The audio of Micahel Psaros’ speech at the recent Leadership 100 Conference in Boca Raton on St. Nicholas was MIA but our sources recovered it.
This is one of those times you’ll want to skip to the middle. I’d say around 15:11. Trust me. After hearing it, you won’t want to go back to the beginning. . . ever!
https://www.helleniscope.com/2020/02/25/the-whistleblower-comments-on-michael-psaros-speech/
Pop quiz to follow. (There will be no right answers, as there are no answers, PERIOD!)
It is one thing for the whistle blower to have brought to light wrongdoing but I am struck by the subjective comments made by the whistle blower regarding what he/she has reported. I suppose only time will tell how this will all play out. In the meantime, Lord have mercy!
Alitheia, the whistleblower is like you (presumably) and like me in that he is flabbergasted by what’s going on. He’s not a dispassionate journalist by any stretch of the imagination. (I’m using the pronoun “he” because it’s easier.) He is completely taken aback by all of this. He must be gaining some traction because many of the questions at the end of this video sounded as if he wrote the cue cards.
I get the feeling something about all this bothers you on a deeper level. I’m not suggesting you have anything to do with the shine or anything like that, but what is it about the delivery that seemingly sets your teeth on edge? I may be totally off base, I realize this, but I thought I’d ask. – It’s not pristine, I’ll give you that, but it DOES need to be said. Do you disagree? If so, I’d be interested in hearing why.
Thanks for your reply. First, I’m not GOA so it’s not that I’m insulted. But I am scandalized, as are so many others. If this is the whistle blower that gave the feds information why make that information public? It’s possible the feds’ case could be compromised, even to a small extent. This not a question of being a journalist. Whistle blowers don’t usually go public and don’t get so subjective. I believe having this information public does nothing but increase the angst, anger, depression and anxiety for so many people, as I have said before. And I believe the whistle blower is struggling with many issues given his comments. If his claims are correct and he has proof better to spill the beans, albeit continuing to be anonymous. I think this back and forth is good.
I think he (again using “he” because it’s easier) intended to take that route but then someone with whom he was working, a friend actually, died along with 3 other priests who were known to be fighting the corruption, as well. If I were in his shoes, I tell the Feds everything I knew, too. – Some of this information has been known for a while and yet nothing was done about it so maybe creating a little angst & anger is a good thing. The anxiety and depression aren’t the whistleblower’s fault. These are normal reactions to a very disturbing situation. What’s that saying? Don’t blame the messenger! The whistleblower didn’t create this mess. St. Nicholas has been sitting there dormant for years. Major publications are printing stories about missing funds, overruns, corruption, etc. Jerry Dimitriou is charged with two embezzlement schemes and yet you still hear Psaros say everything is fine. – If it weren’t for this whistleblower, I suspect it would be “business as usual” in the GOA. – That’s my 2 cents, anyway.
Thanks for sharing, Alitheia. It helps me better understand where other people might be coming from, as well. I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise you to learn that George and I aren’t all that popular with everyone either. It comes with the territory. I still think it’s good to stand up.
Couldn’t agree more. Money is the root of all evil, as is said. But some of the claims are incredible, namely, as I mentioned before, 3 members of the Karloutsos family were being paid $200,000 annually and Fr. Alex got $10 million as his cut for fundraising. I’m not blaming the whistle blower, but if there’s proof of this it should be made known since the claims have been published. I have relatives and many friends, clergy and laity, in the GOA and they feel terrible about all this. About standing up…the truth does set us free, and a little righteous indignation ain’t so bad either!
Would it be helpful if we had a tab with all the supporting documentation? We might be able to do that.
Yes please. Maybe on other ongoing stories too.
And be sure to archive any and all 3rd-party links (archive.is for example), because in the Internet age, the historical record can change.
Can’t promise we can do this on all stories, but I think we may be able to do something with this one. I’ll check into it further.
Another internet archive is at https://archive.org/. The site has a “Wayback Machine” (inspired by Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame). Type in a URL in the space provided and “snapshots” of webpages from the past that have been archived (is that really a verb?) can be found.
