The recent abdication of Metropolitan Elijah Herman from the episcopal throne due to old age again highlights the big problem of very old metropolitans, unable to fulfill their functional and administrative duties, as a result of which the metropolises are in decline. a state of “insufficient functioning”. The resignation of Metropolitan Elijah brings the number of widowed metropolitans to four, whose elections are to be held at a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Greek Church in the first week of October. In addition to candidates, the dolphins of the bishops’ throne are worried about who will be elected, as they want to include new hierarchs in the “camp”.

In particular, after 41 years on the throne of Elijah, the hierarch submitted a letter of resignation, which will be adopted by the 12-member Permanent Holy Synod within the next week in order to begin the process of electing the throne. There are no age limits for metropolitans in the Orthodox Church. On the contrary, for example, the Catholic Church provided that upon reaching the age of 75, the bishop automatically retires. Of course, there are provisions in the Charter of the Greek Church that can lead to an impasse if the hierarch cannot perform his duties due to old age or health reasons, but the Church does not fulfill them.

However, as was often the case with elderly high priests, their inevitable physical decline and inability to fulfill their liturgical and administrative duties allows the courts to “thrive” around them, which they govern in their own name. Inevitably, scandals thrive while metropolitan areas fall into a state of dysfunction. The very faces of the once-sept hierarchs fade, local societies discredit the Hierarchy, and ecclesiastical provinces are left in desolation. Everyone remembers the humiliating — for the Church and for the hierarch himself — consistent resignation of the former Metropolitan Firas Epiphanius. The former metropolitan resigned, then informed (through his proto-council) that his resignation had been forged, and then resigned again in the presence of the island’s chief of police, who testified to this.

The shocking statements of Dodonis to Chrysostom about rape and condemnation by the Hierarchy: “Unacceptable, especially for an Orthodox clergyman.”

In fact, as the church factor told K, “at the moment when the Church is trying in every possible way to separate the Metropolis of Aetolia and Acarnania for “pastoral reasons”, it is leaving behind at least four metropolitans, whose heads are face to face with insurmountable health problems. or old age. Today, the Church is well aware that the Metropolitans of Paramythia, Mithymnia, Florin and Thessaloniki faced serious health problems, and old age weighed heavily on their steps. Local communities find it every day, but the Holy Synod does not do what is required by law, nor what is required by the Holy Canons. Moreover, a Hierarchy with metropolitans apparently incapable of meeting their duties means a Hierarchy that, in moments of crisis, will be called into question or will face insurmountable problems.”

The metropolitans, who are 75 years old, are 16. It goes without saying that the Church is unable to solve the inevitable and quite human problem of health and old age in a way that respects both the contribution of the metropolitans and the needs of the metropolitans. and people.

However, these days the Church of Greece has come under the spotlight because of statements made on Friday by the Metropolitan of Dodonia, Mr. Chrysostomos, that rape occurs with the consent of the victim and that rape does not produce a pregnancy because it requires the consent of a woman and a man. . The Permanent Holy Synod criticized these statements as “unacceptable, especially for an Orthodox clergyman, and clearly insulting the human person and especially women and victims of rape.” The statements, among other things, cast a shadow on the main initiatives and quiet work of the Church of Greece, which daily and in practice stands on the side of abused women through actions to support them.” Hours later, Mr. Chrysostomos apologized to “any person who felt offended by my statements, as well as to every woman or man who was the victim of rape.” He explained the hype by saying that “my thinking was distorted.”