The Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of America is scheduled to meet March 14-17 in the city of Boca Raton, Florida. The sessions will take place at Saint-Marc Church and its adjoining facilities. The National Herald has learned that one of the main topics expected to be addressed by the Synod is the elevation to the episcopate of two Archimandrites, particularly Fr. Nektarios Papazafiroploulos, chancellor of the Archdiocese of America, and Fr. Anthony Vrame, director of Holy Cross Orthodox Press. Fr. Nektarios Papazafiroploulos is promoted behind the scenes by archimandrite Fr. Vasileios Drossos, former senior advisor and confidant of Archbishop Elpidophoros, who recently returned to Greece. Indeed, the two men maintain a strong friendship and closeness with Archimandrite Nektarios himself, as well as with his brother, Father. Panagiotis Papazafiroploulos, who is also an employee of the archdiocese. Archimandrite Nektarios Papazafiroploulos, in his capacity as chancellor of the archdiocese, contributed in various ways to the documentation required for Fr. Drossos to obtain permanent residency in the United States, as well as other office workers and lay people brought by Archbishop Elpidophoros of Athens and Turkey.
It should be noted that prior to his appointment as Chancellor of the Archdiocese by Archbishop Elpidophoros, Archimandrite Nektarios Papazafiroploulos was the presiding priest of the St. Demetrios Cathedral Community of Astoria, where, among other things, he contributed to the situation that led to the parish council at the time rejecting a donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation worth $25 million.
Archimandrite Vrame is supported by Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco due to their long-time friendship and closeness. He served for many years as director of the archdiocese’s Department of Religious Education, whose offices were in the main building of the School of Theology. He was succeeded two years ago by Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzus and was named director of the Holy Cross Orthodox Press, where he continues to serve today.
It has not been revealed what functions the new bishops, if elected, will assume, as there are objections particularly regarding Fr. Papazafiroploulos.
The possibility of discussing changes to the Archdiocesan Charter is not ruled out, despite the order of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to close the topic for the moment. If such a discussion takes place, however, it will not be about the radical changes that the archbishop previously attempted without success, which led to ruptures and divisions between the clergy and laity of the metropolises, but about some modifications geographical boundaries and the distribution of communities in metropolises. Specific metropolises.
All synodical metropolitans are expected to attend except two, Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver and Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit. Metropolitan Isaiah has been residing for several months at the Monastery of the Archangels in Kendalia, Texas, not in his metropolis, and is apparently refusing to retire. The National Herald conveyed to Metropolitan Isaiah, through the monk Ephraim, who has custody and care for him, our desire to communicate with him, but Metropolitan Isaiah did not respond. The Metropolis of Denver is essentially administered and maintained by Mgr Constantin de Sassima. Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit will not be present in person due to health problems.
The Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of America is composed of the following hierarchs: Methodios of Boston, Alexios of Atlanta, Isaiah of Denver, Nicholas of Detroit, Gerasimos of San Francisco, Savas of Pittsburgh, Nathanael of Chicago and Apostolos of New Jersey . The chief secretary is Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzus.
It is noteworthy that to date Archbishop Elpidophoros has raised the following six auxiliary bishops: Athenagoras of Nazianzus, Spyridon of Amasris, Joachim of Amisos, Timothy of Hexamilion, Ioannis of Phocaea and Constantine of Sassima.
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