“Amid the hustle and bustle of the holidays may you find time to pause, to reflect….and to rejoice in the true meaning of Christmas.”

The above statement is the central  message that Ashland University of Ohio is affectionately beaming to the world this Christmas. The message comes in a charming way, underscored with effects of digital technology. You can enjoy it with the entire family on this link: We are indebted to our colleague Dr. Pandelis Halamandaris for combining this message wiith his own Christmas greetings addressed to all of us. We are happy to reciprocate the wishes and to relay them to all members and friends of the Hellenic Link.

Once more at Christmas, our very esteemed colleague and co-worker Dimitrios Oreopoulos is sending to the Hellenic Link family his warm wishes and greetings in an all-encompassing life report. We are accepting and presenting it to our members and friends with humble gratitude for his continuing robust contributions to HL’s scientific, cultural and educational objectives, now under a unique and profoundly trying circumstance. As always, his Christmas letter- report mirrors substantive personal and family blessings, for which he can be abundantly happy—and so are we with him; but also, it comes with an expression of a transcending, deep Christian Faith, with which he places his entire life- past, present and future- in the hands of God. With his precious message, he gives us a spiritually perfect Christmas gift! Prayerfully, let us keep it deep in our hearts, as we celebrate the redeeming first coming of Christ:

CHRISTMAS 2011 and New Year 2012

To all our friends,

Although I think of all of you all year round, this time you are in my mind most intensely. May God keep all of you and your family well not only the coming year but for many years to come.

Our family, with four children and four grandchildren is very blessed:

George is a successful vascular surgeon at the Toronto General Hospital . His wife Amrit is a nephrologist at the St Joseph ‘s Hospital and their two boys, Dimitris, seven, and Costas, four years-old, are growing up involved in many activities. Philip enjoys his research in economics. He will be promoted soon to full professor at U. of T. He and Marcella, who works in finance at Bell, have Lukas, three, and one year-old Nicole. Our daughter Antigone in Edmonton finished her Ph.D. in Clinical Epidemiology and continues her MBA program. John finished his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and has a great job in an Optics manufacturing company here in Toronto. His wife, Michelle is a practicing family physician. Nancy is well except for a knee that will soon need replacement due to arthritis.

My year did not end up so well because my non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma that I have had since 2008, transformed to something more aggressive in my brain. I am feeling much better after an intense round of treatments in the fall. It is difficult to get used to not seeing patients, not working and not driving. This is a new way of living, having left my life in God’s hands. I am totally satisfied, thankful for my 75 years of life and all the family and friends we have. This makes me serene and ready to accept God’s decision for me. He has guided me all these years and I am confident that he will continue taking care of me all the way to the end whenever He decides.

We look forward to celebrating Christmas at our home with all our children and their families. I remember of all of my friends and how much I love you all. We are sending you our best wishes for both Christmas and the New Year. With all my love for the great times we had together in the past,

Dimitrios

Pleading in Defense of the Church at a World Forum

The Problems of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul

Mr. Fanis Economides

Introduction. We are present, again this year, at the 2011 OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, to represent the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, which is a United States-based organization of Orthodox Christian laymen, whose mission is to defend the rights and prerogatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and to preserve its important role in the spiritual life of Orthodox Christians and of persons of faith in the world. We are pleased to acknowledge a number of important steps, including properties of non–Muslim Foundations that the current Government of Turkey has been taking over the past year since the last OSCE-Human Dimension Meeting in this city. We refer specifically to one step taken just one month ago, to correct egregious past injustices and discriminatory practices that have, over long years, injured the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s health and well being and presented serious obstacles to its normal functioning in its spiritual role in the world.

However, the Order of St. Andrew is not fully satisfied on all accounts and the current situation, even after the announced corrective measures are implemented, will be desirable from our point of view and, even more importantly, from the perspective of human rights standards, such as the Human Rights Convention, and standards for the freedom of religion of international bodies namely, the European Union, which Turkey is aspiring to join as a full member, the United States, and the United Nations. Just as we are cognizant and thankful for encouraging developments, to which we are prepared to assign full credit, we will insist on strict implementation of good intentions and full compliance with international law and the principles of OSCE of which Turkey is a member.

