Source of Rule forbiding GOA clergy from Suing Archdiocese
DrGeor107a
{Source Articles can be read in entirety by going to the http://www.Voithia.org
website and clicking on blue titles of links.}
AP, UPI, Bergen Couinty Record, New York Law Journal, People Magazine and
Orange Country Register chronology compiled by Harry Coin, Voithia editor.
The source of the rule forbidding clergy to sue the Archdiocese
The Rise and Fall and Rise of Bishop Anthimos
Given the recent forced departure of tenured and other clergy from their
teaching posts, and the troubling signing of a contract to buy a house for
Archbishop Spyridon by a priest using Church funds without legal authority, we
asked the question: "How does it come to pass that a Greek Orthodox clergyman
in America can't finally use the courts if all else fails?". Clergy tell us
point blank that they fear for their pension and health benefits and being
defrocked from the priesthood should they sue. Searching legal records on the
topic led us to the profoundly troubling case of Bishop Anthimos of Olympus.
As a result of a startling accusation of clergy sexual misconduct against
Bishop Anthimos by the daughter of a priest whom later Bishop Anthimos made his
chancellor in Boston while the alleged affair was yet in progress, the
Archdiocese in the late 80's promugulated a rule which forbade priests from
suing the Archdiocese.
A review of the history raised several very troubling questions. Below is a
chronology from June of 86 through December of 97 which completes a cycle
wherein at first Bishop Anthimos was so successful as to be the chairman of a
clergy - laity congress, then is accused of sexual misconduct splashed all over
the national media and removed from service by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to
the Archdiocese escaping legal liability only through intimidating the priestly
victimized family in to delaying suit until after the legal statute of
limitations had passed, following that is a quiet period wherein sources tell
us Bishop Anthimos served quietly in the Archdiocesan offices in New York--
until suddenly and amid unanswered questions he left there to be with his Halki
schoolmate Bishop Anthony of San Francisco on the other side of the country;
and last year completing the circle and acting once again officially as an
Orthodox Bishop, disbanding parish councils and acting officially for
Metropolitan Anthony.
This story has eerie parallel ties to current events regarding the attempt to
cover up the sexual molestation at Holy Cross, the intimidation of presbyters
to silence amid defrockment threats should the courts be employed, and the
pains to which the Church will go to effect the "rehabilitation" of a Bishop or
Archimandrite . The "Reporting" column of the National Herald frequently
writes of "the club", now that meaning seems more evident. Also, by way of
contrast, consider the speed with which a married Presbyter, such as Fr.
Anthony Nicklas, who thought due to special circumstances he had permission to
remarry from both his Bishop and the Patriarch himself, was bounced from his
parish and from his teaching job at Holy Cross into a hotel night clerk for
doing so by Archbishop Spyridon and Metropolitan Methodios-- and told by Fr.
Heropoulos, assistant to the Archbishop, that even though not found guilty by a
spiritual court and not assigned to a parish would nevertheless have his due
Archdiocesan health benefits terminated both for himself and his family.
A chronology of the relevant news articles in summary with full text links
follows.
Chronology
Greeks convene / June 26, 1986, Thursday, UPI, Texas:
DALLAS: Some 2,000 delegates representing the 2 million members of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America convened in Dallas today for
the start of the 28th Biennial Clergy- Laity Congress....Bishop Anthimos of
Denver is to serve as congress chairman; the Rev. Nicholas Katinas, priest of
Dallas's Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, is coordinator, and Dallas County
Commissioner and lay leader Chris Semos is co-chairman....
Greek Orthodox hierarchy gathers; Proper role of women in church to be debated
/ THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, February 15, 1987 Sunday
ANAHEIM -- Like her mother before her, and her grandmother before that, Alice
Scourby learned early that there were certain things girls could not do in
church -- like helping the priest conduct services....Bishop Anthony, spiritual
leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in California and other Western states,
said the gathering probably wouldn't produce any big change in the church's
theology or practice....
