Comments on: Green Patriarch’s U.S. schedule released

By: Ron C

Ron C — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:50:35 +0000

In reply to George Patsourakos. When you are still operating in the dark ages and trying to fit in with modern society some of the strangest and most offensive things can happen. I feel his holiness does not really understand what American Orthodox people want and he would not know how to go about satisfying the issue that would provide us with our spirtual needs.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:04:25 +0000

Mmmmh, I think all the other “Denominations” will be green with envy…. a floating Patriarch saving the rain forest and the ozone layer.
Although, I am getting slowly but surely green with nausea about all this…

By: Ron C

Ron C — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:53:39 +0000

In reply to John Panos. I suppose when it is known that there is money to be had, the business side of the church wants to take advantage of the opportunity to get some of this money for their coffers. I mean no disrespect, but doesn't he see that he is being used, and used by the people who want to get rich from these causes.

By: cynthia curran

cynthia curran — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:36:28 +0000

Welll, I hope so too that Pat Bartholomew will help with the unity process. Now, I think that since we differ with him on certain issues that he can do other things that are postive.

By: George Patsourakos

George Patsourakos — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:20:51 +0000

I hope that Patriarch Bartholomew agrees to a plan for Orthodox unity of the various Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States when he meets with SCOBA in October 2009.

This is an idea whose time has come.

Some Orthodox jurisdictions in America are becoming frustrated from the unreasonable delay in achieving unity, and may well break away from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, if it does not agree to a plan for American Orthodox unity in the very near future.

By: Isa Almisry

Isa Almisry — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:21:41 +0000

In reply to Andrew. Well, as I have had to point out elsewhere, the bulk of Constantinople comes not from the mission of St. Andrew, but the imperial largesse of St. Constantine and the iconoclast emperors. We are seeing history repeating itself before our eyes:Old Rome, having sunk to a mere village-if that-also pursued a course of preaching Ultramontanism. With New Rome now playing Old Rome, Moscow in the role of new Church being elevated as capital of the empire, we now see exactly the same events that led up to 1054. The EP seems bent on squandering the moral authority of St. Andrew, doing face time with the beautiful people to get dividends on the canon 28 stock. The market might just crash taking him with it. If he tried being more the Ecumeical Patriarch rather that an ethnarch politician, there might be some future for the Constantinople.

By: Fr. Peter

Fr. Peter — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:46:12 +0000

I need to revise my previous comments after re reading the schedule of events as there are SOME liturgical events planned. The one thig that stand out to me is the fact that he will be hosted by the Greek Ambasador at the Waldof Astoria Hotel in New York. I find this absolutly insulting to the poor and struggling people in the world that supposed spiritual leader of the Orthodox would sit down and break bread with politicians in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where most of the poeple in the world could not even afford to eat. WOW how far from the Gospel message have we come!

Shame, Shame, Shame!

By: Fr. Peter

Fr. Peter — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:28:25 +0000

This is almost as bad as when Archbishop Demitrios called Pres Obama Alexander the Great! More pandering. No mention of liturgy or meeting with clergy, one meeting with the SCOBA bishops and that is it. Who is paying for this political journey and how much money is he taking back to Istanbul with him?

By: cynthia curran

cynthia curran — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:59:22 +0000

i mean Pat. Batholomew on the envormential issues not the moral ones.

By: Michael Bauman

Michael Bauman — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:21:46 +0000

…how our consumer based economy found its moral justification in a Judeo-Christian view that humans have dominion over the planet’s resources…

If Pat. Bartholomew endorses this tired old carnard it is franky not worth listening to anything else he has to say. He has departed completely from the revealed understanding of the synergistic, scaramental inter-relationshiop between us and God. He is denying the Incarnation and much of what flows from God becoming man.

If he critques both the author’s of the belief and the false Christianity that gave rise to such abusive ideas, then there is some hope. If he has the courage to condemn abortion, homosexual immorality and the whole package of secular hedonism that goes with such heinous ideas and practices, I’ll probably have a heart attack. I’m not holding my breath.

What else is abortion but consumerism run rampant? What is denying the sin of homosexuality but a denial that salvation is even necessary?

By: George Michalopulos

George Michalopulos — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:20:31 +0000

my worst fears are being confirmed. I’m sure the Pope is not pleased with the word “apostlic” being used. Of the so-called Pentarchy, C’pole was the only one w/out an apostolic foundation.

By: cynthia curran

cynthia curran — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:02:41 +0000

Well, I feel somewhat sorry for him. Personality there is a lot of pressure on an international level for him to take these positions. Granted, these are probably his own positions but recently I think while the right has some problems I personality see the left, moving in a more destrucative manner but someone else would of course disagree with this.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:18:22 +0000

Center for American Progress? Lets take a look at this organization which is partnering with the EP and the GOA. A simple search of their website reviews the following: Four Things You Didn't Know About God and Same Sex Marriage Americans Support Abortion Rights The Question of Conscience The EP's Choice of partnering with this organization should give us all a moment of pause and allow us to clearly question the GOA's and EP's commitment to the dignity of the human person. This is not an Apostolic visit. The schedule of the EP reflects political priorities and omogenia and before Orthodoxy not pastoral and evangelical witness. Now more than ever the world sees the EP not as the successor of St. Andrew the Apostle but a politician no different from someone like Al Gore.

By: Chrys

Chrys — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:57:52 +0000

In reply to Wesley J. Smith. Me too. It seems at odds with the pastoral claims made earlier this past year (and seems to offer support to the political suspicions of various critics). Is this a reflection of an increasingly tenuous position in Constantinople? A desire to increase his political capital back home by building political support in the US? While I appreciate the need for attending to practical concerns, the heavily political-orientation seems so much at odds with the pastoral nature of the office. (Maybe it's just pope-envy.)

By: Wesley J. Smith

Wesley J. Smith — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:20:34 +0000

I am shocked at how overtly political this seems.