“Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them,

and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

But it shall not be so among you:

but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto,

but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28, KJV)


The word the Athenians used for their Assembly was Ekklesia, the same word used in the New Testament for Church
(and it is the greatest philological irony in all of Western history that this word,
which connoted equal participation in all deliberation by all members,
came to designate a kind of self-perpetuating, self-protective Spartan gerousia -
which would have seemed patent nonsense to Greek-speaking Christians of New Testament times,
who believed themselves to be equal members of their Assembly.)

- Thomas Cahill, Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter




ΦΙΛΟΤΙΜΟ: THE GREEK SECRET


Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Parish Council Letter to the Greek Orthodox Community of Greater Salt Lake

Moderators' Note: the following letter was sent to the community today. The original may be viewed here.
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July 30, 2013

Dear Parishioners,

As we reviewed the financials at our parish council meeting last evening it was painfully evident that the community finances have reached a critical point. Our community is out of money and unable to meet payroll this week. After much discussion of the possible options to relieve our community of its chronic deficit, a motion was passed to reduce the base salary of each of the three assigned clergy by 40% for a total annual reduction in expenses of $124,890 which translates into 30% of their total compensation package. This will take effect July 31st.

Last week a letter was sent to His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah updating him on this critical situation. The Parish Council President has also left voice messages for His Eminence but has not yet heard from him.

It is with heavy hearts that the Parish Council must take such action, but feel this is what must be done to try and keep our community solvent during this trying time.

In His Name and Service,

Your Parish Council

“Oikonomia” or Self-Serving Expediency?

This community was treated, yet again, to the ongoing disingenuousness and outright mendacity of our “shepherd” – our spiritual leader – this time, in person. He excused the shabby way this community has been treated by, yet again, legalistically (as with the Roman Catholic theology he professes to disdain), relying on the Uniform Parish Regulations and the Church Canons. He continues to blame others, most particularly his own Archbishop of the U.S., Demetrios. He claims certain people have sown divisiveness here, ignoring that it is those he supports who are the ones guilty of such. He went so far as to criticize our youth! He has told us if he didn’t write it, he didn’t say it. After the meeting, he then tells a gentleman who he, IN WRITING, disallowed from entering his own church in November 2011 for a Special General Assembly, that he didn’t do that.

In a newer wrinkle, however, when asked about the plethora of inconsistencies, he now cites the concept of “oikonomia”.

In the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church, and in the teaching of the Church Fathers, economy (Greek: οἰκονομία, oikonomia) has several meanings. The basic meaning of the word is "handling" or "management" or more literally "housekeeping" of a thing, usually assuming or implying good or prudent handling of the matter at hand. Oikonomia has come to connote discretionary deviation from the letter of the law in order to adhere to the spirit of the law and charity. This, in contrast to legalism, or ακριβεια — strict adherence to the letter of the law.

Metropolitan Isaiah offered the example where our Lord told those who were about to stone an adulteress to cast the first stone after reflecting whether they themselves were without sin. Oikonomia?? At that time “spirit of the law” sentiment in Judaic tradition did not exist. Adulteresses, rightly or wrongly accused, were stoned. Period. Our Lord’s words were not an expedient; they were an injunction against hypocrisy, by those who purported to carry out the law. Jesus didn’t bend the rule as an expedient; he broke it for the sake of justice!

The Metropolitan mentioned that an exception was given to his cousin in New England, who had married a Jew, but was allowed to partake in the sacraments because she went to Confession. Did anyone think to apply such “oikonomia” to the gentleman, a lifelong member and dedicated church worker, who at our recent assembly broached this subject?

Currently two churches in the Archdiocesan district are served and governed, as are we, by one parish council. Oikonomia, yet again. Did it EVER occur to our Metropolitan to apply this concept for our whole community’s benefit? No. Instead, even though a valid survey that he wrote he would honor, and vote after vote (when he deigned to allow them!) proved that his favored minority was just that – a minority, and a small one at that.

In the face of overwhelming opposition, demonstrated throughout the turmoil of the past few years, the Metropolitan acknowledged (finally!) that a split of our community cannot be forced. Yet we are still again treated to his inapt “mother/daughter” analogy that he is so fond of using. However, after so many years of struggle we begin to witness a grudging – and unbelievably slow – hierarchical acceptance that we wish to remain one community? Oikonomia? Perhaps.

The great majority in our community was squelched for years, not allowed General Assemblies, not allowed free elections, despite regulations that said such were to be held. Oikonomia? In the face of such “oikonomia” the majority had, sadly, to summon courage (and funds that could have been spent for more noble purposes) to force that acceptance! It was oikonomia – on OUR part – that caused us to insist upon a continuation for a united community that our forebears worked tirelessly and selflessly to establish and to demand the rights taken from us under highly flawed regulations.

