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The National Herald - May 10-11, 2003

OCL Calls for Special Church Congress

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By Theodore Kalmoukos
Special to The National Herald

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In an interview given to the National Herald, Archbishop Iakovos said that the Charter was good and called upon all to accept it.

| Asked for a response, Chimples said, “At some point during the days of Archbishop Spyridon, I had a personal communication with Archbishop Iakovos, who told me that some day the Church in America must be administratively independent. If he has changed his mind, it is his privilege.”

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Asked to respond to Chimples’ claim that years ago he had said the Church in America should become administratively independent, Archbishop Iakovos replied, “How can I remember now how long ago? If I said it, it would have been at a moment when the independence of our Church was doubted. The statement might have had validity at the time I said it. For now and after the tribulations of recent years, I do not think that we can speak of independence, we are speaking of a Church which gradually finds it way and walks, unhampered towards the future.”

Asked further whether or not he had ever wanted the Church to cut itself off from the Ecumenical Patriarchate the Archbishop said, “Not at all. Never.”

[ The National Herald - May 10-11, 2003 ]