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The National Herald - January 15, 2010

A Letter to "The National Herald"
by Metropolitan Theoliptos of Ikonion

Dated January 9th 2010

It is with much sorrow that I read in your distinguished newspaper 'The National Herald' on January 8, 2010, the article, "They refuse to accept two orphans at St. Basil's Academy". I confess that in reading the article written by Mr. Theodore Kalmoukos, I shuddered. I became sorrowful and I am ashamed to be a hierarch of the Orthodox Church. I am asking: Was the conscience of Archbishop Demetrios, who had received the letter from the orphans' uncle, at peace during the Holy Days of God's Epiphany and New Year? Was he able to celebrate as a high priest the sacred days without any problem of conscience? How could he have sent that reply to the uncle of those two children, and further mock them by sending wishes for a solution? Truly, where are we going? Where has our wretched Orthodox Church been led? Where has the Church been led by the conscienceless shepherds? How can we want the faithful to believe us and to follow us when we do not practice what we preach? I felt very sorry for Archbishop Demetrios, as he disappointed me one more time.

Which is our mission in the world? Just to organize dinners and events to celebrate our tenth anniversary on the Throne of the Holy Archdiocese of America, or to speak and preach about loving and helping our suffering fellow man, but not to do anything in reality? The entire Archdiocese of America is not opposed to helping two 10-year-old children. The reasons for their refusal were silly and without substance. They do not have, said the otherwise Holy Brother (Archbishop Demetrios), American citizenship. To whom is he trying to sell these fairytales? Is it possible to want to help and not be able to find some solution? If he is not in a position to help two orphan boys, who are 10 years old, then it is bad that he remains in his position.

The essence of the matter is that there is no will to help because we have strayed from our mission. If (the Archbishop) were to ask for 100 dollars from each hierarch of America, he would have collected 1,000 a month, and do not tell me that they do not have the money to give because everybody will laugh.

He (Demetrios) chose to reply shortly before Christmas and that is the tragicomedy of this whole issue. Yes, the Archbishop of America refused to provide help on Christmas Eve, on the par excellence feast of love where God becomes man out of love in order to save man. Is this our ecclesiastical conscience? I feel sorry for the plight of the Orthodox Church. I feel sorry for the plight of the Archdiocese of America and its Archbishop. The bones of our forefathers, who established the institutions for our suffering brothers, will be turning in their graves. There is a God and we will be accountable some day for our deeds.

We should not complain that the people of God stay away from the Church. We ousted them with our deeds and examples. Shame on us.

With honor and love,
Metropolitan Theoliptos of Ikonion

[ Orthodox Truth - www.orthodox-truth.bugs3.com/art_2010_theoliptos.html - January 15, 2010 ]