Comments

Andrew
January 5, 2010 at 12:30 PM

Many moons ago, I remember reading that Spyridon was to receive a very generous pension from the GOA. I remember even seeing a figure but cannot recall the amount.

Is it true the GOA faithful are paying for the Archbishops retirement in Portugal?

George Michalopulos
January 5, 2010 at 6:48 PM

AS I remember it, yes. In my estimation, he should have been paid a pension, although the amount is rather scandalous if I remember. Having said that, the salaries of GOA bishops in general is a little over $100K which is excessive in my opinion. Especially when you consider that priests with families are paid half that.

George Michalopulos
January 6, 2010 at 8:53 AM

when all is said and done, this interview is much ado about nothing. I know byzantine games are being played here, that’s the nature of the phanariote beast. However I believe the GOA is largely irrelevant to the debate. The bishops of the GOA must come to their own conclusions regarding ethnicity on the one hand and loyalty to the American people. +Spyiridon represents one wing and I give him credit in that he has the courage of his convictions.

Michael Bauman
January 6, 2010 at 9:48 AM

George, why credit +Spyridon for having stong convictions? Satan has even stronger convictions. Not that the bishop is Satanic, but if he is wrong, he is wrong. Persisting in a wrong belief and practice is not admirable, in fact it receives the condemnation of the Church when such wrong persistence touches on matters of the faith.
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John Panos
January 6, 2010 at 7:02 PM

More omogenia.
Always concern for the omogenia, omogenia, omogenia.

When will it end?

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Dean Calvert
January 6, 2010 at 9:53 PM

Personally, I found these statement to be incredible:

Spyridon: I still believe that the archiepiscopal initiatives undertaken at that time could not have been different, given the two major objectives of my administration: 1) to safeguard a traditional form of Orthodoxy in a multi-cultural and multi-religious country such as America, and 2) to bring the rapid de-hellenization in the Greek Orthodox community to a halt and promote Hellenism. One should also keep in mind that we had limited time to accomplish these goals. followed by:

TNH: Do you believe that he betrayed and abandoned you in the last analysis?

Spyridon: He neither betrayed nor abandoned me. He simply implemented the plan he always had for the eparchy of America, a plan developed long before my election.

So, in other words, the Phanar had been waiting to implement a plan for some time? and the “plan” was to bring the rapid de-hellenization of the GO community to a halt?

Wow…so this is what they do over there?

Unbelievable!

George Michalopulos
January 7, 2010 at 6:51 AM

Michael, I totally agree with you. My take was that at least +Spyridon is honest about the heterodoxy of the Phanar/GOA axis, whereas the GOA is not. And before anybody comes down on me too hard, I simply don’t know what else to call it when the Gospel is subsumed into a racialist critique.

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Peter
February 26, 2010 at 8:27 PM

Long Live Archbishop Spyridon…..

Manny Karos
September 23, 2015 at 5:25 PM

[...] My grandmother Livera Flitzanis immigrated from the Greek Island of Fourni, near Samos and Icaria, then under Turkish domination to America with Maria Tsourakis. They made their way to Tarpon Springs Florida where my grandfather was working cutting wood for a living. My grandparents left to work in the steel mills in McKeesport PA raised 9 children in the GOC. My mother and father raised their five children the best they could in the GOC . My wife who is from my grandmothers island of Fourni and I raised my 3 children in the GOC. [...] We were very privileged to have Archbisop Spiridon officiate at our GOC at Saint George’s in Bethesda Md when he elevated Father George to become the new Bishop in NJ many years ago. My son and I had and opportunity to meet Archbishop Spiridon there and we appreciate his commitment to the GOC of America

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