Report of Archbishop Leonty of Chile to Metropolitan Philaret of New York on the Church of the G.O.C. of Greece

September 22, 1964 (O.S.)

 

 

To His Beatitude Philaret, Metropolitan of New York and Eastern America, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.

Your Beatitude, First Hierarch, bless.

I received the telegram you sent and the Russian translation of the letter from the Greek Archbishop Auxentios, to whose statements I have the honor to respond.

Your Beatitude knows what compelled me to intervene in Greek affairs, as well as to endure all kinds of unpleasant consequences for it. I was guided solely by the defense of Holy Orthodoxy and its triumph.

His Eminence Auxentios, who was ordained by me, repeatedly turned to me for advice, asking for my help in various difficult circumstances. There are many written proofs, signed by all the Bishops, in which they refer to me as their spiritual leader and similar expressions.

In recent months, I have begun receiving disturbed letters from them. That is, for some reason unknown to me, they have come into conflict with the lay figures of the Church, who had continuously supported them during difficult times of persecution against their Church and who were the ones who upheld Athens and the branches throughout Greece.

The laity also began to send appeals, with reports from all over Greece, seeking help and protection from neglect, disintegration, and the intention—without the consent of the popular will—of the Bishops, led by the despot Auxentios, to ordain an entire group of illiterate Bishops who, however, had promised to obey them in everything.

Since our Hierarchical Synod entrusted me with the responsibility for the episcopal ordinations in Greece, which I carried out—on the one hand, taking into account the requests of their Bishops, and on the other, supporting the requests of the laity—I advised them to reconcile with one another and to live in peace, as before. Otherwise, they themselves would not be able to fulfill such a tremendous duty as the defense of Holy Orthodoxy.

Moreover, many times, the primary burden of defending Holy Orthodoxy fell upon the laity, whom the Bishops (three individuals) are now persecuting—even to the extent of calling the police, just as had happened in the past when they were persecuted in the same manner. Both the Bishops and the laity asked me to come to Greece and judge them, with the latter even offering to send me travel tickets to Greece immediately. I declined, stating that perhaps at some point, I would come with Bishop Petros. The laity suggested that we come sooner and secretly ordain Archimandrite Chrysostomos [Kiousis] and others, to which I responded with the strongest arguments that this should not be done, that it was neither beneficial nor necessary. I further stated that their own Bishops could ordain Archimandrite Chrysostomos—and the others who were to be ordained as Bishops at that time —but, at the request of the late Bishop Akakios [of Talantion], this was temporarily postponed.

The anxiety and nervousness of the despot Auxentios can be explained by the fact that they are evidently so entangled in intrigues and arbitrary actions that they are mortally afraid of my arrival there. On the contrary, the multitude of laity, clergy, and many Athenians do not approve of their behavior, reprimand them, and many condemn their use of the police, which testifies against them and causes them embarrassment—such as recently in Athens at the Church of Saint Paraskevi.

They also became irritated by the fact that I advised them to be mindful of their personal lives, as well as by my request for an explanation of their use of the police. Subsequently, forgetting all my benefactions, they began to seek other means, and without abandoning their characteristic flattery, they reproach my stance and, forgetting everything, accuse me. Thus, they are incapable of anything else, and God will judge them.

You are right in your telegram—"forget them"—so I shall do, and they will hear nothing more from me, since they themselves, through their behavior and their profound ingratitude, have repaid me for all the good I have done for them. However, I do not believe that all of Orthodox Greece will praise them for this, nor will Mount Athos. And if they do praise them, then so be it. But I will no longer be their advisor—neither to the laity nor to the Bishops. Let them sort things out on their own and bear responsibility before God and men.

As for Bishop Petros, when the late Bishop Akakios [of Talantion] was an archimandrite and arrived in New York with a request for his ordination, Archimandrite Petros appealed to our Hierarchical Synod. These matters are known to Archbishop Seraphim [of Chicago], as well as to Bishop Petros, to whom Your Beatitude may personally refer for further details if desired. Therefore, the letter of His Eminence Auxentios has no basis. I must admit that human ingratitude is profoundly painful and sorrowful.

For my part, I would also advise our Hierarchical Synod to leave them to their own devices, letting them "stew in their own juice." The outcome, after all, will be the same. A pity for the flock—but what can we do?

This was their way of showing gratitude even to the departed leaders of their Church, and Archimandrite Nicholas Pekatoros from Washington can confirm this for you.

I ask for your forgiveness and your holy prayers.

Archbishop Leonty

P.S. Before your telegram, I sent them two letters within a week—one to the Bishops and a copy to the laity—urging them to make peace and not to let the enemy’s triumph. However, I made no mention of travel or ordinations.

 

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