EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis) In this timely article – despite the fact it was published over 2.5 years ago – Archbishop Nikiforos of Askalon (please link here to visit his website) discusses the issue of “apoteichisis” (separation or breaking communion from heretical bishops) within the Orthodox Church.
The author argues that Orthodox Christians — both clergy and laity — should personally and openly separate themselves from church leaders whom they believe are promoting heresy, especially the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and those aligned with him. He insists that remaining faithful to traditional Orthodox doctrine is more important than maintaining institutional unity at any cost.
Key Points
- The author rejects the idea that church unity should prevent believers from distancing themselves from bishops accused of doctrinal error.
- He claims that Christians have a duty to withdraw from heretical teaching immediately, citing Scripture rather than waiting for an official council to act.
- He argues that current churchk leadership is unlikely to convene a proper synod to address these issues because of the influence of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
- As part of a structural reform, he proposes the creation of a permanent Resident “Endemousa”) Synod, composed of representatives from all Orthodox Churches. This body would coordinate inter-Orthodox cooperation and elect its own president annually, rather than concentrating authority in Constantinople.
- The author emphasizes that those who stop commemorating heretical bishops are not leaving the Church; rather, he says, the bishops who promote false teachings place themselves outside the Church.
- He strongly criticizes modern church leaders for accepting or tolerating social and theological changes that are contrary to Christian tradition
A Permanent “Resident Synod” Should Be Formed By All Orthodox Churches
Athens, 20-10-23
My dear Mr. Tramboulis,
Reading your comments on my response to Fr. Lavrentios’s article again, I realized I had missed a point you made in your writing.
You wrote that “the Ecclesiastical unity was disturbed because respected and fighting Fathers, cut any relation with the heretic Church Leaders.”
So, you mean that the Ecclesiastical unity is disturbed every time “a respected and fighter Father of the Church, (I imagine that this includes all the Christians, fathers, mothers, brothers and children, Clergy and Laity) cuts any relation for reasons of Faith.
So, you mean, we should not, for any reason, (if nobody should cut relations for reasons of faith), no Christian should cut relations with someone, one or many, who ”..but avoid, foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about law, for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned. (Titus 3, 9-11).
The first question is: Should we or should we not cut relations with the Chief heretic of Constantinople and all those who follow him?
Second: If we, all of us, must cut any relation, (how many should be gathered to agree on that, anyway), in order to do that? All of us? One? Five? Ten? One thousand? How many?
Or we must wait for a Synod to convene and make a decision? The Apostle says: cut off. Doesn’t say: Call a Synod in order to decide on what to do. After all, as the Orthodoxos Typos (Religious Newspaper) wrote in the past, even if someone were to call for a Synod to discuss this subject, we know that something like that cannot happen, because the New Pope of the East will not allow it. The truth is that the Ecumenical Patriarch, ideally, does not call for a Synod just because he likes to do so, but he, acting as the coordinator of the co-operation of all the local Orthodox Churches, calls for a Pan-Orthodox Synod when the need for such a Synod appears, to deal with problems that occasionally appear, or when the Leader of another Church asks for it.
Something else I do not hear discussed is the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as the coordinator of cooperation among all the Local Orthodox Churches. In order that the Ecumenical Patriarchate may be truly Ecumenical, there must be an Acting permanent Synod, comprised of representatives of all the Local Orthodox Churches, with a president elected by the Synod every year. Definitely, the operation of this Synod will be organized by its Members.
Concerning the decision to cut off relations with a heretic leader is a personal matter, and we must encourage all the Faithful, Clergy, and Laity to dare to cut off any relation with the Traitors of our Faith.
Those who cut themselves off from any relation with the Heretics do not cut relations with the Church, but remain faithful to the teachings of the Church. The heretics are the ones who cut themselves from the Church, who teach something which is not accepted by our Church.
Mr. Trakadas writes that the Church, (and the Church is not only the Clergy but also the Laity), cuts off the Heretics, only when they have reached a point of no return. But what else must they do, the Arch-heretic of Constantinople and those who follow him, in order for the Church to cut them away from her?