The process for the election of a new Ecumenical Patriarch.

There has been some progress in the process of electing a new Ecumenical Patriarch. The latest information, as of this writing, is that 26 Metropolitans have applied for Turkish citizenship, 18 have been approved, and the remaining 8 are pending. We hope the approval process will continue apace and all eligible applicants will be approved. This recent ruling, once fully implemented, will add a considerable number of Orthodox prelates to the small pool of indigenous electors for the election of a new Ecumenical Patriarch. While recognizing the positive steps taken for accommodation, we feel compelled to ask why any restrictions at all should apply and any interference be exerted to the internal proceedings of the Ecumenical Patriarchate or of any religious group for that matter, especially when the office in question is one of spiritual relevance and authority.

The “Ecumenical”

The title “Ecumenical,” that the entire world uses in addressing and referring to His All-Holiness, the Patriarch of Constantinople, is an issue of paramount importance to the Order of St. Andrew and to the entire world. The term means that the See of Constantinople pertains to the entire “inhabited world.” We repeat here briefly the points we made last year: (a) the See was founded by the Apostle Andrew, the first-called Apostle of Jesus, in 37 A.D., in the town of Byzantium, later renamed Constantinople, and present-day Istanbul; (b) its position and prestige was formally elevated in the year 451 A. D., at the Fourth Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church; (c) the See has served, over the centuries, as the religious center for stature in which the Bishop of Constantinople was held by the rest of Christendom. After Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 and in succeeding centuries, the Ecumenical Patriarchate continued its existence in Istanbul, exercising its spiritual ministry over world-wide Orthodoxy.

The matter of the title “Ecumenical” has also been the subject of deliberation by the Venice Commission. At its 82^nd Plenary Session, in Venice, 12-13 March 2010, the Commission expressed a formal opinion, which was affirmed in an opinion issued in July 2011, stating, among other things:

“However, taking into account the fact that the word “Ecumenical” forms part of the title of the Patriarchate and has done so since the 6^th century, and that this title is widely recognised and used globally, the Venice Commission fails to see any reason, factual or legal, for the authorities not to address the Ecumenical Patriarchate by its historical
and generally recognised title.”

We regret to report to this conference that recognition of “Ecumenical,” as a legitimate and historical title, is still denied to the Patriarch of Constantinople by the Government of Turkey, which continues to view him as the Bishop of a flock of 2,500 Greek Orthodox faithful. We feel that this attitude and denial of a historic and legitimate title is unacceptable; it diminishes the stature of the Ecumenical Patriarch, defies history, contradicts universal Christian practice, and works against Turkey’s ambitions to present itself as a reformed and modern country.

Denial of Legal Personality.

Lack of recognition of its legal identity has been, for many years, and continues to be to this day, an instrument of deliberate attrition on the part of the Government of Turkey and a major impediment to the functioning of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a normal institution in Turkish society, as it has also been the case for all other religious bodies in Turkey, hampering their normal existence and operations in every-day life. Unfortunately, this issue remains largely unresolved.

Restriction on Free Religious Education.

The Theological School at Halki (Heybeliada) was closed in 1971, thus seriously depriving the Ecumenical Patriarchate of its ability to educate its clergy and lay theologians and to be, by its ecumenical role, a center of Orthodox learning, research, and scholarship.

Over the past few decades, the opening of Halki has become a thorny and recalcitrant issue over which much diplomatic energy has been expended. In addition, The Ecumenical Patriarchate has severe visa restrictions placed by the Turkish government on students, priests and other staff who wish to visit it in order to study and serve there. The Ecumenical Patriarchate is not permitted to have its own printing facility, publish religious journals, treatises and books,creating a serious hindrance to its theological and pastoral function.

The references, entreaties, requests and exhortations toward the opening of this School have been legion over the years, as was narrated in much detail in our last year’s presentation. Many authoritative and weighty voices, including those made by Presidents of the U.S., high officials of the European Union, and many organizations, including the Order of St. Andrew, have lined up in one direction, namely toward convincing the Government of Turkey that, in addition to serving the needs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the opening of Halki would also serve the interests of Turkey, especially at this juncture of trying to join the E.U.; but to no avail, to this minute — we regret to say. Recent steps toward decisive reforms may yet afford a basis for hope that the Government of Turkey will look, seriously this time, into the resolution of this problem without further delay.

