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From the Macedonian Press Agency (http://www.mpa.gr/article.html?doc_id=512050)

CHURCH CLEANUP
Athens, 21 February 2005 (13:16 UTC+2)


Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece called on the faithful yesterday to stand by the Church's side and support it during the trying times is going through, while on the occasion of the consecration of the new Metropolite of Patras he said that there is still hope through the new hierarchs that become members of the Greek Orthodox Church hierarchy.

On Saturday evening, the plenary session of the Church of Greece hierarchy approved with an overwhelming majority a number of measures proposed by Archbishop Chrostodoulos for the cleanup of the Church.

The Metropolite of Kalavrita and spiritual brother of Archbishop Christodoulos was the only exception characterizing the proposals made by Archbishop Christodoulos as a communication trick and the product of populism.


THE METROPOLITE OF ATTIKI IS THE OWNER OF AN OFFSHORE COMPANY
Athens, 21 February 2005 (14:15 UTC+2)


Metropolite Panteleimon of Attiki, who has been suspended from his duties by the Holy Synod for six months accused of corruption, used an offshore company in the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean to take his money out of the country while at least 18 bank accounts are in its name in Greek banks.

The above are mentioned among others in a press report on Athens daily �Apogevmatini�.

The newspaper mentions that Metropolite Panteleimon is the beneficial owner of the High Sky Trading Ltd based on the island of Tortola in the Virgin Islands.

From Kathimerini (http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100004_22/02/2005_53260)

Net closes round Vavilis
Fugitive drug dealer used flat rented by cleric; Synod seeks explanations
Three more churchmen were drawn yesterday into the burgeoning corruption and gay sex scandal bedeviling the Church of Greece, as police tightened their net around a fugitive drug dealer suspected of playing a pivotal part in the affair.

Apostolos Vavilis, on the Interpol wanted list for a drugs conviction � but until recently apparently far from police priorities � has been linked with the head of the Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, who wrote him a letter of recommendation and allegedly sent him to Jerusalem to monitor the controversial election for a new patriarch in 2001.

Yesterday, police sources said they expected to arrest Vavilis � who is understood to have supplied the force with security equipment while still officially on the run � within the next few days. This followed a weekend raid on a flat used by Vavilis in Holargos, northern Athens.

Yesterday, police said the fugitive�s fingerprints had been found in the flat, which had been rented in the name of Archimandrite Nikodimos Farmakis, a cleric close to Kallinikos, Bishop of Piraeus. Farmakis has denied having rented the flat, but admitted to having visited Vavilis � who has reportedly expressed a desire to surrender � there.

Detectives are now examining a clutch of partially destroyed documents from the flat, while sources said the hard disk had been removed from a computer kept on the premises.

Over the past few days, officers have raided several flats believed to have served as the drug dealer�s hideouts. �The net is drawing ever tighter,� a source told Kathimerini. �He will find it increasingly hard to hide.�

The Church�s ruling body, the Holy Synod, yesterday sought explanations from Kallinikos on Farmakis�s ties with Vavilis, and from Panteleimon, Bishop of Attica � who has been suspended pending an internal investigation into claims he tried to influence judges � after reports he owned an offshore company.

The Synod also officially asked the government to allow top judges to sit on a new body to investigate allegations against bishops. Meanwhile, Christodoulos�s spokesman, Epifanios Iconomou, offered to resign yesterday after it emerged that he had paid a drug addict for tapes allegedly incriminating the bishop of Zakynthos, a prominent critic of the archbishop. His offer was not accepted.

'Evxaristo' Francisco for explaining your position.

Your sister in Christ,
Alice

"If you love Jesus, love the Church! Do not be discouraged by the sins and failings of some of her members. The harm done by some priests and religious to the young and vulnerable fills us all with a deep sense of sadness and shame. But think of the vast majority of dedicated and generous priests and religious whose only wish is to serve and do good! There are many priests, seminarians and consecrated persons here today; be close to them and support them! And if, in the depths of your hearts, you feel the same call to the priesthood or consecrated life, do not be afraid to follow Christ on the royal road of the Cross!"
........His Holiness Pope John Paul II (World Youth Day 2002, Toronto)

From Kathimerini (http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100002_23/02/2005_53308)

Church scandal snowballs


Judge claims disgraced trial-fixing suspect brokered talks with archbishop
Archbishop Christodoulos was drawn closer yesterday into the trial-fixing aspect of the scandals besetting the Church of Greece after a senior judge linked the Church leader with a disgraced cleric at the heart of the affair.

