On the History of the G.O.C.: The Association of the Orthodox

 (1924-1926)

 

With the change of the Ecclesiastical Calendar in March 1924, an Orthodox Committee was immediately formed, which undertook action in favor of its restoration.

This Committee, presided over by Andreas Vaporidis, convened gatherings against the Innovation in the Hall of the Commercial Employees, near the Metropolis of Athens, and sent letters to the press and telegrams to Hierarchs regarding this matter.

In the summer of the same year, it was recognized as a legal association under the name "Association of the Orthodox." In the Statute of the Association, emphasis is placed on adherence "to the genuine Orthodox principles."

In its Administrative Committee participated Ioannis Sideris, Andreas Vaporidis, Miltiades Syngouris (the first President of the Association when it was renamed "Greek Religious Community of the Genuine Orthodox Christians"), and others, while its Secretary was Pericles Getouras.

The first actions of the Association were to send, from October to December 1924, three texts concerning the Ecclesiastical Calendar: "To the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece," "To the Most Blessed President of the Church of Greece," and "To the Venerable Fourth National Assembly of the Greeks."

At Christmas of 1924, according to the ecclesiastical calendar, they organized a Vigil, which was held in the Church of Saint Therapon in Goudi, in the presence of three thousand faithful, with Archimandrite Parthenios of Iviron officiating. This confessional Liturgy was marred by the intervention of the army and the police, following the actions of the Innovator Metropolitan of Athens, Chrysostomos Papadopoulos. Regarding that sorrowful incident, as well as the intention of the Innovator Metropolitan to depose Archimandrite Parthenios, the Association issued a related Announcement.

A few days later, the Association organized the celebration of the Holy Theophany. The Vigil was held in the Church of Saint Theodore in Old Phaleron (which today belongs to New Smyrna) with the participation of approximately 3,500 faithful. The police intervened once again at the instigation of the Innovator Metropolitan and forcibly dispersed the crowd of believers.

The Association had foreseen this, and thus it had been planned for Vespers and Matins to be held at night in the aforementioned church, while the Divine Liturgy with the ceremony of the Great Blessing of the Waters was to take place in the Church of Saint George Xyrotagaros, Old Phaleron, by the late priest Fr. Ioannis Floros. However, even in Saint George, the army invaded and violently dispersed the crowd of faithful, making numerous arrests.

Immediately, a delegation of the Association visited the Minister of the Interior, Georgios Kondylis, and subsequently the Prime Minister, Andreas Michalakopoulos, to protest against the intervention of the army. At the same time, they sent a Protest to the National Assembly and to the Greek People.

In the following two months, several texts and letters were drafted by the Administrative Committee of the Association, which were made public in the press of the time.

On February 28, according to the ecclesiastical calendar, the Association published and distributed a poster with the Synodicon of Orthodoxy. On the day of the Annunciation, it organized a Vigil at the Omorfoklissia (Church of Saint George) in Galatsi (near Veikos Grove), during which it also distributed Icons of the Annunciation of the Theotokos to the more than two thousand faithful who participated.

On June 28, 1925, a "Response to the Most Blessed Metropolitan of Athens" was drafted concerning the fast and the feast of the Holy Apostles.

On September 14, 1925, according to the ecclesiastical calendar, the greatest Miracle of the 20th century took place, namely the Third Appearance of the Precious Cross, during a Vigil for this feast organized by the Association at the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologian on the slopes of Hymettus, with Fr. Ioannis Floros officiating. Regarding this Miracle, the Association issued a related Announcement.

On December 12, according to the ecclesiastical calendar, of the same year (1925), the "Greek Religious Community of the Genuine Orthodox Christians" was founded by the members of the Association, and preparations began for drafting the Statute and electing the Administrative Council.

On April 14, 1926, the Association organized a gathering of support for the three nuns of Tinos, who on that day were being tried in Athens by the Synod of the Innovators for their adherence to the ecclesiastical calendar. Two announcements were also drafted on this matter.

On June 29, 1926, what was likely the last Announcement of the Association was published, once again concerning the fast of the Holy Apostles.

A short time later, the procedures of the "Administrative Committee for the Organization of the Greek Religious Community of the Genuine Orthodox Christians" began, and thus the members of this historic organization, the Association of the Orthodox, became members of the Community. In the first elections, the following were elected: Miltiades Io. Syngouris (President), Ioannis Char. Sideris (Vice President), and the distinguished Canon Law expert Dimitrios Petrakakos (Honorary President), while members of the Administrative Council were well-known figures from their involvement with the "Association," such as Vaporidis and Getouras, as well as others, including Emmanouil Chaniotis (later Monk Markos) and the lawyer Konstantinos Antoniadis.

The Association of the Orthodox had branches throughout Greece. The most active branch was established in Thessaloniki, with the fervent struggler Vasileios N. Bairaktaris as President.

This branch carried out similar activities to those of the Association in Athens, namely the organization of Liturgies (mainly officiated by Athonite clergy), the conduct of enlightening lectures, the distribution of leaflets, and other actions. It also faced the wrath of the Innovator Metropolitan of Thessaloniki, Gennadios, and on multiple occasions, the police attacked it or arrested its members.

Those first Strugglers of the Association of the Orthodox were the elite of religious Greeks, and may this small tribute be a candle in their memory. May God grant them rest!

 

N.M.

 

Main Sources

PANTAENOS (publication of the Patriarchate of Alexandria), 1924.

SKRIP, EMROS, ELLINIKI (Athenian newspapers), MAKEDONIA (Thessaloniki newspaper), 1924-1926.

TA PATRIA (historical periodical of the late Metropolitan Kalliopios Giannakoulopoulos of Pentapolis), 1976-1977.

 

Greek source: Αρχειον του ιερου Αγωνοσ [Archive of the Holy Struggle], Issue 1, Winter 2014-2015, pp. 6-9.