https://www.redbubble.com/people/wilsonh88/works/27620936-cats-out-of-the-bag
It’s getting harder and harder to ignore the cacophony coming from the GOA. The latest is from Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit who admits there is widespread corruption in the GOA. The original clip, which was being suppressed, was downloaded by Nick Stamatakis (a corruption-fighter extraordinaire) and given to Monomakhos for your viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9O7FOhQYtA
[Editor Note: Replaced the story with the story that goes with the video.]
Shocking video: Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit Speaks the Truth Against Corruption!!
By Nick Stamatakis
In a stunning new development Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit answered questions from the faithful right after the Divine Liturgy yesterday at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in St. Claire Shores, Michigan, and offered some initial explanation about the corruption within the GOA. The video was published in the Facebook page of the parish – but some “higher authority” forced them to pull it out. We were able to save it before it was pulled out and you can watch it here. It was republished and commented on by the blog concerned orthodox Christians… In summary, Metropolitan Nicholas was very outspoken in describing the various facets of corruption around building St.Nicholas at Ground Zero and the GOA, although it was clear he decided not to reveal the deeper permeating aspects of it. He sounded as if he was preparing the faithful for the worse to come…
- He verified that all accounting in the GOA was “cooked”, manipulated so as to look that everything was “fine”.
- He referred to the abuse of the credit cards by “everyone” who charged their”lunch and dinner” on GOA credit cards they were issued.
- He demolished the current narrative by GOA that “everything is fine” and “we fixed all the problems” by announcing that the wasteful practices of the past are continuing in the present. And he gave as an example the forthcoming visit by Patriarch Bartholomew, where all 8 Metropolitans are asked to follow him for 10 straight days paying $750 a night plus airfare plus all kinds of expenses. A practice that does not reflect the current, desperate, financial status of the Archdiocese.
This stunning new development verifies our reporting that the “Resistance Network” within our Church is a genuine grass roots movement that is crossing all groups, both clergy and laity and reflects the disgust of the faithful against the unbelievable corruption that is still continuing!
Metropolitan Nicholas is the first of our eight Metropolitans to come out publicly and speak the truth against corruption. His statements are an open invitation to all clergy and laity to come forward and take part in the effort to clean up our Church. It would be very interesting to see how our “Holy” Synod in the Phanar reacts to these statements. They have certainly lost the momentum – assuming they ever had any: From now on all efforts to control the avalanche of corruption news will be futile… No threats of lawsuits, no actual lawsuit will stop the Resistance Network from achieving its goals. Have no doubt, these goals will be stated very clearly in the immediate future and the faithful will be asked to comment on and participate in the discussion…
In the meantime, John Catsimatidis can put aside his pompous tactics about filing a lawsuit, unless he is decided to also go against Metropolitan Nicholas! And Fr. Karloutsos will now have to explain WHY HE HIMSELF and many others within the GOA were the main reasons for bankrupting our Church. Their effort to shamelessly pile all blame on former Arch. Demetrios (who is certainly sharing some of it – although he clearly did not enrich himself) has failed miserably!! So far we know for a fact that Fr. Karloutsos had put his presvytera and his son on the GOA payroll for at least $200.000 each per year (!!) for decades!! And we also know that the Karloutsos family charged their GOA credit cards with abandon!! How much, when, how long and for what reason hopefully will soon be part of the judicial proceedings… When it is revealed Fr. Karloutsos career in the GOA will be disgracefully over – probably in jail… The sooner the better, all faithful wish… Every day that he stays on the GOA is a day that brings our Church backward…
To help him make his decisions sooner, let me just say that in parts of the country the faithful are discussing a class action lawsuit against GOA. The specifics will come to light soon. When this actually happens the whole corrupt edifice will collapse in one single motion!…
RESISTANCE NOW!!
February 15, 2020, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
An both very sad and interesting video. But the one big thing that strikes me hard during Metropolitan Nicholas’ talk is how empty the pews are…and where are all of the young people? The GOA not only has massive corruption and financial problems, but they don’t seem to have enough people to ‘man’ the ship into the future. Lord have mercy!
It’s really not that hard to understand.
The vast majority of people – both “cradle” Orthodox and “converts” or inquirers – who are searching for, yearning for, Christ and truth more than anything else in this world look for authenticity. For something real. Think venerating the relics of St John Maximovitch at the cathedral in San Francisco. Or one of the many authentic monasteries for men & women that we have here in America. Or parishes that offer and emphasize vespers, confession, a full cycle of services, and immersion into life in Christ.
Churches – whether Orthodox or not – that don’t offer authenticity or that showcase their faith only as a cultural backdrop against which those of that ethnic background pursue riches of the “American dream“ – well, no one ain’t lookin’ for that anymore, to put it succinctly.