And who, you think, can cut them away, today, when we have reached a point where: “…they have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. (Romans 3, 12).
Only those who remain faithful to the teachings of our Church, have the Truth, Jesus, because Jesus is the Truth, (I am the way, the truth and the life, (John 14, 6). All those who deviate from the Teachings of our Church, they cut themselves away from the Church, even if they are Patriarchs. (…but even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed), (Galatians 1, 8).
Nobody wants to believe or can imagine that people who are the Leaders of the church are capable of doing the things they are doing today, the Chief Heretic of Constantinople and those who follow him, (The people say: if we were not the same, we would not have related to each other). The great Philosopher of antiquity, Plato, said: (the similar always approaches its similar), and I think we all agree with him.
And yet, what to believe after the barrage of activities of those antichrists, Christ fighting deceivers? What someone may believe when openly they teach us that everything that we believed until today, that is, what the Church taught us, (that is, what Jesus taught us, everything that the Gospel, the Fathers of the Church and all the Saints taught us) is not true, and publicly support, (without shame), the abnormals, and try to convince us that, what was considered abnormal until today, is normal.
Of course, we are to be blamed for not complaining more actively and forcibly against all those who are wolves disguised as sheep amongst us, and who are destroying everything good and beautiful that we believed in, until today. We should have no doubt that everything happening today and tomorrow is closely related to our behavior and our acceptance of what is happening without a second thought.
With much love in Christ
Archbishop Nikiphoros of Askalon
Νά συνέλθη Ἐνδημοῦσα Σύνοδος μέ ἐκπροσώπους ὅλων τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν
Τοῦ Σεβ. Ἀσκάλωνος Νικηφόρου
Ἀγαπητέ μου κ. Τραμπούλη
Ξαναδιαβάζοντας τὶς σημειώσεις σας σχετικὰ μὲ τὴν ἀπάντησὴ μου στὴν δημοσίευση τοῦ π. Λαυρεντίου πρόσεξα κάτι ποὺ διέφυγε τῆς προσοχῆς μου στὴν πρώτη ἀνάγνωση.
Γράφετε λοιπὸν ὅτι «ἡ Ἐκκλησιαστικὴ ἑνότης διεταράχθη λόγῳ τῆς ἀποτειχίσεως σεβαστῶν καὶ ἀγωνιστῶν πατέρων»!!!
Ὥστε, λοιπόν, ἡ Ἐκκλησιαστικὴ ἑνότης διαταράσσεται κάθε φορὰ ποὺ ἕνας «σεβαστὸς καὶ ἀγωνιστὴς πατέρας (φαντάζομαι ὅτι αὐτὸ συμπεριλαμβάνει ὅλους τοὺς Χριστιανούς, πατέρες, μητέρες, ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τέκνα, Κληρικοὺς καὶ Λαϊκοὺς), ἀποτειχίζεται γιὰ λόγους πίστεως.
Ὥστε, λοιπόν, δὲν πρέπει, σὲ καμμιὰ περίπτωση, (ἀφοῦ δὲν πρέπει νὰ ἀποτειχίζεται κανεὶς γιὰ λόγους πίστεως), κανένας Χριστιανὸς δὲν πρέπει νὰ «ἀποτειχίζεται» ἀπὸ κάποιον ἢ κάποιους οἱ ὁποῖοι «…μωρὰς δὲ ζητήσεις καὶ γενεαλογίας καὶ ἔρεις καὶ μάχας νομικὰς περιΐστασο∙ εἰσί γὰρ ἀνωφελεῖς καὶ μάταιοι. Αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν παραιτοῦ, εἰδώς ὅτι ἐξέστραπται ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ ἁμαρτάνει ὢν αὐτοκατάκριτος) (Τίτον, 3, 9-11).
