Soteris M. Tzoumas | February 23, 2025
I have never hidden my special
connection and respect for the Patristic Calendar of our Church. My late
grandmother, Stamatia Tzouma-Tassa, ensured this, and I am grateful to her.
Nor have I ever denied my special
connection with some of the serious clergy who belong to and serve in the Old
Calendar. On the contrary, two of them, in fact, during my years of study in
New York, were also my spiritual fathers. After all, where could I, a child
from the provinces, confess—to the shaven priests of New York?
That is why I often write and
express my views on this matter whenever I have the opportunity.
And I highlight their events,
whether I happen to attend them or learn about them, because I believe it is
useful for them to become more widely known and for us to gain lessons in
proper pastoral conduct.
Proper pastoral care has no
calendar, old or new, but only a willingness to offer to one's neighbor.
The words once spoken to me by
the late Elder of Astoria, Petros Astyfides (née Tzoumas), will always resonate
in my ears when I expressed to him my complaint and wonder as to why there is a
division over the calendars:
"The Patristic Calendar, my
child, is not an obsession nor a quirk of some fanatics and arrogant
individuals seeking a role in society. For us, it is a way of life and divine
illumination. Alongside our life and work, if we are righteous, we remind the
hasty followers of the New Calendar what the true tradition of our Church is,
which must not be altered. In the end, God will judge us all."
Metropolitan Petros of Astoria
had been visited at St. Markella in Astoria by the then-sojourning in the U.S.
Metropolitan of Chios, the late Dionysios, whom I had accompanied. They were
even photographed together, both wearing an engolpion. In fact, this photograph
adorned Petros' office as long as he lived, placed in a prominent position. What
should have happened then? Should the Synod have called him to account for the
photograph? Absurd things that took a century for us to move past.
With these principles, I have
journeyed through life. And in my humble opinion, many clergy of the Patristic
Calendar, of all ranks, bear witness to the faith without fanaticism or
intolerance, but rather with love and a willingness to offer to their fellow
man—indeed, with greater conscientiousness and consistency than those of the
official Church, who have settled into the comfort of a public servant’s couch,
receive their little salary (as they call it), and neglect their divine
mission. Very few parishes now produce genuine parish work. They have abandoned
their responsibilities. But for how long?
And I have come to fully grasp
this realization in recent years, and I will explain how and why in the
following lines.
As for Apostolic succession and
continuity, which is invoked by those who seek to draw dividing lines between
us, it is a matter best left unexplored—by either side—because a thorough study
of it would leave us speechless. This is something the Lord Himself will answer
on the Day of Judgment.
I considered it necessary to
write all of the above so that we may all understand the sea of
absurdity—bordering on madness—into which we have entered!
A clergyman, and indeed a
Hierarch of the Patristic Calendar, whom I respect and esteem—and for whom, if
necessary, I stir up storms and argue—is Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Attica
and Boeotia. Those of you who have been reading me on this platform for the
past 17 years—ever since the great Archbishop Christodoulos departed from our
lives—have surely realized this.
I have known His Eminence,
Chrysostomos, for many years, but in recent years I have become closely
connected with him. And with pride, I publicly declare that I belong to the
circle of his spiritual friends—not only because I agree with the way he
conducts himself, but because everything he undertakes as a Shepherd on the
watchtower where God and His Church have placed him resonates with me
completely. Everything he does has my full agreement and makes me admire him
openly and loudly, not discreetly and from a distance.
The magnificent Church of Panagia
Soumela in Aspropyrgos—a jewel of both interior and exterior architecture, as
well as a lifelong work—is his creation, a work that everyone speaks of with
admiration but also… envy, because he proved what a capable person can achieve
from nothing. But I also "support him" for one more reason: he
reminds me in many ways of the great and incomparable Christodoulos. He is a
Hierarch with vision, but also with love for all—even for his enemies and
slanderers—and with a great sense of humor and self-irony, which reveals his
spiritual completeness and that he is at peace with himself. He does not rely
on the spiteful and the wanderers of the priesthood and the calendars to tell
him who he is.
It is important to stand firmly
on your feet—and to show it.
So, what you will read in the
following lines comes from someone who appreciates and respects Chrysostomos.
And while they may be considered somewhat subjective, know that I have passed
them through the patina of time, trials, and personal verification, so that
they have become true experiences. This allows me to write and sign my views on
such a Hierarch of our Church—even if he belongs to the Patristic Calendar.
For almost a year now—since last
May—the most official and prominent Church of the G.O.C., whose Archbishop is
Kallinikos, a serious and traditional Hierarch of the Patristic Calendar who
has never caused scandal by his way of life, has been undergoing a trial due to
a temptation that is beginning to take on the form of an avalanche. If the
necessary measures are not taken, the developments will not be pleasant at all,
as they will harm and shrink the Church—to the great delight of the opposing
factions of the Patristic Calendar.