The days of “cultural Christianity” in the West are long dead and gone.
Wasn’t it a GOA parish near Detroit that offered a funeral for a police dog a year or two ago? Nothing against police dogs, and I love dogs, but come on – point illustrated. Any church that thinks dogs need prayers for the departed, well, that church is lost.
Milque-toast GOA equates to the ECUSA – a church that is meaningless and which anyone who’s searching for Christ, truth, and authenticity generally completely disregards.
I don’t know this parish, but this seems to be at the very end of the liturgy. In a lot of parishes the kids go off to Sunday school right after communion, and if the bishop is visiting, a lot of people are probably off preparing for the luncheon too.
Not my ideal, but it doesn’t mean it’s a dead parish. Bravo to Met. Nicholas also for championing evangelism. “The parishes that focus on being Greek are the parishes that are dying.”
Son, your last sentence is the kicker. Did Metr. Nicholas say this in his speech? I’ve been hearing it in so many words in many places, but it has to be soft-pedaled so the Greek supremacists don’t freak out. Elpidophoros himself has said something not too far from this, though from his mouth it came out like we need Other People’s Money. Fr. Evan Armatas said it very politely to clergy and laity gathered in Dunlap last year.
Problem is that GOARCH parish, metropolitan and archdiocesan culture are all held hostage to Fener culture which is straight-up racist hellenocentric and supremacist, suppressing genuine Christianity that cares nothing for race and nationality. As long as GOARCH remains in opposition to the formation of the Local Church in America it kicks against the pricks and fights against the Holy Spirit. And it will lose badly.
Yes, he says it towards the end of the video clip, and speaks at some length about this issue. This is a man who is serious about evangelism, which is very much out of vogue in other parts of the GOA.
You want to see a Greek Church packed with pious and very serious Orthodox Christians? Visit one of the Ephraimite monasteries.
THANK YOU!?
It’s true, never met a nicer bunch
Amen! Thanks be to God for every one in residence and attending!
Very Very sad. A disgrace. As commented on , the first thing to strike is the empty pews. More Anglican looking. Just elderly ladies. At least the cash from funeral looks good! My limited but from NY via Chicago to Ca experience of greek church is a decade almost old. I recall respectably filled churches and from all ages. The fall seems precipitous.
But until they recall what the Church is and get rid of the ‘ Archon ‘Culture and the glitz hotel Culture etc , nothing will change. But to change without strike g the head, as the greek saying goes, The fish corrupts from the head’ . In all honesty one must say that corruption is a wider Orthodox problem. But that church reflects to a money, selling society, should surprise no one. God forgive us all.
If any one has any conscience there SHOULD BE A BOYCOTT OF BART ON VISIT. The time for politeness is over for those who love the Church.
God bless Met. Nicholas. I didn’t know much about him, but he seems like a straight shooter who is doing God’s work in exposing this.
“We’re from the Midwest, we don’t do things this way.”
“I’m from Detroit, I don’t spend that kind of money. I have to be careful, this is my people’s money, I can’t just go and spend it.”
“Certain people of peace and tolerance are going to try and blow it up.” (LOL)
If I recall correctly, I believe Met. Nicholas has received treatment for cancer recently and needs our prayers, especially now.
Yes, he needs our prayers.
Also, for his own protection as well as for safeguarding the truth, I humbly ask each of the thousands of people who read this blog and who have access to social media to publish this video in its entirety. (As it is already being memory-holed.)
Tactically, as long as this video exists in the blogosphere, then it will be hard for the Phanar/L100 axis to take punitive measures against Met Nicholas.
I have copied it to Greece and Russia and here in Bulgaria too.
Thank you, Niko. Hopefully orthochristian.com will pick it up.
Hi George. And to uk and France. Mind u there they could do with looking at manuella and his errr bulgarian friends…… Evangelism! looking for lost stallions, err. sorry, sheep. And gold watches. Do not know about the cufflinks!
They obviously have sat on Bishop Nicholas but understood knowing that sending him away would be a bad look and just before the ‘Don’s’ regular cash and carry visit . But seriously why could a boycott not be organised? That the faithful refuse to attend or acknowledge him and the parishes refuse to fund the Metropolitans ‘ jolly. By all accounts it will be their last outing with that title. The way bart changes the setup with GOA is scandalous. Even the modern roman church not like this any more. Indeed we might need to go to Rome to escape the new Pope!
It’s obvious it’s a globalist agenda to forge an Orthodox church that suits them. ‘ Someone who they can phone ‘, to burrow Kissinger’s comment re Europe, ( ‘Who can I phone’ ?) To secularism it’s perfect sense. And of course owning the Orthodox in the so called diaspora gives Phanar a flock and power and of course reducing autocephaly to a reduced autonomous status. As Denisenko discovered. One does feel a little sorry for the rogue but Greeks bearing gifts and all that.
