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Greek Orthodox Fundamentalism continued…
Their argument that we have lost our way from the religious tenets is maintained by the following statements. Some are only minimally observant of their faith, being referred to in some congregations as the “C and E people” or those who only come to church on Christmas and Easter. Others are accused of adhering to their faith in church, but not practicing true Christian beliefs when they go out into the world and take advantage of their fellow man. A general secular shift away from the old time religion has been well documented in the main line Protestant faiths.
The Ephraimites see some Orthodox Christians as failing to uphold the “true” faith as practiced for almost two thousand years since Christ’s Crucifixion. This has been decried by other faith abiding Orthodox as a problem in the true Orthodox spiritual life of our contemporary parishioners, they feel that spirituality is lacking. Some make statements that parishioners are practicing “Orthodox faith lite” or even more Pharisaic that “they have a watered down version of Orthodoxy” in which the form of the traditions is observed in order to show to others that one is observant. Yet, we believe that no real care is taken to observe the full panoply of Orthodox traditions, or to follow the teachings of Christ. One Priest recently stated the following: “There are many Orthodox Christians who are highly secularized, so that they really are not in touch with the spiritual heritage of the Church.” The movement toward resurrection of the old time practices and the “true” religion that will give everlasting life to the fervent adherents is a common theme among those who use faith as a weapon.
Enough similarities exist between the teachings and practices of the Ephraimite movement and the Fundamentalist Christian movement raising a reasonable inference that it is not coincidental. Both these strains of fundamentalist Christianity have sprung from the same roots and each derives from pursuit of a common goal. This goal, simply stated, is to reject modern thought and to bring back religion to its fundamental basis, a goal shared by most fundamentalist movements, whether they are Evangelical Christian, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish Orthodox, Hindu or others. Moreover, as has been defined by John A. Coleman, a noted sociologist and student of religion in the context of Catholicism, fundamentalism is “an aggressive reassertion of elements of traditionalism in the fight against modernity”. Coleman, John A., S.J., Catholic Integralism as a Fundamentalism, p. 75). So pervasive are the similarities between the different strains of fundamentalism in the Evangelical and the Ephraimite movements that it is worthwhile to investigate the similarities and differences as to and draw parallels that may illuminate the strategy, reasons, tactics and objectives of each.
The pressures of modern life, the secular nature of everyday existence, and especially the rampant consumerism of our generation, are always a temptation and a threat to the sanctity – perhaps the very existence – of a particular religion. The effect is even more pronounced on the young, where the impact of Hollywood types complete with different morals and a consumerism mentality have an impact. These trends undermine the tenets of any particular religion, since most religions are premised on a spiritual existence and everlasting life after death. A common reaction to the secular threat is to take refuge in the old certainties that religion offers. The return to the old time faith becomes a salvation and a bulwark to the pressures of modern capitalist life and the aspiration to a spiritual existence that transcends the capitalist plane and reaches for their just reward in the afterlife. To combat the erosion of religious influence, both Evangelical and Ephraimites try to take us all back in time.
Why is it important to look at similarities between fundamentalist religions and the Ephraimite movement? In effect, the similarities in these religions belie a common trend and are a way to read the tea leaves so as to predict the progression of prior like movements. Following the historical trajectory of fundamentalism in America, it is possible that these prior Evangelical movements will give us insights into the ideas, ways and indeed the purposes of the Ephraimites. Unquestionably, following a clear fundamentalist doctrine produces a group of adherents that is ready for battle against the strains of modernism, the forces of the mass media, consumerism and against evil. The similarities in their goals and purposes, and indeed, the following of these tactics cause trouble and severe divisions in the unity of the church. It has become both obvious and unfortunate that while not specifically designed for the purpose, the actions of the Ephraimites ultimately result in a religious schism, or worse, rendering the tenets of Orthodoxy itself increasingly irrelevant in the lives of most modern and rational people.
