​Response to ARCHDIOCESAN COUNCIL’S LETTER TO ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

​Open Letter Response
by Hagiographos Elias Damianakis
Archon Maestor of The Great Church of Christ

May 10, 2019

Archdiocesan Council
8 East 79th Street,
New York, NY 10075
 
George Tsandikos, Vice President
 
Christ is risen!

​In this joyful Paschal season and at a time of great confidence for positive transformation in our Orthodox church worldwide, the need to convey my deep disappointment in the Archdiocesan Council has become manifest. I found the Archdiocesan Council’s May 9th Letter and May 10th Resolution to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to be unconvincing, insolent, and counterproductive. The council has proved inadequate to its responsibilities and now endeavors to over compensate with a veiled strong-arm resolution.

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​The time and effort compiling these “documents” would have served the church far better accomplishing the task at hand fulfilling your responsibilities. Its not like this situation fell out of the sky. Not a single member attending the council could have been unaware of its current responsibilities prior to the gathering in Atlanta. Nor is it likely that there haven’t been ‘backdoor’ discussions undoubtedly priming the members.
Contradictions appear throughout the Resolution. You graciously recognize “the exclusive privilege and canonical rights” underscoring them in a contentious tone, with a reminder to the Mother Church of the provisions of the Archdiocese’s Regulations, as if the Holy See is unaware.

The only “surprise and concern” are with those of us the Archdiocesan Council inadequately represent. This letter’s sentiments DO NOT represent me, and more importantly most Orthodox faithful in America. The council concludes its dispatch with a not-so-subtle ultimatum “that the election decision will serve to strengthen the sacred bond… and preserve the unity…” going so far as to dictate terms and conditions: locum tenens/30 days… unwittingly stoking undercurrents of nonconformity with the Ecumenical Patriarchate amongst seditious factions here in America.
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In opposition to the sentiments of this letter and with hopeful and prayerful optimism in the wisdom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Holy Synod, I remain proclaiming
 
Truly He is risen!
 
Hagiographos Elias Damianakis
Archon Maestor The Great Church of Christ
[email protected]