But figures show actually the flock in diaspora voting with it’s feet and walking away. IT IS A POTEMKIN VILLAGE FARCE IN THE AGE OF FACE BOOK.
But above all am I the only one to ask what we waiting for? The Phanar is NOW, TODAY, acting and preaching a papal dogma worthy of 1054? Do not Ieronimos and JUDAS in Alexandria et al understand that? Do they re Ukraine no longer believe in need for valid ordination?
And elpidophoros in the wings will take this even further. Moscow can often be clumsy and dictatorial which caused problems in Uk post death of Bishop Antony, BUT Moscow is not heretical and at so many level,s open to the good and to evangelism. The local parish in Southampton Uk is convert founded and directed. With english priest, using english and slavonic.
And its time to ask, WHERE IS THIS GREEK OMOYENEIA, IN USA? With over 80% mixed marriages etc. It’s a farce kept going by nostalgia, and a group of elderly rich Men, I SEE NO FEMALE ARCHONS?? All male. With all that money how did Holy Cross become as it is? How could the Parish in Chicago not be saved?? AND, AND??
Henry viii initially broke with Rome as a sort of early Brexit. He found the english church guilty of allegience to a foreign Prince, that is the Pope, and charged them a hefty fine, ( money and Sex drove the english reformation) . Perhaps USA needs to do same.
Phanar seems to want to destroy the USA Orthodox church. To turn it to a shell under it. As long as it produces the money they do not care. The greek government are only interested in the political clout , ( not much actually) this gives them
If the people DO NOT WAKE UP. Hallo!!!!!
All I can say is, “Glory be to God above!” My prayers regarding the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, seem to have finally begun to be answered. Once and for all, hopefully the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America can be cleansed of this filth and vroma and it can become what it was truly intended to be. A “Christ centered” Church, teaching and spreading the “Word of God,” and assisting the destitute, the homeless, the needy, the poor and the sick!
In my most humble opinion, the Metropolitans should seriously consider resigning. With the exception of Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit, the others have continued to remain silent throughout all this and covering up for themselves and for the Archdiocese.
These Metropolitans should be ashamed of themselves for not speaking the truth. All they seem to only care about is themselves. They have been and are a total disgrace. They seem to most definitely lack any true humility and any true leadership qualities! Thankfully one day they will have to answer to a higher authority. And by that, I do not mean an Archbishop or Patriarch, but rather to God himself!
May those whom were involved, be investigated to the fullest extent of the law. And if found guilty, finally pay the price for their despicable and horrendous actions.
Finally draining the cesspool & swamp of its filth and vroma, corruption, cover ups, dishonesty and lies! Hallelujah!
Lord have mercy on us and hear our prayers!
If I may, I’ve always believed that Met Isaiah of Denver was a true archpastor who took evangelism seriously.
Yes. Met. Isaiah is one of the exceptions.
He has ACTIVELY promoted a Capella byzantine chant in english. And as u say.
Yes, indeed and I agree. But then, why has Metropolitan Isaiah been silent and has not spoken up!
I understand your sorrow Greatly Saddened. I have often wished the same in the past, but am learning God’s ways are much better than my wishes and individuals’ lives and crosses are guided by Him in so many beautifying and diverse ways. Personally I am now grateful Met. Isaiah has chosen/wisely discerned God’s will for him, at present a prudent path by which he can still speak to and lead his people patristically, supporting the monasteries and every unPC Orthodox Traditional teaching in way unknown in some other GOA dioceses and in a way which publicly and staunchly opposes the Fordham and Archon heresies, speaking the truth in love without rancor toward others . He carries out his pastoral duties in a most needed way now. And who would be his replacement and what would his agenda be? Fr Nicholas’ path is likely wisely discerned as well ~ God’s will for his time and purpose.
Nicole, for what it’s worth, I was told a few years ago that Met Isaiah had wanted to retire (and in my opinion, a much-deserved rest) but was exhorted by his spiritual father to remain in place until his repose.
I’ll let others read between the lines as to why he was asked to remain in place.
It would also not surprise me if “the powers that be” attempt to provoke his forced retirement.
WOW! S.E.R.I.O.U.S.L.Y? $200,000 for each of the three of them, per year? It is my understanding that Presvytera Xanthe did not receive a salary working at the Archdiocese, although I do not know for sure one way or the other. On the other hand, even with some of the goings on at the Archdiocese, doesn’t anyone wonder, first, where Mr. Stamatakis got such information and second, how it is that such a large sum of money, $600,000 per year, could be paid out without it becoming common knowledge? My hunch is that Mr. Stamatakis had better have proof of such a claim or he’s not going to like what happens in court. This is not to say anything one way or another regarding the validity of the claim. But it is to bring attention to such a blockbuster claim because, if not true, it will bring much harm to many.
