Today is an eminent day for the Great Church of Christ, Mother to us all. For on this day out of her parental love and reliable concern for her vast numbered and progressive minded children in America she is called to give to them their canonical archbishop and shepherd, following the voluntary retirement from active ministry of our brother, the Most Reverend Archbishop Iakovos, who God-lovingly pastored them for so many years.

And the Mother Church, among the many worthy candidates, looked to Your Eminence, someone beloved to us all who has been nurtured with the same milk of the Theological School of Halki, to take charge of this God-saved eparchy. You bear many qualifications, the crowning qualification of which is your unlimited fidelity and devotion to this venerable Ecumenical Throne, to the Mother Church which nourishes our pious people and all the pious and Orthodox Christians under heaven. It was to this last virtue of yours over all the others that the Mother Church looked when reaching her decision. For even if one of her hierarchs has every talent, every qualification, and all the other virtues, but does not have unlimited devotion and blind loyalty and lifelong gratitude, he is nothing, nothing is gained, he is but a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (cf.1 Cor. 13). Yes, the Mother Church looked to you. Therefore, today is a great day for you personally, too.

Today the Church rewards this paramount virtue of yours in the absolute certainly that you will increase and develop it in your new and eminent position as Archbishop of the Holy Archdiocese of America, to which you are worthily elevated this day.

There, numerous problems, currents, propensities and ideologies await you. Awaiting you is an arduous night and day struggle, a struggle to safeguard and to perpetuate the Church's and our people's highest ideals. We know that you are a tireless worker, that you are a fighter, that you are strong and invincible. In other words, we entrust this great and dynamic eparchy of the Throne into energetic and dynamic hands.

Go, our brother Spyridon, "never doubting" (James 1:6). Go with the fear of God, faith and love; love for all without exception. Go, and the prayer of the loving Mother Church and each one of us, your elder and junior brothers here, will constantly be with you.

We shall stand by you during your difficult task with our prayers and our love. And we in this sacred place, in this Synod Chamber of the Great Church, shall stand by you with particular and vibrant concern in finding solutions as you address each problem of your new eparchy and in satisfying your just requests and petitions.

Take heart, Most Reverend Brother, and fear not. As you are at the beginning of your fifties you have every predisposition to do great and brilliant work for the glory of God, for your flock, for our Mother Church, which places great trust in you in sending you on new turf to face a variety of struggles, with honest hopes and justified expectations; hopes and expectations that you will emerge a champion of the Church.

Axios!

(Translation from the original Greek)

With the venerable consent of Your All Holiness, and upon the favorable judgement and God-inspired ballot of the most revered members of the Holy and Sacred Synod surrounding Your All Holiness and convened by the grace of God, I have been called to a new, higher, much respected and responsible ministry as Archbishop and Exarch representing this most venerable Ecumenical Throne in the Western Hemisphere.

At this most sacred moment, I am compelled by respect and duty to submit first to Your God-protected All Holiness, and secondly to the most venerable Hierarchs of the Holy and Sacred Synod my profound gratitude for this great and exceptional honour which has been bestowed upon me. I am particularly grateful for the reaffirmation and continued expression of trust which the Mother Church places in my humble person.

As I stand in this holy place, I consider it my duty to clearly declare that in my task to fulfill the responsibilities of the new and extensive ministry entrusted me today, my dedication to your most venerable person and to the Great Church of Christ, which has spiritually nurtured me, will be complete and whole-hearted, and my obedience to Her mandates absolute and perfect.

Furthermore, I wish to assure Your All Holiness that the first and primary concern of my ministry in the Western Hemisphere will be to ensure growth of relations and bonds between the pious Orthodox faithful and the Holy Mother Church. I wish to emphasize that this undisputed need of relations and bonds, is not inspired by sentimental emotion, but is founded on the unshakable conviction that today the true, pure and integral redemptive message of Orthodoxy, to the faithful and to the entire world, can only originate from this Sacred Center. Therefore, from this new position, I will spare no effort and I will use all available means for the broader proclamation of the message which emanates from this Ecumenical Throne, the authentic interpreter of the Tradition of the Church.

Having offered these assurances, Your All Holiness, I fervently pray that the mercy of the Giver of all gifts protects and guards Your All Holiness, the Sublime Head of our Church, and Supreme Hierarch of Orthodoxy. May God grant you many years for the benefit of the Orthodox faithful worldwide, and for the glory of this illustrious, first in rank and Ecumenical Throne of Orthodoxy.

Part of an ongoing series

When speaking of Faith, we must un­derstand there are several approaches to this phenomenon depending on which religious tradition you espouse.

When one in the Protestant tradition speaks of "faith," he means an inner feeling, a trust in God and/or a confidence in His power.

Faith and salvation are subjective and individualistic. One hears little about "the Church" when Protestant believers speak of their belief in the system of salvation.

However, if one is in the Catholic or Orthodox tradition, salvation is much more collective, societal and less dependent on one's individual emotions. The Church is the fellowship of believers, the "ground and pillar of truth." (1 Timothy)

There is much more emphasis on the ancient maxim: "We are damned alone, but saved together."

It must also be noted that in the Roman Catholic tradition, salvation is not only dependent on the Church, but also on the faith­fulness to the Pope.

In the papal document "Unam Sanctum," it is stated: "It is altogether necessary to salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman pontiff."

Therefore, when one speaks of salvation and the needs of the person involved, it might be useful to know where one is com­ing from before deciding where one is go­ing!"

Instant Salvation — Factor or Fallacy?