Τὸ πρῶτο ἐρώτημα εἶναι: Πρέπει ἢ δὲν πρέπει νὰ ἀποτειχιστοῦμε ἀπὸ τὸν Ἀρχιαιρεσιάρχη τῆς Κωνσταντινούπολης καὶ ὅσους τὸν ἀκολουθοῦν;
Δεύτερον: Ἐὰν πρέπει νὰ ἀποτειχιστοῦμε, πόσοι πρέπει νὰ «μαζευτοῦμε, νὰ συμφωνήσουμε, τέλος πάντων» γιὰ κάτι τέτοιο; ὅλοι μας; Ἕνας; Πέντε; Δέκα; Χίλιοι; Πόσοι;
Ἢ μήπως θὰ πρέπει νὰ περιμένουμε νὰ γίνη Σύνοδος καὶ νὰ ἀποφασίση; Ὁ Ἀπόστολος λέει: παραιτοῦ. Δὲν λέει: Συγκάλεσε Σύνοδο, γιὰ νὰ ἀποφασίσετε τὶ πρέπει νὰ κάνετε. Ἐξ ἄλλου, ὅπως ἔγραψε καὶ ὁ Ο.Τ. στὸ παρελθόν, καὶ νὰ ἤθελε κάποιος νὰ ζητήση τὴν σύγκληση Συνόδου, γιὰ νὰ συζητήση τὸ θέμα αὐτό, ξέρουμε ὅτι σήμερα δὲν πρόκειται νὰ γίνη κάτι τέτοιο, γιατὶ ὁ Νέος Πάπας τῆς Ἀνατολῆς δὲν θὰ ἐπέτρεπε κάτι τέτοιο. Ἄλλο θέμα τώρα ὅτι τὴν Σύνοδο δὲν τὴν συγκαλεῖ, ἰδανικά, ὁ Οἰκουμενικὸς Πατριάρχης αὐτοδικαίως ἀλλὰ ὡς συντονιστὴς τῆς συνεργασίας ὅλων τῶν κατὰ τόπους Ὀρθοδόξων Ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ ὅταν διαπιστωθῆ ἀνάγκη συγκλήσεως τῆς Συνόδου γιὰ τὴν ἀντιμετώπιση προβλημάτων ἢ τὸ ζητήση κάποιος Προκαθήμενος ἄλλης Ἐκκλησίας.
Κάτι ἄλλο τὸ ὁποῖο δὲν βλέπω νὰ συζητῆται εἶναι ὁ ρόλος τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου ὡς συντονιστοῦ τῆς συνεργασίας ὅλων τῶν κατὰ τόπους Ὀρθοδόξων Ἐκκλησιῶν. Γιὰ νὰ εἶναι τὸ Οἰκουμενικὸ Πατριαρχεῖο πραγματικὰ Οἰκουμενικὸ θὰ πρέπη νὰ ὑπάρχη ἐνδημοῦσα Σύνοδος μὲ ἀντιπροσώπους ἀπὸ κάθε τοπικὴ Ὀρθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία καὶ πρόεδρο τῆς Συνόδου ποὺ θὰ ἐκλέγεται ἀπὸ τὴν Ἐνδημοῦσα Σύνοδο κατ’ ἔτος. Ὅπωσδήποτε, ἡ λειτουργία τῆς ἐνδημούσης Συνόδου θὰ καθορισθῆ μὲ κοινὴ ἀπόφαση ὅλων τῶν κατὰ τόπους Ὀρθοδόξων Ἐκκλησιῶν.
Τέλος, νομίζω ὅτι ἡ ἀποτείχιση εἶναι θέμα προσωπικὸ καὶ πρέπει νὰ ἐνθαρρύνουμε ὅλους τοὺς Πιστούς, Κληρικοὺς καὶ Λαϊκούς, νὰ τολμήσουν νὰ δηλώσουν τὴν ἀποτείχισή τους ἀπὸ τοὺς προδότες τῆς πίστεώς μας.
Δὲν ἀποτειχίζονται αὐτοὶ οἱ ὁποῖοι διακόπτουν τὸ μνημόσυνο τῶν αἱρετιζόντων Ἐπισκόπων τους, καὶ παραμένουν πιστοὶ στὴν διδασκαλία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας, ἀλλὰ ἀποτειχίζονται καὶ θέτουν ἑαυτοὺς ἐκτὸς Ἐκκλησίας, ἐκεῖνοι οἱ ὁποῖοι διδάσκουν ἀλλότριες πρὸς τὴν διδασκαλία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας διδασκαλίες.
