JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006 • Vol. 71 • No. 1221 $1.25 per copywww.observer.goarch.org • e-mail: observer@goarch.org

B A R T H O L O M E WBy The Mercy Of God

Archbishop Of Constantinople,New Rome, And Ecumenical Patriarch,

To The Plenitude Of The Church,Grace And Peace from Our Savior Christ,

Together With Our Prayer,Blessing And Forgiveness

“Let us listen to the Scriptures on the Prodigal Son who regained wisdom,

and let us follow the good example of his repentance.” (Oikos from the Sunday

of the Prodigal Son)

Beloved brothers and childrenin the Lord,

By the grace of God, once more we are entering the period of the Triodion, during which the Holy Orthodox Church invites everyone to good repentance. Although, according to the Holy Fathers, good repentance is necessary even for those who are faultless in faith and virtue, many Christians do not understand that they are in need of good repentance.

Many Christians refuse to repent, for they are convinced that they have not committed deeds for which they feel compunction and, thus, they do not feel the need to repent.

However, good repentance is a pro-cess much deeper than the mere acknowl-edgement of our sins and recognition of our errors as this relates to our actions. Good repentance should primarily ad-dress the thoughts and reflections, and the beliefs and feelings from which our deeds spring.

Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us that our bad thoughts pollute us in the same way as our deeds, and that thinking the commission of evil is equal in weight to an actual commission of sin in the eyes of God.

Being indifferent toward our fellow human beings; being confined only to our own selves, wishes and needs; feeling bitterness for other people’s actions; lack-

Patriarchal Homily for Holy and Great Lent

THE LORD Confronts the Disobedience of Adam and Eve and The Expulsion from Paradise. Nave Mosaics from Palatine Chapel, Palermo, Sicily. Mid 12th Century. (Courtesy of Dept. of Internet Ministries)

ing in love and feeling hatred and other disparaging sentiments toward others; harboring feelings of superiority, self-af-fectation, ambition, sensuousness, and avarice: all of these make for a person far distanced from the ideal human being.

The ideal human being is character-ized by love, humility, meekness, peace, and the forgiveness of God. Therefore, we are all in need of good repentance, of changing our mentality and perceptions regarding good and evil, for we are all very different than the ideal human being.

We all look at the actions of other people. Indeed, we often criticize others for their cruelty, their lack of adequate knowledge regarding the truth on certain issues, and their self-assurance in insisting that they alone know the truth. We criti-cize other people for their insistence that they are capable of acting, thinking, and judging the best way, regardless of their inadequacies.

We need to reflect on whether other people see us in the same light, and we should consider which of our notions we need to change, which feelings we need

to improve, which pieces of knowledge we need to examine, change, or enhance. In examining ourselves in such a manner, we may realize that we too lack much and that we ignore our ignorance and our spiritual shortcomings.

The Holy Fathers consider as sins ignorance, negligence, carelessness, and indolence; namely, conditions which most of us hardly ever think as abnormal, but for which we nonetheless need to repent.

Besides these things, our love for our fellow human beings and for God is not always adequate, and there is room for much improvement. Therefore, we need good repentance for the little love we show, and we need to demonstrate more love for all others.

More importantly, we need to remove from our hearts our criticism of others. We need not feel arrogance, bitterness, or, even worse, resentment toward other people for the way they treat us. We should not have a bad disposition toward others.

TO OUR READERSWe regret that this January-

February issue of the ORTHODOX OBSERVER is published with some delay due to budget constraints in the new year, amplified by increases in printing, mailing and other opera-tional costs.

As we try to overcome these difficulties and return to a monthly frequency in the near future, we ask your understanding and continuous support.

Thank you!

Church Enters journey of Great Lent

EPIPHANY 2006 pages 2-5

NEW YORK – Greek Orthodox Christians have entered the solemn 40-day period of fasting and self-evalu-ation known as Great Lent leading to Holy Week and Pascha. Orthodox Christians will observe Easter (Pascha on April 23.

Archbishop Demetrios, spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, acknowledging the spiri-tual significance of the Lenten period, states in his Lenten encyclical to the faithful: “As we embark upon this most sacred season of our Holy Orthodox Church, I pray that we may all look toward Holy Lent as an opportunity for renewed spiritual growth in Christ. “Through increased opportunities for prayer and worship, increased opportunities to receive the grace of God through the Holy Sacraments, and intensified efforts at spiritual askesis and almsgiving, we embark upon a journey for our building of faith and our nourishing of love for one another. “May God provide you with strength during this journey of Holy Lent, so that each and every day along it you may 'grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).”

The Orthodox Christian Lent always begins the Monday after Cheesefare Sunday, designated as “Clean Monday,” the day of cleans-ing or purification, when the faithful begin a spiritual and moral purifica-tion through fasting, prayer, medita-tion, repentance, attending Lenten religious services and partaking of the Sacraments of Confession and Communion.

Cheesefare Sunday also is re-ferred to as the Sunday of Forgiveness, the last of the preparatory Sundays before Great Lent , which reminds us of our need for God’s forgiveness and guides our hearts, minds and spiritual efforts on returning to Him in repentance. page 14

FIRST HISTORIC VISIT TO CYPRUS

Section B

2 JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006 3JANUARY - FEBRUARY 20062 JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006 3JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006A RCHDIOCESE NEWS

Published bi-monthlyexcept single issue in September and Decemberby the Greek Ortho dox Archdiocese of America.

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56 Teens MakeCentennial Historyas They Dive for the Cross

T he Centennial of the Epipha-ny cross diving event includ-ed 56 youths, nine more than last year’s event.

The teen-age boys, ages 16-18 walked at the head of the proces-sion as it made its way around the block of the church complex, then turned westward on Tarpon Avenue for the 10-minute walk to spring bayou.

They assembled on the steps leading down to the platform built for the event where Patriarch Bartholomew read a prayer before they sprang into Spring Bayou on a sunny, but unseasonably cool and windy day.

As they made their way to the rowboats tied together in a semi-circle, a few of the boats invariably capsized as the boys scrambled to get in. Some boats became swamped and the divers had to expend time and energy emptying the water.

There followed several min-utes of nervous anticipation while the teens waited to make history.

They waited for the Patriarch to toss the wooden cross painted white made especially for the occa-sion by Bill Pascalakis. The original crosses were made of gold until several were lost or broken during the dive.

In the 1960s, the practice of using gold crosses ended and wooden crosses painted gold came into use. The paint color was changed to white in 1971 for better visibility. The selection of the 2006 divers was completed in mid-December. The boys had to apply for the honor and prove they are worthy by attending a series of seminars.

The 56 who dived for the cross were as follows, according to age group.

16-year-olds: Manoli Angropoulos, Tarpon Springs; John Aloizakis, Dunedin; George Himontos Dick, Tarpon Springs; John Gialousakis, Palm Harbor; Ariel Al-exander Gonzales, Clearwater; Matthew

Thomas Kantaras, Holiday; Stamatios George Kapous II, St. Petersburg; Christo-pher Kavouklis, Tampa; Michael Kavouk-lis, Tampa; John Kokolakis, Palm Harbor; Michael Dimitrios Kontodiakos, Palm Harbor; John Koulias, Tarpon Springs; Andreas Lagos, Dunedin; Dean Makris, New Port Richey; Christos Manis, Tarpon Springs;Andrew James Nowels, Belleair; Theodore Paul Potaris, New Port Richey; John Seraskeris, Holiday; Christophoros Spiliotopoulos, Holiday; Nicholas Starnas, Tarpon Springs;Peter John Trihas, Palm Harbor; JACK VASILAROS, Clearwater Beach (winner); Eftechios Phil Xanphan-dakis, Safety Harbor;

17-year-olds: Savas Amorginos, Tar-pon Springs; Michael Emanual Antonaka-kis, Tampa; Christos Argeras, Dunedin; Emmanuel J. Cortessis, Tarpon Springs; Alexander Giatras, Holiday; Phillip Nicho-las Ginnis, Tarpon Springs; Dionisios Gizas, Safety Harbor; George Grawe III, Odessa; Demetrios Hatzileris, Palm Har-bor; Patrick Hamilton Prestiss, Crystal Beach; Vasili Kambouris, Palm Harbor; Rousso George Kanaris, Homosassa; Chris Psetas, Port Richey; John Rinios, Tarpon Springs; Minas Trihas, Palm Harbor; Anthony Verlardocchia, Tarpon Springs; Richard R. Weaver, Tarpon Springs; Mi-chael N. Xipolitas, Tarpon Springs; Chris Zervos, Tarpon Springs;

18-year-olds: Emanuel Caros, Olds-mar; Michael G. Danapas, Tarpon Springs; Michael Demas, Palm Harbor; Robert Southwell Dick IV, Tarpon Springs; Nicho-las Chad Evans, Tarpon Springs; Miltiadis, Kerdemelidis, Tarpon Springs; George Koukos, Spring Hill; Panagiotis Koulias, Tarpon Springs; Konstantine Lagos, Dunedin; Christos Mylonas, Clearwater; Nicholas Pizanias, Tarpon Springs; William G. Starnas, Tarpon Springs; Robert Nicho-las Stavrakis, Tarpon Springs; George H. Taktikos II, St. Pete Beach;

DIVE FOR GLORY – Fifty-six boys jump into Spring Bayou hoping to retrieve the cross. (Right) Kalliope Hatzileris, 16, prepares to release the dove.

