VOL. 64 NO. 1159 APRIL 20, 1999 http://www.goarch.org/goa/observer E-mail: [email protected] Archbishop Asks NATO to The Glorious Light of the Resurrection Suspend Yugoslavia Bombing NEW YORK A few days before now, in the midst of the Orthodox Christian Pascha, Archbishop Spyridon appealed to Holy Week, God has given to the world a President Clinton and leaders of NATO to way out of the madness that threatens to suspend the bombing in Yugoslavia and engulf us. May we perceive His mercy in work toward a peaceful settlement of the the midst of chaos and confusion, and find crisis and for the release of three captured the will to honor the Prince of Peace and American servicemen. begin anew the work of peace. His Eminence issued the following state- Other appeals for peace efforts ment on the recent developments in the con- tinuing conflict in Yugoslavia: Meanwhile, in Geneva, international The humanitarian gesture of President church bodies with headquarters here ap- Milosevic and the Serbian people in declar- pealed to the United Nations (UN) to ini- ing a unilateral cease fire and in the coming tiate immediate efforts to reach a just and release of the American Servicemen to the lasting peace in the Kosovo conflict. government of Cyprus compels the NATO The NATO-led intervention in the Fed- alliance to honor a suspension of hostilities eral Republic of Yugoslavia manifests the fail- during the Orthodox Christian celebration of ure of the international community to achieve Pascha. This opportunity for renewing a po- a credible, negotiated solution, says the text litical and diplomatic settlement to the very of a joint letter to UN Secretary General Kofi complex problems in Kosovo should not be Annan, from the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Conference of European Chur- Reaching for the Light N. Manginas missed. There is now every reason for NATO Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (top) and Archbishop Spyridon (below) distribute to consider honoring the Serbian cease fire, ches (CEC) and the Lutheran World Federa- tion (LWF), with the support of the World the light of the Resurrection to worshippers at Easter services in Constantinople and and to put a halt to the continuing bloodshed New York. (Related story, photos on page 32). and loss of life. Let there be an echo among Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC). the nations of NATO, that resounds with a The letter goes on to say that each day gesture of peace and good will. of bombing makes the solution more dis- We commend President Kyprianou and tant and increases the risk of regionalization the government of Cyprus for their efforts of the conflict. It also heightens the danger on behalf of the captured American service- of a renewed divide in Europe. men. I call upon President Clinton and the WCC General Secretary Konrad Raiser, leaders of NATO to seize this moment as an CEC General Secretary Keith Clements, LWF opening for peace and negotiated settlement. General Secretary Ishmael Noko and WARC The further escalation of this conflict General Secretary Milan Opocensky there- can only serve to exacerbate the human trag- fore appealed for an immediate moratorium edy of violence, displacement and the in- on the military interventions, in order to al- evitable hatreds that will be spawned by the low for a renewal of the political process forces of death and destruction. Especially under the auspices of the UN. D. Panagos Committee Calls on Turkey to Act on Cyprus WASHINGTON A key congressional president of SAE) stressed that in this committee voted overwhelmingly on April adopted language the Congress recognizes 15 to adopt bill language that commends that in canceling the deployment on Cyprus the Cyprus governments extraordinarily of defensive anti-aircraft missiles, the Cyprus conciliatory and courageous actions in the government refrained from exercising their interest of peace on Cyprus and calls on the countrys sovereign right to self-defense, a U.S. to do all that is possible to bring about right fully recognized by the U.S. govern- commensurate actions by Turkey. ment and by Article 51 of The Charter of the Associated Press The House International Relations Com- United Nations. It also notes that with this REACHING FOR FOOD - Hundreds of refugees stretch out their hands for food and supplies mittee voted 23 to 11 to adopt an amend- action Cyprus displayed its full compliance at one of the refugee camps near Kosovo. ment relating to Cyprus during its consider- with the recently adopted United Nations ation of the State Department Authorization Security Council Resolutions 1217 and Bill for fiscal years 2000-2001. See CYPRUS, page 14 Albanian Church at Forefront of Relief Efforts We would like to thank Congressman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) who offered this by Jim Golding gees who have entered Albania from war- amendment and led efforts for its adoption torn Kosovo. in Committee. He continues to be a leader Special Section Since the end of March, Penny Pana- Since March 30-31, said Ms. Deli- in the U.S. Congress for Cyprus settlement See a special