Difference between revisions of "Seraphim (Mentzelopoulos) of Piraeus"

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In 2010 he asked Queen Elizabeth II to divest pop singer Sir Elton John of his knighthood for uttering blasphemy. The metropolitan sent a letter to Queen Elizabeth II and the British Ambassador to Greece after Elton John said that [[Christ]] was a homosexual.<ref group="note">The letter states, “[Elton John] dared to insult the Incarnate Divine-Human (theandric) Person, the crucified and risen Son of God, attributing to him his personal psychopathological deviation. The Christian community around the world expects that your Majesty will express your judgement on this [utterance] and divest [Elton John] of his honorary title because he has undeservedly insulted the highest figure for Christians throughout the world”. (''[http://02varvara.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/metropolitan-seraphim-of-piraeus-asked-queen-elizabeth-to-deprive-sir-elton-john-of-his-knighthood-because-he-uttered-blasphemy/ Voices from Russia]''. Saturday, 6 March, 2010)</ref>
 
In 2010 he asked Queen Elizabeth II to divest pop singer Sir Elton John of his knighthood for uttering blasphemy. The metropolitan sent a letter to Queen Elizabeth II and the British Ambassador to Greece after Elton John said that [[Christ]] was a homosexual.<ref group="note">The letter states, “[Elton John] dared to insult the Incarnate Divine-Human (theandric) Person, the crucified and risen Son of God, attributing to him his personal psychopathological deviation. The Christian community around the world expects that your Majesty will express your judgement on this [utterance] and divest [Elton John] of his honorary title because he has undeservedly insulted the highest figure for Christians throughout the world”. (''[http://02varvara.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/metropolitan-seraphim-of-piraeus-asked-queen-elizabeth-to-deprive-sir-elton-john-of-his-knighthood-because-he-uttered-blasphemy/ Voices from Russia]''. Saturday, 6 March, 2010)</ref>
  
In December 2010 he made remarks in a televised interview which are anti-semitic.  Among the 'unconventional' opinions he expressed, he stated that international Zionism tries to destroy family values by promoting one-parent families and same-sex marriages, and said there is a Zionist conspiracy to enslave Greece and Christian Orthodoxy.<ref group="note">"[http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/12/statement-of-clarification-by.html A Statement of Clarification By Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus]," Mystagogy, December 23, 2010.</ref> He also stated that "Adolf Hitler was an instrument of world Zionism and was financed from the renowned Rothschild family with the sole purpose of convincing the Jews to leave the shores of Europe and go to Israel to establish the new Empire." He also expressed the belief that Jewish bankers like "Rockefeller, Rothschild and Soros control the international banking system that controls globalization."<ref group="note">"[http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/a-greek-bishops-anti-semitic-tirade/ A Greek Bishop's Anti-Semitic Tirade]," The Lede, a New York Times blog, December 22, 2010.</ref> Subsequently, the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]], while not mentioning Metropolitan Seraphim by name, condemned anti-Semitism in clear terms which clearly had his eminence in mind: "the Holy Archdiocese of America condemns any such language, and expresses its sadness that these hurtful words should have been spoken at all. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America considers the remarks to be gravely offensive and totally unacceptable."<ref group="note">"[http://www.goarch.org/news/antisemiticrhetoric-12232010 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Decries Anti-Semitic Rhetoric], press release, [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]] Dec 23, 2010. Although, technically, the Greek Archdiocese is an eparchy of the [[Church of Constantinople]] and strictly speaking not part of the [[Church of Greece]], the two are often confused even by members of both churches.</ref> (See also [[Eastern Orthodoxy and Judaism]].)  In response to the ensuing hysteria and false accusations, which included "holocaust denier," the Metropolitan released a statement of clarification. <ref group="note">"[http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/12/statement-of-clarification-by.html A Statement of Clarification By Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus]," Mystagogy, December 23, 2010.</ref>
+
In December 2010 he made remarks in a televised interview which are anti-semitic.  Among the 'unconventional' opinions he expressed, he stated that international [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism Zionism] tries to destroy family values by promoting one-parent families and same-sex marriages, and said there is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism Zionist] conspiracy to enslave Greece and Christian Orthodoxy.<ref group="note">"[http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/12/statement-of-clarification-by.html A Statement of Clarification By Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus]," Mystagogy, December 23, 2010.</ref> He also stated that "Adolf Hitler was an instrument of world [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism Zionism] and was financed from the renowned Rothschild family with the sole purpose of convincing the Jews to leave the shores of Europe and go to Israel to establish the new Empire." He also expressed the belief that Jewish bankers like "Rockefeller, Rothschild and Soros control the international banking system that controls globalization."<ref group="note">"[http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/a-greek-bishops-anti-semitic-tirade/ A Greek Bishop's Anti-Semitic Tirade]," The Lede, a New York Times blog, December 22, 2010.</ref> Subsequently, the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]], while not mentioning Metropolitan Seraphim by name, condemned anti-Semitism in clear terms which clearly had his eminence in mind: "the Holy Archdiocese of America condemns any such language, and expresses its sadness that these hurtful words should have been spoken at all. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America considers the remarks to be gravely offensive and totally unacceptable."<ref group="note">"[http://www.goarch.org/news/antisemiticrhetoric-12232010 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Decries Anti-Semitic Rhetoric], press release, [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]] Dec 23, 2010. Although, technically, the Greek Archdiocese is an eparchy of the [[Church of Constantinople]] and strictly speaking not part of the [[Church of Greece]], the two are often confused even by members of both churches.</ref> (See also [[Eastern Orthodoxy and Judaism]].)  In response to the ensuing hysteria and false accusations, which included "holocaust denier," the Metropolitan released a statement of clarification. <ref group="note">"[http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/12/statement-of-clarification-by.html A Statement of Clarification By Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus]," Mystagogy, December 23, 2010.</ref>
  
