Archdiocesan Council Threatens St. George's Church with Sanctions
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O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek Americans c v A wEEKly GREEK AmERICAN PuBlICATION www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 14, ISSUE 709 May 14-20, 2011 $1.50 Archdiocesan Council Greeks Take to the Streets, Are Beaten Back Threatens St. George’s Germany Warns No More Aid Church With Sanctions Unless More Cuts By Theodore Kalmoukos recting the priests to read it at ATHENS – A protest by an esti - TNH Staff Writer the end of Liturgy on May 8, mated 20,000 people against Mother’s Day, with orders to dis - government austerity measures BOSTON - The Archdiocesan tribute it to parishioners and imposed to keep Greece from Council passed a resolution call - publish it in the parish bulletin. going bankrupt exploded into ing on the St. George’s Parish Some priests did as the Metrop - pockets of fighting with police Council of Lynn, Massachusetts olis’ Chancellor Ted Barbas di - on May 11, leading to two peo - to conform to the Uniform rected them to do, but others ple being hospitalized with se - Parish Regulations of the Arch - ignored the order, as they have rious injuries, which doctors diocese and pay a $20,000 an - done for previous communiqués blamed on police. Prime Minis - nual increase which it has re - from the Metropolis of Boston ter George Papandreou’s Admin - fused to do. If the parish does which critics said is aimed at di - istration, which has cut public not conform, the Archdiocese viding support for St. George’s worker wages, raised taxes and threatened St. George with “the among the churches in New cut pension benefits as a condi - imposition of all necessary England under Metropolitan tion of receiving $155 billion in canonical and administrative Methodios’ control. The Na - rescue loans from the so-called sanctions. Failure of the com - tional Herald learned that while Troika of the European Union- munity to comply would lead it St. George’s Council and its International Monetary Fund- into schism, separating those in - members are standing fast European Central Bank, was put volved from the body of the against the Metropolis that the on the defensive after the spo - Church and the sacramental life battle has caused a commotion, radic violence led to clashes be - of the Church.” including among its benefactors tween protesters and police. The Archdiocesan Council who said they are concerned “(We) express regret for the convened on May 6th at the about the Metropolitan’s insis - grievous injury sustained by this Boston Park Plaza Hotel and by tence on getting more money, young man,” government its resolution supported the de - while young members of St. AP PHOTO/THANASSIS STAVRAKIS spokesman George Petalotis mands of Metropolitan Metho - George’s have sent him letters Memorial to a Mugging Victim in Athens said. “We must all keep our calm dios, who assessed the increase, that they will leave the Church and poise in the difficult condi - and has since prohibited St. altogether. A Greek flag hangs above signs reading “Foreigners Out Now,” and “Protest in honor of the mur - tions our country is going George’s from celebrating the The entire Archdiocesan Res - dered Greek,” May 12, 2011, at the site of a fatal mugging in Athens of a 44-year-old man ready - through,” Petalotis said. Holy Sacraments of marriage olution reads as follows: “The ing to take his pregnant wife to the hospital. Witnesses said he was attacked by foreigners. She The protester, Yiannis Kafkas, and baptism because the Parish Archdiocesan Council of the gave birth later. His murder set off attacks on immigrants. See related story on page 9. 31, was said to have suffered Council and members refused Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of near-fatal head injuries and was to pay. The resolution stated America during its regularly in critical condition in a hospi - that: “The Archdiocesan Council scheduled spring meeting today tal, and media reports said an - also fully supports all actions of affirmed the uniform applica - other person was also seriously His Eminence Metropolitan tion of the Archdiocesan Regu - Prodromou: Turkey Stifles Orthodoxy hurt. Kafkas was one of a dozen Methodios of Boston.” The Na - lations and Clergy Laity Con - people hurt in skirmishes with tional Herald has learned that gress decisions to all parishes police on the sidelines of the resolution was brought forth including St. George Greek Or - By Constantine S. Sirigos of the Historic New York Public in the number of cases on reli - demonstrations in Athens and by George Vourvoulias from the thodox Church of Lynn, Massa - TNH Staff Writer Library. She said the elections gious freedom violations other cities against the govern - Archdiocesan Finance Commit - chusetts and unanimously