ΕΑΝ ΠΡΟΤΙΜΑΤΕ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΠΑΤΗΣΤΕ ΤΗ ΣΗΜΑΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΚΑΤΩ ΜΕΡΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΘΟΝΗΣ
PHOTO: Bp. Nektarios with his collaborator in every step…
A bitter power struggle within the GOARCH is increasingly spilling into public view. Evidence points toward the influential Papazafiropoulos brothers as key players in the backstabbing campaign against Fr. Chrysostom, while Bishop Nektarios — known by critics in Astoria as “inept” — appears determined to position himself for eventual elevation to a metropolitan throne…
By Nick Stamatakis
The TNH “theologian” Kalmoukos wasted no time after we published our devastating rebuttal, exposing the hypocrisy within the GOA establishment. He immediately returned to his “high-ranking insiders” in the Archdiocese, and this is what they allegedly told him:
“During the Wednesday, May 13 meeting at the School with Archimandrite Chrysostomos, the Archbishop showed him copies of his electronic communications on the Internet, as well as a photograph of him. When he asked him whether the person in the photograph was indeed himself, he replied, ‘Yes, Your Eminence,’ thereby confirming the authenticity of the photograph. Fr. Gilbert had been browsing disreputable websites involving sexually deviant men.”
For now, I will set aside the validity of this claim itself. Frankly, it strikes me as abstract, conveniently unverifiable, and deeply gossipy.
But before addressing the substance, let us remind readers who the most likely “high-ranking insiders” actually are.
Two individuals stand out immediately: Bishop Nektarios (Papazafiropoulos) of Diokleia, General Chancellor of the GOARCH, and Fr. Panagiotis Papazafiropoulos, Director of the Office of the Archbishop and Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne. These two brothers rose simultaneously to positions of enormous influence starting roughly four years ago, following a series of visits to the Phanar.
For those unfamiliar with the inner workings of the so-called “Ecumenical Throne,” let us state an uncomfortable historical reality plainly: high offices in Constantinople have not come free of charge for centuries — arguably for nearly 600 years. Why? Because “His All-Holiness” has historically had to maintain relations, payments, and political accommodations with Turkish authorities and various state officials. That is simply how the system has operated under Ottoman rule and, unfortunately, how patronage politics function in Greece and some other Orthodox countries today as well. Let’s not forget that much of Greece is ecclesiastically under the Patriarchate…
Thus, the Papazafiropoulos brothers somehow “earned” these prestigious offices between 2022 and 2024. Since merit — at least in the case of Nektarios — was hardly evident to those who knew him in Astoria, where his nickname was reportedly “inept,” one is left to wonder what other factors may have contributed to his meteoric rise.
Immediately after becoming a bishop, Nektarios reportedly set his sights on becoming a metropolitan at the first available opportunity. In ecclesiastical politics, eliminating rivals is often part of the game, and the campaign allegedly began with the backstabbing of Fr. Chrysostom Gilbert — a man many believe possesses genuine ability and pastoral merit.
As we have learned, Fr. Chrysostom had long-standing ties to Metropolitan Isaiah. He grew up within that metropolis, and his father served there as a priest. Several years ago, Fr. Chrysostom was widely rumored to be a possible successor to Metropolitan Isaiah. At that critical moment, however, Archbishop Elpidophoros intervened and sent him to Greece for two years, ostensibly to improve his Greek. In reality, many viewed the move as a deliberate effort to distance him from Denver and derail any succession prospects.
This context matters.
PHOTO: The TNH “theologian” Th. Kalmoukos… He (inadvertently?) revealed the likely culprits by attacking all possible opponents to the “inept” Bp. Nektarios…
When we published our revealing report on Fr. Gilbert last Friday (link here), the two brothers and their allied “theologian” were clearly rattled by the exposure of what many increasingly suspect are the real motives behind this affair. Suddenly, during a holiday weekend no less, Kalmoukos sprang into action to assure everyone that Archbishop Elpidophoros had supposedly “shown evidence” to Fr. Gilbert.