Specifically, the beloved and
venerable Hierarch of Attica and Boeotia, who has carried out remarkable and
significant pastoral work and is thus highly regarded, is under attack by a
married clergyman who belongs to the jurisdiction of Archbishop Kallinikos of
the G.O.C. However, it seems that this priest acts independently and
uncontrollably, following his own rules and personal agenda. He has somehow
sensed that there is something to be gained and has decided to take charge of
its division himself. But the guardians are well aware…!
This cleric, posing as the Javert
of the faith, with an excess of audacity and without a trace of empathy,
self-criticism, or, most importantly, self-awareness regarding his own
life—both past and present—unacceptably accuses Metropolitan Chrysostomos. His
accusations stem from certain enlightened actions and initiatives of the
Metropolitan, which, in a time of general crisis, present the clergy in a
positive light to our people—who are increasingly distancing themselves from
the Church and reviling its clergy.
"For envy does not know
how to prefer what is beneficial..."
Metropolitan Chrysostomos, "in
deeds and words," forms the mind of Christ in his flock and beyond. With
his entire life, he speaks of love and practices love.
Day and night, he struggles for
the salvation of the souls entrusted to him by the Church of the Patristic
Calendar. He does everything he can to keep his flock united and satisfied with
their Church. And he has succeeded to the highest degree, as can be seen in the
youth of his catechetical schools, his choirs, his theatrical performances, and
all his activities. It is a living spiritual hive.
Every event prepared by His
Eminence Chrysostomos and his esteemed collaborators, both clergy and laity, is
a grand production that even the wealthiest and most well-organized
Metropolises of the New Calendar would envy. And this happens because those who
participate—both clergy and laity—do so willingly and with love for what they
do. They are inspired by their shepherd, who is always the first and the last
in labor and offering.
On his own initiative, during the
pandemic, he conceived and established the practice of going through the
neighborhoods of his diocese to sing the carols, with thousands of people
waiting for him in the streets with lit candles and censers—on Christmas Eve
according to the Patristic Calendar. I witnessed it firsthand and was left
speechless. And I wrote about it twice. And not only on my page.
The slanderous priest—where does
he go to sing the carols? On Facebook? For his like-minded followers of the
same mold? Does he have no sense of shame?
His Eminence Chrysostomos is a
bold yet traditional Hierarch. Daring when necessary, yet prudent and courteous
to all. Affable, approachable, graceful, and articulate. He has become "all
things to all people" and has transformed his diocese into a model
example.
Well then, this man—whom, if the
Patristic Calendar Church did not already have, it would need to discover and
invent—has provoked the wrath and envy of those consumed by passion, pettiness,
and narrow-minded judgment.
And why? Because his kindness,
dignity, and love seem to have disturbed them—rather than behaving with
insults, arrogance, and condemnation of everyone except himself.
Over the past year, His Eminence
Chrysostomos has endured in silence and with great patience the disgraceful and
inexplicable(?) attack from this priest—widely acknowledged as erratic—who, as
mentioned, belongs to the jurisdiction of Archbishop Kallinikos of the G.O.C.
The slanderous priest considers
himself, after the… Patriarch of Alexandria, the judge of the entire world. The
arrogant and disgraceful things he writes are clearly driven by the sickness of
vanity, malice, and envy. He obviously believes himself to be infallible—second
only, of course, to the Pope, who holds the first place in infallibility.
Another heresy in itself. And I highlighted the word "inexplicable"
with a question mark regarding this attack because there is undoubtedly
something hidden behind this war. Something that, sooner or later, will be
revealed—for nothing is hidden under the sun—and when that happens, woe to the
sinners, for where shall they flee?
Initially, this priest's attack
was carried out through personal letters addressed to Archbishop Kallinikos and
the Hierarchs of the G.O.C. Church to which he belongs. Those of us on the
outside knew nothing, and, of course, everyone kept it as a closely guarded
secret within their ranks.
Recently, however, the matter
gained widespread publicity after, following his referral to the disciplinary
bodies of his Church, he publicly posted his rambling philosophies on Facebook
to rally supporters and slanderers—like attracts like—and since then, a swarm
of his like-minded followers has emerged. These so-called good Christians, with
no sense of shame, have engaged in an unprecedented online lynching of the
personality of His Eminence. To his credit—and in contrast to other fellow
bishops, even of the official Church—he has followed the command of the Gospel
and has not yet resorted to civil courts. However, in my opinion, when some
individuals refuse to listen to reason and disregard responses and
counterarguments, it becomes necessary to turn to civil and criminal courts—not
to stop them from thinking and writing nonsense (for that is an incurable
affliction when one has a distorted mind), but to expose the emptiness of their
arguments and the malice of their intentions. It would also bring to light the
shocking realities of their own lives, which they go to great lengths to keep
hidden. When someone is placed under scrutiny, many of the things they have
carefully concealed will inevitably come to light. And, of course, those who
judge will themselves be judged. For a long time, I personally exercised
patience and wrote nothing. He will grow tired, I thought, and stop
spewing his filth.
