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Orthodox News

Constantine and Arianna Carras
say we are persecuting former GOA Archbishop Spyridon

Dear Editor:

We commend your web site for being so beautifully and professionally set up. However, we feel that whereas it could have been used as a beacon of spiritual hope and general unity, especially for the ethically troubled Greek branch of the Orthodox Church, you seem to be leaning towards being a part of the bandwagon that continues to persecute His Eminence Archbishop Spyridon. We hope that in the future you can have the moral fortitude and objectivity to promote more Christian fairness, love, and understanding in this and in all matters concerning the Greek Orthodox Church.

It sometimes seems to both people inside and outside, that the Greek Orthodox Church's main function is that of an ethnic club, where just as in the old world "kafeneion," politics reign supreme as entertainment. What we fail to realize is that the church is not supposed to be a civic club, but that it bears the responsibility of living up to being the Body of Christ. The hate and malice which have been, and continue to be perpetrated towards this poor man, Archbishop Spyridon, only continue to prove to the world which exists outside of the insular Greek ecclesiastical and ethnic world, that as a Church, the Orthodox church HAS FAILED. Although pristine in dogma and theology, and rich in ancient sacramental traditions, it has failed in its responsibility of the salvation of souls, in instilling the Ten Commandments in their full meaning, and in the teachings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, (which include unconditional love, compassion, fairness, and spiritual discernment). It has even failed in conveying our belief in the communion of Saints, for if it had, and had the lives of Saints been known to the faithful, they would know that many Saints in history have been attacked by the devil through deception, lies, slander. In fact many Saints in history have been deposed from their positions and titles because of such evil. In this knowledge, along with the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Christ, how can anyone not shudder at the thought of condemning another person out of a desire to go along with the crowd? Furthermore, the Orthodox Church has failed its holy purpose and duty, when organizations such as GOAL can proudly exist and be condoned by priests and hierarchs, and when the faithful, with no worry about the notion of sin, or about whether they may be facing eternal damnation, can, through calumny (deliberate lies about another), slander and pure malice of the heart, comfortably condemn to spiritual death a hierarch who sacrificed his worldly life for God for 31 YEARS.

What the Greek Orthodox Church HAS ACCOMPLISHED in this past year, is to polarize the faithful who have been morally separated through this crisis into the practicing Christians and the non-practicing Christians regardless of Church attendance. It has also accomplished driving MANY practicing Christian Orthodox into finding spiritual solace in the faith traditions of other churches.

The peace that is being falsely reported everywhere, is actually a feeling of sadness, of despair, of disillusionment and even of apathy. The reason that voices and outcries are not heard is because those who had no respect, no scruples, but deep pockets and loud voices, have, over the past few years gotten their way. The reason that voices and outcries are not heard is because those of us who are crying now, do it secretly out of fear of being ostracized for our moral outrage and righteous indignation, and we do it silently, for we are crying for the fate of our Church. You see, our friend, those who loved Archbishop Spyridon and what he tried to do for the Church, except for a few misled and confused, do not harbor animosity towards other hierarchs, whether retired or active. Those who loved Archbishop Spyridon, love the teachings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ above all, and therefore, cannot lower our morals to the outcries and despicable sins of the lynch mobs who persecuted him.

It would be nice if Archbishop Spyridon could receive what is rightfully due him. Where he abode during the three years he lived in the New York area, we know as a fact, was not befitting anyone, no less an Archbishop. This cannot be said for his predecessor nor for his successor. He was removed against the will of the majority of people from his position, must we now also be deprived of his spirituality and the void we feel in our hearts without him? Those who love Archbishop Iakovos are not being deprived of seeing him, worshiping with him, visiting him, and deriving whatever they feel they derive from him. We pray with all our heart to the Almighty God and to the Theotokos, that those who bear nothing but malice in their hearts and would like to see a cleric of the Church, (or any human being in that case), be a beggar in the streets will experience a divine conversion of their hearts and experience the true love of Jesus that could never, ever, bear the kind of malice which exists in the Greek Orthodox Church today.

We thank you wholeheartedly for allowing us to have a voice. May God bless you for it, and may God bless and enlighten us all.

In Christ's love,
Constantine and Arianna Carras

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