Greece
1995-Today
After five months, Archbishop Chrysostomos called at June 1995 a second meeting with the Holy Synod as continuity of the first, where appeared evidently henceforth the suppression of synodical institution. Meanwhile, the agreement between the Americans and the team of Kiousis did not go well. They did not trust each other. The Americans required the election of Vicentios to be done firstly and then the ostracism of Metr Efthimios, and from the other the conventicle of Archbishop Chrysostomos (that in the substance did not want Bishop Vicentios) asked from the two American Bishops, their complete support in their objectives and as remuneration would elect Bishop Vicentios as Metropolitan of Pireas. That meeting led to be the drop that overflowed the glass with the pointed abuse of power of Archbishop Chrysostomos as we will see below.The first subject was the circular about the electronic cards. In this subject agreed the majority of members of Holy Synod but because Metr Kallinikos of Achaia, Matthaios of Oinois and Kalliopios of Pentapoleos did not agree with the other nine Hierarchs, Archbishop Chrysostomos withdrew the circular. Second subject once again the creation of Constitutive map even though it had been rejected twice in the past. The subject was transferred in next meeting and the majority reacted once again. Third subject was about the election of a new Metr of Pireas. The majority of Synodical Hierarchs voted for direct election but Kallinikos of Achaias did not agree. The Archbishop wasn’t able to face the dissatisfaction of Hierarchs for the contempt of majority, rose by his place and dissolved the meeting, abandoning the rest Synodical Hierarchs and the remainder daily provision of subjects. (For historical reasons we report that the fourth subject was the deposition of Bishop Petros of Astoria because of the ecumenist statements of the Canon). Triggered and indignated the Hierarchs from this tactic of the Archbishop and three Metropolitans Kallinikos of (Achaia), Kalliopios and Matthaios, six of them signed a letter to the Archbishop Chrisostomo and they asked the convocation of Holy Synod in order to express their dissatisfaction , against the conventicle that was created. The convocation was done but the subject wasn’t the demand of the six Hierarchs, but the charge of Metro Kalliopios at certain from the denouncer Hierarchs and for subjects that they had already decided. Then the six Hierarchs, Fthiotidos Kallinikos, Chiou Stefanos, Thessalonikis Efthimios, Evripou Ioustinos, Avlonos Vicentios and Americis Paisios, realised that the team of Archbishop Chrysostomos “struck” for their final intention which was the split of Holy Synod and the depredation of all the Ecclesiastical administration. They sent therefore a new letter by which they denounced in the Synod Archbishop and the three Metropolitans Achaias, Pentapoleos and Oinois. With this development however was revealed the drawing of God. Let us advert the result of the facts.From the fourteen Hierarchs of the Holy Synod, two of them (Megaridos and Aharnon) remained neutral.The remainder twelve were separated in two equal parts. The first was of unmixed Auxentian origin, the other of clean arbitrary origin with generator in it, for more of ten years, troublemaker, and argon and deposed Metro Chrysostomos Kiousis. The Kiusians exploited the charge of the six Hierarchs. They propagated that these six Hierarchs left from the Holy Synod and made schism. After six days without no respect in the rules of Church they dealt with their beloved action, namely they “unfrocked” (as in 1979) the six Hierarchs (because they dared to check them) and from the tens of clergymen who remained faithful in the legal H. Synod, six Archimandrites. The satisfaction of the Kiousians was so much that they succeded to split the Church that they were shouting and writing in their magazine “Glory to God!” The Holy Synod after the sadness of the first days, assembled and placed the prelateship in the comprise embassy, respectable Metr Kallinikos of Fthiotidos and they continued the administration of Church.At December of 1995, after the ecumenist statements of the American Bishops Paisios and Vicentios (already Metr of Pireas), they broke away of the Hierarchy of the Church of G.O.C. of Greece. Metr Stefanos of Chiou and Ioustinos of Evripos followed them. The Holy Synod after a little time, tried to contact the Kiousian party for union hard-pushed by faithful and Mount Athos monks, but uselessly.At the beginning of 1996 the Holy Synod was constituted by Metr Kallinikos of Fthiotidos, Efthimios of Thessalonikis and Athanasios of Aharnon, whom unfamiliarity changde over the created party of the American Bishops and became their president. The two remained Metr Kallinikos and Eftimios weren’t able to cover the pastoral needs of Church and the administration of it, so they decided with the conform opinion of clergymen, to ordain new Bishops. In April of the same year, they ordained the Archimandrites Makarios Kavakidis as Bishop Petras, Amvrosios Nikiforidis as Bishop Filippon, Anthimos Karamitros as Bishop Gardikiou and Christophoros Angelopoulos as Bishop Eginis. The Kiousians without obstacles advanced in their intentions. At September of 1995 they made the Church, Association. This association was made like congregational type, because they identified Church and Association. For example, the aim of the association is reported that is the salvation of members of Church (hence the Church cannot by herself save her faithful and needs some Association!). The Administrative Council was life-long and was constituted by the Synod. The decisions of the Synod were decisions of Administrative Council and reversely. Whoever was member of the association simultaneously he was member of the Church, while nothing was forecasted for the members of the Church that were not members of the Association. Any member of Association-Church that violates the Statute of Association-Church will be erased, a.o. The construction of the Church as a union from the Kiousians puzzled a lot of clergymen and popular who had followed them.At 1997, the Holy Synod under the presidency of Metr Kallinikos of Fthiotidos, accepts applications of hundreds of members of the Church, for the review of trial of the memorable Archbishop Auxentios. At the 1st/14th of April with synodical decision is restored the memorable Archbishop Auxentios because of mistrial and manipulation of the Synod and with him all the condemned Bishops of year 1985. At 1998 the Kiousians advanced in the creation of a Constitutive Chart. This unorthodox action of them made also their supporters to disagree. Seeing the common outcry and the escapes where they had they were forced to postpone the application of Constitutive Chart. Because of this last aberration of the Kiousians Metr Kallinikos of Dodekanisou and Athanasios of Aharnon separated their place as well as a lot of clergymen. Naturally all protesting, were unfrocked on the constant tactic of Kiousians’s Synod. At 29th of January of 1999, Bishop Gardikiou Anthimos deposed in Lord. The Holy Synod of G.O.C. proceeds in ordinations of new Bishops, Archimandrites Nifon (Anastasopoulos) as Metr of Piraeus and Arethas (Antoniadis) as Metr of Crete. At 2000 after application to the Holy Synod of Romanian Bishop Kosmas (Lastoun) and his flock, he is accepted as unapprehensive (because of illness). In the dues of year, adheres in the Holy Synod the Metr Athanasios of Aharnon. At 2001, the discussions for union between the Bishops from Boston Efraim and Makarios, turn out barren. Bishop Philaretos of Paris who was with them, contacted with the Synod and adheres to it. At the 21st of June of 2001, Bishop Philaretos is promoted as Metropolitan of France and exarch of Western Europe. At the 17th of February of 2002, Bishop Kosmas (Lastoun) was deposed in Lord In May of the same year Archimandrite Vissarion Sotiropoulos was ordained as Bishop of Tarsou for the Australian needs. At December of the same year adheres in the Holy Synod Bishop Aggelos (Anastasiou) of Avlonos. At 25th January of 2004, after the resignation (because of health) of the chairman of Holy Session Metropolitan Kallinikos of Fthiotidos, Bishop Makarios of Petra is elected as Archbishop and Primate of the Holy Synod. The enthroning became in the Holy Temple of Saint Apostles Athens at 2nd February of 2004.