THOUSANDS of faithful line the banks of Spring Bayou for the centennial Epiphany celebration with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

N. MANGINAS

2 JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006 3JANUARY - FEBRUARY 20062 JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006 3JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006 A RCHDIOCESE NEWS

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew made his fourth visit to the United States Jan. 4-8 to lead the celebration for the 100th Anniversary of the Epiphany in this predominantly Greek Orthodox city on the Gulf Coast.

Ecumenical Patriarch Celebrates Centennial of Tarpon Springs’ Epiphany

by Jim Golding

During his visit he met with thou-sands of youth and faithful at several ven-ues and delivered more than 20 addresses and witnessed first-hand the devastation in New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina last August.

His All Holiness arrived at St. Peters-burg-Clearwater International Airport shortly after 4:30 p.m. Jan. 4 aboard a private Gulfstream IV twin-engine jet pro-vided by Alex G. Spanos for the Patriarch’s use.

Several hundred faithful, including a local organization of Imvrians, from his native island of Imvros, greeted Patriarch Bartholomew as he entered a nearby hangar.

The Patriarch, Archbishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, who ac-companied His All Holiness throughout his visit, and other metropolitans and bishops from the United States, Greece and Russia, representatives from Congress and the State Department, diplomats from Greece and Cyprus, including Greece’s ambassador to the U.S, Alexandros P. Mal-las, assembled on a dais for the welcoming ceremony.

About a dozen local teens, the Clear-water Hellenic Dancers, performed a Cretan dance for the audience.

Archbishop Demetrios, in his intro-ductory remarks, praised the efforts of the area’s faithful in maintaining the tradition of Epiphany over the past 100 years. He also suggested that, with the historic first visit of an Ecumenical Patriarch to the area, Tarpon Springs should also be known as the “Ecumenical Epiphany City.”

Others welcoming the Patriarch included Congressman Michael Bilirakis and Tarpon Springs Mayor Beverley Bil-liris, who read a proclamation declaring Jan. 6 as “Patriarch Bartholomew Day” in Tarpon Springs, and the Consul General of Greece in Tampa.

Congressman Bilirakis thanked the Patriarch for his visit to Tarpon Springs and “for persevering at the Ecumenical Patriarchate under very, very difficult conditions.”

In his salutation, Patriarch Bar-tholomew said, in part, “It is good to be here in your midst, beloved brothers and sisters and children and most honorable dignitaries of this locale, where, with the help of God, we decided to concelebrate with you the Feast of Epiphany and to pray for you all...

“We came here, beloved brothers and sisters to see your honest faces and to fulfill the joy of our spiritual, living com-munion with you. We rejoice when we hear about all of the honorable and virtu-ous things that you, the Orthodox people of Greek descent accomplish, as people of order and obedience of the great United States of America…”

Following the ceremony, the Patri-archal entourage was whisked by motor-cade to St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon Springs for an evening doxology.

The church was filled to capacity for the Patriarch’s arrival.

In his homily, the Patriarch said, in part, that “our gathering here …in this most sacred Holy Church of St. Nicholas reveals the truth that we indeed are mem-bers of the mystical Body of the Incarnate Lord. We comprise one body, one operat-ing unity and we ought to keep this unity unbroken, as our Lord Jesus Christ wishes;

page 25

our Lord Who became human in order to deify us if, of course, we live according to the Holy Gospel.”

Day Two – Connecting to YouthPatriarch Bartholomew began the first

full day of his visit with a breakfast at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor with Archbishop Demetrios and other Ortho-dox hierarchs.

A press conference followed attended by representatives of CBS, NBC, CNN and the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times. (See related story)

His All Holiness then held two meet-ings with about 800 children and teens, ages 5 to 11 and 12 to 18.

The Patriarch told the young children to keep the Cross of Christ “deep inside your hearts” and to “grow up strong and true, genuine and sincere.”

He told the teens that “You are the hope for the future and the present of the church. You are the promise of a flourish-ing Greek Orthodox future in this land.”

He also exhorted them to learn to cope “with those opposed to the Ortho-dox tradition and in what you do person-ally especially in foreign world that is indifferent to or denying the existence of God.”

He issued an invitation to the older children to visit him at the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

In the afternoon, Patriarch Bar-tholomew attended a clergy/laity Cen-tennial Luncheon, a private vasilopita reception for benefactors that included Bill Planes, chairman of the Patriarchal Centennial Visitation Committee, a recep-tion for the Archons and other private events.

At the luncheon, among those who welcomed the Patriarch were Metropoli-tan Alexios, Dr. Panagiotis Skandalakis, deputy foreign minister of Greece and U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes of Maryland.

In his remarks, Archbishop Deme-trios again praised the community on its centennial event. “A community that goes beyond 100 years is a community that needs to be commended,” he said..

Day Three – EpiphanyHis All Holiness, Archbishop Deme-

trios and Metropolitan Alexios began the day with the celebration of Orthros and the Divine Liturgy at the cathedral.

His All Holiness officiated at the service that included about 100 clergy n attendance.

HIS ALL HOLINESS Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew tosses the Cross in the waters of Spring Bayou.ST. PETERSBURG TIMES/CARRIE PRATT

JACK VASILAROS of Clearwater Beach, re-ceived the blessings of Ecumenical Patriarch

Bartholomew and Archbishop Demetrios right after he retrieved the Cross. ST

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TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. – Two years and thou-sands of hours of preparations by parishioners of St. Nicholas Cathedral in the period leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Epiphany ended success-fully and happily with the first visit to the area of an Ecumenical Patriarch.

Ecumenical Patriarch’s Visit Brings Enthusiasm to Tampa Bay Area

by Jim Golding

Members of the St. Nicholas Cathedral commu-nity, especially Centennial Visit Chairman William Planes and members of his committee, could breathe a collective sigh of relief as the Patriarch boarded the private jet Jan. 8 for the return trip to the Patriarchate. Among those well pleased with the successful out-come was the cathedral dean, the Very Rev. Sebastian Skordallos. “It was very beautiful. I felt we were on Mount Tabor observing the glory of God,” he said. “It was awesome experience. People are still writing their feelings about the visit in the local newspapers. They’re always s positive.”

Fr. Skordallos said the five-day event was “very well organized” and that all the Tampa Bay-area churches were “very supportive; they worked well together.” The priest said of the patriarch that “He didn’t only present himself in terms of the spiritual, he was very humble, greeting every person on Sun-day, and the cathedral was full. After he passed out antidoron; he walked from cathedral to the new hall and greeted everyone along the way. It was just an awesome experience and we are still relishing the event. We are in a daze.”

Fr. Skordallos also mentioned the large amount of publicity the Patriarch’s visit generated. “The public-ity we had was unprecedented. My mother in Cyprus was watching it live. And in over 150 countries it was televised live.” He also said the Hallmark Channel will carry a one-hour segment of the visit on Jan. 29.

The priest also noted “It was a great witness of our faith. The goal of Mr. Planes and his committee was to witness the Orthodox faith around the world and to carry the message and peace and love from our Ecumenical Patriarch. That mission was accom-

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew offers to the delighted Very Reverend Archmandrite Fr. Sebastian Skordallos, pastor of St. Nicholas Cathdral, a silver censer and a patriarchal cross.

