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TGA News - March 13, 2001
The former Archbishop of America, His Emi- nence Spyridon
SPYRIDON'S «DEPOSITION»
Why the Phanar «devoured» its own child
A revealing book brings to light the Byzantine intrigues
that led to the dismissal of the Archbishop of America
Cover page:
The Lonely
Path of
Integrity
The financial and power intrigues in the Archdiocese of America,
the recurring crises fomented by the Phanar, the protagonists in the ousting
of two Archbishops (Iakovos and Spyridon) within the span of three years are
brought to light in a revealing biography of Spyridon, former Archbishop of
America. Entitled The Lonely Path of Integrity, the new book will be put out
within the next few days by Exandas Publishers.
The book's author is Justine Frangouli-Argyris, journalist and correspondent
of Ethnos in Montreal. Through a wealth of documentation the author reveals
that the institutions were subjugated to the interests of a small, but influential
group of church members. In reality, this group's activities served to
mask the Phanar's thirst for absolute control over the Throne's
largest and wealthiest eparchy.
Introducing some extracts from the book, published today by TGANews.com, the author
notes that the methods used to topple Iakovos were also employed against Spyridon,
with Iakovos this time serving as an additional weapon. Avenging his removal from the Throne, Iakovos derived some satisfaction by
plotting against the man his nemesis Bartholomew had chosen as the new Archbishop of America.
The protagonists in the repeat performance were the "Patriarchal friends"
(a handful of important Greek American businessmen and influential priests).
When they saw that Spyridon would not do their bidding, they once again resorted
to systematic and remorseless attacks. Every tactic was employed to undermine
the Archbishop; every ethical code was violated. Today, comfortably ensconced
in their administrative posts after their restoration to power, they hold
the reins of the Archdiocese, offering their good services to the Phanar.
The pawns in this cruel game were the Metropolitans. In their blind desire
to augment their own powers, they were driven to fabricate rebellion and discord.
Following Spyridon's downfall, they ended up stagnant in their dioceses,
unable to usurp the authority of the Archiepiscopal Throne.
The fomenters of the simulated crisis and the organizers of extra-ecclesiastical
structures were the "offended" faction at Holy Cross School of Theology,
who feared that their control over theological education was threatened by
a spiritual leader whose vision consisted in restoring traditional Orthodoxy.
Also mobilized in the war against the Archbishop were the advocates of autocephaly
(OCL-Orthodox Christian Laity) and America's "anti-Patriarchal"
circles sheltered by GOAL (Greek Orthodox American Leaders), hoping for complete
independence from the Phanar.
It seems to have been Spyridon's direct involvement in Greece's national issues
that annoyed the Center of Orthodoxy. It saw with displeasure Iakovos's successor
following the same dynamic path of political intervention in Washington.
TGANEws.com today prints several pre-publication excerpts from the book. These
reveal the games played by the Phanar in Greece's foreign policy issues, the
express prohibitions that were issued, and the true dimensions of the conflict
over Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, MA.
The Greek American Lobby : A Road Paved with Adversity
The former Archbishop of America, Spyridon, with Patriarch Bartho- lomew
With the Patriarch's consent to handle Hellenic national issues in the
vague realm of the "inalienable rights of the Greek people," Spyridon
left for New York, where his predecessor, Iakovos, had already walked the
road of laurels and palms by making political moves at America's power
centers.
The new Archbishop, with the label of Phanar loyalist firmly attached to him,
arrived in the United States at a time when relations between the Patriarchate
and Greece were going through a critical phase. The prevailing public perception
was that Bartholomew intended to impose his own policy in Greek-Turkish relations
on the new leader of the Church of America. All things considered, the indeterminate
framework for handling national issues passed on to Spyridon seemed to suggest
such an interpretation...
The recent partition of the Archdiocese of North and South America into four
ecclesiastical entities (the Archdiocese of America and the Metropolitanates
of Canada, Central America and South America) was widely seen in Greek-American
circles as the Patriarchate's attempt to diminish the Archbishop's
influence in Washington and downgrade his presence in the Greek-American lobby.
The new Primate, in his year of adjustment, tried to take stock of the situation.
He concluded that public appearances and a high profile status in Washington
had not been sufficient for his predecessor to overcome the chronic impasse
in which Hellenic national issues lay.
The newcomer's second plan of action was to unite all elements of the
Greek-American lobby under the aegis of the Archdiocese, a feat that would
ensure one Greek-American voice and a unified presence in Washington.
