In Defense of Dialogue

​“True dialogue is a gift from God to humankind”
-His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
 
 In this day and age there exist considerable animosity and disinformation from within our Orthodox community. A series of blatantly sanctimonious reactions to a local Archon sponsored Symposium 'Reviving the Female Diaconate in the Orthodox Church: Has the Time Come?' (Saturday, March 30, 2019) have hit the world wide web, with a vengeance.

A local chapter of the Order of St Andrew Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate symposium which was moderated by Archon George E. Demacopoulos. The panel included experts Rev. John Chryssavgis, via video conference, Carrie Frederick Frost, Teva Regule, and Kyra P. Limberakis. Archon Cary Limberakis coordinated and hosted this educational event, which was well attended and is available on the Archon YouTube channel; https://www.youtube.com/user/OrderStAndrew .
My issue with the unreceptive commentaries is not with the thinly veiled echo chamber of self-righteous Orthodox critics but rather with those who “sell their birthright for a bowl of stew” (Genesis 25:29-34). Those working from within the ranks of the Church to sow confusion and separation are the most pernicious of Orthodoxy’s adversaries. A prime example, of what I call the “Orthodox Taliban” has come out and attacked the conference speakers, the Order of St Andrew, individual Archons, and somehow found the opportunity to attack the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the most demeaning ways. Are these naysayers simply misogynistic clerics or worse, ecclesial terrorists?
First, the facts on the ground. This was a conference of ideas, not an ecumenical council decree as some assert. These self-satisfied “theological tyrants” hijacked the narrative denouncing the dialogue as un-Orthodox, favoring a dictated monologue based on their myopic grasp of Orthodoxy. Nearly to a fault these hyperbolic online protesters are affiliated with the Russian Church (ROCOR) or are sympathetic to this Russian ideology. They tout themselves as “ultra-Orthodox,” “Traditional,” or “Genuine.” One could reason their phronema is off the mark clearly not "ortho." Cherry picking teachings and utilizing the Muscovite tactics: threats of schism, denunciation of person, and mob mentality of “public statements” dividing communities “either you agree with us or you’re or you are not authentic.” Put simply they’re petulant cyber-bullies.
These unofficial intemperate groups usually directly associated with the Moscow Patriarchate or ROCOR propagate materials and distribute disinformation easily accessed on the internet. These disreputable personalities disseminate on a variety of social media platforms, including Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Google Plus, and MP funded “Orthodox News Sites.” Several excel in implicating whatever peudo-scandal into anti-patriarchal propaganda laughably going so far as to start online petitions! The most popular petition has a total of 53 signatories mostly ROCOR, OCA and five disgruntled Greeks, all with a clearly biased position. On a closer examination one can discern among these “petitioners” the most obnoxious bloggers, webmasters and editorialists creating self-fulfilling cacophony of schismatic tropes.
I applaud the Order of St Andrew who remain steadfast in its commitment to dialogue and the defense of Orthodoxy. A sense of fortitude must unite the community as well as the institutions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Besides the external feature of dialogue promoting our faith beyond our ethnic peoples, there is an even more relevant inter-jurisdictional dimension of theological consultation and cooperation among Orthodox provinces, even when values seemingly diverge, to build greater Love for all.
 
“Dialogue is a necessary precondition of mutual understanding; and mutual understanding is a precondition of mutual trust as well as of the ability to cooperate and to coexist.”
-His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
 
In solidarity with Truth,
I remain
Hagiographos
Elias Damianakis
Archon Maestor of the Great Church of Christ