D. PANAGOS

THE PROCESSION to Spring Bayou starts in front of the imposing Cathe-dral of St. Nicholas. Archbishop Demetrios and Metropolitan Alexios in the front followed by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

N. MANGINAS

HIERARCHS attending the patriarchal doxology upon His All Holiness arrival. (L to R) Metropolitan Apostolos of Moshonisiou, Archbishop Demetrios of America, Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, Metropolitan Theologos of Seron and Metropolitans Iakovos of Chicago, Methodios of Boston, Nicholas of Detroit, Nikitas of Hong-Kong, Evangelos of New Jersey and Paisios of Tyana.

N. MANGINAS

THE YOUTH of the Metropolis of Atlanta celebrated the visit of His All Holiness and received in wonder and amazement the Patriarchal blessing.

plished,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”“I’m greatly touched by the visit,”

Chairman Bill Planes told the Observer,” and that he was particularly impressed by the Patriarch’s “tenderness toward the children, his reverence toward the elderly and his acceptance of our love.”

Of his participation in the centen-nial celebration, Mr. Planes said, “I only stopped to reflect on it, noting the contri-butions of the generations that sustained the parish over the past 100 years.

“Tens of thousands of people moved us along the way,” he said. Mr. Planes said of the far-reaching effects of the centennial, “We extended a forum to witness to Christ today, and not only at Spring Bayou.”

His emotions regarding the visit were mixed. “Personally, I feel joy, fulfillment and satisfaction we set a course that we success-fully completed,” he said. But at the same time he also experienced feelings arising from “the burden of mourning” because of the recent passing of the long-time cathedral dean, Fr. Tryfon Theofilopoulos.

“Fr. Tryfon died 10 weeks ago and I didn’t get to finish the trip with him, said Mr. Planes, his voice choked with emotion. “It’s very hard to describe.”

The Patriarch’s visit touched many other individuals in personal ways. Among them was the son of Anthony Hatzileris, a retired U.S. Army sergeant who headed the security subcommittee for the visit.

His son, Dimitrios, a member of the 53rd Com-bat Support Group of the Florida National Guard who is serving in Iraq, was home on leave and re-ceived a special blessing from the Patriarch before returning to his unit. Anthony Hatzileris also fought in Iraq, during the Gulf War in 1990.

Hundreds of the cathedral’s faithful assisted with the visit, along with those on the organizing committee who, in addition to Mr. Planes and Fr. Skordallos, included Harry Patsalides, Epiphany 2006 Chairman Emmanuel Gombos, George Kousk-outis, Nikitas Manias, Jerry Theophilopoulos, Nicholas Katsaras, Dr. Theodore Vlahos, Kenneth Henderson, Paul Aiello and George Psetas.

Subcommittee members included Anthony Hatzileris, Michael Kouskoutis, Dr. Andreas A.

ECUMENICAL Patriarch Bartholomew with Patriarchal Visita-tion Commitee Chairman Bill Planes and his wife Regina.

D. PANAGOS

Paloumpis, Elisabeth Theofilos, Joanne H. Kambouris, Regina M. Planes, Theo Samar-kos, Kathy Theofilos, Helen Katzaras, Dee Nicolaou, Dr. Dean Theophilopoulos and Bessie Zantopoulos.

Honorary committee members in-cluded Archbishop Demetrios, Metro-politan Alexios, Congressman Michael Bilirakis, Alex and Faye Spanos, Mayor Beverley Billiris and (posthumously) Fr. Fr. Tryfon Theofilopoulos. The parish also received support and participation from the numerous Tampa Bay area Greek Or-thodox communities, including St. John the Baptist, Tampa; St. George, New Port Richey; St. Stefanos in St. Petersburg; Holy Trinity in Clearwater; St. Sophia, Winter Haven; St. Barbara’s in Sarasota; and Sts. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Orthodox Mission in Palm Harbor and Christ the Savior Orthodox Mission in Spring Hill.

The Grand Benefactors were Charles Masterpolis, William and Regina Planes and Alex and Faye Spanos. The Archons of St. Andrew were among the benefactors.

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006 �One of Tarpon Springs’ Finest Offers His Finest Effort

For one police officer on the security detail of Ecumenical Patri-arch Bartholomew, his preparation for the visit began four months ago.

Officer Steve Tsataros of the Tarpon Springs Police Department was one of more than 250 city, state and federal law enforcement of-ficers involved in the visit, but pro-vided the Patriarch with something more to remember his visit by.

Since September, Steve, who does carving as a hobby, along and his brother John, hand-carved a highly detailed replica of a typical sponge boat of Tarpon Springs.

The model, which he created from a block of basswood, is nearly two feet in length. At the Epiphany

Patriarch Discusses the Patriarchate,Papal Visit at Press Conference

On the second day of his visit, Jan. 5, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew held a press conference where he discussed a wide range of issues relating to the Patriarchate and announced a visit to the Phanar by Pope Benedict XVI in the near future.

With Archbishop Demetrios translat-ing his remarks, the Patriarch explained that, in addition to his pastoral duties, he has two other priorities, “rapprochement among people: and “ecological issues.”

He cited his involvement in several inter-religious and intercultural activities, among the Peace and Tolerance meetings with representatives of three monothe-istic religions. The first such gathering occurred in 1994, and the second was in Brussels in December 2001.

Recently, he traveled to Austria for an interreligious meeting sponsored by Austrian government under the theme “Islam in a Pluralistic World.”

Expanding on the role of the Pa-triarchate, he said it “is not involved in politics or political discussions but, un-fortunately, the Patriarchate finds itself affected by political issues, particularly between Greece and Turkey.”

The Patriarch said he seeks to make a contribution “to the lessening of ten-sions, to promote reconciliation, helping to eliminate terrorism” and seeking a rap-prochement of religions to bring about “the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth.”

He also noted the Ecumenical Patri-archate’s basic role concerns the “coor-dination among Orthodoxy and securing unity of the faith around the world,” add-ing that “the Patriarchate is not involved in the administration of various autocepha-lous churches.”

The Patriarch also noted the Patriarch-ate is a founding member of the World

dents about the law and to “help them stay out of trouble.” Officer Tsataros, a 24-year veteran of the Tarpon Springs police and a Tarpon Springs native, remembered that, as a teen, he too had dived for the cross in Spring Bayou. He came to within two or three yards of getting it one year.

He also recalled that while in high school, he came very close to attending Hellenic College/Holy Cross. While play-ing for his GOYA basketball team, the officer, who stands about 6’4”, said that while participating at a tournament in Rhode Island, he was approached by a representative of the school, a priest, who offered him a full scholarship to play at Hellenic College, which at the time had an intercollegiate basketball team.

But Steve said he felt it still might have been a hardship for his parents – his mother worked in a bakery and his father, in addition to sponge fishing, did part-time painting.

banquet the evening of Jan. 6, he pre-sented the boat, which he named the St. Sophia, to His All Holiness. The vessel, is encased in a Plexiglas box.

“My father was a sponge diver,” he said of his reason for thinking of a sponge boat. “I wanted the Patriarch to have some-thing to remember of his visit here.”

Steve and fellow Greek American po-lice officer Mike Kazouris, also with TSPD, and both fluent in Greek, spent about 40 hours each above their normal work week as they accompanied every motorcade to the various venues where the patriarch was to appear. “I’ll probably wind up sleeping that many hours, too,” he noted on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 8, shortly be-fore he had to escort the Patriarch back to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport.

The next day he would be back to his regular routine. His duties include serving as a resource officer at the Tarpon Springs Middle School, where he counsels stu-

Officer Steve Tsataros

OFFICER Steve Tsataros presents to the Ecumenical Patriarch a replica of a Tarpon Springs sponge boat.

D. PANAGOS

Council of Churches and a member of the Union of Council of European Churches. It also functions as a coordinator of dia-logue with the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and other Churches.

Discussing relations with the Roman Catholic Church, the Patriarch explained the differences between the two Churches to the reporters, specifically with regard to “administration and ecclesiology.”

The Patriarch said he has a good re-lationship with the new pope, Benedict 16th, who will make an official visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate “sometime this year.” His All Holiness also said the Churches are preparing to restart their dialogue at the international level a five-year cessation over the issue of the Uniates in Eastern Europe.

Ecological activitiesHis All Holiness also touched upon

the Patriarchate’s ecological priority. “For many years we have tried to sharpen the sensitivity and consciousness of people to the importance of dealing with these issues,” he said.

He cited five major international sym-posia organized by the Patriarchate that have been held on various seas and rivers, and a sixth upcoming conference on the Amazon. The Patriarch recalled that, at end of his fourth meeting with Pope John Paul II, he signed with late Pope a declaration explaining the dimensions of ecological problems.