Clearly, the peace of the Church is at stake. One only needs to look at our beloved Divine Liturgy for answers. The Ephraimite movement is damaging the fabric of the Church. It has taken an anti-unity position among the faithful and they have even taken an aggressive position against the Patriarch criticizing him for being seen next to the Pope in photographs and for any discussion aimed at unity of the Faith. A simple understanding of our Orthodox faith is really all one needs to understand the Ephraimite argument against our Patriarch. They have created a “straw man” argument. The Ephraimites have accused the Patriarch of inaccurate and imagined acts. A simple meeting or conversation between the leaders of each Church is now elevated to complete union with Rome. They convince their followers that they have inside information and that the Patriarch is moments away from giving up the historical position of Orthodoxy and entering into communion with and submitting to Papal domination.
The fabric of our Faith and of our Patriarchate is being undermined. Who is teaching them this? Just prior to reciting the Lord’s Prayer during our Divine Liturgy the following words are spoken by Orthodox Clergymen in celebration “Priest: Having prayed for the unity of the faith and for the communion of the Holy Spirit, let us commit ourselves, and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God” (The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom copyright 1985 Holy Cross Orthodox Press, page 26, Third Edition, ISBN 0-917651-17-0).
The similarities between the Ephraimites and the Evangelicals are so striking even though they began at different points in time and under different social and economic conditions. Many of the fundamentalist Evangelical movements started in the 1920’s. The origins of the Ephraimite movement are more contemporary; we will examine the origins in future articles. What is clear is that the Ephraimites essentially follow the same game plan and use as a guide some of the tenets and features of the Evangelical movement to guide Elder Ephraim’s movement. At the heart of any fundamentalist thought is the idea of submission of the individual’s conscience and will to a “higher authority.” That submission can take on any number of forms, and higher authority may be the Word of God, as literally found in the Bible, or as strictly interpreted by a preacher, holy man, priest, imam or other leader. In the context of a cult, the extreme interpretations of the Word of God is emitted out the mouth of a “prophet” or even the reincarnation of the founder of a religion, for example, not only emulating Jesus, but holding that they are infused with Jesus’ spirit.
A short list of the similarities between Evangelical and Ephraimites is most informative.
1. Charismatic Leadership – The leader of the Ephraimite movement, Elder Ephraim, is necessary to bring people to their idea of Christianity; Charismatic leaders in the Evangelical movement are legion, just turn on the television and watch almost any religious program.
2. Anti-science; anti-intellectual; anti-rational thought. Following Christ and the scriptures leaves no room for free thinking or seeing any contradictory evidence in both Evangelical and Ephraimite movements.
3. Both Fundamentalist Protestants and Ephraimites are rabidly Anti-Catholic, Anti-Semitic and Anti-Islamic. They are dismissive of other religions and are intolerant of any who do not totally agree with them or their own traditions. The Ecumenical movement is rejected and violently attacked. See Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, Patriarchal and Synodal Encyclical on Sunday of Orthodoxy (February 19, 2010) Retrieved from: http://goarch.org/news/patriarchalencyclicalforsundayoforthodoxyel-en .
4. Accepting the leadership of their cultic leaders blindly, they either launch concerted attempts to maintain cult loyalty or shun those who have strayed.
5. Both movements have an inner core group of insiders (the saved) versus outsiders (the damned) comprising those who reject their fanatical interpretation of the Faith and cultic leadership. This is reminiscent of the Gnostic heresy in the early church.
6. Both movements operate on the emotional level, emphasizing the need to do what feels right (“do what your heart tells you”) rather than any rational thought about and critical understanding of the evidence at hand.
7. How easy is to become saved. For Protestant fundamentalists, one must accept Jesus in their heart according to the definition of their leaders. For the Ephraimites, one must totally submit to the will and direction of their designated spiritual father or elders. Any notion of free will and the use of reason are eliminated. They treat all as if they were in a monastery and demand absolute obedience. In their use of confession, they even delve into normal marital relations and virtually place themselves in their spiritual children’s bedrooms. The Evangelicals want you to accept Jesus in your heart.
8. Submission to higher authority by the member is an absolute requirement of membership in Fundamentalism and Ephraimite movements. Any deviation from the strict interpretation of the tenets of the fundamentalist faith is met with an immediate attempt to restore the deviants’ submission, and failing that requires the expulsion of the errant follower or “non-believer.” This is not spiritual guidance, it is mind control of the most insidious and vulgar form. Only blind submission is acceptable.
