Archbishop Leonty (+1971) and the Greek Old Calendarists [part 13]
(Continue from here)
The People of God [1] consist of all the faithful, both clergy and laity, from the highest Bishop to the least layperson; and especially those who not only bear the name of Christians but also keep the commandments of God. Some of what has been written in the previous chapters, as well as what will follow, may scandalize some who believe that ecclesiastical life is a paradisiacal existence on earth and that all Christians are incarnate angels living without scandals. The entirety of ecclesiastical history [2] includes strife, divisions, and great temptations, for the militant Church battles with the devil himself, who desires—albeit vainly, according to the truthful words of our Lord [3]—to abolish it. And the devil, to accomplish his work, even uses members of the Church, through their passions, when they have not been purified from them. Many Fathers (e.g., Saint Gregory the Theologian, Saint Basil the Great, or Saint Theodore the Studite in their letters) lament the ecclesiastical conflicts, which intensify during times of heresies and disturb the Church.
Thus, in our case as well: "Old Calendarism" does not only mean a sacred struggle for the traditions, an Orthodox revival, and Genuine Orthodoxy, but in some cases, it also means obscurantism, hypocrisy, and counterfeit "genuineness." It does not only mean bravery and valor of exiled and persecuted fighters, but it can also mean exploitation of Christ and cowardice by boastful false miracle-workers. It may signify love, philanthropy, and benefit, but it may also signify hatred, hostility, and fanaticism. It may mean enlightenment and strong arguments with moderation, but it may also mean obfuscation and forgery to serve extremism. It may mean holiness of Spiritual bearers of signs (miracle workers), but in some cases it may also mean savagery of pseudo-clerics without true Priesthood (per St John Chrysostomos, "God does not ordain all").
Archbishop Leonty, as the other pillar of the Church of the True Orthodox Christians of Greece (the first being St. Chrysostomos, former Metropolitan of Florina), belonged to and supported the illustrious ranks of the fighters (clergy and laity), with no other interest than the service of Truth and Orthodoxy.
First and foremost, he supported his genuine spiritual child, Bishop Petros Astyfides of Astoria, whom he himself had ordained in the United States, and who, despite being their benefactor, was scandalously ignored by the Bishops of the G.O.C. of Greece. For this reason, he continuously wrote to them, saying that they must "recognize as legitimate the Greek Bishop of Astoria, Petros, just as all our Russian Bishops recognize him. For it is anything but pleasant that the Hierarchical Synod of the Greeks has not yet included him within its ranks." [5]
After the election of Saint Philaret as Primate of the ROCOR, Archbishop Leonty remained a guest of Petros of Astoria, [6] so that they might jointly contribute to the resolution of the intra-ecclesiastical issues that had arisen in Greece.
Near Bishop Petros, Archbishop Leonty had the opportunity and the time to be informed with the necessary details about the events that had recently taken place in Greece. This allowed him to take the correct stance toward everyone and to defend the wronged and persecuted laity, whom the "three saints" (as the Bishops Auxentios of Gardikion, Akakios of Diavleia, and Gerontios of Salamis were called) portrayed as troublemakers and scandal-causers. The lack of paternal love of the Hierarchs, [7] the abuse of authority, and their actions against the laity [8] led Archbishop Leonty to stand by the latter, who were now collectively across the country protesting against the "tyranny," as they called the administration of the "three saints." [9]
The only thing they were now asking of the Hierarchs (that is, after the intervention of Archbishop Leonty and the two-year moratorium on ordinations that he imposed on them, as well as the recognition of Petros of Astoria) was the signing of a Protocol by which they would declare their agreement with these two terms. They considered this a sufficient guarantee because "through the inclusion of the Most Reverend Petros into the Holy Synod, with his vote added to those of the Most Reverend Leonty and the Most Reverend Chrysostomos [of Magnesia], the desired homogeneity among the 'three' is nullified. Through the two-year postponement of ordinations, the 'sacred bond' of the 'three saints' and the aspirants to episcopal thrones, the 'holy archimandrites,' is dissolved." [10] Furthermore, they believed that "with the passage of two years, passions would subside, and different circumstances might possibly arise." [11]
The just stance of Archbishop Leonty caused mixed emotions: holy emotion and enthusiasm [12] among the lay fighters, while bringing turmoil and sorrow to the three Hierarchs. [13] At the same time, several Clergy, including some of the most respected, supported the rightful demand of the laity: the Saint of Amfiali, Fr. John Baxevanakis (or Vaxevanopoulos); [14] the renowned Papa-Chrysanthos Vrettaros of St. Anne’s Skete [15] (one of the first fighters) along with his disciple, Fr. Maximos Tsitsimpakos; [16] the ascetic Elder Fr. Gordios Karagiannis with his virtuous disciple, Fr. Philaretos Papamakarios; the beloved parish priests of the parishes and branches, including Fr. Chrysostomos Kiousis (St. Paraskevi, Monastiraki, Athens), Fr. Konstantinos Papantoniou (Holy Apostles Peter & Paul, Dafni), Fr. Panteleimon Tsaloupis (Dormition of the Theotokos, Piraeus), Fr. Christos Giokas (St. Paul, Old Kokkinia, Piraeus), Fr. Vasileios Liatsos (Corinth), Fr. Chrysostomos Stamoulis (Thebes), Fr. Eustathios Grias (Domvraina), Fr. Antonios Papakalousios (Larissa), Fr. Stylianos Mousas (Thessaloniki), Fr. Nikolaos Alexandridis (Mesoropi), and others.