It seems, from Antiochene Son’s description of it, that archive.is provides a way to put a URL into an archive, while archive.org is a way to find earlier versions of webpages that were saved by the “wayback machine.” Either way, they both are useful resources.
Try typing “www.monomakhos.com” into the Wayback Machine and you’ll see that snapshots of monomakhos pages going back to 2010 have been retained.
I think it would be good. For the longest time there have been allegations of wrongdoing which is understandable because it is so obvious that something is going on. But until recently I don’t recall anyone except Jerry Demetriou (and one other?) being identified as personally profiting but they were accused and arrested by the Feds. So, yes, if there is actual evidence, not stories written making accusations, that can show actual wrongdoing resulting in personal profit, it should be made public. Massive scandals like this often result in parallel conspiracy theories. That shouldn’t be so in this situation.
Alitheia, actually St. Paul said the love of money is the root of all evil (1Tim 6:10). Money of some sort is always necessary, i.e, “a store of value and a medium of exchange” which is the classic definition of money. The trouble comes when the “store of value” part becomes more important than treasures in heaven and union with Christ.
Hence the evil of usury.
Psaros is advertised as a distressed company turn around fund operator with a portfolio of 60 companies. His GOA performance has been really sketchy, in my opinion. Now this tape emerges.
Wow…. after listening to that audio I need to go take a shower.
I left the GOA almost 30 years ago, but I hadn’t realized how I’d forgotten about the level of conceit and fake elitism that many in the GOA “leadership” can muster — all the while still shamelessly believing that they are behaving as Christians. It’s so outlandish it’s almost amusing. They’re like a bunch of Mike Bloombergs on steroids.
I expected someone to add, “We’re Greeks… We need to finish and create an endowment for this ‘shrine’ so that America forever realizes how awesome we are.”
“This will be our Parthenon.” Um, the world has a Parthenon – why does it need another? So you can honor yourselves?
These wealthy bozos need to get over themselves.
Thanks for the reminder on why I could never stomach that organization of the GOA – the “Greeks first, Christ a distant second or third” thing ain’t for me.
The “Parthenon”? So the “Shrine” will be “our Parthenon.” Interesting.
Can anyone tell me if the original Parthenon, the one in Athens, was designed by a Spanish architect?
And can someone tell us if the original Parthenon and its committee ever was under federal investigation for misplaced and misdirected funds and cost over $80 million for 100 parishioner capacity?
How can this tiny building that is supposed to be processing 20,000 tourists per day actually function as a parish? Seems to me it will have to be like the Roman Catholics’ Sacre Coeur in Paris. There (20 years ago anyway) a few of parishoners hunker down for a Sunday service while hoards of tourists (dressed or not however they wish) fill the building and shuffle noisily around them. St Nicholas’ parishoners could be a part of the total Look At Orthodoxy diorama! Will there be any “performances” other than Sunday? Like everything else the answer is trust us we will figure that out later… just hand over more loot for completion… oh yeah and keep handing it over for the endowment from which yet-to-be-named entities will withdraw $$ for upkeep. I guess archons donate $$$ to this spectacle in return for the “glory” of a pat on the back from one or another Eminence or All-Holiness, but why on earth would a lowly orthodox minion bother with it.
A better question is: How can they keep the money from all the people they expect to roll through there and not have to pay taxes on it? They NEED it to be a parish (501c3).
Exit through the Gift Shop
…selling funny souvenir shirts such as:
My YiaYia and Papou spent $80 million on the Shrine and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!
The St. Nicholas National Shrine: Like the Parthenon to those who have never seen the Parthenon
“Yasu?” Get in line behind the NY State Attorney General!
…and the coveted National Shrine Snow-globe:
Shake it and watch the green glitter swirl around the Shrine like thousands of $100 bills!
I’ve already pre-ordered my “Pope Bartholomew” baseball cap.
Don’t forget to order some Elpido-churros to go with your Turkish coffee!
Ioan I like how you think! I am just surprised that they have not started selling Sainthood yet.
