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. 13, ISSUE 635 December 12-18, 2009 $1.25 Faith Fund Papandreou: The Financial Crisis is a Threat to Greek Sovereignty Enriched by Newly Installed Prime Minister May Have to Five New Abandon Election Promises to Calm Markets By Christopher Tripoulas targets for deficit cutting. Over the The National Herald Staff Writer next few days, Greece will commu- Founders nicate the elements of the plan not NEW YORK - Greek Prime Minister only to Greek citizens, employers George Papandreou may have to and workers but also to the interna- Founders’ Circle jettison the promises that won him tional community, Papandreou October’s election if he’s to con- said. Expands with New vince investors he can tackle his "The new government's aim is to country’s worst fiscal crisis in 15 bring back hope to Greek citizens Gifts of $1 Million years. and reverse the lack of credibility Greece is in the throes of an eco- and lack of confidence brought by BOSTON - Five new Founding nomic and fiscal emergency that the previous government," he said. Members were recently added to threatens its national sovereignty, "These problems have made us the Founders’ Circle of the “Faith and the government is determined stronger and more confident to Endowment Fund for Orthodoxy to implement measures that will re- march ahead...We will systemati- and Hellenism”. Each Founder has duce debt and bring back interna- cally make efforts to protect and re- given or pledged a minimum of $1 tional and domestic confidence, the store confidence in the economy." million each to support educational country's Prime Minister George Papandreou warned that "the and cultural programs related to Papandreou said Wednesday. Greek economy is in a profoundly Hellenism and Orthodoxy across "I will speak with sincerity and difficult position" and requires "a the United States through the conscience because times are diffi- huge national effort in order to re- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of cult and the country is an emer- cover economically and achieve fis- America. The new members are: gency state," Papandreou said. cal consolidation." Mr. Jim Chanos, Mr. Andre Dimitri- "There are big problems which we He added: "The fiscal problem is adis, Mr. Constantine Iordanou, will deal with through specific poli- threatening our national sovereign- Mr. Chris Spyropoulos and Mr. cies." ty for the first time since 1974 George Tsunis. He reiterated that the govern- [when there was a dictatorship in Faith was originally founded in ment will soon unveil a four-year power]. We have several difficult 2004 by a group of ten prominent plan to address many of the prob- battles ahead, but the road towards Greek American leaders and phil- lems, including retirement and so- fiscal stability is the only way anthropists in response to the invi- cial security programs, taxation Greece will not lose its sovereignty tation and calling of Archbishop and measures aimed at supporting rights." Demetrios, to secure the future of growth. Within weeks of coming to pow- the Greek Orthodox faith and Hel- The plan, which Greece intends er promising higher spending and lenism in America. EUROKINISSI to submit to the European Commis- more pay for civil servants, his gov- Today, the Endowment has Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou (center) met with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Karolos sion at the beginning of January, ernment revised data to show more than half of the fifty Founding Papoulias, at the Presidential Mansion on Thursday. Mr. Papandreou asked President Papoulias to convene a will include measures on those is- Members which will comprise the meeting of the political party leaders to discuss the financial crisis and combating the problem of corruption. sues and other reforms, as well as Continued on page 9 Founders Circle. Faith has begun its promotion of the Greek Orthodox faith and Hellenism through a se- ries of innovative educational pro- grams and cultural initiatives un- der the auspices of the Greek Or- Patriarchate Asks for Title to U.S. Church Property Greek Credit thodox Archdiocese of America. Peter T. Kikis, president and one By Theodore Kalmoukos other eparchies (ecclesiastical ence and abuses of Turkish officials and the Patriarch stated in his letter Rating is Cut of its original founders, stated that, The National Herald Staff Writer provinces) outside of Turkey that be- have been reported in the interna- that, “We were led to the decision to “We are very pleased to welcome long to the ecclesiastical and spiritu- tional media for decades and occa- urge, though this Patriarchal letter, the five newest Founders to the En- BOSTON - The Ecumenical Patriar- al jurisdiction of the Patriarchate, sionally elicit protests from U.S. and the hierarchs of the Eparchies Amid Finance dowment – their