Archbishop Elpidophoros is leading American Orthodoxy to prosperity. But not all at the Phanar are pleased with it.
It’s been more than a year since Elpidophoros Lambriniadis was elected the Archbishop of America. As expected, that decision of the Holy Synod turned out to be one of the most effective within decades – it took just several months for the new leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH) to proceed greatly in clearing out the Augean stables after former Archbishop Demetrios and his followers. Elpidophoros came to the GOARCH clearly understanding that his tenure wouldn’t be a walk in the park – the Archdiocese suffered from constant scandals, shortage of funds and personnel crisis, the situation seemed to be desperate. However, the new Archbishop promptly dealt with the main issues: the construction of St. Nicholas Church at Ground Zero was resumed and money for it collected, the Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology was saved from losing its accreditation, conflicts ceased tearing the GOARCH apart, and ways to resolve the financial crisis were found.
However, Archbishop Elpidophoros doesn’t confine himself to his own domain’s issues only. During the pandemic, he raised an extremely important problem – changing the practice of receiving the Holy Communion for the sake of protecting health and saving lives of laity and clergy. The GOARCH Primate proposed using multiple spoons instead of one during the service, which could decrease the risk of infection.
Elpidophoros is a profound theologian who knows the ropes in dogmatics and Canons. There is no doubt that his proposal was based on weighty arguments from the point of view of history, theology, pastorship and ecclesiology. Amid the WHO recommendations, it seemed quite reasonable. It’s no secret that there are many hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate who support changes in the Communion practice including Archbishop Sotirios of Canada, Makarios of Australia and some of metropolitans in Western Europe who proposed such ideas.
It’s said that Patriarch Bartholomew was suggested not to make a final decision on the Communion so that dioceses of the Ecumenical See could decide themselves, according to local circumstances… Unfortunately, the Holy Synod in June ignored those voices thus putting the lives and health of millions of people around the world at stake. Not less regrettable is that the Patriarchate through its Press and Communications Office publicly rebuked the GOARCH and its Archbishop directly forbidding to use multiple spoons.
Rumor has it that many at the Phanar are concerned by Elpidophoros’ growing influence, determination and leadership. The Phanar may also worry about the decreased financial flow from America. The Holy and Great Council on Crete, which is considered by Patriarch Bartholomew to be one of his greatest achievements, was mainly sponsored by US citizens. Of this money, hundreds of dollars are spent on luxurious receptions and events in Istanbul though they could be used for purposes more relevant to the Church and advantageous for society.
Anyway, time will tell who is right – Elpidophoros or the Holy Synod. Now, the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is acting as a man who leads the Church to the future and, to change it for the better, is brave enough to make bold steps. One of these steps was his June participation in the Black Lives Matter march in New York. The Archbishop didn’t sit it out in the rear waiting for the protests to quiet down but made a statement on behalf of the American Orthodox. And, although Elpidophoros is denying this, he expressed the GOARCH’s political position since the protests and fight against racial discrimination was supported by the Democratic Party. It’s no wonder as candidate Joe Biden has a long story of ties with the GOARCH – he is a good acquaintance of Public Office Director Fr. Alex Karloutsos and the Commander of Order of St. Andrew the Apostle Anthony Limberakis. Before the presidential campaign started, Democrats’ supporters in the Archdiocese expressed their endorsement for Biden, and their number is growing now: any Orthodox understands that a photo with the Bible is not a sign of deep piousness and the situation in which our country found itself during Trump’s presidency leaves the faithful no other choice.
Elpidophoros is also actively working on the attractiveness of the Orthodox Church in society. He is struggling to convince the Ecumenical Patriarchate to allow a number of venerable clergymen, discharged because of an obsolete restriction on bigamy in Canon law, to return to service. He also talks about the appearance of the clergy since in the 21st century black robes and beards are seen by many as outdated and funny. But the Archbishop stresses that he is committed not to telling people what they should or shouldn’t wear – it’s up to each person to decide. On the carpet is another thing of the past – inequality and homophobia still unfortunately inherent to the Church, and on the territory of the US too.