Court sources said yesterday that the judge, whose name was not made public, informed Supreme Court officials that Archimandrite Iakovos Yiossakis � a suspected eminence grise in the alleged trial-fixing ring who is in prison pending trial for theft of valuable religious icons � had twice interceded for him to meet Christodoulos.

The judge is also understood to have claimed that Yiossakis was present at the meetings which took place six months ago at the archbishop�s seat in Plaka, central Athens. The purpose of the meetings was unclear.

Christodoulos has repeatedly denied any links with Yiossakis, whose role in the trial-fixing ring allegations prompted a wide-ranging judicial investigation. So far, eight judges face disciplinary action � and are threatened with dismissal � while one has been charged with bribe taking and money laundering. The scandal then snowballed to include corruption and gay sex allegations regarding senior churchmen.

Church officials close to Christodoulos commented yesterday that �the archbishop has met with many judges.�

The Church leader came under further attack yesterday from dissident bishops, with Anthimos of Kalavryta criticizing Christodoulos for failing to provide convincing explanations regarding his relations with a fugitive drug dealer, Apostolos Vavilis.

�The policy of �I do not know him, I never met him� was not a good thing,� Anthimos told state NET TV. �It exposed [the archbishop] and proved that they had met somewhere.�

Police yesterday continued their search for Vavilis, as rumors grew that the drug dealer on Interpol�s wanted list � whom Christodoulos allegedly sent to Jerusalem to monitor the controversial 2001 election for a new patriarch � was seeking to turn himself in.

Meanwhile, an arrest warrant was issued yesterday against monk Kyrillos Stavropoulos, an associate of Yiossakis who has also been charged with stealing icons.

Note: The name of the metropolitan bishop of Kalavryta is Ambrosios and not Anthimos. Kyrillos Stavropoulos is a priest-monk (ieromonachos).

From the Macedonian Press Agency (http://www.mpa.gr/article.html?doc_id=512488)

ΣΤΗ ΣΚΙΑ ΝΕΩΝ ΑΠΟΚΑΛΥΨΕΩΝ ΣΥΝΕΔΡΙΑΖΕΙ Η ΔΙΑΡΚΗΣ ΙΕΡΑ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ
Αθήνα, 23 Φεβρουαρίου 2005 (09:23 UTC+2)


Στη σκιά των νέων αποκαλύψεων συνεχίζονται και σήμερα οι συνεδριάσεις της Διαρκούς Ιεράς Συνόδου στη Μονή Πετράκη, υπό τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Αθηνών και Πάσης Ελλάδος, Χριστόδουλο.

Τριγμούς έχει προκαλέσει η κατάθεση ανώτατου δικαστικού λειτουργού στον επιθεωρητή του Αρείου Πάγου, Χρ.Μπαλντά, ότι ο Ιάκωβος Γιοσάκης προσδιόρισε δύο συναντήσεις με τον κ.Χριστόδουλο στο Μέγαρο της Αρχιεπισκοπής. Όπως υποστήριξε ο ανώτερος δικαστής, ο Γιοσάκης ήταν παρών σε όλη τη διάρκεια των συναντήσεων, παρά το ότι ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος έχει δηλώσει πως δεν τον γνωρίζει.

Σύμφωνα με τις πληροφορίες, οι συναντήσεις έγιναν το περασμένο εξάμηνο. Ο δικαστής υποστήριξε ότι η πρώτη έγινε για εθιμοτυπικούς λόγους, με αφορμή την προαγωγή του, ενώ για τη δεύτερη δεν έδωσε επαρκής εξηγήσεις.

Εξάλλου, το φως της δημοσιότητας βλέπει νέο σκάνδαλο με πρωταγωνιστή Μητροπολίτη. Πρόκειται για ιεράρχη ο οποίος εμφανίζεται να έχει τέσσερις λογαριασμούς σε αμερικάνικη τράπεζα με καταθέσεις 17 εκατομμύρια δολάρια.