Δὲν ἀποτειχίζονται ἀπὸ τὴν Ἐκκλησία αὐτοὶ οἱ ὁποῖοι διακόπτουν τὸ μνημόσυνο τῶν αἱρετιζόντων Ἐπισκόπων τους, ἀλλὰ μόνο ἀπὸ τὸν αἱρετίζοντα Ἐπίσκοπο.
Γράφει ὁ κ. Τρακάδας ὅτι ἡ Ἐκκλησία, (νοουμένου ὅτι ἡ Ἐκκλησία δὲν εἶναι μόνο ἡ ἡγεσία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ἀλλὰ Κλῆρος καὶ Λαὸς) ἀπομακρύνει τοὺς αἱρεσιάρχες, μόνον ὅταν πλέον ἡ κατάστασις ἔχει φθάσει εἰς τὸ ἀπροχώρητο. Δηλαδὴ τὶ ἄλλο πρέπει νὰ κάνουν ὁ Μέγας Αἱρεσιάρχης τῆς Κωνσταντινούπολης καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες αὐτόν, γιὰ νὰ τοὺς ἀπομακρύνη ἡ Ἐκκλησία; Καὶ ποιὰ Ἐκκλησία νομίζετε ὅτι εἶναι σὲ θέση σήμερα νὰ τοὺς ἀπομακρύνη, ὅταν φτάσαμε στὸ σημεῖο ὅπου, σχεδὸν: «…πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν˙ οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνὸς» (Ρωμ. γ, 12).
Μόνο αὐτοὶ οἱ ὁποῖοι παραμένουν πιστοὶ στὴν διδασκαλία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας ἔχουν τὴν Ἀλήθεια, τὸν Χριστό, γιατὶ ὁ Χριστὸς εἶναι ἡ Ἀλήθεια, (Ἐγὼ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωὴ) (Ἰωάν. ιδ, 6.). Ὅσοι παρεκλίνουν ἀπὸ τὴν διδασκαλία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας, αὐτοί θέτουν ἑαυτοὺς ἔξω τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ἀπομακρύνονται (ἀποτειχίζονται) ἀπὸ τὸν Χριστό, ἔστω καὶ ἂν εἶναι Πατριάρχες. «…ἀλλά ἐὰν ἡμεῖς ἢ ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εὐαγγελίζηται ὑμῖν παρ’ ὃ εὐηγγελισάμεθα ὑμῖν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω». (Γαλ. α, 8).
Δὲν θέλει κανεὶς νὰ πιστέψη, οὔτε καὶ μπορεῖ νὰ φανταστῆ ὅτι ἄνθρωποι οἱ ὁποῖοι βρίσκονται στὸ πηδάλιο τῆς Ἐκκλησίας εἶναι δυνατὸν νὰ κάνουν αὐτὰ ποὺ κάνουν στὴν ἐποχὴ μας, ὁ Μέγας Ἀρχιαιρεσιάρχης τοῦ Φαναρίου καὶ ὅσοι συμπλέουν μαζὶ του.( Ὁ Λαὸς σήμερα λέει :«Ἐὰν δὲν ταιριάζαμε δὲν θὰ συμπεθεριάζαμε». «Ὅμοιος ὁμοίῳ ἀεὶ πελάζει» εἶχε πεῖ καὶ ὁ μεγάλος φιλόσοφος τῆς ἀρχαιότητας Πλάτων καὶ νομίζω ὅτι ὅλοι συμφωνοῦμε μαζὶ του).
