The Conference Call and the Future

Monomakhos - May 17, 2019

Some of you have commented on the conference call that was conducted between the new Archbishop and several hundred clergy of the GOA. Regarding that call I’ll get right to the point: I didn’t hear anything that would set the world on fire –from either him or the priests.

That may be the point, however. Permit me to explain.

While Lambrianides hit all the right notes about the priests’ depleted pension fund and their economic security, he didn’t exactly (or even ambiguously) explain how exactly how he was going to rectify those problems. If I had to guess, I’d say that there is no plan going forward to make things right. That will become more obvious as time goes on and more and more men leave the priesthood. Even if there was a plan, 79th St would still continue to operate in as opaque a fashion as possible, regardless of all the happy-talk that comes from The Orthodox Observer

Lambrianides’ locution was soothing to be sure but at the end of the day, his words were anodyne and empty. Not unlike the Messages which the Patriarch and Metropolitan exchanged on the day in which the announcement of his transfer to America was made. The contrast between Jesus’ warrior-like exhortation to His disciples and the flowery language exchanged between these two hierarchs on that day is stark. The former was a call-to-arms, the latter more like a series of sonnets.

To be sure, he downplayed the Greco-triumphalism and his only mention of inter-Orthodox unity was some limpid explanation about how unity can happen only under the Ecumenical Patriarchate because that patriarchate is ecumenical. (Logic hasn’t been the Phanar’s strong suit for quite a while now.) For good measure, he threw in the factoid that the “Greek” in Greek Orthodox did not refer to a specific ethnicity per se. That this was true in late Antiquity but no longer is arguable. And pedantic. Regardless, I’m sure it fell on deaf ears especially if those ears were attached to non-Greek heads.

And to be fair, the new Archbishop struck a more humble tone than he did thirteen years ago when he gave his infamous diatribe about how we are all just a bunch of barbarians here in America. I imagine he learned his lesson. Still, it was all very thin gruel. What’s worrisome though, is that in his acceptance of American pluralism and interfaith dialogue, he has accommodated himself too much to American “exceptionalism”, particularly in regards to “diversity” and “tolerance” (The Pappas Post can hardly contain its excitement; that’s all you need to know).

And as I mentioned the other day in a comment, I was thoroughly unnerved with the obsequious manner in which those priests who asked questions spoke. Their unctuous tone of voice, more than anything else, made me fear for the future of the Church here in America. I cannot see men of this ilk boldly preaching the Gospel or going into the arena when and if the time comes. But let us be honest: one cannot preach the Gospel and Canon 28 mythology at the same time.

I suppose I would be no different were I in their place. As mentioned in the earlier comment, I more than understand how the average GOA priest is caught between worldly forces in his parish council on the one hand and an even more worldly bishop on the other. Nor should we forget that the Ecumenical Patriarchate in its present self-understanding is very much a creature of this present age. It’s ironic but when an actual symphonia between Church and state existed, the Church actually behaved as a Church. At the very least, patriarchs dressed, acted, spoke, and were spoken to, as bishops –not oriental potentates. And they certainly weren’t afraid to speak forcefully to emperors (see, Chrysostom, St John; Milan, St Ambrose of; et al.)

But I digress. Let us get to brass tacks. Upon completion of this call, I was able to speak with a few other interested people. What they told me was that they didn’t expect him to last long. That is to say, | they expect him to become another Spyridon and like that unfortunate man, he would be undermined by the GOA metropolitans in due time. That hadn’t occurred to me. As far as I was concerned, Lambrianides’ task was not to turn the GOA around (because it can’t be) but to keep a lid on things. Not only is he here to prohibit Orthodox unity in America from happening but to make sure that his novel, neo-papalist doctrines take hold. By this reasoning, all Lambrianides has to do is wait things out for a couple of more years and then he will be “elected” to be the next Patriarch of Constantinople by Erdogan (or whoever is the Turkish president at the time).

We shouldn’t forget that when Metropolitan Demetrios Trakatellis was placed on the primatial throne in New York City, he was already 72 years old. He is now 92. At most, he was expected to last for only 5 to 10 years. Lambrianides, on the other hand, is 52 years old. Trakatellis constantly rebuffed the Phanar’s requests to step down. He did this in the sincere belief that if he was given enough time, the various scandals that plagued the GOA could be set right. And like Iakovos Coucouzis before him, he could protect the OCA from the wrath of Istanbul. Although he succeeded in the latter endeavor, he wisely decided to step down when it became obvious that the scandals were only getting worse under his watch. Perhaps it was time for a younger man to at least try and make things better.