And Nicholas is recovering from serious cancer, too. Call, write, and email him support for what he did. He needs to be able to say he got 5,000 letters of support or else Elpi will send him to the attic with the Monk Greek Only Enforcer Squad he transferred over here . The article mentions class action lawsuits. I am exploring filing suit in my state capital– 2 steps. Filing a lawsuit to recover as against theft, fraud, etc, in my membership group (should be lots of plaintiffs because thousands of us pay church dues) and then getting that lawsuit certified as a “class action suit” for all other members of the “class” (dues paying members) to join. This action can go on in multiple states at once. That’s what GOA deserves for failing to come clean. Defendants should be the officers and directors of the GOA and their Council Members. Lastly, thanks to J Cats for raising the issue of lawsuits. He now has dozens of professionals contemplating the same. John did us a favor and rallied the troops as to their rights. As for N. Stamatakis and the “Whistleblower” –both have cahones of steel. I admire them both. When Bart comes in May, not only will it be $750 a day hotel rooms, but every member of the travel team will get an envelope every morning on the road with several hundred dollars in it “for expenses” . And the team traveling with Bart will ask for “certain things we need” (Laptops, phones, clothes, expensive pens and luggage, bejeweled crowns and robes) and naive children of the American church will comply. It happens every trip. His is a “money and gift” run not a ministry.
People have it in their hands in May to put an end to the gravey train by not giving and not turning up. I am totally tired of these lazy parasitical gentlemen who have not done a day’s work in their lazy lives. As long as you barbarian peasants go on tugging yr fore locks and paying up, well, who can blame them for taking advantage.
Metrpolitan Nicholas’s very clear displacement of an older form of the Greek language from its privileged place as a standard of liturgical practice was a breath of fresh air. As he pointed out, there are very few native speakers of Modern Greek who are able to understand the services unless they’ve studied older forms of the language in school or at least have learned the now nearly extinct katharevousa glossa once taught in many of Greece’s high schools.
c
MetN’s allusion to using a little Arabic or Romanian, etc., depending on the population of the community he might be visiting was a nod in the direction of an appropriate nostalgia, and it does no harm.
In many OCA parishes, for instance, ‘Lord, have mercy’ or ‘Holy God’ is often sung in other languages since we’re going to sing it in English as well, but adding a little bit of such flavors to our prayers never suggests that they will be sung in any language but English on the whole.
Now that the Roman Catholics have been using vernacular languages for the last sixty years or so, it’s less true than it used to be that Orthodox Christianity could claim a pastoral advantage for conducting services in local languages, but the point remains valid. The ideal is damaged, though, by using an inaccessibly archaic form of any language, as our very common but inaccurate liturgical translations into English amply attest. The movement among some Catholics to return to Latin is largely not driven by their dissatisfaction with the accuracy of published translations — there are other factors at work there.
Although living languages evolve and change as a matter of course, the condition of Modern Greek is not attributable to that natural process so much as it is to the lack of education enforced on the Christians of the Balkans by the tourkokrateia for centuries As a result, the Greek language of the service books is now close enough to the spoken idiom to be confusing, but distant enough to be misunderstood.
In America and in other places, we have the blessed opportunity to overcome this gap in understanding by using accurate, literate, reverent, sonorous contemporary languages. May the Lord assist us in this holy work.
Such as English. There is no excuse for serving Greek (or Slavonic) services in the United States. At best – and I am dubious this is true – it serves one generation of immigrants at the expense of the next generation.
Through in a litany and some kyrie eliesons, but no more.
This is largely true, but the English must be real, not fictive.
For instance, we often come across the word ‘vouchsafe’, which doesn’t mean what most people think it does, and it usually represents the Greek word kataxioson, which definitely doesn’t mean ‘vouchsafe’. And (among other errors in English-language versions of the prayer) there are no ‘trespasses’ in ‘Our Father’, no matter how often people recite those inaccurate words.
There’s much to be done before we ave an accurate translation of the scriptures and the services into English, by God’s help.
When I see ‘vouchsafe’, I automatically say ‘grant’. I’ve never actually heard an English speaker ever say the word ‘vouchsafe’….
And as a Presbyterian, I always said ‘debtors’. After all this time, ‘trespasses’ is hard to say.
Monk James: “…the English must be real, not fictive.”
‘Fictive’? Why use bad Latin when English will do?
Why not say ‘made up’?
Because ‘fiction’ is easily available to most native speakers of English, using an adjective based on it is a bit richer, more elevated, than ‘real’, which is, of course, always available.