INDULGENCES ‘R’ US
At a gift shop near you…soon!
Imagine the good that any other jurisdiction could do to build up the body of Christ with 80+ million dollars. Just imagine.
Indeed. They could have built a modest replacement for St. Nicholas Church and then funded 80 to 100 mission parishes with that kind of money—with full-time clergy to boot.
Instead they build monuments to Hellenism.
Antiochene Son,
what a shame!
And a false, degraded Hellenism at that.
Of course we are expecting to see a monument next to the shrine dedicated (with golden letters) to the architect(s), the constructor(s) and the bishop(s) who managed/achieved the overall project so beautifully, traditionally and cheaply.
What’s worrisome is this Carnivores Virus may shut down construction as is happening all over the country & the world; what could also shut down is domestic & international flights & there won’t be any crowds visiting Ground Zero to St Nicholas Shrine …
People pray this potential pandemic stops -this is something horrific!
Sage-Girl. Nothing even remotely approaching the 1918. Millions died in that one, 20 to 50 million with about 1/3 of the world’s population infected.
Too early to make any assertion of this nature, positive or negative.
What we do know is that the disease has a mortality rate of roughly 2-3% worldwide. Inside those countries reporting cases, the range varies between 0% and 25%, which accounts for variations in healthcare standards and potentially how different populations respond to the virus.
Some things to consider, though:
A 2-3% mortality rate is something on the order of 30 times more lethal than whatever strain of influenza happens to predominate in any given year. If we project the number of coronavirus cases to the number of influenza cases worldwide at this point, there would be over 20 million dead.
There is no vaccine.
People who had previously been infected are turning up with new infections, which makes one wonder if a vaccine is even a viable preventative measure.
In 2003, SARS first reared its ugly head and it also killed 2-3% of people. I don’t remember it crashing the stock market, though. So many people getting sick all at the same time is unusual. It is either REALLY contagious or someone is messing with it behind the scenes.
COVID-19 (the new name for the coronavirus) has infected more people than SARs in China but that does not mean this will be true anywhere else. It is going to spread, however. The problem with these things is that you don’t know what it is going to turn out to be and when you’re dealing with the Chinese government, you know even less.
Sanofi has announced plans to leverage some of its previous development work for a SARS vaccine for a vaccine for the new virus but by the time they come out with it, the virus may have mutated so vaccines are not always effective. (Sanofi is probably not the only one.)
The best way to stay healthy is to be healthy (get sufficient sleep, eat well, exercise, etc.). Avoid taking all the kids with you to the hospital to see Aunt Sally. When this thing hits, emergency rooms and waiting rooms in hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, pharmacies (anywhere sick people go) will become a Petri dish for the virus. Viruses can last a long time on surfaces like chairs, tables, magazines, etc. I use antimicrobial hand purifiers that stay on your hands for up to 24 hours. (Walgreen sells this. It’s called Qore 24.) They attack those spiky projections on the surfaces of viruses. I would use it throughout the day, though, just to make sure you get it everywhere on your hands. It’s non-toxic, doesn’t smell and doesn’t feel like anything, in particular, is on your hands.
If you’re coughing or having trouble catching your breath (the symptoms are not always the same), a temperature higher than 100.4F, a pulse rate of more than 100 beats per minute & oxygen saturation in the blood lower than 95% (you can get those fingertip pulse oximeters that measure this for about $25 on Amazon), you may have pneumonia, according to a large study published in the European Respiratory Journal. If that happens to you, I would ask your doctor for a chest CT scan. They are now saying they can tell by the image if you have the virus. It might be a lot quicker than doing a culture, as only a few states have the capability to test for it. But if you have it, you have it. Unless you have a compromised immune system, the chances are overwhelming that you will survive it. – Only certain kinds of masks protect you from viruses and they’re expensive. I’m not going to wear a mask outside.
Gail, there is also Elderberry Juice concentrate which has a property that coats the virus so they cannot inject themselves into host cells. It worked very well against H1N1. Unfortunately, the best kind is through Wyldewood Cellars and they are already struggling to keep up with seasonal demand. Nothing a couple of million dollars wouldn’t solve. I take it two to three times a day.
