Desperation of some...

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child.
(1 Corinthians 13:11)
 
I recently received an email enquiring my thoughts about an article written by Nick Stamatakis, a Long Island businessman who writes for a small NY Greek paper «Εφημερίδα Ν.Υόρκης». The article which is posted on the OCL website September 1st and is replete with so many points of inaccuracy its remarkable in its scope of ignorance. It was with amazement I read this negligible melodramatic article, replete with innuendo, unsubstantiated accusation and blatant falsehoods. Though advised “not to get involved with background noise” I felt important to correct the inaccurate narrative those endeavoring to diminish to Our Mother Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. I’ve attached below “Hypocrisy abounds in Muscovite ideology” for your review.

Without getting into the weeds, he writes about the “money for St Nicholas” and implicates Fr Alex Karloutsos, whereas this question should be addressed to the Archbishop since he and the archdiocese administration spent the money and took it out of the St Nicholas account. The acrimonious exploitation of this sensitive and emotional incident underlies the intent of the cacophonous author, divisiveness. The drivel is patently absurd and his attempt to discredit those he implicates. A preoccupation with authority, resignations, and other conspiracy theories, are fraught with frantically written tabloid sensationalism yet lacks any legitimacy or integrity.

Every paragraph is a contradiction with truth. His obvious bias is clear, as he promotes no serious argument, but fills his diatribe with ad-hominins and personal attacks, climaxing with a self-stimulating “The overwhelming majority of our community” agrees with the “principles proclaimed by Mr. Valiotis last May.” This is a laughable and preposterous assertion. Their intent is subversive to Orthodox unity and lacks a basic Christian ethic. Mr Stamatakis joins Valiotis, as a blemish on the Christian character of Orthodoxy, the HCHC administration, and the Archbishop, even if they won’t say so...

The America church “is a servant to Orthodox unity,” NOT autocephaly! as he and those cohorts of the internet assert. The spin machine is hard at work to confuse the public. They are crafting the message “autocephaly or subjugation” They are perverting a Traditional Orthodox praxis and order.

Their naïve approach to autocephaly is an obvious attempt to appeal to his OCL/anti-patriarchal audience. These authors promote an emotionally retarded ideology with no basis in ecclesial history beyond myopic Russophile interests and local credibility they so eagerly seek. Any serious approach to autocephaly must first ask basic questions and recognizing reality on the ground.

Reality check, before the Assembly of Bishops, was convened by the Synaxis of the Heads of all the Orthodox Churches held at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople, most of our American bishops never met! How can you conceive an autocephalous church when most bishops don’t speak to each other, let alone the same language, figuratively and literally? Communities down the block from one another barely share in divine services of respective jurisdictions. There are so many matters being explored by the “Episcopal Assembly’s” committees which need to be addressed that any talk of autocephaly is premature and futile.

I believe in church unity! I pray for one single Orthodox Church, based on a phronema informed by church history, not bigoted opinions or partisan relativism.
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As always, your response is welcome. My email is [email protected]. I continue to pray for my enemies, defend the Ecumenical Patriarch, fight for human rights and religious freedom for all people.