The desperation to legitimize the narrative became even more obvious today, when the “theologian” returned with renewed zeal and, in the process, effectively exposed the motives of the very faction orchestrating the attack against Fr. Chrysostom (link here to read the self-revealing hit “masterpiece” by the “theologian”)…
In his latest diatribe, Kalmoukos repeats the same sanctimonious line: “Bravo to the Archbishop; he did the right thing; there is no place for such behavior in America,” and so forth. Yet at the same time, he conveniently treats GOARCH as though it exists independently of the moral scandals and well-known “Gay Colony” of the Constantinople Patriarchate whenever it serves his purposes. The lack of intellectual honesty is truly remarkable.
Then comes the revealing part: he escalates matters by openly demanding Bishop Athenagoras’s removal.
Regardless of what one thinks about Bishop Athenagoras personally, Kalmoukos’s insistence on targeting him reveals far more than perhaps he intended. It strongly suggests who may actually be behind the coordinated effort against Fr. Chrysostom.
And finally, after repeatedly attacking Athenagoras, Kalmoukos concludes his hit piece by discussing the Astoria parish — while conspicuously failing to mention even once “inept Nektarios” Papazafiropoulos, who served there as presiding priest for more than eleven years.
PHOTO: Bp. Nektarios, then an Archimandrite, in the groundbreaking ceremony of his disastrous project – developing the empty lot across from the Church without having raised first not even one penny… Truly remarkable “real estate genius”… God help the Metropolis he will be assigned to… Elpidophoros was always in the game: the Phanariots care only for one thing…
Under his leadership, the historic parish steadily declined — not merely because of poor administrative judgment, but because of a glaring lack of pastoral and social leadership. Most destructive of all was his obsession with developing the empty lot across from the church before securing the necessary financial foundation for such a project.
The goal, apparently, was not prudent stewardship, but the projection of importance — the desire to appear capable of executing “big projects” he had never previously managed.
And in pursuit of that ambition, he helped push a historic parish into a cycle of decline from which it may never fully recover.
In the end, this entire affair raises questions far larger than the fate of one priest or one article in the community press. What we are witnessing is a ruthless struggle for power inside an ecclesiastical system increasingly driven not by spiritual leadership, transparency, or merit, but by ambition, factionalism, patronage, and calculated character assassination. If Fr. Chrysostom is guilty of wrongdoing, then let credible evidence be presented openly and honestly — not through anonymous leaks, selective outrage, and media hit pieces coordinated by insiders with obvious institutional interests. But if this campaign is primarily about eliminating rivals, protecting careers, and consolidating influence within the GOA hierarchy, then faithful Orthodox Christians have every right to ask whether the real scandal lies not in the accusations themselves, but in the corrupt culture weaponizing them behind closed doors.
What Kalmoukos did today and in the previous days was to openly attack the two main competitors of Bishop Nektarios in the race to become a Metropolitan. And by doing so, he revealed the true culprits behind the backstabbing of Fr. Chrysostom.
The Papazafiropoulos brothers should be disqualified for any promotion before anyone else is…
PS. I reiterate here the need for the Parishes of Astoria and the Cathedral, and frankly, all parishes, to organize a demonstration outside 79th Street. Astoria did last October quite successfully, and the GOARCH “leadership” got truly scared at the gathering of about 1,000 people shouting “Get the Truks out of our Church!!”
If we are Hellenes and Christians, we have to rise up against corruption!! It’s not only about us – it’s about our children and grandchildren!! At a time when Orthodoxy is multiplying by the infusion of all Americans, we need to send a message to this corrupt GOA leadership!
May 27, 2026, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
Why are parishioners so laissez faire’. Perhaps they are being hypnotized or some neuro tech has taken away their ability to stand for God. The churches are broken. What a time we live in. Very horrible.
It is mindbuggling to contemplate such power games within the church, the body of Christ. I have had personal experience with Bishop Nektarios’ lack of Christian ethos. I told him that he is anaxios to be named after St Nektarios, a saint who was hounded by fellow hierarchs, spreading rumors of sexual deviancy, just as today’s pharisees are, in order to promote themselves.
I have been a 50 year steward of the church. I have served on the board, I have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars, my wife directed the Sunday school for 25 years. I have not been to church in a year. I stopped paying stewardship. I stopped working at the festival. Because they are all hypocrites. They are determined to turn everyone into an atheist, by non-transparency, rejection of the truth, the usual private club-instead of church mentality, the attitude that they’re good with God, as long as the light a candle, while backstabbing others.
