Christodoulos “Spawned” Bartholomew’s Deviations

The Dark Legacy of Christodoulos: Spiritual Withering and Servility Brought Forth the Schism and Three Robber Councils

Panagiotis Kosmidis | July 10, 2026

 

 

BOW DOWN, SERVANTS, BEFORE THE MASTER

“Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” (Heb. 12:12)

An Anniversary Remembrance of Three Decades

In the issues of the Orthodox Christian newspaper Orthodoxos Typos, nos. 2593 of June 12, 2026, and 2594 of June 19, 2026, something of substance was published in the caption of the photograph on the front page. This caused consternation in the circles of the pious; it also aroused the anger, astonishment, and spiritual vigilance of many clergy and monks.

Specifically, at that time we published the following caption: “Papal prostration: Archbishop Christodoulos at the Phanar (July 13, 1998). All the clergy and laity, except for the Bishops, prostrated themselves before Patriarch Bartholomew.” This was an utter degradation. And Archbishop Christodoulos was later “excommunicated” (cessation of communion), ludicrously, by Patriarch Bartholomew (April 30, 2004). Only barbarians prostrate themselves before their king, never free Greeks.”

Those who were present at that disgraceful scene and are still alive today have never reacted. They conceal the sacrilege in the depths of their hearts, covering it with the mantle of the offices bestowed upon them today. Bishops and high priests remain here silent in their “prison” of authority. They recall that humiliation with pain and have imposed the “Omertà.”

Exactly twenty-eight dark years have since passed, and the same tyrannical, destructive, and schismatic practice of the extinguished “Phanar” is being repeated.

And before the coffin of a certain cassocked cleric, one of his spiritual brothers confided, with bitterness and shame: “Let us elect someone who smells of incense, because this man believed absolutely nothing, being a living dead man, an unholy priest and a shepherd who never shepherded.”

The Insignificant Thing of Enormous Significance

The builder of the magnificent Parthenon, the great Pericles, formulates an unshakable principle of freedom: “The insignificant thing conceals within itself the entire trial and proof of our resolve. If we yield in the insignificant matter, they will immediately afterward demand from us something greater, thinking that we yielded in the former case out of fear. If, however, we resist, we shall make them understand that they must deal with us as equals with equals.”

“There are not very many whose minds have been corrupted in our Fatherland; nevertheless, they have the means to make a commotion and to be presented by the mass media as prudent and humble, while in mind they are darkened and in outward appearance ostentatious. And, according to the common saying, ‘the lame man has taken the downhill road and has no intention whatsoever of stopping his course.’ Among the many absurdities, there is also this one. Patriarch Bartholomew, in an act of the greatest arbitrariness, forbade the late Christodoulos to have the city of Athens officially celebrate its patronal feast and the commemoration of the Apostle Paul. Empty conceit overflowed, and the cup of arrogance was filled: ‘I am the Church, and you are not.’”

Christodoulos Returned Angry from the Phanar

For who does not know the hidden snares? And how did the shepherd fall among the “wolves”? We record, by way of disclosure, that Christodoulos received strict recommendations that he should not proceed immediately to the Phanar; or, if he did, that a strict framework and inviolable conditions should be established. He, however, behaving arrogantly, disregarded the grave ecclesiological improprieties. We further reveal that, during this journey, besides the imposed act of prostration, he suffered another grievous insult, even worse and more deceitful, which, however, we pass over for the present. Thus, when he returned, he was deeply wounded and angry, attempting in many ways to justify the humiliation which he himself, and above all the delegation of the Church of Greece, had suffered.

He cried out: “We acted very badly in submitting to this humiliating public degradation. You are to blame, because you did not warn me as forcefully as you should have; therefore, the failure is a common one. I wanted to leave in the middle of the visit, which would have been tragic,” only to receive the firm reply: “Of your own free will you fell into this impropriety, and you yourselves are now suffering its tragic consequences. And now you know that further stages will follow from this abhorrent beginning.” And so it happened, to an excessive degree.

