By Nick Stamatakis
During the Pentecost Tribute Concert held yesterday in honor of Patriarch Bartholomew at Saint Bartholomew’s Church in NYC, the flag bearing the official seal of the Ecumenical Patriarch was displayed outside the church, symbolizing the spiritual leadership and the historic significance of the occasion. BUT, for the first time in the last few years, the rainbow pride flag, which had previously been flown, was respectfully removed before the event.
Helleniscope’s broad audience, practicing “people’s journalism”, is everywhere, and they provided us with the proof, as you can see in our main photo.
We have also learned that our community has expressed harsh reactions to holding events in Saint Barts, with particular concern expressed about the existence of the Pride Flag. Honoring the name day of Pat. Bartolomew (June 11), at the same time as we honor homosexuality, goes against the basic tenets of the Faith, against everything we Orthodox hold sacred and holy.
However, there is something else happening this year: Pride events in New York and around the country are taking a subdued approach. In New York, many major sponsors—such as Mastercard, Citi, Pepsi, Nissan, PwC, Comcast, and Anheuser-Busch—have scaled back or withdrawn from Pride sponsorship due to political pressure and pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Retail displays and marketing around Pride have also been noticeably toned down.
It’s safe to assume that the new message was received loud and clear, all the way to the Phanar. But do not expect them to give up anytime soon. The members of the Holy Synod and the other officials of the Constantinople Patriarchate are not known for their adherence to the basic tenets of the Orthodox Faith – and they are certainly not known for their eagerness to ask forgiveness. On the opposite, they are led by a supreme “contrarian”, Pat. Bartholomew, who has proven every step of his destructive career that he prefers open conflict against anyone who stands in his way of achieving world glory and material wealth.
He proved it in the 1990s against AB Iakovos, the greatest leader the Church of America has ever had. And he still seethes with envy, knowing that he will never reach Iakovos’ stature. Iakovos was a widely respected world leader, while Bartholomew is uniformly viewed as a minuscule and unaccomplished, divisive personality who only knows how to cause problems. He proved it later against the beloved AB Christodoulos of Athens, when he caused a temporary schism with the Church of Greece. He proved it recently in Ukraine, and as a result, he caused another, bigger Schism in World Orthodoxy… What a disastrous course!
Yet our community’s organizations keep “honoring” him, as if it means anything to the faithful…. It doesn’t!…
As for St. Barts, they will soon return to their “normalcy” with a bunch of pride events, and I am sure the rainbow flag will soon take its intended position outside the Church…
June 11, 2025, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
Smoke and mirrors.
Temporary sanity? Temporary belief in two genders,
May I remind Helleniscope that you reported the flags were changed for Archbishop Elpidophorus last year also:
https://www.helleniscope.com/2024/06/11/at-st-barts-nyc-the-amazing-interchangeable-flags/
Somehow I sense a bit of disappointment though. It seems that Helleniscope just loves reporting on “pride” flags. I mean, what’s the month of June without a Helleniscope graphic showing a “pride” flag?
Thank you for being a careful reader of Helleniscope. I wish you had learned something of all this reading though. Does the fact that they hide the gay pride flag for one or two days change the essence of the situation? In Greek we have a famous proverbial expression: “Αλλαξε ο Μανωλιός κι εβαλε τα ρουχα αλλιώς”. I guess for the rest of the month, as the St. Barts engages all kinds of LGBTQ+ ministries Elpidophoros will have no problem connecting with St. Barts priest, correct? Or, he will cancel any atrocious conferences at the pro-LGBTQ castle of Fordham University?
The truth is always the truth – and it cannot be hidden behind Bartholomew’s and Elpidophoros’ finger…
Helleniscope commentators also reminded the readers what the the Canons say about clergy entering a “house of heretical worship”…should we explicitly quote those Canons again? If you are bringing up past comments, why don’t you also mention these comments too (are you intentionally practicing Selective Theology like the Protestants do when they ignore Biblical quotes that don’t fit their narrative?)…
Doesn’t Apostolic Canon LXV impose a penalty of “deposing and excommunication” for merely “entering” a heretical place of worship to pray? Do you think Elpidophoros would still be a clergyman after entering St. Barts to do what he did if this were a couple hundred years ago? I don’t think so.
If that wasn’t enough for you, maybe some other “past infractions” can also be examined under the prism of other Canons, too:
Canon XLV of the Holy Apostles
“Let any Bishop, or Presbyter, or deacon that merely joins in prayer with heretics be suspended, but if he had permitted them to perform any service as Clergymen, let him be deposed.” (Does a Cardinal blessing the Orthodox faithful with the “myrrh-vessel” on Holy Friday or with the censer on Holy Saturday count as “performing any service” or “joining in prayer”? How about the Pope at St. George’s in the Phanar leading the faithful by reciting the Lord’s Prayer during Diving Liturgy while seated upon the Orthodox Bishops throne on the side of the church building)
Canon XXXIII of Laodicia
“One must not join in prayer with heretics or schismatics.” (see above)
Canon 10 of the Holy Apostles states:
“If anyone shall pray, even in a private house, with an excommunicated person, let him also be excommunicated.” (since when are Orthodox bishops in Communion with Papists, Protestants, etc?)…)
And what do you suggest we do with all of those “Orthodox” clergy who bowed down, kissed the hand of the Pope, and received his “blessing”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ9ycb5ORZo&list=RDcJ9ycb5ORZo&start_radio=1
Canon 32 of the Council of Laodicea states “that one must not accept blessings of heretics, which are misfortunes rather than blessings.”
Bottom line, this Elpidophoros’ insistence to perform services in a heretical place of worship continues to be an outrageous violation of Canons, and Tradition…and what do the Canons say about those who violate Tradition?
Eighth Proceeding of the Seventh Ecumenical Synod
“If anyone breaks any ecclesiastical tradition, written or unwritten, let him be anathema”
{Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova et Amplissima Collectio [1960], vol. 3, p. 416). Quoted by Fr. Constantine Cavarnos in Orthodox Tradition and Modernism, p. 37.}
Things couldn’t be more clear under the prism of Canons and Tradition, about what Elpidophoros (and others) should and should NOT be doing…
Ένας λυκόφιλος …… επιδιώκοντας
να φλερτάρει ειρωνικά το HELLENISCOPE , μου είπε πως ακόμη
παραμένει Νάνος και η απάντησή μου
ήταν : “ έχεις δίκιο φίλε ναι Νάνος
αλλά τι νάνος με κάτι Απίδια ……ΝΑ….!!!!!!!
Θυμήθηκα επίσης μια έκθεση που μας έβαλε να γράψουμε ο δάσκαλός μας
στο δημοτικό σχολείο με θέμα το
Κουνούπι.
Μια φράση μου στο τέλος της έκθεσης
απέσπασε την προσοχή του δασκάλου
και εβραβεύθη . Αναφερόμενος στο
μικρό κουνούπι , τέλειωσα την
έκθεση γράφοντας: “ Μικρό αλλά τσιμπά”.
Όμως το μικρό πλέον ανήκει στο παρελθόν και είναι ένας κουνούπαρος
ΝΑ……!!!!!
Όσο για την πολύχρωμη σημαία που
για πρώτη φορά δεν κυμάτιζε στον
Άγιο Βαρθολομαίο , ίσχυσαν οι
φράσεις : Όποιος φυλάγει τα ρούχα του έχει τα μισά και επίσης , ο φόβος
φυλάει τα έρημα “.
It was an amazing performance of Byzantine chant! Breathtaking and moving, hymns that elevated us to a higher level. Thank you to all the great chanters!!