We live in an "instant' society. The faster we can get things done, the better for everyone involved. If your photos can be pro­cessed in one hour, it is somehow a "greater deal" than waiting two hours.

If our soup can be made in 30 seconds, instead of three minutes — so much the better. And, if your eternal salvation can be arranged by saying a prayer of just over 50 words, taking about 90 seconds, then this will be a contemporary, attractive alternative to traditional, orthodox Christianity. Even in our religion, we are captives of a "hurry up, be assured, culture."

There is a fascination with getting things done once and for all, with as little fuss as possible. So it seems that our fundamental­ist brethren have locked on to a great idea! Why hasn't this been thought of before? Promise a person that once his or her own name is entered in the "Lamb's Book of Life" and that nothing, no nothing, can deny one's salvation if this is done — then searching faithful will beat a path to your church door.

There are two problems with this theory. First, the doctrine of "instant salvation" or "once saved, always saved" is not new by any means! It was alive and well in the fourth century and St. John Chrysostom, as we shall see, spoke vehement words against such a simplistic view of a serious, soul-threatening issue.

Secondly, the theory of being "born again" with absolute, no-holds-barred assurance of salvation is false and extremely dangerous to one's spiritual life. The following information will try to set out, using the words of Holy Scripture and the early Fa­thers, the ancient and universal teaching of the Church since the days of the Apostles.

Salvation Takes Effort

We begin with St. Paul's chilling words found in Philippians 2:12.

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed,

not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out you salvation with fear and trembling."

If salvation could be assured with a brief prayer, a statement of belief or an emotional "feeling" that somehow you are saved by a single profession of faith, St. Paul would tell us so — as he did about so many other tenets of Christ's Church. But Paul, as we shall see, taught the exact opposite to "instant salvation."

However, Paul and the early Fathers remind the faithful that God continually works in us to do His will, and the operative word is "Do."

If our eternal salvation is important to us, then we will show it in our conduct. And this is not today, that we can work our way to heaven, but simply that if we cherish the salvation gained for us by Jesus Christ's death and resurrection it will be evident to all by what we do in return.

St. James the Just, in his Epistle, concurs:
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues it, and is not a forgetful hearer by a doer of the work, will be blessed in what he does (James 1:25)

This verse follows James" admonition to "Be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (regarding your salvation)." (James 1:22)

We know that human nature motivates us to proper conduct. We are usually able to recognize goodness when we see it, unless we are terribly naive or our consciences permanently dulled. St. Paul teaches this in Romans 13:11:

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Obviously, to St. Paul salvation was a process whereby we grow "nearer" to it by living a proper, acceptable life secured by the love and grace of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Notice that St. Paul urges us to even more proper conduct, to action, to "cast off the works of darkness." His emphasis is on doing what is acceptable to the Lord and to continually be aware of the dangers lurking around us.

If our salvation is unthreatened, or if the road to heaven is free of serious dangers Paul would not advise us to "put on the armor of light" to protect ourselves from every assault of the Evil One.

Perhaps St. Paul is mindful here of the words of Christ, "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life... there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:14)

You may think that this is indeed an exaggeration and a most simplistic response to a complicated issue. It is!

Then let our fundamentalist, charismatic leaders say truthfully that one can only find salvation with "fear and trembling" and that once we know Jesus Christ and that He gained salvation by His death on the cross — we set ourselves on the wondrous, but sometimes treacherous road to everlasting life. Yet, as St. Paul underscores so succinctly, this gift of salvation can be seriously threatened or lost entirely:

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected: but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are be­hind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-15)

Excerpted from the book "What the Church Fathers say about ..." edited by George W. Grube, Light & Life Publishing Co., Minneapolis, 1996.

Beloved brothers, sons and daughters in the Lord:

I wholeheartedly and paternally greet you for the first time as your new Archbishop and Spiritual Father from the Phanar, the Venerable Center of World Orthodoxy, having been elected unanimously by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the eminent Archiepiscopal Throne of America.

I now offer to you my initial archpastoral letter with fear of God, with faith and with love. With fear of God, for I am fully aware of the awesome responsibility placed upon my shoulders. With faith in God, for only faith in Him can strengthen and sustain my ministry to you. With love, a deep and abiding love for the Church in America, for it was here that my eyes first saw the light of day, and I was nurtured in my childhood years.

It is with love indeed that I write this letter to each and every one of you, whom God in His infinite mercy has seen fit to place under my pastoral care and spiritual protection, for, as we know, “God is love” (I Jn 4:8), and in the vineyard of God there can only be love. Therefore, in the vineyard entrusted to us, the Church of America, there can only be room for love of God and love for one another.

I accept the mantle of responsibility for shepherding this highly esteemed Eparchy of the Ecumenical Throne filled only with the mystery of God's love. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (I Jn 4:19). It is to an active ministry of love that I fully commit myself without reservation, without apprehension, and without distinction. I pray that you as well, beloved sons and daughters in Christ, dedicate your talents and efforts first and foremost to the flourishing of this love within the embrace of the Church, by placing its works high on the lamp stand for all to see (cfr. Mt 5:15).

Where there is love, there can only be unity. Where there is love, there is no room for factions or division. In the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before His passion, Christ prayed with great agony to God the Father that we be one as He and the Father are one (cfr. Jn 17:21) — one Body, one Community, one Church with one Faith and one Hope (cfr. Eph 4:3-6).

I come to you, my dear spiritual children, seeking to further strengthen the unity of the Body of Christ to which we belong, and which is so preciously cherished by all. We, hierarchs, priests and devoted laypeople, are all co-workers in the great mystery of the Church. Of course, as St. Paul writes, our ministries are diverse: some of us are called to be the hands, while others the feet, yet others the eyes (cfr I Cor 12:15-16). Together, however, we comprise the one undivided Body of the living Christ. United, we are the Church in America.

