Opinions of Influential Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

(TNH) [machine translated] - One of the great benefactors of the Church and the Community of America, the scientist, inventor and businessman Dr. Spyros Spyreas, broke his silence and with his exclusive interview to the "National Herald" disrupts the situation that has developed in the Archdiocese of America, the course and the actions of Archbishop Elpidophoros. The voice of Dr. Spireas, founder and owner of the large Pharmaceutical Industry "Sigmpharm Laboratories", resonates with the vast majority of his wealthy Greek Orthodox friends and acquaintances who belong to the lay body of the Archdiocese, as he himself confesses.

It should be pointed out that this is the first, strong and in-depth reflection statement of one of the most successful and elite members of the Community with a long journey in Church and Community life, a devotee of the national issues of Greece, Cyprus and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Dr. Spireas is the Chief Actuary of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a member of the Leadership of 100 having paid the entire amount and also one of the founding members of the "Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew" Endowment to which he has also paid the entire participation.

The entire interview of Dr. Spyros Spyreas is as follows:

"National Herald": What are your thoughts three years after the election and enthronement of Archbishop Elpidophoros on the throne of America?

Dr. Spireas: First of all, I would like to thank you and your newspaper, Mr. Kalmoukos, for giving me the opportunity to give you this interview. But before we start, I should tell you that I have paid a lot of attention to publications on this topic. Therefore, any of the views I am willing to discuss with you today are based solely on the information contained in relevant publications available to all of us.

By the way, I suspect I am not alone in my reaction to these recent events as reported by the Media or my views on the behavior of our religious leaders.

Now, I continue this interview by answering your first question.

Unfortunately, my thoughts on this subject are laden with great anxiety and reflection on the future of our Church and Fellowship in America. I struggle and am surprised by the actions and tactics of Mr. Elpidophoros that we have been learning lately, which are unbecoming of a Christian Hierarch. I can't believe how we were mistaken by so many people who at first thought that this promising, this cultured and young-age Hierarch could become the springboard of a better era for our Greek Orthodox Church in America and for the entire Greek-American Community. On the contrary, and with great heartache, I now realize that all the optimists among us were "falling into error" thinking then that Mr. Elpidophoros was "a name and a thing". Unfortunately and unfortunately, neither was, nor is!

More specifically, the first big disappointment came for me on October 8, 2020 when Mr. Elpidophoros, in completely unknown and "magical" ways, which as now emerges from your own revelations Mr. Kalmouko, was rather based on underground and premeditated methods of, he not only managed to unjustifiably and irregularly abolish the Statute of the Archdiocese and turn on the same day into an unaccountable monocrator of our Church here, but at the same time, he also managed to unjustly evict one of the most ardent supporters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and one of the most Greek decent, creative and capable – proven capable – Hierarchs of our Church here, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of New Jersey Mr. Evangelos. In my humble opinion,

The second and bitter disappointment came for me when Mr. Elpidophoros went on September 20, 2021 to the opening of the Turkish House in New York and participated in the celebration and festive boasting of Erdogan and the Turkish Cypriot leader of the pseudo-state, harrying with the Genus slaughterers . Certainly this matter was not only ecclesiastical but above all national. I believe that that fateful day contained the greatest and most despicable insult that the Hellenic American Community and the Hellenic Nation has ever received from an Archbishop of America.

And as if these blatant rumors of Mr. Elpidoforos were not enough, we learn just last week from your newspaper of a new "achievement" of his, which not only angers and insults me personally, but also confuses, numbs and disorients the Greek Orthodox Homogeneity. Specifically, it is not understood that a Christian Hierarch, let alone the Archbishop of America, should hide the full truth from another brother of the Christian Hierarch of another Church, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Glyfada of the Church of Greece, Mr. Antonio, in order to get his permission to enter the geographical jurisdiction of his Diocese and to baptize two children, in the church of Panagia Faneromeni in Vouliagmeni, without revealing to him the full details of such a baptism. Specifically, in his license application, Mr.

I really do not believe that an Archbishop of America would manipulate the truth to achieve his purpose of entering Mr. Antonio's Diocese and performing the sacrament of baptism. Unfortunately for Mr. Elpidophoros, in this case "the end does not justify the means". Whoever misleads and deceives others does not secure Divine Grace. After all, the proverb of our people says: "He who tells lies drowns in blood, and he who tells the truth has God for help." I think that this misleading action of Mr. Elpidophoros is a monumental error on his part and, obviously, completely unbecoming not only of a Christian Hierarch but also, in general, of a correct and virtuous person. In fact, today as we speak, Orthodox Christian Greece as a whole - clergy and laity - has caught fire and is blowing the whistle against Mr.

One will certainly wonder if this was the only time, a single unfortunate moment, that Mr. Elpidophoros tells self-serving lies. I am very afraid that the answer to this question is very revealing of his character and, unfortunately, very disheartening for us and our future as a Nation.

