Just when I had come to grips with the serious damage that was being inflicted by Patriarch Bartholomew on the Orthodox Church, a second very serious gut-punch came from out of nowhere. Tim Tassopoulos, the President and Chief Operating Officer of Chick-fil-A, did an about-face and announced that his iconic fast-food franchise will no longer make donations to “anti-LGBT groups and causes”.
Among these supposed “anti-LGBT groups” will be the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The reason for this stunning about-face is simple: Chick-fil-A caved to the homosexual juggernaut.
The Salvation Army? Are you friggin’ kidding me? The Army is probably the purest force for good in the entire world. Unlike the Catholic Church which is riven with a pederast scandal from which it likely won’t recover or an Orthodox Church which is more concerned about seating arrangements at the next gathering of do-nothing bishops, the Salvation Army actually has boots on the ground and feeds, clothes and houses the destitute on streets all over America –and without a hint of scandal.
OK, the Salvation Army doesn’t subscribe to the LGBT agenda? So what? Do they turn away destitute homosexuals from their facilities? Never. Not once. I guess in the mind of Tassopoulos, in order for anybody to do business in America today one must kowtow to the Big Gay, Inc, otherwise it’s the door for you.
And it was all so bloody unnecessary. Chick-fil-A’s business model was an unabashedly Christian, pro-American ethos that served a tasty product. Its culture was an important reason for its explosive growth, making it America’s fastest-growing restaurant chain. It didn’t need to cave, it was doing just fine on its own, in spite of all the bad publicity that it garnered over the years because it wouldn’t bend the knee to all the “right people”.
All it had to do was remain resolute. That’s all. Because here’s the thing: the brownshirts on the Left had spent all their ammo trying to take it down. *Yawn*, it didn’t work and so they moved on to another boring project. In the end, nobody gave a rat’s ass. That’s one of the lessons that we’re supposed to learn from bullies. But not Chick-fil-A. For some reason they felt that virtue-signaling was more important than just holding firm to a business model that worked.
And guess what? This wasn’t good enough for the crybullies on the Left. Nor should we be surprised because whenever you cave to bullies, it’s never enough. “Repentance” in their minds means eternal guilt-tripping. They’ve taken the Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton shakedown schtick and perfected it. Were the brownshirts happy? Perish the thought! Upon hearing the news, GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has demanded the Chick-fil-A go further and essentially denounce itself, its history and its beliefs.
So, what are we left with? Chick-fil-A did something monumentally stupid which not only upset their Christian consumer base but angered the people they thought they were appeasing. They unnecessarily created a no-win situation. This is a far worse business decision than “New Coke” or the Edsel. Coca-Cola was able to regroup with “Coke Classic” and Ford quietly retired the Edsel and concentrated on its successes like the Mustang. Chick-fil-A, unfortunately, will not be able to recover from this insane decision.
So why did they do it?
Clearly, it wasn’t an economic decision. As mentioned, Chick-fil-A has been going gangbusters over the last few years even when the crybullies heaped all sorts of obloquy upon it. And for all those ordinary people who patronized it despite all the protests (and perhaps because of the protests), we did so, grateful for it being a mere oasis from the insanity that has gripped our nation. It’s not enough for the SJWs of the world to destroy the NFL, now they have to train their guns on a reasonably priced dining experience. And for those of us who supported their courageous stand, we are now left to wonder if it was even worth it.
We won a big one with Kanye, but we lost a big one with Chick-fil-A. And unnecessarily so. This was a self-inflicted wound of monumental proportions, one based on both cowardice and stupidity. And one without any reward for the chain itself.
And here’s the really sad part: we won’t ever know if we’ll ever be safe from the depredations of the Left as it continues to burrow its way into every last remaining nook and cranny of American life. Will we be able to support another paladin who stands for normalcy? Why should we? Chick-fil-A proved that there’s no upside for standing up for one’s principles.
According to Chick-fil-A’s website, Tassopoulos is a member of “the board of trustees for Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.”
https://www.chick-fil-a.com/board-officers/executive-officers/tim-tassopoulos
I’d recommend removing “the board of trustees for Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology” from one’s CV, given how awful HC/HC are doing these days.