News organizations represented at the press conference included the St. Peters-burg Times, Tampa Tribune, Fox News, CNN, CBS and NBC.

Later in the week, Archbishop Deme-trios noted at several public events that the extent of coverage of the Patriarch’s visit was worldwide and that viewers as far away as China and Australia had seen the Epiphany ceremony.

ECUMENICAL Patriarch Bartholomew addresses members of the press as Archbishop Demetrios translates. Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta (left) and Metropolitan Theologos of Nigritis and Serron ar in attendance.

N. MANGINAS

D. PANAGOS

A MOMENT OFspontaneous and mutual joyand affection between Patriarch Bartholomew and this young boy.His All Holinesshad many joyful opportunities togreet and blesschildren and youths during his firstpastoral visit to Florida.

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INTERFAITHINTERFAITH

Dear Father Charles,I have fallen in love with someone

who isn’t Christian. He is Moslem. Recent-ly I approached my priest to inquire about marriage, and he informed me that we can-not get married in the Orthodox Church. Can you help me understand why?

E-mail respondent

When Orthodox Christians Marry Non-Christians

by Fr. Charles Joanides, Ph.D., LMFT

There is hardly a month that passes when I fail to receive an e-mail like the one above. Some are more impassioned and longer than this one, but they all ask the above question along with questions like the following few: Why is the Church shut-ting me out? Why can’t I get married and retain my sacramental privileges? Why is the Church forcing me to choose between the one I love and my faith tradition?

This article will not attempt to answer all these questions. However, it will focus attention on Orthodox Christians who marry non-Christians, with the underlying assumption that the implications and chal-lenges related to this pastoral challenge are very complex and deserve consider-ably more attention.

Some General StatisticsResearch studies investigating religion

in this country suggest that non-Christians comprise nearly 4 percent of the popula-tion. These studies also indicate that some of the fastest growing faith groups in this country are non-Christian, which means that the number of non-Christians who populate America’s religious landscape will likely increase.

Coupled with this, recent studies also indicate that the percentage of people who do not have a religious affiliation is on the rise, up from 8% in 1990 to over 14 percent in 2001. Given these and other similar statistics, one could argue that it is becoming increasingly more likely for Orthodox Christians to meet and fall in love with someone from a non-Trinitarian and non-Christian background.

How Pervasive?We do not know the percentage of

Greek Orthodox Christians who are choos-ing to marry non-Christians. Nonetheless, on the basis of the attention delegates have placed on this issue during the last three Clergy Laity Congresses, it could be ar-gued that the number of Greek Orthodox Christians marrying non-Christians may be increasing. In particular, during the last three Congresses - held in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York - delegates who participated in the Interfaith Marriage Committee spent an inordinate amount of the committee’s time discussing the challenges they faced related to inter-reli-gious marriage. Moreover, the committee reports given at the plenary during these Congresses reflect the importance that delegates placed on this issue.

My own personal experiences also suggest that marriages between Orthodox Christians and non-Christians are likely on the rise. In addition to the e-mail I re-ceive from Orthodox and non-Orthodox who are typically puzzled by the Church’s stance regarding inter-religious marriage, both lay leaders and clergy often approach me asking if anything is being done to ad-dress the needs of those who choose to marry non-Trinitarian Christians and non-Christians outside of the Church.

Only a Small PercentageMy experiences working with thou-

sands of marriages and families within the GOA has taught me that while it is

true that the type of couples this article is focused upon comprises a small percent-age of the marriages that Greek Orthodox Christians are entering, I believe that a sizable number of people are impacted by this trend. To be more specific, when thinking about these marriages, I would maintain that it is an error to simply limit our focus to the Orthodox partner who enters these marriages. I would further argue that Greek Orthodox Christians who crossover religious boundaries are embedded within marriages, families and extended families, and the pastoral chal-lenges they face tend to not only impact them, but also affect their marriages, chil-dren, families and extended families. All of which suggests that more than just the individual Orthodox spouse is affected by this pastoral challenge.

Unique ChallengesStudies investigating inter-religious

marriages typically group most of the challenges these spouses and couples encounter in the following categories. Moreover, these challenges tend to impact individual, marital, family and extended family well-being and stability. What fol-lows are a few examples.

Individual Challenges. When com-pared to inter-Christian couples and single faith couples, studies suggest that Chris-tians who marry non-Christians encounter a host of unique challenges that tend to have a negative impact on the frequency and practice of their faith.

Marital ChallengesChristians who marry non-Christians

tend to face a host of unique challenges that can potentially have a negative impact on marital satisfaction and religious and spiritual well-being.

Children’s Developmental Chal-lenges

Studies also suggest that children raised in households where parents’ reli-gious backgrounds are inherently different indicate that some will end up identifying with one or the other parents’ religious background, others will identify with a faith background that is different than either of their parents’ backgrounds and a large percentage will fail to identify with any religious background.

Extended Family ChallengesExtended family challenges tend to

also be more pronounced and more fre-quent in number due to spouses’ cultural and religious differences. When compared to inter-Christian couples and single faith couples, higher levels of culture shock are commonly reported. Higher numbers of cut-offs between one or both partners and extended family are also reported.

Current Pastoral GuidelinesFor reasons similar to those listed

above, the Orthodox Church does not endorse inter-religious marriage, nor does it permit Orthodox Christians who choose to marry non-Trinitarian Christians and non-Christians to marry in the Orthodox Church. Moreover, the only way that a marriage of this type can be conducted in the Orthodox Church is if the non-Ortho-dox partner considers conversion. Should this fail to be an option, and the Orthodox Christian chooses to marry outside of the Orthodox Church, s/he will lose their good standing and will be unable to actively practice their Orthodox faith.

Some Lingering Questions and Concerns

As I have indicated, I have received

page 14

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L-100 Honors Avramopoulosat 15th Annual Meeting

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – The 15th an-nual Leadership 100 Conference held Feb. 9-12, honored Greece’s minister of tourism and featured a sports workshop with famed New York Yankees third baseman and power hitter Alex (A-Rod) Rodriguez.

The conference also included a Fo-rum on Hellenism led by author Nicholas Gage and his daughter, Eleni; a business forum conducted by long-time Leader-ship 100 member and entrepreneur John Catsimatidis and a women’s workshop by businesswoman and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Barbara Spyridon Pope.

The Leadership 100 Award for Excel-lence presented to Mr. Avramopoulos recognizes outstanding Greek Orthodox and Greek American leaders who have excelled in their vocation and who are committed to the advancement of Ortho-doxy and Hellenism in their professions and in their lives.

(Since the award presentation, a re-structuring of the Greek government took place and Mr. Avramopoulos was assigned the portfolio of Minister of Health).

Mr. Avramopoulos also is a former mayor of Athens, Greece, serving from 1994-2002. In 2004, he was elected to Parliament.

Major LeaguerSince his debut in Major League Base-

ball, Rodriguez has received many awards, shattered MLB records, and become one of the premier baseball players in the league. In addition to winning the 2005 American League MVP, he also won the award in 2003. He is a nine-time All-Star, with seven Silver Slugger and two Gold Glove awards.

Rodriguez fielded numerous ques-tions about his record-breaking career in major league baseball, his youth, his business interests, his values and his fam-ily life.

Accompanied by his wife, the former Cynthia Scurtis, the granddaughter of a Greek Orthodox priest, he spoke of grow-ing up in Miami where his mother worked at a Latin American restaurant, his early devotion to baseball, which he uses as a metaphor for life, and the courting of his wife and her Greek American family.

He said that his marriage into one “of the most beautiful families” changed his lifestyle and gave him direction and ap-preciation of true values to live by, citing the advice of his wife’s grandfather.

His wife reciprocated, calling him one of the most dedicated, loyal and honest partners.

Archbishop Demetrios of America with departing L-100 chairman John Payiavlas present Minister Demetris Avramopoulos with the Award for Excellence.

D. PANAGOS

Hellenism forumNicholas Gage, former New York

Times reporter and author Nicholas Gage addressed the topic: “Can Orthodoxy and Hellenism Survive in the American Melting Pot?” He pointed to the unique identity of Greeks and Greek Americans who carried the values paramount in an enlightened world, and gave Western Civilization not only the gift of democracy, but also the gift of the love of life or “pursuit of hap-piness.”

