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Orthodox Christian Laity - March 30, 2004

LETTER TO ARCHON COMMANDER

EVAN ALEVIZATOS CHRISS
8031 STRAUFF ROAD
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
21204-1834
410-321-9747

March 23, 2004

Dr. Anthony Limberakis
National Commander
Order of St. Andrew
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
8-10 East 79th Street
New York, New York 10021

Dear Commander Limberakis:

I am writing to you on behalf of Archons John Gikas, Dino Kristakis, Peter Maniatis, George W. Souvall and myself.

Each of us has g your letter of March 10, 2004 together with the letter from Legal Counselor Christopher Stratakis concerning our participation as plaintiffs in the legal action filed in the Supreme Court of New York.

Notwithstanding the requirements of the 1977 Charter that revisions to it require the approval of the Clergy-Laity Congress, the Archdiocese has proceeded to implement the proposed 2003 Charter issued by the Patriarchate without first obtaining such approval. Not only is such action contrary to the provisions of the 1977 Charter, it is also inconsistent with the precedent set by Patriarchs Meletios IV, Basil III, Photios II and Demetrios I and Archbishops Alexander, Athenagoras and Iakovos who provided for Clergy-Laity Congress approval and acceptance of the 1922, 1927, 1931 and 1977 Charters .

For more than the past year Archons and other members of the group of plaintiffs in the Charter legal action attempted to institute a dialogue with the Patriarchate and the Archdiocese concerning the proposed revision of the 1977 Charter. Unfortunately, there was not even an acknowledgment to any of the requests.

In the earnest attempt to resolve the Charter issue within the Church, appeals were also made to the Primates of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, bringing the matter to their attention and beseeching them to intercede so there would be no need to go to the civil courts. Unfortunately, these requests were fruitless.

All these efforts having failed, no means were available to the plaintiffs except the civil courts to obtain an authoritative adjudication of the proper Charter revision process. Since Courts do not render opinions unless the question is brought before them in the form of a legal action, it was necessary to file such an action naming the Archdiocese and His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios, as defendants.

The Archdiocese and the Patriarchate must follow each and every provision of the 1977 Charter as approved by both of them. Neither has the right to pick and chose which provisions will be followed and which will be ignored. If each had such a right, then the Charter would not be worth the paper it is printed on. Such a procedure would only lead to administrative chaos. If the Patriarchate and the Archdiocese were allowed to revise the 1977 Charter without observing its revision procedures the integrity and credibility of the Archdiocese and the Patriarchate would be seriously undermined.

As devoted Greek Orthodox Christians and dedicated Archons, we and the other plaintiffs are resolved not to let this happen. . Accordingly, after all attempts at dialogue with the Patriarchate and the Archdiocese were of no avail and appeals to our sister Orthodox Churches to intervene were unsuccessful, there was no alternative but regretfully and with great reluctance and sorrow to bring the matter before the civil courts to require the Archdiocese to observe the 1977 Charter which had been solemnly approved by both the Patriarchate and the Archdiocese.

| In this respect, we direct your attention to the following excerpt from the very incisive and pertinent observations of His Eminence, Archbishop Spyridon, in his recent interview with the National Herald in Tarpon Springs:

|“NH: How would you comment on the legal dispute over the issue of the Charter of the Archdiocese?

|Spyridon: I not only mourn the situation, I mourn especially the fact that there is a need for recourse to civil courts for solutions to ecclesiastical and religious issues.

| On the other hand, no one can gainsay the right that those who have brought the action have, inasmuch as the 1977 Charter provides for the approval of the Clergy Laity Congress when there is an adjustment or amendment to a new charter.

| What I am trying to say is that those who have brought this action did not do it without a substantive rationale. Especially inasmuch as the 1977 Charter was approved by the Patriarchate, the Patriarchate itself should have respected it, and not made an effort to adjust a new Charter which had not passed through the canonical proceedings that the Patriarchate itself provided. Consequently, they have a basis.“

The duty and obligation of an Archon is to defend and promote the Greek Orthodox faith. His special concern and interest is to serve, protect and promote the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. However, it is not his duty and obligation to blindly support actions of the lay leadership of the Archdiocese and the hierarchs of the Patriarchate and the Archdiocese which do not comply with the 1977 Charter. An Archon’s duty and obligation is to the Church and not to the person or actions of any particular hierarch or lay leader. Accordingly, it is the Archons who have joined the legal action as plaintiffs who are observing and carrying out their duty and obligation as Archons. It is not those who sit idly by and fail to take appropriate action to support and defend the Church from invalid and unauthorized actions by its leadership, or even worse, try to intimidate those who are doing so.

Our decision to join as plaintiffs in the legal action was not taken lightly but only after much thought and soul wrenching anguish. It was a very difficult decision to make. However, our consciences told us that as Orthodox Christians with the honor of being Archons, we could not do otherwise without failing to do our duty to defend and support our Church. Therefore, we cannot and will not comply with the request that we withdraw as plaintiffs.

Very truly yours,
Evan Alevizatos Chriss

EAC/me

Mr. Michael Jaharis
Christopher Stratakis, Esquire
Mr. John Gikas
Mr. Dino Kristakis
Mr. Peter Maniatis
Mr. George W. Souvall

[ Orthodox Christian Laity - www.ocl.org/ - March 30, 2004 ]