Letter to Editor: All Sex Crimes Against Children Inexcusable

Editor’s note: Catherine Metropoulos has served on the GOA’s Clergy Sexual Misconduct Advisory Board for the last four years (click on image at right to view the Board’s announcement).

Letter to the Editor of Orthodox Reform:

To say that Emmanuel Koveos’ sex crime against a 12-year-old parishioner from his church for which he was jury convicted, imprisoned, and defrocked for is “nothing compared to what Father Katinas did,” (National Herald 5-25-07) is wrong and an understatement to say the least! Any and all sex crimes committed by adults against children are very serious and inexcusable! Any priest who sexually violates a child must be defrocked.

Clergy Voice Concerns about Fr. Katinas, Majority Call for Defrocking Him

A new article from The National Herald interviews several priests about the Fr. Katinas crisis.

Several clergymen in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America said that their retired and subsequently suspended colleague, Rev. Nicholas Katinas, former longtime pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Dallas, should be tried by a spiritual court and defrocked.

Read the candid opinion of various Orthodox priests speaking out on the issue of following canon law, reaching out to victims of sexual abuse, and the impending issue of the recently filed lawsuit over the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese handing of sexual misconduct issues.

Manifesto Renamed to ‘Articles of Orthodox Reform’

It’s official — 96% of poll respondent’s preferred a different name than “The Orthodox Reform Manifesto.” We are now calling it the “Articles of Orthodox Reform.” Thanks for your feedback!

Video: SCOBA’s Discussion on Sexual Misconduct in the Church

The 2006 SCOBA Bishops Conference that ran October 3-6, 2006 in Chicago, IL included a video taped seminar entitled “Discussion on Sexual Misconduct in the Church.” View this video online at SCOBA’s website.

The presentation on Sexual Abuse and Misconduct by Father Alexander Karlgut informed the hierarchs of the practical aspects of dealing with sexual abuse and misconduct and stressed their ability to lower the risk of misconduct through preventative measures. Also, he said that SCOBA has a unique role to play in coordinating a unified educational approach on sexual abuse and misconduct-workshops in seminaries and for the clergy throughout North America.

The liability threat is high; Fr. Karlgut gave examples:

• The Roman Catholic church in America has spent over $1.5 Billion in sexual misconduct settlements (either out of court or jury awards)
• Entire Roman Catholic dioceses have declared bankruptcy over inappropriate handling of this issue

Greek Orthodox Synod: Send Katinas to Spiritual Court

A new front page article in The National Herald reports on the increasing support of the Bishops to follow canon law and depose Fr. Katinas, who was suspended nearly a year ago over allegations of sexually molesting an altar boy. Since this initial charge, other allegations have been made and a lawsuit has been filed.

The Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has recommended that Rev. Nicholas Katinas, former longtime pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Dallas, should be sent before Spiritual Court for alleged sexual misconduct with minors.

Metropolitan Evangelos had strong words to say on this subject:

When asked how he would have dealt with the issue if Father Katinas were a priest serving the Metropolis of New Jersey, Evangelos said, “First of all, respecting the Canon Law of the Church and the civil laws of our land, I would have proceeded very differently in following the proper process. I would have notified the authorities, and without any doubt, I would have already sent him to Spiritual Court to be defrocked.”

Evangelos also said he believes that a special meeting of the Synod is necessary to discuss the issue.

Several other bishop weighed in with their opinions on this topic.

Greek Archdiocese Pays $1M To Settle Old Sex Abuse Case

Theodore Kalmoukos reported in the National Herald last week that:

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America entered into an out-of-court settlement for $1 million this past January with an alleged victim of one of two former priests from California, according to a report released by the Archdiocese Finance Committee during the Archdiocesan Council meeting in Houston, Texas on April 27.

The full article is available to view if you are an online subscriber.

Hellenic Voice Report on Fr. Katinas Lawsuit

An article appearing in the February 28, 2007 issue of The Hellenic Voice (which calls itself “The largest and most widely accepted English weekly dedicated to Hellenic Americans”) reported on allegations of sexual abuse by Fr. Nicholas Katinas.

The parents of two alleged victims of Fr. Katinas filed papers April 27 on their children’s behalf, seeking actual and punitive damages for sexual misconduct involving Fr. Katinas and at the time of the alleged indiscretions, two minors.

Read the full story.

The Abomination of Child Molestation

By Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6)

Through the millennia and the translations from Aramaic through Greek and into English, the force of our Lord’s admonition glares through. Can you see His eyes in your mind’s eye as He declared that indictment? “It would be better for him”: perhaps not in this lifetime, but in the afterlife. What would He say about a culture such as ours, where child molestation is endemic and where we have gone Sodom one better in perversity? In that weird city it was homosexuality that cried out to heaven as an abomination. Despite contemporary “theologians,” those scriptural defense attorneys for Gay Rights advocates who skew the obvious as though the sin of Sodom was lack of hospitality to strangers, at least the sexual congress there was among adults. Here in our enlightened times we have to deal with the imposition of adults upon innocent children.

Read the full article

Article I: Zero Tolerance

(Editor’s note: This is the expanded draft of Article I of the Orthodox Reform Manifesto to overcome sexual misconduct, establish healing, and restore trust in the Church. Please let us know your comments!)

The Orthodox hierarchy must have zero tolerance for any type of clergy sexual misconduct.

Orthodox clergy must be above reproach. Married clergy are blessed to have a physical relationship with their wives. Any other intimate contact is unacceptable. Clergy who have taken a vow of celibacy must remain chaste. Clergy who violate these boundaries endanger the mission of the Church and should not remain in an ordained role.

The 85 Canons, along with the Canons of the First through Fourth Ecumenical Councils constitute “the Rudder” for the Orthodox Church. Canon 25 from the 85 Canons of the Holy Apostles states “Any Bishop, or Presbyter, or Deacon that is taken in the act of committing fornication, or perjury, or theft, shall be deposed from office…” ((You may read the 85 Canons with this 25th canon online at http://www.angelfire.com/alt/scm/pedalion.html))

Archbishop Dmitri gives an episcopal view on zero tolerance:

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