The author of the best-selling books Eleni and Greek Fire, was joined by his daughter, Eleni Gage, who gave the per-spective of women and youth, saying that mothers preserved and perpetuated Or-thodoxy and Hellenism by passing on the language, values and culture of their faith and heritage. The author of a new book, North of Ithaka, she spoke of her experi-ence, recounted in the book, of returning to her father’s native village, Lia, in Epirus, Greece, to restore the ancestral home. Now living in New York and an editor at People magazine, she said she learned that “you can go home again,” but that the essence of Hellenism was to be neither Greek nor American, but as Socrates said, “A citizen of the world.”

General AssemblyEarlier, Leadership 100 held its Gen-

eral Assembly, introducing George Beh-rakis as the new chairman and Stephen Yeonas as vice chairman, and reported on record-setting assets at the end of 2005 in the Endowment Fund of $54.9 million, the highest number of contributions, in the same period, since 2001, and grants allo-cated, including $2.5 million in 2006, now exceeding $20 million since the inception of the organization in 1984.

At the traditional Leadership 100 Greek Night, guests of honor were Avramo-poulos and Congressman Michael Bilirakis of Florida who is retiring from Congress after several decades of service.

Leadership 100, formally named The Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 En-dowment Fund in recognition of the late Archbishop Iakovos’ vision, is a separately incorporated endowment fund support-ing the priority needs of the Greek Ortho-dox Archdiocese of America, but broadly dedicated to advancing the Orthodox faith and Hellenic ideals in America, disbursing grants ranging from scholarship funds for individuals studying for the priesthood, building an information infrastructure and Internet ministries for the Archdiocese, promoting Home Mission and providing assistance to emergencies such as Septem-ber 11, earthquakes and medical needs.

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006�

NEW YORK – The Direct Archdiocesan District Clergy Laity Assembly met for the first time in two years Feb. 6-7, with par-ticipants coming from as far away as the Bahamas, Washington, D.C., and Hartford, Conn.

Holy Trinity Church in New Rochelle, N.Y., was the host parish.

About 90 delegates registered repre-senting 52 of the district’s 65 parishes.

Following the Divine Liturgy for the Feast Day of St. Photios, the assembly convened in its first plenary session with Archbishop Demetrios delivering the key-note address. His Eminence urged the com-munities to meet their financial obligations, and to respond to the needs of the Church, including the low response to a recent sur-vey requested by the Archdiocese.

The Archbishop said the Archdiocesan district leads the other Metropolises statis-tically in terms of baptisms and weddings “by a long way,” but lack of proper financial support limits the development of vital programs needed to serve the faithful.

“Let’s be a model church,” His Emi-nence said.

Delegates heard reports from Archdi-ocesan Chancellor Bishop Savas, Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, director of St. Michael’s Home, Director of Administration Jerry Dimitriou, Georgia Vlitas of the district Philoptochos and Fr. Luke Melackrinos on the Youth and Camping ministries.

Afterward, the delegates attended workshops on Digital Tools for Parish Min-istry, Raising Parish Funds and Revitalizing Faith, followed by committee meetings covering family and youth ministries, Greek Education, outreach and evangelism, reli-gious education and total commitment.

At the second plenary session, upon the recommendation of the Rev. Dr. Robert Stephanopoulos, dean of Holy Trinity Arch-diocesan Cathedral, that the nominees for

DiRECT ARCHDiOCESE DiSTRiCT HOLDS CLERGY-LAiTY CONFERENCE

the Archdiocesan District Council elected two years ago, be reappointed, since the council did not meet since the previous assembly in 2004.

They are: Nicholas Anagnostopoulos, Sts. Constantine and Helen, West Nyack, N.Y.; Anthony Brigis, Resurrection Church, Old Brookville (former located in Glen Cove) N.Y.; Stella Capiris, Holy Trinity, Bridgeport, Conn.; Stephen Cherpelis, St. Nicholas, Flushing, N.Y.; the Rev. Constan-tine Combitsis, St. Spyridon, Washington Heights, N.Y.; Dr. Constantine Flokas, Prophet Elias, Yonkers, N.Y.; Fr. Constan-tine Matthews, Annunciation, Stamford, Conn.; Fr. James Moskovites, Annuncia-tion, New York; the Very Rev. Eugene Pap-pas, Three Hierarchs, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Fr. Nicholas Petropoulakos, Holy Trinity/St. Nicholas, Staten Island, N.Y.; Vasilios Pipi-nos, Sts. Anargyroi, New York; Harry Rap-

takis, St. Paul, Hempstead, N.Y., Fr. Deme-trios Recachinas, Holy Trinity, Bridgeport, Conn.; Constantine Rogdakis, Archangel Michael, Roslyn Heights, N.Y.; Dr. George Saines, Holy Cross, Middletown, N.Y.; Fr. Chris Talleos, Holy Cross, Middletown, N.Y.; Fr. Elias Villis, Church of Our Savior, Rye, N.Y.; Dr. George Zimmer, Church of Our Savior, Rye; and Fr. Peter Orfanakos, St. Barbara Church, Orange, Conn.

Committee reports were presented at the third plenary session on Tuesday.

In her report on Greek Education, Maria Makedon listed the following rec-ommendations by the committee: that an expert on school law and sexual harass-ment issues be invited to speak at the schools, that sponsors and benefactors be located to help the schools, that neighbor-ing schools should consider merging in the face of declining enrollment and that

the Committee on Greek Education meet at least twice a year.

In the youth ministry report, recom-mendations included that each parish offer a minimum of $500 to support the Camp St. Paul Program for children who cannot afford the registration costs, and that a standardized mandatory marriage prepara-tion program be developed and required in all parishes of the district, developed in conjunction with the Family Care Center at St. Basil Academy.

The Outreach and Evangelism Com-mittee recommended that parishes encour-age congregational participation in the services and that each parish establish an outreach committee.

The Religious Education Committee urged that the St. John Chrysostom Oratori-cal Festival be heavily promoted and that each parish have an Oratorical Festival Sun-day where the priest meets with students to discuss their topics.

The Total Commitment Committee recommended that the district should have a staff for the ministries and activities throughout the district, that a stewardship committee be established for the Archdi-ocesan District and that testimonials be included from parishioners and steward-ship committee members who pledge more than the minimum to help inspire others and to bring guest speakers to parishes to discuss stewardship and total commitment.

In a brief discussion of the upcom-ing Archdiocese Clergy-Laity Congress in Nashville, Archbishop Demetrios said the congress “will try to focus on things much more directly related to the life of the Church, and with a focus on education, worship and philanthropy.

The Archbishop said that “worship is a central issue and basic way of attracting people from outside.”

ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS addresses the recent Archdiocese District Clergy Laity Assembly at Holy Trinity Church in New Rochelle, N.Y. Looking on are (l. to r.) Fr. Demetrios Moraitis ( stand-ing), Fr. Nicholas Anctil, pastor of Holy Trinity; Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos and Bishop Andonios of Phasiane.

D. PANAGOS

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To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Com-munities, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,As we begin the season of Great and Holy Lent, we embark upon a spiritual journey

replete with abundant opportunities for spiritual growth in Christ.This forty-day period is a time for intensified prayer and fasting. It is a time whereby

the Church invites us to seek the forgiveness of our loving and compassionate God, to distance ourselves from sin, and to remain steadfast along the path of righteousness toward His heavenly Kingdom.

In the words of the hymnologist, it is a time for each of us “to enter the inner chamber of our soul” (Hymn from Tuesday Matins, Week One).

As a time for inner reflection, we approach Holy Lent with a spirit of anticipation, for we look forward to our growth in Christ that this period occasions. At the same time, we acknowledge that the act of looking inward is a task that requires great courage.

To look inward in a manner that is truly honest requires serious labors of the mind, heart, and soul. It requires us to be willing to encounter our own shortcomings, faults, and habits by which we separate ourselves, intentionally or unintentionally, from the love of God.

More than this, it requires us to correct our faults through our commitment to genuine repentance, to metanoia, which is a complete turning of our minds toward wholesomeness and union with God. We engage upon this exercise not with feelings of grief, but rather with feelings of reassurance, knowing that the grace of God has the power to eliminate our every infirmity and to restore any level of distance that we may have placed between ourselves and our loving Creator.

Our task of approaching our shortcomings with honesty and courage is fortified by prayer and by our exercise of fasting throughout Holy Lent. As a discipline of spiritual askesis, fasting accords us with the ability to offer our prayers to God with sharpened focus and power, to probe more deeply into the inner recesses of our hearts, and to rid ourselves of excess entanglements that interfere with our ability to come closer to the Lord.

