Posted on 09/16/2015 11:01:12 PM PDT by NRx
Constantinople, September 16, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – A firestorm of controversy has erupted in the Orthodox Church over its Ecumenical Patriarch planning to honor vice president and possible presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Vice President Biden is scheduled to receive the highest award bestowed by the Greek Orthodox Church, the Athenagoras Human Rights Award. The award will be presented at the organization's annual banquet Saturday, October 17, at the New York City Hilton Hotel. We should remember that Abp. Demetrios famously compared President Obama to Alexander the Great in 2009.
The award is a kind of "thanks" to Biden for two publicized visits to Istanbul, where Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew leads a very small cadre of Orthodox bishops. The Ecumenical Patriarch is a figurehead leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians; he has no authority over any other Orthodox bishop. That's a vast overstatement.
In December 2011, Biden became the first sitting vice president to visit what is called "the Phanar," which means "lantern" and refers to the Ecumenical Patriarch's base of operations. In November 2014, Biden returned for a second official visit.
(Excerpt) Read more at byztex.blogspot.com ...
I’m thinking Biden is more suited for an “Unorthodox” award.
So the Orthodox hierarchy likes to slobber on pro-abortion politicians, just like Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop Cupich, Archbishop Chaput, Cardinal Dolan, Cardinal O’Malley, Cardinal McCarrick, Bishop Malooly, Archbishop Gomez, Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop McElroy, etc., etc.
I don’t like Biden (well, he is an interesting man to talk to), but he has tried to at least do something about Christians in the Middle East.
Is Xenoi alien? My Greek is very bad.
So champions of abortion & sodomy are worthy of honor.
“Is Xenoi alien? My Greek is very bad.”
It can mean that. Actually it means “stranger” though in this context it is a derogatory term for a non-cradle Orthodox. It is generally used thusly: “That Xenos is afflicted with crazy convert disease”!
“So champions of abortion & sodomy are worthy of honor.”
It’s a fallen world, M.B. God very, very often uses flawed people to accomplish His ends. Biden, pretty much alone among the American political elite, has been vocal in his support for Eastern Christians and their institutions. Biden absolutely deserves this honor.
Absolutely true. As a rare breed of Greek Orthodox “PK” (Priests’ Kid) & Tea Party sympathizer/Constitutional Conservative, it’s an odd thing for me to give Biden kudos. But he has given the EP a public awareness bump with his visits and he is to be commended.
I will add this caveat that ties this oddity together. Remember, the EP and the Pope are sympatico on the new faith of man made climate change/global warming/hotwetdrycoldraindrought.
My thing is that without the historically “Green” Patriarch on board with this, I wonder if Biden would even know what the EP is?
We call them “French” or back home “Swedes”.
One of those little hold overs from the old country.
” “PK” (Priests’ Kid)”
Son of the priest, grandson of the devil! :)
Exactly!
Ethnic religion, ladies and gentlemen!
Ethnic religion, ladies and gentlemen!
Non-Greeks should get to the back of the bus where they belong! Don't they know Greeks are "chrstian Israel?"
“Is Xenoi alien? My Greek is very bad.”
It can mean that. Actually it means “stranger” though in this context it is a derogatory term for a non-cradle Orthodox. It is generally used thusly: “That Xenos is afflicted with crazy convert disease”!
Oh . . . so Greeks are the 'ezrachim and non-Greeks are gerim. Got it.
“Oh . . . so Greeks are the ‘ezrachim...”
Or Russians, or Ukrainians, or Serbs, or Bulgarians, or Georgians or Romanians, or Ethiopians, or Egyptians, or various Arabs or Albanians....
and non-Greeks are gerim. Got it.”
Or non-Russians, or non-Ukrainians, or non-Serbs, or non-Bulgarians, or non-Georgians or non-Romanians, or non-Ethiopians, or non-Egyptians, or various non-Arabs or Albanians....
I’m happy you were able to figure it out.
“Oh . . . so Greeks are the ‘ezrachim...”
Or Russians, or Ukrainians, or Serbs, or Bulgarians, or Georgians or Romanians, or Ethiopians, or Egyptians, or various Arabs or Albanians....
and non-Greeks are gerim. Got it.”
Or non-Russians, or non-Ukrainians, or non-Serbs, or non-Bulgarians, or non-Georgians or non-Romanians, or non-Ethiopians, or non-Egyptians, or various non-Arabs or Albanians....
I’m happy you were able to figure it out.
Oh, there was never any doubt. The point is, like Catholicism, there are "in" ethnic groups and "out" ethnic groups. Once the "twelve tribes" (Greeks, Slavs, Georgians, etc.) were converted the wagons were circled and good old sexual reproduction among the elect has kept it going ever since.
"Out-groups" need not apply, unless they shut up and know their place (especially those subhuman "rednecks . . . ew). The whole thing about "there being neither Jews nor Greek" doesn't apply to today's situation.
Interestingly, in Judaism if a non-Jew converts it is actually forbidden to say or even imply that he is not a native-born Jew. Which makes the supposedly clannish Jews more open than their bloviating and "morally superior" imitators.
“”Out-groups” need not apply, unless they shut up and know their place (especially those subhuman “rednecks . . . ew). The whole thing about “there being neither Jews nor Greek” doesn’t apply to today’s situation.”
Oh not at all. Virtually all converts get with the program after about 10 years. Some don’t, but most do. Being Orthodox in the West is counter-cultural to say the least and it takes time. On the other hand, you have to understand that with most Greeks (not Russians, etc.), you scratch us and you’ll see a little pagan shouting, “Let me out! Let me out!” Like our cousins the Jews, we are God’s naughty children. That’s why the OT is in Hebrew and Greek and the NT in Greek. He wants us to have every advantage and is very patient. We really don’t have any excuses for the way we act, unlike the Xenoi! :)
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