It’s like saying “I was responsible for actively neglecting and occasionally managing the decline of the Greek Orthodox seminary in North America.”
Who wants to advertise that on his or her list of “accomplishments”?
I saw the name. Looked him up and he’s Greek Orthodox. I immediately wondered if he’d get a mention here.
CFA won’t get any of my business. Traitors and cowards are worse than enemies.
I think perhaps this not so surprising given the affiliations with certain Orthodox institutions. Why should we be agog at a secular business decision (no matter how dumb, very in this case) when I have no doubt that a lot of the criticism of CFA was probably being whispered into TTass’ ear by fellow trustees. So sad.
Correct me if I’m wrong here, but the report that seems to be the origin of this is here: https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/retail/exclusive-amid-global-expansion-and-lgbt-pushback-chick-fil-a-changes-charitable-giving-structure-101818
If Tassopoulos had actually said anything about “anti-LGBT” groups directly, I’m sure that this would have been quoted in the article – or the multitude of sites freaking out about this story.
What this looks like is that Chick-fil-A is changing how their philanthropy is done, which they did several years ago (and which also resulted in a collective freak-out). From a business perspective, makes sense considering how rapidly the franchise has grown in the last decade. 90% of this article is pure speculation from the author as to *why* Chick-fil-A “must be” changing its philanthropy strategy, and is actually highly incendiary in the way it is written.
In my reading on this today, if I remember correctly, Chick-fil-A currently donates to over 300 different charities, as their focus has been on local programs. They are morphing from a regional chain, though, to a national one, and it makes sense to try to streamline a bit. As a result, many charities, which were never promised unending streams of cash from CfA, are not going to be part of the newer strategy. It’s may be sad, but it’s how charitable giving works. Even with the Salvation Army – from what I understand, the donations were for a specific children’s program in the Atlanta area, not to the organization as a whole.
https://waywardmittens.wordpress.com/2019/11/19/falling-for-the-daily-freak-out-chick-fil-a-edition/
And yet, I think you can agree that the way this was rolled out was a huge mistake, one engineered to anger both sides.
In addition, the agents of Big Gay, Inc. are not happy with Chick-fil-A. Hence the double outrage and sorrow: none of this was necessary.
As for Tassopoulos himself, I did not know about his personal denominational affiliation because I didn’t think that it was germane. However since we now know that he is a member of the GOA and a Board Member of HC/HC, this adds an unfortunate element for speculation. Given that is that the EP/GOA and its various auxiliaries (e.g. the Fordhamites) are all “on board” regarding modernism.
I cannot find any article anywhere that directly quotes any CFA executive saying that the CFA foundation is specifically avoiding so-called anti-alphabet soup charities. It all seems to be hype brought up by articles such as the one you linked. As Rhipsime says, it is a masterful piece of misdirection and speculation. And we know that Gay, inc. will not be satisfied, ever, with anything less than the complete collapse of Chicfila.
I agree. They also never said they will permanently stop giving to the two organizations mentioned. They still will donate to both faith based and non faith based charities.
Gus, the damage is done. That’s the point. And that it was unnecessary. Chick-Fil-A was doing just fine despite all the hatred being spewed on them. Like Othello, “They threw away their pearl for naught”. (Speaking about Ophelia, a paraphrase).
Ophelia? Or Desdemona?
Desdemona! My bad! Thanks for the correction.
You know, I really envied people like the late Joe Sobran and Harold Bloom, who –we are told–knew the whole Shakespeare canon by heart.
George, Winston Churchill also knew the Shakespeare canon by heart. I heard Richard Burton tell the story of performing one of Shakespeare’s plays when Churchill was in the audience. Burton could hear Chruchill muttering along with him –every single line. Now, with the folios as they are, there are frequent edits done by each director to make the play more interesting. When Burton jumped forward in the play in accordance with the cuts for that particular production, there was a brief pause but Churchill caught up right away.
I understand that there is an Orthodox canon that requires bishops to know the entire Psalter my heart. If that is true, I do wonder who many do.