You know, I have heard that, too, Michael. I would double up on the dose.
I still have a few bottles of Wyldewood Cellars Dry Elderberry wine on hand; will need to order another case this Spring.
Does the wine have a salutary effect? Beyond the one that I already know about, of course….
The wine does not have sufficient concentration of elderberry
Gail’s reference to “Qore24” is interesting and I plan to look into it. However, I do not understand how Elderberry Juice concentrate can help. The juice is consumed orally and goes down the esophagus to the stomach and on from there. The virus, I assume, ends up in the sinuses through inhalation, and gets into the lungs via the trachea. How would the concentrate get to the virus so as to coat it? What are the mechanics involved here?
blimbax, I assume you know how viruses replicate in human blood stream. There is a protein unique to elderberry that binds to the virus and prevents the replication as it too circulates in the blood stream. There have been scientific studies done in Israel on it but the FDA will not accept those studies here. You have to pay them money.
Elderberry has long been known for its medicinal properties. From personal experience it is fantastic for any respiratory allergies or diseases.
Most of the elderberry products on the market use preservatives, alcohol or sugar and the level of pure elderberry is too low.
Wyldewood uses only fresh juice, not dehydrated to preserve the water born properties. An osteopath I used during the H1N1 problem recommended 1 oz three times a day even after first symptoms appear.
It really works
Unfortunately it does not have anti-bacterial properties.
Michael Bauman, Thank you for your response.
Your assumption is incorrect. I really do not know how viruses work in the blood stream. My question was genuine even if it revealed ignorance on my part. If I had known the answer, I would not have asked the question. My supposition as to how viruses work in the context of the human organism apparently was incorrect so I thank you for your reference to the blood stream.
I appreciate your answer and will look into it further. In the meantime, I would like to pose a more specific question. Does the protein in elderberry bind to all viruses? What is the basis for assuming that it binds to the virus at issue? Or is that based on a similarity between the Covid-19 virus and other viruses which have been shown to be subject to the good effects of elderberry?
blimbax,
We are all ignorant of something, usually many things. Questions are a natural part of trying to cure our ignorance. Since my father was a doctor and my profession involves underwriting life and health insurance, I have absorbed many things there. I tend to assume too much knowledge on the part of others sometimes. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable.
The rest of the story:
My brother-in-law who founded Wyldewood Cellars and is a physical scientist before he became a wine maker. He came to know the properties of Elderberry when working with an oncologist to find something that would help cancer patients support their immune system. Elderberry does that.
The anti-viral properties are part of the package. The Wyldewood concentrate uses 6.5 pounds of Elderberries for each 12.5 oz bottle. The concentration and bottling process is designed to maintain as many of the properties of the berry as possible. It is never heated and the bottle is sealed with nitrogen to keep it from getting oxidized. That and the fact that it is elderberry, all elderberry and nothing but elderberry makes is unique from the mass marketed elderberry products you can find in the grocery store.
Unless COVID-19 is significantly different in its make-up the elderberry protein should work as it interrupts the fundamental mechanism that viruses use to invade our cells, take over the DNA/RNA and instruct the cell to make copies of the virus. When the cell has filled up with copies, the cell bursts and sends the new batch of viruses out into our blood stream. The protein is a bit like a condom for viruses.
All viral illnesses are systemic in nature. Flu is not just an upper respiratory disease. It also produces aches and pains in the muscles, etc.
My dear wife does the commercial sales for the company. She and her brother teamed up to form the company 25 years ago. At the time she was on 3 inhalers, 2 oral meds and a pulmo-aide machine daily to maintain breathing. Doctors had given here less than 2 years to live because of her chronic lack of lung function.
As she began to take the elderberry daily, her use of the meds decreased significantly. She will very occasionally needs an inhaler or a dose of montelukast. Usually during harvest season when the fields that surround our home are being harvested.