Property Confiscations.

Property confiscations have been among the top grievances of Patriarchal institutions and other civil bodies of the Greek Orthodox minority associated with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to a great extent because it deprived them of means of sustenance and growth. In this paper, we wish to mention, with deep satisfaction, the return to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orphanage on the island of Prinkipos (Büyükada), following much litigation, including, at the end, before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The order of this Court was implemented, in late November 2010, through a deed in the name of “Rum Patrikhanesi.”

Just as this paper was being drafted, it was revealed that very important step, was taken on Sunday, 28-August-2011, by means of a Decree, announced at a meeting of P.M. Erdo?an with representatives of religious minorities that the Government of Turkey has decided (by adding a new transitional article, no 11, to the 2008 Foundation Law), to return properties confiscated from religious minorities’ foundations since 1936 and pay fair compensation for seized assets that have since been sold by the Turkish state to third parties. Although those who have lost style=’color:black’> their properties maintain serious doubts, shared to a large extent by the Order of St. Andrew, as to the real intentions of the Government of Turkey, the number of properties that will, in fact, be returned, the timing and procedures of submission of needed documentation, and other details, the move must be recognized as a radical break with a long-standing policy, opening new ground and offering important possibilities for better relations between the Government of Turkey and religious minorities. This initiative will enable P.M. Erdo?an to appear in European capitals with renewed credibility and confidence in his leadership role in Turkey.

Liturgy at the Soumela Monastery.

On the positive side, for the second year in a row, the Ecumenical Patriarch was given permission to officiate liturgy, following 88 years of closure, on August 15^th, the day of the Dormition of the Theotokos, at the historic monastery of Soumela, near Trabzon on the Black Sea. A large contingent of visitors was also granted permission to attend
including Archbishop Demetrios of America, a bishop representing Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow and all Russia, laymen from Greece, Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, the United States, Australia, and other countries as well as many clerics – each participant having to be pre-approved by the Turkish authorities. However, we cannot refrain from raising an uncomfortable question: why should the granted permission be recognized as an earth-shaking event of reform when for most civilized persons and countries, it is considered a normal, almost routine expression of religious faith, especially when taking place at a religious site that has been used for such religious rites for centuries?

Conclusions and Recommendations.

The criticisms of the status of religious freedom and human rights contained in this paper are based on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and the Vienna and Copenhagen Concluding Documents. They represent the views of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle on the plight of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the need for
improvement by the Government of Turkey, but also reflect the hope for the life ahead. We state that the rights we are claiming here are inherent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and must be respected and defended by the public authorities of Turkey not only for the sake of the Ecumenical Patriarchate itself but also for other Christian denominations and other faiths in the country as well.

We take a dual tack: on one hand, we highlight the Government of Turkey’s failures to live up to these principles, notwithstanding the fact that it is a signatory to the OSCE. On the other hand, we welcome with hope and optimism recent actions and announcements by the government and are watching to see actual implementation and real change in government’s thinking and action. We emphasize especially that the Government of Turkey must follow up with deeds the Government Decree to return the seized (mazbut) properties of non-Muslim Foundations and churches to their legitimate owners, or provide reasonable and fair compensation, according to the recent decision and Decree, of
28-August-2011.

Introducing fuller reforms in the area of religious freedom, and implementing them with concrete actions, without arbitrary or distorted interpretation, bureaucratic obfuscation, and dilatory tactics, will provide strong proof that Turkey is ready, willing, and ethe international arena and become a paradigm for emulation in the entire world.

———————————–

3 The historic Monastery of Panagia Soumela in Trabzon stands at the foot of a cliff—partially constructed in the rock—facing the Altindere Valley in the Macka region of Trabzon Province, Turkey. The monastery was founded inthe year 386 AD during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius the Great. It gained wide prominence and imperial protection in the 13th-14th centuries. Over the centuries, the monastery fell into ruin several times, was restored by various Emperors and seized by the Russian Empire during the occupation of Trabzon in the years 1916-1918. The site was destroyed by the Neo-Turks in 1922, abandoned the following year during the forced exchange of populations after the Treaty of Lausanne, and finally converted into a museum and tourist attraction.