The phenomenon of different interpretations of the traditions of the church in Greek Orthodox history is not new. As recently as the 1920’s, there was a schism in the church between those who saw that modernization was necessary to make the religion relevant and those who insisted that every tradition, custom belief must be uncritically preserved in a strict, to-the-letter, interpretation of the canon law, even when that interpretation was contrary to the gospels. The views of the breakaway sects, known to us as the “Old Calendarists” were extreme to the point of denying salvation in new Calendar churches. To take the instance of the belief that gave them their name, this schismatic group held to the “old” Julian calendar because that was the calendar that the church had always used. This belief was maintained even in the face of evidence that the calendar did not match the true seasonal cycle because a year is not exactly 365.25 days, but is just slightly under that period. Over the centuries, the Julian calendar had shifted the date of the vernal equinox, a date crucial to the calculation of Holy Pascha. It was the unquestioning desire to preserve the old traditions that ultimately led to the schism that exists today. The Old Calendarist schism reflects a traumatic recent experience in the Greek Orthodox Church which is a direct result of inflexibility to adapt the religion with modern realities.
Ephraimites rise to the definition of fundamentalists when they insist that their belief is the only “true” interpretation of the basic Faith of the Orthodox Church. Their brazen arrogance, often totally uninformed and unenlightened, leads them to criticize and reject any of our contemporary hierarchs who reject their fundamentalist notions. The Ephraimite accusations that the recognized leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church in North America is steering the flock away from the true Faith is abound. This perceived veering from the path of righteousness becomes the basis for any actions that will preserve their idea of the “pure faith.” In certain Parishes where the Ephraimites are vying for power within the organization of a particular Parish, factional strife in the Parish may seem as if political parties are campaigning for a high national office. The environment in these parishes becomes toxic and parishioners start verbally attacking each other. The head of the fish or the Ephraimite Parish Priests promotes the toxicity. Without question these accusations tend to undermine the authority of the Church and all Hierarchy leadership. But more insidiously, the damage done to the fabric of the church and its internal unity and cohesion is incalculable. There are two roads to take in a schism occurring for any parishioner, either you join the Ephraimites that are taking over the Parish, or you leave. There is no middle ground. We have received reports of hundreds of parishioners leaving these infected churches.
Similarly, fundamentalist Evangelical movements in the United States are notorious for their schisms. The Methodist Church in the United States is considered a mainstream Protestant denomination. However, even it has experienced the rise of fundamentalist Evangelical Christians within its ranks. Many consider the growth of fundamentalists among its ranks to have caused over forty different denominations. Doctrinal issues are the usual stated reason for a split, but the ostensible reason can also be an excuse or a way to hide political and personality issues. The many schisms may or may not relate to an underlying accusation of heresy, but they more or less become permanent and break communion so that a myriad number of Churches, each one self governing, result all claiming to have a hot line to God. The vehement arguments leading to a schism often leave a lasting bad feeling, and the schism becomes deep and lasting. Where there is extreme evangelical movements, for example the Branch Davidians or Jim Jones, blind submission and unquestioning belief in the of the word of God has led to the deaths not only of the “true believers” but also of innocent children.
Thus, there are some who consider that in order to save the faith, in both the Evangelical, as well as the Orthodox Christian traditions, several centuries of liberal thought need to be eradicated and the religion needs to revert to their own interpretation of its roots. This is the very definition of fundamentalism in its most basic form. It is becoming clear that, like the fundamentalist Christians and some Muslims, these schismatic believe they must preserve and follow traditions that have not been followed in many years or even centuries in their mainline Churches or divisions of Islam. The coming schism in the Greek Orthodox faith in North America is a foregone conclusion. The Ephraimite movement must be seen for what it is and taken very seriously. It should be combated by talking to all who care about the real traditions of the Greek Orthodox Church in North America, which brings people together and does not drive them apart. It is this Church and the faithful that has maintained the Greek spirit in a congenial and community way. Where do you stand?
