A Call for a Reporting Policy on Sexual Abuse in the Orthodox Church

by Christos and Mary Papoutsy

A recent four-part article in Newsweek, "What Would Jesus Do? Beyond the Priest Scandal: Christianity at a Crossroads," (Jon Meacham, pp 22-32) explored in twelve pages "a case for change," the need to rethink sexuality and the sacraments in the wake of daily new allegations of sexual misconduct that have shaken the Roman Catholic Church in America. Cardinal Anthony Bevilaqua of Philadelphia made it clear: "All of the cardinals are agreed on zero tolerance, and . . . that no priest guilty of even one act of sexual abuse of a minor will function in any ministry or any capacity in our dioceses." Nothing, however, was said by the Catholic hierarch about reporting such offenses to the authorities for investigation.

Attorneys who specialize in representing religious institutions are concerned that daily reports of sexual abuse accusations "will have a chilling effect," according to another recent article on how clergy members will serve parishioners in the future (Gerald Zelizer, "Sex Scandals Rock Trust in All Religions' Leaders," USA Today, April 23, 2002, p. 11A). The report goes on to suggest that seminaries should be more careful in screening potential students, and their curricula should include seminars on the ethics of sex and boundaries. It also points out that religious leaders have an obligation to report known violations to religious and secular authorities. The author hastens to add that no religion is unscathed by these allegations and accusations, for sex abuse scandals diminish trust for leaders of every religion.

The Greek Orthodox Church has certainly been affected by such scandals, as the headlines of national newspapers and Internet websites will attest. The National Herald reported recently that that "the Holy Synod [of the Orthodox Church] is preparing to discuss old sexual scandals that have reemerged, according to high-ranking ecclesiastical officials at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Individuals have already contacted the archdiocese asking for monetary compensation in [the] millions of dollars."

The National Herald also carried (April 27-28, 2002, front-page headline) another article titled, "Greek Priest Arrested on Charges of Sexual Assault." Authorities had arrested Pangratios Vrionis, Orthodox bishop of Ss. Fanourios and Gerasimos in Woodside, New York. The accused was an independent bishop who had in recent years established his own church and was no longer part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. On March 26, 2002, the New York Post ran a story ("Greek Bishop in Queens Admitted Kid Sex in '70" by John Lehmann and Dan Morgan) on a previous child molestation case involving the same priest in the late 1960's in Pennsylvania, where he served at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Harrisburg. According to the article, "Vrionis pleaded guilty to sodomizing and corrupting the morals of two fourteen-year-old boys and was sentenced to twenty-three months probation. In 1970, immediately following his sentencing, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Archdiocese of North and South America defrocked Vrionis."

The Orthodox Church of America (OCA), a separate entity from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, has had its share of scandalous abuses. Greta Larson of California, whose own children were molested by a monk of the OCA in California, created a website, "Protection of the Theotokos: A Site for Victims of Abuse in the Orthodox Church," several years ago to publicize abuses by Orthodox priests and clergy (). Larson gathers and posts all instances of Orthodox abuse worldwide, citing a need to monitor fringe Orthodox groups that are uncanonical and to develop a clearinghouse for information about abusers who frequently cross ecclesiastical jurisdictional lines to avoid detection and punishment.

Unfortunately, sexual predators exist in every profession. In most corporations, educational institutions, and youth programs, strict policies regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse -- to whom and how such allegations should be reported -- exist in written form. According to the findings of a national survey conducted by the Christian Ministry Resources, a tax and legal-advice publisher serving more than 75,000 congregations and 1,000 denominational agencies nationwide, clergy are not the major offenders. Volunteers, not clergy or paid staff, statistically committed the greatest number of offences. And even more shocking is the revelation that 25 percent of the offenders were other children involved in church activities, underscoring the need for greater accountability, for altering the way that children are supervised, and the process of screening staff, volunteers, and clergy.

A number of Churches in other denominations have even begun criminal background checks, finger printing, requiring the completion of detailed questionnaires, and the development of careful policies. In the Christian Science Monitor online article, "Sex Abuse Spans Spectrum of Churches," April 5, 2002 --(http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0405/p01s01-ussc.html) staff writer Mark Clayton quotes the executive pastor, Gary Maitha, of Grace Community Church in Tempe, Arizona, as saying that their congregation, with weekly attendance at Sunday School of over 700 children, never permits children and adults to interact one-on-one, in line with their strict policies designed to thwart sexual abuse. "We have fingerprinting and a criminal background check for anyone over age 18 that works with children," says the pastor. "If it comes back with a blemish, they are not working with kids. That's all there is to it." The community's children have already benefited from the new procedures since one individual with a history of child molestation had applied for a position and been denied.

