Giving credit where it is due to holy men and women
The following letter is in response to the editorial «Believers disillusioned» (February 10). The editorial seems very quick to dismiss religious leaders in the aftermath of the current events within the Orthodox Church of Greece. The fact is that there are many good and committed holy men and women who have given themselves to the service of Jesus Christ and his church. Perfect examples include numerous Orthodox religious leaders of the 20th century, some of whom have achieved the status of sainthood. One year ago, the Ecumenical Patriarchate added Russian Orthodox priest Father Dimitri Klepinin and Russian Orthodox nun Mother Maria Skobtskova to its list of saints. These two people of God met their demise in Nazi death camps during the Second World War as a result of their persistent and unrelenting efforts in providing assistance to Jews during the German occupation of France. During the Nazi occupation of Greece, Archbishop Damaskinos was threatened with death as a result of his activities, ranging from his support to the Greek Resistance to the support he gave to Greek Jews. The archbishop, along with Metropolitan Chrysostom of Zakynthos and other Orthodox clergy have been honored as righteous gentiles in Jerusalem as a result of their brave and compassionate support for the Jews of Greece in their darkest hour. In the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, millions of Russian Orthodox faithful were murdered by the Communists. Among them were numerous priests, bishops, monks and nuns who bore witness to their faith by being martyred with their flocks. Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow and all Russia has emerged as a Russian Orthodox saint as a result of the torture and suffering he endured under the murderous reign of Vladimir Ilich Lenin. Metropolitan Chrysostom of Smyrna openly denounced the genocide of Greeks during the First World War by the Ottomans and was exiled. He enthusiastically supported the Greek liberation of Smyrna and, despite the urging of his supporters, he refused to leave his flock behind when it became clear that the Kemalists would reclaim Smyrna. He fulfilled his responsibilities as a shepherd to his flock and met a horrific death in fulfillment of his unrelenting devotion to the Gospel. More recent Orthodox clergy who have been martyred for their faith are Serbian Orthodox monks in Kosovo, such as Farther Chariton Lukic and Father Stefan Puric, who were killed by Albanian Muslims. It appears that very cheap shots are going to be taken against all Orthodox clergy in reaction to current events. All of the above examples cited should serve to eradicate the inevitable secularist prejudices that are beginning to be manifested against Orthodox hierarchs, priests and monastics. T.G. KARAKOSTAS,Byzantine Cultural Project,Boston.
