019/05/breaking-news-multiple-scandals-being.html?m=1
Finally, every one of my sources confirms this regrettable story.
George, this is not evidence. Anybody remember Rita Skeeter the reporter in the Harry Potter series? This happens all the time. As an example, and to prove my point, I remember well the “evidence” that resulted after the SIC report that came out (shown to be nothing but smoke and mirrors) that resulted in Father Robert Kondratick being falsely accused, falsely deposed by a kangaroo court, and thrown under the bus; and the “evidence” that was thrown out all over the place by “reliable sources” who would ***never*** EVER LIE (God forbid!) – attempting to take down Bishop NIKOLAI (Soraich), and yet, the allegations are still false and both men are innocent. Father Joseph Fester’s emails were hacked, he was thrown under the bus and rousted from the OCA, and he is as innocent and good as the day is long.
Provide evidence, not articles saying somebody said something and they would never ever be wrong because… why are they saying all this, again? Agenda, anybody?
I still don’t know whether what you posted is true or not.
You’re quoting Harry Potter to disprove a news story? You probably also believe that Donald Drumpf is literally a Russian Nazi.
Okay. I have to admit it was the translated from Greek passage about the alleged sexual misconduct that sounded an awful lot like Rita Skeeter to me. Believe it if you want to. Also, there is no way of knowing absolutely for sure that Patriarch Bartholomew accepted bribes or not. If he did, then boo on him.
Listen lady from what i personally know about the Phanar at a LESSER level including my Godmother’s son, this does not surprise me one bit and the won’t translation only add to it.
Years ago there was a wonky translation in english out of Russia (1959) about the savage persecution of the Pochaev monastery and the renewed Krushchev ( then head of USSR) persecution of Church and religion that people doubted, but was all too true.
The Pochaev appeal was in 1962. Sorry not 1959. 1958/9 was the start of the intensification of persecution in USSR.
I thought I would mention something unrelated to moral and financial corruption. You know too much exposure to this sickness, and if not careful, it corrupt us and slowly kills our faith,not in God but in the Church.
I struggle a bit with this as am sad, sickened and totally fed up with the Church. I CANNOT BE ONLY ONE ON THIS BLOG WHO HAS HAD ENOUGH Of corrupt, evil hierarchs and useless clergy and dead laity. ; AM I???
So am reading ‘ Daily Life on the Golden Horn ‘ , The letters home of the wife of the British anbassador to the Ottoman empire in a 1716 delegation to the Sultan from newly crownned George i of Great Britain. I was amused.
She is visiting the famous mosque at Edirne, Adrionople, where she makes the comment, ‘ the floor is covered with carpets and in my opinion it is a great addition to worship and the beauty that it is not divided into pews abd encumbered with forms and benches like our churches, nor she add, disfigured by the tawdry image and pictures that give the Roman Catholic churches the air of toy shops’. She is no lover of Roman catholicism!! How could i resist?
And of course this architecture and space, the Muslim faith took totally from eastern Christianity. NOT OTHER WAY ROUND as some truly ignorant people think.
To Sadly refere again to the events .
One of the facts of the Emanuella case that rings true is what might seem the opposite.
This is why did they not indulge themselves away from their official residense? Incognito etc.. Seems to make more sense.
But I can tell you from my mental health career that this ‘ excitement of the risk’ is part of the sexual thrill and enjoyment and as with government ministers in same behaviour, often noted. Sounds Oh so True.
Needs saying as am sure wider malaise in the Church. Even if none of the sexual stuff is true, the glimpse into a life style of collection of expensive watches ( Kyril look out here!!) and well heeled comfortable living etc, shows a deep, deep spiritual malaise and corruption and a vindication of every communist attack on the Church.
Even if these watches etc come as GIFTS. What are monks doing living such a life?.