I exercised patience and
obedience to His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos, who endured this entire
defamation in silence and prayer and discouraged me from writing or responding
to the spiteful individual—who had even made personal references to me because
of the attention I give to His Eminence Chrysostomos. As if I did not know to
ask him and seek his permission. And this man, who parades himself as a priest,
drifting from one calendar to another, wants to reprimand us and even teach us?
Teach us what? How to spew venom or to sting others as if we were scorpions?
But this injustice has gone on
for too long. His Eminence Chrysostomos is ridiculed as supposedly a
"heretic" and a "traitor to the Faith," while the true
mastermind behind this orchestrated attack remains unpunished. He continues to write
and speak only what serves his own predetermined verdict.
That is why I have decided to
speak out as well—and let the earth be consumed by fire. Our patience and
tolerance have their limits.
This particular slanderous priest,
who does not respect the Bishop of his own Church—does he perhaps lack the
basic principles of decorum and conduct that should distinguish our clergy?—was
ordained under the New Calendar, passed through it first (which, fortunately,
is upheld by state laws and, above all, by its Charter, preventing and
punishing arbitrary actions and factions), then left and moved to the Old
Calendar so he could act unchecked and judge everyone from a position of
safety. A question arises: Upon his transition from the New to the Old
Calendar, was he reordained? We would like someone to answer this for us.
Keeping one’s finger on the
trigger and firing at the first opportunity is easy. Mud is easily flung into
the fan. What is difficult is to build up one’s interlocutor with love. But to
speak with love, one must first feel love for his neighbor. And here, there is
a great deficiency. Instead, there is an excess of malice and envy.
And what exactly were these
infamous “treacherous actions” of His Eminence Chrysostomos of Attica and Boeotia
that prompted this slanderous priest to begin attacking him? We quote them
directly from the excellent letter of support for their shepherd, presented and
signed by the priests serving in the Holy Metropolis of Attica and Boeotia:
a) The fact that he gave a relic
of Saint Argyrios of Epanomi to the Metropolis of the saint’s homeland. Question:
Do we only know how to receive? Where do we get the Holy Relics from? Most—if
not all—of the relics we venerate in our churches and monasteries are the
result of generous donations from individuals of the New Calendar who are
well-disposed toward us. If this action by His Eminence constitutes betrayal of
the faith, then—if we truly want to be precise—we should return all the relics!
If we want to take this even further, no one should even offer a glass of water
to anyone who is not a member of our Church.
Note from EXAPSALMOS: Why is it
wrong that he gave a relic? Where did all the relics of the saints that we
venerate in Patristic Calendar monasteries come from? Who gave them? How were
they obtained? Let the all-knowing priest answer that! And when they received
the holy relic to deliver it, and Fr. Michael Konstantinidis, the worthy and
capable Protosyncellus of the Metropolis, was reading, they did not
engage in joint prayer with His Eminence Justinos of Nea Krini—they simply
handed over the sacred relic with due reverence, not in utter silence. They
were delivering a holy relic of a saint, not a pita wrap!
b) His presence at a conference
in Thessaloniki, organized by three Metropolises of the New Calendar. Some of
us were part of his entourage for the celebration of the Three Hierarchs. We
saw with our own eyes that, upon our entry into the conference, three times a
clergyman was sent to convey the organizers' request for him to sit honorably
in the front row. He was not wearing an engolpion because his presence was not
in an official capacity. He had attended simply as a Greek citizen, something
that has happened countless times in the past with clergy of our Church. At the
major rallies for Macedonia in Athens, bishops of our Synod attended without
engolpia. On another occasion, two of our bishops attended an event at the
Peace and Friendship Stadium, also organized by New Calendar Metropolises,
without wearing engolpia.
Note from EXAPSALMOS: Since I was
present at this event, I can confirm that one of its organizers, my friend Mr.