With the support of Archbishop Leonty and Petros of Astoria, as well as the aforementioned prominent Clergy and the universally esteemed theologian Stavros Karamitsos (a collaborator of Saint Chrysostomos, former Metropolitan of Florina), the members of the P.T.E.O.K. assured, refuting every slander about "causing a schism," that "we will maintain our objection within the bosom of the Church, and through lawful struggle, with God as our helper, we will strive to do everything humanly possible for the restoration of the Church to its canonical course." [17]
The three Hierarchs, however, decided to disdain their benefactor, who had by then returned to Chile, further exacerbating the situation. First, they enlisted Monk Mark Chaniotis, [18] who, with his rhetorical skill and authority, undertook to shift the general sentiment in favor of the "three saints." Initially, he sent a letter to the P.T.E.O.K. in which he attempted to provide a one-sided interpretation of Archbishop Leonty's writings, stating that "His Eminence of Chile, writing, speaking, and acting in the Holy Spirit, recommends what is pleasing to God, namely humility and obedience to the Holy Synod." [19] The members of the P.T.E.O.K. responded appropriately, writing, among other things, that they agreed with the view "that the Most Reverend Archbishop of Chile and Peru writes, speaks, and acts in the Holy Spirit," but also emphasizing that "the Most Reverend Archbishop Leonty does not show favoritism, neither toward the Bishops nor the laity, but as a father to both, he recommends to each party 'what is pleasing to God.'" [20]
The three Hierarchs, along with Fr. Mark Chaniotis, began a "clarification" tour in the parishes and branches. During this time, a dreadful event took place that fully vindicated the P.T.E.O.K. and saddened Archbishop Leonty, the advocate of unity. On the feast day of Saint Paraskevi, Archbishop Auxentios, accompanied by an entourage, visited the celebrating church in Monastiraki (the Administrative Council of the P.T.E.O.K. had decided not to attend the celebration to avoid escalating tensions), where Fr. Chrysostomos Kiousis served as parish priest, and the renowned melodious Monk Dositheos the Blind was chanting. [21] During the sermon, delivered on the Archbishop's orders by Fr. Mark, advocating submission to the Hierarchs, some voices of protest arose. The Archbishop’s loyalists rushed to silence them by resorting to physical violence. Maria Komniou was taken to the hospital with a head injury, [22] while other women also suffered head injuries and fainted under the watchful but regrettably silent gaze of Auxentios. [23] Those who opposed this disgraceful conduct were punished: Fr. Chrysostomos Kiousis and Monk Dositheos were removed from their parish, while Fr. Chrysanthos and Fr. Maximos, who learned of the events and protested, were suspended! Four days later, Auxentios sent a letter to Archbishop Leonty, abusively attacking Komnios...
The culmination of the unacceptable actions of the "three saints" was their moral complicity in the lawsuit filed by their associates against the legitimate Administrative Council of the P.T.E.O.K., whose members (among the leaders of the Struggle) were dragged to court like criminals, this time not by New Calendarists but by Old Calendarist Hierarchs. The trial took place on September 4/17, 1964, and the accused fighters were triumphantly vindicated. However, their tribulations were not destined to end there.
Archbishop Leonty, however, in a fervent letter to the P.T.E.O.K., [24] denounced these actions and threatened to refer the three Hierarchs to an ecclesiastical court (of the ROCOR) if they did not come to their senses.
NOTES
1. 1 Peter 2:10
2. Their authors often recorded incidents that were not at all flattering to the ecclesiastical situation (which were even exploited by those outside the Church), but they did so with full awareness that the truth must be revealed to prevent the same mistakes from being repeated.
3. Matthew 16:18
4. Archbishop Leonty, in contrast to Saint Chrysostomos, former Metropolitan of Florina, who was grieved by the Bishops he ordained (two of whom caused a schism, while the others returned to the New Calendar), had the joy of ordaining three good Bishops (Parthenios of the Cyclades, Chrysostomos of Magnesia, and his beloved Petros of Astoria).
5. To the P.T.E.O.K. on May 20, 1964 O.S.
6. The members of the P.T.E.O.K. write to Petros of Astoria on April 30, 1964, O.S.: "From the common Father and Benefactor of our Martyric Church, Archbishop Leonty of Chile and Peru, we received a reply to our letter addressed to him, in which he recommends that our letters to him be sent to your address."
7. It is a common phenomenon for certain Clergy, when possessed by a sense of inferiority, to become angry when they do not receive the respect they believe is owed to them, instead of earning it in a Christlike manner (that is, through love and humility).
8. The "three saints," unfortunately, went so far as to use the Police and the Prosecutor's Office, imitating the New Calendarist Hierarchs... And all this against whom? Against those who upheld the banners of the Holy Struggle for twelve years (1924–1935) and for five years (1955–1960) without Hierarchs...