In the spring and fall when my allergies act up, I can take a 1 to 2 oz dose of elderberry and all of the usual symptoms of running itching nose, mucus production and frequent sneezing go away within 20 minutes. Much better than any antihistamine I have ever taken. It also helps immensely with the bronchial problems I develop as a result of my open heart surgery in 2009.
I, too, still take an occasional antihistamine when my allergy symptoms are really acute but not if I have maintained my maintenance dose.
The FDA prohibits Wyldewood from publishing or linking to any information concerning the medicinal properties of elderberry. They even came down from Kansas City a few years ago and, with guns, arrested a batch of the juice in the warehouse. Since Wyldewood lost an enormous number of sales during that time AND had to pay the FDA about $250,000 to cover the costs of the enforcement action, it almost bankrupted the company which was part of the intent. They never could find the time to release the seal on the batch so it just rotted.
They do the same thing to dairy farmers selling raw milk. But I digress.
As Tim R can attest, Wyldewood also makes many fine wines, including Elderberry Dry Reserve and many other non-grape and grape wines. They have won over 600 international awards for their wines in blind taste tests conducted by certified judges.
While they cannot ship the wines to all states, the concentrate is not so restricted. Check out their web site: http://www.wyldewoodcellars.com My son will ship you anything you decide to order.
BTW, I was a customer of Wyldewood before I met me dear wife and used the concentrate for about 7 years before I even knew her. She did, however, sell me several bottles when she was manning their retail store.
Michael Bauman, Thank you for the additional information. And I took no offense at all. I am looking into it. There do appear to be scientific studies that show that elderberry concentrate has health benefits. I appreciate your bringing it to people’s attention.
Have any papers been published by scientists in reputable scientific journals about the use of elderberry to combat viruses and/or affecting immune systems
Take Vitamin C. LOTS of Vitamin C and plenty of Vitamin D3.
It’s not a cure, but it keeps your immune system up to scratch.
I’m a firm believer in both and periodically get tested to make sure both are in sufficient quantities in my system. I’m also a big believer in whole plants and plant-based omega 3s.
La Galina knows of what she speaks. I have been on this whole plants based regimen for almost two years now.
Elderberry is good for reducing the severity of colds IMHO.
If I may:
Chloroquine, or quinine or good quality tonic. Works for malaria too 🙂
https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/science/020620/could-an-old-malaria-drug-help-fight-the-new-coron
If memory serves, tonic waters contain quinine.
Tonic water is medicine,
but it tastes foul.
Gin is the sugar coating that
makes the medicine go down.
Lol
Thanks Gail!
Also for immune system take daily Olive Leaf ? Extract …my holistic doctor said this years ago & I never got flu since & don’t take shot.
Also Collodial Silver throat spray.
Hey that Qore24 hand ? cleanser sounds like powerful stuff.
Below please find an article from yesterday in The National Herald.
Leadership 100 Donates $5 Million to St. Nicholas Church and Shrine
By Theodore Kalmoukos
February 26, 2020
https://www.thenationalherald.com/288468/leadership-100-donates-5-million-to-st-nicholas-church-and-shrine/
Below please find an article from today in The National Herald.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Give Commencement Address at Notre Dame
By TNH Staff
February 27, 2020
https://www.thenationalherald.com/288475/ecumenical-patriarch-bartholomew-to-give-commencement-address-at-notre-dame/
AB Elpi says:
“His [Bartholomew’s] witness to Christ and the truth of our Faith is unparalleled in the world today, and we all look forward to hearing his words of wisdom and profound spiritual experience.”
I wonder if he’ll talk about the firestorm of schism that he created in world Orthodoxy? I wonder if he’ll talk about the OCU laymen that he permits to dress up as clergy as they advocate to raid canonical Churches and beat people into submission? I wonder if he’ll talk about his new role in world Orthodoxy as “first without equals”?
He will probably attempt his own “Hail, Mary” pass and announce his and his followers upcoming union with Rome.
I predict he will lead off with something like:
“Just a few short weeks ago we celebrated Easter together on the same date…yaddayadda…soon we will be joyously celebrating like this with all our Christian brothers and sisters EVERY Easter…yadda…Nicaea 2025.”
