SUMMER 1985 r)ie Aposrje
CONFERENCE ON THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE IN CONTEMPORARY HISTORY TO BE HELD IN 1986 ___ Under the chairmanship of Dr. Harry J. Psomiades, Director of the Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of Queens College of the City University of New York, a conference on the Ecumeni cal Patriarchate in Contemporary History will be held at the C.U.N.Y. Graduate Center, 33 West 42 Street in New York on April 18, 19, 20, 1986. The conference His Eminence Archbishop lakovos addressing fhc Archons at 'he Banquet of Sunday of Orthodoxy will be sponsored jointly by the Order of held at the Waldorf-Astoria, 1985. St. Andrew, and the European and Mod ern Greek studies Program of Queens College. The Conference will be in three parts; Part 1. The Ecumenical Patriarchate from the fall of Constantinople to the emergence of the Modern Greek State, 1453-1821. Part 2. The Ecumenical Patriarchate and Greek-Turkish Relations, 1821-1914. Part 3. The Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Turkish Republic, 3923-1986. Assisting Dr. Psomiades will be: Rev. Dr. Miltiades B. Efthimiou, Executive Of ficer of the Order of St. Andrew and con ference coordinator, Eleni Frangakis, As- "sistarrt Chairman of Conference, and new ly appointed Professor of Modern Greek Archons attending the Divine Lit urgy on Sunday of Orthodoxy held at the Archdiocesan Cathedra J of the History, Queens College. Further infor Holy Trinity in New York, mation on conference will be given in forthcoming issues of Newsletter. CATHOLIC LEAGUE OF WISCONSIN URGES NATIONAL COUNCIL TURKEY TO RECOGNIZE RIGHTS OF UNDERTAKES ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS IN TURKEY A letter from the Wisconsin Catholic The text reads as follows: ADOPT-A-PATIENT League urges Turkey to reject religious persecution and to authorize occasional Hon. Sukru Elekdag PROGRAM Turkish Embassy Orthodox religious services in Hagia 2523 Massachusetts A plan, first introduced in Denver, Colo Sophia. Washington, D.C. 20008 rado by Archon George Bithos, in which The League's President is Reverend Your Excellency: Archons would have an opportunity to Virgil C. Blum S.J., of Marquette Univer The friendship that exists between Turkey adopt a patient of the Balukli Hospital, sity, and has on its Board of Directors, and the United States gives me the confidence was launched at a recent meeting of the Bishop foseph Francis of Newark, New to raise with you a matter of some delicacy, but National council in New York. fersey, Michael Novak, resident scholar, one of great concern to those Americans who The following was a letter that was American Enterprise Jnst., Washington, prize religious freedom. sent to all members of the Order, and D.C., Msgr. Edward J. O'Donnell, vicar ft has been alleged that the Orthodox Chris all regional and state commanders: general, Archdiocese of St. Louis, and tian minority in Turkey has suffered various (Continued on page 3) other prominent people. (Continued on page 4) ^f 0037 FIRST PARTICIPATION BY ARCHONS IN SOME THOUGHTS ON ST. ANDREW'S DAY FESTIVITIES IN BALUKLI CONSTANTINOPLE Balukli is one of the oldest Christian in AND ST. NICHOLAS stitutions, which survives from the By SYMPOSIUM IN MYRA zantine era to the present day. It is situat ed outside the walls of Constantinople, on a summit across the so-called Golden The National Council of the Order of Synod and representatives of the Vatican, Gate. It was originally a monastery, con St. Andrew voted unanimously to partici fed by Cardinal Willebrand who is the structed in 560 A.D. by Emperor Justinian pate for the first time in the celebration Director of Ecumenical Relations with on that imposing spot of unsurpassed of St. Andrew's Day at the Patriarchate the Eastern Othodox Churches. Later the natural beauty. The area was selected for on November 30th this Fall Archons will have a private meeting with the existence there of a fountain, the A trip to Antalya will follow to join the Patriarch. wafer of which was believed to possess diplomats, theologians, scholars, his The itinerary in Istanbul will include miraculous healing power. For this rea torians and other distinguished clergy a visit to Hagia Sophia, Kahriye Mosque son the monastery was dedicated to Theo- of major denominations in a 3-day sym- (Moni Tis Chores], Topkapi Palace where tokos Zoodochos Peghe. For fifteen centuries this monastery, which in time became known as Balukli, shared the fate of the Polis and the Em pire. Time and again it was ruined by earthquakes, each time rebuilt better than before, for it was considered a reli gious and ethnic shrine of extraordinary significance. Festivities, held there at certain days of the ecclesiastical year, gathered enormous crowds anxious to witness the miracles performed by the water of the fountain, as the historians of those days have recorded. It suffered serious damage