Thus, fasting is a spiritual discipline aimed at abstaining not simply from certain foods, but ultimately from sin itself, from any obstacle that blocks our communion with God.

Additionally, Holy Lent is important for us because it prepares us spiritually for the special period of Holy Week, when we venerate Christ's saving passion and crucifixion, and His victory over death through His resurrection.

As such, Holy Lent is a time to appreciate more fully the unending love of God, which has permeated history since the dawn of humanity and continues to work miracles within our contemporary world.

This act of appreciating more fully God's love for us complements our prayer, our commitment to repentance, and our exercise of fasting. It also enables us to respond accordingly with acts of love and philanthropy toward others, remembering that “by lov-ing one another do all people know that we are disciples of Jesus” (cf. John 13:35).

Viewed in this manner, the period of Holy Lent is not only a period of quiet solici-tude to pray for our own reconciliation with God; it is also a time to renew our Christian identity as people of compassion, to intensify our efforts to pray for the peace of the entire world, and to aid our brothers and sisters everywhere in need, particularly in light of so many tragedies brought on by natural disasters and armed conflict, which our world has painfully witnessed in recent months and years.

My beloved Christians,As we embark upon this most sacred season of our Holy Orthodox Church, I pray

that we may all look toward Holy Lent as an opportunity for renewed spiritual growth in Christ.

Through increased opportunities for prayer and worship, increased opportunities to receive the grace of God through the Holy Sacraments, and intensified efforts at spiritual askesis and almsgiving, we embark upon a journey for our building of faith and our nourishing of love for one another.

May God provide you with strength during this journey of Holy Lent, so that each and every day along it you may “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

Great and Holy Lent

† Archbishop DEMETRIOS of America

With paternal love in Christ,

ARCHIEPISCOPAL ENCYCLICAL

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 200610

Archiepiscopal Reflections

by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America

Overcoming the Stress of Modern Life

A Major Milestone EDITORIAL

The visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is now history, but its impact will leave a lasting impression.

Making his fourth trip to the United States, more than any other Ecumenical Patriarch, His All Holiness paid his first visit to the Tampa Bay area, with its heavy concentration of Greek Orthodox faithful, and to the devastated city of New Orleans.

He came to take part in a great milestone for the Church in America, the 100th anniversary of the Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs, the oldest and largest such event outside of Greece.

In the process, Patriarch Bar-tholomew raised the status of the event to an even greater height as, for the first time ever, through satellite broadcast, more than 150 countries were able to view the leaders of our Church cel-ebrate the Jan. 6 ceremonies live.

From the moment he arrived Jan. 4 at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater air-port, to his departure on the 8th fol-lowing the Sunday Divine Liturgy and luncheon where he personally greeted hundreds, the Patriarch was received with joy and enthusiasm.

More importantly, at every venue he went, Patriarch Bartholomew brought the spiritual message of Or-thodox Christianity to the area and witnessed to Orthodox and non-Or-thodox alike.

And he brought the blessings of the Patriarchate not just to those from the immediate area, but also to many

who traveled thousands of miles to see him – including California, Rhode Island, New York Minnesota, Ohio and Alabama.

He also brought the message of love and caring to thousands of others when he toured the city of New Orleans for several hours on Jan. 7 and spoke of the feeling of pain he shared with the residents and government leaders.

The Patriarch delivered more than 20 addresses to various groups at several venues as he presented his message over a five-day period.

Considering this was the first visit of the Patriarch to the Tampa Bay area, the event was a resounding success.

Of everything seemed to flow ef-fortlessly, it was due to the hard work of the hundreds of volunteers who deserve special thanks for such an outstanding achievement.

Parishioners in the Tarpon Springs community, and those in the surround-ing parishes, who gave of themselves, their time, and their resources to help make this visit a reality and a success.

Under the leadership of the Very Rev. Sebastian Skordallos and Mr. Wil-liam “Bill” Planes, whose boundless energy brought together many people who previously had not worked to-gether to move enthusiastically toward the common goal.

They did their community and the Tampa Bay area proud.

Their accomplishment, indeed, was also a significant milestone, in the Church’s ministry.

Prayer cardsEditor,

On opening the November issue of the Orthodox Observer I was so pleased to see that the Archdiocese was distribut-ing prayer cards to our parishes. However my pleasure was short lived when I read the Lord’s Prayer and saw that a version with the word “trespasses” was approved by our Holy Synod. That so many Greek Orthodox parishes have been using this version was always appalling to me.

The Greek word “ophileimata” has only one legitimate English translation, and that is “debts.” Most major transla-tions of the Holy Bible use debts and debtors, and in none of them does the word trespasses appear in the Lord’s Prayer.

This version of the Lord’s Prayer was introduced to the United States through the worship of many non-Orthodox Christians and was uncritically adopted by our Orthodox parishes in the early years when our clergy may not have had full understanding of the English lan-guage.

Incidentally, 10 years ago the Ecu-menical Patriarch had formally approved an English version of the Divine Liturgy, which included the Lord’s Prayer contain-ing the words debts and debtors.

Father Ephrem Lash, a noted transla-tor of Orthodox services, had made an extensive analysis of the Lord’s Prayer for the Archdiocese of Great Britain in which he concluded that the version containing the word debts and debtors

is unquestionably correct.The Orthodox Study Bible speaks

clearly in explaining the true words, say-ing that “Debts refers to spiritual debts: when we sin we ‘owe’ restitution to our offended neighbor and to God.”

By definition all debts, both those created by sin as well as by money, are an obligation requiring expiation unless they are otherwise forgiven. It is in this context that our Lord Jesus Christ spoke in teaching this prayer to His disciples.

Debts also express our obligation to correct the “sins of omission” which Jesus eloquently presents in His account of the separation of the goats and the sheep (Matthew 25:44-46).

Why would Jesus be quoted by both Matthew and Luke as having used debts and debtors exclusively in this prayer, whereas in all other places in the Scrip-tures the words “amarties” and “parapto-mata” are used, and properly translated as sins and trespasses?

Trespasses is a word that in English makes a very weak statement.

Over my 80 years of existence I have seen our Orthodox hierarchs and priests accept another early Anglo-Saxon phrase – “The Holy Ghost” – which they used in their writings and worship in America for many decades until, in the early 1960’s, that error was finally corrected to “The Holy Spirit”.

By approving an incorrect transla-tion of the Lord’s Prayer our Holy Synod is now perpetuating another erroneous expression.

For how many decades must we once again endure a liturgical mistake introduced to us by the non-Orthodox world?

How can we explain and rational-ize to our faithful, our children and our grandchildren why this version, which does not appear in the Holy Bible, would be used in our worship?

Isn’t Orthodoxy the repository of Christ’s true words?

John P. Nasou. M.D.

Editor,With regards to the “Official Prayer

Cards,” it is fantastic to see an effort to standardize the English version of our prayers, hymns and liturgical heritage. However it is equally important that we

Silver Spring

break away from the shackles of the old English translation of the 1600s and all their biases. For example the last word in the Lord’s Prayer, “evil,” in the Orthodox tradition refers to the “evil one,” the devil. Not to evil in general.

More importantly the old English translation is replete with sexist transla-tions that we have the opportunity to make right.

One would argue that in contempo-rary usage “men” and “brethren” has really taken on a generic meaning and is not referring just to men but to all humans. That may be, but given the choice and the chance to do it right we should take every opportunity to convey the true message of our heritage, a message of inclusiveness and equal worth in the eyes of God and the Church for men and women.

Demetri PapacostasBedford, N.Y.

In continuing our series of reflections, we have re-peatedly emphasized that our Orthodox Christian faith is imbued with a spirit of joy and reassuring hope, for we rest secure in the knowledge that our victory over sin, evil, and death has been secured by Christ.

Despite the spiritual comfort that comes from this

knowledge, however, we would be remiss if we were to overlook and fail to consider the very real presence of stress, anxiety, and depression in the lives of so many people.

Here, a pressing question arises: How is it that people who are genuinely committed to living their lives in the Christian faith, a faith which has the power to move mountains (Matthew 21:21), can continue to experience considerable levels of stress and anxiety, even to the point of being emotionally overwhelmed? Several answers to this question may be offered.

As members of a highly advanced technological society, it is not surprising that the hyper-saturation of stimuli available to us through so many channels results not in feelings of satisfaction, but rather in feelings of uneasiness. These stimuli place heavy pressures upon us.