From early on, the Archbishop moved in this direction, despite the fact that
some lobby elements had difficulty dealing with the idea of uniting under
a strong and influential institution, such as the Archdiocese. On March 10,
1998, Spyridon succeeded in bringing together, in Washington, representatives
from all major Greek-American organizations under the new umbrella organization
Hellenic American Leaders and Organizations (HALO).
Support for Bill Clinton in times of difficulty...
The former Archbishop of America, Spyridon, with Anthony Quinn and Irene Pappas
The Archbishop gained Bill Clinton's high regard when in the fall of
1998 he sent the President a letter offering moral support during the public
uproar about the Monica Lewinsky revelations. The American President, even
after Spyridon's resignation, continued to hold in esteem the dynamic
leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, who hadn't hesitated to be supportive
at a time when Clinton was undergoing ruthless attacks.
In the fall of 1998, after two years in office, the Archbishop was in a better
position to strengthen relations with Greek Foreign Minister, Theodore Pangalos.
Following his visit to New York in September of that year for the annual General
Assembly of the United Nations, the minister came to look on Spyridon as an
aggressive advocate of Hellenic national issues.
At the same time, the Greek Foreign Minister could see that Spyridon did not
feel bound by Phanar's political perspective; he was ready to chart his
own course. The old rivals now became allies.
During that same period, the Archbishop welcomed the President of Cyprus Glafkos
Clerides to the Archdiocese and was in turn officially invited by him to Cyprus.
Spyridon publicly accepted the invitation, only to be later instructed by
the Phanar to give up all thought of making the visit. Metropolitan Ioakeim
of Chalcedon left no room for argument when he called Spyridon and told him
that the issue must silently fall by the wayside.
Spyridon, by now in possession of a clear and comprehensive policy on Hellenic
matters, seemed determined to make an impact in mid 1998, though evidently
aware of the price he would have to pay. "History would not have forgiven
us for forfeiting opportunities," he said a year after his resignation
in an interview with Athens-based Kyriakatiki Eleftherotypia.
Appealing to the Oval Office for a solution to the Cyprus problem
An excellent opportunity to make his voice heard both as a
Greek and as an Orthodox churchman came with the bombing of Kosovo in the
spring of 1999. On the second day of the bombing raids (March 25, 1999), Spyridon,
accompanied by a delegation of Greek-American leaders and Greek Undersecretary
for Foreign Affairs Grigoris Niotis, was invited to the Oval Office by President
Clinton to receive the American President's Annual Proclamation celebrating
Greek Independence Day. Spyridon's meeting was only one of two that had
not been deferred under the strain of events.
As the Greek-American community's leader, the Archbishop, seized the
opportunity to raise the Cyprus issue, and asked Clinton's personal mediation
to bring about a just and viable solution. With regard to the NATO bombings
in Kosovo, he said, "we are mindful of the conflict and strife that surrounds
the current situation in Kosovo. Many lives are now at risk, and we pray that
God, in His providential loving care for all humankind, will illumine the
path of peace and righteousness, so that the force of arms may give way to
the terms of a just and lasting peace. We offer our prayers for those who
are in harm's way: our own American service men and women, the civilian
population, and all those whose lives have been so afflicted by the continuing
conflict."
Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Grigoris Niotis disapproved of Spyridon's
stand on Kosovo. He was put in a difficult position because Greece, as a NATO
member, was taking part in the Kosovo war activities. At the same time, the
Greek politician saw leadership potential in the Archbishop, who had made
his intentions clear about bringing the whole Greek-American lobby, including
the Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), under his aegis. According to the Greek
government's plan, it was later revealed, SAE would take over the political
leadership in Washington, and Spyridon's unexpected initiative was not
particularly welcome.
Meanwhile, the Archbishop traveled to the Phanar that turbulent July of 1999.
While he was working on a joint action by HALO organizations on the Cyprus
problem, and preparing a memorial service at the Cathedral of Holy Trinity
in New York for the victims of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, rumors of his
imminent replacement were rampant. The Greek press reported at that point:
"Cyprus dooms Spyridon."
The backrooms of power anticipate Spyridon's fall
The former Archbishop of America, Spyridon, with Archbishop Ia- kovos and Nana Mouskouri
"The ministry of Archbishop Spyridon of America seems
to have an expiration date before the anniversary of Turkey's invasion
of Cyprus. He was summoned to Constantinople today, Sunday July 12, to be
briefed on the Patriarchate's resolutions concerning the future of the
Church in America as well as his own ministry henceforward. Greek-American circles estimate that the Patriarch's haste in calling
on Spyridon to travel to the Phanar immediately is due to Bartholomew's
profound concern about the Archbishop's intense efforts to advance the
Cyprus issue. Such action will result in rigid demands made to President Clinton
in a letter to be signed by the entire Greek-American lobby."