Generally, though, I’d like to encourage people to speak in a style somewhat beyond monosyllabic grunts.
Monk James: “Because ‘fiction’ is easily available to most native speakers of English, using an adjective based on it is a bit richer, more elevated, than ‘real’, which is, of course, always available.”
I note you prefer Latinate terms to Norman French – while plain English seems not to be to your taste, not your thing, at all.
This reminds me very much of the Thyateira UK translation of:
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου as: ‘may your name be sanctified’
instead of: ‘hallowed be thy name’, on the grounds that ‘hallowed’ smacks too much of Tolkien; which, given that Professor Tolkien probably knew more about the English language than any other man (alive or dead), is a ridiculous objection.
Well, as George Bernard Shaw allegedly observed: “English is a language in which no native speaker can utter two syllables without being despised by another native speaker.”
Brendan,
“Well, as George Bernard Shaw allegedly observed: “English is a language in which no native speaker can utter two syllables without being despised by another native speaker.””
No wonder as it is a mixture of the older languages, like:
Latin, French, Germanic, Greek.
Kind of like a cuisine.
If all the foreign elements were to be removed, we would only have three subjects left to talk about: Fishing, Farming and the other one that begins with F which we don’t like to mention in polite company.
PS: English is, at root, Germanic.
You apparently have your preferences in English, ‘Brendan’, but you wrongly assume that I do, at least in vernacular conversation.
Personally, I use the vocabulary available to me. I am not so much in favor of latinisms in English as of the classical vocabulary which is available to all well educated native speakers of English as a resource altogether, English being as receptive a language as it is.
On the other hand, I steadfastly resist latinisms in theological and liturgical and ecclesial terminology. Such words are not native to Orthodox Christianity, and I try not to use them.
Given the generally overwhelming importance of Greek and Latin etymology in Modern English, — not to mention their grammatic influence — I think that it would now, in our time, be imprudent to insist on using words of only Old English or Anglo-Saxon origin, since they would largely make our contemporary writing unintelligible.
Of course, you are entitles to your preferences. ‘De gustibus non est disputandum.’
I certainly (and wholly) agree with this. The beauty of English vocabulary is found precisely in the degree to which a Germanic language and its vocabulary were ‘overlaid’ with Norman French. Not to ignore other influences, and numerous grammatical changes.
The examples are of course legion and known to all. They give a real power and flexibility to English usage. We speak English, not Anglo-Saxon. And some have gone so far to say, not always tongue in cheek, that English is just badly-pronounced French….
Tim: “The beauty of English vocabulary is found precisely in the degree to which a Germanic language and its vocabulary were ‘overlaid’ with Norman French.”
Prior to 1066, the English language possessed probably the greatest vernacular literature (largely biblical) of any non-classical language in Europe. After 1066, the whole society was decapitated and a free people were turned into serfs and their language and literature were despised by their conquerors to the extent that for the next three hundred and thirty-three years no king of England could even speak English. They didn’t have to. They were the conquerors . It is their descendants that form the upper classes in England to this very day – and who still despise, as they always have, the common people as peasants and their common tongue as fit only for peasant speech.
That is why while animals on the hoof retain their English names (cow, pig etc), when they are cooked and on the table fit for the Gentry, they bear French names (beef, pork etc).
Despite this, the English language survived and recovered both prestige and position (much changed, to be sure – but still basically English and Germanic). It did not go the way of all those tongues that used to be spoken in (for example) the Levant, that are no longer to be heard.
Nevertheless, to those with ears to hear the vocabulary a man has and the manner in which he uses it offer excellent pointers to both his position in society and his aspirations therein. It is not an abstract intellectual game. It concerns real people and real lives. JRR Tolkien’s works provide ample demonstration of this. Indeed, one of the chief joys of rereading The Lord of the Rings is to notice how precisely Tolkien has caught these nuances, which makes interplay between his characters so ‘authentic’.
So when someone (not tongue in cheek) says “English is just badly-pronounced French”, he reveals much about himself.
Yes, wouldn’t be good if even the English could be made to join the ranks (upon ranks) of those who lovingly nurture their ancient ethnic and national grievances and resentments?
Alas, they never do; they just go about their lofty ways unmoved by such appeals! They are at a disadvantage, perhaps, by not being able to merge their religion with a sense of historic oppression…
My own family name is as English as it gets: Old Norse, from a hamlet near Penrith.
Very much agree with you, TimR.
For what it’s worth, I find the constructed “Anglish” language more beautiful than French. And it’s surprisingly understandable, even with its made-up words.
Tim R Mortiss: “…not being able to merge their religion with a sense of historic oppression”.
No wonder. Their religion was taken from them.