Editor’s Note: The above Paper presented in its entirety at the OSCE Meeting by Mr. Fanis Economides, Archon Ekdikos, under the title “Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion or Belief: The Problems of the Ecumenical Patiarchate in Istanbul” will appear at the HL Web Site soon along with a companion Paper, presented by Dr. Achilles G. Adamantiades, Archon, Defender of Letters, under the title “

Fundamental Freedoms II: National Human Rights Institutions and the Role of Civil Society in the Protection of Human
Rights.”

A Current Perspective of the Greek Financial Crisis

A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GREEK ECONOMY

By Evangelos A. Calamitsis*

Greece faces major challenges, fraught with great risks, owing to a combination of adjustment fatigue, political uncertainties, increased disenchantment on the part of the country’s partners, and a widening euro-area crisis. But the recent formation of a transitional unity government, with large political support, provides Greece with a window of opportunity to bring its economic reform program back on track and regain the confidence of its partners. To be successful, this opportunity will have to be fully seized and focused on some urgent actions. In particular, in the period immediately ahead, all of the prior actions agreed upon under the current program supported by style=”mso-spacerun: yes”> Greece’s euro-area partners and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will have to be carried out in order to unlock the much-needed sixth tranche of program loans by mid-December. Moreover, negotiations will have to be completed on a credible new program for 2012-14 that would attract further official support, as well as private sector involvement (PSI) designed to reduce substantially
the country’s sovereign debt.

It should be remembered that since May 2010, when the current reform program was adopted, Greece has taken some significant steps toward macroeconomic adjustment and structural reform. However, program implementation and performance have been uneven. More seriously, over the course of this year, social tensions and resistance to reform have grown; program implementation has slowed, leading to significant policy slippages; and as economic conditions and market sentiment in Europe have weakened, Greece’s overall economic situation has worsened. Thus, for 2011 as a whole, it is estimated that the real gross domestic product (GDP) will decline by 5.5-6.0 percent; unemployment will be around 16.0 percent; and the overall fiscal deficit of the general government will be of the order of 9.0 percent of GDP, well above the program target of 7.5 percent, contributing to a further rise in the already high public debt. The situation would have been even more dire if it were not for an increase in exports and tourism.

Against this background, Greece’s euro-area partners and the IMF have continued to provide Greece with considerable financial assistance, as well as technical support. Indeed, through July 2011, their combined program loans have amounted to about 65 billion euros, or some 60 percent of the total (110 billion euros) pledged for the current three-year program. And on the basis of policy understandings reached with the Greek authorities, the EU-IMF agreed in principle to disburse the sixth tranche of program loans of about 8 billion euros envisaged under the program. As part of the decisions taken at the Euro Summit in Cannes on October 26, 2011,Greece’s partners reiterated this agreement; and they set the stage for “the conclusion of a sustainable and credible new EU-IMF multiannual programme by the end of the year”. As is well known, the Euro Summit also dealt with the broader issues regarding the monetary union, notably leveraging the resources of the European Financial Stability Facility, recapitalizing and funding European banks, strengthening economic and fiscal coordination and surveillance, and enhancing governance structures and integration.

But rather unexpectedly, soon after the Cannes Summit, political developments in Greece led to ambiguities and uncertainties about its commitment to the reform program and adherence to the summit decisions, thereby adversely affecting the country’s policy credibility. In the circumstances, disbursement of the planned program assistance to Greece was delayed.

Immediate Actions

The Greek unity government, headed by a highly respected economist and former Vice-President of the European Central Bank, has been widely welcomed by Greece’s partners. Yet, it has to build upon the improved sentiment by removing existing uncertainties and restoring the country’s policy credibility. For a start, the new government needs to put firmly in place all the policies and measures already agreed upon. These include adopting a sound budget for 2012; intensifying the fight against tax evasion and improving tax collection; reducing non-priority outlays, without accumulating payment arrears; streamlining and downsizing the public administration; increasing the pace of privatization; and giving full force to the structural reform designed to foster labor market liberalization and open up the highly regulated professions. In addition, the new government as well as the political party leaders supporting the government need to provide adequate assurances to the EU-IMF that Greece is genuinely committed to pursuing its reform efforts and discharging the obligations stemming from the euro-area decisions of October 26. If sufficiently convincing, these assurances and actions would not only allow the disbursement of the critical sixth tranche of EU-IMF program loans but also facilitate the negotiations on a new medium-term program.