Nevertheless, the benefits carry beyond the immediate welfare of the children of the parish. Insurance companies increasingly are setting stricter sex-abuse policy requirements as a prerequisite for coverage and to protect against lawsuits and false accusations. And some companies, according to the same Christian Science Monitor article, "were dropping coverage of churches without screening policies."

Although the Roman Catholic Church has been shaken recently by the deluge of sexual misconduct revelations, the percentage of the total number of Christian churches made up by the Catholic parishes is only 5 percent. The largest number of parishes belong to the Protestant denomination, against whose church members and clergy the largest number of allegations belong -- a hefty 70 percent. Since the early 1990's, church leaders of all denominations have been taking steps to address sexual abuse. In 1992, the leaders of more than 100 Christian denominations met in Chicago to discuss how to deal with child sex abuse. However, in the wake of the Catholic scandals, many have been redoubling their efforts.

Article courtesy of the Hellenic Communication Services, LLC.

Greek Orthodox priest in Hawaii removed for Adultery and Abuse.

Courtesy of Peter Phelps, Associate writer Greek Herald

A Greek Orthodox priest from the SS. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific was recently removed for sexual indiscretions unbecoming an Orthodox priest.

The priest, Fr. Nicholas Gamvas, was recently removed from his post at the Honolulu Greek church for immoral activities with a married staff member. According to sources close to the parish, Fr. "Nick" became a tyrant, he physically threatened several members of the Greek church council and demanded several pay raises. Fr. Nick, a divorcee, eventually was paid by the parish a salary amounting to $120,000 a year. Fr.Nick cut down on his liturgical service schedule while at the same time increasing his vacation holidays. A phone call to his office was not returned.

The new bishop, +Gerasimos of the Greek Archdiocese traveled to Hawaii after hundreds of complaints were filed against the priest. When cornered on these issues, Fr. Nick sarcastically retorted, "I am not a monk, I can sleep with whomever I want!" A call to the diocese was not returned. An unnamed member of the parish council was quoted as saying, "he's a martial artist, we were very afraid of him, what kind of priest threatens people." Fr.Gamvas reportedly has a black belt in a Japanese Martial Art.

The church has reported that they have been hit hardby the scandal, people have left the church and they have not received the expected contributions they were awaiting. A reduction of 55% in donations and contributions to the church have hurt the parish in ways, they say, will take years to recover from. "We are down over 50 percent because of this man, we may not be able to pay the bills because of him!"

Fr. Nick Gamvas was transferred to Canton Ohio, where he serves at the St. Haralambos' Greek OrthodoxChurch.

Devastating Lawsuit Hits Archdiocese

By Theodore Kalmoukos: Special to the National Herald

BOSTON, Mass. - Two alleged victims of Rev Nicholas Katinas, the retired former pastor of the Holy Trinity Church in Dallas who has been accused of sexual misconduct with minors, has filed a lawsuit.

The 32-page lawsuit was filed in Dallas District Court last Friday, April 27 (cause and is posted in its entirety on the Orthodox Reform website (orthodoxreform.org). The National Herald first reported its contents in its Greek-language daily publication this past Monday, April 30.The now adult victims, cited as John Doe I and John Doe II, have filed a combined lawsuit against Father Katinas personally, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas, Metropolis of Denver, "by and through Bishop Isaiah of Denver in his official capacity," and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, "by and through Archbishop Demetrios in his official capacity."

Both victims were members of the Holy Trinity parish community in Dallas, where Father Katinas served as a priest for 28 years. The sexual abuse allegedly took place while the plaintiffs - filing through John Doe I's mother "as next friend of John Doe II, a vulnerable (non compos mentis) adult" - were serving as altar boys under Father Katinas' guidance and supervision in 1981 or 1982, when Doe I was 11 or 12 years of age, and when Doe II was 13 or 14 years of age.
Tahira Khan Merritt, a well­known attorney specializing in clergy sexual misconduct cases, filed the lawsuit. She has successfully represented a number of clergy sexual abuse cases involving Roman Catholic priests during the recent pedophilia scandal which initially rocked the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and spread across the country.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs' request that the court grant them permission for discovery proceedings, and "plead a civil conspiracy to conceal criminal acts; to conceal the commission of criminal acts; to conceal negligence by unlawful means; to conceal fraud; to conceal the breach of the duty of trust and confidence; and to conceal, by illegal means, the use of deception to avoid claims until limitations would expire, thus suspending the running of limitations against all defendants as to all claims (pg. 28)."