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This is Not Confession continued…
In confession, visitors bare their souls and sins to a gentle, almost grandfatherly holy man. His comments and guidance seem rational and reassuring on the first impression. In some form or another, the penitent is at first comforted in a calm and reassuring manner. The penitent may hear the equivalent of “if you had only come to us sooner, perhaps the situation could have been prevented or made less difficult.” Now the process begins wherein the tables are turned and the confession becomes more of a cross-examination. Imagine the penitent who has been made vulnerable by confessing to God through this monk, seeking guidance from this holy man. In particular, for the female confessor, the Elder now asks specific questions regarding their sexual activities (most of which cannot be repeated in print, though there are two-page copies of the questions floating about). The questions continue until an affirmative response to an uncomfortable question is received resulting in the confessor’s feeling some sort of guilt (or outrage). The confessor has now been hooked (or leaves the monastery in disgust thinking about how wrong the process of confession is at the monastery). Ultimately, penance is meted out resulting in, at the very least, the confessor’s required abstinence from taking communion for a period of time and being directed to continue to offer confession to a “chosen” priest in their own community. But, the confessor is no longer thinking clearly because they are being emotionally controlled.
At this point, there should be alarms going off warning that something is not right. Confession makes one vulnerable; they are well aware of this at the monasteries. Of course they know that at the monasteries. Some take advantage of that vulnerability. They even manipulate the penitent through the sensory overload of their surroundings, the disrupted sleep patterns, and their exposure to the frenzied devotion of those all around them in believing that the Elder is a living saint. Logic, rationality, and likely, a sense of time and perspective are swept away making it difficult to comprehend what is happening.
This is not Orthodox confession.
Confession does not require answering a laundry list of questions regarding transgressions of a sexual nature asked by the Elder or monk. Do not passively accept this perversion of confessing one’s sins to God through the Elder or an approved “spiritual father”. The manipulation of this perverse confession, more like a cross examination, is deliberately manipulative. Do not be fooled. Consider the concept that the Elder directs the penitent to an approved “spiritual” father for future guidance and confessions. There should be more alarms going off again. The Orthodox Church does not select certain “spiritual” Fathers to properly guide the spiritual life of the faithful. The local Greek Orthodox Bishop (Metropolitan) confers authority for confession to a priest after he has been blessed to do so. [ Priests of other Orthodox jurisdictions are not required to receive a special blessing, but are conferred with this authority upon being ordained.] A priest with this blessing wears an epigonation with his vestments. Once conferred with this blessing, ALL PRIESTS ARE EQUAL IN THEIR ABILITY TO HEAR CONFESSSIONS.
In the past, in one of the Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States, a parishioner required permission from the parish priest to be allowed to give confession to a monastic. The reasoning behind this requirement was that the standards by which the monastic lives is not equivalent to living in society. In addition, this is based on the notion that it is the parish priest who admitted his parishioners to the Lord’s Table at the Eucharist accordingly must have a sense of their spiritual well-being.
The guided path set out by the monastics and their followers is moving further and further away from our Orthodox Faith. The parishes of these “spiritual” fathers, who describe themselves as traditionalists, resemble the dress and conduct of a monastery. They are churches in disguise recruiting new followers to these so-called monasteries. Strict standards of dress and behavior are encouraged. There is no partial buy in. Listen closely to the words of these “spiritual” priests. They speak of dark days ahead, of Satan – not of Christ, of churches that should all resemble these dark places without love, without joy, without faith. They speak with delight of chasing out the “country-clubbers” that funded and founded these churches. Where in the Bible does it indicate that those who do not comply with these ideas should be chased out of the church? Or are they deliberately building their own church?
There is a disproportionate focus on appearance here. It is seen in the garb of the “spiritual “ clergy – a long, unkempt beard, a ponytail, and a rassas. It is seen in the clothing of the women in the parish, skirts to the floor, sleeves to the wrist, no pants – all that is missing is a burqua. This is fanaticism of appearance, not faith.
There should be more alarms going off. This self-selected group believes that they are the “chosen”. They freely pass judgment on those who do not wear the right clothing, do not fast to letter of the doctrine, and send their children to their cult-like day schools. Let me repeat that concept: they pass judgment on those who do not meet their criteria. They are Orthodox Christians issuing judgment on other Christians. This does not sound like the Orthodox Faith. The children at these schools, (as young as four-year olds), are taught to pray that they are sinners and taught to do their “allocation” of prayers and metanyes or their parents will not go to heaven.