..and the crowd goes wild.
https://pixels.com/featured/notre-dames-touchdown-jesus-mountain-dreams.html
Bartholomew’s “US Victory Tour 2020” poster displays rather prominently his kissing the Pope on the head.
https://orthodoxtimes.com/ecumenical-patriarch-at-the-usa-in-may/
It also shows someone (or is this his younger self??) with an armful of goats. What’s this message supposed to convey? That’s he is the leader and collector of goats? – So it would seem.
Good catch, Gail. A picture is worth a thousand words. I think the Bart-n-goats pic was a visual Freudian slip of monstrous proportions.
And so soon after the Sunday of the Last Judgment!
The Gospel of St. Matthew chapter 25
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Gail,
what if his full-time photographer told him, that would be a good PR picture?
Then either the “full-time photographer” doesn’t understand the symbolism of “goats” or he’s punking him! I don’t know! It just looks weird to me. Every other picture has significance, especially the one with Pope Francis. These are messages. He is signaling things to come, i.e. unity with RC, support of Elpi taking over North American (and the oceans, apparently), etc. Why would he include a picture collecting goats?! It is bizarre on so many levels. He is not signaling a visit to a farm. He is not demonstrating his “strength”, as he clearly does not have the wherewithal to carry a bunch of goats around. Someone responsible for this flyer may be signaling his own message: Bartholomew is collecting goats and taking them with him. Don’t be one of them.
On another note, the following is posted on the Ecumenical Patriarchate website. Surely Trump is getting the picture now. Always look at the people hosting dinners. “His All Holiness” has political ties with the people who have been implicated in cashing out on Ukraine and he is one of them.
“Throughout the first week of November, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will meet with the highest leaders of our Nation: the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of State, and the Majority Leader of the Senate. Both Vice President Biden and Secretary of State Clinton will host dinners in honor of His All Holiness.”
Maybe they all thought they were lambs or sheep?
It seems that he likes goats. In these pictures he is holding another baby goat and embracing a donkey.
https://www.romfea.news/the-ecumenical-patriarch-in-the-garden-of-the-saint-trinity-monastery-in-halki/
And who are the donkeys in the US? His benefactors in the Democratic party, the ones who are hosting the dinners. Someone behind the scenes has a real sense of humor. I noticed the flyer isn’t being distributed anymore. Maybe he figured it out or maybe he reads the blog!
You know, Mikhail, it wouldn’t surprise me!
I think Bartholomew will act by stating that since he is “First Without Equals” he will take the lead (probably using with some kind “First in Love” justification) and be the first to embrace Rome so that his “loving” example will show the way for his inferiors to follow. Follow or else.
What a ghastly recording. I wonder if the speaker has enough brains to be embarrassed by his words. The best example yet of disconnecting Christ from every other consideration. The first church was destroyed by muslim terrorists, I hope this one never opens its doors. It deserves to be a ruin forever.
Alitheia, what do you mean by reputable?
There were studies done in Israel. But there are other references to studies on the internet.
The FDA will not accept them and since it is not possible to patent a natural substance. There is no money to pay the FDA
The healing properties of elderberry have been well known for centuries and passed down for generations. It is fruit juice. It has no side effects. Taste and see.
I would add that while I understand the reluctance to take word of mouth testimony for truth, the testimony I offer here is not just mine but a body of experience over 25 years from all sort of folks as to the efficacy of pure, concentrated Elderberry Juice. That testimony builds on the transmitted experience of many people over centuries. It is not some “new age” fantasy or ginned up late night TV panacea.
Will it always work in every instance? No, but neither do modern pharmaceuticals all of which have both high failure rates and usually significant complications.
When I get episodes of allergic rhinitis in the Spring and Fall which I have had my whole life I have two options: take anti-histamine of some sort and go to bed as taking even two Benadryl can make you as impaired as drinking too much alcohol; or take an oz. or two of Wyldewood Cellars Elderberry Juice Concentrate and experience the symptoms greatly reduced or gone within 15 minutes.
