Op-Ed: Beware of imitations

By Petros Tatsopoulos

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" or "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back"?

Depending on whether we see the glass half-full or half-empty, we can quote Neil Armstrong or Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin).

Covid-19 pandemic in Greece: 10,528 new infections on Wed.; nine related deaths; 94 intubated patients

However we may view the glass, we must concede that the encyclical of the Standing Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece, comprised of the Archbishop and 12 Metropolitan bishops, that was read by priests in all churches nationwide, one week after Pentecost Sunday, will be long-remembered, both for the better and the worse.

It was a bold step, a timid step, but in any case a step. Something was thrown in stagnant waters, and time will tell whether it was a pebble or a rock.

"In our age, there are ever more pseudo-prophets in the Church, who have beguiled a number of faithful and are at risk of ending up in a schism or heresy. Some are self-appointed teachers who purport to predict the future and upset the faithful with danger-mongering of various sorts. Others misconstrue the words of contemporary or older saints and tailor them to their way of thinking. Others speak of anonymous, living old monks or nuns who prophesy impending disasters or wars and often offer dates, and when the catastrophes do not occur they provide new dates. Others present sacred objects that produce tears or blood and they present other wondrous, extraordinary, and awe-inspiring phenomena."

The above excerpt is not from an Association of Atheists, nor is it the brainchild of some abominable scepticist such as this writer.

One will find it in full in the aforementioned encyclical of the Church Of...