It all starts with their form of confession. The programming and manipulation at these centers (both the monasteries and the indoctrinated churches) aim to consume more and more of the independence of the parishioners. The parishioner will be drawn closer and closer to their ”spiritual “ father for guidance until all actions that are outside of their controlled cabal are forbidden. God-given free will is stripped away.
Our churches were never intended to be single-mindedly controlling of every thought and action of the laity. This is not our Orthodox Faith. Do not be fooled.
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Money-Money-Money Part One continued…
Why Should We Care?
At a time when many of our Parishes are suffering great economic hardship, should we care about the Vatopedi Land Scandal in Greece and the Ephraimite Monasteries in the United States and Canada and their seemingly endless stream of money? What does it say about us as Christians when those looking for transparency and answers are being attacked and accused of being Anti-Hierarchical or even Anti-Monastic for doing so? Let us continue by looking at some issues. The first is the cost of Elder Ephraim’s monasteries.
Knowledgeable individuals in the construction industry have estimated the building of some Ephraimite monasteries to cost in excess of 15 to 20 million dollars. Does anyone really know where all the money came from? How is it possible in this Archdiocese, whose many churches are struggling with financial problems, to build and fund 18 monasteries in twenty years, with some costing an estimated 20 million dollars? Many of us have asked members of the Archdiocesan Council and others “where does all the money come from”? It is a mystery to all who have been asked. They tell us “we have not received any clear answers directly from the Monasteries”. Gotruthreform.org provides an informed perspective as to one of the sources (in future articles we will disclose others).
Vatopedi
Vatopedi Monastery is the monastery on Mount Athos at the center of the largest alleged land scandal in the history of Greece. The starting point of this land scandal is still unclear. There are at least four different theories regarding the way in which Vatopedi secured title to the properties it used in the exchanges with the Nation of Greece. Until the conclusion of the investigation and the subsequent trials, all of these theories are mere speculation and for now, they are all unsubstantiated. It could be that the real truth is composed of bits and pieces of all or some of each theory. It could also be that only one theory is accurate as to the way titles to these properties were acquired. The focus of the investigation is not on how they acquired these properties, but on how values were determined in the exchanges.
First, there is the official explanation given by Vatopedi. This is contained in the previously cited Vatopedi’s statement for the Church’s people. See: http://vatopaidi.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/vatopaidis-statement-for-the-churchs-people/ . Here they tell you that this land was acquired through the Byzantine Emperors beginning in 1080. They assert there was a succession of Emperors that gave additional grants of land to Vatopedi. They represent that all of these grants were proper and legal.
The second theory is very close to the official explanation given by the Vatopedi Monastery. That theory proposes that Vatopedi also acquired the land through a presentation of a Byzantine era mark on documents presented for registration of these properties. The mark issued by Byzantine Emperors during Byzantium was known as a “Chrysovoulos” or Golden Bull. The key difference with the official explanation is that some have alleged that documents presented may not have been legal, could have been forged, or were not authentic. Retrieved from http://www.balkanalysis.com/2008/11/04/scandal-over-vatopedi-international-capital-and-aristocracy-mixed-with-greek-politics/
The third theory is simple; that they acquired the properties during the Ottoman Turkish occupation. Some have speculated that this claim made by Vatopedi could not have really happened. They suggest that this official explanation is incredible because it would place the Monastery in a business relationship with the Ottomans. They have also cast doubt on the genuineness of the documents as well. See article: Kostoupoulos, T. et. al (2008, Sept. 7) Marked with the Conqueror, Retrieved at
http://archive.enet.gr/online/online_fpage_text/dt=07.09.2008,id=41207144
The final theory centers on the death of a monk during the 1950’s.The theory suggests that upon the death of one of their monks, the Monastery of Vatopedi legally came into title of approximately 400 stremata of land near Lake Vistonida (it takes approximately 4.4 stremata to make one U.S. acre). After this initial legal registration of land, it has been alleged that the monks of Vatopedi, then began registering parcels of land which they did not legally own; they acquired title through allegedly false documents in order to convert the land to their ownership. These “allegedly fraudulent transfers” occurred over a very lengthy period of time.