Am I the only person on this blog to feel sickening cold in my stomach when i see this and a total loss of all respect for any of these lazy PARASITES, filling us up with fine words and vain glorious titles from yester year? Am I the only person to feel a revulsion and to feel conned by lazy effeminate Men who in real life would be nobody but in this pretend life can dress up and play act in their cosy life style, paid for by simple people working hard or wealthy patrons wanting eternal life. Makes me utterly sick. What can you say to a young family. COME TO CHURCH AND SUPPORT ALL THIS CRAP.
I have to say I am holding on to the Church by a thread. And its stretching.
Even if i stay in the Church, the damage is done. Something has died in me for good. I can never feel for it or believe in it as i did. This endless drip drip of disgusting indifferent behaviour and attitude devoid of human love or decensy. This love of gold and pretty clothes and empty sounding crap. I am done.
When i think of eternity. Of eternal life, of Christ, that with my health has come alot nearer, do I think any of this has the remotest connection to any of it, to Christ,to God???. No no no AND NO.
I would like to stand in front of them and spit in their faces, the worst greek insult as i thrust my hand open out at them, and turn and walk away.
Any of them near my parent’s grave would desecrate it, and even mine to come.
Before I Sign of, i put behind me the events of my mother’s death and burial, what i have observed in petty corruption and weak lacking clergy and the rest over the years , as the human situation. I tried to see the suffering of the communist times etc. But I am sure now the Church is a centre of corruption and evil. The good Men and woman would be good and decent in what ever context. What ever religion or none.
To walk away is to COME UP FOR AIR AND BREATHE.
Με μεγάλο πόνο για την βρώμα η οποία κάνει τώρα πλημμύρες βρώμικες στην εκκλησία, ντρέπομαι που γεννήθηκα ελληνας και ορθόδοξος. Ντρέπομαι.
Niko, malista, einai pono. Alla Ho Theos einai megalos! Sursam cordam!
Niko, I’ve not a sunny optimist but I ask you to pray for wisdom. I think of myself at times as the young Telemachos, who had to endure years of watching his mother Penelope, being pawed and humiliated by suitors. I think in this present morass, we are all like Telemachos but unlike the young Ithacan prince who never knew his father Odysseus or if he would ever return, our Father will indeed return and free His precious Bride from the clutches of these miscreants.
dear Niko, XA! w the blessing of my good bishop, i recently served num times w the Georgian Patriar.’s Bishop Saba, travelling w & observing HG two days. He lives like a saint, in an attic, w almost nothing in the bank, recvs. $1000 per month compensation from which he pays much of his travels thru N America visiting his people from Alaska & Vancouver to CA , Toronto, NYC, DC, Phily & MD. Like other examplary people such as Fr. Geroge Calciu (Oca, whom I had the honor of video-interviewing), St Philaret’s (Rocor & buried in Jordanville, NY) and Ab Dimitry’s (Oca & buried in Dallas) bodies are …in intact. People close w them have shared how they lived, simply, w sacrifice, humility. because some in the Church are not, doesn’t mean there aren’t Examples… find a parish where you can pray, repent and be what we are called to.. & pray for me, the sinner..our Savior Christ and His holy ones are genuine. We all prove what we really believe by our actions.. what seems to be esp. important to our Jesus is Mt. 22:36-40
I know I have entered a lot of posts but as you understanding I feel strongly and hurt and angry. To me it merges with the Catholics’ scandal. No wonder they friendly. They probably all use the same call service. And swap watches.
Seems the entire institutions of Christianity are in a decayed mess. Look at that corrupt rogue if not worse, Denisenko.
You know most people are not atheist, even when they claim it, once you dig down. They just cannot stomach the open corrupt hypocrisy they see exposed in the churches. IF ONLY THEY KNOW ALL. .
For me leaving aside the Sex which is personal to the individual, what is more evil and corrupting is the total lack of spiritual life or even attempt. And this is norm.
ARE THEY AS COMMUNIST PARTY ALWAYS SAID, CON ARTISTS, or are they sad pathetic Men living a deluded life covered in fine words and jewels. NOT TO MENTION WATCHES.?? Do they have fear of God , Of judgement??