Στο μεταξύ, στις φυλακές του Κορυδαλλού οδηγείται σήμερα ο ιερέας και στενός συνεργάτης του Γιοσάκη, Κύριλλος Σταυρόπουλος, ο οποίος κατηγορείται για την υπόθεση αρχαιοκαπηλίας στα Κύθηρα.

The Imitation of Christ
Thomas � Kempis

From Chapter Fourteen:

Turn your attention upon yourself and beware of judging the deeds of other men, for in judging others a man labors vainly, often makes mistakes, and easily sins; whereas, in judging and taking stock of himself he does something that is always profitable.

In His great mercy,
+Fr. Gregory

Dear Friends,

What is the purpose of this thread?

Why do we need to continue with it?

What does it add to our spiritual building up?

I ask the Administrator and the Moderator to consider closing this immediately in view of the spirit of prayer and Lenten repentance that we all need.

Alex

It's just news, nothing more or less. I don't think the poster is taking any position on it, just posting it. Sad to say, the Church today needs to be held up to public scrutiny - Church leadership, that is. Otherwise, this and similar scandals would continue for many more years and be swept under the rug.

Dear Charles,

I think we've all heard PLENTY about these things in recent months.

Shouldn't we be focusing on prayer and repentance?

Very often this type of thing leads to salacious gossip which seems to be a pastime of some (not on this Forum however!).

My request to the Administrator/Moderator stands.

Alex

As I have said before, if the topic upsets you, don't read it. Say a prayer for the Church of Greece, instead. Of course, our own Church could use prayer, as well.

Dear Charles,

Forgive me, but the Byzantine Forum isn't a slightly spiritual version of CNN online.

I think we've had enough about church scandals and it is inappropriate to go into them at this time of the church year.

We all know about them - AD NAUSEAM.

It doesn't upset me, it's just "enough is enough"

Sorry that that upsets you.

(You can say, "Oh, God!" now . . . )

Alex

I'm not upset, I just think the whole thing is a tempest in a teapot. I often don't read subjects that are upsetting, since it's too easy to avoid them. The whole thing is of little consequence to begin with. But I do have a little difficulty with any subject in the news destroying anyone's lenten serenity. I would think concentrating that fully on Lent would cause one to not even notice such things. I suspect some protest too much, but like I said, the matter is not of great consequence to begin with.

Can people stop saying 'Oh (you know)' full stop please? I'm sorry if this breaks the chain of discussion and I know you guys are just playing. But still, ya know? There are other means of expression, nai?

I am well aware of the prohibition to not use the name of God in vain, but the last time I looked, "God" was not his name. We may be encountering one of the differences between British English and American English. It happens all the time here, but perhaps that expression is more serious on your side of the pond than ours. Certainly no offense intended to the future subjects of Charles and Camilla. Long may they reign/rain. Now if that doesn't make you say "O, ***" I dont' know what will.

The Queen isnt even going to the wedding (although she's condescending to turn up to the reception). She called them 'common' for going to a registry office, its plain to the world that she doesnt like it. Many other senior royals have also elected not to go. Charles is doing a Henry VIII and isolating his family in taking a new bride.

England has had two King Charles': The first was overthrown, the second passed on the throne to his brother who was overthrown. I agree they were both overthrown for noble reasons but it does not bode well for the future. This Camilia incident might mark the end of this line.

Here are some news extracts from the BBC news website:

Ironically when Charles II's brother, James II, was deposed it was William the Orange who ascended to the throne...

We are hearing on the news that the Queen doesn't want to go against the couple's wishes to keep things simple, and that's why she isn't going to the wedding. I don't see how the Church of England can object, since it started with a royal divorce. With women bishops, and it's liberal positions on so many things, many Anglicans in Africa and Asia don't really even want to be associated with the church. In all fairness, it's been obvious for years that Charles and Camilla probably should have married each other years ago, before each married someone else. I suspect Charles would have been a happier man had he been left to make his own choices to begin with. And now he doesn't have the advice of his beloved grandmother who was apparently one of his main sources of strength and comfort. All in all, it's really kind of sad for everyone involved. Of course, should Charles become king, we can all enjoy teasing Alex about Camilla But should the present queen live as long as her mother, Charles may not spend much time on that throne, if he even gets there at all.