In taking a new aggressive stance on Hellenic national questions, Spyridon
found enthusiastic allies in Cypriot-Americans, Greek-American organizations,
and members of the general public who were eager to join their voices to his.
The Phanar, however, disapproved of the Archbishop's vigorous policy,
because it threatened the Patriarchate's long-established status in Turkey
and upset its equilibrium in the realm of local relations.
Meanwhile, Grigoris Niotis, the Greek Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs,
responsible for Greeks abroad, openly backed Spyridon's initiatives.
But he was greatly troubled by the Archbishop's systematic efforts to
coordinate a lobby that went as far as placing SAE under the aegis of the
Church.
While Spyridon was ending his time in office in the United States with dignity
and relentless industry, some circles in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Greece and in Greek-American backrooms of power were spreading the word that
his end was near because his remarks about Kosovo had personally upset President
Clinton!
The truth, however, is that right to the end, the Archbishop enjoyed the esteem
of the President who, as he told his Greek friends, believed that this American-born
Orthodox Christian leader offered a new outlook for Hellenism in the United
States. Bill Clinton's farewell letter to the former Archbishop of America
leader speaks for itself: "Throughout your inspired tenure, you have
enriched the lives of countless others and stood as an example of faith to
our nation and the world. You have worked tirelessly to serve the Ecumenical
Patriarchate, fostering an atmosphere of compassion and fellowship and tending
to the spiritual needs of those who look to you for guidance" (October
13, 1999).
Head-on Collision At Holy Cross School Of Theology
A carefully devised sex scandal at Holy Cross School of Theology
was to provide the first focus for organized opposition to Spyridon (1997).
This was the key to the outbreak of a war impending between the Hellenocentric
and the Americanocentric forces at the theological institution...
The Archbishop found the Holy Cross landscape dismal even before he arrived
at his new post.
The newly arrived church leader was intensely troubled by the Protestantization
of theological teaching and the overall liberal orientation taken by the Archdiocese's
most significant educational institution. In a report to the Phanar dated
August 28, 1998, his assessment left little room for misinterpretation:
"Typical problems faced by the School in the past have been (a) the marginalization
of the Greek language; (b) the School's isolation from the Orthodox theological
reality worldwide; (c) the autonomous operation of the School without ecclesiastical
supervision; (d) the liturgical innovations introduced in the School's
chapel; (e) the promotion of the Church of America's independence from
the Old World, that is, separation from the Patriarchate and the Americanization
of the Church in this country; (f) nepotism among the teaching and administrative
staff; (g) theological liberalism due to a Protestant influence; and (h) the
systematic exclusion of would-be students from Greece."
From the very beginning, Spyridon found himself in the middle of a great dispute,
primarily concerning institutional issues, between Liturgics professor Fr.
Alkiviadis Calivas, the recently appointed Hellenic College-Holy Cross President
and Holy Cross Dean Fr. George Dragas, a patristics professor. Every day,
faxes poured into Venice detailing the faults of one rival or the other.
A year earlier, it should be recalled, an agreement had been reached between
a Patriarchal delegation (Exarchia) sent to America, and Archbishop Iakovos
to keep the latter from filling key positions and altering institutional structures
in light of a new Archbishop's election. Still, Iakovos had hastily appointed
Fr. Calivas as the institution's President in January 1996, in violation
of due process.
The "Pan-Orthodox" and the "Autonomist"
These academic authorities embodied the two diametrically
opposed tendencies. Fr. Calivas, representing the Greek-American generation,
looked down on Greek-born theologians. He championed the movement to liberalize
Orthodox theology and argued that the Church of America should become autocephalous,
that is, independent from the Patriarchate.
By contrast, Fr. George Dragas was a formidable advocate for Greek-centered
ideals and traditional Orthodoxy. A prolific scholar known worldwide, Fr.
George was an imposing figure at WCC conferences and in bilateral theological
dialogues with the Anglican Church and the World Reformed Alliance.
Spyridon would have preferred to stay above the battle. Yet Fr. Calivas met
with the Archbishop in New York two or three times urging him to fire the
seminary dean, Fr. Dragas.
As his tenure began, the Archbishop conducted an overall assessment of the
School. He discovered to his dismay that the seminarians lacked basic theological
knowledge. He informed Fr. Calivas in the clearest of terms that the teaching
of Church History, Dogmatics, Canon Law, and even Greek was inadequate. Spyridon
explicitly recommended that Fr. Calivas add the History of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate to the curriculum as a compulsory subject to bring seminarians
closer to their ecclesiastical roots.