For example, popular magazines place strong pressures upon women to “look a certain way” or upon men to “have a certain job” in order to meet what society has deemed as “appropriate standards for success.” These pressures are particularly heavy upon young adults who live in an increasingly professional, complicated, and mobile world.

For newly married couples, the balancing of work and family life is a stress-ful adjustment indeed; and for all married couples, the financial pressures associated with family expenses, child education, or elderly care indeed carry enormous stress.

Our closer attention and appreciation of the invaluable remedies offered by our Orthodox Christian Church may provide us with the additional inner strength and wisdom that we need in order to overcome pressures, to deal with all sorts of stressors, and to ultimately arrive, in the midst of painful feelings, at a level of tranquility that St. Paul describes as the peace of God which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

One of these remedies is our participation in the Sacraments of the Church, especially our regular receiving of Holy Communion, where we partake of the very Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Other means through which we may be recipients of the healing grace of God are our encountering of His Word in reading the Holy Scriptures, our prayer, our spiritual exercise of fasting, especially during this period of Holy Lent now at hand, our fellowship with our neighbors, and our expressions of love and philanthropy to others in need.

This short reflection has attempted to deal with some of the sources of stress, anxiety, and uneasiness in our lives. It is by no means exhaustive.

It has, by way of offering two or three examples, tried to explain concisely some of the remedies offered by our Orthodox Church concerning these poten-tially debilitating feelings.

Ultimately, it is our faith in the God of peace and love that constitutes the absolute remedy to any anxiety, stress, uneasiness, or depression. It is in this spirit that I fervently pray that we may remain confident in the love of our Lord for us always, encouraged by the eternal joy and unlimited hope of our Christian beliefs, and unbridled in our capacity to grow as human beings fully alive and forever protected by His infinite mercy and care.

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006 11

Archiepiscopal EncyclicalThe Feast of the Three Hierarchs

† Archbishop DEMETRIOS of America

With paternal love in Christ,

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Com-munities, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America.

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,It is in following the beautiful and blessed tradition of our Holy Orthodox Church

that we gather once again to commemorate the Three Hierarchs and ecumenical teach-ers, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. John Chrysostom.

Through their legacy of faith, piety, and divine wisdom, these holy Fathers have guided Christians down through the centuries toward the true source of love and salva-tion, Jesus Christ.

It was their love for God, their experience of the presence of Christ, their lives of prayer, and their deep theological reflection that showed these great leaders of the Church to be living images of Christ, abiding in Him as branches joined to the “true vine” (John 15:1). Drawing from this omniscient and eternal source of life and wisdom, the Three Hierarchs bore “fruit that remains” (John 15:16).

Their witness of Christ and their service to Him and His Church continue to this day through the record of their saintly lives, their sermons, orations, and great theologi-cal treatises, and through this annual commemoration by which we honor these three great luminaries.

As bearers of divine fruit, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. John Chrysostom knew the significance of this metaphor offered by our Lord Jesus Christ, and they each addressed this in their sermons and writings as they called the faithful to be joined to Christ and to bear the fruit of witness and service.

In his homily on John 15, St. John Chrysostom emphasized the continual presence of Christ with us, the true vine that is always connected to the branches giving them life.

St. John states that Christ has shown his love to us in many ways: He has made known to us what He has heard from the Father (v. 15); He calls us His friends and has chosen us for His divine work (vv. 14-16); and He has granted us the greatest of bless-ings by suffering for us.

Further, Christ shows His great love for us by “remaining continually with those who shall bring forth fruit; for it is needful to enjoy His aid, and so to bear fruit” (Homily 77 on the Gospel of St. John).

St. John affirms that Christ in His great love for us has joined Himself to us and is offering us all that we need to bear good fruit that will lead us to salvation.

In his great treatise, the Hexaemeron, St. Basil the Great refers to the vine, focusing on the importance of the Church, the community of believers, in bearing good fruit.

He states that in establishing the Church, Christ “has planted for us…apostles, proph-ets, and teachers…. He wishes that the claspings of love, like the tendrils of the vine, should attach us to our neighbors and make us rest on them, so that, in our continual aspirations towards heaven, we may imitate these vines, which raise themselves to the tops of the tallest trees” (Homily 6).

Here, St. Basil affirms the necessity of our life in the Church. To grow spiritually and bear good fruit in our journey toward eternal salvation, we need the community of faith and the guidance of our divine services, teachings and traditions.

These offer us a witness of the lives of many who have attained the heights of glory, and in our trust and imitation of those who have gone before us we will experience an abiding communion with Christ that will transform our lives and the lives of those around us.

It is the witness of our faith to others that is addressed by St. Gregory the Theologian in his Oration on the Holy Lights.

Speaking on the presence of Christ in our lives as a source of strength and protec-tion against evil, he states that “having guarded our soul with every care, and having appointed goings up in our heart, and broken up our fallow ground, and sown unto righteousness…let us speak of the Wisdom of God that has been hid in a mystery, and enlighten others.

Meanwhile, let us purify ourselves, and receive the elementary initiation of the Word, that we may do ourselves the utmost good, making ourselves godlike, and receiv-ing the Word at His coming; and not only so, but holding Him fast and showing Him to others.”

While St. Gregory affirms the necessity of spiritual growth, he acknowledges that our lives should direct others to Christ. If our souls are initiated in Christ and secured to the true vine, then our lives will offer a witness to the world by revealing His saving presence and enlightening others with His truth.

These words of the Three Hierarchs offer deep insight into our spiritual lives and the divine task we are called to do. To bear fruit and offer a ministry of witness and ser-vice in this world we must be joined to Christ, and we must be assured of His guiding presence.

This assurance and experience of His divine presence comes through our lives of prayer and our full participation in His Holy Church. Through daily communion with Him and our spiritual growth through the sacramental and didactic life of the Church, we will bear enduring fruit in our own souls that will lead us to salvation and eternal fellowship with our Lord.

We will also bear fruit in the lives of others as we cultivate our souls in holiness and divine truth. Following the example of the Three Hierarchs, “who have illumined all of the world and with godly knowledge have watered all creation in clear and mighty streams,” may we strive to bear fruit that will remain for our families, our parishes, and for generations to come as a witness to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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What does the Sixth Psalm have to say to the hearts of a nation entering the sixth year of the 21st century?

While many might consider the con-tent and message of the Psalter irrelevant and out-dated, the hymns of David provide valuable wisdom for those of us who look to the Holy Scriptures for spiritual guid-ance.

by Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos

The Sixth Psalm for the Sixth Year of the 21st Century

The Book of Psalms of the Old Testa-ment is composed of songs of praise that were originally sung in worship, accompa-nied by a musical instrument. The time of their composition was primarily before the time of the Babylonian exile, but probably ranges over five centuries.

The authorship of 73 of the Psalms is attributed to David. The numbering of Psalms often differ by one, the Hebrew Psalter being one more than the Greek translation (Septuagint).

The Hebrew Psalms number 150, and are generally of three types: (a) laments, both individual and communal, (b) hymns, and (c) songs of thanksgiving.

Others are classified as royal psalms, some wisdom psalms, and others defy classification. Beginning with Psalm Six the Psalter also provides a series of seven penitential psalms (6, 32, 38, 51,102, 130, 143) that bring great comfort to a repen-tant heart.

As we embark upon yet another New Year it would do us well to consider the moral of the following story, which beau-tifully conveys the timeless counsel of David’s Sixth Psalm.

While Niko was visiting his grandpar-ents during Christmas they gave him his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma’s back yard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead. The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to look up and see his sister watching. Sophia had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch that day, his grandmother asked Sophia to help her wash the dishes. But Sophia said that Niko told her that he wanted to help in the kitchen today. “Didn’t you, Niko?” she asked, and whispered to him, “Remember the duck!” So Niko did the dishes.

Later Niko’s grandfather asked if he and Sophia wanted to go fishing. “I’m sorry,’ YaYa said, “but I need Sophia to help with supper.” But Sophia smiled and said, “That’s all taken care of. Niko wants to do it.” Again she whispered, “Remember the duck.” So Niko stayed while his sister went fishing. After several days of Niko do-ing his sister’s chores, he confessed to his grandmother that he had killed the duck. “I know,” she said, giving him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. However, I was wondered how long you would try to hide your sin and let Sophia make a slave of you.”

The primary focus of the sixth psalm is the liberating grace of sincere repentance. On the other hand, as illustrated in the aforementioned anecdote, weakness, fear, pain and sadness are all the consequences of mankind’s distorted nature - our unwill-ingness to acknowledge personal sin and our dependence on God.