We on this blog have almost, including me, got used to it. We habituated to it to use a professional Term.
I know there are good priests etc. I think of my own bulgarian Parish here. Ordinary people, hard working,not wealthy by any standard but with deep belief. They I am sure know nothing of this.
They expect nothing much from their bishops from communist yrs but just get on with it and there are new young bishops coming up and totally spiritual Patriarch.
What can i say to them tomorrow morning??
As for us, if we just accept this spiritual death dressed up in pompous robes and titles, WE ARE COMPLICIT.
You’re now telling GEORGE what he needs to provide on his blog? That’s kind of audacious, isn’t it? What kind of evidence are you looking for, Beryl, pictures?
Do some research. Study the preponderance of evidence and reach your own conclusions. But don’t waste our time with your indignation or direct it toward our host who has been at this a very long time. George knows what he’s doing.
Gail we can all understand the lady’ s wish for it to be false. Do not we wish that too.?! But I for one see fact and the outward events to fit the crime. No wonder these people. and greek church in Uk had them, may now? are not keen on rason and beard.
Three yrs ago to before left for Bulgaria, I took an english friend for day out in London as a thank you for help etc, part of this was a nice greek meal in Bayswater central London taverna which was just along the road from Moscow rd St Sophia historic greek Cathedral (1877). He wanted to see inside. After meal we walked alone and as we got there, a man in a very tight coloured suit with a most effiminate manner, ( mincing) with shaven head and a day’s stubble for beard, walked out of the very beautiful also 1877, clergy house.
Very effiminate voice. He was the archnandrite of the Cathedral. My friend knowing vaguely what Orthodox clergy look like, did not even register him as priest, but made an obvious comment.
I know nothing of this man’ s life and making no accusation apart from contempt at his appearance. His femininity he cannot help, but in God’s name is this the clergy we want and need?.
I have to say that he would not survive in a typical uk greek cypriot Parish for a moment, but St Sophia with it’s passing greek visiting congregation and local ship owners etc, different animal.
I noted the previous bishop ( of Nanzianos, now retired based in St Sophia, was same ilk, although again I am not accusing of anything that i know)
For me the mental dishonesty of these Men to be in organization that disaproves of them cannot make for a healthy mental Outlook and worse. It is sick, not good for them and Novgorod for the Church.
What can we say ro a modern young family, to a young person searching.? They cannot even help a young gay person because they are in denial of themselves or openly breaking their celibacy. This WILL DESTROY THE CHURCH. And you now have another pretend monk, pretend bishop of pretend diocece, coming to run the show in USA who has no pastoral or monastic experience.
I SAY AGAIN AND AGAIN, EVEN IF THEY WERE SAINTS, it is this literally emptyness at the heart of the Church, a ‘potemkin village ‘church , THAT WILL DESTROY THE CHURCH.
Not good ( Novgorod!!! ?) for the Church.
It will destroy the Church just as Vatican has destroyed the Catholic church. These are historical curiosities that are now run out of their time. And have spawned a self seeking, corrupt bureaucratic system that know each other better than they know their respective churches and are a propaganda prize for atheists and rest and Bob!! ? Constantinople has now reached the papal delusional stage. For all of these play actors, nice work if you can get it.
They LIVE OF ORDINARY PEOPLE’S WORK, who sacrifice to give to the Church to keep these BUMS,THESE SCUM, THESE LAZY PARASITES IN CLOVER. When will it stop??
When i was a kid, my late mum after my father died, worked at two nursing jobs 12 hours a day. On a Sunday she walked 2miles to Church, 4 country back, to save money as paying the mortgage, and walked back as wealthy cypriots living close by drove past. What Church are we belonging to? What Christian Charity did I see except from one or two? ZILCH, ….. Zilch . I have kept my faith because of the Russian church and my experience around it and the monastery of St John Baptist in Essex . Without that i would have walked away yrs ago. From these scum I long ago did. And add on the funeral story. ΑΝΑΞΙΟΣ, ΑΝΑΞΙΟΣ ΑΝΑΞΙΟΣ.