*a clarification to my previous comment…
The donation to FCA was in the amount of $1.65 million for summer camps at two Atlanta-area colleges. The donation for the Salvation army – $115K – was specifically for the “Angel Tree” program.
While CfA may be trying to make its charitable giving more “non-controversial”, in one sense, the author of the piece does a masterful job of using quotes, non-quotes, and speculation. For example, the writer reports in a non-quote that “the company said none of the organizations have anti-LGBT positions”. That’s all fine and good, but it doesn’t look like the subject of FCA or the Salvation Army came up at all in conversation – but rather “according to the tax filing”, Bisnet saw that Chick-fil-A’s support to these groups was ending, and as they are considered by many in the LGBT mafia to be “hate groups”, they name-dropped those organizations in for the “shock value” of it all… Never mind that according to the statement, there are probably a couple of hundred charities that Chick-fil-A is going to opt out of supporting based on the newer philanthropy structure.
He sure has a smug look on his face in the Chick-fil-A website photo. His family and the GOA and the Axios group […] must be very proud of him too.
As Kipling observed:
“When once you have paid the Danegeld,
you never get rid of the Dane.”
Looks like Moscow will be making a decision on the 22nd regarding Alexandria. Im assuming the same thing that happened with the EP and CoG will happen.
I’m also curious as to what Jerusalem and Antioch (my Patriarchate) will do. Given past history of the Jerusalem patriarchate, if further “Greekness” is thrust on the faithful, I would assume there will be a revolt amongst the flock which is almost entirely Arab or Russian
Alexandria? Clarify, please?
Alexandria recognized OCU schismatics.
Jerusalem is supporting the UOC in both word and deed, but given what happened with the primate of All Africa, I will not be holding my breath. I think Antioch is a safe bet to make the right decision, but… you never knw in these trying times.
Thanks. I’m also Antiochian, the ones I know are very pro-Russia, myself included, if it comes to it.
In contrast, good news from those standing up for Christ in the public arena: NFL QB Nick Foles speaks for Christ again, glory to God!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPBzV1Vzai8lhiYMh9Gk48rgLJR87MK3l
CAF is losing a customer. If anyone finds his mailing address, happy to write the CEO! Meantime at least the Dallas Cowboys still support those in need via the Salvation Army:
https://www.dallascowboys.com/video/zeke-cowboys-feed-friends-in-dfw
Jason Witten a lot like Tom Landry and Roger Staubach too. Christians rejoice.
I see that Rod Dreher has several posts on the CAF decision, but I was reminded of an earlier post of his from 2016 that I saved. Here is the segment that stuck in my mind:
“Last year, the Baptist ethicist David Gushee was quoted by gay New York Times columnist Frank Bruni as saying that “Conservative Christian religion is the last bulwark against full acceptance of L.G.B.T. people.” Gushee has fully embraced gay rights, and doesn’t simply tolerate gay relationships, but affirms their goodness. Now he has written an extraordinarily important column laying out the future for Christians who reject the Sexual Revolution in its latest form. Excerpts:
“After the Church of Athens and the Greek Patriarchate of Alexandria in Egypt has aligned with Constantinople, recognizing the new Autocephalic Church of Kiev, a “Society of Orthodox Russian-speaking believers” was registered in the canonical territory of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Moscow Patriarchate said that the Russians from now on will intensify relations with the Coptic Church of Alexandria, given the inevitable break with the Greeks.”
http://asianews.it/news-en/moscow-increasingly-against-greek-orthodox-48544.html
FWIT, I for one have long thought that the schisms between the so-called Monophysites and us should have been healed long ago. I’m sorry, but the Copts of Egypt and the Jacobites in the Middle East are truly martyric churches, unlike what we read in the press reports of the Phanar.
I will support any attempt to heal this breach and to preach to Africa as Theodore has now abandoned evangelism for bribes from the Greek govt.
I don’t know Greek or Coptic, but as the disagreement translates into English, I don’t see a difference between their Christology and ours.
I am now reminded of a video I watched on YouTube recently–part of a series where an Evangelical visits churches of various sects for a question-and-answer session about each of their respective teachings. He visited a Lutheran church, and the minister’s explanation of the Eucharistic celebration seemed surprisingly Orthodox, in addition to a few other things that–while not quite “there”–didn’t sound like it would take very much to bring them into line with Orthodoxy.