Just last Monday we learned from your related article, Mr. Kalmoukos, that hierarchs members of the Holy Provincial Synod of America, i.e. renowned and experienced Metropolitans of America, in their last meeting with Mr. Elpidophoros, complained very loudly to him and accused him directly and vehemently together with his staff, that they falsify and sign the minutes of the meetings of the Holy Provincial Synod of America without the knowledge and acceptance of the members of the Synod, so that Mr. Elpidophoros can in turn mislead the Ecumenical Patriarch himself and the Holy Synod of the Lantern.

If this accusation by the Metropolitans of the Holy Provincial Synod of America is correct and well-founded, which I have no reason to doubt that it is, then this case you revealed is very disturbing and indicative of the character of Mr. Elpidophoros and his staff. And, I am very afraid and I also wonder if this problematic behavior of the decision-makers of this matter will do great harm in the end and result in the future tax loss of the non-profit title of the Archdiocese of America. It is literally pure madness!

How can a Christian Hierarch behave in this way along with his staffs? How can a Christian Hierarch be steeped in self-serving deception and lying? Where are we going; Where is this man leading us? Has he even misled the Clan Patriarch? How many injustices has it created? How can we trust him with the future of the Community? Will it disorientate our Greek Orthodox Unity? Only God knows! It's really mind boggling!

And for this reason I am reacting today with this interview, which is essentially a testimony of soul and pain on my part because I am very worried about the future of the Community and our Church.

"E.K.": What do your expatriate business acquaintances and friends say to you, who financially and in every way support the communities and the Diocese of New Jersey to which you belong?

Dr. Spireas: The vast majority of my affluent Greek-Orthodox Greek-American, Greek and Philhellenic friends and acquaintances have similar thoughts to mine, which I summarized in your previous question. Everyone feels confused and numb and simmering with me in the same cauldron of secret frustration, rage and most of all, anguish. All of them, with obvious determination, are eagerly waiting for things to change and for justice to finally be served so that the upward marches of our Church and the Metropolis of New Jersey can continue, as was happening not long ago. I estimate that most of them are not so much involved with the commons of the Church anymore, and now they offer negligible financial amounts compared to what they offered before.

"E.K.": How did you feel when you were informed of the expulsion of Metropolitan Evangelos from the Diocese of New Jersey, since you have a close friendship and closeness and you were also one of the most generous donors and benefactors of the Diocese?

Dr. Spireas: It was a dark day for me. I felt enormous indignation and unspeakable disappointment at the terrible injustice that was being done at that moment to one of the most ardent supporters of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, to one of the most creative, able and most Greek-worthy hierarchs of our Church here, a native of the Hellenic American Community from her guts. I could not believe that this man who created by himself, with his own hands and from scratch, with great pride and Greekness, one of the most robust, creative and successful Metropolises of the Church of America,

But above all you must remember that, as you said in your question, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Evangelos has always been, is and will be my friend and therefore I sympathized, sympathize and will sympathize with his drama. But, as I see things now, and knowing the wisdom and justice of our current Patriarch, I believe that, after the recent revocation of the Statute of the Archdiocese, the restoration of the Gospel will soon come. Because not only is he a serious, philanthropic, dignified, creative and Greek-worthy hierarch who is immediately needed by the Hellenic-American Community and our Church, but also because as you know "the unjust is not blessed".

"E.K.": How do you react to the accusations of Elpidophoros and his staff against Evangelos?

Dr. Spireas: The latest shocking revelations that are published almost daily, demonstrate that Mr. Evangelos has probably fallen victim to the misleading tactics and methods of Mr. Elpidophoros and his staff. Therefore, I would recommend them to immediately stop their slander, intimidation and slander and misinformation not only against the Gospel but also against his friends. "Who is able to understand, understands"!

"E.K.": Would you advise him to resort to Justice?

Dr. Spireas: With heartache, I say yes. But I know, and it does not surprise me at all, knowing his character and his love for the Church, that he would in no way want to turn righteously against the Mother Church. At this point, please observe what a virtuous and holy man will say. While these "masters" blacken and trample on his name and throw endless mud on his clean forehead, he does not want to react and sacrifices himself for the good of our Church. For this reason, I warmly request his accusers-slanderers to respect him and stop, realizing that love and light always prevail over hate and darkness! Everyone must understand that the Gospel is not alone like the stubble in the field! He has many friends who love and respect him. However, I have assured him that whatever decision he makes on this issue, I will always be by his side. Because as you know, Mr. Kalmouko, "a friend knows a friend in danger".

"E.K.": Do you still financially support the Diocese of New Jersey?

Dr. Spireas: Of course not. Financial support to an "ungrateful" Metropolis that, through Mr. Elpidophoros and his staff and cronies, demobilizes, stones and slanders its creator and natural leader, is certainly not appropriate.

"E.K.": Always being in the front line for the support of the national issues of Greece and Cyprus, how did you feel seeing Archbishop Elpidophoros next to the slaughterers of Genus, the Turks, enjoying themselves with them at the opening of the Turkish House?