Fr. Calivas believed that the umbilical cord linking the Phanar and the Church
of America was an impediment to its growth. There could be no doubt, therefore,
that he prepared to do battle with the new Archbishop, who wished to usher
in a return to Orthodox tradition and mend relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
On November 18, 1996, three of the School's archimandrites (registrar
Dr. Cleopas Strongylis, and seminarians Fr. Antonios Papathanasiou and Fr.
Iakovos Vassiliou) fired off a letter to the Archbishop and the Eparchial
Synod. They alleged that anti-Hellenic sentiment reigned at the School, Greek-born
students were persecuted, and the Liturgy was celebrated primarily in English.
They called for the Archbishop to act to set matters straight.
The three archimandrites complained of "academic stagnation, administrative
inefficiency and abuse, as well as political infighting" and made mention
of an "anti-Greek, anti-clerical, anti-celibate and anti-Patriarchal
stance adopted by the Administration." They also stressed the "deficiencies
and insufficient knowledge of our clergymen in matters of liturgy, music,
Greek language, tradition, as well as in other areas essential for their service
in the Great Church of Christ."
The letter concluded with a desperate appeal to the Archbishop to restructure
the institution and make it more fit to fulfill its ecclesiastical mission.
The episode which gave a weapon to his enemies
On February 27, 1997, an incident occurred at the Seminary which was to be
the cornerstone of the Church establishment's war against Spyridon. The
incident took place in a dormitory room shared by a co-author of the aforementioned
letter. It involved an argument between the latter, an archimandrite, and
another seminarian, ultimately resulting in the use of force. Although the
two seminarians eventually settled their dispute, Fr. Calivas made sure a
Disciplinary Committee chaired by Fr. Emmanuel Klapsis investigated the episode
(March 6, 1997).
About a month later, the committee recommended the expulsion of Archimandrite
Kallistratos Ikonomou, a Th. M. student, implicated in the incident. It also
issued a letter of rebuke to the other party. The students had the right to
appeal to the institution's President within 48 hours. The appeal would
be subject to review by the Seminary dean according to regulations.
The Archbishop urged the institution's authorities to dispose of the
matter as quickly as possible and protect the credibility of the institution
and the Church. But the disciplinary committee's decision was leaked
to the press even before the review, and vicious rumors about the archimandrites,
and Greek-born seminarians in general, swirled through the seminary.
War in the "trenches" of the media and the Internet
And so a media storm ensued and Spyridon was said to have engaged in a cover-up
to protect "homosexual students." The issue took on unexpected dimensions
in the Greek press. A sexual scandal, totally fabricated, had become Spyridon's
first nightmare.
The "aggrieved" parties rushed to cobble together a Website, Voithia
(Help). Not long after, they managed to get their views published in The Boston
Globe and other leading American newspapers. Their primary message to Greek-Americans
and the public in general was that their reassignment was an infringement
of academic procedures and the direct result of their refusal to cover up
the so-called "homosexual scandal."
While all this was going on, Fr. Calivas's assistant, Valerie Karras,
drafted report after report, and sent them off to the accreditation agencies,
the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Association
of Theological Schools (ATS), as well as to Orthodox theological faculties
all over the world. She castigated the Archdiocese of America for allegedly
violating seminary bylaws and abolishing academic freedom.
Meanwhile, the affair was spinning out of control in the Greek, the American
and the Greek-American press, and Spyridon was the target. Simultaneously,
an extra-ecclesiastical organization, Greek Orthodox American Leaders (GOAL)
began to take shape. It adopted the Voithia Web page, which kept up a steady
attack on both the Archbishop and the Patriarchate. In fact, in an open letter
dated March 25, 1998, GOAL called for the Primate's removal by May 1,
1998.
After two years of countless misadventures and endless carping about the Archbishop's
decisions, Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of Theology received official
letters from NEASC (May 11, 1999) and AST (June 25, 1999), reaccrediting the
Archdiocese's academic institution. The two agencies simply requested
the clarification of certain points in the Seminary's bylaws in order
to avoid ambiguity "where the ecclesiastical and the institutional rules
come into conflict."
Confirmation by both accreditation agencies was a personal victory for the
Archbishop. But it had come too late. It left him no time to dispel the misconceptions
that had led to the ruthless war against him. Moral satisfaction was the only
consolation.
The priests-professors were reinstated even before the enthronement of Spyridon's
successor, following a decision by the Archdiocese's new administration:
clearly a reward for their efforts to oust an Archbishop who dared seek innovation
in an established system...
JUSTINE FRANGOULI-ARGYRIS
[ Translated from Greek ]
[ TGA News
www.tganews.com/2001/news/culture/literature/0313spyridon1.html
March 13, 2001 ]
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