Newspapers and investigative television reports led by Greek news channels like “Alpha” (in Athens) asserted that false documents were prepared and registered to convert title to properties in northern Greece from public (state) ownership to ownership by the Vatopedi Monastery. It now appears that many of these properties were near, next to, and even more remarkably, under water at Lake Vistonida. It also has been disclosed that the majority of these “transactions” occurred in the last ten years.
After the monks at Vatopedi took title to these properties, they hired the wife of a Greek Parliament member George Voulgarakis, who was also a cabinet member serving as the Merchant Marine Minister, to act as a notary public. The monastery paid her a fee of between 300,000 Euros (approx. $420,000 at the then exchange rate) or as much as 470,000 Euros (approx. $658,000 at the then exchange rate) for her services. The various news services have given a range of fees paid to the key players in this almost unbelievable calamity. Her brother and father (Dimitris Pelekis) were also hired by the Vatopedi Monastery and by Mount Athos respectively, as attorneys. Her father is alleged to have “charged” 1 million Euros (approx. $1,400,000.00) for his legal services regarding some of the exchanges with the Greek state. These transfers passed through the hands of various government agencies. One such agency was the Ministry of Agriculture. Once the investigation was made public, the Minister of Agriculture Evangelos Bassiakos found reason to leave his office.
The Monks of Vatopedi traded their parcels of land for other land owned by the Greek government. When these transactions were reported in the Greek press, two cabinet ministers resigned including the Notary Public’s husband, George Voulgarakis and State Minister Theodoros Roussopoulos, a top advisor to then Prime Minister Costas Karamalis. Much has been written about the role of Roussopoulos in this tragedy. It was widely reported that Roussopoulos is the “spiritual son” or has “spiritual” ties to Elder Ephraim of Vatopedi. Gilson, G (2008. Oct. 24) Roussopoulos Resigns Under Fire. Retrieved at http://www.athensnews.gr/articles/13310/24/10/2008/22373. As a result of the press’ disclosures of these questionable transactions, the government of Greece has arrested Elder Ephraim of Vatopedi and Elder Arsenios.
Here is an example of one such property exchange. During the investigation, it was disclosed that the Vatopedi Monastery traded some of its land to the Greek government for a former Olympic Games site consisting of 19,000 square meters of land with eight buildings and an additional parcel of 20,000 square meters with five buildings in Acharnes. The Olympic site alone cost the government of Greece approximately 58,000,000 Euros to acquire and build. In March of 2008, the Monastery then sold the sites to a Cyprus land developer. The purchase price paid by the developer to the Monastery was declared at 41,000,000 Euros. These transactions and others are believed to have been executed in a manner that significantly undervalued the actual value, to the detriment of the Greek State. The Cypriot developer was interrogated by the prosecutors about these transactions. The developer admitted giving Elder Ephraim of Vatopedi 9 million Euros cash (in a bag) that had not been declared as part of the 41,000,000 Euro purchase price. Therefore, the known total amount paid by the developer for the parcels in question was in excess of 50,000,000 Euros. After the developer’s disclosure, Elder Ephraim of Vatopedi admitted receipt of this money and said he was going to use it to build “orphanages”. Vatopedi Sold land for millions, Ekathimerini. (2008, Sept. 24) Retrieved at http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_2_24/09/2008_100729, Gilson, G. (2008, Dec. 5) “Ministers Trade Scandal Blame. Athens News. Retrieved at http://www.athensnews.gr/articles/13316/05/12/2008/22568.
In yet another example of an exchange, The Athens News in its article entitled Unholy Scandal Burns Government states:
“Inexplicably, the state assessors are believed to have vastly underestimated the value of exchanged property. According to contracts published in the Greek Press, a land parcel of 3,300 hectares in Attica’s Kato Souli area, which was given by the state [Greece] to Vatopedi was evaluated at 1.4 million Euros for the exchange, but the standard Tax Bureau Valuation in the area (which is well below market) was 9.9 million Euros.” Gilson, G., Unholy Scandal Burns Government, Athens News.
About 240 to 270 land transactions have come to light and are being scrutinized by Greek prosecutors. There are in excess of 10,000 (depending on whose report you read) stremata at issue on the mainland. There is also alleged to be another 3700 stremata parcel on the island of Skyros that is under investigation. Another Unholy land swap under scrutiny, (2009, June 29) Retrieved at http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_2_29/06/2009_108474.
