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Voithia - January 01, 1998
[ Three archimandrites complain about HC professors ]
Publisher: National Herald
November 13, 1996
Fr. Antonios Papathanasiou is an Archimandrite (unmarried priest) graduate student at Holy Cross from Greece whom the disciplinary committee on March 14 voted to place on probation due to drunkenness to the point of vomiting and use of abusive language. He also wrote many incoherent letters in the wee hours of the morning to Voithia. On 11/13/96 Fr. Antonios wrote a letter addressed to their graces Bishops Iakovos, Maximos, Methodios, Isaiah, (the synod of Bishops in America now Metropolitans of Turkish historical cities and presiding hierarchs of American regions). The letter was also published in the Greek language newspaper National Herald "Ethynikos Kyrix" sometime later.
The letter was cosigned by Archimandrite Fr. Cleopas Stronglis (former registrar of the school assigned to the Church in Corona, New York, where he later was seen with a body guard to attend events according to the National Herald, where also Fr. Passios decided he needed to depose the parish council due to non-reply in 26 days to his financial inquiry letter).
The letter was also cosigned by Archimandrite Fr. Iakovos Vasileiou, whom the disciplinary committee voted should no longer be permitted to reside in campus housing due to his hosting (to the tune of about $200 worth of food and alcohol) the party at which the previously mentioned events occurred, and participation in a cover up. Fr. Iakovos later caused his parish council secretary in Quincy to resign amid allegations he used abusive language of a sexual nature with her and about parishioners (including speculations about who is a "lesbian elephant" and who is homosexual).
These three Archimandrites from Greece write in their letter to the Bishops of America that HC/HC is in disarray, and many other accusations amid praise for Spyridon.
Archbishop Spyridon made reference to "letters of complaint by students about the school" at the Weston forum 12/21/97 as one of his reasons for dismissing the long-serving professors from the school.
Spyridon also appointed Metropolitan Methodios, who is largely credited as "protecting" these Archimandrite graduate students at HC and who himself was once President of the school, to the controlling 6 member board controlling the school.
These three Archimandrites from Greece write in their letter to the Bishops of America that they:
Praise Archbishop Spyridon, as being the backbone and the future of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.
Note that in their opinion, the theological school of Holy Cross is in disarray.
These priests/graduate students write to the Bishops that in their judgment, Holy Cross has is managed by anti-Patriarchal , anti-Hellenic, and anti-Episcopal (meaning against Bishops) persons.
They also write that finally it is in the hands of individuals close to organizations outside the Church (Zoe, Sotir, etc).
Further offer that because the senior staff of the school are not pure Orthodox, but the Archimandrites imply their professors have Protestant tendencies.
They go on to offer to the Bishops in America that the aim of the senior staff is one and only one: how to create a Church disassociated, or rather cut off from it's eternal roots, based upon personal actions all of them claim all know very well and as they have participated in of these situations.
The Archimandrite graduate students from Greece place the blame for the sorry state of affairs they detect upon the only responsible individual: "the President of this sacred Institution of Higher Learning (Fr. Calivas) and those co-liturgists and co-responsible around him (presumably the clergy at the school with seniority comparable to Fr. Calivas)."
They conclude that it is unknown for how much longer the average faithful in America will overlook the faulty and underprepared skills of the clergy now serving clergy in America who graduated from the school-- citing the lack of preparedness of the clergy on topics of liturgical music, knowledge of the Greek language and Tradition and some other very basic presuppositions needed for a priest's ministry.
They wrap up their letter with an implication and call upon the new Archbishop Spyridon to take care of the situation, and the fault ridden President and the senior clergy of the school (the co-liturgists and those around Fr. Calivas, the President).
[ Voithia - www.voithia.org/content/qmpdp010398192.html - January 01, 1998 ]
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