FALSE

TRUTH

1.

Vocal critics of the present Church administration are voicing their concerns in order to preserve the integrity of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Many of these critics want to disassemble the Greek Orthodox Church and replace it with an American Orthodox Church. Such a church would be (1) de-Hellenized (e.g. no Greek language, no Grecian festival, no Greek cultural events, no Greek school, no Christos Anesti at Easter, etc.) and (2) cleansed of our ethnic roots.

2.

The Archdiocese suffers from financial mismanagement.

The Archdiocese is in the best financial condition in its history. In 1998, for example, stewardship payments reached a record $8.871 million. The history of operating losses that started under the prior administration is getting better under the present administration every year.

3.

The financial management of the Archdiocese was better under the prior Administration.

Under the prior administration, the Archdiocese had a history of significant operating losses. For example, from 1988 through 1996 (the last year of the prior administration), losses totaled $13.157 million. Under the first full year of Archbishop Spyridon's administration, the operating loss was the smallest in years.

4.

The Archdiocese is plagued by financial Scandal.

The Archdiocese is in the best financial condition in its history. The so-called scandals have been misrepresented. For example, the so-called Philoptochos scandal had its origins in the prior church administration. From an historical perspective, what is being complained about today dwarfs in comparison to what went on under the prior administration, but about which few complained.

5.

Withholding stewardship payments from the Archdiocese is an appropriate way to protest.

Withholding stewardship payments will not hurt or punish the Archdiocese. Rather, it will hurt (1) programs run by the local dioceses, which in turn are supported by the Archdiocese, and (2) some of our most beloved institutions. For example, Hellenic College/Holy Cross Seminary, which will receive a $1.2 million grant from the Archdiocese during the 1998-99 academic year, will be threatened.

6.

Church hierarchs other than Archbishop Spyridon never reassign priests.

Hierarchs reassign priests all the time. Some are reassigned for good reason, some for bad reason, some against the will of the community in question and some against the will of the priest.

7.

Four professors at Hellenic College/Holy Cross Seminary were dismissed, and as a result, they are suffering financially.

The four professors are receiving full pay and pension. One remains a full professor, but he is not teaching this year because he is on sabbatical. Another, who was the director of the library, was replaced, but he remains a full professor and continues to teach full time. A third had previously requested to leave teaching and to be assigned a parish. The fourth at the time of his reassignment was a full time priest and remains so at the same parish.

8.

Hellenic College/Holy Cross Seminary is in danger of losing its accreditation.

The College and Seminary are not in danger of losing their accreditation. Critics of the Archdiocese reported the College and Seminary to accrediting bodies and caused the current investigation. Some of them now seek to take political advantage of a situation they created.

9.

A homosexual incident occurred at Hellenic College/Holy Cross Seminary.

The incident has been described by the several young men who were present as nothing more than rough-housing or horse-play in a dorm. No homosexual incident occurred. In fact, it was critics of the Archdiocese that allowed the alleged perpetrator to graduate.