Former Greek Orthodox bishop of Boston named in sex scandal / U.P.I., September
20, 1987, Sunday
BOSTON: Bishop Anthimos Draconakis, former Greek Orhodox Bishop of Boston,
allegedly seduced an 18-year-old girl and then had the three-year tryst covered
up by members of the church heirarchy, a published report said. An article in
the Sept. 28 issue of People magazine reports the alleged affair between
Draconakis and Despina Gallas, now 27, began eight years ago and ended when she
claimed Draconakis threatened her with a gun. In an account based on statements
from Gallas and her family, the article reports the affair began in 1979, when
Draconakis was transferred from Gallas' hometown of Pittsburgh to Boston where
he became bishop of the Greek Orthodox community.Draconakis, 53, would not
comment on the allegations, but the magazine quoted his secretary as saying,
''The girl is a kook. She fantasized this, and it's a hallucination.'' Gallas
claims that while the scandal has been kept from public scrutiny and Draconakis
denies the allegations, the bishop was protected by members of the church
heirarchy.....
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, September 21, 1987 : "In the News":
Bishop Anthimos Draconakis, 53, former Greek Orthodox bishop of Boston, was
alleged in a report in People magazine to have seduced an 18-year-old girl in
1979 and then to have had the three-year tryst covered up by members of the
church hierachy.
NOW, A GREEK ORTHODOX SCANDAL / Bergen Record Corp. "The Record" September
27, 1987
The Greek Orthodox Church is investigating a charge by one of its priests in
Paramus that his daughter was seduced when she was 18 by a high-ranking bishop
who was supposed to abide by a vow of celibacy. A committee of Greek Orthodox
bishops and lay people plans to meet Tuesday in Manhattan to discuss
allegations that Bishop Anthimos Draconakis had a secret love affair from
1978-82 with Despina Gallas, daughter of the Rev. George X. Gallas of St.
Athanasios Church in Paramus. The Gallas family lived in the Massachusetts at
the time. The church plans to announce Wednesday whether it will take
disciplinary action against the bishop or allow him to remain bishop of Denver,
church spokesman Panagiotis J. Gazouleas said. The allegations, which were
rumored for five years in the close-knit Greek Orthodox community, became
public last week when Ms. Gallas told her story in an article in People
magazine....
A BLACK PRINCE OF THE CHURCH; Scorning his vows, Bishop Anthimos Draconakis,
says Despina Gallas, seduced her and left her emotionally ravaged / "People"
Magazine, September 28, 1987
Bishop Anthimos Draconakis was 43 and a fast-rising prince of the Greek
Orthodox Church when he first laid his unsettling gaze on Despina Gallas. The
dark-haired, intense Anthimos was presiding at a banquet honoring his
enthronement as Bishop of Pittsburgh, yet his admiration for the young girl
seated at another table was unconcealed....Today, 10 years later, Despi is a
pitiably thin anorexic whose eating disorder, her doctors say, threatens her
life. In this first public disclosure of her decade-long ordeal, she says she
is the victim of a tormented love affair with Bishop Anthimos. She says the
hierarch seduced her into sexual servitude when she was 18 years old and
pursued the affair for three years. The relationship ended in 1982, she claims,
when he threatened her with a loaded gun. ...Anthimos denies Despi's
allegations, but in 1983 he was transferred from his prestigious post as Bishop
of Boston and installed as Bishop of Denver, where he presides over relatively
few Greek Orthodox faithful. ...Anthimos' punishment, says Father George
Gallas, Despi's father, "was just a slap on the wrist, and the hypocrisy and
double standard of the church just sicken me. They provided him with sanctuary
and a graceful exit so he could go somewhere else and do the same thing all
over again. We are the victims." For his attempts to win justice for his
daughter, Father George has suffered financial hardships and rejection by his
church. ...After their affair had been underway for nine months, says Despi,
Anthimos maneuvered her within easier reach by appointing Father Gallas as his
chancellor in Boston. The move was costly, forcing Gallas to take a second job
as a weekend parish priest while Despi's mother, Mersene, became a secretary in
Anthimos' office. Mother and father worked in the diocesan residence for the
next three years, never suspecting that their daughter, who was working at a
hospital, was spending evenings upstairs in the bishop's bedroom....Archbishop
Iakovos came home from vacation as soon as he learned of the brewing scandal
and interviewed Despi and her father. "He believed Despi's story and he told us
so," says Father George. ...Later, Iakovos urged Father George to sue Anthimos,
then reneged by laying down a new church law forbidding clergy to bring civil
suits. The Gallas family can only speculate as to the reason for Iakovos's
about-face. "Anthimos," says Despi, "has something on everyone."
