BOSTON – Metropolitan Methodios of Boston intends to send Fr. Nicholas Kastanas in the next few weeks to Spiritual Court The National Herald has learned. The chronic issues of Fr. Kastanas and his long-running suspension, and the St. Athanasius parish of Arlington Massachusetts will rise again; it will be phase two and will generate even more negative publicity.
It has become known that Fr. Kastanas has filed for ‘ekliton’ (supreme final appeal) to Archbishop Elpidophoros as the First Ecclesiastical Authority of our Church in America, a process analogous to the ekliton the hierarchs can initiate with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who renders the final decision on a specific dispute.
It is emphasized here that it is against the Canon Law of the Church for the suspension of Fr. Kastanas to continue for so long.
It is not known when the clergy who will be the members-judges of the Spiritual Court will be named by Metropolitan Methodios and when it is going to be convened. As of Saturday, October 19 Fr. Kastanas had not been notified by the Metropolis of Boston, which hasn’t communicated with him for almost two and one half years.
Metropolitan Methodios decided to proceed with this action after almost two and one half years since dismissing Fr. Kastanas from the St. Athanasius parish and imposing liturgical suspension on him. Such a prolonged suspension without a final decision is against the Canon Law of the Church, prompting Fr. Kastanas to file for ekliton.
Methodios Suspended Kastanas using as a cause the filling of legal motion by Fr. Kastanas in the courts of the Commonwealths of Massachusetts requesting the return of his computer and personal documents and belongings, which the Metropolis took out of his office and holds in its possession, refusing to return them to Fr. Kastanas.
It is emphasized here that Fr. Kastanas does not receive a salary from anywhere, he does not have medical insurance, and he was not permitted to bless the wedding of his son a few months ago, nor attend the baptism of his grandchild.
The results of Methodios’ decision to oust Fr. Kastanas in July of 2017 from St. Athanasius, the way it was done, the accusations that were used, and the reverberations in the parish and its congregants have created an open wound.
A massive exodus of many families occurred from the parish which was considered one of the most vibrant and most populous not only in the Metropolis of Boston but in the entire Archdiocese of America. The parish had the potential to house a Greek Day School since it has the necessary building and facilities, but in the meantime dozens of parents took their children from the existing Greek Afternoon School of St. Athanasius in protest of Methodios’ action towards their parish. They have established their own school in a rental facility in a neighboring town with great success.
It is emphasized here that Fr. Kastanas is one of the best known, respected, and loved priests and not only by the parishioners of St. Athanasius, whom he served diligently for 28 years but throughout the Greek-American Community of Boston.
When the news broke in July of 2017 there was wide press coverage by the major media outlets of Boston, electronic and print, while Metropolitan Methodios was the subject of protests and demonstrations by St. Athanasius’s parishioners.
Regarding the Spiritual Court, it consists of four or more priests – judges appointed by Methodios, who makes sure they are his own close friends so that they decide according to his will. He should will not have any difficulty finding clergy of high quality.
Although he should personally preside over the Court, he usually assigns a priest to be president of the Court. He might apply do the same thing in this instance since he seems unwilling confront Fr. Kastanas face to face.
The National Herald is in a position to know the inner workings of a Spiritual Court through experience with one that was convened a few years ago in Boston comprised of ‘judges’ who were characterized by members of the community as “unholy jokes” and “mockeries.”
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