According to the lawsuit (pgs. 28 & 29), both victims, "as a result of the conduct and incidents described herein," seek "actual damages and punitive damages in excess of the minimum jurisdictional requirements of the court."

The story of sex abuse allegations against Father Katinas, one of the most well-known clergyman in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, broke this past February, when Assistant Archdiocese Chancellor Rev. Michael Kontogiorgis paid a visit to the Dallas parish and told a hushed congregation of about 400, "There is no doubt that Father Nicholas engaged in serious moral transgressions," that he had been suspended due to accusations of child sex abuse in the "not too distant past," and that "the statements we heard were corroborated by the accuser's childhood friends who are now well-respected professionals in other parts of the country."

"HUNDREDS OF ACTS"

The lawsuit alleges that the "sexual assaults occurred in the church itself, near the altar and during confession; they happened in the church office and in the church van, as well. The abominations described herein involved hundreds of acts of sexual perversion over approximately three years, usually every Sunday before or after mass (pg.6)The Archbishop did not return the Herald's telephone call. The Herald also left messages for Rev. Christopher Constantinides, current pastor of Holy Trinity (who was also Father Katinas' assistant during the alleged incidents), at his office, as well as on his cellular voice mail.

According to the court documents, John Doe I's mother "trusted Katinas because of his position as pastor, and was led to believe that he was a good and moral man, a role model for any youngster from a broken home (pg. 6)," but that Father Katinas began "betraying the trust of John Doe I and his family... sexually molesting him in the fall of 1983... kissing John Doe I on the mouth and performing other perverse and criminal sexual acts upon him... John Doe I was traumatized and ashamed by what happened. He believed it was his fault, and that he was Katinas' sole victim (pg. 6)."

The lawsuit also states that John Doe II was mentally challenged from birth, "but despite knowing of John Doe II's mental disabilities, Katinas did take advantage of him sexually. He violated the exceptional trust and faith that Doe II and his mother had in him, their revered pastor, and revealed himself to be a hypocritical and dangerous sexual predator (pg. 7)."
The lawsuit also refers to a third victim in Chicago from the Assumption Church in Olympia Fields, Illinois (prior to Father Katinas' transfer to Dallas), although the alleged victim from Illinois is not party to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that, around 1970-72, "Katinas sexually abused at least one other minor 'DZ,' an altar boy like the plaintiffs herein, whose family were parishioners of that church. During the abuses, Defendant Katinas told DZ that he like­wise 'played around' with other altar boys (pg. 7)... During a telephone conversation with Katinas in 1998, DZ confronted him about having abused him as a boy. Katinas admitted to the abuse, then asked his victim to pray for him and keep silent, repeating that he had also sexually abused other boys, and further that he had confessed his criminal sexual misconduct to Bishop Gerasimos at Holy Cross and conferred with a psychiatrist in Chicago, as well, both presumably before he was transferred to Dallas. Neither Gerasimos nor any other official in the knowing GOAA hierarchy had bothered to offer counseling to DZ, nor acted to remove Katinas as pastor of Holy Trinity (pg. 8)."

The lawsuit also alleges a cover­up (pg. 9): "There is no evidence that law enforcement officials in Illinois or Texas were ever notified of Katinas sex crimes against children, as required by these states' reporting laws. Likewise, parishioners in both states have been kept in the dark as to the truth behind Father Nick's delayed suspension. Indeed, the Greek Orthodox hierarchy waited almost seven months after his so-called 'retirement' from Holy Trinity to publicly admit the real reasons behind his suspension. They are less candid and more than cryptic. Their continuing secretive cover-up of Katinas' sexual crimes against male children in churches which were under his dubious care further imperils his victims' lives and postpones their hopes for justice and closure."