Dr. Spireas: As I said in response to your first question, I was very angry and embarrassed. But I would like to expand a little more on this matter to send the following message directly to Mr. Elpidophoros.

This is America Mr. Hopeful! We are proud Greek-Americans, Greeks and Philhellenes! We are free and not besieged! We do not accept any servitude to others! We are not janissaries and you should not threaten our salvation with your actions! Here in America free Greece is resurrected and lives every day! We love and protect our motherland and our Ecumenical Patriarchate! We are always proud of the homeland of our ancestors, the homeland of our Religion and the Christ of the Holy Faith, and the homeland of Democracy and Western Civilization! End of story.

"E.K.": Do you think it is possible that the Greek language will be ostracized by Elpidophoros, despite his declarations to the contrary?

Dr. Spireas: At this moment as we speak, I do not believe it and I would not like to accept it. I hope that the education and religious education of Mr. Elpidoforos will not let him make such a fatal mistake.

The richest linguistic vocabulary in the world belongs to Greek. If I remember correctly, the Greek vocabulary contains about three times as many words as the English vocabulary, almost half of which have Greek roots. By the way, there is no Greek-American Church and Greek Orthodox Holy Liturgy without the presence of Greek women. The Greek language is the language of the Gospel and our religion! Even if one would like to ignore the preservation of our traditions, our history and our culture, the absence of Greek from our religion will lead with mathematical precision to the dilution of basic religious concepts, resulting in the creation of sects within the very Our church. Therefore,

"E.K.": Having studied, progressed, lived and living in the Community and the Church of America, really where are we going as a Community and as a Church?

Dr. Spireas: As I have said many times in the past, the Church and our Unity are interrelated and interdependent concepts here in America. If our Church declines then our Homogeneity will also decline. If our Church is progressing then our Unity will progress as well. The success, creativity and Greekness of our Church therefore implies a robust, creative and successful Community here in America that will be able to help and protect all Hellenism around the world. Therefore, the advancement and maintenance of a thriving Church in America is very important. But in order for this to happen, the leadership of our Church should be and remain serious, prudent and Greek decent without drumming and without boasting for the personal promotion of anyone. We must all be only tireless workers of God's Wisdom and nothing else. And, we must all fight the above all fight for the preservation of our Ecumenical Patriarchate which connects us with all Hellenism around the world. And, also, we must all protect, help and respect mother Greece and her Church, without expecting any help from them. I firmly believe that these are, and must always be, the basic fundamental principles for the success and preservation of the Greek-American Orthodox Church and Community that we should hand down intact to our children, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren. we must all fight the above all fight for the preservation of our Ecumenical Patriarchate which connects us with all Hellenism around the world. And, also, we must all protect, help and respect mother Greece and her Church, without expecting any help from them. I firmly believe that these are, and must always be, the basic fundamental principles for the success and preservation of the Greek-American Orthodox Church and Community that we should hand down intact to our children, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren. we must all fight the above all fight for the preservation of our Ecumenical Patriarchate which connects us with all Hellenism around the world. And, also, we must all protect, help and respect mother Greece and her Church, without expecting any help from them. I firmly believe that these are, and must always be, the basic fundamental principles for the success and preservation of the Greek-American Orthodox Church and Community that we should hand down intact to our children, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren.

"E.K.": What should be done?

Dr. Spireas: The first step has already been taken with the recent revocation of the Statute of the Archdiocese, which pleased me beyond imagination. In my humble opinion, the second step should be the restoration and reinstatement of Mr. Evangelos to the Diocese of New Jersey to finally stop the decline of the Diocese to which I belong. And as a third step, Mr. Elpidophoros and his staff should stop making decisions in the absence of the Holy Provincial Synod of America and the Archdiocesan Council. If Mr. Elpidophoros cannot materially comply, then he should be vigorously replaced.

At this point I would like to assure your readers that this opinion of mine is in no way influenced by my friendship with Mr. Evangelos. My long journey in the field of science, invention and entrepreneurship has taught me to completely separate any friendship or preference I have from the solutions I give to the problems I face and really need to be solved.

My anxiety to preserve and pass on to future generations, the basic principles, which I talked about in my previous answer, was the one and only reason and the real reason that prompted me to decide to give you this interview. It was neither Mr. Evangelos, nor Mr. Elpidophoros. It is exclusively, my great anxiety for the future of our Church and our Homogeneity in America that my children live and – God first – my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren will live.

But because I am an optimistic person by nature, whatever my anxieties, my concerns and my opinions on these matters, I firmly believe that His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will work his miracle. This experienced, wise, righteous, God-given and Holy Elder, the Patriarch of the Nation, will solve the problem and carve out the most successful plan of the American Church. I have no doubt that he will do the right thing. What God always enlightens him!

It will provide the most constructive solution to the problem, and our Unity will once again shine brightly in its super-bright Church!