According to St. Gregory of Nyssa, “sin is the enemy” to which David refers in his sixth psalm. The truly liberated are those who rec-ognize and acknowledge that the spiritual and physical distresses that we experience in this life are often “the result of passions, greed, delusion, ambition, jealousy and the entire swarm of human evils.”

“Our enemies,” Nyssa concludes, are not those that assail us from the outside, but “domestic ones that proceed from the heart to defile a person.”

The testimony of David’s Sixth Psalm reveals the fact that life languishes when “our enemies” entice us to live it without God.

Perhaps this is the reason why many living in our contemporary society often appear so miserable and gloomy. Yes, while many have amassed great wealth, obtained degrees, risen to positions of power and prominence, and appear self-dependent, one can discern an inner poverty and spiri-tual hunger in the literature, film and music that they simultaneously enjoy.

We need only peruse the titles of popular television shows such as “Lost,” the “Dead Zone,” “Criminal Minds,” “Sex and the City” and “Desperate Housewives” to detect the immense level of humanity’s desperate attempt to either conceal or rationalize it’s inner emptiness.

Where can we turn for guidance? What greater counsel can a nation entering the sixth year of the 21st century receive than the sixth testimony of a man who, as King of Israel, apparently had it all!

And yet, without God, and without repentance, he described his soul as “bro-ken ... languishing... and sorely troubled” (Psalm 6: 2-3). “I am withering away,” David laments, “O Lord, save me!”

In such a state, the psalmist casts him-self upon the loving-kindness of God. He desires that his readers learn the truth that a life lived in secret sin, or with undefeated injurious habits will age the body at a far greater pace than any life lived honestly.

Although un-forgiveness, bitterness, pride, and even disappointment, have the ability to rot the very bones of a man, St. Gregory of Nyssa stresses the pedagogical value of such spiritual and physical broken-ness as routes for returning to virtue and wholeness.

Like David, Nyssa insists that repen-tance is the essence of such a journey whereby sin, mistakes and inadequacies are acknowledged and forgiveness is in-herited.

Like David and Nyssa, St. John Chryso-stom emphasizes the great opportunity that repentance affords the spiritually broken by subdividing the process of their healing into three stages.

Using the Psalm Six as his template Chrysostom suggests that repentance in-cludes: (a) sorrow, (b) supplication, and (c) separation. He likens the entire process of repentance to the healing relationship that exists between physician and patient whereby the “wounds of sin are not ne-glected.”

Like David, we too are encouraged by Chrysostom to first develop a sincere sense of sorrow (6:2-3, 6-7) for our condition. “My soul is troubled,” laments David, “I am weary with morning... I drench my bed with weeping.” Such contrition is the direct result of honest evaluation and assessment of the presence and consequence of sin in our lives.

By “imitating his sorrow,” writes Chrysostom, we, like David, might receive the “medicine” of tears.

Only when sorrow has firmly taken hold, Chrysostom insists, we will learn how to genuinely supplicate (6:4-5) the Divine Physician for relief from our malady.

This is the second stage of repentance. Like David we will turn from our respective sources of self-dependence to that of God. Having turned from societal mirages that promise happiness, wisdom and strength through curative self-mastery the suppli-

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NEW YORK – “ Your pain was and is our pain. It was felt by all humanity,” said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during his visit to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans on Jan. 7, which was featured nationaly on New York Times’ front page. His All Holiness reminded the world of the daunting task ahead as he prayed for the more than a thousand lives lost to Katrina. “The city of New Orleans will be rebuilt”, he said. “Damage will be restored. Life will blossom. Let us build our personal lives according to the will of God; then we will find happiness and be truly at peace.”

Accompanied by Archbishop Deme-trios of America, Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, and several other hierarchs, clergy and laity, His All Holiness had included the visit to Holy Trinity Cathedral of New Orleans, the first Greek Orthodox commu-nity in America, as a part of his historic visit to Tarpon Springs, Fla. for the Centennial Celebration of Epiphany and St. Nicholas Cathedral. Following Katrina, the visit was given even more urgency, “to answer the need of our soul”, he said.

Fr. Anthony Stratis, cathedral dean, said Katrina’s impact on the city, includ-ing a quarter of the community’s 500 families whose homes were destroyed, only made the Ecumenical Patriarch more determined to visit. Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst disasters ever to strike the United States, also inflicted heavy

In New Orleans: “to answer the need of our soul”damage to several other communities and scattered Orthodox faithful from Texas to Florida.

Katrina Relief FundAccording to Bishop Andonios, direc-

tor of the Dept. of Philanthropy, as of Jan. 31, $937,379.49 has been received by the Archdiocese from parish collections and individuals to its Hurricane Katrina Fund.

To date, $567,000 has been disbursed leaving a balance of $370.379.22. Bishop Andonios emphasized that “all funds will be disbursed as each case comes to our attention.

Because of the displacements caused by the hurricane, it is taking a long time to locate many of those in need and we understand that there are still between 70-80 families who need assistance.

To date, 60 families have received grants and funds have been disbursed according to need. “It is noteworthy,” he continued, “that many of the recipients had only received several hundred dol-lars from the Red Cross, and $2,000 from FEMA, while most grants from the Arch-diocese were for $5,000.”

Archbishop Demetrios sent an ad-ditional gift at Christmas and wrote: “As you work to rebuild your lives, I trust that the funds sent you from our Archdiocesan Hurricane Katrina Fund have been of assis-tance to you in this period of recovery...”

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We need to substitute negative feelings with forgiveness, reprieve and prayer. We should offer our beneficent actions to all of our fellow human beings, even, and perhaps most particularly, to the ones who hate, persecute and harm us.

When we examine ourselves to see whether we have it within us to forgive and to love others, we will then realize that we are in great need of good repentance, for we may be lacking in feelings of kindness, and we need to cleanse the inner recesses of our hearts of feelings and thoughts that, though we think they are permanently etched into us, do not befit our Christian identity.

Christ is ready to accept our good repentance and to help us spiritually regroup. The heavens rejoice when sinners repent; indeed, great joy and feelings of freedom and relief overtake the Christian who offers good repentance for what he is, and who wishes for the increase of his love for God and other persons.

The soul of the person who clings onto feelings of aversion, hatred and other cruel and non-benevolent feelings toward others and God, on the other hand, is replete with grief and malevolence. Such a person causes pain not only to his fellow human beings but to himself.

In fact, the pain he inflicts upon himself is more than the pain he inflicts upon others. The people he traumatizes and hurts may be able to take comfort, to transform their pain into prayer and peace in their hearts.

The person who envies, though, who hates and dislikes, who is hostile, and who in general fights his fellow human beings, without repenting, lives an internal suffering caused by feelings of this kind.

The person who is not hostile toward others, but who is indifferent toward God

Patriarch of Constantinople BARTHOLOMEW

Your fervent intercessor before God

Patriarchal Homily for Holy and Great Lentand his fellow human beings and closes himself off from them, may end up in despair before death. Life will have no meaning for him.

He may even feel helpless and miserable about the way he leads his life, and he may see no hope. At some point, this person will come into contact with the truth, and he will, inevitably, encounter reality and repent, experiencing change.

Repentance will reveal itself in a different and real light than he is used to knowing. If this is a person prepared to repent, and if he is filled with hope toward God, and if he leads his life toward the Father, he will be surprised by the reality he will experience.

But, having been familiarized with this good repentance, he will be empowered by its intensity and, he will fight all doubts and throw himself in the bosom of the Father, as did the prodigal son. He will partake of the Father’s love for which his soul was craving.

If a person, however, was not leading the good path toward good repentance, he will despair before the new reality for which he had never prepared. He will turn his back to the embrace of the virtuous God, and he will torment himself in the negation of the love that is offered to him.

Unfortunately, life is filled with regretful, desperate, and disappointed people who hesitate to return to the Father although He waits for them with open arms.

The repentance of every person is inevitable.The time will surely come for each one of us when we will find ourselves before the

truth; then, we will realize how far away we were from the truth during our lifetimes. We will change our minds; namely, we will repent.

Blessed will be the one who repents the good repentance of the prodigal son, replete with hope, for he will find himself in the bosom of the Father. Miserable will be the one who will not change his mind and will not repent, thus leaving himself without hope.

He will resemble the one who admitted to handing an innocent man over to be killed, but, nevertheless, did not ask for forgiveness nor did he cry, but rather went away and hanged himself.

Let us listen carefully to the story of the pro