When my newly acquired bronchial asthma, the result in part from the medication I take to regulate my heart rhythm, makes it difficult to breath, I take an oz. or two of Concentrate and my breathing improves significantly in a short amount of time. I and others have repeated this experiment many times over and achieved the same results each and every time. Concentrate is not an emergency medicine, it is a dietary component that when taken regularly has proved to the satisfaction of many to both reduce and even prevent both viral respiratory illnesses and other types of respiratory distress and discomfort. It is quite remarkable.
This traditional knowledge continues to be passed down to those with ears to hear. Historically speaking such oral testimony aggregated and transmitted is far more reliable than just about any other sort of evidence.
However, since inquiring minds want to know: Most recently, research9 published in the March 2019 issue of the Journal of Functional Foods details the actual mechanism by which elderberry protects against influenza and other viral attacks. As reported by Science Daily:10
“Conducted by Professor Fariba Deghani, Dr. Golnoosh Torabian and Dr. Peter Valtchev … the study showed that compounds from elderberries can directly inhibit the virus’s entry and replication in human cells, and can help strengthen a person’s immune response to the virus.
Although elderberry’s flu-fighting properties have long been observed, the group performed a comprehensive examination of the mechanism by which phytochemicals from elderberries combat influenza infections.
‘What our study has shown is that the common elderberry has a potent direct antiviral effect against the flu virus,’ said … Torabian. ‘It inhibits the early stages of an infection by blocking key viral proteins responsible for both the viral attachment and entry into the host cells.’”
Interestingly, the elderberry juice not only was able to prevent the virus from entering and infecting the cells in the first place, but it also inhibited late-stage propagation of the virus in cells that had already been infected. What’s more, this late-stage inhibition was even stronger than its action during the initial infection stage.
According to Valtchev,11 “This observation was quite surprising and rather significant because blocking the viral cycle at several stages has a higher chance of inhibiting the viral infection.”
But, Alitheia it still depends upon whether or not you consider this study “reputable” but it does tend to verify the information I have already given.
I would reemphasize that many of the products sold OTC are “extracts” and you do not get the complete elderberry and they are often combined with sugar or alcohol. The value of the Wyldewood Cellars concentrate is that is pure, fresh and concentrated and blessed by a Rabbi as Kosher.
Watch your source.
Yes, elderberry is one of my supplements too. Once one reads and learns about the helpful “natural” health-protective substances out there, important to learn what the ingredients and possible contaminants are in each formulation. I find good help in my subscription to Consumer Lab at http://www.consumerlab.com which does INDEPENDENT testing of supplements/vitamins (since unregulated by the FDA). Wish it were free but helps them be independent to charge. It is most helpful in learning what ingredients/contaminants are and aren’t there. I have also saved a lot on the same substance by finding one of their “top picks” with more efficacy and less cost than others and would not have been able to do so without it. The site also alludes to scientific studies and draws conclusions from them about various conditions. One recent example is which probiotics are best for which problems and situations and why. See what you think…
Alitheia, I want to give some background and perspective as to why I responded as I did to your request for “reputable science” regarding the properties of elderberry.
The following comes from Hieromonk Gabriel’s blog: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/rememberingsion/2019/01/23/demonic-autonomy-divine-obedience/
The entire post address the modern paradigm (rooted in history) of the drive to autonomy and power of which “SCIENCE” has become an unfortunate tool.
I have long held that real science can only be practiced within the matrix of Holy Tradition which recognizes both the essential mystery (hiddenness) of creation AND the central role of we human beings, in Christ, have in seeking the proper revelation of those mysteries in humility and their proper use. That is the opposite of magic and the will to power. I am not some anti-intellectual Luddite. Indeed in my teens I read with rapt attention the stories of the original microbe hunters and those stories left me in awe of the fabric of creation in which we live. But such exploration is best undertaken within the context of Holy Tradition and even the lesser native healing traditions which are the source of much wisdom an grounded in a sacramental world view.