As of the writing of this article (January 2010) on GOTRUTHREFORM.ORG, Elder Ephraim and Elder Arsenios of Vatopedi still await trial. Their trial has been continued on numerous occasions. There have also been different sets of prosecuting attorneys appointed to sift through the complicated transactions. It has been reported that there is an unpublished list of 22 others that are suspected of being involved in this scandal. According to newspaper accounts, the suspects will be charged with 6 felonies and 3 misdemeanors in connection with these transactions. Vatopedi Charges being Lined Up, Ekathemerini (2009, May 19.) Retrieved at http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_2_19/05/2009_107285.
Published reports place the financial damage to the nation of Greece at between 100,000,000 to 1 Billion Euros. Gilson, Ministers Trade Scandal Blame. Athens News. More reliable sources believe that the damages will exceed 400,000,000 Euros. At a time when the Greek government is accused of other financial improprieties and the Nation of Greece is in a deep economic crisis, these disclosures are not helpful. Sadly, as if this could get worse, the two major political parties are reported to be negotiating to determine whether the prosecutors will be given a free reign to go after the suspected politicians that are believed to have benefited economically from this scandal. To be further informed on these topics, we welcome you to fire up your internet search engines to read all of the newspaper accounts. There are many new developments that occur almost daily on this story.
Where are our Hierarchs?
As stated earlier, the question has been posed: Where did all the money come from to build 18 Ephraimite monasteries in 20 years some costing at least 15 to 20 million dollars? Has any Metropolitan ever audited the records of any of the Monasteries of Elder Ephraim of Florence Arizona? According to the Uniform Monastery Regulations, these Monasteries are under the jurisdiction of the regional Metropolis and thus, under the Metropolitan’s purview of power and responsibility. In our research, we have not found one of Elder Ephraim’s monasteries to have ever been audited. Given the allegations in Greece, audited financial records are a necessity. The auditing must be done by an independent auditor. Unfortunately, the economic and political climate in Greece has taught us that we cannot trust non-independent financial records. The financial responsibility standards applied to the monasteries should be no less than those applied to our parishes. Our faithful who work so hard to pay their priests, their fair share assessments and other expenses to keep their church doors open deserve better. (In later parts of this series of articles we will provide our readers with financial records from the lead Ephraimite Monastery).
Numerous questions arise as to the relations between the Monasteries and the Metropolises. Do the most affected Metropolises (Metropolitans of Chicago, Denver and San Francisco) have plans to lead their Metropolises in accordance with their responsibilities outlined in the Uniform Monastery Regulations? Why don’t the Uniform Monastery Regulations require these Ephraimite monasteries to pay fair share assessments? Have any members of the Metropolitan Council asked their Metropolitans whether they have sufficiently supervised these monasteries? If the answers to these questions are no, are these members prepared to ask the difficult questions and risk “rocking the boat” and possibly losing their appointments? If Elder Ephraim of Vatopedi is convicted of these alleged crimes and it is determined that funds from allegedly fraudulent transactions were used to build the Ephraimite Monasteries in North America, will our Hierarchs then also become accountable? Will their respective members of their Metropolitan Councils also become answerable? Have any members of the Metropolitan Councils or the Archdiocesan Council or any Hierarchs communicated these issues to the Patriarch?
Investigation reveals that some concerned council members have asked for an audit of the Ephraimite Monasteries. It has been reported that one of the Metropolitans refused to grant members of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Finance Committee access to the books and records of one of the Ephraimite Monasteries. What is there to hide in our Church? Why is there no transparency? Have our Hierarchs exercised enough oversight regarding these Monasteries, and should their activities be reviewed by knowledgeable Church officers?
The Patriarch’s Response to the Land Scandal
What was the response of our Patriarch? Did he defrock Elder Ephraim of Vatopedi in the face of very strong and solid evidence and assertions of gross impropriety? Did he remove him from residence at the Vatopedi Monastery pending trial? Did he even place him on suspension barring him from acting as a “spiritual father”? The answer to all of these questions, unfortunately for the laity of our faith is….. NO. The Patriarch merely demoted him as Abbot. Why this mere slap on the hand of Elder Ephraim of Vatopedi? Does the relationship between Elder Ephraim of Vatopedi and Elder Ephraim of Florence Arizona play any role?