The Herald is not publishing the lawsuit's more graphic descriptions of the alleged acts.
Father Katinas is the father of five children. One of them, Rev. James Katinas, is a Greek Orthodox priest currently serving the Annunciation Church in Kansas City, Missouri. The younger Katinas also worked at Holy, Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology as Director of Admissions, as well as Director of Development. He was transferred to the Kansas City parish in June 2006, the same month his father was suspended from the priesthood just days after retiring.

The bishop whom Father Katinas supposedly confessed his sins of sexual abuse against children was the late Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos, who spent the last years of his life as a spiritual father on Holy Cross campus. Gerasimos is buried on the campus grounds behind the Holy Cross Chapel, along with the late Archbishop Iakovos and Metropolitan Silas.

In June 2006, Father Katinas filed his papers for retirement. At the same time, the Archdiocese Chancery requested his canonical release from Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, and he was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Direct Archdiocesan District in New York, which is under the pastoral and canonical supervision of Archbishop Demetrios. The Archdiocese suspended Father Katinas from every liturgical and pastoral function, but it was not reported in the Orthodox Observer, the Archdiocese's official publication, for another five months. It was finally reported in the Observer's November 2006 issue, after members of the Holy Eparchial Synod strongly inquired about it during the Eparchial Synod's fall gathering last October. Meanwhile, the Archbishop has so far refused to send Father Katinas before the Spiritual Court to defrock him, despite being exhorted by several members of the Synod to do so.

Father Katinas left for Greece on Monday, February 19, just two days before Father Kontogiorgis broke the news concerning the whys and wherefores of the suspension to the Dallas community, in an apparent attempt to clear up rumors which had been circulating for months, but which also left the Dallas parish community and many Greek Orthodox faithful throughout the country reeling.

Father Katinas is currently believed to be staying with relatives on the island of Rhodes.

Archdiocese Advised To Drop Case Against 19 Parishioners

By Theodore Kalmoukos - Special to The National Herald

BOSTON, Mass. – The attorneys representing the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Transfiguration Church in Corona, New York sent letters advising the Archdiocese and the Transfiguration Church “to discontinue” the lawsuit against the group of 19 parishioners who had been banned from the Corona parish two years ago.

The stipulation of voluntary discontinuance of action “Against Certain Defendants” (Index No. 6356/05) states, “It is hereby stipulated and agreed, by and between the undersigned, the attorneys for all parties in the above-entitled action, that, whereas no party hereto is an infant or incompetent person for whom a committee has been appointed, and no person not a party herein has an interest in the subject matter of the action, the above-entitled action be, and the same hereby is, discontinued with prejudice against defendants Constantinos Lourdas, Eleftherios Martakis, Michael Papadopoulos, Demetrios Kakavas, Mary Nakis, Nikolaos Vrettos, Vasilios Vrosgos, Marianthi Kosmetatos, Constantinos Apostolidis, Sophia Lourdas, James Psaltakis, and Katina Damalas, and no other defendants. Pursuant to CPLR 3217(a)(2), this stipulation may be filed without further notice with the Clerk of Court. Dated: April 12, 2007. New York, New York. Profeta & Eisenstein by Jethro M. Elsenstein, Attorneys for Defendants. White and Case by Christopher J. Glamory, Attorneys for Plaintiff.”

The same attorneys sent a separate letter to six of the defendants stating the following: “Stipulation of Voluntary Discontinuance of Certain Claims whereas, Plaintiff Hellenic Orthodox Community Church of Corona and Suburbs – The Transfiguration of Christ – commenced this action on March 23, 2005 against Defendants Vasilios Livanos, Demetrios Spanos, Helen Apostolidis-Tilton, Fotios Mavrides, Evagoras Tziazas and Emmanuel Michalakis (Defendants), among others, asserting a First Cause of Action for Trespass, a Second Cause of Actions for Trespass to Chattels, and a Third Cause of Action for an Accounting; and whereas, the Transfiguration Church desires to discontinue the Second and Third Causes of Action, now therefore, it is hereby stipulated and agreed by and between the undersigned, the attorneys for all the parties in the above entitled action that, whereas no party hereto is an infant or incompetent person for whom a committee has been appointed, and no person, not a party herein, has an interest in the subject matter of the action, the Transfiguration Church’s claims for trespass to chattels, and an accounting (the Second and the Third Causes of Action) is hereby discontinued with prejudice against the Defendants.”