On April 21, 1983, nine months after charges were first lodged against
Anthimos, the 10 bishops of the American Greek Orthodox synod met to consider
the case. During a five-hour secret session that Anthimos attended, the girl
and her father waited in vain to be called to testify. The synod ordered
Anthimos to take a six-month leave of absence pending reassignment. He defied
the order and went to Istanbul to appeal to Patriarch Dimitrios I, who upheld
the synod. On Dec. 4, 1983, Anthimos was enthroned as Bishop of Denver, a
position specially created for him, which has authority over 14 western states
but only 20,000 church families.
CHURCH LEADERS SUMMON BISHOP; GOING TO TURKEY FOR CELIBACY PROBE Summoned /
The Record", October 1, 1987
The Greek Orthodox bishop accused of breaking his vow of celibacy and having a
love affair with the daughter of a Paramus pastor has been summoned to
Istanbul, Turkey, to appear before the church's international leadership. Also
called to Istanbul was the Rev. George X. Gallas, pastor of St. Athanasios
Church in Paramus, who says his daughter, Despina, was first seduced by Bishop
Anthimos Draconakis of Denver when she was 18 years old. ...The decision to
refer the case to the world Orthodox leadership was made by Archbishop Iakovos
Koukouzis, head of the U.S. branch of Greek Orthodoxy.
Martin Christopher, Laramie, Wyo.: Bishop Anthimos Draconakis / October 19,
1987, People Magazin "Mail" section, Pg. 4
As a faithful member of the Greek Orthodox Church, I would like to extend my
love and support to Despina Gallas and the entire Gallas family. It's a
disgrace that such a thing could happen in such a well-respected religion.
Bishop Anthimos knew what he was getting into when he took his vows of
celibacy, and I feel he should be punished for his actions. There is too much
politics involved in religion, and the archdiocese must re-evaluate the loyalty
of its supposed leaders.
BISHOP ANTHIMOS RESIGNS DUE TO SEXUAL SCANDAL / U.P.I., November 10, 1987
DENVER-- Bishop Anthimos Draconakis, dogged by charges he engaged in a
three-year affair with a priest's daughter, apparently is out as spiritual
leader of an estimated 20,000 Greek Orthodox families spread throughout 14
states from Montana to Louisiana. A statement from the church's highest
authorities in Istanbul, Turkey, was reported this week in Greek-language
newspapers in New York. The statement said Draconakis has resigned as head of
the Denver diocese and the resignation was accepted by the Patriarchate.
Sources said Draconakis would remain overseas for at least 18 months....
ORTHODOX BISHOP CITED IN SEX SCANDAL RESIGNS DENVER POST / The Associated
Press, November 10, 1987
DENVER-- Greek Orthodox Bishop Anthimos Draconakis, accused of having a
four-year affair with a Paramus priest's daughter, has resigned as leader of
the Denver diocese, a newspaper reported today. The Rocky Mountain News said
the church's highest authorities in Istanbul, Turkey, reported the resignation
in Greek-language newspapers in New York. The Istantbul leaders had ordered a
hearing for Bishop Draconakis after the Rev. George Gallas of Paramus accused
him of carrying on a four-year affair with Father Gallas's daughter, Despina,
now 27. According to Father Gallas, the affair ended in 1982. Church leaders
here were told not to comment on the resignation until an official announcement
by officials of the New York City-based Archdiocese of North and South America
this week, the Denver newspaper said....