by the Bul garians in 924, by the Crusaders during the 33th century, and finally was totally destroyed by the Turks at the fall of Con stantinople in 1453. It remained in ruins till 1727, when a small church was erected December 6,1984, Feast Day of St. Nicholas. Services held over the tomb of St. Nicholas in Bosilica Church. The Divine Liturgy was officialed fay Metropolitan Chrysosiomos and assisted fay Father M. Eftfiimiou. over the miraculous fountain. Then, in The service wos the first in 1200 years at this site. 1794 some other improvements were made, ruined again totally in 1823 by the Janissaries. Finally, posium at the birthplace of the most cele the sarcophagos of Alexander the Great in 1838 an am bitious plan for a brated Saint in Western Christianity, is on display, the Theological School of magnificent philan thropic center St. Nicholas of Myra [identified in Amer Halki and one of the highlights will be was initiated and put into effect. It was ica as Santa Clous). a visit to Balukli Hospital and a visit to the time that Greeks in Turkey were still With the blessing of His Eminence, pay our respects to the Tombs of the counted in the millions, Pa a number Archbishop lakovos, the trip will take triarchs, primarily that of Patriarch Athe- of them well to do. Enthusiasm triumphed. place between November 27th and De nagoras where a Trisagion will be de There were built in Balukli cember 9th or 12th, with various exten livered. large and well equipped departments for each and every sions to such historical sites as Cappo- On December 1st the group will de medical specialty, and in some docia and Pontus in the Black Sea. part for Izmir (Smyrna) and Ephessus. distance from them, a building for victims The Chairman of this project assigned After visiting all the interesting spots, of tuberculosis, one for the aged, and another by the Council is Archon Dr. Kirk Kalem- the Archons will continue by air on De for the convalescents. The complex keris, with Bishop Philotheos as Spiritual cember 3rd to Antalya where partici also included dormitories for the personnel, Leader of the group and Father Milton pants from everywhere will have gath kitchen facilities and a pharmacy, Efthimiou as Coordinator of various ered for the Symposium. It will be an and to top all of these a beauti ful events. opportunity to hear many outstanding house of worship. Upon the arrival at the airport in Istan scholars and historians expound on In the center of the business district of bul, Turkey, the Archons will be met St. Nicholas. For those who wish to visit Constantinople, an imposing building by representatives of the Ecumenical Pa other sites, optional tours will be avail housed the administration of Balukli, the triarchate. able to ancient Greek cities in southern executive board, the secretariat, the trea Archon participation on this occasion Turkey, to Cappodocia or to Pontus on sury and the accounting office. is very significant since these celebra the Black Sea. The personnel, medical, professional tions date back to Byzantine times when On December 6th the titular Bishop of as well as auxiliary, was consisted of titled Archons were very active and most Myra fDemre) and successor to St. Greeks, both men and women, serving influential in relations between the Em Nicholas, Metropolitan Chrysostomos, with dignity, dedication and concern, peror and the Holy Sea of Phanari. will officiate at the Divine Liturgy, as mostly on a voluntary basis. His Holiness, Patriarch Demetrios, will sisted by other clergy and a large choir The income of the institution, deriving officiate along with members of the Holy from the United States. from grants and donations, was signifi Synod and representative of the Vatican, For all inquiries about the trip, please cant; not only sufficient for the current led by Cardinal Willebrand who is the write or call the office of the Order of needs, but also enough to support other Director of Ecumenical Relations with St. Andrew, 8 East 79th Street, New welfare agencies and philanthropic as the Eastern Orthodox Churches. York, NY 10021. Tel. (212) 570-3500. (Continued on page 3) (Continued from page 1) Re: ADOPT-A-PAT/ENT PLAN Dear "Defenders of the Faith": As one of our concerns as "Defenders of the Faith", the Baltik)i Hospital, as one of the major institutions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is in dire need of our help. This year's deficit is about $40,000 and next year's wi/I be about $50,000. The people who suffer from this deficit are the patients themselves, all 275 of them, ivho are Greek, defenseless, abandoned, and wifh no one to turn to. The only ones left to Archons gathering at the entrance of the Balukli Hospital. help them are the Board of Directors, the re maining few doctors and hospital personnel, and, on tbis side of the ocean, tbe Order of St. Andrew the Apostle. We are therefore writing you relative to a