ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΗ ΠΑΡΑΚΑΤΩ
By Nick Stamatakis
In a brief one-page letter, dated symbolically on Greek Independence Day, 25th of March, 2021, Karloutsos announced his retirement from the position of the Vicar General of GOA, expressing his “gratitude” to AB Elpidophoros for “honoring” him.
Significantly, he mentions that he had submitted his retirement last year when he turned 75, but “it was not accepted”. However this year he insisted and finally his “request” was approved by the Archbishop and so he will retire from active ministry on May 3, 2021.
BUT – and this is a big BUT, he “will retire but not retreat”. He will stay in charge of establishing the “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation” for a brief period, by continuing his role “as a spiritual advisor of the Order of St.Andrew”. He will also continue as a spiritual advisor of the Friends of St.Nicholas. And finally, he will do his part to organize the upcoming visit of Pat. Bartholomew to the US in the fall.
TO READ THE LETTER OF HIS RETIREMENT PLEASE CLICK BELOW:
Karloutsos Retirement Letter to AB Elpidophoros
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ANALYSIS: This is certainly the end of an era for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. The so-called “strongman” of our Church did not look strong at all in the last few months and was seen dressed quite casually on several occasions and not only around the Hamptons.
It is very true that his son Mike’s involvement in yet one more legal case (the Greek medical marijuana case) had exhausted him at least emotionally. He was seen a few weeks ago in West Palm Beach, where he visited to make arrangements for Mike’s family to move there. He arranged the purchase of a house for Mike’s family and visited the local church to introduce the family to the priest and the parish.
As a father, I personally and anyone among us can feel the pain of having to deal with such difficult circumstances with our kids and grandkids. None of us knows how our children will turn out, even though we think we are doing the best for them. But did he do the best for Mike? This is a question only he can answer – and it is not an easy one.
Beyond the personal aspect of it, we cannot feel sorry for someone who started absolutely penniless in a Chicago Greek Church fifty years ago, where the parish even bought him his first car, and ended up with untold amounts of wealth, millions upon millions of dollars. His salary as a clergyman, although not small if one counts the generous tips in cash the faithful offer on so many occasions at a time when our parishes were full of people and energy, does not and cannot account for his wealth. And this cloud of “unaccountability” will forever stain his name.
He rose to power at the same time as Pat. Bartholomew became Patriarch. It is reported that the relationship between the two had started earlier, with the infamous visit of Bartholomew to the US in 1990, accompanying the then Patriarch Demetrios, truly a holy man. Bartholomew showed at that visit all the signs of a megalomaniac and arrogant personality; and Karloutsos connected with him, backstabbing AB Iakovos, the man who had benefited him and promoted him, introducing him to the corridors of power. The rest of his career is a chain of events leading to his personal enrichment and to his accumulating enormous power. He will be forever known for enjoying the “elixir of power” more than anything else in his life. The hardest part of his retirement will be just that, dealing with the loss of power…
Helleniscope is known to have criticized Karloutsos on so many occasions. Had he decided earlier in his life to leave the priesthood and enter politics he would have been a very successful politician; he certainly had all the qualities and the talent necessary. But as a clergyman, he did a disservice to our Church by turning it into a country club for wealthy donors, who mostly benefited themselves with the tax advantages they gained at the same time as they benefited Karloutsos, who collected his “fundraising fees”…
His retirement sets in motion multiple possibilities: We would like to think that as the old guard loses their grip on the affairs of the Church a younger generation of leaders will sping up to lead the Church of America to its rightful place. This place is at the end of a one-way street named Independence. As we noted many times (and also yesterday) the “committee of elder hierarchs” – charitably called the “Holy Synod” – is in no position to determine the affairs of our Church from 5,000 miles away in Constantinople. It is time to end this disastrous relationship and replace it with a healthy one. A relationship where the Phanar will receive all kinds of financial and political support from our Church but will abstain from having any direct role in its affairs, limiting itself in exercising mostly symbolic and spiritual power – which actually will be a liberating act for both sides. The Church of America will have a fighting chance to proceed to the future (hopefully on the road of Panorthodox Unity), while the Turks will have no longer a reason to blackmail the Phanar.
TO BE UPDATED
26 Μαρτίου 2021, n.stamatakis@aol.com, www.helleniscope.com
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26 Μαρτίου 2021, n.stamatakis@aol.com, www.helleniscope.com