EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis): We would very much like to know details regarding the decision by Pat. Bartholomew to accept the Cuban Ambassador’s invitation to visit Cuba in November “right after his visit to the US” as the announcement (below) says. Doesn’t he think that visiting Cuba on an official invitation by a tyrannical regime that is brutally oppressing its people lends international legitimacy to this regime? Especially when international news is flooded by the massive protests of hundreds of thousands of people throughout the Caribbean island?
First, it is already known that Pat. Bartholomew is NOT welcome by the overwhelming majority of the faithful here in the U.S. Why? Because he caused the Schism in Orthodoxy by granting “autocephaly” to the 25% of the Orthodox faithful in Ukraine. As a result, violence erupted and many Churches were burned or seized, while faithful were injured and lost their lives. He is not welcome for many other reasons including flagrant corruption throughout the jurisdictions he oversees and also for the promotion of homosexuality among the “hierarchs of the throne”. What then is the purpose of his planned visit to Cuba?
Yes, we know about his previous visit in the opening of the St.Nicholas Church in Havana, built thanks to the efforts of a Greek sailor. But this is not enough of a reason for his new visit. We certainly expect some clarifications and we are hoping that, if he finally goes there (please allow us to have many doubts that he will cross the Atlantic this fall), he will be prepared to make public statements opposing the communist regime and supporting the people’s uprising.
In any other eventuality, he will prove once again that he is serving as a simple cog in the mill of globalism, a religion in itself that has nothing in common with Christianity.
HAVANA, CUBA – JANUARY 21: Cuba’s President Fidel Castro and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I attend the welcoming ceremony in the Cuban State Council after the arrival of the spiritual leader of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians January 21, 2004 in Havana, Cuba. In the back Christian Orthodox Archbishop Athenagoras./ (Photo by Sven Creutzmann/Mambo Photography/Getty Images)=========================================
Ecumenical Patriarch to travel to Cuba in November
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will travel to Cuba in November, following the Cuban president’s invitation.
Specifically, on Wednesday, July 14, the Ecumenical Patriarch met the Cuban Ambassador to Turkey, Luis Alberto Amorós Núñez.
The ambassador conveyed to the Ecumenical Patriarch the invitation of the country’s president, Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, to pay an official visit to Cuba.
The Ecumenical Patriarch accepted the invitation of the Cuban president and will be traveling to Havana in the first week of November, at the end of his official visit to the United States.
This is the second visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Cuba, after his first visit in 2004 at the invitation of the late Cuban President, Fidel Castro.
Here’s my take on the visit– -In 2004, the opening of the Church, like everything else in life as we know it, may have been a conduit of showing the then, Bush admin- that sanctions should be lifted.
Fast forward 17 years later– dems’ rule– another–“lift the sanctions” message… world-wide popularity in the global and domestic sphere when and if uncle joe lifts them- both rulers will then take their collective bows and become kings of the universe…. Anyone agree here?
Mr. Stamatakis , I would so appreciate your insights— beyond $$$ -what are the reasons?
As I said they are playing the Globalist game in accord with the “deep state”. My suspicion is that the “deep state” actors have many levers to blackmail them – including removing their non-profit status at will. Let’s not forget that the whole GOARCH is under federal investigation and that Mike (aka Fredo) Karloutsos needs to spend a fortune in legal fees if he is ever going to get out of trouble. In addition, we have all the known (and many hidden) homosexuality scandals… Nothing easier than blackmailing Patriarchate hierarchs these days…
Already Alexandria Ocasio Cortes and every leftist in the world proclaim in unison that the reason for the Cuban people’s revolt is not communism but the American embargo – a very weak and transparent argument… The rest of the world does not embargo Cuba. But after two years with no tourists because of Covid the Cuban economy collapsed… So the “deep state” woke leftists need to support the communist regime every way they can lest it becomes apparent to US voters that communism creates poverty… And Pat. Bartholomew as a good “deep state” operative “obliged”…
Does this mean the now “retired” Vicar General Alex Karloutsos will be advising on Cuba too or hiding out from the Feds?
Kyrie Eleison!
Damage he’s done to the Greek Church along with his nefarious, shady crowd out of Istanbul will end up in a book someday and the faithful people will not be fooled again.
You might want to watch the Oliver Stone Interviews with Fidel Castro and after that watch Conan Visits Cuba before you call them oppressive. Their citizens live better than Americans. Free health care and Free education. Oh and they’re not oppressing or embargoing or bombing or invading other countries.
Our main stream media sold out their integrity decades ago… I love your work and paper but this time, we disagree.
Then you have to answer a question: why don’t we see any Americans risking their lives to swim to Cuba but we have only seen Cubans for the past 60 years swimming to America?