People, instead of paying a stewardship, give the money to charity. Instead of working at the festival, in order to support lavish pay for the parasites, serve at a local food kitchen.
Bob, I left the church too. I realized a lot of things. My church is within my home. The churches are failing humanity. The corruption is vast.
Bob, you will get your reward in haven for what you donated, if you donated so much money. There were always corrupt people in Church, even in the temple during Christ. Christ did not stop people including the poor woman, to give her coin to the Church. Not attending Church is a grave temptation. I feel that way too, and I stop going for a while, but never a whole year. You don’t like a church, find another. Doesn’t have to be GOARCH. I plan visiting different churches over the summer to expose my son to different cultures in our Church. I won’t stop going to Church because of a few corrupt leaders. THey were always around. Look what they did to St. Nectarios and other holy man.
Church is God. Not a building. Church is God not a non profit corporation in bed with the government.
The Eucharist is God. You can’t find that in your house.
While there are legitimate reasons to depart a parish or jurisdiction, it is apostasy to withdraw completely.
“I have not been to church in a year. I stopped paying stewardship. I stopped working at the festival. Because they are all hypocrites.”
WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG??!
The only thing I would add Bob, is from what we were taught as children: “Whatever good you do in this world that is known, does not count in Heaven.” You, and I did much to support our Church, because it was also our COMMUNITY. These perps have acted very deliberately to destroy both church and community, and they will pay the price for that eventually, imho.
One of their big lies they lurk behind is that any charity we do must be done through the Church. Hardly so. But how else can they skim their “bahktsish”?? And since they intentionally lurk behind curtains, who can know how much they skim?
“Agapa ton plyseion sou”. SUCH WISDOM! If you help those around you, you can be sure your charity goes where it is needed, where it should go.
And the most important point of all is that when you give charity OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET, that is real. The rest, by committee for example, is “wealth redistribution”, NOT TRUE CHARITY.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America received its nonprofit status in 1970. This designation allowed it to operate as a religious organization under U.S. law, facilitating its activities and contributions to the community.
The Greek Church “UNDER” US law!
Gay colony in Constantinople?
It’s also in GOA. What a mess!
Fr. Gilbert no matter how decent job he did is seriously not appropriate for the priesthood. And neither is Emmanuel. Just disgusting.
The mystery is why AB has denied him a higher rank this long?
What hurts in GOA is that the Church is relatively small and tight‑knit—so each scandal feels personal, and the sense of betrayal can be intense even if the raw numbers are smaller than in larger denominations. The scandals don’t cause all the decline, but they accelerate it by confirming people’s worst suspicions: that leadership is out of touch, unaccountable, or more interested in money and control than in spiritual life. Converts are a real, growing stream, but they are partly offset by cradle Orthodox drifting away and by some converts later disengaging. The “flood of converts” headlines are true at the parish level, but they don’t yet translate into explosive national growth. Detailed national Orthodox data on intermarriage are sparse, but multiple Assembly and independent reports describe high intermarriage rates and weak transmission of Orthodoxy to children in many Greek, Antiochian, and Slavic parishes.
Zoey, there is no mystery. Fr Gilbert was being groomed to be a bishop. Contrary to what Nick reports, he was never considered as a candidate for the Denver Diocese. His name was not one 3 names sent to the Patriarchate. He was sent to greece to prepare him for the episcopacy. Upon his return to the states, he was assigned to the Nyc cathedral, which is the most position in the GOA. This was done to further prepare him for the episcopacy. If he would have been elevated prior to being sent to Greece and time at the cathedral he would have been the youngest bishop ever elevated in the GOA. I hope a fair and just judgement will be made. Unfortunately, the church has a history of sweeping situations like this under the table. If he is guilty he should be disciplined appropriately. Thankfully, the GOA is addressing the issue
JK – why do you trust GOA to handle the situation fairly? Are they different “personalities” or organization than the Phanariots? First off, they started using Kalmoukos to spread gossip… Is this the fair way? Why involve a “journalist” if your goal is to be fair?
And why keep supporting the Forhamites and their LGBTQ promotions if you find homosexuality unacceptable? Don’t you think that the “Fordham ideology” will eventually permeate the clergy and laity?