The whole issue started almost four years ago, when the Archdiocese dismissed the parish council, which consisted of the above-mentioned individuals, under the presidency of Vasilios Livanos. The group held parish council elections which violated the Uniform Parish Regulations and were in defiance of the Archbishop’s directive not to proceed. The group was then ordered to appear before Spiritual Court of the First Instance, and the penance of suspension of Eucharistic Communion and communion with their local parish was imposed upon them. They were also prohibited to worship in the Corona church, or to step onto Transfiguration School premises, where their children go to school, although they were allowed to attend church elsewhere.

At the same time, lawsuits were initiated against them in secular courts. At one point, Archbishop Demetrios of America sent them a letter asking them to register their repentance and request forgiveness in writing. Many of the defendants refused to sign such a letter, fearing that the Archdiocese would use it against them in the secular court.

The defendants filed counter lawsuits in order to defend and protect themselves, and requested depositions under oath from the priests of the Spiritual Court as they were preparing for the trial.

Both the Archdiocese and the defendants have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

Due to the fact that the matter is currently pending in the legal system, some defendants with whom the Herald communicated declined comment. But the Herald has learned that the defendants’ counter lawsuits continue to be in effect.

The former priest of the Corona parish, Archimandrite Cleopas Strongylis, who was at the center of the controversy, was transferred to Holy Trinity Church in Lowell almost three years ago, and Rev. Nicholas Kouvaris was appointed pastor of the Corona church.

The punished members of the Corona parish have not received Holy Communion and have been allowed to worship in their local church since early 2005. In one instance, the Archdiocese prohibited one of the “fallen” faithful, Mr. Livanos, to attend the 40-day memorial prayer service of his closest friend. He was told by the Archdiocese to go to his friend’s grave with an assigned priest to pray.

At the same time, the Archbishop refuses to send Rev. Nicholas Katinas, the retired longtime pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Dallas, who has been accused of sexual misconduct against minors, before the Spiritual Court. Father Katinas was suspended from all the liturgical rights, but he continues to receive his pension from the Archdiocese. A lawsuit already has been filed by two of the alleged victims against Father Katinas personally, the Dallas parish, the Metropolis of Denver and the Archdiocese.

Archdiocese Pays $1M in Out-of-Court Settlement For Old Sex Abuse Case

By Theodore Kalmoukos - Special to The National Herald

BOSTON, Mass. – 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 report does not mention the name of the priest or the alleged victim, who will collect the sum directly from the Archdiocese’s general account (the Archdiocese does not have insurance for sexual misconduct cases).

According to information obtained by the National Herald, there were two cases of Orthodox clergy sexual misconduct in California which generated lawsuits. One involved the late Archimandrite Stanley Adamakis, who pled guilty to charges in 1990 that he sexually molested two teenagers, and who was murdered by a lover in 2003. The other involves another Archimandrite who is said to be suffering from AIDS and currently lives in a monastery as a defrocked priest.

The Finance Committee report states that Archdiocese Administrative Director Jerry Dimitriou “reported on the $1 million settlement on the California misconduct case that was to be paid off over time in 14 months.”

The report also states that Mr. Dimitriou “further reported that there were 2 active litigation matters, one involving clergy misconduct and a second one involving alleged copyright infringement on software for the San Francisco Metropolis Folk Dance festival. The latter case will be covered by the insurance.”

Mr. Dimitriou, Archdiocese General Counsel Emmanuel Demos and Cathleen Boufides-Walsh, a member of the Archdiocesan Council’s Legal and Executive Committees, did not return the National Herald’s telephone calls.

During the last five years, the Archdiocese has paid out approximately $10 million in sexual misconduct cases and legal fees, according to Michael Jaharis, Vice Chairman of the Archdiocesan Council’s Executive Committee, whom the Herald interviewed recently (see March 10, 2007 edition, page 1).

As the Herald reported last week, another lawsuit was filed in the sexual misconduct case of Rev. Nicholas Katinas, former pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Dallas, Texas.
According the Finance Committee report, the Executive Committee “agreed to retain a lawyer as a consultant specializing in priest misconduct cases to assist in the assessment of any cases against the Archdiocese at a cost not to exceed $150,000.”

According to the report, “Jerry Dimitriou also reported that the Archdiocese received two $1 million anonymous contributions which allowed the Archdiocese to pay $1.2 million toward Hellenic College (leaving $900,000 owed); used $150,000 to repay a portion of the Patriarchate debt; and used $200,000 toward the California settlement.”