With these thoughts, I stand ready to walk with you into the third millennium of Christianity. Know that we start on our journey together with a remarkable past of approximately 75 years. We are beneficiaries of great spiritual leaders: Archbishop Alexander, the first and founding Archpastor in the Americas; Archbishop Athenagoras, later Patriarch, who ranks among the great churchmen of this era; Archbishop Michael, our beloved teacher and spiritual father, and, finally, Archbishop Iakovos who, after 37 years of devoted spiritual ministry, has bequeathed to us a valuable legacy upon which we must continue to build.

Our vision for the future is clear, because we travel in the light of the Phanar, which for 2,000 years as never waned or been extinguished. The Great Church of Christ is the beacon which burns brightly for each succeeding generation of Orthodox throughout the world. We are children of this ancient legacy of self-sacrificial love — the love of the Holy Mother Church which continues to sustain and unite us even as we approach the third millennium. The Ecumenical Patriarchate is our source of ecclesial being.

We are blessed to live in a time when the venerable Ecumenical Throne is adorned by a servant of God such as Patriarch Bartholomew. As I take on my new responsibilities, under the shelter of our Mother Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, let us remember that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew shall be our inspiration and our unwavering support.

In closing, I embrace each and every one of you, young and old, weak and strong, rich and poor, and from all walks of life. I pray that the All-Loving Lord, inspire you to be always loving and united members of His Holy Church.

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen." (I Cor 16:23-24)

† SPYRIDON
Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America

Dr. William Tenet of Manhasset, N.Y., a member of the Archdiocesan Council who has known Arch­bishop Spyridon from his medical school days in Rome where Fr. Spyridon was his parish priest, said the new Archbishop "brings youth and experience and an inti­mate knowledge of the American scene, world Orthodoxy and the Ecumenical Patriarchate."

Tenet said he was very impressed by (Archbishop Spyridon's) statements concerning Orthodox unity. "That's why I think it was a fine selection. It's a time of tremendous opportunity."

Another Archdiocesan Council member and executive committee member, George Chimples of Cleveland, said he was "delighted" with Spyridon's selection. "He's young, American born and very well educated. I am very optimistic. Based on statements he has made, he will unify all our people," Chimples stated. "He will govern the Archdiocese effectively because he's very familiar with the American way of life. He will serve all American born, Greek born and converts equally well.

"He speaks several languages, which is an advantage. He has a tremendous background, is very well qualified and willing to cooperate with former Archbishop Iakovos, I am very happy, especially for the benefit this means to the younger people."

"I'm excited we have an Archbishop from Ohio," remarked Michael Karloutsos, a young adult from Pelham, N.Y. "He has a genuine interest not only in the entire Church but also in the youth.

"It's refreshing," he continued. "Because of his age and background, it allows him to be more in touch with what we would encounter. We can identify with him. That's exciting. I'm also looking forward to him having a young adult forum."

John Catsimatidis of New York said "I think it's a wonderful thing that the Patriarch has heard the pleas of his flock from the United States. There is a very bright future for our Church. We have young men at the helms of our Church both here and in Constantinople. I am so very pleased that my children will grow up in an atmosphere of a vibrant religion with exemplary holy men of the modern era as their spiritual guides. It's great to have an American born archbishop.'

Archdiocesan Council President Demitri Moschos of Worcester, Mass., said he was "very pleased on the election of the first American-born Archbishop for the Archdiocese. We are optimistic that the challenges of the 21st century will be met under his stewardship," Moschos said. "The Archdiocesan Council deeply appreciates the Ecumenical Patriarch's concern and love about the Church in America and his permitting the Archdiocesan Council to fully participate in the election process for the new archbishop."

Michael Cantonis of Tarpon Springs, Fla., commented, "I have great faith and confidence in His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew. From what I know (of Archbishop Spyridon), my opinion of him is very, very good. He is American born and in close contact with America. With experience, he could become one of the best archbishops we ever had."

Nicholas Karakas of Chicago, president of the Orthodox Christian Laity, said in a news release that his organization "welcomes the election of Metropolitan Spyridon as Archbishop of the American Greek Orthodox Church and views it as a profound step in advancing the faith in America. We envision a new dawn for Orthodoxy in America with the arrival of His Eminence Spyridon, His religious and scholastic achievements, maturity in church affairs and youthful vigor will give focus to the faithful and provide a spiritual and intellectual challenge to the forces that detract from the gospel."

"I am saddened with the retirement of Archbishop Iakovos," said Presbytera Margaret Orfanakos of Clifton, N.J., president of the Sis­terhood of Presvyteres, "but I am looking forward to working with the new Archbishop and to share with him thoughts of how best we can meet the needs of the presbyteres and receive his blessings." She told the Observer that reaction from presbyteres across the country has been positive. "Everyone is excited about him," she said. "We need to look to the future. Hopefully, the Holy Spirit will guide our new Arch­bishop and things will work out."

Dr. Chris Philip of Tenafly, N.J., the national commander of the Archons Order of St. Andrew, observed that Archbishop Spyridon's election "satisfies some re- quirements that we wanted: someone who understood the American mentality, was born here, and well educated. Dr. Philip said he has met Archbishop Spyridon on several occasions in the recent past and they discussed many church-related issues. "He has substance, he has depth. He is a man of today's times; very much for the ecumenical movement."

