Courageous words Fr. Andrew. I can relate.

Later, I discovered his pro-abortion stance among other morally questionable positions. Even more disappointing, after he lost the election, I discovered that he was married to a non-Christian (if I remember correctly Kitty was Jewish) outside the Orthodox Church and was not active in his local Greek Orthodox Church. In essence, Michael Dukakis and his campaign apparatus used the Greek Orthodox churches throughout America to garner votes from fellow Greeks.

These articles sum it up pretty well: New York Times, Dukakis’s Ties to Orthodox Church Stay Warm Despite Abortion Stance, and Los Angelos Times, Ethnic Group Flexes Political Muscle: Dukakis Mobilizes Greeks to Organize, Finance Drive.

I would assert that there is still a strong sentiment towards Greek ethnicity which over-shadows Orthodox Christian principles. Most of the seminary graduations and clergy-laity congresses over the past 20 years have showcased politicians rather than inspiring Church leaders. Boston mayor Ray Flynn was the keynote at my seminary graduation at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1994. The recent (2008) clergy-laity congress in Washington DC featured a parade of politicians.

It was then that I realized that the mindset of the leadership in the GOA is operating as if we were still the dhimmi of centuries past. We like to cuddle up to political leaders to curry favor and seek legitimacy. We’re afraid of offending them with any moral teaching because they may not treat us favorably on other issues usually having to do with Greek ethnic/national interests, especially outside of America. We celebrate as a major victory when the White House recognizes Greek Independence Day (March 25) but are silent when the moral teaching of the Faith is violated by one reckless decision after another.

Father JJ, how do you see this internal contradiction playing out with regards to the riots and unrest in Greece? The GOA has never addressed the moral and social underpinnings of these problems. Is the GOA so captive to the fantasy narrative of the Greek Community in America that it is unable to engage on these issues? Athens burns but the party at the Ritz Carlton in Florida goes on. How do you celebrate Greek Independence day at the White House when your homeland is in the midst of a social and economic collapse? If 79th Street does not pay more attention it find that people will turn on the GOA leadership very quickly as being overpaid and out of touch while common people suffer. Honestly, though I wonder what the real reason is for the GOA not even acknowledging Greece’s problems. Its amazing the disconnect between the idea of being “Greek in America” vs. being “Greek in Greece”

This isn’t true of all GOA leaders of course. I know some very strong pro-life priests, and even a pro-life bishop. I worry for the bishop a bit because in defending the tradition he risks exposing the moral sophistry of higher-ups. Local work seems safe, but a national presence is out of the question.

Andrew, I can never get that picture of Field Marshall Dukakis in his tank…

Seriously though, I’ve always that that Metropoulos was nothing but a hack. He totally lost all credibility with me when he did that interview with Fr Mark Arey about how wonderful the first Episcopal Assembly was. It was like watching a man-crush unfold before your eyes.

Christ was not only a man-God of words, but One of action. If our leaders/prince’s/voters aren’t following this example, then we’re lost on the political front.