Bartholomew Never Revoked the Excommunication of Christodoulos

Furthermore, we reveal that during the funeral service of Archbishop Christodoulos (2008), the Patriarch mobilized every influential intermediary in order to attend in person. He demanded that he alone should bear the pastoral staff and the omophorion; however, he ended up embroiled in humiliation. He was merely one insignificant figure among fifty bishops, without any honorary distinction or elevated platform.

It is unnecessary to denounce the fact that the Patriarch never asked forgiveness, either for the servile prostration of the Greek clergy or for the uncanonical and ludicrous severance of communion (excommunication) imposed upon Christodoulos, which indeed took place during a live worldwide television broadcast (April 30, 2004), with candles, lamps, omophoria, and lantern-like engolpia, while forty-two Bishops assented and countersigned, devoid of episcopal conscience. It should be noted that, officially and in the same manner, the act in question was never revoked. Should we perhaps still expect this? Probably not. In any case, after that ceremony of shame, the then Minister of Education sent a certain distinguished shipowner, who confronted the Patriarch in very severe language, saying: “You are not going to destroy Hellenism through your blunders…”

Christodoulos Bears Full Responsibility

If we wish to draw a conclusion on a deeper level, and not a superficial one, then we must arrive at the transcendent conclusion that Archbishop Christodoulos bears the entire responsibility for these grievous events recorded here, because throughout worldwide Orthodoxy, even to this day, so many years later, the consequences of that servile submission continue to manifest themselves—that submission which took place at the very height of the power of the Archbishop of Greece. For he tolerated an anti-evangelical and tyrannical act against our clergy, from which, subsequently, arrogance brought about devastating storms and pan-Orthodox calamities.

We further point out that those tragic events which were shamelessly carried out—namely, the prostration of the clergy and the severance of communion with Christodoulos (2004)—constituted the preludes to extremely grave wounds and internal wars within Orthodoxy. We enumerate the pseudo-synod of Kolymbari in the year 2016, as well as the twofold pseudo-synod of Kyiv-Constantinople, through which an illegitimate, Ukrainian-Nazi ecclesiastical structure was recognized. This brought about, in essence, an active schism with the great Slavic Group of Orthodox Churches, and above all with the Church of Russia. And as the culmination of all these things, there recently occurred also the beheading of His Eminence Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos by the innovating Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus, George, under the seal and protection of the Patriarch, who bears no responsibility in this matter.

We Inform the Younger and Reprove the Older

It is our intention to republish this particular concise note from time to time, so that the younger may be informed and learn, while the older may recall with bitterness the calamities of Hellenic Orthodoxy, arising from the powerful men within who have brought about this arrogant decline.

This updating and republication contains no element whatsoever of vindictiveness, but expresses painful reflection over our ill-fated fatherland, for the awakening of those who flatter this dreadful system and for the mobilization of those who are prudent, yet remain complacent.

Perjuries have roots. The newspaper Typos tis Kyriakis (Sunday Press) of January 31, 1993, published an interview with Metropolitan Theologos of Larissa, one of the Twelve, who reveals how Archbishop Ieronymos I once rebuked his successor, Seraphim Tikas: “Do you believe in God, Seraphim?”

We cite another recent dramatic exchange, which demonstrates the spiritual apathy of certain Bishops: A certain modernist Metropolitan, seated beside an Archbishop, reproached him most severely: “How can you do such things? Do you not fear God?” The latter, with complete unbelief, apathy, and indifference, looked around to the right and left, above and below, and replied: “Where is He? Where is He? I do not see Him!”

“The fool hath said in his heart, // There is no God” (Ps. 13:1).

“He is not the God of the dead, // but the God of the living: // ye therefore do greatly err” (Mark 12:27).

 

Greek source:

https://orthodoxostypos.gr/%e1%bd%81-%cf%87%cf%81%ce%b9%cf%83%cf%84%cf%8c%ce%b4%ce%bf%cf%85%ce%bb%ce%bf%cf%82-%e1%bc%80%cf%80%ce%b5%ce%ba%cf%8d%ce%b7%cf%83%ce%b5-%cf%84%ce%ac%cf%82-%e1%bc%90%ce%ba%cf%84%cf%81%ce%bf%cf%80/