New Book on 1923 Pan-Orthodox Congress and Meletios IV

[Fr. Pat]

Posted with permission of Anastasios

To All,

I would like to bring your attention to the publication of my book on the Pan-Orthodox Congress of 1923 (A Quest for Reform of the Orthodox Church).  The book contains a full translation of the eleven sessions, reports, and decisions of the Congress.  It also has an extensive introduction with historical background and analysis.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Congress, this meeting was called by Ecumenical Patriarch Meletios IV (Metaxakes) to deal with the issue of calendar reform for the Orthodox Church. The Congress recommended the adoption of a Revised Julian Calendar.  It also made decisions dealing with the persecution of Orthodoxy in Russia, remarriage of widowed clergy, and other topics.  Sessions nine and ten were the first known Pan-Orthodox attempts to deal with the cacophony of multiple Orthodox jurisdictions in the diaspora in America.

The book is available directly from its publisher, the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute InterOrthodox Press (http://store.orthodoxinstitute.org/), as well as Amazon and Light & Life.

Fr. Patrick Viscuso

[pensateomnia]

Father,

Thanks for the notice, and thanks for your effort in writing, editing and translating such a worthy -- and much-needed -- piece of scholarship! I'll buy a copy today.

[Starlight]

Fr. Pat,
You performed an outstanding job. Thank you so much for everything. I will buy a copy as well.

[GiC]

Translations of Synods are difficult to come by, thank you; I've already placed my order.

I've heard rumors that you are involved in a translation of the Syntagma to English. Are you involved in or aware of such a project and, if so, how is it progressing?

Thank you again.

[Fr. Pat]

I appreciate the kind words regarding the book.  The rumors are true.  I am involved in a project to translate the Syntagma of Rhalles and Potles.  It is progressing slowly, but much has been accomplished.

Fr. Patrick Viscuso

[FrChris]

Please, please, please keep all of us informed of the progress you are making, Father, in your translation work!

[BasilCan]

I ordered this book from Amazon and have just finished reading it. As a typical convert, I was raised to believe that Ecumenical Patriarch Meletios IV (Metaxakes) was the devil incarnate and a mason to boot. While, this book is not a biography of him, it does shed a great deal of light on the outlook and position of Orthodoxy in the early 20th century. It is an excellent book for those who are interested in how we got our so called "new calender" and the reason why we have it in some of our churches.

I would have helped to have some commentary explaining certain parts of the congress, such as the incident that delayed one of the sessions or exactly what kind of Anglican dress (in more detail) did they suggest Orthodox clergy wear.

Many of the issues the congress brought up are still unresolved and should be brought up for discussion again in a major meeting or congress.

2 Thumbs up on this one.

Basil

[Fr. Pat]

Basil,

Thank you for the kind words about the book.  The commentary regarding the delay of the Congress is contained on pages lviii - lix of the introduction.  The essential points are that on June 1, 1923, the patriarchate was invaded by a mob led by Damianos Damianidis (former church trustee who lost his position due to charges of embezzlement) and Papa Eftim (Efthymios Karahissaridis) who claimed to be Patriarch of a dubious group founded in 1922, the “Independent Patriarchate of the Turkish Orthodox.”  The rioters dragged Patriarch Meletios IV down a flight of stairs.  Papa Eftim attempted to seize the Patriarchate.  The Allied police force was summoned by one of the representatives to the Pan-Orthodox Congress (Gavrilo of Montenegro, future Patriarch of Serbia), and prevented the killing of clergy.  It should be noted that Papa Eftim led a second attack on the Patriarchate in December 1923, but was repulsed.  He was eventually granted three churches by the government of Kemal Atatürk.  Papa Eftim was succeeded in the Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate by his two sons (Papa Eftim II and Papa Eftim III, d. 2002).

In a contemporary report of a British diplomat sent by cipher on 6 June 1923 (with its mispellings), “The Oecumenical Patriarch, Minsignor Meletios, has now requested Allied Police protection as a result of disturbances which have occurred since June 1st.  A certain Damiandes is leading agitation aimed at Patriarch’s deposition on grounds that he was not formally appointed by Turkish Government.   Damiandes and other leaders among local agitators are reported to have been bribed by Turks with 100 liras per head to agitate against Patriarch and Turks have hired a mob of low class freeks for this pupose at 2 or 3 liras per head.  Turkish intention is to nominate a puppet to replace Meletios.”

The same documents describe the confrontation between the delegates and the rioters led by Damianidis.  Gavrilo of Montenegro engaged Damianidis directly expressing his “hatred” of the latter’s actions and stating, “what importance could you have vis-a-vis millions of Orthodox?”

Regarding the topic of type of clerical dress recommended by the Congress, no further information could be found beyond the recorded discussions.

In case anyone is interested, I have a recent interview concerning the Congress on the SCOBA-sponsored internet radio program, "Come Receive the Light."   http://www.myocn.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=5&id=21&Itemid=97

Fr. Patrick Viscuso

[Αριστοκλής]

OK. I'm hooked. Now I must buy this book as well. That whole Turkish Orthodox incident has been an interest of mine for quite some time.

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