A TNH ANALYSIS
That the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America faces a serious financial problem with the Clergy Pension Fund, for not depositing the $600 monthly contribution the last three years towards the Fund for its 90-plus clergy and lay employees, as TNH revealed last month, is a very serious issue.
First of all, the Archdiocese wound up owing more than $3 million to the Fund. Second, there is an ethical issue here, since each parish is obligated to contribute $600 per month to the Fund for the priest, including parishes with part-time priests.
The issue was first disclosed at the Clergy Laity Congress in July in Philadelphia by Rev. Peter Giannakopoulos from the St. George parish in Hyannis Cape Cod, MA.
Jerry Dimitriou, Director of Administration of the Archdiocese and also Director of the Finances, and Rev. Giannakopoulos consistently refused to honor TNH’s requests for comments.
On the other hand, those priests who spoke with TNH even on the conditions of anonymity due to the fear of retaliation by their Metropolitans and the Archdiocese in general should be congratulated. The fear that exists among the priests is certainly out of this world. They are afraid of their Metropolitans, who are not “fathers” to them, but rather “tyrants and despots.” And the priests owe their clerical positions and salaries and benefits to them.
If Fr. Giannakopoulos didn’t play the role of whistleblower, the issue would have remained buried. I am wondering how many other serious and pivotal issues are covered up by the system and the Archdiocese officials.
It is interesting that each parish is obligated to pay $600 monthly and if a parish has more than one priest it pays double or triple. Therefore, the parishes – which means, the faithful with their candles, donations, and contributions – pay for everything and for everyone in the Archdiocese.
The uncovered problem is further proof of the pathogenesis that exists in the mentality and the administration of the Archdiocese. The accumulation of so much authority and multi-responsibilities in the hands of one person, Jerry Dimitriou, is inconceivable and undoubtedly dangerous. It seems that he is the real archbishop, since he is in control of the Archdiocese’s administrative and financial matters.
His office as Director of Administration is something unknown to the ecclesial order because the par excellence Director of the Archdiocese should be the Archbishop and second in command his Chancellor. Why and how has Jerry Dimitriou become a “Superarchbishop”? To whom does he report? Did Archbishop Demetrios know about the clergy pension issue? And now that he knows, what has he done about it?
Moreover, how and why is it that Dimitriou is also Director of Finances? Who appointed the Finance Committee and using what criteria? (The things that were said during the Clergy Laity Congress in Philadelphia were quite bizarre.)
Where in all this is the so-called Eparchial Synod?
Who really governs the Archdiocese?
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