Καὶ ὅμως, τὶ νὰ πιστέψουμε μετὰ ἀπὸ τὶς καταιγιστικές ἐκδηλώσεις ὅλων αὐτῶν τῶν ἀντίχριστων χριστιανομάχων ἀπατεώνων; Τὶ νὰ πιστέψη κανεὶς ὅταν ἀνοικτὰ πλέον μᾶς διδάσκουν ὅτι ὅλα αὐτὰ ποὺ πιστεύαμε μέχρι σήμερα, αὐτὰ δηλαδή ποὺ μᾶς δίδασκε ἡ Ἐκκλησία μας, (οὐσιαστικὰ μᾶς λένε ὅτι αὐτὰ ποὺ εἶπε ὁ Χριστὸς, αὐτὰ ποὺ γράφει τὸ Εὐαγγέλιο, αὐτὰ ποὺ μᾶς διδάσκουν οἱ Ἅγιοι Πατέρες τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας, δεν ἰσχύουν πλέον, καὶ ὑποστηρίζουν δημοσίως (γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ), τοὺς ἀνώμαλους καὶ θέλουν νὰ μᾶς πείσουν ὅτι δὲν ἔχουμε δίκαιο νὰ θεωροῦμε «παρὰ φύσιν» αὐτὰ ποὺ μέχρι σήμερα θεωρούσαμε «παρὰ φύσιν»;
Βεβαίως, φταῖμε κι ἐμεῖς ποὺ δὲν βγαίνουμε στοὺς δρόμους νὰ τοὺς κράξουμε ὅλους αὐτοὺς τοὺς προβατόσχημους λύκους ποὺ ἔχουν εἰσβάλει στὴν κοινωνία μας καὶ γκρεμίζουν, σὰν μπουλντόζες, ὅτι καλὸ καὶ ὡραῖο πιστεύαμε μέχρι σήμερα. Νὰ μὴ ἔχουμε καμιὰ ἀμφιβολία ὅτι αὐτὰ ποὺ παθαίνουμε σήμερα καὶ αὐτὰ ποὺ θὰ πάθουμε αὔριο δὲν ἔχουν καμιὰ σχέση μὲ τὴν στάση μας ἀπέναντι σὲ ὅλα ὅσα «…καταπίνουμε ἀμάσητα».
Μὲ ἀγάπη Χριστοῦ καὶ ἐκτίμηση πρὸς τὸ πρόσωπό σας.
Αρχιεπισκοπος Ἀσκάλωνος Νικηφόρου
A standing Pan-Orthodox Synod is a good idea, but it runs into multiple problems:
1.) The Ecumenical Patriarchate will never consent to giving up its canonical rights (which, on paper at least, do exist) to call councils and preside at any gathering.
2.) The Moscow Patriarchate will never give up their numerical and political leverage.
3.) The other Churches will never consent to any compromising or diminishing of their position to accommodate the EP or MP.
It will take a catastrophe to actually bring our Bishops together, I think. That is what it took for Jerusalem and Antioch to reconcile. That is usually how authentic Ecumenical Councils come about, anyway.
Things haven’t gotten bad enough yet. If Russia suffers an Assad style political collapse (with Putin gone and a Ukraine victory by default) or the Ecumenical Patriarchate is expelled from Turkey, then there might be enough humble pie there for some real talking to take place. I pray that it doesn’t come to that, but God has His ways.
There won’t be an Ecumenical Council until after the coming catastrophe, WW3, which has already started. As with the last two World Wars, geographical boundaries will have been redrawn. At that time, the bishops will have a very different view of things then they do now. The obvious outcome, though, is that ROCOR will cease to exist. The Russian Church will not be allowed to have jurisdiction outside of Russia. A recognized autocephalous North American church then becomes a possibility, but it will also be a much, much more humble place.
Joseph, if the Russian Church isn’t ‘allowed’ to have any jurisdiction outside of Russia (ROCOR and the MP parishes), then why would other Orthodox Churches be allowed to have any jurisdiction outside of their respective mother countries? No more EP/Greek, Romanian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Antiochian, etc., Exarchates and Archdioceses abroad.
Again, you are showing your broken record rhetoric of Russia is bad, the Russian Church is bad, Russia is the problem with everything in world Orthodoxy, etc., etc., etc. You are something else! I think that you have ROCDS. (Russian Orthodox Church Derangement Syndrome.)