ap - are of vital importance to the brought to the European Court ment’s economic policies, which tee. It was the only issue of sig - proved the following resolution: NEW YORK – Before the revo - Greek and Cypriot American of Human Rights. Prodromou’s have pushed the country into nificance discussed by the Arch - A matter of grave concern af - lutions that caught everyone by communities, U.S. interests, and lecture, titled More than Free - recession. A Communist group diocesan Council during its fecting the harmony of our Holy surprise, the Next Big Thing in the future of the Middle East. dom of Worship: Deconstructing said Kafkas had been beaten meeting at the luxury hotel, al - Archdiocese has arisen. As a re - the Middle east was supposed They will also be a test of the Legal Deficits in Religious Free - with a truncheon and doctors at though routine business matters sult of this situation, on May 5 to be Turkey’s upcoming parlia - ruling AKP party’s commitment dom Problems in Turkey, was the hospital where he was were heard, along with reports and 6, 2011, the Archdiocesan mentary elections in June. They to make the kinds of institu - sponsored by The Order of Saint treated accused the police of from various departments. Council took an unprecedented still are, Elizabeth H. Prodro - tional changes pertaining to hu - Andrew the Apostle, Archons of “barbarity,” Agence-France- St. George’s had called a spe - action by discussing the unfor - mou of the Dept. of Interna - man rights and religious free - the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Presse reported. “Violence and cial General Assembly meeting tunate developments at St. tional Relations, Boston Univer - dom the European Union and the Hellenic Lawyers Associa - repression against those who re - for May 12 to discuss the reso - George Greek Orthodox Church sity and Vice Chair, U.S. US have been waiting for, and tion. sist will not endure,” the local lution, after The National Her - of Lynn, Massachusetts. As a di - Commission on International which Prime Minister Recep “Religious freedom is a secu - doctors’ union said in a state - ald’s printing time. The Metrop - rect consequence of the parish Religious Freedom, reminded Tayyip Erdogan has maintained rity issue. Where there is none, ment. olis of Boston sent the resolution guests at the Sue and Edgar he supports, even though to all New England parishes di - Continued on page 4 Wachenheim III Trustees Room Turkey is second only to Russia Continued on page 7 Continued on page 8 Greek Church at the Heart A Nobel Economist’s Greek Vision Sees Hope of the Fayetteville, N.C. By Constantine S. Sirigos TNH Staff Writer Tight-Knit Community NEW YORK – Christopher Pis - sarides made a great impression on the Greek world when he be - By Kim Hasty Papagikos. As he begins the Di - came only the third Hellene – Fayetteville Observer vine Liturgy, worshippers start and the first who wasn’t a poet – arriving. They stand, rather than to win a Nobel Prize. He said the The Sunday morning still - sit, as he sings the familiar lines Greek and Cypriot American ness inside Sts. Constantine and that their ancestors once heard. communities touched him deeply Helen Greek Orthodox Church “Blessed is the kingdom of the with their reaction. Literally min - is broken only by the comfort - Father and the Son and the Holy utes before appearing at a ban - ing, lilting voice of Father Alex Spirit, now and forever and to quet in his honor he sat for an the ages of ages ...’’ Each Sun - interview with The National Her - day, much of Fayetteville’s Greek ald. “It’s a great honor” to receive community gathers at the Or - the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of thodox church on Oakridge Av - Commerce Distinguished Merit Louis Tikas enue in Haymount. Like the Award, he said. He visits New people at Snyder Memorial Bap - York a few times a year now, but tist just a few blocks away, they used to come more regularly, es - vs. the Coal come to worship and to enjoy pecially for meetings of the Har - their friends and family. But vard-affiliated National Bureau they also reconnect to an an - of Economic Research, beginning Barons cient religious tradition, unique with his first experience in Amer - to their home country, that ica in 1979. He told TNH: “Some binds them both to their past of my most creative work was By Steve Frangos and to one another. Restaurants done there in the early 80’s. The may be the face of the Greek work on unemployment and la - PART TWO community in Fayetteville; the bor markets in general,” for Louis Tikas is among the most church, however, is its heart. which he won the Nobel, during TNH/COSTAS BEJ renowned individuals in the an - “The church is the center of Christopher Pissarides makes a point about the Greek economic crisis during a discussion with nuals of American labor history.