proposal that was brought to OUT attenUou, and which was adopted by the National Coun cil. It is called "Adopt-A-Patient Plan". With this plan, each Archon has an opportunity to adopt a patient for $50 a year. You may adopt more than one patient, and you may bave mem bers of your family, church, or any other group adopt a pafignfr-Qnce tbe mt>nt?y-is-sent fo {fte~ National Council, care of our Office at tbe Arch diocese, then you ivill be sent the name or names. Your Regional/State Commanders bave al ready been aierted and given instructions in order to be of assistance to you. Please call on them for ony help you might need in order to bring tbis plan to a successful conclusion in your area. In aiding these patients in this Dr. Anthony Borden and olher Archons visiting a patient. charitable, Christian way, we are personalizing tbe deplorable plight of not only tbe hospital but its patients ME TIJV fapaioTrjTa as well so that "their plight" LETTER OF PRESIDENT on Kai ft£MovTiKco<; Bi- will be perceived as our "plight" aovExioz.1 by all Archons rd ^carjpdv Kai d/nefcorov iv- and Orthodox Christians throughout tbe OF BALUKLI HOSPITAL Sia
(Continued from page 1} forms of official and unofficial discrimination NEW ENGLAND ARCHONS and harassment. Whether or not these allega DONATE $4,000 FOR tions can be substantiated, their frequent rep etition has evoked o certain measure of suspi NEW DIOCESE OF BOSTON cion against the Turkish Government and sym Worker demolishing par! of St. George church. pathy for Turkish citizens of the Orthodox On the grounds of the Cathedral Center Christian faith. in Brookline, Mass., a new Diocese build The telegram cited articles 37, 38 and 42 This sympathy grows not only out of the ing will be built, and the New England of the Treaty of Lausanne on the basis of natural concern for the rights of religious mi area Archons have donated $4,000 to which the church is considered a "pre norities anywhere, but also from the unique ward the fulfillment of their pledge for served state-controlled property". Letters historical significance of present-day Turkey the new edifice. and telegrams were sent to all regional for the entire Christian world. Centuries ago. The new building will also house the and state commanders to actively recruit councils held on ivhat is noiv Turkish soil, de fined the fundamental doctrines of the Chris Archon Room for meetings and display members of the parishes, parish councils, purposes. President of the Archons of youth organizations, etc., to also lodge tian faith for all time. Those events and the pJaces where they occurred are revered by all New England is Gregory Demetrakas, protests for this flagrant violation of the Christians Orthodox, Roman, Catholic, and Regional Commander for the National Treaty of Lausanne and unacceptable in Profestont alike. Council. sult to Christendom. Moreover, the city of Istanbul has histori St. George had been proclaimed a monu cally been the center of Orthodox Christianity, ment worthy of preservation by the Turk and the Church of Hagia Sophia was the great ish Ministry of Culture, it was learned est place of worship in the Christian East. ARCHONS RECENTLY by the Office o/ Archons in New York. That great church has now been secularized After much research, this decision was and serves as a museum. Yet, to all Orthodox DECEASED published on fanuary 11, 1977 in the Turk Christians, it remains a holy place. If your Government were to authorize occa ish Government Gazette. sional Orthodox religious services at Hagia The following members of the Order of Sophia, that would be a signal to the entire St. Andrew recently passed away, The THE ARCHON Christian world that Turkey rejects religious National Board and the regional and state Publication of the Order of St. Andrew persecution and welcomes its Christian mi commanders join His Eminence, Arch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the nority to full and equal citizenship. Such a bishop Jakovos in expressing their con Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North step would raise the prestige of Turkey in dolences to the families of these deceased and South America. Published quar the eyes of those who treasure religious free Archons. They are: terly as a chronicle of events, news and dom, and would help to rebut the criticism your Dr. Kenneth /. Conant, Massachusetts announcements by the National Coun Government receives from some human rights Theodore Hiotis, New fersey cil of the Order. Editorial staff: Rev. Dr. advocates. We urge you, therefore, to transmit this re Theodore Miller, New York M.B. Efthimiou, Christo Daphnides, ferry Vallianos, New fersey Dr. Kimon A. Doukas. Mail Address: quest to your Government. The Archon/8 East 79th Street, New Respectfully, Charles Vardakis, New York York, NY 10021. Michael Schivartz Charles Kliros, Georgia Director of Public Affairs George Tsaoussis, New York