The Hellenic Chronicle - November 24, 1999

Applause is in order for publisher Peter Makrias, who came out swinging with his editorial in the Greek American Review supporting Autocephaly for Greek American Orthodoxy now. Yet, as much as I would like to be in his corner, my skepticism prevents me from espousing it, only because I am not quite sure yet who really is behind this movement. In the days when GOAL fought Archbishop Spyridon and what he stood for, I had my doubts on what some — if only one or two of its members really believed. Those very same members' associations were quite suspect then and I often wondered if this too was a double-play, just as every move they had ever made, every word they had ever uttered. How is it then that I can readily believe that these same people, nurtured in a dysfunctional environment which looked towards the Phanar for the perpetuation of their corrupt stranglehold on Orthodoxy, can now blame that same authority for the ills which have befallen it. Something must be fundamentally wrong here. It is easier to believe that they lied, lie and will lie to achieve their purpose. How can you ever trust any cleric who treats the habit he wears as if it were a business suit and is only interested in amassing wealth and worldly power instead of advancing the word of God, something he vowed to do when he was consecrated in that capacity...

The new Archbishop arrived at a time the Church lies in the crossroads. Demetrios must be credited with great wisdom and knowledge and it should not be difficult a task for him to weed out those who have no place in his court. That's notwithstanding that their notoriety is common knowledge the world over. Perhaps if this happened, I myself will become an ardent supporter of Autocephaly, as a means of cleansing universally the Orthodox Church from the shame and embarrassment wrought on by a handful of unworthy individuals...

[ The Hellenic Chronicle - November 24, 1999 - p. 13 ]