Answer these questions first and then worry about the rest…
Finally, if the GOA “supervisors” in Istanbul refuse to request a Police Report by the French Police which proves HUGE scandals WITHIN the building of the Metropolis by the now #2 in the hierarchy, Emmanuel, and his assistant Maximos, what makes you believe that they will be applying a fair treatment now?
Nick, as usual, you did not respond to my post but rather focused on your typical talking points. You do not send a person to greece to learn Greek and then assign him to GOA Cathedral if you are not grooming him to become a bishop. Again, he was never a candidate for Denver.
If you accept that “if he is guilty he should be disciplined appropriately” why don’t you open your mouth against Bartholomew for Emmanuel’s case in Paris? Why don’t you ask Bartholomew to request the Police report from France? Is it only me who knows about the “Gay Colony” of the Phanar? As for grooming Fr Chrysostom, before the Cathedral he served for 7 years at another Manhattan Church. You have to face reality: he wasn’t groomed, he was being fooled… High offices require money and Fr. Chrysostom apparently has very little – especially if you consider the cancer nightmare of his father and mother… While on the other hand the Papazafiropoulos brothers do have quite a fortune and they don’t hesitate to spent it as it seems. Listen JK, if you are going to present an argument here you have to be well read and even better researched. You can’t just open your mouth and say the usual nonsense. Why don’t you call your friends in Astoria to tell you how much money Papazafiripoulos has either inherited or “earned” by “serving” in Astoria for 11 years? Let me see how good a researcher you are…
Nick, again you retreat to your talking points. Church discipline should be administered equally and fairly. Past injustices are no excuse for not dealing with the present. I know little about the situations you speak about and don’t have contacts in Astoria. Again, you take no responsibility for the false statement you made about Fr Gilbert being a candidate for the position in Denver.
The statement was from an informant closely related to the Gilbert family. If this informant misunderstood we will find out in time. You on the other side cannot pretend you ignore facts widely reported in 2019 and after and pertains to the current #2 of the Phanar, Emnanuel. How can you close your eyes like that?
Our only hope should be that Father Gilbert having fallen victim to these power games, that he will talk and sing like a bird. He knows much about Elpi, Nektarios and the gay gang. Especially about the “bi” brother who is in Elpis inner circle. Why not ask father Basel who now is in Greece collecting a goaa salary. Why not ask the other character from New Jersey Apostolos. Also member of the club? God help us
Nick, a responsible journalist would not come to a conclusion based a single informant. Do your due diligence before drawing conclusions. If you read my post, you would see that I acknowledge that church discipline has not always been evenly and judicious exercised, so I am not turning a blind to the injustices. Hopefully, the bgin to address issues like this with prudence and honesty.
This story does not depend solely on this fact – it is not central as we all agree that he was groomed to become a hierarch. Let’s be realistic. The central fact of this story is whether higher offices are attained on merit or they are bought. And I don’t think anyone among us would insist GOA follows meritocracy. Instead we have a long history of Ottoman “bakhtsish” and the rest… Any exceptions verify this rule.
schism in chief is expanding his schisms. Another disaster in the making like in Ukraine, forcing “autocephaly” on people who don’t want it
https://orthochristian.com/177871.html
Our sacred canons provide due process, designed to protect both the church and the accused.
Don’t those rules apply here? Is that a course that Elpi flunk as a seminarian?
Why is this case tried in the media with innuendos? Lambriniadis and his capos are hurting both the church and the accused clergyman.
Who is responsible for dragging this on? Who has an interest in publicly humiliating and destroying a clergyman?
Nick, once again you pulled a journalistic coup that sent the culprits scrambling.
Your analysis hit a nerve, so they got the National Herald theologian to write his opinion pieces, the latest one today. I laughed out loud when I read his veiled reference to you. He must be a Helleniscope subscriber!
Are photographs evidence anymore? According to the FBI, hundreds of thousands of people every year are blackmailed with fake, AI generated “photos” of them in compromising situations.
Pro tip: don’t post photos of yourself, your children, or anyone you love online. It’s a sick world.