Immunity Based on Religion Does Not Bar Tort Action; Gallas v. Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of North and South America, Supreme Court,
IA Part 4, Justice Greenfield./ New York Law Journal, July 19, 1991
This is a case involving prelates of a church, arising out of a charge by
plaintiff that one of them, using the charisma of Rasputin and the mesmerizing
power of a Svengali, had seduced her as a young parishioner and held her in
thrall for several years, and that when she broke free, was coerced into
silence by the church hierarchy. There are countercharges that plaintiff is
fantasizing, that what she claims never took place, and that by publicizing her
charges she has defamed the Bishop accused, subjecting him to ridicule and
contempt, deprivation of benefice, and loss of emoluments....
The complaint, served in November, 1988, which the defendants now move to
dismiss, as amplified by the affidavits and the exhibits annexed, alleges in
essence that in 1977, when defendant Anthimos Draconakis was Bishop of the
Pittsburgh diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church he met the then 17 year old
plaintiff, Despina Gallas, the daughter of an Orthodox priest. (The Greek
Orthodox church permits priests to marry, but only before ordination.) Ms.
Gallas charges the Bishop engaged in a course of conduct to seduce her; and
began to make sexual advances despite his vow of celibacy. When he became
Bishop of Boston in 1979, she alleges he preyed on her naivete and they
continued a sexual affair which lasted until 1982. She claimed she had been
held in a state of "sexual servitude" by the Bishop. He favored her father with
a post as his chancellor in Boston, and gave her mother a secretarial position
in the Bishop's office. The affair broke up in July 1982 when the Bishop
allegedly threatened Ms. Gallas with a gun. Finally she told her parents, who
were naturally outraged. They notified the archdiocese, and the Archbishop,
after convening a synod of American bishops, in 1983 ordered Bishop Draconakis
to take a six month leave of absence. Thereafter he was reassigned as Bishop of
Denver....She alleges further that the Archdiocese is vicariously liable for
putting Bishop Draconakis in a position to engage in sexual abuse, and that
defendants are liable for prima facie tort, the intentional infliction of
emotional harm, and for assault, for which plaintiff seeks damages...The Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese and the Archbishop claim that service was improper and
have moved to dismiss the complaint under CPA 3211 (a), 5, 7 and 8. They
contend the causes of action in the complaint are barred by the statute of
limitations.....
Plaintiff argues that it would be inequitable to apply the statute of
limitations in her case, because she contends that the church lured her through
promises and coercion to forego bringing any action, and to cloak the entire
affair with a veil of silence to avoid embarassment. She and her father assert
that they brought their complaint about Bishop Draconakis to the attention of
Archbishop Iakovos in New York in July, 1982, and the Archbishop wanted the
incident kept quiet. They say it was contemplated that a new position would be
created for Father Gallas, and the church would take care of the medical
expenses incurred on plaintiff's behalf. Nevertheless, plaintiff filed formal
charges with the Archdiocese in October, 1982. The Archdiocese convened a synod
of ten bishops to investigate the charges. The synod, while finding the
evidence did not warrant prosecution of charges, ordered a six month leave of
absence for Bishop Draconakis, and then a reassignment. This was affirmed by
the Patriarch of the church in Athens. Despite the outrage of plaintiff and her
father, it is asserted that the agreement by the Archbishop to pay for
plaintiff's therapy and medical expenses caused plaintiff to exercise
forbearance in commencing a lawsuit and making public disclosure. Plaintiff
alleges that even after the payments to her were terminated in September, 1983,
she was inhibited from litigation because of the threat that her father's
position with the church would be terminated. In fact, he was terminated in
1985 and took a job "flipping burgers" at a MacDonald's on the Connecticut
Turnpike until assigned to a parish in New Jersey. In October, 1985, the
Archdiocese promulgated a prohibition against litigation. ...Therefore, by
July, 1985 both of plaintiff's worst fears had been realized, and she should
have acted. There is no justification for not having commenced the action until
November, 1988, and the statute of limitations stands .