Until 1066, England was an Orthodox polity. Then it fell to Papal expansion policy – of which, as the Greeks should well remember, the Normans were the bandit mailed fist.
Thereafter the the ordinary English people, like the ordinary Greeks under the Tourkokratia, were trying to survive.
To better grasp what was going on (and the parallels with the Norman assaults on Byzantium and the 20thC attack on Orthodoxy in Russia), I recommend you read Vladimir Moss:
http://www.orthodoxchristianbooks.com/downloads/104_THE_FALL_OF_ORTHODOX_ENGLAND.pdf
PS: “My own family name is as English as it gets: Old Norse…”
Err… Old Norse (a North Germanic tongue) is not English.
They are related, to be sure; but so are Latin and Greek.
PPS: Father Andrew Philips (as English as they come) has some pertinent comments at: http://www.events.orthodoxengland.org.uk/category/denormanization/
Brendan yes re english. I would say there is still even physical difference between rhe Anglo / Celtic Mass and the norman ruling class.
Sadly Hollywood has destroyed the Uk english language.
Brendan,
I do know that Old Norse is not English. That’s why they call it Old Norse, right?
I thought the point obvious: true Englishmen have borne Norse names, English names, and…Norman names. Not to mention a few others….
So an Old Norse name is as English as it gets! If we knock the Normans, let’s knock the Vikings, too…(and yes, I know that connection, too…)
Tim: “true Englishmen have borne…”
You are attributing to me the Anglo-equivalent of the No-True Scotsman move. My point was linguistic, not ethno-political.
Please don’t conflate them.
Anyway, what is a true Englishman? True to what?
Oh yes – what is the No-True Scotsman move (in philosophy)?
1: No Scotsman wears knickers under his kilt.
2: I know one who does.
3: Ah, but he is not a True Scotsman.
What has happened here? 3 has confined the meaning of True Scotsman to those who do not wear knickers under their kilts.
But by far the vast majority of Scotsmen do not wear kilts at all – with or without knickers. So, does that mean they are not True Scotsmen?
Back to the inverted commas around names are we?
‘Monk’ Silver’: “I am not so much in favor of latinisms in English as of the classical vocabulary…”
I see. Latinisms plus Greekisms… Enjoy your television.
Brendan,
“Back to the inverted commas around names are we?”
Please correct me if I am wrong, but this is the first blog I (personally) have seen where single names of commentators are addressed in inverted commas. I have never seen this before! Understandably, it is irritating to some addressees.
It is interesting that this is coupled with the fact that it is done by a monk who appropriately wants to be very accurate in everything he writes and that is very good.
Two months ago I decided to write my thoughts, why I thought it should not be done:
https://www.monomakhos.com/nativity-2012/#comment-150708
It did help for a month or so.
To be fair there is a good and understandable reason to apply the inverted commas IN SOME CASES and I’ll try to explain:
Two months ago I used the analogy of a cruise on a ship where we have dinner every evening with other passengers and we address them with the name they told us there. We don’t know whether the name is real or not.
Anticipating the objection that a monk doesn’t go on a ship cruise, please allow me to make a tiny correction to the story: It is not a cruise ship, it as a passenger ship like those travelling between New York and Greece in the 1950s. The passengers were on board for about 7-10 days. If they went to Australia the voyage was 20-30 days! Monks also had to travel on the same ship too!
So, sitting at the table every evening, the monk addressed the other people with the names they had given. To you Brendan, the precise monk would greet you like “Good evening Brendan” and he would not try to change his face or voice (to emulate inverted commas) so as to denote that your name was not real!
On the other hand, AND THAT’S IMPORTANT, if you had said that your name was “Aeroplane” then he would be excused if he said to you smiling, or while moving his fingers “Good evening Aeroplane???”, clearly denoting some doubt, just like it is the case with us here.
IMHO the best solution/compromise is to use the inverted commas in special cases only where it is OBVIOUSLY not A REAL name of a person e.g.
“Aeroplane”
“Greek Son”
“Deeply Saddened”
etc.
A problem might arise if the name is something like
“Kung Xi”
and it happens to be a FULL & REAL Chinese name plus family name,
would it not be impolite, just like writing “Monk Joseph Brown”?
I dunno…
Ioanni, in this instance, I have been responding to a correspondent who has chosen to claim the respect of specific titles to be addressed to him, while questioning the names of others by placing inverted commas round them (though it generally seems to be only those who disagree with him). In my particular case, I have previously advised him that Brendan is the name with which I was baptised into the Orthodox Church. If it is good enough for the Church, why is it not good enough for him? Similarly with Mikhail – whom he chooses to represent as ‘Mikhail’. I consider this to be gross discourtesy. It is the sort of behaviour I would expect from Princes and Powers etc, but not from humble Orthodox monks.