This series also spotlighted Catholic and Greek churches. The Catholic priest didn’t seem to have a very good understanding of theology and his knowledge of history was a bit off as well. The Greek priest did a good job although he didn’t offer a great deal of insight. Just the facts, ma’am–which could lead someone with heterodox or heretical leanings to understand things the wrong way.
Perhaps it’s time to clear the rot from our own house and bring others in who will listen.
Now, who is being “ecumenist” and syncretist?
In the 1950s American academia called the miaphysites “semi-christian”
Johann Sebastian: “I don’t see a difference between their Christology and ours.”
I do.
Christ has two natures–divine and human–that are inseparably combined in His One Person.
Christ is of one nature that is both fully divine and fully human.
Please explain what the difference is, if any, and how the latter is compromised. I’m not saying that we should accept the latter wording, although unlike, say, the Filioque, I don’t see how this subverts the integrity of Christ’s Divinity, His Sacrifice, the consubstantiality of the Trinity, or our fundamental monotheism.
They’re not Arians and they’re not Nestorians. Totally different ballgame there.
The entire fascination with Oriental “Orthodox” is fraudulent and based on anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism, as the pre-Chalcedonians are, if anything, proto-muslims. And it derives from the Nesselrode Uspensky Aflaq attempt to fabricate and conjure up “Arab” nationalism. “Bonaparte, with his cynical view of religion, was perfectly content to issue an Arabic proclamation that the French were ‘muslims’ (as deist unitarians)” (p 31 Napoleon’s Egypt Juan Cole Palgrave Macmillan 2007) The Adventures of Nesselrode and Uspensky in the “autocephaly” of Antioch led them to satanic miaphysite entanglements like Persian toll houses and Skoptozy circumcision. Other than superficial customs, pre-Chalcedonians have less in common with the Orthodox than Catholics or Protestants, as the latter accept Chalcedon. Jones (JTS59) disproves the Marxist allegations of Greek suppression of Arabs leading to the pre-Chalcedonian schism. In Bava Kama (82b-83a) Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi debunks the Aramaic myth “Why use Syriac in Eretz Israel? Speak either Hebrew or Greek!” D W Riddle (J Bibl Lit 54#3 p138) “Since Aramaic exists only in fragments he cannot illustrate his locutions by citing actual parallels” The diglossism of demonic demoted demotic is a marxist fraud.
Do Catholics or Protestants *really* accept Chalcedon, aside from whatever historic written declarations they may invoke?
DO CONSTANTINOPLE OR THE GREEK PATRIARCHATE OF ALEXANDRIA OR THE OCU TODAY HOLD ANY MORE RIGHT TO CALL THEMSELVES ORTHODOX THAN THE UKRAINIAN GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH DOES?
John Sebastien- You make a good point. Now that all canonical norms have been thrown out and apostolic succession is anything you make it out to be. Then even protestants can call themselves Orthodox. The bare minimum is a superficial belief in the Trinity. When was the last time a bishop issued a public statement saying that grace and sacraments are found only in the Orthodox Church? They cannot even make themselves say it, they lack faith.
Christianity becomes a mishmash of indefensible and incoherent assertions with the patristic lens removed, which opens the door to the silliness we see in contemporary Western churches, save for the commitment and fervor of the believers.
And when our hierarchs pine after heresiarchs who openly and blatantly embrace idolatry and polytheism (of which the “individualism” of contemporary society is very much a part) how can we seriously defend our venerable and incontrovertible Truth–watertight on paper, but made a mockery of in practice?
John Sebastion I have had close contact with Copts abd Armenians in London due to working medical colleagues.
The Armenians along the way went western down to organs. Their churches are beautiful but quite bare, although they do have icons and always a large ( often western type) madona and child behind altar. Having said that their worship is moving and when without organ very meaningful.
I have a copy of their liturgy in english and Armenian and I honestly cannot spot the difference in Christology.