Dr. Philip added, "I felt very comfortable talking to him. He also is very computer-minded. But he has a tough act to follow and we have to give him all the support that we can. I think he's very well qualified."

Fr. Christopher Metropoulos, Archdiocesan Presbyters Council president from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., stated, "We're very pleased and blessed that His All Holiness and the Sacred Synod have chosen Arch­bishop Spyridon by unanimous vote. We look forward to many fruitful years of ministry and we pledge our full support in bringing our Church into the new millennium."

Andrew A. Athens of Chicago, president of the Council of Greeks Abroad, who for 20 years served as the Archdiocesan Council president, said he was pleased to see the Ecumenical Patriarchate make the appointment as quickly as it did. "Certainly we have to respect the selection made by His All Holiness and the Holy Synod and, because of the fact that he was born in the United States obviously he speaks English as well as we do. Therefore he understands the mentality of the American born. I look upon it as positive. I've always been a person who believed in the unity of the Church. I would hope it would be his goal to continue the progress made by what had been an immigrant church that has become an American church."

Constantine Caras of Wilmington, Del., a member of Leadership 100, remarked that he felt saddened by Archbishop Iakovos' retirement, but was "really excited, and looking forward to working with Arch­bishop Spyridon. "I think he understands our problems," he said. Caras, a native of Steubenville, Ohio, where the future archbishop (then George Papageorgiou) spent several of his childhood years, said he remembered the Papageorgiou family during his own youth. The archbishop's father, Dr. Constantine P. Papageorgiou (aka George), would make house calls to his home. "He was the only Greek doctor in town," Caras remembered. The father would bring along his son and the two would play cops and robbers. "I'm sure I was the robber," insisted Caras.

He added, "We are all very proud of him.

Olga Argyros of Laguna Hills, Calif., has met Archbishop Spyridon on previous occasions. "I think the choice was excellent," she said. "I think he'll be wonderful. He is very gracious, personable and has a terrific personality.

Archdiocesan Council member T. Peter Limber of Bronxville, N.Y., expressed great satisfaction at the selection of Archbishop Spyridon. "I'm delighted because he answers the prayers of the laity in having characteristics we wanted to see in our new archbishop."

Orthodox activist Nicholas Royce of North Hollywood, Calif., said he is impressed with Archbishop Spyridon's stance in discussions with Roman Catholics. "He has been very strong on addressing the Roman Catholics on the Uniate issue," Royce noted.

Mary Payiavlas of Warren, Ohio, who was a teen­ager during the Archbishop's early years in the city, and who has met him on several occasions in recent years, remarked that he is "a really good choice. He is honest, sincere and we love and respect him very much."

In a statement sent to the Observer by Holy Cross/Hellenic College president Fr. Alkiviadis Calivas who was attending a conference in Norway, he said that "the election of Archbishop Spyridon is a sign of hope and expectation for a bright future for our Church in America. His personal knowledge of our societal life, experience in theological work and education, sensitivity for and o- penness to new models of pastoral ministry, together with personal attributes and the inspired vision he articulated on the task and mission of Orthodoxy in America, hold great promise for the renewal of our ecclesial life. I expect that through his leader­ship we will climb to new plateaus, in that he will not only continue but advance the work of his eminent predecessors. He has certainly our prayers and best wishes, as well as our pledge of cooperation and assistance. These are exciting, critical and hopeful times. May the Lord strengthen and guide him to help us be always charged in fullness and power."

CONSTANTINOPLE — Patriarch Bartholomew officially opened "Summer Seminar on Halki '96: Environment and Communication," with a keynote address to the gathered participants and honored guests.

In his remarks, the Patriarch called for a mobilization of moral and spiritual forces to achieve harmony between humanity and nature.

He encouraged a long-term program of concerted study so humanity may be able to effectively face "the global threats already evident, caused by the irre- sponsible, if not criminal, behavior of rational man" to- wards the environment. He applauded the growing mo- bilization of people, and especially of the younger ge- neration, to manage the planet more sensibly.

In a message from the White House to the seminar participants, President Clinton stated, "Through education, partnership and international cooperation, we can pre- serve our environment for the health and enjoyment of future generations."

In commemoration of the seminar, a young tree, do- nated by President Clinton on behalf of the people of the United States, was planted.

According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church, Pa- triarch Bartholomew read a prayer for the health, growth and life of the tree and then was joined in shoveling soil on the new sapling and watering it by Dr. Rahmi Koc, president of Turkish environmental agency TURMEPA, and Dimitrios Mitsatsos, director general of the Greek coun- terpart, HELMEPA.

The third in a series of summer seminars on the environment, under the co-patronage of Ecumenical Patri- arch Bartholomew and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in his capacity as president of the World-Wide Fund for Na- ture International, took place July 1-7 at Holy Trinity Monastery, Heybeliada (Halki), Turkey.

Participants included theologians from various religious traditions, environmentalists, natural scientists and com- munications and mass media experts from Eastern and Western Europe, the United States, Canada, Africa and the Middle East. They spent a week in intensive lectures and workshops. Main focus was on producing materials to aid in the practical application of environmental programs.

The seminar's main objective was to explore ways and discuss methods of communicating environmental in- formation and increasing awareness targeting primarily Churches and religious communities.

Speakers included Metropolitan John of Pergamon, a renowned theologian of the Patriarchate involved in en- vironmental concerns; Thomas Spencer, Member of the European Parliament and president of GLOBE Interna- tional; Richard Griffiths, senior producer of CNN Special Reports; Dr. Laurence Mee, coordinator of the Black Sea Environmental Program, and Dr. Kriton Curi of Bogazici Universitesi.