The Archdiocese had failed to fulfill its financial obligation to Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology for almost two years and is supposed to allocate $1.2 million to HC/HC annually. The School’s annual operating budget is $10 million. The total number of students enrolled in both institutions is 198, out of which 116 are registered in Holy Cross and 82 in Hellenic College.

Peter Kikis, chairman of the Archdiocese Faith Endowment for Orthodoxy & Hellenism “reported that Faith gave $266,000 in 2005 and set aside $500,000, waiting for direction from the Archbishop in 2006. He reported they had approximately 20 members with $13 million on hand and pledges of $40 million.” Mr. Kikis also reported that “the Archdiocese sold the Archbishop Iakovos home in Rye, New York for $3 million, and closing should take place sometime within the next few months.”

In a telephone interview with the Herald, Mr. Kikis explained that, out of the $266,000, $175,000 went to the Theological School for the creation of a new computer room, and the rest was given to the Archdiocese to purchase new computers.”

To the question of where the $500 thousand that has been set aside for the year 2006 will be distributed, Mr. Kikis said, “we have a meeting on the May 23, and it will be decided.” He also said, “Faith is going very well. We have $41-42 million, out of which $13 million is in cash and the rest in pledges. We have 20 members. Faith was established two years ago. It’s quite difficult to convince a Greek to donate a million dollars. We do everything voluntarily. We travel everywhere at our own expense. We haven’t spent even five cents of Faith’s money.”

Asked what Rev. Alexander Karloutsos’ position is in the Faith Endowment, Mr. Kikis said, “He is the executive advisor, because he knows the Greek American community. He helps us set up meetings.”

When he was asked if Faith pays Father Karloutsos’ salary and expenses, Mr. Kikis said “no.”
The Faith Endowment was officially established two years ago to financially assist the Archdiocese and its programs. Each Faith Endowment member is expected to donate at least $1 million dollars. According to the Archdiocese 2007 Yearbook (page 155), Faith’s offices are is located on the 6th floor of 499 Park Avenue in New York City. It is an altogether separate organization from Leadership 100, of which Father Karloutosos was also executive director for a number of years.

The financial reports given at the recent Archdiocesan Council meeting in Houston show an “increase in expenses of $504,416 in the first quarter of 2007 over the prior year.”
The reports also show that “communications expenses increased by $92,984 compared to 2006. Operational expenses increased by $285,394 in 2007, and were over budget by $250,105. The first quarter of 2007 results show a net surplus of $1,317,691 compared to a net deficit in 2006 of $566,148 during the same period. The significant variance is due to higher than expected unrestricted contributions received in the first quarter. The Archdiocese debt and accounts payable rose to $7,891,011 in the year-end 2006. During the first quarter of 2007, utilizing the unrestricting contributions given to the Archdiocese, the debt and accounts payable were reduced by $1,989,685 and are now $5,901,326. Significant payments were made to Hellenic College/Holy Cross and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, reducing our payable in these areas.”

The 2006 year-end report states that “World Orthodoxy increased $173,194 compared to 2005 and was $182,056 over the budget amount. The Ecumenical Office was a major factor contributing to this over budget amount. In 2005, at the request of His Eminence (Archbishop Demetrios), Rev. John Chryssavgis was hired to assist Bishop Dimitrios with the work of the Ecumenical Office. In 2005, part of this salary was covered by a Leadership 100 grant. In 2006, however, the full (unbudgeted) salary and benefits caused the department to be over budget. An additional amount of $74,890 was attributed to two Patriarchal visits in 2006. The amount of $19,807 was related to the Patriarch’s visit to Tarpon Springs in January 2006, and the second amount of $55,083 was related to the Archdiocese providing assistance and support to the Patriarchate during the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Patriarchate in November 2006.”

According to the Financial Report “Operational Expenditures increased by $345,546 in 2006 compared to 2005, and were over budget by $1,147,391. The major items affecting this increase in expense were legal fess and settlements which increased by a combined total of $273,946 as a total expense for legal fess and settlements of $1,409,194 in 2006. Legal fees and settlements also represent $809,194 of the over budget amount in this category. The other significant over budget item in this category was Liability Insurance, which is attributable to a new molestation policy put into effect in 2005. This policy added approximately $260,000 to our annual insurance premiums and was unbudgeted in 2006.”