It was oikonomia that initiated a drive by this community to institute - under the direct control of the General Assembly and the Parish Council – an entity similar to Leadership 100 to enhance the community’s ability to fund necessary projects and upgrades in order to thrive more fully for the benefit of everyone in the community – most especially, our youth. Incidentally, we are well aware that the Metropolitan himself conducts fundraising activities through his financially advantaged stewards and their wealthy, non-Orthodox, business and professional contacts. If such “oikonomia” is good for the goose, it’s surely good for the gander.

Strangely enough, he can't seem to pull yet another "oikonomia" out of his cassock and help us solve our leadership problems. We can't afford three top-salaried priests; he says he can't find a place to send one of them in order to help us resolve our economic issues.

Oikonomia has clearly been used as an expedient when its application is the sole prerogative of a short-sighted clergy and hierarchy. They make all the exceptions; they decide what will and what will not be an exception, what rules they will and will not enforce. And, lest we forget, such “oikonomia“ has been used to protect pedophile clergymen, while “economically” forgetting their victims – to the economic detriment of the Greek Orthodox flock. Oikonomia? Not!



Tuesday, July 23, 2013

HE CAME ... HE SAW ... HE BECAME NEUTRAL!

What a travesty!

The Denver Metropolitan came into town; there was an open forum meeting; he came to respond to our questions. He took a Roman Emperor Nero approach. Just like Nero who fiddled as Rome burned, he blamed a local attorney (myself), and Archbishop Demetrios, for his own numerous failings. The Metropolitan’s [and his appointed clergy’s] demonstrated behavior, speaks volumes, for the lack of leadership qualities.

Who has been telling us the truth?? Was it Fr. Michael when he was conveying the directives he was receiving from the Metropolitan?? Or, is the Metropolitan’s most recently professed denial the truth?

The Metropolitan quoted liberally from the Archdiocesan Uniform Parish Regulations ... he just failed to understand, that it was OK for us to exercise, as a community, our “appeal rights” contained in the same set of documents.

We heard nothing but lame excuses for the reason for the continuation of the filing of the corporate structure of Prophet Elias. Why did he not worry about someone [of the Orthodox Christian Faith] “stealing” Holy Trinity’s name? And he foisted the presence in our community of the Rambo lawyer from Houston upon the N.Y. Archdiocese.

With the exception of his verbal assurance only that we are the final arbiters of how our community is governed, his other responses were factually untrue. It was προφάσεις έν άμαρτίαις.

He blatantly lied; he disavowed orally [έπεα πτερόεντα] his voluminous confrontational, dictatorial pieces of correspondence that he authored during the last few years. But maybe he is worthy of forgiveness; maybe it is his age that is playing tricks on his mind.

He never once acknowledged that for the last 5 to 7 years our community has been suffering from a “clergy” leadership crisis. He did not acknowledge that our problems started when he sent to us Fr. Michael. The Metropolitan has been instrumental in creating the many moral crises that our community has suffered during the last few years.

The cornerstone of the Metropolitan’s several responses was the Nuremberg defense. Η Εύα με απάτησε ! Contrary to his false modesty, and his protestations, he is a master of the “blame game.” His performance during the open forum demonstrated that the emperor has no clothes.

And then he became neutral. His demeanor during most of the “open forum” meeting was “almost conciliatory;” but we know the Metropolitan did not mean it.

Maybe he finally got the message. He correctly stated that it is our community that is the final “decider;” he is not the “ultimate authority” as he professed in his earlier correspondence to HighTower Securities. We [the Community] are the only ones that decide our future. He just forgot the “you are thieves, and impostors” rhetoric of years past.

But as Dante said it this way: "The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis."

 - Nick J. Colessides

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Sad Commentary on the Denver Metropolitan

The Auxiliary Bishop from Denver is coming for a pastoral visit; a byproduct of the visit, is his wish to have a meeting for an “open dialogue” with our community. The “open dialogue” during his visit in our community is scheduled for July 21, 2013, at 2:00 o’clock pm, at the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

The announcement for the meeting, couches it in the following terms: “... streamline this meeting and make the most efficient use of this limited time ... .” This approach for what is supposed to be an “open dialogue,” spells simply censorship.

A prerequisite to his “open dialogue” is having a cut-off date of July 12, 2013, to submit in advance and in writing questions from the parishioners.

How can you have an open exchange of ideas, [see definition of “dialogue”] when one person controls the content, and the “thought” process ??

How can you have an open exchange of ideas if there is a prior restraint on speech ??

The best action is for all of us to show up and demand a truly open dialogue:

  • without prior restraints;
  • without rehearsals; and
  • without marketing spins.
We must all demand honest answers to our questions.

Let’s all be there !!

Best regards,

/s/

Nick J. Colessides

Nick J. Colessides
Attorney at Law
466 South 400 East, Suite 100
Salt Lake City, Utah, 84111-3325

Tele: 801-521-4441
Fax: 801-521-4452
Email: nick@nickjcolessides.com