It remains to be seen whether this will happen. I for one can’t see it. Consider these three major problems that plague the GOA: First, the depleted pension fund. Second, the fiasco that is the St Nicholas Shrine. Third, the academic and financial bankruptcy that plagues Holy Cross. It is going to take several tens of millions of dollars to try and make things right. And this doesn’t even address the real problem, which is that the GOA is losing parishioners by the thousands. And I haven’t even mentioned the exploding annual budget deficits.

So, what is to happen? I believe that we are in a waiting game. Orthodoxy in America is in stasis at best, stagnation at worst. You could hear it in the depleted voices of the GOA priests who participated in the call. Of course, I realize that American Orthodoxy is more than the GOA. But the customary Phanariote obstinacy which demands that all non-Greeks must submit to the Phanar ensures our continuing decline here in this country. Unless and until this is triumphalist-without-a-reason delusion is shaken off, we will continue to wither on the vine. Of this, there can be no doubt.

So can anything be done? Yes. The Orthodox people of America, regardless of jurisdiction or ethnic origin must take the bull by the horns and say “Enough!” The time for “pray, pay and obey” is over. Our bishops will do the right thing but only if they are forced to do so by their people. Frankly, I don’t see us there yet. But I hope and pray that it will happen someday. Folks, it’s up to us to cast off all Old World illusions and follow Christ. The bishops will come along when they see we are ready.

Until then, Lord have mercy.

Comments

Mikhail says
May 18, 2019 at 7:50 am

George, I appreciate what you are saying….and I agree. However, most of the Orthodox in this country are not engaged in the least. If one were to take a poll after Liturgy at their parish, you would find that 99.99% of the parishioners do not even know that there is a new Archbishop of the GOA (even in Greek parishes). You would get blank stares when you say the name Elpidophoros. They will have no knowledge of him, let alone his papist mindset. They are not even aware of the tragedy that Cpole caused in Ukraine. It is not so much apathy as it is ignorance. I am sorry to sound pessimistic, but I have always been a realist. There are only a handful of Orthodox in this country that really understand what is happening. Perhaps this handful of faithful can educate the others? Lord have mercy indeed!

George Michalopulos says
May 18, 2019 at 9:39 am

OK, I’m gonna cop-out here: somewhat very true.

Permit me to explain: there is a lot of widespread ignorance among the GOA laity. A lot. However, they are aware that something is amiss and has been for a long time. Most of the “ignorant” inhabit a sweet spot of somewhat regular church-going piety while struggling to keep their jobs, raise their kids, hope that college doesn’t turn them into Goths, etc. And most will listen to their emasculated priest’s sermon/pep-talk but then go on with their lives.

That is until the excrement hits the fan. In my childhood, the excrement that hit the fan back then was when Arb Iakovos marched with Martin Luther King, Jr at Selma. Then that died down and five or so years later he suggested that the Liturgy should be translated into English. Again: fan, meet excrement. Then that died down. | Then when Arb Spyridon took over and covered for that homosexual priest who accosted a young male student at HC and in order to cover that priest’s tracks, he cashiered the clerical court at HC which ruled against the “archimandrite”.
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That’s when the snowball started rolling downhill and eventually became a boulder (i.e. making the Philoptochos mad, irregular real estate purchase, etc.). Even though Bartholomew stared the GOA bishops in the face and told them that Spyridon “was going to be your archbishop until he dies!” the bishops back then were made of sterner stuff and hung together until they got what they wanted.

The point to the story? Nobody knows what the “X” factor is –what it is that’s going to escalate into a scandal or scandals–if anything. Look at all the “scandals” and “scoops” that have come out every other week about Trump. Any other GOP president would have been gone by now. Watergate on the other hand was a “third-rate burglary” which brought down both Nixon and Agnew.

In other words, it’s hard to predict these things. My gut tells me however that, given Greg Pappas’ glee as well as the mettle of the more recently-elected metropolitans, things as they relate to the LGBT agenda will come to a head sooner rather than later. This does not mean that this will necessarily precipitate a crisis as I think most of the GOA laity are rather nonchalant about this issue (as is most of America). In my estimation, it won’t be this issue per se which precipitates a scandal but the nature of the men in charge who are incapable of acting in a decisive manner. And who play favorites.

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May 17, 2019 ]