Bishop Anthimos, supposedly retired, acts for Metropolitan Anthony /
Voithia/Angelides 9/27/96
...Before Fr. Kouremetis left, Metropolitan Anthony of Dardanellion, Presiding
Hierarch of the Diocese of San Francisco, who at that time was Bishop of San
Francisco, ordered the removal of the entire [Long Beach] Parish Council.
This was announced at a parish assembly meeting on September 27, 1996, by
Bishop Anthimos of Olympos, who attended that meeting on then-Bishop Anthony's
behalf. On January 12, 1997, a new Parish Council was appointed to replace
the one which had been removed.
Although officially retired, Bishop Anthimos has been Metropolitan Anthony's
house guest in San Francisco for years, has acted on his behalf, and continues
to do so. Most recently, on December 15, 1997, Bishop Anthimos wrote a letter
to the clergy of the Diocese of San Francisco "on behalf of His Eminence
Metropolitan Anthony of Dardenelles" regarding the new Metropolitans and
Metropolitan Anthony's commemoration as Archbishop....
+Bishop Anthimos of Olympus: The elevation of the Bishops to the ecclesiastical
rank of Metropolitan does not change the charter of the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America, the structure of our Church in America, or the Uniform
Parish Regulations / Voithia 12/15/97
Bishop Anthimos: "Beloved Brothers in the Diakonia of the Lord, You should be
in receipt of the memo from the Diocese Office dated November 26,1997,
informing you of the elevation of Bishop Anthony of San Francisco to the rank
of Metropolitan. On behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Dardenelles
who is currently visiting the Ecumenical Patriarchate, I am officially
notifying you of the following: ...The elevation of the Bishops to the
ecclesiastical rank of Metropolitan does not change the charter of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the structure of our Church in America, or the
Uniform Parish Regulations. I extend to you the paternal blessings of His
Eminence Metropolitan Anthony and wishing you, your families, and your
communities a very blessed and happy holiday season, I remain,Paternally Yours,
<signed> +Bishop Anthimos of Olympus"
Nanhwmd
In article <199805280353...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
drgeo...@aol.com (DrGeor107a) writes:
Quotes Harry Coin:
>Although officially retired, Bishop Anthimos has been Metropolitan Anthony's
>house guest in San Francisco for years, has acted on his behalf, and
>continues
>to do so. Most recently, on December 15, 1997, Bishop Anthimos wrote a
>letter
>to the clergy of the Diocese of San Francisco "on behalf of His Eminence
>Metropolitan Anthony of Dardenelles" regarding the new Metropolitans and
>Metropolitan Anthony's commemoration as Archbishop....
>
Don't blame Metropolitan Anthony, he tried to get Kato Kaitlin to
housesit, but Anthimos was all the Archdiocese could afford. Since you are
implying that Anthimos was blackmailing +Iakovos, why wouldn't he also
blackmail his old schoolmate, +Anthony into letting him "crash"? A lot of
people feel sorry for old Army buddies or roommates and sometimes, unwisely,
help them when they have hit bottom.
It seems that blackmail is even more common in the Roman Church; the
"celebate" clergy who are having hetero- or homosexual affairs protect the
child molesters out of fear of their own disgrace. In the Early Church, we had
women deacons, all women over 40, who served women and children, so that male
priests, "celebate" or otherwise, had contact only with women and children in
their own families or at Liturgy. Why did the male "celebate" bishops get rid
of women deacons?
I wish that all the "celebate" clergy who have had sex with consenting
adults of either sex would just go public with their "sins" and conquer this
fear of blackmail that protects the sexual predators. Certainly us sinners of
the laity would forgive our spiritual fathers for being human and join with
them in sending the predators to jail. Then we would not have had the Anthimos
or Holy Cross scandals causing such turmoil in the GOA or any church.
PS: The Dardenelles are a beautiful group of mountain peaks in the Sierra
Nevada, close to our UCBerkeley Alumni camp, Lair of the Bear. So His Eminence
Anthony is Metropolitan of the Dardenelles, Republic of California.