Perhaps, in the near future, due to the new Archbishop, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America would justifiably become the pearl of the Orthodox Church, its key and driving force. To remain strong, the Church needs changes, and now they can only come from the USA. This is where the healthiest, numerous and active part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s congregation resides.
Some at the Phanar understand that, some don’t. One thing is beyond doubt – with Constantinople’s support or without it, despite all obstacles and pressure of his opponents, the GOARCH leader will get the job done. The question is who will be standing by his side at the moment of triumph.
27 Comments
Ace121
October 5, 2020 at 4:21 amWow, what Spin!
That’s some Propaganda machine Archbishop Elpi-Istanbul has, but not even his henchmen, his “yes” men like Theodore Kalmoukos of
TNH can put “Humpty Dumpty Elpi” back together again. It’s over –
AB Has Crashed And Burned.
GOA has crashed and burned.
Hundreds of Orthodox Christians are calling out for AB’s RESIGNATION!
Larissa
October 6, 2020 at 10:33 amFamilies raising Orthodox Christian Children do not need to have homophobia thrown in their faces….. get it out of the agenda… or get out… acceptance of this trans -alphabet soup narrative does not fly well with 99% of church going Christian Orthodox—-this is not Europe! The Patriarchate needs to continue to put a stop to this Marxist agenda… Can’t cater to the 1%… as for Priests who are widowed –not divorced– yes– an economia to a second blessed union….
Nicole
October 7, 2020 at 12:30 amHe is now sounding more like Joel Osteen than Pope Francis! Prosperity Gospel anybody??? He resembles no one in Holy Scripture or the Holy Fathers in understanding. What a tragic adulteration of our beautiful Orthodox Faith. .
For an inspiring return to the Canons, Dogma and Orthodox Theology of Christ and the Holy Fathers try http://www.orthodoxethos.com.
Peter
October 7, 2020 at 10:23 amSerious question…are you all smoking something over there?
This article is wishful thinking at best. Archbishop Elpidophoros is leading “some” in the GOA to this new wokeness…most of us have and want nothing to do with this
Ordodog
October 7, 2020 at 8:58 pmOh no he isn’t.
Photeini Ivanova
October 8, 2020 at 1:04 amI would not trust my salvation to that man with a 10 foot pole! He is a forerunner to the antichrist by his actions and ecumenism. What a disgrace, we do not need his brand of “orthodoxy” that will lead us to perdition!
Nikos Dellas
October 8, 2020 at 9:10 amTo suggest that anyone can get sick from holy communion is blasphemy.
Nikos Dellas
October 8, 2020 at 9:11 amTo suggest that someone can get sick from Holy Communion is blasphemy!
Mike
October 8, 2020 at 2:07 pmHahahahaha!! Not even close! Nothing this man does even slightly resembles Orthodoxy. Nice try to push your own narrative Greek News Online. Just because you want to pretend this headline is reality, it absolutely is not. This archbishop will be the downfall of the GOA and quite possible even more than that.
Sofia Charitopoulos
October 8, 2020 at 5:32 pmHahahhaah
Funny news. You make my day.
Watch him how is going to fall…
gary
October 8, 2020 at 9:25 pmwhy not lead the church in america to using english? then it would be more inviting.
Frank
October 9, 2020 at 12:17 amDon’t speak for all of us…: “any Orthodox understands that a photo with the Bible is not a sign of deep piousness and the situation in which our country found itself during Trump’s presidency leaves the faithful no other choice.” Feel free to jump on Biden’s racist, abortionist bandwagon, but that doesn’t mean all of us do. This position is clearly a steppingstone to the EP.