Some poor translations beat utterly unintelligible Liturgies.
Greg, bad TRANSLATION such as ‘O Good one ‘ ( I’m sure it was) and ‘We send up’. One gets a image of a rocket going up to God or someone being ridiculed.
With that level of english thst never met Shakespeare or Tolkien, martian might be better. As to language Should be what the language of the country. I worship in bulgarian here. If I want Greek i go to Greece. Often the priest asks me to chant the Our Father in greek. I am reluctant but do it. But I don’t like it.
I agree to some extent. Using ‘one’ is very stiff, even on a good day, but constructions such as ‘O Good One’ remind me of nothing so much as the strained dialog of the courtiers of Ming the Merciless in ‘Flash Gordon’.
In the matter of ‘we send up’, it’s clear that the usually encountered ‘we ascribe’ is inaccurate, so the translation must be corrected. How then would you suggest that we render anapempomen?
In UK English it is perfectly OK to describe judgements or blessings or messages (or those found guilty) as being ‘sent down’ from above, whereas persons remanded (or prayers offered) to higher authority are said to be ‘sent up’.
Where is the problem?
Here in Bulgaria bulgarian is used for the priest’ s role and church slavonic for the choir but my Parish uses modern bulgarian for choir too.
The problem with greek as you say and also some words have changed to a totally different meaning g.
God bless Metropolitan Nicholas! The honesty is refreshing. May God give him many more years. I hope people will listen to his talk to the end – especially the part about language in the Church. If only he were the hierarch in my diocese. My spouse makes a point of staying away from the Greek Church when the bishop is in town. – always says keep your hands out of my wallet! The GOA will continue to be in bad shape if they can’t restore the trust of the people.
Thank you for this transparency!!!!! How noteworthy that it comes out to us on the exact day NPR reports that Boy Scouts of America (not Orthodox, of course, but formerly a bulwark of upstanding young boy training in life) national organization is filing for bankruptcy in preparation for the onslaught of a new lawsuit of pedophilia from adult former Boy Scouts. Today must be celestially a day of light-bearing… or something like that… light always burns out blackness…
Eleni, if I may go off on a tangent: I remember not that long ago when those of us who raised our voices against homosexual scoutmasters did so and received much opprobrium. We were called bigots or worse.
But now the fruits of sodomy have come home to roost.
I will gladly accept the apologies of all those liberals who thought I was deluded in my fears. Clearly I was not.
P.S. Is it possible that the homosexual juggernaut was unleashed upon the various institutions in order to demolish them? And with the added benefit of enriching the trial lawyers? Why yes, I think it’s indeed possible.
Looks like the BSA sodomite scandal will be bigger that the RC sodomite scandal.
In answer to your PS, yes, I believe that systematic infiltration has occurred to discredit and destroy all wholesome and decent institutions. Don’t think we’re being spared; I’m sure that that they’ve already got their pink-polished claws into leadership positions in our Church.
All Orthodox Christians need to take severe measures against this menace and ensure that it gets rooted out by any means necessary – for the sake of the children as well as the Church’s institutions.
This Evil is what happens where deviant homosexuals insinuate themselves into places they don’t belong!!
Nothing but degeneracy comes out of Gay Activists – they’re emboldened by gay marriage, a horrific mistake.
The destruction of the Boy Scouts of America, which has been in process for a long time, is a deep tragedy.
My dad, largely deaf as a result of boyhood mastoiditis, found his way in Scouts in the 1930s, learning as he picked up Scouting skills that things would, after all, turn out all right for him. He eventually served on Council boards for years.
I was an active Scout from Cub Scouts in elementary school through a great troop in high school in the ’60s, as were my four brothers. We did fifty-mile hikes every summer (around Mt. Rainier’s Wonderland Trail, and in the Olympic mountains), Summer camp on Puget Sound, Winter camps in the mountains; endless stuff. My two main Scoutmasters both died within just the last few years in their late 80’s; they were great men, widely known in the community. One became a state Supreme Court justice, the other a multi-volume author of Northern Pacific Railroad photographic history.
My own two sons had great Scout experiences in the 1990s.
Twenty-plus years ago, United Way eliminated Scouts from their charities because their policy of no homosexuals as leaders. I never gave another dime to United Way. That was the beginning of the end; the Left has had the destruction of Scouts as an object for decades.
I could go on for volumes. One of our great institutions (I attest over and over from personal experience) destroyed before our very eyes; it is a microcosm (though not so ‘micro’) of what has been happening in this lost society.
TimR, would you agree with me that this destruction was planned? That these NGOs (like the United Way, ADL, ACLU, SPLC) are part of a broad plan to destroy all that is traditional? Or am I overstating the case.