Monastery of St John Baptist in Essex UK. and bishop Anthony Bloom and the simple good heart Parish, greek, of Holy Trinity, Wood Green,North London and now the humble poor church in Bulgaria and my experience in Russia. These keep my faith. And the decent greek priest in the Buffalo NY, greek Parish, Fr Christos, good man. Very good man. How I feel sorry for him. He moved to USA because his wife is Greek american and to be free of excessive greek club feel to the Church. This was in 1998, what has he found?
For what it’s worth, I attended that very same church on Moscow Road back in 1997. Its congregation was very well-healed. The women all wore white gloves and there were dozens of Greek military and naval attaches there as it was Greek Independence Day/Annunciation (on the New Calendar). Kind of chaotic in its architecture and iconography.
George. Yes u got it. What did you think of polyphony Choir. ? Seferis called attending Good Friday there, ‘ Epitaphios a la Traviata’ He noted the gloves too!!
We were in the congregation as just returned from working and living as family in Greece.
I always sort of liked it all as love Bayswater area and the Cathedral. Happy memories there and then lunch in hyde Park. The Bishop then, ailing, was a good if wordly man. The long nosed archimandrite as my wife and mother called him, desparate to be bishop. From Cephalonia. He was for a few days in 2001 before being rejected by the committee and then banned from serving.
I have to say I have my errr…. suspicians now.
Yes very well heeled. congregation. Greek cypriots hardly went. It was seen as the kalamarades church.
Sorry for the many posts but it has all come to a head for me. I do not know what to do.
Thank you George for the blogs and yr imput.
The fact there was the robbery with robbers gaining entrance legally as it were.
I should imagine those two young Bulgarians won’t be going to church any time soon.
Nor will any of us if this goes on.
Beryl “this is not evidence.”
Well, this is at least an explanation for the Arhondonis mischiefs. Do you have better one?
“…Elpidophoros Lambriniadis, who heads a prestigious seminary on the Turkish island of Halki.” Giggle. Snort. There’s someone who thinks this evil genius presides over an…..Empty building? Do they know the “school” is closed? I guess things like that elicit the use of the term “prestigious” in some parts of the world (or, what’s that fancy Greek word for it?). What would it be like if he was a complete zero presiding over a phone booth with the title of a Turkish city with no Orthodox in it?
Too true. I would not debase the greek language to use on this man. The Phanar is an empty Vatican potemkin village patriarchate eating the soul out of all it touches with empty grand words in make believe land, like a deposed dynasty keeping up appearances.. Only thing is we paying for it all and they greed.
https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/power-struggle-erupts-within-ukraines-new-orthodox-church.html
Everything the EP touches turns to crap.
Turns? Was in first place
What needs to be done to the Patriarchate of Constantinople:
1) Depose Baortholemew
2) Merge the Patriarchate of Constantinople with the Church of Greece
3) Move the seat to Thessaloniki
4) Elect a holy monk from Athos to lead the Church
Once they do this then the various Greek Archdiocese around the world can be free. If this happens, finally free of Bart and the Turkish government, then the PoC can thrive again.
This is not completely different from what Antioch did
STAVROS agree.. I have been saying for some time that Greece only modern Balkan state without a Patriarch and Phanar’s hand in half it’s bishoprics. And if we are to have celibate bishops they need to be real monks with monastic experience and living life of prayer. An end to these free living bachelors.
I’ve long believed that the Arb of Athens should retain that title and be Patriarch of Greece.
Yes. Definitely.
Stavro, if I may make some suggestions or corrections to your proposal, not as my opinion but rather in order to comply with the letter and the SPIRIT of Canon 28 (4th Ecum.Council):
2) not merge but replace the Patriarchate of Constantinople by a “Patriarchate of Athens” because (according to Canon 28):
-Greece is now the country of the Greek speaking people , not Turkey.