The July 1 opening ceremony took place in the Grand Hall of Holy Trinity Monastery. In a message sent from Buckingham Palace, Prince Philip made the following statement: "I have no doubt at all that this series of sem- inars is making a profound impression on both the people who are fortunate enough to be able to attend the sem- inars, as well as on the groups and constituencies to whom they convey the message from Halki."

Additional messages were read on behalf of Pope John Paul II, European Commission President Jacques Santer; Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. George Carey, Mitsatsos and Dr. Koc, who extended their greetings in person.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate has elevated the con- sciousness of the Orthodox Church on current environ- mental issues.

In 1992, Patriarch Bartholomew invited all Orthodox churches around the world to adopt Sept. 1 as a day of prayer and action for the protection of the natural environment. The Patriarch furthered this vital tradition with major ecological conferences on Crete, in Great Brit- ain, Japan and Patmos.

Through his friendship with Prince Philip, these two world leaders, since 1992, have jointly sponsored these environmental symposia.

It was on Halki in 1992 at the day­long environmental seminar chaired jointly by the Prince and the Patriarch, that the idea of a summer seminar was first proposed.

From Sept. 22-26, 1995, a symposium titled "Reve- lation and Environment (95-1995 AD)", also under the sponsorship of Patriarch Bartholomew and Prince Philip, sailed through the Dardanelles and down the Aegean, from Istanbul to Patmos.

The symposium concentrated on the world's seas and oceans.

At the opening ceremonies, the Patriarch announced plans for a second major conference in the fall of 1997 focusing on the Black Sea.

The ultimate objective of this committee is to prepare a booklet for distribution to all parishes, that will be a compilation of Church activities that have been successfully implemented, so as to bring Church and Family closer together.

The booklet will be of a "cookbook" type, describing each activity in some detail, so as to assist other parishes in installing similar programs. The specific write-up will include the name, address, telephone number, name of the priest or individual who was instrumental in establishing and con­ducting the program. By so doing other parishes that would like to consider a similar program for their own parish could contact the right people and get assistance and help to implement such a program. It is simply a way of providing a multiplier of successful program that bring Church and family closer together. The case study or "cookbook" approach simplifies the implementation of successful programs.

As a first step to this program the Archdiocesan Council, Church and Family Affairs Committee devised a questionnaire that was distributed to about 50 parishes. The committee had better than 50 percent response. The responses clearly indicated that there are some unique and extremely effective programs in place. The booklet will be a means of circularizing and publicizing the activity so other parishes may emulate. The parishes will now have a source to contact regarding any questions they may have as well as to benefit by the experience of others who have successfully implemented the program.

The next steps will be to further edit the questionnaire,

obtain the necessary approvals, mail the questionnaire to the parishes, process the responses and begin to compile the booklet.

The committee also recommends that our Church issue statements regarding moral issues such as assisted suicide, legalization of same sex marriages and other moral issues that are conflicting with our Orthodox Christian Faith.

Attached to this report is a draft questionnaire that will be used. It is not intended to have any discussions at this meeting. However, we welcome any comments or sug- gestions you may have. Please forward them to Church and Family Affairs Committee, Tom Demery 30565 Cheviot Hills Dr., Franklin, MI 48025.

Respectfully submitted,

Bishop Maximos

Thomas D. Demery, Chairman

Committee Members:

Rev. Peter Avgeropoulos, Ms. Loukia Bitzas, Rev. Stratton Dorozenski, Ms. Irene Georgantas, Rev. Spero Kehayias, Rev. Paul Kaplanis, Ms. Elizabeth Menocross, Dr. Varughese Mathew, Rev. George Nayfa, Mr. Peter Patsavas, Ms. Gigi Ray, Rev. Constantine Valantasis, Mr. James Woovis, Mrs. Georgia Clunis, Rev. Dean Dimon, Rev. Andrew George, Ms. Catherine Kalariotes, Mr. Tom Kanelos, Ms. Alma Kontras, Rev. Andrew Maginas, Rev. Nicholas Moskovites, Mr. Dean Pliaconis, Rev. James Retelas, Mr. John Soures, and Ms. Angela Valeri.

Interchurch marriages and interchurch households are the reality.

To ignore that reality, to maintain a rigidity of outlook in regard to these couples and families would mean that, in practice, we would be closing our doors to the very children, adults and families who are the Church's future.

By refusing this challenge, by seeing it as a threat or simply leaving it to the status quo, we wind up dis- couraging interchurch couples from considering them- selves to be a future, vital part of our churches and community life. This is not the pastoral vision of the Church Fathers.

The pastoral vision of the Fathers is: Marriage is the sacrament of love ... the little household of the Lord, reflecting the mystery of Divine unity ... that joins husband and wife for their entire life ... a union which can be accomplished, according to the Church's pastoral discernment through a blessing, a crowning or a cove- nant.

The Fathers discerned and addressed marriage as "kat' oikon ekklesia" (the church of the home).

This vision is far different from what we often see in contemporary church and society, where the wedding is seen as marriage itself, where the church is left more or less to the dubious role of "blessing" social rituals.

Today, as the statistics starkly inform us, the vast majority of marriages are between an Orthodox Christian and a non-Orthodox, amounting, conservatively estimat- ed, to more than 80 percent of marriages.

And interfaith marriages (between a Christian and a Jew or Muslim, etc.) are also on the rise.

In itself, as several clergy-laity congresses and, indeed, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew have pointed out, there is a definite pastoral opportunity here for the Greek Orthodox Church in America.