The Copts are far more outwardly looking byzantine Orthodox and their liturgy is very austere as the chanting also. Many icons in the Churches. Again the wording in their liturgy is Orthodox. Some may come back on me but I only telling u what my eyes have seen and read. The Jacobite Syrian church is nearer the coptic in feel but less icons.
These are martyred churches and anybody reading the life of Kyrill the Coptic Patrarch, who died in 1971 and was an ascetic and leader in ways we have forgotten, will understand much.
Re Phanar etc. I want to again say that what is disgusting for me and not only seen in Phanar, Let’s be honest, now, is the luxury life style of these so called bishops, who often can’t be bothered to even look the part.
They are meant to be monks and have large collection of expensive watches etc. That us manuella of France. Why has he not been suspended? His delux living comes of the back of working people who since 2008 economic crash have struggled to put food on the table and roof over their head.
They hide behind stupid dead titles and dress up like prima donnas! and hand out wooden language. And now they can’t even be bothered to defend the Faith.
Some years ago an evangelical protestant work colleague told me that for him the Orthodox church was the wrong way up. In that the people, the lay people, seemed to exist to keep in clover the small clerical group above us in clear contradiction to the words of Christ.
This is what is destroying the Church , clericalism now elevated to dogma by the turk in the Phanar and yr satrap.
We should thank bartholomaios for revealing the truth. And now he wants more bucks from the american cash cow.
Johan, Do we Orthodox “really” accept Chalcedon? To the extent that we have been modernized, probably not. As I have noted in other posts here the reality of Jesus Christ is fully-God and fully man without division or confusion. or in more complete form:
flies in face of modern understanding of almost everything. It is a radical statement that is either a complete lie or a statement of revealed truth that could only come through the Holy Spirit.
It has caused many mind boggling head explosions in the last 1500 years or so. I doubt that anyone can accept it fully without a great deal of faith and grace certainly not by rational thought alone. The more infected someone is by the modern apostasy and rebellion, the less will be accepted no matter what lip service is given. That is true for each one of us.
Only through repentance and submission to His divine love in and through the Church is acceptance even possible.
George, I am involved with mission work and what I have been wondering is how the Sub-Saharan flock within the Greek patriarchate will react and where they will go. Within Egypt the GPoA is essentially defunct, however, there is a large, large missionary effort in the rest of Africa, especially sub-Saharan. It’s a bit upsetting TBH to know of all the hard work that was put into those missions just to be dragged into schism bc of “Greekness.” It’s one of the most upsetting things to me TBH
Dunno. What we may be witnessing is the shaking out of the wheat from the chaff. The black Africans are mostly wheat from what I can tell.
Well I pray to God that the bishops and priests of the patriarchate (mostly black African) side with Russia
That article is mostly propaganda. The meetings with the Copts have been going on for years. It was already scheduled way before any of this transpired. Also the biggest ecumenistic agreement has already been made between the Copts and Alexandrian Greeks which recognize their marriages and baptism. Personally I think if reunion is what we want the OO must accept all 7 ecumenical councils and Armenians need to drop their use of unleavened bread.
Point 1, definitely. Point 2, maybe negotiable. I still feel the non-Chalcedonians are Monophysites. Unless, I’m much mistaken, their late Pope Shenouda is on record as saying words to the effect that after Christ’s Incarnation, it was impossible to separate His Human nature from His divine. I’m no theologian, but saying that something is impossible for God sure sounds like heresy to me!
Pope Shenouda’s alleged words put me in mind of an Islamic scholar who claimed that Allah could not have spoken with Moses on Mt. Sinai. His claim was that the voice of Allah would have caused the mountain to shatter into billions of pieces. Once again, making something out to be impossible for God. Not that I think Allah is our Trinitarian God, mind you.
Father John calls it on the EP “Putting two and two together in the Czech Lands”:
“When you see that the EP has registered a new monastery in the Czech Republic, without bothering to get permission from the Czech Church:
https://spzh.news/en/zashhita-very/66434-fanar-nachal-rejderskij-zahvat-cerkvi-cheshskih-zemely-i-slovakii
And then see that a rogue bishop of the Czech Lands has served with the schismatics in Ukraine:
https://spzh.news/en/news/66560-u-jepiskopa-shumperskogo-net-blagoslovenija-sluzhity-s-pcu–spiker-upc
It’s a safe bet that this rogue bishop will soon be the head of a rival Church in the Czech Lands.
