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The National Herald - December 17, 2017

Demetrios Blames the Messenger

By Antonis Diamataris

As if though all the problems of the Church in the United States were not enough, now, the problems in the Toronto-based Metropolis of Canada are coming to light, as well.

Not that the Metropolis there didn’t have problems in the past. But now, at least some of them, have been published by one of Canada’s largest newspapers, the Toronto Sun, for all to read.

The Greek Community of Toronto (GCT) sued the Metropolis, Metropolitan Sotirios, four priests, and eleven laypersons for “misdirecting, dissipating, and misappropriating” money and for appointing known sex offenders as priests.( In a press release issued on Saturday the Metropolis denies all accusations.)

The irony of coincidence vis-à-vis what is happening in the Archdiocese of America, we are certain, does not escape anyone.

However there is a remarkable difference between the two: the Toronto community dared to stand up and demand transparency. In contrast, we here in the United States continue to cling to illusions.

Please note that the Churches of America and Canada are both Provinces of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Yes, the same Patriarchate which in a recent announcement, despite everything that is happening, declared that it continues to surround Archbishop Demetrios of America “with brotherly love and honor.”

No doubt, something similar will be said about Sotirios as well.

And that brings us to another point, to a scandal, which even though it might seem at first unrelated to the above it is related.

In fact had this occurred with the mainstream media it would have risen such a storm of outrage that most probably would have lead to the immediate firing of the perpetrator.

Specifically the Archbishop, through his secretary Alice Keurian, is asking some of those who for years place their holiday greetings to our Community in our Christmas Special Editions not to do.

We should point out that the revenue generated from that is important to the operation of the newspapers.

Extremely few have complied with the archbishop’s request. One of them is the Leadership 100, which by doing so contradicts its purpose, its charter and the trust of its nearly 1,000 members.

The management of the Leadership 100 consists of Paulette Poulos, Executive Director and George Tsandikos, as President.

Now note that Tsandikos is also the Vice President of the Archdiocesan Council, the highest ranking lay person in the Church.
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However the charter of Leadership 100 was purposely changed in the Spyridon years in order to separate it from the Archdiocese as a way to shield it from being held liable for sexual scandals and other issues. Thus the appointment of Tsandikos to both posts, that of Vice President of the Archdiocesan Council and president of the Leadership 100 obviously violates the independence sought for the organization.

No wonder then that Tsandikos–Poulos obeyed.

Demetrios attempts to punish the Herald for the shocking revelations it has disclosed regarding the tragic situation of our Church. Rather than having taken steps in the 18 years he is the Archbishop not to have lead the Church into this situation in the first place, he tries to “shoot the messenger.”

Obviously Demetrios believes that had the “annoying” Herald not exist the bankruptcy of the Archdioceses would not have being exposed. That he would have gained enough time to escape blameless.

The Herald did nothing else than what it’s here for: To bring the news that matter to our community.

This is our mission. This is why you have being supporting us for 20 years – and the Greek Edition for 102 years -.

We would rather one thousand times stop publishing than betray your trust.

The Archbishop discovered the source of the problem. It’s The National Herald, the messenger of bad news.

Well done, Your Eminence.

And, Your All-Holiness Bartholomew, indeed Archbishop Demetrios deserves to be surrounded with “brotherly love and honor.” In fact, Sotirios deserves something similar too!

[ The National Herald - www.thenationalherald.com/185082/archbishop-demetrios-blames-
   messenger/ - December 17, 2017 ]