New York, July 9, 2020
Photo: pappaspost.com
The Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America met in an extraordinary video conference session yesterday to discuss an official proposal to introduce age limits for hierarchs and clergy in the Archdiocese, which the Synod rejected.
The Pappas Post reported the day before that the relevant proposal was submitted to the GOARCH Administrative Committee by Protopresbyter Alexander Karloutsos of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons, a highly influential priest in the Archdiocese and the Patriarchate of Constantinople as a whole.
The Pappas Post also published a copy of the resolutions along with Fr. Alexander’s cover letter, in which the priest notes that the resolutions were originally submitted two years ago, though they were rejected by Archbishop Demetrios, who headed the Archdiocese at that time. However, with the election of Archbishop Elpidophoros last year, “there is now another opportunity to do what is right for the Church, rather than for personal agendas,” Fr. Alexander believes.
The Archdiocese suffered, Fr. Alexander continues, as Abp. Demetrios refused to retire, “even after numerous requests from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in the face of a collapsing Archdiocese, and when he had already surpassed his ninetieth birthday!”
The Archdiocese remains divided between those who supported Abp. Demetrios and those who “were begging for an end to a degenerating Archdiocese,” Fr. Alexander states.
A uniform retirement policy would have easily solved the issue and saved the Archdiocese much suffering, Fr. Alexander believes. Thus, referring to the practice of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic church for hierarchs to submit their resignation at the age of 75 (both allowing for archpastoral discretion as to the acceptance of the retirement), he proposes that GOARCH also establish that all hierarchs and clergy must submit their resignation at 75.
He also proposes that those serving as officers, directors, trustees, or members of committees be limited to 5 consecutive years of service in order to promote transparency.
As the Pappas Post reports, such resolutions would impact several GOARCH hierarchs in the next few years. Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver is 89, Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta is 76, Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco is 75, and Metropolitan Methodios of Boston is 73.
Archbishop Elpidophoros was born in 1967, and thus would still have more than 20 years to serve.
The Synod’s communique states that “that in accordance with the Sacred Canons of the Orthodox Church, there is no age limit for the exercise of the duties of Hierarchs. The retirement from active ministry (or not) of an individual Hierarch is entrusted exclusively to the individual choice and sole judgment of said Hierarch. Furthermore, it is noted that within the Ecumenical Patriarchate, no such age limits are applied.”
The Synod therefore rejects the proposal that was submitted as a draft resolution for the upcoming Clergy-Laity Congress of 2020, “inasmuch as such a proposal is beyond the capacity of the Clergy-Laity Congress, which is unable to decide in matters dogmatic and canonical.”
“The Hierarchs of the Holy Archdiocese minister to the People of God in the spirit of self-sacrifice, love and devotion, dedicating their whole life in service to the Church,” the communique concludes.
