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The Greek Press - April 12, 2001
Justine Frangouli-Argyris
«The Lonely Path of Integrity»
By Antonis Vazintaris
A distinguished member of our community, a journalist, a member
of the Athens Union of Daily Newspaper Journalists and a newspaper and magazine
correspondent living in this country, Ms Justine Frangouli-Argyri has dealt
with an usually interesting personality: Archbishop Spyridon whose ministry
as Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church of America, 1996-1999, has left its
mark on a whole series of actions, events and situations in the Greek American
community and beyond. The Lonely Path of Integrity is a biographical piece
of literature in which the author sketches the Archbishop's personality
and ministry.
In this particularly painstaking study, the biographer Ms Justine Frangouli-Argyris
begins with her subject's childhood and then depicts for her readers
the course of his reflections and thoughts, his intensive and exhaustive studies,
his ministry and life in various countries given that in the course of nature
he was compelled to move from place to place in order to respond to the needs
of his inner interests and quests.
Archbishop Spyridon, born George Papageorge, through intense study and creative
effort proved capable of dealing with all difficulties and social adversities
encountered and became a personality of strong character, widely-read and
multilingual. As his biographer, relying on testimony and documentation, tells
us, Patriarchs and secular figures alike saw in him a future Archbishop of
America. Thus, after a long and successful period of ministry to the Church
and Greek people in Italy, as a priest and then as a bishop, Spyridon became
Archbishop of America in 1996, where he ministered to the Greek-American community
until 1999.
"Ecumenism" brought Spyridon into contact with many other figures
from non-Orthodox churches. Together, they attended meetings, conversed and
tried to find constructive solutions to existing problems.
Various trends, ambitions, power games, "financial interests" of
laymen and clergy alike, decisions and acts of "expediency", ecclesiastical
and perhaps political as well, pulled the carpet from beneath Spyridon producing
a climate of confrontations and unpleasant situations that inevitably ended
in his removal from the archiepiscopal throne of America.
In my view, every member of the Greek community wishing to form an opinion
of his own and actively participate in the life of the Greek American community,
must read this book which, moreover, is a significant piece of writing and
a valuable document for future historians.
The Lonely Path of Integrity is a volume of 352 pages based on testimony and
official documents. The author in offering her readers this biography for
study, leaves it to them to draw their own conclusions. The biographer employs
a journalistic language that is easy to read and, at the same time, a source
of refreshment. Exandas Publishers and the author, Ms Justine Frangouli-Argyri,
are testimony to today's column.
[ Translated from Greek ]
[ Ελληνικός Τύπος - April 12, 2001 - p. _ ]
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