Archpriest John Whiteford”
Good Lord in Heaven! Is there no balm in Gilead?
George when Phanar is concerned. NO
No longer from Gilead; now from Mecca, Medina, Konya, Cambridge UK and points beyond…
To YOU ALL. When is the Orthodox church going to stand up and fight. Or is it an INVERTEBRATE!!!
Niko hate to say it but it’s not going to stand up and fight. The real [canonical] Orthodox church has been suffering from illogical fallacies. The belief that the Church cannot fail because Christ promised is being equated with the current church jurisdiction and parish one attends. Even in these comments we hear how sometimes those who were correct in a controversy found themselves permanently and eternally outside the church. Basically if you go against the grain although correct you run the risk of being cast out of the church is illogical. Today the church ‘s adherents suffer from normalcy bias. That God’s plan is for everything to continue with minimal disruption as it has for decades so we should just look away and not rock the boat, everything is pre-ordained to happen without any input from us troublemakers.
Gus Sadly I am in agreement. Wish I could say u wrong but u not.
In fact mostly the ordinary lay person not even aware. You can see this in greek church in USA how they let the Church be westernised, NOT IN WAYS IT NEEDS TO BE TO BE PART OF SOCIETY IN USA, but in superficial but destructive ways in worship and protestant mentality which i have seen clearly in GOA.
The craven negative response of Ieronimos of Athens to a Council says all.
These bishops are nothing but religious bureaucratic official living the good life on backs of the poor.
It may come to pass, that the “real” Chalcedonians will be subsumed by the modern revolt and apostasy while the “heretic” Copts endure under constant persecution. By our fruits we will be known. I trust my bishop, the one I see frequently, know and love. I really know nothing of the others. God is great and He leads us all into the place where repentance is possible all we have to do is open the door. No matter what.
Here is just one reason why I love and trust my bishop: When my wife and I were engaged and told we would not be able to be married in the Church because of her three prior marriages, she was understandably quite upset because two of her husbands had cheated on her and one had plotted to kill her. She has been a lover of Jesus since she was five. She loved me, so she continued to come to the Divine Liturgy with me, fuming most of the time.
Then, after the Liturgy had ended one Sunday, Bp. Basil walked by where she stood. No obvious interchange occurred between the two, but her heart was changed, instantly. That moment is also the greatest proof I have that Jesus Christ is who Chalcedon proclaimed, fully God and fully man without confusion because she is now a great advocate for the Church and for our parish and a woman of even deeper devotion. She gets rather tired of my excursions into “theology”. Indeed for many years after we were married, I would start taking about such things and she would go to sleep. For her it is deeply simple: Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength–Love your neighbor as yourself. In her language that translates: Yea God! Without knowing any of the particulars of Chalcedon or any other Council, she knows the truth and she is remarkably free.
Michael, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Merry sounds like a wonderful woman. You are blessed beyond all measure. I hope to meet her some day.
Indeed, George she is a wonderful woman. The clearest evidence of that is that she not only puts up with me, she actually likes me. Not an easy thing to do some days.
She has taught me much about the reality of Jesus Christ, not just the theory. Jesus wanted her in the Orthodox Church. I happened to be available to make the introduction. The experience of coming into the Church she describes as moving out of the kiddies pool into the deep end. I have seen her standing next to me participating in the Divine Liturgy actually shine. She is just this unassuming grandmother who is a true lover of God.
I am, as you say, blessed beyond all measure.
All you have to do is make the trek up here someday. We did, stop off at your parish one Sunday a few years ago (a lovely experience BTW) but you had been called into work, alas. Unfortunately, here you will have to endure pews but we would love to have you.
Yes, the dreadful people I worked for at the time made sure that I worked as many Sundays as possible. Even Easter. When I asked for it off. In writing. Twice. And they said yes.
George,
Do I remember reading in a comment of yours that you are now retired? If so, my sincerest congratulations…and greenest envy.