That is, however, only if there are in place attitudes and resources at every level of church life "to perfect, to equip the saints (to be able to do) the work of ministry, for the building up of the Body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12).

Without this framework, without the Apostles' and the Church Fathers' pastoral "phronema," however, we are instead, as often as not, faced with statistics, with the ecclesial reality that seriously significant numbers of those baptized a generation ago are now marrying outside Orthodoxy and, therefore, not present in the life of the Church.

Christians from other communions who have given intention of entering marriage with Orthodox spouses, or already married with an Orthodox Christian, should be greeted with Christ's own love and guided by all in the Church to know the eternal treasures of our holy Orthodox Faith ... to attend and experience the beauty and renewal of Orthodox worship ... and to learn in holy Orthodoxy's community what an observer many cen- turies ago said, "See these Christians, how they love one another."

There is, of course, no guarantee there can be no pressure that these non-Orthodox will convert to the Church, but if we are to be faithful to our Christian calling, then surely we can do no less.

Again, the Patriarch himself admonishes us to come to grips positively, even urgently with this phenomenon and to deal with it pastorally, creatively and prayerfully.

Or, as the Report of the Commission Concerning the Future Theological Agenda of the Greek Orthodox Arch- diocese pointed out six years ago: "Necessity requires then that rise in intermarriage be looked upon as an opportunity rather than as a problem ... (if only because) the very demographic continuance of Greek Orthodoxy in America" depends on it.

It is for these reasons that the Committee on Inter- church and Interfaith Marriages of this 33rd Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress, having taken loving and concerned notice of these facts of church life, respectfully and in the strongest possible terms recommend that:

a. the action of the 29th and 32nd Congresses (1986, 1994), as well as the Interim Report Recommendations of the Archdiocese Council's Interchurch and Interfaith Marriages Committee, be implemented.

b. the previously mandated "departmental Archdioce- san division (be established) and a director be appointed" now be fully implemented and funded, to serve the Church as a national resource center which will deal with interchurch and interfaith marriages as well as related children's and family life concerns.

In fulfillment of priorities expressed by pastors across the Archdiocese, these areas need to be addressed: pre- marital preparation including inventories, marriage en- counter/marriage enrichment, family counseling services, interchurch marriage ministries, printed and audiovisual resource materials, and assistance in developing "mentor couple" and ministry training for lay persons.

c. in order to help make this vital ministry a reality, the Archdiocese seek out funding for the mandated depart- ment in the amount of $100,000 annually and,

d. furthermore, in all Dioceses a commission be estab- lished on marriage and family life ministries which can work with the Archdiocesan department and their parish communities.

"Let us go forward on the road that has brought us to where we are ..." Phillipians 3:16

Jerry 0. Lorant, committee chair; Rev. Dr. Gregory Wingenbach, Archdiocese National Ministries committee secretary; (members) Rev. Peter Atsales, Rev. William Christ, John and Carrie Colis, Rev. Steve Dalber, Lucille Kailas, Rev. Michael Kontos, Rev. John Koulouras, Rev. John Kutulas, Evelyn Lamia, Rev. Terry Linos, Rev. Mi- chael Pallad, Dr. Angeline Pappas, Aphrodite Pappas, Mary Pappas, Katherine Peters, Rev. Demetrios Simionidis.

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Chris and Mary Papoutsy of Rye Beach, N.H., have recently pledged $100,000 for a major undertaking of the Boston Diocese: a diocesan camp and retreat center.

Bishop Methodios of Boston announced at the 10th annual Diocesan Awards Dinner on June 9 that the well-known philanthro­pists were the first to express their support for the center.

"It is fitting that tonight's banquet is chaired by Chris and Mary Papoutsy," said the Bishop. "When the idea of constructing our Diocesan Center was expressed a little over a decade ago, it was Chris Papoutsy who encouraged me, who donated the first $100,000 for that successful project and who became an enthusiastic Great Benefactor, not only of the Diocesan Center, but of all our diocesan ministries." More than 850 persons from throughout the New England region attended the dinner where Bishop Methodios also announced the establishment of a committee to help bring about the retreat center and camp.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Very Rev. Philotheos Faros, director of the Archdiocese Youth Center in Athens, Greece, and a former professor at Holy Cross School of Theology, will present the keynote address at the 10th National Orthodox Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion (OCAMPR) Conference on "Sickness or Sin? Diagnosis or Discernment."

This year's conference will take place Nov. 7-10 at Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, Mass.

Fr. Faros is also the author of many books on pastoral theology. Before moving to Athens, he served as assistant professor of pastoral theology at Holy Cross and as a supervising family therapist at the Human Resources Institute, also in Brookline.

Another featured conference presenter will be Dr. Dimitrios G. Oreopoulos, a physician and educator who will present two lectures: "Restoring the Therapeutic Effects of the Patient/Physician Relationship" and "Euthanasia: The Ethical Challenges."

Dr. Oreopoulos is director of the Dialysis Program and Kidney Stone Clinic at Toronto Hospital, and a member of the Division of Nephrology and Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

Other topics to be addressed include counseling, confession and spiritual growth, a medical ethics symposium, developing an Orthodox psychology, heart disease treatment and recovery, and identifying and heal­ing child abuse. For information, write: OCAMPR, PO Box 958, Cambridge, MA 02238, or call (617) 868-6557.

The following parishes recently completed their 1995 Total Commitment toward the National Ministries and have been added to the list of communities fulfilling their goal.

St. George Church, New Port Richey, Fla.; Holy Trinity

Church, Nashville, Tenn.; Archangel Michael Church, Roslyn Heights, N.Y.; St. Sophia Church, Albany, N.Y.; St. Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles; and Sts. Constantine and Helen Church, Merrillville, Ind.

