Athens, August 1, 2022
greeknewsonline.com
Two Athens lawyers are filing a lawsuit against Archbishop Elpidophoros of Constantinople’s Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and close associates in the midst of the scandal created by the highly publicized Baptism of the children of a gay celebrity couple.
In particular, the lawyers argue that the article, “A tempest over a baptism in Greece raises questions about what we’re trying to protect,” by Archdeacon John Chryssavgis, a member of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan staff and advisor to Patriarch Bartholomew, “is full of unfounded reports and inaccuracies that can cause great social unrest implicitly directed against the majority of Orthodox Christians in Greece and abroad,” reports the Greek outlet Ekklisia Online.
It’s widely accepted in the Greek media that Chryssavgis’ article constitutes Abp. Elpidophoros’ own response to the scandal of the so-called “openly gay baptism.” In particular, he accuses the Church of being out of touch and makes personal attacks against hierarchs of the Church of the Greece.
Recall that the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece officially protested to both Abp. Elpidophoros and Pat. Bartholomew. Likewise, the most recent session of the Holy Synod of Constantinople was dominated by a number of complaints against the GOARCH head.
In their suit, the lawyers refer to a Greek law against inciting acts that can cause discrimination, hatred, or violence “on the basis of race, color, religion, descent, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, in a manner that endangers public order or poses a threat to life.”
Conviction brings a sentence of three months to three years in prison and a fine of 5,000-2,000 euros ($5,125-$20,495).
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In his article, Archdcn. Chryssavgis argues that the dispute surrounding the Baptism, which many have taken as Abp. Elpidophoros’ implicit support for gay marriage, is simply “another episode in the culture wars.”
Moreover, “It also revealed how out of touch the Orthodox Church is with reality and the world,” writes the Constantinople theologian. The Church “lives in its own bubble,” with “ostentatious rituals and flamboyant vestments.”
Orthodox Christians are largely unable to engage in rational discourse about homosexuality, the archdeacon believes, and should learn from saints such as St. Porphyrios, who once went to bless a brothel in Athens, saying the prostitutes were “in a better spiritual state” than many others.
“There should be no controversy over a baptism, to which all children are entitled,” Chryssavgis writes. “Why then has Elpidophoros’ action caused such contention and accusation?”
The controversy reveals that Orthodox Christians are afraid, that “tradition or truth might be diluted,” or “of unraveling a seamless fabric.” But the Church has never shied away from difficult debates, the archdeacon writes.
According to him, Met. Antonios of Glyfada’s statement that he was deceived by Abp. Elpidophoros was a “scramble to wash his hands and cover his tracks.” Met. Antonios stated that had Abp. Elpidophoros disclosed to him when seeking permission to celebrate a Baptism in his diocese that the “family” in question consists of a gay couple and children born by a surrogate mother, he would have turned to the Greek Holy Synod to decide how to proceed. For Chryssavgis, this is a lack of courage on Met. Antonios’ part.
The archdeacon then asks if the Archbishop should have disclosed the relations of the “parents,” given that this possibly doesn’t happen in other situations. Even the children of atheists could be baptized, he implies.
The archdeacon then turns his attention to Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus, who issued a strong reaction against Abp. Elpidophoros. Chryssavgis argues, though in the form of questions, that Met. Seraphim, whose diocese is close to that of Met. Antonios, is afraid of being contaminated by the close proximity to sin.
Met. Seraphim’s opinion is, according to Chryssavgis, “of little consequence” because he has other views that can be considered extreme. For an example, the archdeacon recalls when Met. Seraphim called on the Muslim president of Turkey to convert to holy Orthodoxy.
But Erdoğan is more likely to find salvation, Chryssavgis implies: “I think the good metropolitan might be surprised to see who, as it says in the Gospel of Matthew, ‘precede you to the Kingdom of God!’”
The Church needs to have a frank discussion about sex and gender, and “those prone to deprecating the lifestyles of others” need to remove the log from their own eyes, Archdcn. Chryssavgis continues.
And he concludes with a call to imitate the Lord:
What would Jesus do? Whom would Jesus censure, and how would Jesus correct someone? Whom would Jesus welcome, and what behavior would Jesus expect? Our priority should be to elevate one another in the broken body of Christ. If we are honest with ourselves and with God — if we trust the Christian gospel and Orthodox tradition — I hope we can lay down our stones and our defenses and our fears in order to listen to and learn from one another in a spirit of healing and reconciliation.
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