EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis) Two ceremonial first pitches in Major League Baseball within days of each other—one by Metropolitan Apostolos at an Orioles game and the other by Archbishop Elpidophoros at Yankee Stadium—made for striking images. Yet it is difficult to believe that either hierarch suddenly discovered a passion for America’s pastime. Both men were born and raised in countries where baseball is virtually unknown: Metropolitan Apostolos in Greece and Archbishop Elpidophoros in Turkey. Neither has been publicly associated with baseball before these appearances. Their participation was almost certainly symbolic rather than athletic, reflecting the use of Greek Heritage Nights to connect religious and community leaders with the Greek-American community.
The more interesting story may be what these photographs are intended to communicate. Both hierarchs have faced significant public criticism in recent years, albeit for different reasons, and both have had to contend with questions about their leadership and public standing. Appearing on the mound at iconic American ballparks projects a different image: approachable, engaged with mainstream American culture, and welcomed by prominent civic institutions. Whether that image resonates with Orthodox faithful is debatable. What is clear is that these carefully staged public appearances serve a communications purpose beyond baseball itself, signaling a desire to be seen not merely as ecclesiastical leaders from abroad, but as figures who are integrated into—and accepted by—the broader American society they now serve, as a big wave of converts to Orthodoxy threatens to prove them irrelevant and force them to go back where they came from – AMEN.
I like the ending Nick. Let’s admit that they look silly. Wearing the team Jersey on top of their rassa is not improving their image at all.
Besides, a hierarch does not need to do public relations. He’s not a politician. All he needs to do is represent Christ’s church as Christ would want to. Christ never threw a ball—or a javelin. before the advent of baseball–to improve his image. How about visiting a homeless shelter? How about visiting an immigration detention center? How about answering the pleas of a poor mom with three children, being ousted from St Basil’s. How about baptizing babies that the parents aren’t wealthy and/or gay? how about serving food at a soup kitchen? Giannis, a basketball player, who doesn’t need publicity, along with his mom and brother, served at a soup kitchen in a poor neighborhood in Athens.
How about these hypocrites in rassa learning philanthropy from an NBA star, who, even though first generation Greek, can teach them a thing or two about Christian piety.
We dont want them representing us on Greek nights. We want them representing Christ’s church EVERY day and night.
They need to stop these goofy PR things and tend to their flocks! (But that might be asking for too much.)
It’s like Elpithoktonos won a vacation on Wheel of Fortune.
“Mr Lambriniades, what will you do now that you’ve destroyed the validity of the GOAA??”
“I’m going to Disneyland!”
Here’s a thought: since they wore their rassa to a ballgame, maybe they should wear their baseball cap to their next Divine Liturgy.
If you’re going karagkiozi, go all the way!
They will never wear a baseball cap to Divine Liturgy. They will wear the shiniest, most glamorously glittering crown to rub their egos with. Did you know the early Church hierarchs wore no crowns at all? They served the liturgy bare headed. This “crown@ custom began during the time of the Ottomans.
We, Orthodox consider ourselves the “original” Christians. Because the Bibles was written in Greek, plus Paul’s letters and so much else. But, looking at the evangelicals, where they have a church with no icons, they have a pastοr and not a priest, they emphasize the Bible, they recognize bishops only and dont have the honorific “eminence” and Grace”, which we are obligated to address them, even though none deserve it,. Their pastors are not dressed in golden rassa as if their emperors of the Byzantine empire, they dont have the plethora of saints that we do, I really think they are truer Christians than we are. We have added too many layers to our faith, which enables these corrupt hierarchs, to take advantage of us.
We consider ourselves the true Christians because our Church was founded by Christ and our bishops are the direct successors of the apostles. Protestants are part of a movement that broke away from the Latin heresy of the west. Protestants can trace their institutions to the sixteenth century.
The books of the New Testament were compiled and recognized in the fourth century. Fathers such as Saint Athanasius the Great determined what was canonical and rooted out false gospels and other false books.
The Church uses the septuagaint version of the Old Testament unlike the Protestants. The Bible cannot be read without the authority of the Church and holy tradition. Protestants fell into thousands of sects.
In the Acts of the Apostles, Philip asks the Ethiopian if he understands the scriptures he is reading. The Ethiopian answers “how can I, unless someone helps me”. The Bible and the Church are inseparable.
For all our problems, the Church is still that founded by and led by Christ himself. Protestants started out as a heresy and have become even worse over the centuries.
One faction’s female priests and gay marriage. The other factions are pro Zionist and their misreading of the Old Testament leads to support World War three.
Truer Christians than we are? Not according to the martyrs and Saints from the first century up to the present.
The Last Days
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, UNHOLY, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (II Timothy 3)
This is how you turn the Church of Christ into a politically correct organization.
No thank you.
Jesus said He was not of this world, and this was proven by His persecution by the unbelieving Jews, who crucified Him.
When will these posing, popularity-seeking hierarchs sacrifice something for the Church they are supposed to serve in spirit and in truth.