That’s easy. We’re brainwashed by our media like we were about all the damn wars…Watch Oliver Stone Conan O’ Brian. Look, I hate the Patr and Arch-Bishop and I know them. You and I don’t know Cuba other than the main stream media. Watch Abby Martin, Glenn Greenwald and other independent media. And answer the question…how long has the US had sanctions and embargo’s against Cuba. And the 2nd question…was any country and it’s people better off AFTER the US intervened. Look at Syria. Every major religion including others, the Jews and Muslims supported and supports Assad. We need to leave other countries alone and look and deal with us, here, ourselves.
This is not the right way to analyze two different systems. You compare economic performances separately first. The result of the comparison is that socialism equalizes everyone – except the oppressive nomenclature – to the low end of economic satisfaction. Free economy rises all higher…
And free outhouses, free 12 kids to one mattress in a room, free non-air conditioning, free one party propaganda, free to work for 1920 era wages, free abortions, free malnutrition, free firing squads-if you’re anti- communist and oppose the regime. Can I reserve you a room, George? You’ll love it there.
The Patriarch has to go to somewhere in America (North or South) because he’s made a big deal of it and he can’t come here.
If I may, the problem isn’t the one political party or the other…although presently the Dems are beyond evil. It really doesn’t matter which party plays which role…good cop, bad cop. And I voted for Trump twice. Putin is right…perhaps every President begins his first day with the best intentions (for the sake of argument) and then the guys in the dark suits come in and tell him what to do. Some Presidents are more courageous and independent like Trump. Some are just mouthpieces like Biden but they all have to at the very least acquiesce.
Putin is right. It doesn’t matter who is President or which party is in power, the ship never changes course.
Trump and Putin working together bought us some time (four years).
As for the church, this was all prophesied by Saint Paisios of Mt. Athos, Elder Ephraim of Arizona snd others. I blame the Patriarch (he took a vow) and the Arch-Bishop (the same) and Karloutsos and their boot lickers. I blame our Bishops and our Priests but they know if they raise their voice, that they’ll be forced out.
I have my BA in Theology from HC and a JD in law and I’m one of those who is not just very close to but I am very grateful for Elder Ephraim and his monastics. Thank God. I owe my life and my children’s welfare to them. And to hear these heretical whores who neither practice nor love nor even know Orthodoxy…utter a falsehood.
They are worse than Judas because Judas gave the money back. God bless you.
Whoa, slow up a minute. The Greek church in Havana is on expropriated land from the Catholic Church, Greek Orthodoxy needs to be ashamed. The role of the Metropolitan of Central America, Athenagoras, in Cuban Greek Orthodox affairs needs to be heavily scrutinized. He is a very, very crafty individual with many proclivities that avoid scrutiny in Third World countries and he travels freely with multiple passports. He does the bidding of the Patriarch there and in other parts of the world without transparency or accountability. Panama is in his jurisdiction, lots of Greeks. Think Panama Canal, think Greek owned cargo vessels that transit the canal weekly.
Now, back to Cuba. Cuba is the biggest transshipping point for drugs making their way to the US from South America (China to South America to the Caribbean to the US). How do you think the Castro brothers became among the richest individuals in the world?
Greek-owned ships transit the Panama Canal. Greek-owned ships transit Cuba and Havana and the world. Athenagoras and Bartholomew have many Greeks shipping friends.
The Cubans have a business reason to keep the Greeks, their ship owners, and their Greek stooge clergy organized. It’s all about money alright, and not money made from shipping pineapples either.
Speculation, yes. Well reasoned speculation based on years of experience with how things in the commercial and governmental worlds work and by studying corruption in the church at every level.
American— when Castro took over- Havana was like a wild and uncontrollable maze of mafia= drugs and people running wild… ironic isn’t that— the street rioting of last summer spilling into this summer– nyc looking like a 1959 out-of-control Cuba—
Dems in 1960- dems now? No more moderates ever- will ever open to opine their voices— so the marxists here must be happy to spin and spin—
In this twisted, twisted atmosphere comes bart crew to open a pandora’s box—- a group will benefit $$$ -and benefit bigly- it will shut the left and their lies/demands —- and they’ll spin lies against decent people- and ultimately -we are still split 50/50….while the people suffer…it’s all about controlling votes-
Yes, Larissa… you are right. What an evil, diabolical web has been woven throughout history on every country but mostly in the Southern Hemisphere….the indigenous people who have and are, suffered and remain suffering, are always the losers.
Organized crime as we know, goes beyond an episode of the Sopranos, and yes, inclusive of the clergy, in the name of Christ!
Which is horrifying to say the least.
Justice will be had soon enough, and the dragon’s tail made visible from underneath their robes, will be exposed!
Just as God promised us, everything in darkness, will be brought to light…. ✝️