The handling of the complaint concerning Chrysostomos was completely shocking! A confidential complaint being leaked to the media should never happen while complaint is still under investigation. CLEARLY, it was leaked by those who were part of the conversation, and that narrows it down to the two people mentioned which were George Tsoungarakis and Archbishop Elipidophoros. The Patriarch needs to wake up and fire them both! I wonder if he is aware of all of the things going on at GOARCH. I wonder if he knows how negligent the people working for the Archbishop really are? I wonder if he knows that the probono treasurer of the Archdiocese Elaine Allen is actually making all of the decisions in lieu of the Archbishop and how even the staff or the Archdiocese tell everyone that she is the boss or αφεντικό even the Chancellor Villis and the clergy working there say it. He does not just say this because she is charge of the finances but because she is the personal advisor to the Archbishop and controls the Archdiocean Council and Executive Committee. Since when was she ordained Mrs. Archbishop? I must have missed that event.
You’re concentrating on Elpidofthoros, Nektarios Athenagoras etc.
anther EVIL EXISTENCE is Apostolos from. N. J. He’s just as much a part of the deviant group of immortals and thieves as they are. The only difference, he is slicker than them. He’s just as evill if not more. And he forgets where he takes off. and leaves his prophylaxis. Sometime he uses sometime he doesn’t. As apposed to Elpi. Who doesn’t. And there’s evidence and prof of that too. Go digging my friends. You’ll find a lot of gold in Turkey salami’s Athens and Rhodes. Let’s not forget Patmos halkidiki and Boston. Wow. Ouch. I think I hit a nerve. Until next time….
No need to dig… Just use Helleniscope’s search function and you will find all you need to know about Apostolos…
The problem is. Sodomy simony and God knows what else. The lampstand of “Constantinople” will be overturned unless there is repentance. From the top down. And not just among the hierarchy, the lay leaders must pull the plug.
You’re right Nick. Here it goes
http://www.helleniscope.com/2023/07/06/a-new-low-bishop-apostolos-new-metropolitan-of-nj-his-unofficial-disturbing-biography/
I am somewhat shocked by those who thing the priest should be defrocked. We are all sinners, and this priest’s sin, if true, was with a consenting adult. I would say it’s more concerning that such a private matter became public, and the fact that purported men of god from within the church are leaking the story is even more alarming. Jesus decried the pharisees for their hypocrisy and aimed the whip at those who made a mockery of His house of worship. On the other hand, I recall Jesus exhibited mercy for repentant sinners. I am troubled that there aren’t comments decrying the publicizing of this “scandal”. And frankly, people lose faith in droves over the toxic politics of the Church, not over a gay priest who faltered.
There are clear some very clear boundaries in the Canons and our Orthodox Tradition between expectations for priests and lay people…if you fall into certain sins when you are a priest (and even before), you can no longer be a priest, but you can still be a lay person…that’s how it’s always been, and that’s how it should be…similarly in the military, many people attempt to join the special forces, but some don’t make it…they are not strong enough or able enough…can’t they still be soldiers in the same army? Of course they can.
It might be helpful to have your facts correct before feeding into humanity’s temptation to think the worst through speculation. Fr. Fr. Panagiotis Papazafiropoulos is no longer the Director of the Office of the Archbishop; he is the executive director of Leadership 100. And, referring to the issue in Europe is a distraction from the present issue in America.
Yes he is now the executive director of L100. The bio I checked is not updated and I forgot the “promotion” – which happened a couple of months ago. But this verifies my statement of the two brothers being deeply entrenched in the Phanariot system. The previous director of L100, Jim Logothetis, was an accomplished businessman of national recognition. What is Fr. Panagiotis? The heir of his dad’s real estate? As for Europe, the sins of Bartholomew will soon be punished. Did you notice the public statements of Trump against Zelenski? It’s over… Get ready to pay the salary of Epiphanios…
Nick your comment shows that you do not understand the structure of the organization leadership 100. These are different positions you’re describing here,
Panagioti is not Jim’s successor
Yes he is not Jim’s successor, he is Paulette Poulos’ successor, which makes thing worse for him… Sorry for having missed the recent changes at L100 but Fr. Panayiotis rise to such a sensitive position – handling the daily affairs of L100 which has over $100 million in capital and hands out over 7 million annually begs the question: Why does he qualify better than so many other priests? Because he is part of the corrupt close circle around Elpidophoros and Bartholomew?
Of course he is the director of leadership 100. Elpidoktonos appointed him so that he can have an insider de “man” close to the money. What do you think? Money talks and that’s the only thing elpidofthoros and black bart believe in. No God, no Church No salvation. Only money. Lots of money.