Alex, I would guess those existing outside of an autocephalous local church would be placed, at least temporarily, under the Ecumenical Patriarchate in a future Ecumenical Council. That’s just the simplest and most elegant solution for restoring the unity of the Orthodox Churches, and it is also in keeping with canonical order. We can’t really imagine what circumstances will bring this about, but it will be catastrophic for sure.
I would also guess there will be mass conversions to Orthodoxy, and Roman Catholicism will no longer be the dominant form of Christianity in the world. How to receive all the converts? God will provide.
Joseph, there you go again, spouting your usual EVERYTHING revolves around the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Well, guess what…it doesn’t! And, the other Orthodox Churches are getting so very weary of little Bartholomew and his little temper tantrums. We all can’t wait until he just disappears into history. (And believe me, history will not be very kind to him and his minions.)
Joseph, you really culminate in ignorance. Do you not understand that all of us here, that came from other countries, DO NOT want anything to do with Barto? WE DO NOT be “placed” under the Ecumenical Patriarchate because we do not like and do not respect Barto. He is the worst bishop in my lifetime so, we want our romanian, serbian, bulgarian, rocor churches to maintain their integrity and not get smeared by being under a patriarch that is getting worse and worse. Your solution is not simple and elegant, it is dumb. Why take power from good patriarchs and give it to the worst one that there is, in recent history? your solution will not restore “unity of the Orthodox Churches”, we do not want him! Just like the UOC doen’t want him! Putting churches in the US under him equals extreme disaster. So, no, it will never happen, he is not the pope, so just stop with your idiotic ideas. We do not need barto to receive converts, the ROCOR, Romanian, Antiochian etc are receiving converts all the time, and Barto has no merit. On contrary, by parading with the pope, converts stay away from barto.
There is only one answer and one solution.
Sever every relationship with the heretics of Istanbul and the arch heretic batholomeus. As far aselpidoktonos is concerned, who cares? He’ll disappear and join papa in hell. No one will ever know that they existed. They have and are destroying our Church, but as soon as they are physically gone, we’ll bounce right back. And you know why? Because our Church is not theirs, it is Gods and we are part of Him. He will never desert us. He will strengthen us and make us stronger than ever.
“And yet, what to believe after the barrage of activities of those antichrists, Christ fighting deceivers?
What someone may believe when openly they teach us that everything that we believed until today, that is, what the Church taught us, (that is, what Jesus taught us, everything that the Gospel, the Fathers of the Church and all the Saints taught us) is not true, and publicly support, (without shame), the abnormals, and try to convince us that, what was considered abnormal until today, is normal”
Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
” … what was considered abnormal until today, is normal.”
Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
A Resident Synod would be an excellent idea. We already had something of the sort at Chambessy, Switzerland.
Maybe every local Church could submit three (3) bishops, each to serve for three (3) years on an alternating basis. The bishops would elect from among them the president, who would serve for one (1) year but could be reelected for another year.
Something like that.
Their bailiwick would be troubleshooting issues that pop up.
George, doesn’t this sound a bit like trying to “Americanize” or “Europeanize” the Orthodox Church by undoing the present hierarchy and replacing it with a constitution, representatives, an elected president, term limits, etc? And should the local churches then follow such “enlightened” ideas and do the same on their local level by ridding themselves of their patriarchs and archbishops? At a time when democratic institutions are crumbling all over the world, it seems like a hard sell to suggest that what the Orthodox Church really needs is to be more like America and the EU.
SCOBA clergy from each MSA should meet monthly and have educational lectures roving between parishes to encourage interactions. This was done by Fr Bob Stephanopoulos in his “Manhattan Project”.
Despite all this hyperforeign malapropism about phyletism, which means racism, the GOA has a metochion parish in Moscow, and Serbia has a metochion parish in Thessaloniki, and Bulgaria has their iron church metochion parish in Istanbul… and Astoria should be metochion of the Church of Greece so they don’t meddle in our other churches.