Yes, in a manner of speaking. Not because I wanted to be retired just yet but trying to make the most of it. Even in my exile from employment, the Lord has been exceedingly merciful to me. Let’s just say that angels do exist and we couldn’t make it without them.
Well, lo and behold, it looks like Geronimo wants to retire now.
https://orthochristian.com/125837.html
Waiting for a book and a movie…
My experience was usually Jewish and Protestant bosses let me take Good Friday afternoon off, but Catholics vehemently objected “We already had Easter”. One professor even had an exam on Good Friday and it was only with allegiance with the Jews that we beat him down.
Yes lovely lady. And re bureaucratic time servers as bishops is refering to what we see in Greece and GOA. Not to likes of Bishop Basil
Today died archbishop Grigorios , until the spring, head of Greek church in Uk.
He was a simple good man, near his people but Sadly no match for the Phanar and would not have stood up to them. Αιωνία μνήμη.
They have Nikitas now as u know.
I met him once. He was a good man.
My abiding memory is of a visit to St Luke’s Cathedral in Glasgow when a young girl sang the verses of Agni Parthene in a clear pure soprano and Gregorios led the Priest and Deacons in a thunderous bass chorus. The Devil does not have the best tunes. We do.
I met a young monk who was originally from that cathedral at a monastery here in America. He spoke very warmly about the community there and about Archbishop Gregorios.
If he is at Jordanville, I believe I know of whom you mean.
I am glad he found his calling.
To just add re Grigorios, he did NOTHING to sort the situation out re my late mother’s funeral. Lots of nice letters with warm words to us as family but neither priest or lay person responsible for leaving my late mother unburried for three weeks and treated as a commercial opportunity for the Church , and in end having funeral in cemetary chapel. were disciplined etc. A classic example of Phanar church governance. Zilch.
It is a wonder I did not walk away from the Church then. Personally the present position with Phanar DOES ME. GOOD!! But the local to Southampton news media had the story on front page and in tv news of unburried greek lady etc etc. People were horrified.
God forgive me but can i forgive rhe priest, fr Vassili. Until he ask forgiveness of my parents and mother NO NO NO. Not for me, but for them.
But Grigorios was a well meaning and good man basically who remained a cypriot peasant and who the Phanar looked down on, calling the Uk archdiocese a ‘fish shop ‘ ( fish and chips, the Uk tradition, that cypriots seem to have taken over.) He I think was in awe of the Phanar.
I hope the’ five o’ click stubble’ smooth talking, modernist minded cleric we saw in St Sophia ( London) when there at end of September, is not a promise of future, but i fear is and that Orthodox church has reached the western 1960_70s in modernist lunacy. I awaiting the first death of God theologian ( Fordham where are u when u needed?!!)
George,
Not sure if you heard of this insanity, yet. King County here in Washington, – which includes Seattle – has formed a ‘Task Force’ to deal with anyone opposing ‘Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation.’
See: https://auburnexaminer.com/king-county-council-confirms-members-of-task-force-focused-on-gender-identity-and-sexual-orientation/
LonelyDn, you know the only silver lining I can see on this exceedingly dark cloud is that the Left is totalitarian in its methodology and that invariably it oversteps its authority. Leftists, like Satan, are their own worst enemies.
This document describes methods of obtaining power. It does not describe methods of distinguishing truth from error. The techniques described therein are not concerned with the question of: “What is Truth?” It is irresponsible – to a level of irresponsibility which equates to evil.
Anyone have an idea of what the “range of documents on moral issues” the OCA Synod “considered” at their Nov. 12-15 meeting? If I’m not mistaken, usually minutes are posted by now. The write-up on OCA.org presented this rather vague description of events.
Pro-family advocates are responding with shock to the revelation that the ostensibly religious food chain Chick-fil-A has funded several organizations with anti-Christian values on life and sexuality, including the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). This comes as controversy grows over Chick-fil-A withdrawing its funding from Christian charities branded “anti-LGBT” by left-wing organizations.
See: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/chick-fil-a-funded-anti-christian-org-that-inspired-shooter-to-target-family-research-council
Iy seems that I for one, played the fool re Cha.