LOUISVILLE, Ky — Four Orthodox dentists recently participated in this year's Project Mexico Dental Outreach at St. Innocent's Ranch and Home for Boys, according to information from Dr. Pete Fotos, dental outreach co-ordinator.

In addition to Fotos, participants included Dr. John Klemes and his daughter, Dr. Lisa Klemes, of Wethersfield, Conn.; and Dr. Steven Vukovic-Hopkins of Iowa City, Iowa.

They treated more than 200 patients over a five-day period using portable dental units rented from the Christian Dental Society.

The dentists paid their own expenses for travel and supplies. Logistical support was provided by the founders and coordinators of Project Mexico, Greg and Margaret Yova, and Michelle Iverson-Villasenor, director of the St. Innocent Home for Boys.

Funds for a gasoline-powered air compressor and an 1850

electric generator were contributed by St. George Antiochian Church of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Huntington, W.Va., and St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church Philoptochos of Omaha, Neb.; and from several independent con- tributors.

The equipment will remain at the home for future planned dental outreach activities.

Long-range goals include the establishment of a permanent dental clinic for providing routine oral health care to the children and the home and serve as a home base for dental health care outreach to the area's poor people.

Dentists, dental hygienists and assistants interested in joining future mission teams through the donation of their time and resources should contact the Orthodox Christian Mission Center in St. Augustine, Fla., (904) 824-1727, or Project Mexico at (619) 448-1368 in Irvine, Calif.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The Orthodox Christian Mission Center sent its 1996 mission teams comprised of 35 Orthodox Christians from the U.S. and Canada, to Haiti, India, Galilee, and Kenya in July.

By Andrew J. Lekos

The seven-member team in Haiti is assisting two Orthodox communities. In Petion-Ville, a suburb of the capital, Port-Au-Prince, they helped to repair and renovate St. George Church. In the village of Metivier, the team added three classrooms to the Holy Resurrection school.

The four-member team to Calcutta, India, assisted missionary priest Fr. Ignatios Sennis with catechetical instruction on the Holy Orthodox faith to new and potential converts. They also helped with ongoing outreach to the needy and poor.

The team sent to Galilee in Israel had 13 members and

worked with the Orthodox community in Kuffr Yassif to build a new church. They also helped restore other church properties. This team provided a strong Christian witness to the struggling communities in northern Galilee.

Lastly, the 11-member team to Kenya has built a maternity unit. This team has returned to Chavogere, western Kenya, to put in place this new addition to the Orthodox Medical Clinic, which was initially constructed by the 1988 mission team. Medical personnel on the team were involved in the outreach.

Many individuals, organizations, and churches have contributed to these projects, and the OCMC extends its sincere appreciation for their support. Most of all, the Mission Center wishes to thank the 1996 Orthodox Mission Team members who have volunteered their time and service to assist these needy communities.

The last time a new Greek Orthodox Archbishop was elected for America was in 1959. Since then, one thing has become painfully obvious: the median age of the Archdiocese has become much higher. Our bishops, priests, parish council members, ladies of Philoptochos, participants in choirs and volunteers in numerous other ministries are now among the senior membership of the Church.

By Fr. Angelo Artemas

The new Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (United States) is only 51 years old (He turns 52 on Sept. 24).

This presents a unique situation for many of our faithful who have been accustomed to having an older Archbishop. A large percentage of priests and parish leaders throughout the country are well into their 50s or more. And with longevity rates higher than ever, many faithful can expect to live very productive years long into retirement.

Over the next two decades, many of the most active faithful will continue to be older than His Eminence Archbishop Spyridon. This may result in some awkward feelings during the initial transition, but then the best kept secret in America - Orthodoxy - may well be catapulted to new prominence.

Consider the stages of adulthood. Certain sociologists have dubbed the 50-65-year-old period as the "Age of Mastery," and the 65-and-up period as the Age of Integrity.

By definition, those in the Age of Integrity should reap the rewards of their hard work by refocusing their energy not on accomplishing new things, but on sharing wisdom and knowledge gained from years of accomplishments.

Retired Archbishop Iakovos deserves the highest level of integrity as he recounts his accomplishments, and shares his wisdom with even more generations.

Archbishop Spyridon returns to these United States in the Age of Mastery. Despite His Eminence's numerous accomplishments in Constantinople, Geneva, and Italy, his best years are ahead of him. Archbishop Spyridon has embarked on his prime years, and that can only bode well for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

His Eminence returns to America and immediately challenges us with his presence. While many his age have directly witnessed the sexual revolution, the growth of rock & roll music, and the rise of the drug culture, Archbishop Spyridon brings America self-denial, advanced theological learning, and Orthodox spiritual discipline.

While many his age now enjoy the comforts of the good "American" life, Archbishop Spyridon brings Ame- rican faithful the urgency of reaching out to the young and to the unchurched.

Many faithful in America have only known one Archbishop. This transition is therefore unique and historic. To those adults who can remember the en- thronement of Archbishop Iakovos, the enthronement of Archbishop Spyridon now offers a second experience of prominent history.

Transitions can be stressful, but this one affords Or- thodox faithful the opportunity to grow to new and unprecedented heights.

As we welcome Archbishop Spyridon back to the United States of America, we must pledge our com- mitment to respond to his God-inspired ministry, and pray that God grant him peace, safety, honor, health, and length of days.

Since the announcement of the retirement of Archbishop lakovos a year ago, I have been living in agony. My mind has been occupied by the dreadful question: who will replace him as archbishop?