For the record, both my sons were in Scouts (on the junior level) and my three nephews all made Eagle Scout.
There is no way I could recommend any family send their sons to the BSA now.
Of course this was planned, but it takes a bit more time and research to understand the why and the who.
An important article re the Archons of the Patriarchate now available: https://spzh.news/en/zashhita-very/68670-komu-sluzhat-arkhonty-konstantinopolyskogo-patriarkhata
Excellent article on this corrupt and venal institution, which in the name of all that is holy needs to be abolished so Christianity can be restored in its place.
Ok
God bless you Metropolitan Nicholas. I want to personally thank you for being so bold and doing the right thing and speaking out.
Perhaps Patriarch Bartholomew, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros and the Metropolitans may be upset with you for revealing what for many years we knew was true. But rest assured, your true boss in Heaven is ever so proud of you, as we the general laity are.
Now is time for the general laity to fully stand behind and in full support of the hierarch who defied all odds and was honest and told the truth.
This is what we as a “Church” here in the U.S. have been needing, as well as lacking! Accountability, Honesty and Transparency!
Many years your Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas and God bless you.
I pray that Met. Nicholas’ words are heeded. But the laity are going to have to let the hierarchs know how they feel by withholding their pocketbooks it seems
GOARCH makes me sad as there are many good parishes, monasteries and priests and it has great potential. In fact, I am Antiochian but my current father-confessor is a GOARCH priest and is extremely solid. Maybe I have been spoiled or maybe it’s geographic (from the Southern U.S.) but I haven’t experienced the GOARCH that others have, at least as far as I can tell. I’m guessing is the Northeast/New England old guard?
At any rate, if the laity really want to show the hierarchs how they feel, the best thing to do is ignore Patriarch Bartholomew when he comes in a few months
Menas yes a boycott. U must re visit and yes there are good parishes and priests such as Tampa Bay one, even though I disagree with his clean shaven look and organ) but a dedicated hard working priest, Fr STAVROS who works alone, who has increased his Parish and is centred on Christ. I am sure to him and many others, all this is a negative to their work. Our Parish here in Bulgaria is in honour of yr Saint. God bless u.
I have not read the the 2 articles offered. I instead wish to express a guess or two. The fallen ones are mostly clerics of all ranks, and the issues they corrupt are sexual and monetary, exactly like the Jews who murdered the Christ. I only believe the Holy Sacraments only occur during the sacrament ritual, if 2 or more are gather together, who are know by the Christ to be His sheep. I do doubt these fallen cleric’s actually possess a claim to always perform authentic sacraments. This contradicts the Orthodox teaching that, if the bad actor preist performs the ritual it is always infused with the power of the Holy Trinity. A good tree bears good fruits, and evil tree, evil fruits.
Once again, thank you to George & Gail and Monomakhos for bringing this most critical information to light.
It is this filth and vroma within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America which needs to be exposed.
Unfortunately, all this seems to be covered up by the so called powers to be at the Archdiocese. To include: the Metropolitans, the Archdiocesan Council, the Archons and all the elitist members of the high and mighty associated with this so called “Church” institution.
These people have been fooling the general laity for far too long and time has come to finally, once and for all, put an end to this corruption to enhance their own personal agenda.
It’s … you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. This is most certainly far from the Church Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, envisioned. And to be controlled and run by the high and mighty elitist few.
We live here in the U.S., and like it or not, our language here is English. First and foremost, we are an Orthodox Church and not in my case, a Greek ethnic and culture club. Where the primary importance is “Christ” and “NOT” Greek dance and language. Nor is it a political arm of the Hellenic Republic!
Wake up! The Archdiocese is driving not only grown adults, but rather the youth away. Whom with each passing generation, where the youth seem to less associate with, as His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit so well stated in the above video … “katharevousa” Greek.
It’s time to clean house and rid the Archdiocese, as well as the Metropolises of the filth and vroma of the past and present. A new dawn is needed on the horizon, where we here U.S. control our own destiny and stop answering to foreign powers to be or to a fallen empire! And where we here have freedom of religion, unlike Turkey!
His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory, was before his time and had the foresight to see the possible creation of an Office of the Patriarchate right here in perhaps in Washington, DC. God bless him and may his ever so blessed memory be eternal!
Lord have mercy on us and hear our prayers!
And (drumroll)…the good Metropolitan was strong-armed. At least His Eminence wasn’t exiled or retired. It’s so sad when a good Christian leader is seemingly forced to apologize for doing nothing wrong and discussing information that was essentially already public if one bothered to look for it. https://www.detroit.goarch.org/uploads/6/5/2/9/65299921/letter_to_archbishop_2-19-2020.pdf