Questions about the GOC of Greece

[nathanv]

Hello, I am a newbie and have some questions.

First, why did the GOC of Greece split in 1995 into synods now headed by Archbishop Kallinikos of Athens ("Kiousites") and Archbishop Makarios of Athens ("Lamians")?

There are two different viewpoints:

1. From the "Lamians": Archbishop Chrysostom Kiousis set up a shadow corporation along with 5 other bishops and put donations and church property in it without the knowledge of the other bishops. When the other bishops found out, they separated themselves and then elected Metropolitan Kallinikos of Lamia as their president. (Source: http://www.archbishopgregory.info/chapt ... ynod.shtml)

2. From the "Kiousites": Metropolitan Euthymios Orphanos of Thessaloniki was about to be charged in ecclesiastical court with moral infractions, but instead he fled and persuaded other bishops including Metropolitan Kallinikos of Lamia, to form a parallel synod. (Source: http://orthodoxwiki.org/Old_Calendarists).

Which of these version is correct? In either version, the split wasn't about a matter of faith.

Sincerely,
Nathan

Edit: Here is the official "Lamian" view - http://www.omologitis.org/wp-content/up ... s_corr.pdf . It says that the charges against Metr. Efthymios were first made by letter from a certain Yiosakis in 1983, and twice dismissed before being brought again in 1995.

Edit2: This has already been addressed in another thread here. http://www.euphrosynoscafe.com/forum/vi ... hp?p=33236
"There was a book with 75 testomonies of people who claim to have known Euthymios to be a homosexual, many by way of abuse. It was therefore important to call him to court because the scandal was in all of the Greek newspapers and many people were scandalized and most of the people refused to accept him. A court was the only way to resolve it, otherwise it would have appeared to be brushed under the rug."

[Jean-Serge]

Who knows?

[Matthew]

Who knows?

I second that.

The important thing here is something you already noted in your post. The rupture was not over an issue of FAITH. My advice, stay clear of such questions because:

1. It has no bearing on your standing with God regardless of which of the two jurisdictions you are under. If you are under neither but with the Tikhonites (RTOC) you don't have to think about it all. If you are under Metr. Pavlos, you are removed from the business by thousands of miles and Metr. Pavlos has had nothing to do with any of that.

2. Such questions, if one tries to figure them out, force us at some point to judge our brothers on one side or the other, and, according to the Holy Fathers, we rather should leave such things to the judgements of God.

3. We cannot be saved by exercising our own wits. We can achieve far more for ourselves by developing a good discipline of prayer and holy reading and godly conduct. If we are in error on some point, or are unintentionally and unknowingly in a jurisdiction that is outside canonical order and running short on Grace, then, by cultivating the aforementioned virtues, at some point God will reveal whatever is beneficial to our souls so that, with confidence, we may make any changes necessary for our salvation. Until then, "In your patience possess ye your souls" (St. Luke 21:19).

[Jean-Serge]

I said "who knows" regarding the charge of homosexuality for instance because it can be true, or it can be wrong, it can be a very clever slander made by some persons who plotted the thing so well, that in good faith, the synod believed them. Maybe this will be revealed later as occured recently with HOCNA and the monk that was suspected of homosexuality at least recognizing his mistakes on his deathbed...

[Matthew]

Yes, that is what I meant, too. The truth will come out eventually for the good of the sincere souls that cry to Him day and night for their own salvation.