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The National Herald - November 22-23, 1997

Priest Who Married Now Faces Spiritual Court

By Theodore Kalmoukos

BOSTON. - Rev. Anthony Nicklas, the Massachusetts clergyman whose recent remarriage stirred up considerable controversy, was summoned by Bishop Methodios of Boston to appear before the Spiritual Court of the Diocese on Tuesday, November 25.

"The canonical status of your priesthood as a result of your remarriage will be examined at that time," Methodios states in a November 19 letter to Fr. Nicklas. The priest is further directed "not to exercise any of the responsibilities of the sacramental priesthood" until the disposition of his case.

Rev. Nicklas, a divorced clergyman and single parent of a young son, remarried a divorced Orthodox woman and single mother of a daughter on Sunday November 9, at St. Marys' Antiochian Orthodox Church, in Cambridge, Mass.

The Rev. John Maheras, dean of the Nativity-Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Cohasset, Mass. (under Methodios' jurisdiction) took part in the sacrament, and Presbytera Erasmia Calivas served as the koumbara.

Nicklas insists he had the permission of the Ecumenical Patriarch and Bishop Methodios to marry. In a letter to a fellow Orthodox hierarch, Methodios even suggests that Nicklas' marriage request be facilitated (See The National Herald, 11/8 and 11/15). Both Patriarch Bartholomaios and Bishop Methodios deny they ever gave their permission.

Under the 10th article of the Charter of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America "a Spiritual Court of First Instance functions within each Diocese. It is comprised of clerical members selected by the Bishop ... and hears cases involving family problems, divorce, as well as [other] offenses of clerics and laity."

"The Spiritual Court of Appeals is comprised of the Archbishop, who presides over it, the members of the Synod of Bishops and the Chancellor of the Archdiocese as secretary.

"It is convened twice annually when the Synod of Bishops meets and hears all appeals from decisions of the Spiritual Courts of First Instance... Matters involving Bishops will be judged and determined by the Synod of Bishops..."
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However, students involved in an incident of homosexual harassment at the Theological School in Brookline, Mass., last February have not as yet been called before a Spiritual Court. On the contrary and despite the findings of the Legal Committee of the Archdiocese on the case, no action was taken against them.

[ The National Herald - November 22-23, 1997, p. 1 ]
[ Voithia - www.voithia.org/content/qmpnath1122a.htm - December 6, 1997 ]