So many strange relationships and connections are involved. It seems that Elder Ephraim’s influence can be found in the most obscure and unexpected places. For example, a Deacon of the Patriarch has his mother buried at one of Elder Ephraim of Florence Arizona’s monasteries in Wisconsin. Does that somehow come into play and does it have any role in influencing the Patriarch? It is important for you to know that the future Bishops of our Faith come from the pool of Deacons of the Patriarch. Have these Deacons who are protectors and teachers of our faith been infected by their connection to the Elder Ephraim?
Conclusion
The facts and assertions discovered raise the following questions:
1. It is obvious from the reports that the Monastery of Vatopedi was acquiring property. Why?
2. Is engaging in for profit business enterprises appropriate for monks practicing Athonite monasticism?
3. Is there perhaps a larger plan or scheme in place?
4. Do the admissions made by the Vatopedi Monastery that money was sent to North America for the benefit of Monasteries and Church organizations include sending money to those Monasteries founded by or under the “spiritual guidance” of Elder Ephraim of Florence Arizona? If not, then which Monasteries were they sending money to?
5. If the courts in Greece find that the money obtained by Vatopedi was as a result of illegal fraudulent activities of those awaiting trial, do the North American based Hierarchs have a legal and moral responsibility to return any money that may have been sent to North America for any activities under their collective supervision?
Additional facts uncovered by our investigation will be disclosed in Money-Money-Money, Part Two.
Links
There were many newspapers and other sources used to reference the facts and assertions in this article. We suggest the following links as a good starting place to begin your own independent search:
1. http://www.ekathimerini.com: An archive search for “Vatopedi Land Scandal” will reveal over 50 articles just on this topic alone.
2. archive.enet.gr/:This is the website for the newspaper Eleftherotypia. Although this site is difficult to use at times, it contains some very informative articles. One article dated Sept. 7, 2008 titled Marked with the Conqueror, Retrieved at http://archive.enet.gr/online/online_fpage_text/dt=07.09.2008,id=41207144 contains information about the alleged land scandal. For example, it contains copies of documents showing that Vatopedi Monastery exchanged land evenly, even though the land the Monastery received was worth at least eight (8) times the value of land it gave up in exchange. Its English paraphrased translation states:
Exchange of Property. The value of property “A” (alleged to be owned by Vatopedi) is 1,107,044 Euros. In the exchange with the Greek government, the value property “B” was set at 1,107,044 Euros. The value of the properties according to the assessments issued before the exchanges by the Greek government were as follows: the “A” property valued at 1,107,044 Euros; the value of the “B” property was 8,470,695 Euros.
The property referred to as “A” is a part of Lake Vistonida facing the Prefectures of Xanthi and Rodopi, and which appears as a single owner. The property “B” is a “fillet” (term used by Greek newspaper to indicate very high quality property) of coastal land in Ouranoupoli of Halkidiki which is 8608 acres [sic]. The financial scandal exchanged two properties as equal exchanges when in fact one is eight times greater in value than the other according to the estimate of the tax office. 3. http://developeronline.blogspot.com/2008/09/greece-enters-dark-ages.html -This source presents a light hearted, yet very informative look at the issue in a step by step approach. It also discloses the names of all the players. 4. http://www.athensnews.gr/articles/13315/28/11/2008/22532 -This is a general article about the land scandal from the Athens News. This is an English language newspaper that has been published and distributed in Greece since 1952. 5. There is a discussion group on Facebook called “Concerned 6. Finally, if you are too busy to spend your time researching, may we suggest a diverse group of sources that include the New York Times and other respected media outlets: a. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/world/europe/25greece.html?_r=3 b. http://desniza.livejournal.com/tag/vatopedion c. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_2_25/11/2008_102452 d. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_2_02/12/2008_102657 e.http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_1_09/10/2009_111404 f. http://www.balkanalysis.com/2008/11/04/scandal-over-vatopedi-international-c
Orthodox Laity of America”. The members of this discussion group have contributed a number of articles in its links section. This is an excellent single source that has already compiled numerous relevant articles on the issue of money and its possible connection to the Monasteries founded by Elder Ephraim of Florence, Arizona.