Former ROAC Archbishop in USA receives radical Greek Old Calendarist Priests
(NFTU - Vertograd, Denver, Colorado)Two priests have left the True Orthodox Church of Greece in order to join the synod of the former Archbishop Gregory (Abu Assaly) of Dormition Skete near the American city of Denver--Fr. Athanasios Tsorvas, and Fr. Komnenos Hatzileris.
Fr. Athansios, well known for his extreme ecclesiastical views and his unconcealed sympathy for the position of the former archbishop, had been serving lately in a house chapel belonging to the GOC Synod of Greece, but his views differed greatly from those of the Synod. For many observers, his sudden departure for another jurisdiction came as no surprise.
The story with Fr. Komnenos is a completely different one. According to various sources, he was suspended from serving for three years in the year 2000 after it became known that he figured in a police report in a matter concerning soliciting the services of a prostitute. Citing reasons of health, Fr. Komnenos retired, apparently for purely practical reasons.
As far as concerns the former Archbishop Gregory, he was removed from his membership in the Synod of the ROAC after accusations of having re-baptized members of the True Orthodox Church, and for making claims of having jurisdiction over the entire Church of the diaspora.
In the middle of July, 2005, the former archbishop stated in a communiqué that he was the victim of a slander campaign by "self-proclaimed lay people," and that the First Hierarch of the ROAC, Metropolitan Valentine, should be removed from his position. He also faulted the Synod of the ROAC for not standing up to the Metropolitan and for caving in to his will.
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