Nik. Tsamoglou (a dedicated member of the Christian Associations of Macedonia,
which organized the event under the auspices of the three Metropolises of
Thessaloniki), upon seeing His Eminence Chrysostomos entering the hall, asked
me if he could invite him to sit in the front. Of course, I encouraged him to
do so, and he twice sent someone to bring him to the front seats, because at
first, he refused. Where is the problem in this? Should he have remained
standing at the back of the hall like a punished man? What kind of nonsense is
this?
c) The Palm Sunday Procession
We were all present and rejoiced,
just like the entire crowd, at this event—something that has also happened
countless times in the past, both in Greece and abroad. If an act of peaceful
goodwill that took place during the procession constitutes betrayal of the
faith, then Fr. Nikolaos Kaloskamis, Fr. Euthymios Danilatos, Fr. Ioannis of
Chalkida, and many others who exchanged greetings with clergy during Holy
Friday processions were also “traitors.” Even more so, Saint Philaret of the
ROCOR, who was photographed with a papist, and Leontius of Chile, who attended
a cardinal’s funeral. Would anyone dare to call these two giants of Orthodoxy
"traitors"? A particular accusation was made regarding the exchange
of palm branches. If even this is considered betrayal and a violation of the
Holy Canons, then no one should ever accept anything from anyone who is not a
member of our Church—not even a pension or the donations placed in the candle
box!
Note from EXAPSALMOS: I wrote a
piece about the gathering in love of the two Hierarchs at Ilion Square, who,
though they may not belong to the same Church, shepherd the same flock. The
faithful, seeing them behave with dignity and love, erupted into warm applause.
The only one who would have rejoiced if the opposite had happened would be the
devil—and, of course, this self-appointed judge of all things, the priest who
seemingly cannot even stomach his own intestines.
Certainly, the G.O.C. Synod,
under the presidency of Archbishop Kallinikos, was slow to react. It moved—and
continues to move—with slow, almost lethargic reflexes because they expected
that he would realize his mistake, come to his senses, and return to the
straight path. But seeing that no one was reacting, he became emboldened.
Then, the Synod decided to put
him in his place and, naturally, referred him for his overall behavior.
And what did the smart aleck come
out and say? That the G.O.C. Church, to which he belongs, has no right to
convene a Synodal Court and judge him. In other words, in his attempt to escape
the sword of ecclesiastical justice and punishment, he essentially declared
that the Church to which he belongs does not exist—that it is non-existent.
But the Church is founded
primarily on the Holy Canons, not on state laws. Both the Ecumenical
Patriarchate and the other ancient Patriarchates operate based on the Holy
Canons and have the right to establish disciplinary bodies to handle cases
requiring expulsion and exemplary punishment. And this remains true even if
they are legally considered mere associations or institutions in the countries
where they are based—countries that do not have the Orthodox Church as their
official religion.
But even any association (as he
himself calls the Church to which he belongs—and for that alone, he should have
already been punished) has the right to convene its disciplinary bodies, impose
penalties, and expel its non-compliant members from its ranks.
And in this case, that priest
should have long ago been subjected to disciplinary scrutiny, required to give
an account, and received the appropriate punishment. He must either comply or
be expelled. What are they afraid of? The one who leaves the fold is the one
who ultimately loses! Just as an abscess that forms in the body must be opened
so that all the pus inside can be drained—preventing infection from spreading
to the entire organism—so too, such cases must not be allowed to grow
unchecked, because if they do, the evil multiplies, like the heads of the
Lernaean Hydra.
The G.O.C. Synod must finally
take a clear and decisive stance and bring this slanderer to account. The
longer this situation drags on, the greater the risk and compromise of what
they supposedly strive for—the unity of the Church. The facts speak for
themselves. And the venerable Hierarchs of the G.O.C. must take into account
who their flock now consists of. The number of traditional Christians, those
who were born into and raised in the Patristic Calendar tradition, has
dwindled. How many remain? Very few. Thankfully, our Russian Pontian brethren
have provided a significant extension to the life and existence of the
Patristic Calendar Church, which is not even unified—instead, it consists of
many different factions, the mere listing of which is enough to cause confusion
and sorrow. If I personally were a conscious adherent of the Patristic
Calendar, this division would trouble me more than anything else.
However, with all this turmoil
caused by the married priest, the only person who will not be harmed is the
very one he seeks to attack! His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Attica
and Boeotia, a Hierarch of the G.O.C., has already demonstrated countless
examples of his character and work—and the shots fired by this married priest
will never reach him. Only the envious devil rejoices—along with those like him
and his instruments.
That is why he would do well to
seriously consider whether such actions align with his priestly calling and who
is ultimately harmed by the warfare he wages. Or perhaps he should tell us who
is hiding behind him, seeking to undermine Chrysostomos.
But this war is producing the
exact opposite result. Chrysostomos, through these attacks, only rises higher,
becoming even more beloved by his flock and by all who know him personally and
work alongside him!
Unfortunately, all too often, our
passions consume us, leading to disastrous consequences for the one who first
raised his hand unjustly.
"Let us stand aright! Let us
stand with fear!" Father, God may sometimes delay, but He never fails to
deliver justice! You will soon come to realize this…
Greek source:
https://www.exapsalmos.gr/poia-einai-ta-pragmatika-kinitra-piso-apo-tis-anandres-epitheseis-kata-tou-mitropoliti-attikovoiotias-g-o-ch-k-chrysostomou/
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