Part 1
On the occasion of the feast of
Saint Germanos according to the New Calendar (May 12), the name day of His
Eminence Germanos of Demetrias, my uncle went to Volos and remained there for
about 3–4 days. There, he attempted to persuade His Eminence of Demetrias to
come out with him and undertake the holy struggle of the G.O.C. Germanos of
Demetrias objected and insisted that they should first publish their intentions
as well as their reasons, and only afterward come out and denounce the Ruling
Hierarchy. "What you say, holy brother," my uncle insisted to him,
"are pretexts in sin," and after many hours of discussions, he
finally persuaded him, and they returned together to Athens.
Three days before their public
stand, specifically on May 10/23, 1935, Thursday, we hosted a meal at our home.
Present, besides my uncle who was the host, were the Metropolitans Germanos of
Demetrias, Vasileios of Drama, Prokopios of Hydra and Spetses, Vasileios of
Dryinoupolis, and Chrysostomos of Zakynthos, as well as the Archimandrite
Preachers Christoforos Chantzis and Alexandros Grigoropoulos. After the meal,
they moved to the living room, where they discussed the entire ecclesiastical
situation and especially the calendar issue. They all agreed that the Church of
Greece must return to the Patristic Calendar.
They also agreed that the
Hierarchy must be pressured, and that this would be accomplished only through
the public stand of many Hierarchs. Germanos of Demetrias proposed that, for
the holy Goal being pursued to be successful, those who were already here
should take the lead in the pious movement for the Patristic Traditions, and
that their holy brothers—Irineos of Kassandreia, Irineos of Samos, and
Gregorios of Chalkis—should also be persuaded.
Vasileios of Drama said that it
was not necessary for all to come out together, but only 2 or 3, and the
others, remaining inside, could help from within. Prokopios of Hydra and
Spetses did not speak at all throughout the discussion. In the end, it was decided
that three Hierarchs would lead the holy Struggle of the G.O.C., and the others
would follow later.
- Bishop Kalliopios (Giannakoulopoulos)
of Pentapolis, Τα Πάτρια, Vol. VII, Piraeus, 1987, pp. 17–18.
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