Declaration of the Orthodox Faithful to the GOARCH – Join the Rally tonight at 6 pm!

EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis) Members of the Rally Committee have formalized the Declaration of the Orthodox Faithful” to the GOARCH to be delivered tonight during the Rally outside the headquarters of 79th Street at 6 pm. Please join the rally!!

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DECLARATION OF THE ORTHODOX FAITHFUL

We, the Orthodox faithful who comprise the soul and body of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, call upon our Church leadership to restore fidelity to Orthodoxy, accountability in governance, transparency in stewardship, and the preservation of our Hellenic Orthodox heritage.

WE DEMAND ORTHODOXY AND ORTHOPRAXIA

1. Unwavering adherence to Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition, the Ecumenical Councils, and the teachings of the Holy Fathers.
2. An end to innovations, compromises, Schisms and public actions that contradict Orthodox Tradition or scandalize the faithful.
3. Spiritual leadership focused first and foremost on the salvation of souls, not institutional, political, or financial interests.
4. The defense of Orthodox doctrine without compromise, relativism, or heretical syncretism.
5. The restoration of the traditional synodal understanding of Church governance in accordance with Orthodox ecclesiology.
6. Clear distinction between Orthodox doctrine and personal theological opinions presented as Orthodox teaching.

WE DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY

7. Restoration of the faithful’s traditional place in the life and governance of the Church, including proper lay involvement in the election of bishops.
8. Accountability for hierarchs, clergy, and administrators whose actions violate the Holy Canons, damage the Church’s witness, or create scandal among the faithful.
9. An end to excessive financial burdens imposed upon parishes and local communities.
10. Protections for parishes, parish properties, schools, charitable institutions, and Church assets entrusted to us by previous generations.

WE DEMAND TRANSPARENCY

11. An end to unnecessary closed-door decision-making in all non-dogmatic matters.
12. Full public transparency regarding finances, compensation, real estate holdings, asset management, and major institutional decisions.
13. Proper allocation of financial donations to the “actual intent” of what ministry the donor desires to fund (a.k.a. an end to arbitrary “taxes” imposed on parishes).
14. Regular public reporting on the stewardship of donations and the management of Church-owned properties.

WE DEMAND THE PRESERVATION OF OUR HELLENIC ORTHODOX HERITAGE

15. Protection and strengthening of Greek language education, Greek schools, Hellenic cultural institutions, and all ministries serving future generations.
16. Respect and Preservation of the Hellenic and Orthodox generational inheritance of our Archdiocese and its institutions.
17. Openness to the wave of new converts without compromising traditional worship (comments such as “I don’t like this byzantine music stuff” are egocentric and not exemplary of someone who has truly converted): the Ecumenical Hellenic tradition, since the times of Alexander the Great, teaches exactly how to embrace other cultures and form one new entity with them.

WE DEMAND SPIRITUAL, NOT POLITICAL, LEADERSHIP

18. The Archbishop and all hierarchs should serve primarily as spiritual shepherds of the faithful and guardians of Orthodox Tradition, not as political representatives or spokesmen for the Greek-American community. Those who hold Turkish passports and exhibit loyalty to Turkish officials should not be allowed to misrepresent themselves as Hellenic community leaders in places such as Washington DC.
19. Public appearances with political leaders should be limited to matters directly related to the Church, religious liberty, charitable work, and the spiritual welfare of the faithful.
20. The Archdiocese must remain focused on its sacred mission: worship, education, charity, evangelism, and the salvation of souls.

FOR ORTHODOXY.
FOR HELLENISM.
FOR OUR PARISHES.
FOR OUR CHILDREN.
FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

ΠΙΣΤΙΣ • ΠΑΡΑΔΟΣΙΣ • ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ
(Faith • Tradition • Truth)

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SPECIFIC CONCERNS REQUIRING IMMEDIATE REVIEW

The following matters have generated substantial concern among many faithful Orthodox Christians and warrant immediate, transparent review by the appropriate ecclesiastical and administrative authorities:

1. Ethical Accountability and Legal Oversight

We call for an independent review of the administration and enforcement of Archdiocesan ethics and accountability procedures.

We specifically question whether Archdiocesan legal counsel, including Mr. George Tsougarakis, has applied standards of accountability fairly, consistently, and without favoritism. Those entrusted with enforcing ethical standards must themselves be accountable to those standards.

We call for an immediate review of the hiring, conduct, and oversight of Archdiocesan legal counsel George Tsougarakis and the administration of the EthicsPoint system. The faithful have serious concerns regarding the process by which Mr. Tsougarakis was appointed, including the apparent lack of a public search, competitive selection process, and consideration of a candidate’s demonstrated Christian character, knowledge of Holy Scripture, Orthodox Tradition, and ecclesiastical precedent. We further object to the repeated use of threats of civil litigation against fellow Orthodox Christians, contrary to the spirit of 1 Corinthians 6, and to what many perceive as selective enforcement, favoritism, and conflicts of interest in the handling of ethics complaints. We therefore demand that EthicsPoint be removed from the control of individuals whose impartiality has been called into question, that independent oversight be established, and that clear, written procedures and disciplinary standards grounded in Scripture, Orthodox Tradition, ecclesiastical precedent, and applicable civil law be adopted and applied equally to all.

We further call for clear procedures, independent oversight, and transparent reporting regarding ethics complaints, investigations, and disciplinary actions.

2. Conflicts of Interest and Governance

We call for an independent review of potential conflicts of interest within the governance structure of the Archdiocese.

Many faithful have expressed concerns regarding the concentration of authority among unelected administrators and advisors. We therefore request a transparent review of governance practices and decision-making processes to ensure that all actions are undertaken solely for the benefit of the Church and its faithful.

3. Protection of Parish and Institutional Assets

We request full disclosure and transparent review of decisions affecting Church-owned properties, including parish assets, Holy Cross, Saint Basil Academy, and other institutions built and sustained through the sacrifices of generations of faithful Orthodox Christians.

No significant sale, transfer, redevelopment, or restructuring of major Church assets should occur without meaningful consultation with the faithful (especially the donors and their descendants who INTENDED the donations to acquire the assets for a DIFFERENT purpose than what the leadership may intend) and full public disclosure.

4. Saint Basil Academy

We call for full transparency regarding the future of Saint Basil Academy, including facilities, finances, strategic plans, and the welfare of the children entrusted to its care.

The faithful deserve assurance that the Church’s historic commitment to serving vulnerable children remains a priority.

5. Political Representation

We object to the growing perception that the Archbishop serves as a political spokesman for the Greek-American community.

The faithful expect the Archbishop to serve first and foremost as a spiritual father, guardian of Orthodox Tradition, and shepherd of the Church. Political advocacy and representation of the broader Greek-American community should remain the responsibility of civic and community organizations, not the primary function of the Church hierarchy.

We further object to Synodal decisions that serve “geopolitical interests” and result in Ecclesiastical Schisms across Orthodoxy, and call upon the hierarchy to cease “serving another master”, and instead focus on their core mission, the “Unity of the Faith” which has been disturbed by multiple abominable and even Schismatic unilateral decisions in recent years.

6. Response to the Faithful

We call upon Archdiocesan officials and employees to respond to the concerns of the faithful with transparency, respect, Christian charity, and timely communication.

The faithful should be treated not as adversaries, but as valued members of the Body of Christ whose concerns deserve serious consideration and response.

We respectfully request a public response to these concerns and a clear timetable for addressing them.