Greeks in America - eBooks4Greeks.gr

122 THE GREEKS IN AMERICASynod in Greece. In November, 1921, Meletios waselected Archbishop of Constantinople and EcumenicalPatriarch. The Eoyalists or Constantinists refuseto recognize the election as legal. The Venizelistsinsist it was the most regular patriarchal electionin years, and whatever dissensions there wereamong the bishops, the people of Constantinoplewere unanimous. The Synod of Greece besides refusingrecognition of Meletios charged him withusurpation of the Metropolitan throne of Athens,and starting schism in the churches in America. Hewas tried in his absence and condemned to be unfrockedand shut up in a monastery in Zanta. Meletiosregards his condemnation as a political move bythe Court and that the Synod was illegally composedof unfrocked clergymen. It is most unfortunate thatthe affairs of the Greek Church and State are insuch turmoil. Both suffer. All the dissensions areprobably symptomatic of a real need of the Greekpeople—regeneration. As Koraes, one of the modernGreece's great leaders said, *' Greeks will notbecome a great nation until they become regeneratein Christ Jesus.'*One of the difficulties in the administration of theGreek churches is the collision of the Episcopal rulewith the rights of the congregations in the choice oftheir priests. The bishop appoints, or removes thepriests, and his decision is final, which often createsdissension.Priests.—Some of the priests in America aregraduates of the University of Athens, or the TheologicalSchool of the patriarchate at the Island ofHalki, near Constantinople. But most of them aretrained for the priesthood under some bishop orPreaching among the Greeks is usually ver-priest.bose, full of rhetoric, fine expressions and phrases,but devoid of variety or depth of thought. Or itmay deal with abstruse dogmatic topics, illustrating