Markos
October 9, 2020 at 4:47 amIn Galatians 2:14, we see an excellent example of why we have a Synodic Church. St. Paul notices that St. Peter has “strayed from the Truth of the Gospel”, and adnmonishes him to correct him. This is healthy. Bishops are human, they err, so the Synod of bishops keeps the Church on the right track. The first part of Revelation is similar (advice to bishops of the era)…However, in the year 2020, it appears that a Metropolitan who admonishes another peer (the “chosen one”) is penalized with banishment, suspension, etc… Was St. Paul suspended for admonishing St. Peter? This article confirms that what we are seeing today is not Synodical. We are witnessing a power struggle (or even a coup) that is not aligned with Orthodox Synodic Tradition, but rather resembles concentration of power in a Vatican sense…Forcing a “Union” of Constantinople with Rome in this manner is not going to work, as we saw with St. Mark of Ephesos back in 1439. As for Mr. Sotiropoulos’ opinions, if you don’t like Orthodox dogma, you are free to join some other dogma…Orthodoxy is not required to change in order to fit your personal view of “sotiriology”….
michael moody
October 9, 2020 at 10:11 amInteresting. It seems there is not one comment supporting the viewpoint of the biased author. Hmmm.
Rona
October 9, 2020 at 7:43 pmIf “inequality and homophobia” are “things of the past,” does this mean that in the future we can expect to see gay Orthodox clergy and hierarchs marching in gay pride parades while holding crosses in the air? How far is this lunacy supposed to go? Oh, I forgot – the bigamous clergy are coming back to “serve” us in the name of equality. Next thing you know, it will be the pedophiles.
If homosexuality is OK, how should we interpret Genesis 9:20-27 & 19:1-11, Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 timothy 1:10) and Romans 1:26-27? but wait – these biblical passages may become censored and may yet disappear, just as quickly as all those unflattering posts on social media. First we nixed the synodical system, then two faithful Metropolitans, so don’t be surprised if bible-passage nixing comes next.
That’s leadership and progressiveness for you. These changes will definitely make the Orthodox church more attractive…to the homosexuals, the pedophiles, the polygamists, the freemasons and the ecumenists, just to name a few.
Roula
October 9, 2020 at 7:46 pmI finally figured out this article!
It is so ludicrous it has to be a satire on the unbelievable state of affairs in the Greek Orthodox Church – brilliant!
Tom Wolenski
October 10, 2020 at 3:31 pmIf I understand this article correctly, the leader of a Christian Organization is suggesting looting, burning, murdering (babies as well as adults) are Christian acts worthy of emulation.
Tolis
October 10, 2020 at 7:37 pmThis article is an absolute joke. Tom Sotiropoulis is nothing more than a yes man for the asswipes that are surrounding Elpidophoros and influencing his decisions to get their agenda through. I am hoping that the Archbishop is going to be smart enough to get rid of these clowns. His mistake to not offer a prayer for the Republican National Convention was a huge one. His excuse that he was at the Phanar in Constantinople does not hold water in this day and age. He could have very easily recorded a video, even at the Patriarchal Church where he was during that time, and sent it digitally to the convention to offer the prayer. In fact, it might’ve even been a really cool thing to have that prayer be offered right from inside the patriarchal church in Constantinople. But clearly, the democratic puppets of our Archdiocese swayed Elpidophoros against doing that. Spirituality in this Archdiocese is gone. Respect for Tradition of the Faith is gone. Respect for the Canons of the Apostles and those of the Holy Synods is gone. Respect for the Great Church of Christ is gone. Why don’t we just pack it in and let the Russians take over? They seem to have a little more piety and are a little more serious about the Faith than we are. Despite my extreme negativity in this comment, however, I am absolutely praying daily for Archbishop Elpidophoros. I pray that he is enlightened and I pray that he keeps the tenets of the Faith intact. I pray that he is not swayed by a bunch of high-finance “Orthodox Christians” who go to church three times a year. We, as Orthodox Christians, need to follow the Faith as it has been handed down to us; it is not Orthodoxy that needs to change for everyone’s whim. And let’s please stop with this “the Orthodox Church needs to change” bullshit. That’s the most blasphemous and heretical thing I’ve ever heard in my life. If it means that everyone leaves because they’re pissed off and we are left with 100 people in our churches nationwide, then so be it. The Church has gotten by for the last 2000 years. I’m sure a few hundred knuckleheads screaming and yelling about “change” will certainly not make a difference.