9. The now-collaborating Administrations of the Lay Communities (along with their parish priests) included, in addition to those of Athens and Thessaloniki, the also populous communities of Thebes, Volos, Larissa (and Verdikoussa), Kavala (and Mesoropi), and Drama.
10. Letter from the P.T.E.O.K. to the Communities of Kavala, Drama, Mesoropi, and Verdikoussa on June 6/19, 1964. The three Bishops had promised some archimandrites that they would ordain them as Bishops in future. This is how they managed to get them on their side.
11. Letter from the P.T.E.O.K. to Chrysostomos of Magnesia on May 24, 1964 (O.S.).
12. Konstantinos Komnios wrote to Fr. Georgios of Provatas on June 1/14, 1964: "As a final consoling hope, as a morning star, the dynamic intervention of our common Father and protector, Archbishop Leonty, has appeared on our spiritual horizon." And to Fr. Savvas Papadopoulos, he wrote the following: "The services rendered to our holy struggle by this good Hierarch are invaluable, both when, disregarding potential dangers, he came to Greece from South America and proceeded with the ordinations of Bishops, through whom he revived our Church, and during the current period, with the prohibition of episcopal ordinations for two years. Through this prohibition, he is saving our Church from disgrace and its potential dissolution... The center of gravity is now in America, from where, through his mediatory efforts, His Eminence Archbishop Leonty will bring about a de-escalation and, following it, peace within the bosom of our Church."
13. Konstantinos Komnios wrote to Fr. Nikolaos Alexandridis, parish priest of Mesoropi, on May 30, 1964 O.S.: "The letters of His Eminence Leonty brought significant resistance to the dictatorial intentions of the Hierarchs. The 'three saints' were disturbed upon receiving these letters" (A.K.K.).
14. A biography of this great Saint (who is commemorated on January 26 O.S.) was written by the highly esteemed Professor at the University of Scranton, U.S.A., Dr. Ioannis Kallianiotis: https://krufo-sxoleio.blogspot.com/2021/02/st-ioannis-john-of-amfiali-piraeus-by.html
15. For more on this great figure, see Hieromonk Chrysanthos of St. Anne’s Skete, Elderly Memories and Narrations (two volumes), Molos Lokridos, 2008–2009, and Monk Moses the Athonite, The Great Gerontikon of Virtuous Athonites of the Twentieth Century, Volume II, 1956–1983, pp. 1007–1010.
16. He was born in 1933 in Athens, became a monk in 1950, and in 1961 was ordained Deacon and Priest by Akakios of Talantion. In 1979, he was consecrated Bishop of the G.O.C. of Magnesia. He reposed in the Lord on August 9, 2018 (O.S.).
17. Letter from Konstantinos Komnios to Fr. Agathangelos Vourdoulas, newly arrived from Jerusalem, on May 31, 1964 (O.S.).
18. In the world, he was Emmanuel Chaniotis, a philologist at the Ecclesiastical School of Saint Anastasia the Deliverer from Potions in Halkidiki. He was one of the early fighters against the New Calendar and a key figure in the Matthewite Schism of 1937. Having repented, he returned to the Church, living in quietude at the Holy Monastery of Saints Theodoroi in Paros, which he had founded, and was occasionally invited by the new Hierarchs to give speeches. He reposed in 1977.
19. Letter from Monk Mark Chaniotis to the P.T.E.O.K. on June 11, 1964 (O.S.).
20. Letter from the P.T.E.O.K. to Monk Mark Chaniotis on June 16/29 1964.
21. Monk Dositheos (secular name Pantelis Paraskevaidis) was born in 1912 in Attaleia, Asia Minor. He lost his sight at the age of five due to meningitis. He was admitted to the School for the Blind, where he learned the Greek language and European musical notation in Braille. At just fifteen years old, he devised a Braille system for Byzantine musical notation, a significant tool for blind cantors. At the age of nineteen, he became a monk in Katounakia on Mount Athos. He was a zealot for the patristic traditions and unmatched in the art of chanting. He reposed on March 16, 1991 (O.S.), and was buried in the cemetery of the Holy Monastery of Saint Stephen in Paleo Heraklio, Attica. A sample of his great vocal art: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JroSCQKfofM
22. Approximately two months after the incident (on September 14/27), Konstantinos Komnios writes to Fr. Antonios Moustakas: "We have taken no counteraction, although we possess abundant evidence. We leave vengeance to God. Not once have we invoked the assistance of the authorities... Maria is suffering greatly, both mentally and physically. Ever since the feast of Saint Paraskevi, when they attacked her, struck her, and pulled her hair 'to tear it out,' she has had constant headaches and is in much pain. May the 'saints,' and particularly His Eminence Auxentios, who from his throne looked on impassively at the operations, fare well... Glory be to God for all things."
23. Similar incidents occurred in Chalkida in 1971, again due to Auxentios' actions, between his supporters and the supporters of Akakios, as their former alliance of convenience had come to an end.
24. August 13/26 1964.
[Be continued]
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