By Fr. George Papaioannou                                                

The Church has been the center of my life for 37 years. I have served, studied, and loved her with all of my being. It was natural, therefore, for me to agonize and, like so many others, to look, see and study all the prospective candidates who might soon assume the reins of the most important Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in the world.

Like so many, many others I had formed my own opinion as to who was best qualified to lead the Church in the United States, in my heart and in my mind I had my own candidate.

I had even come to believe that the man I wished to become Archbishop of the United States had been created by God's continuous love for our church, the work of His Providence for His Orthodox people in the United States.

"Has He not provided the finest possible leadership for this Archdiocese since its inception 75 years ago?" I asked that question to try and calm myself. At the clergy conference in New York this past July, I heard loud cries of concern from some of the delegates and noticed silent agony on the faces of others. I even counseled the delegates not to despair but have faith in the wisdom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which had lovingly provided us with so many fine leaders in the past. I remember addressing a skeptical assembly and calling them "men of little faith" for doubting that the selection would please us and be most beneficial for us all. Yet in my heart I shared their concern.

Upon my return from New York I did a most daring thing: I expressed my wish to the person whose decision would most influence the selection — Patriarch Bartholomew.

"Please your Holiness, forgive my intrusion; my heart commands me to make this last-minute appeal to a father's heart. Send us the man best suited and best prepared to assume the duties and responsibilities of the Archbishop in the Americas.

How marvelous are the works of the Lord! It was His Providence for our holy church that guided our loving and caring Mother Church to give us Spyridon of Italy to be our spiritual leader.

Providence has provided him, for he is flesh of the flesh of the Greek American community and flesh of the flesh of the Mother Church of Constantinople."

I wrote those words to His All Holiness with awe in my heart but also with confidence. I did truly believe that Spyridon was the work of Providence.

He is a man born in the United States, raised among us and introduced by his parents to both Greek and American culture. Providence directed his steps to Halki, the famous Patriarchal theological school, where he began training for the lofty calling of the priesthood.

It was there, in Halki, where for 150 years all great patriarchs and archbishops and all of Spyridon's own predecessors in the Americas had received their training. The crown jewel of Orthodoxy, the Theological School of Halki, remains unforgettable for all those of us who have studied there.

Halki used a unique method to develop the ecclesiastical conscience of the future Levites. The worship services were exemplary, elevating the souls of the faithful, and leaving an unforgettable and deeply sweet impression in the hearts of its graduates.

Spyridon is the product of this marvelous school and its majestic setting. Upon his graduation from Halki, Providence brought him to the heart of the European continent to study the culture, history, languages and especially the religions of the Christian West.

It would not take long for the Patriarchate to notice the special talents and gifts of the young Levite. The Patriarchate assigned him to the Orthodox delegation of the World Council of Churches in Geneva as secretary.

The Geneva assignment broadened his knowledge and opened new horizons for him. In Geneva, he helped make Orthodoxy shine in all its splendor. He pursued his assignment with zeal and enthusiasm and helped bring together the Orthodox and coordinate their ecumenical efforts.

His reports to the Ecumenical Patriarchate so impressed the highest echelon of the Mother Church that they decided to reassign him from the center of Protestantism to the center of Roman Catholicism at the Vatican.

He was elevated first to a titular bishopric and then to Metropolitan of Italy, the first hierarch ever to serve in that capacity. In this new setting he became the personal and trusted emissary of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in implementing a dialogue of love with the Roman Pontiff.

World Orthodoxy recognized Metropolitan Spyridon's courage as he expressed his deep concerns about Vatican initiatives in the former Soviet Union. Because of his concerns Orthodox leaders developed a joint strategy in dealing with the rather aggressive Uniate movement in territories which had always been predominantly Orthodox.

He was praised for speaking the truth in love. In the course of his harmonious and diligent work with the leaders of the Orthodox Diaspora in Western Europe, Spyridon developed an appreciation for the need of unity among Orthodox in the United States. He electrified the delegates to the 32nd Clergy-Laity Congress in Chicago in 1994 when, as representative of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, he called for an end to Orthodox pluralism in the Americas.

This is the man that the Providence of God, working through the Holy Spirit, the loving kindness of Patriarch Bartholomew, and the wisdom of the Holy Synod chose to be our spiritual leader. He is eminently qualified for this post, possessing undisputed talents and abilities. His is a man of impeccable character, deep faith, a polyglot, a world citizen, a scholar, a theologian, a loving shepherd; and his is flesh of our flesh.

He will come to his own home, his own people, and his own will recognize him and embrace him. To be sure, his task will not be an easy one. He is replacing a giant, and must carry on his shoulders the legacy of all his illustrious predecessors and their burden of love. But he has so many advantages that his predecessors did not have.

First among those advantages is the unity of the Church which, although shaken a little by the natural pain of separation, remains intact.

Archbishop Spyridon also has at his disposal the two basic strengths of our dynamic Church as he begins his tenure which, by the grace of God, will be fruitful and will take the Church well into the 21st century.

Those two strengths are the Greek Orthodox faithful of the United States, who are willing to make available all of their physical, spiritual and material resources in assisting the ministry of their spiritual leader.

The second strength is our clergy: the best-trained and most-dedicated Orthodox clergy in the world; a spiritual army waiting for its leader to call, and ready to follow him. With these strengths our new Archbishop will lead the Church in fulfilling her mission, which we should never forget is the edification and sanctification of her people; the salvation of souls.

Your Eminence, we are aching for you to come. We embrace you. Please embrace us, all of us. We are your people.