professional as chate – in an official letter recently that they “register at least one real other government officials and agen- abroad to register in the Registry of well as philanthropic accomplish- sent to the Greek Orthodox Archdio- estate property irreversibly in the cies. Patriarch Bartholomew in his Deeds in the country in which their ments are exemplary by all stan- cese of America and its local Metrop- name of the Patriarchate.” letter (protocol number 861) stated Eparchy is located, at least one real Problems dards. When we complete the olises - requested the official transfer By taking this action, the Patriar- that “The (Turkish) authorities estate property, community or Founders’ Circle with fifty mem- of the ownership of at least one real chate is trying to secure its legal posi- refuse to recognize the legal status of parish in the legal name of the Ecu- NEW YORK - Greece was jolted on bers, we will create an endowment estate property belonging to each tion vis-a-vis the Turkish govern- our most sacred institution.” Ankara menical Patriarchate as follows: “Ec- Tuesday December 8 by the down- of approximately $75 million metropolis to the Patriarchate. Arch- ment. The Turkish government does considers it to be a Turkish institu- umenical Patriarch, instituted ac- grading of its debt rating to the which will serve as a powerful basis bishop Demetrios of America and the not recognize Ecumenical Patriar- tion in the Phanar district of Con- cording to the International Law lowest level in the euro zone as for truly creative action for pro- metropolitans have yet to notify the chate as a legal entity or its ecumeni- stantinople under the administrative whose See is in Constantinople (Is- worries grow about its public fi- grams for the young people as well parishes of the Archdiocese of the re- cal nature and mission, and has jurisdiction of the district’s prefect. tanbul).” nances, driving bank shares, bonds as adults of our community. Our quest of the Ecumenical Patriar- treated the institution with disre- The issues that pertained to the The Patriarchal letter appeals to and the euro down in its wake. The Founders’ Circle is composed of chate. spect since the creation of the Turk- property request were discussed at financial blow came as the govern- men and women who are proud of The same request was made to all ish Republic in 1923. The interfer- the Holy Synod in Constantinople Continued on page 3 ment struggled to calm two days of their Hellenic heritage and Ortho- youth riots on the anniversary of dox faith and are committed to pro- the police shooting of a 15-year-old moting the Endowment’s mission.” boy last year that triggered wide- In 2009, Faith funded 34 Faith spread violence fueled by anger Ionian Village Travel Scholarships, over the economy. 37 Faith Scholarships for Academic NIMH Grant Citing fiscal deterioration, Fitch Excellence, approximately 25 St. Ratings cut Greek debt to BBB+ John Chrysostom Scholarship To Dr. George with a negative outlook from A-; Awards, and also supported the the first time in 10 years a major publication of a series of new text- ratings agency has put Greece be- books, “Ta Ellinika Mou”, for Greek Alexopoulos low an A grade. Two other agen- Language instruction at the ele- cies, Moody's and Standard and mentary level for all of the students Poor's, have put Greece’s credit out- at parish and other parochial BOSTON - The National Institute of look on negative watch due to a schools. Mental Health (NIMH) recently debt mountain forecast to hit 125 Brief biographies of the new granted a competitive award of $10 percent of gross domestic product members of Faith follow: million dollars to George Alexopou- next year, making it proportionate- James Chanos is the founder los, M.D., Director of the Weill-Cor- ly the most indebted member of the and Managing Partner of Kynikos nell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16-member currency bloc. Associates, the largest exclusive Westchester, New York. The Insti- Finance Minister George Papa- short selling investment firm, pro- tute was founded and is still direct- constantinou said in a statement ed by Dr. Alexopoulos, a leading that the Socialist government Continued on page 5 physician-scientist. NIMH awarded would do everything in its power to the grant in recognition of the pio- narrow the yawning budget short- neering research on the biological fall it inherited after a general elec- causes of late-life depression and of tion in October. "We will do what- the development of novel treatment ever it takes for the reduction of the interventions by Dr. Alexopoulos deficit in the mid-term," he vowed. Ex-Archbishop and his colleagues. This was the The European Union, exasperat- largest grant ever given to a medical ed by repeated sharp revisions of Spyridon At school for this kind of research Greek statistics, has given Athens a work.