|
top
Alitheia-Αλήθεια - July 18, 1997
A LETTER TO H.E. THE ARCHBISHOP
July 18th, 1997
Dear Archbishop Spyridon,
As a student at the Greek Orthodox
School of Theology, I feel it is imperative to respond to
the controversies surrounding the recent reassignment of
three professors at the seminary by Archbishop Spyridon.
It is a sad fact that the voice of the students has been
largely neglected in this matter, when, in reality, it is
of primary importance. Thus, this letter represents the
'general conscience of the students', and has no ulterior
motive other than to express the underlying truths of the
school, which, for many readers, will be a new
perspective.
The professors, and their friends in
the Greek press, have effectively shrouded the truth of
the situation by claiming that the decision of the
Archbishop is unconstitutional and unlawful. However,
this is not the case, as the seminary is under the
jurisdiction of the Greek Archdiocese, and, as such, is
subject to canonical tradition. So, the real issue is not
whether the Archbishop has the authority to reassign
professors, but WHY DID HE EXERCISE HIS RIGHT? As a
student of the school, I can honestly say, with both
heart and mind, that the Archbishop made the right
decision because the professors were, in many cases,
inadequate as administrators, teachers, and spiritual
fathers.
As administrators, all three professors
were on a committee that denied five students the
opportunity to study in Greece on full scholarships. Even
though the students had completed the prerequisites and
requirements for the scholarships, which were offered by
the Greek government, the school created their own
stipulations, thereby denying these students the
opportunity to study abroad. This sort of decision-making
drains the enthusiasm of students for their faith, for it
makes them feel victimized by people in positions of
power, when these same people, who represent the
leadership of our Church, as supposed to help us come
closer to our faith.
As teachers, these professors created
an atmosphere of fear in the classroom; consequently,
students were prevented from asking questions or, when a
question was asked, it was regarded as irrelevant.
Furthermore, in some cases, exams and papers were never
returned; thus, feedback, an essential quality in higher
learning, was largely neglected. Finally, it was quite
clear that subjectivity influenced their distribution of
marks, an unpardonable characteristic of a university
professor.
As spiritual fathers, these professors
failed in attracting students in this respect, for, as
most of my fellow students remarked, 'they cannot be
trusted'. This is a tragedy in our Church, for our faith
is highly dependent upon establishing these
relationships, and these professors appeared to flee this
very important responsibility.
Although most of my comments have
remained generalizations and appear quite sweeping, I
have no qualms stating them, because I can easily provide
concrete, specific examples in each case. There is no
doubt in my mind, and I know I speak on behalf of my
fellow students, that the decision of the Archbishop was
based solely upon the best interests of the school, and
that interest is to provide the students with the best
possible education, one steeped in Orthodox tradition and
faith. Since this was not occurring, the Archbishop
exercised his right to reassign these professors. Any
other reason that one may read or hear, such as
'unconstitutional practice', is an illusion, a figment of
sour imaginations that want to conceal the real reasons
for the reassignments - and these reasons are stated
above.
Remaining yours in the Orthodox faith,
[ signed]
Konstantinos Liadis
[ ALITHEIA-ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ | www.alitheia.org/EV-HC.HTM - July 18, 1997 ]
|