informative giota Deligiannis, director of Diakonia giannis, they really started pouring in - lines efforts, said Philip Christopher, president Agapes, the humanitarian relief agency of of people, horses, vehicles. This is the last of PSEKA and the Pancyprian Association of section on the affairs and the Orthodox Church of Albania, has battled country that needed or could afford such an America. the finances of the Arch- overwhelming numbers and constant rain invasion. The Albanians are just as poor as Andrew A. Athens, national chairman to aid the river of more than 175,000 refu- See RELIEF EFFORTS, page 27 of UHAC (and, in another capacity, world diocese on pages 9-13. PAGE 2 ORTHODOX OBSERVER APRIL 20, 1999 ARCHDIOCESE NEWS Vacancies Filled after Three Years Archbishop Enthrones New Jersey and Detroit Bishops HIS EMINENCE, followed by Bishop Nicholas of Detroit, proceeds through the Annunciation BISHOP GEORGE reads his enthronement message to hundreds of faithful at St. John the Cathedral in Detroit for the enthronment ceremony. Theologian Cathedral in Tenafly. Dimitri Panagos photos wo historic events in the life of The Diocese of New the Archdiocese highlighted the Jersey is comprised of the all TApril 17-18 weekend the en- the parishes in the state and, thronements of Bishops George and Nicho- by assignment from the las to the vacant Sees of the New Jersey and Archdiocesan District, the Detroit dioceses. parishes in greater Philadel- More than 700 persons from nearly phia, Delaware, Maryland every parish of the diocese attended Bishop and Virginia. Georges enthronement at St. John the Theo- logian Cathedral in Tenafly, N.J., April 17. Enthronement of In addition to Archbishop Spyridon who Bishop Nicholas officiated at the ceremony, seven other hier- The following day Arch- archs participated, along with many clergy, bishop Spyridon traveled to including Metropolitan Silas of Saranta Detroit to officiate at the en- Ekklesion, Metropolitan Maximos of Aenos, thronement of Bishop presiding hierarch of the Diocese of Pitts- Nicholas at Annunciation burgh; Metropolitan Methodios of Aneon, Cathedral. presiding hierarch of the Diocese of Boston; Bishop Nicholas was Metropolitan Nicholas of Amissos, head of enthroned by His Eminence the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox as the fifth bishop of the Dio- Diocese; Metropolitan Paisios of Tyana, cese of Detroit before a huge Bishop Philotheos of Meloa, Bishop Vikentios turnout of more than 1,700 of Apameia, and Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos. BISHOP NICHOLAS beams with joy as he ARCHBISHOP SPYRIDON and Bishop George near the altar persons. The cathedral, a Also in attendance were representatives takes his place at the bishops throne. of the New Jersey Cathedral. new Byzantine-style struc- of other churches, Tenafly Mayor Ann Moskowitz who proclaimed the 17th as In dedication to his late wife, Presbytera ture, seats about 780. Bishop George Day, the consuls general of Maria, His Grace pledged to work with all A 75-voice choir directed by George Greece and Cyprus and several state and the clergy and presbyteres of the diocese. Raptis and Evey Simon, 100 altar boys and county officials. He also announced plans to establish 75 flower girls, highlighted the elaborate cer- USPS 412340 ISSN 0731-2547 A 70-member choir directed by Tony diocese offices in New Jersey. A reception emony. Published by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Paraskevopoulos included representatives of and an enthronement banquet followed. Among the other hierarchs present of America. Semi-monthly in March, April, May, parish choirs from throughout the diocese. The Formal Election Announcement were Bishop Maximos, Archbishop Victorin June, October and November, and monthly in Bishop George was greeted enthusias- (Mega Minima) for Bishop George was read and Bishop Nathaniel, both of the Romanian January, February, July, August, September and December. tically by the people, parish officials noted. April 14 at the Archdiocesan Chapel of St. Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Paul in Manhattan. The Holy and Sacred Canada, Bishop Dimitrios of the Antiochian MANAGING EDITOR: Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected Orthodox Church and Metropolitan Paisios. Stavros H. Papagermanos Inside EDITOR: Bishop George of Komanon as Bishop of the About 75 priests from all jurisdictions Jim Golding (Chryssoulis) Diocese of New Jersey on March 13. of SCOBA also attended. PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Archdiocese News 2-4 He served as auxiliary bishop to Arch- On a poignant note, the diocese regis- Zoe Gnesoulis Challenge 29 bishop Spyridon and in November had been trar, the Very Rev. Archimandrite Evstathios ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: appointed Director of the Office of Public Metallinos, who suffered a stroke a few days Irene Kyritsis Diocese News 30 Affairs of the Archdiocese headquartered in before the event, was brought to the cer- CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Nicholas Manginas Ecumenical Patriarchate 5 Washington.