  

Revision as of 14:05, December 27, 2010

Metropolitan Seraphim (Mentzelopoulos) of Piraeus.

His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim (Mentzelopoulos) of Piraeus (b.1956 in Athens) is the current metropolitan of the Metropolis of Piraeus, consecrated on January 21, 2001.

Life

Seraphim has studied Economics and Theology and received a license to practise law. He was tonsured a monk at the Holy Monastery of Pentelis and was elevated to deacon and presbyter by Archbishop Seraphim of Athens in 1980.

In December 2000, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and the Holy Synod, elected him as Bishop and assistant to His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos (Harkianakis) of Australia. He was responsible for the Third Archdiocesan district of South Australia and the Northern Territory serving until 2002.

In 2009 Metropolitan Seraphim was one of six bishops who signed the manifesto A Confession of Faith Against Ecumenism.

In 2010 he asked Queen Elizabeth II to divest pop singer Sir Elton John of his knighthood for uttering blasphemy. The metropolitan sent a letter to Queen Elizabeth II and the British Ambassador to Greece after Elton John said that Christ was a homosexual.[note 1]

In December 2010 he made remarks in a televised interview which are anti-semitic. Among the 'unconventional' opinions he expressed, he stated that international Zionism tries to destroy family values by promoting one-parent families and same-sex marriages, and said there is a Zionist conspiracy to enslave Greece and Christian Orthodoxy.[note 2] He also stated that "Adolf Hitler was an instrument of world Zionism and was financed from the renowned Rothschild family with the sole purpose of convincing the Jews to leave the shores of Europe and go to Israel to establish the new Empire." He also expressed the belief that Jewish bankers like "Rockefeller, Rothschild and Soros control the international banking system that controls globalization."[note 3] Subsequently, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, while not mentioning Metropolitan Seraphim by name, condemned anti-Semitism in clear terms which clearly had his eminence in mind: "the Holy Archdiocese of America condemns any such language, and expresses its sadness that these hurtful words should have been spoken at all. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America considers the remarks to be gravely offensive and totally unacceptable."[note 4] (See also Eastern Orthodoxy and Judaism.) In response to the ensuing hysteria and false accusations, which included "holocaust denier," the Metropolitan released a statement of clarification. [note 5]


Succession box:
Seraphim (Mentzelopoulos) of Piraeus
Preceded by:
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Bishop of Christianoupolis
2000-2002
Succeeded by:
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Preceded by:
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Metropolitan of Piraeus
2006-present
Succeeded by:
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See also

Notes

  1. The letter states, “[Elton John] dared to insult the Incarnate Divine-Human (theandric) Person, the crucified and risen Son of God, attributing to him his personal psychopathological deviation. The Christian community around the world expects that your Majesty will express your judgement on this [utterance] and divest [Elton John] of his honorary title because he has undeservedly insulted the highest figure for Christians throughout the world”. (Voices from Russia. Saturday, 6 March, 2010)
  2. "A Statement of Clarification By Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus," Mystagogy, December 23, 2010.
  3. "A Greek Bishop's Anti-Semitic Tirade," The Lede, a New York Times blog, December 22, 2010.
  4. "Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Decries Anti-Semitic Rhetoric, press release, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Dec 23, 2010. Although, technically, the Greek Archdiocese is an eparchy of the Church of Constantinople and strictly speaking not part of the Church of Greece, the two are often confused even by members of both churches.
  5. "A Statement of Clarification By Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus," Mystagogy, December 23, 2010.

Publications

External links