The tension between modern science and traditional understanding has long been in my heart. I was an avid reader of science for a long time as a non-professional amateur, until an editorial in the Scientific American, circa 2007-8 that lambasted all those who actually believe in God, strongly implying that there is a new god in town that has supplanted the archaic one which was mere superstition anyway.
I seldom seek to validate my experience within the context of a traditional handing down of wisdom about the function of the natural worlds through modern science. I do not see the point.
My definition of “reputable” is an ordered exploration of a particular thing done with as little dominating modern bias as possible.
Father Gabriel’s discussion of the reality of the modern approach to “science” and the reality of the human soul is one of the best I have ever seen.
So Alitheia, I ask again not only what your definition of “reputable” is but also “scientific” It is not an academic question. I would really like to know.
hiohy9i
Below please find an article in today’s The National Herald.
Leadership 100 Approves $5 Million for St. Nicholas National Shrine and Additional Grants of $2,673,658 for 2020
By TNH Staff
March 4, 2020
https://www.thenationalherald.com/289640/leadership-100-approves-5-million-for-st-nicholas-national-shrine-and-additional-grants-of-2673658-for-2020/
Below please find a “Letter to the Editor” from today in The National Herald, by Nick Karakas.
Please also note the comment section below the article.
Open Letter to the Publisher of The National Herald
March 4, 2020
https://www.thenationalherald.com/289606/open-letter-to-the-publisher-of-the-national-herald/
Below please find an article from Saturday, February 29th, on the Orthodox Christian Laity website.
Transparency and Accountability in Church Governance
BY WEBMASTER ON FEBRUARY 29, 2020
GOVERNANCE & UNITY ESSAYS, GOVERNANCE & UNITY NEWS
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity
https://ocl.org/transparency-and-accountability-in-church-governance/
Wow! This gentlemen, Nick Karakas, ends a letter addressed to his fellow Greeks with a quotation from, of all people, Archbishop Averky of Syracuse and Holy Trinity Monastery!
God bless you, Mr. Karakas.
So everyone knows what you’re referring to, Brian, Nick’s comment appeared in a letter entitled, “Open Letter to the Publisher of The National Herald,” dated March 4, 2020. He ended his letter with the following:
“May I leave you with this message from AB Averky of Syracuse and Holy Trinity Monastery:
“The destructive spirit of Apostasy has already penetrated even our Orthodox Church, extremely prominent hierarchs of which openly are proclaiming the approach of some sort of ‘new era’ and cynically are proposing being done with all the past as they assemble to create some kind of completely ‘new Church’ in close ‘ecumenical’ contact and unanimity with all apostates from the true faith and Church…For a long time we have heard that they (our Orthodox clergy) belong to this movement in order ‘to witness to the peoples of other confessions the truth of holy Orthodoxy,’ but it is difficult for us to believe that this statement is anything more than ‘throwing powder in our eyes.’ Their frequent theological declarations in the international press can lead us to no other conclusion than that they are traitors to the holy Truth. Nick Karakas Karakasn@yahoo.com”
https://www.thenationalherald.com/289606/open-letter-to-the-publisher-of-the-national-herald/
Yes, Gail. Thank you. And to be even clearer, what makes it remarkable for him to close his open letter with this quotation, especially in these times, is that Archbishop Averky of thrice blessed memory was a ROCOR hierarch.
It’s not so much that he was ROCOR as it is that he (Mr. Karakas) had the boldness to cite his words regardless of their source, showing that he cares more about the truth than about being politically correct. I am sure he could have found any number of holy Greek Orthodox faithful who have said essentially the same things as Archbishop Averky, but he was not afraid to choose this particular quote.
I completely agree, Brian. May God bless this man and may he encourage other good men to stand up for our brothers and sisters in Christ in the GOA.
George Michaelopulos — thanks for your incredible informative site…learning a lot .
May I ask, does anybody know what’s happening now in face of Pandemic to the rebuilding of St. Nicholas church/shrine?
Last I heard was weeks ago, an Archon told me at NY Cathedral the rebuilding had begun. Will this delay be a cause for more problems?
Sage-Girl, my gut tells me that with the present dive in the stock market, that cash will not be forthcoming.