3)-Athens is the capital of Greece today, where the head of state is based, NOT Thessaloniki.Why is this important? Read next:
4)Elect the new Patriarch not by other Metropolitans but by the people as well, asw it was done in the early Church. I am sure they can find the correct procedure to achieve this.
The new Athens Patriarch will be an EQUAL brother to the rest of Bishops worldwide. The only difference will be that he kind of coordinates and assists other Greece Bishops to see Mr Tsipras (or others in the future) and talk about specific problems of their areas. (All this according to Canon 28, its letter, spirit and explanations by St.Nicodemos)
The Rudder (Pedalion), compilation of all canons of the Church:
http://www.reu.org/public/rudder/rudder.htm
Ιωάννης. So right. I am trying to hang in there re the Church at moment as had it up to there as they say, with corruption and decadent bishops. But a Church run According to the modern reality of where we are and not according to the Phanar delusion, might help and restore governance. The Vatican too needs the push but I’m not thank God a Catholic to worry about that. Perhaps bartholomaios and the Hope bearer can move into the Vatican Be cosy for them.
The blogspot linked to above calls itself “Authentic Transparency and Accountability” but the person or persons who run the blogspot are anonymous, and therefore NOT authentic, transparent, or accountable, yet they delight in bottom feeding tactics. Whether the allegations are true or not cannot be proven to be true by reading these gossip columns, but they can be believed if a person chooses to do so.
At the end of the day, the truth stands on its own. It does not depend on who is saying it.
Bery I know a little about the Phanar through friends closely associated and God parents etc and am greek.
Even at a mundane level Beryl it’s a sinecure for cozy bachelors living a faux academic life with nice conferences to go to producing ‘conference speak’ and nice hotels to stay in ( escorts to enjoy?) and nice robes to wear. Makes Cross DRESSING official.
Even at that level these are immature PARASITES NEEDING TO GET A JOB. I KNOW AT PERSONAL LEVEL
In fact i would this this low level situation is actually what is actually the most corrupting and bringing the rest.
If it was not for the Slav and Georgian churches I would leave the Church and just try and follow a Christian life as Christ taught.
They SICKEN ME, MAKE ME WANT TO VOMIT.
I would say that it is this low level situation , (i meant to say.)
Dear Nikos,
I love every one of your posts. I wish I could write like you. You are so funny- and you hit the nail on the head every time. It’s a real blessing for me. Thank you, brother, and keep those awesome posts coming. They’re true, but also hilarious.
Beryl, I agree with Gail’s reply to you.
It agrees with the words of St.J.Chrysostom that what is important is what somebody says, not who he is.
I assume that Gail tacitly implies that, where needed, the information given is properly documented.
George,
Thanks for posting this filth. That faithful *need* to be aware of the reality of the situation. We all know it’s true. Sad part is, it causes too much cognitive dissonance that many faithful can’t deal with the reality. So you end up either leaving the faith or you live in pretend-land.
That’s what the GOA/EP and other corrupt Orthodox dioceses are filled with — “faithful” who can only get by if they ignore reality and live in pretend-land — as long as these dioceses are led by gay-sex-addicted, narcissistic, mafioso charlatans who call themselves “bishop.” May Christ have mercy on them and on those who blindly enable and follow them.
I’ve a friend who’s an Orthodox seminarian who says that many faithful Orthodox consider the mainstream GOA/EP to be largely a different faith altogether. I agree. I wish they’d stop calling themselves “Orthodox Christian” – it only confuses the faithful.
I’m closing by copying the words of the ever-quotable Fr Andrew Phillips, from his Orthodox England website. He tells it like it is, and for that I much admire him. If only we had more church leaders like him.