Greek News
October 11, 2020 at 1:12 amIf I understood well you are one of the followers of the sick person we will vote out November 3.
Shame on you for accusing people with heinous accusations just because you disagree with them.
I am sure you are dreaming of white robes and burning crosses. This is the Christianity you believe in.
william Michael Bitsas
October 11, 2020 at 8:39 pmGreek News: please take to heart your second sentence in the above comment: “Shame on you for accusing people with heinous accusations just because you disagree with them.” That is EXACTLY what you did in the third sentence! There are plenty of Christians who take issue with the Democratic Party’s support of abortion, which support is in opposition to the teachings of the Orthodox church. As for Black Lives Matter, this is not just a civil rights organization. One of the founders identifies herself as a “trained Marxist” and their platform, on their website until recently, supported abortion, transexuality, and the dissolution of the family, all of which go against the tenets of our faith. One need not be a “Trump follower” to object to these radical ideas; for you to equate reasonable objections with being a member of the KKK show YOU to be the extremist, not the commenters on your article.
Reality
October 14, 2020 at 7:36 amTypical Liberal response from a hack wannabe journalist. If anyone supports Trump we are automatically racists. Go crawl into the black hole you came from. Look at the comments, do you see anyone supporting your viewpoint?
Greek News
October 14, 2020 at 8:04 pmYes you are.. and bigots and few more bad things
Greek News
October 14, 2020 at 8:08 pmI love you brother William, despite for being a hater
Arc Reactor
October 16, 2020 at 8:41 amThis is the biggest spin I’ve seen in a while. Elpidophoros is the reason I went back to Antioch. During the last 20 years, alot of foks have feared a liberalization of the clergy. Elpidophoros is the personification of that fear.
Yasadışı piskoposun Pompeo ile Türkiye karşıtı görüşmesi – HyeTert
October 30, 2020 at 2:05 am[…] 2) https://www.greeknewsonline.com/archbishop-elpidophoros-is-future-of-orthodoxy-by-tom-sotiropo… […]
can
October 30, 2020 at 3:11 amconstantinopolis is an archaic name of istanbul of the turkish republic, the patriarch of fener is under the turkish republic laws, and is not a vatican of rome like existance. the patriarch is there to only serve the turkish non muslim, ortodox nationalities. the rest is just a dream never to be realised under the turkish republic of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. so sorry dreamers, better luck the next time.
bob karp
November 18, 2020 at 10:50 amGreek News. I support your viewpoint on Archbishop Elpidoforos. It is a real shame, when Greek Orthodox, would get all worked up, when someone pronounces Trump for what he really is: A serial liar, a pathetically selfish moron, a sexual predator, a man who brought a mighty nation to its knees, and yet, they would be the first to condemn our spiritual father, the archbishop, in the worse language possible, because they want to be critical. Trump has made a mockery of religion, has used Christianity as he used his three wives and yet, to them, he is the one sent to “save us”. Yes, our churches are filled with these false Christians. They disregard a president who has done everything in his power to take health care away from the poor, who has taken foodstamps away from 700,000 Americans, who has caged children and separated them from their parents, who supports the gun culture of this country, all actions in contrast to what Christ commands us to do, while using the abortion issue, as a prop. An issue that Trump can do nothing about. An issue that should be left up to women and their doctor to decide. An issue that Christ tells us nothing about. They’re O,K, with our churches teaching the Trump gospel, not Christ’s.