——————
The Corruption of the Constantinople Episcopate:
Q: What do you make of the appalling allegations against certain members of the episcopate of Constantinople, which are now making their rounds on the internet? Is this fake news? Or, if is true, is it time for us to have a married episcopate?
A: When I first saw the allegations, clearly not fake news, I wondered what the fuss was all about: these stories have been well-known for decades, though, true, they have never been issued on the internet. The corruption of Orthodox bishops in the Diaspora is well-known. There was the Russian bishop in Paris, sent to Siberia, when Moscow actually got to realize it was all true, the Serbian bishop who had to ‘retire’, the episcopate of a certain group in the USA known as ‘the gay mafia’, who therefore fell under the thumb of a certain priest who had the dirt on them, the Greek and Russian bishops in Europe with their boyfriends or multiple mistresses, the one they called ‘Johnny Walker’ (we know how he died) and the chain-smoking bishops from the Middle East and the alcoholic Slavs. All this has been well-known for decades and generations. However, the latest stories with Rolex watches worth 400,000 euros and all the sordid details worthy only of British gutter tabloids, do bring it down to a different level (or depth).
Of course, the Protestant-minded immediately call for married bishops. I am completely opposed to this. First of all, it would be completely unfair on their wives. It is difficult enough for the wife of a priest to have her husband. The wife of a bishop would never see him. Then, secondly, it would introduce nasty careerism among married clergy. It is bad enough among certain hieromonks and archimandrites, without polluting the married clergy.
There is only one solution: to stop electing bishops from among candidates who are candidates simply because they are not married. Otherwise you will simply end up, at worst, with pedophiles and homosexuals who only have contempt for married priests, women and children (as among the Catholics) or, at best (?), with narcissistic professional bachelors who have no love for anyone except themselves and their favourites and operate a mafia against real pastors. We have seen enough of both sorts and suffered enough from them during 40 years. They are the only enemies of the Church and always have been. They wreck dioceses and ruin lives. There is only one solution: monastic renewal. If you are not living a monastic life in a monastery and you have no pastoral experience and love for the people, you cannot become a bishop.
As for the sort of bishops described in Constantinople, they must all be defrocked asap. We have had enough of them. All they do is bring the Church into disrepute and upset and persecute the sincere parish priests and the pious faithful. And, above all, they can be corrupted by the US State Department which has all the dirt on them all and so can blackmail them – just like the KGB did in the days of the Soviet Union, just like the CIA does in the Ukraine today.
Q: What do you think of the appointment of Metr Elpidiphoros as the new Greek Archbishop of America?
A: His name means ‘bearer of hope’. However, he is the bearer of despair. Expect schisms in the Greek Church in the USA, Australia and Great Britain. Indeed, they have already begun, with priests and parishes leaving them for canonical Orthodoxy. It is the beginning of the end for the rule of Constantinople. Sad though it is, it is inevitable and, ultimately, this will be a positive event. God is not mocked. We have to live for the future, not for the corrupt past. All will be providential. And Providence is God’s Love in history.
Great interview section with Fr. Andrew Phillips–he doesn’t mince words. Could you provide a link for the original whole interview?
Anon 2. You can read my posts so do not repeat. Yes fr Andrew only saying what has been known.
We have to ask ourselves why.? And yes I have been saying for long time leave a celibate man adrift and he will go down which ever road he travelling.
Re uk I do not know who appointed but grigorios if weak was at least a genuine believer and lived a life near his people in North London. And had no scandle. But he as Dmitri were duped by the others.
I do not say Slavs free of this but because of how countries are, Greece seems ro have spawned the worse types.
The ROCOR has had it’s scandal, that is life. But it has produced Saints.
We really have come to the parting of the ways. We have to chose. I am hanging on to the Church by a thread. I have had numbers personal experiences of dead church. It needs laying to rest. I only hang on just because I am in Bulgaria and have a local church worthy of the name.
We must. Drive these polluted scum out.
Nikos, how is the Church in Bulgaria doing? From what I’ve heard both Bulgaria and Romania are still solid