Medium-Term Program

The Greek program for 2012-14 should be ambitious but realistic, and its rationale should be well explained to the general public and the business community. The projected further contraction of the nation’s output and the rise in unemployment in 2012 are most worrisome. Hence, as the program’s macroeconomic framework and policy components are still being worked out, it is to be hoped that high priority will be given to reviving the economy and jobs by increasing investment and accelerating structural reforms. To these ends, with the technical support of the European Commission’s Task Force for Greece, the authorities should expedite preparation and implementation of a large number of identified investment projects that can be financed largely by European structural funds. They should also encourage both foreign and domestic private investment through the simplified procedures and other means already in place, as well as take concrete steps to meet the credit requirements of viable small and medium-sized enterprises.

At the same time, the program should vigorously pursue the basic goals of consolidating public finances, improving competitiveness, and safeguarding the financial system and monetary stability, while protecting the most vulnerable groups of society. In view of the need to put the public debt situation on a sustainable path, and quite apart from the expected private sector contribution to debt reduction, it will be most important to generate sizable primary fiscal surpluses (which exclude interest payments) over the medium term. In this respect, the 2012 draft budget now before Parliament represents a step in the right direction, envisaging for the first time in recent years a primary fiscal surplus equivalent to 1.1 percent of GDP, compared with large deficits in 2009-11. The medium-term strategy will also need to focus on the following specific policies and measures:

· Promote

tax reform and combat tax evasion in that tax reform should aim at establishing a simpler, fairer, and more stable tax system. At this juncture, no new taxes or further tax rate increases would be advisable or tolerable; rather, some ofthe recent increases an VAT and other tax rates would need to be reconsideredand possibly rescinded.· Reduce

the government wage bill and other outlays, while ensuring social safety nets for the poor.

· Rationalize

and downsize the public sector, particularly the loss-making state enterprises. · Accelerate
efforts to make effective use of the large portfolio of state assets through

privatization and real estate development.

· Enhance
liberalization of the economy to improve competitiveness, support the

growth of exports, and help develop the key tourist and
shipping sectors.

· Recapitalize
Greek banks and strengthen the financial position of social security funds.

· Foster
reforms designed to improve education at all levels, rehabilitate the national

health system, and render the legal system more efficient.

· Promote
research and technology in priority areas, including renewable energy, with a view to boosting innovation and potential growth.

On the basis of such a reform program, Greece should expect to reach understandings for substantial debt relief from its private sector creditors. Indeed, as indicated in the Euro Summit Statement of October 26, PSI in support of Greece would be expected to be deeper than envisaged last July, involving a voluntary bond exchange with a nominal discount of 50 percent on national Greek sovereign debt held by private investors. Such a debt reduction, coupled with the previous decisions of euro-area member states to extend the maturities and lower the interest rates of their program loans to Greece, would alleviate significantly the country’s debt burden.

But it is to be hoped that the negotiations with private sector holders of Greek debt, which are likely to be controversial, will be satisfactorily concluded on a voluntary basis; that participation rates will be high; and that the specific options and terms of the enhanced PSI will not lead to any dilution of the expected debt reduction.

On their part, Greece’s euro-area partners have pledged to contribute 30 billion euros in support of the PSI package. Moreover, the EU-IMF are expected to provide additional program financing of up to 100 billion euros in 2012-14, including the resources required to recapitalize Greek banks. To sum up, barring any political mishaps in Greece and a worsening of conditions in the euro area, Greece now has a window of opportunity to reinvigorate its reform program and hopefully pave the way for resolving its economic and debt crisis with the support of its partners. The achievement of the country’s basic goals will take time and continued efforts to ensure effective program implementation; it will also require national cohesion that will have to be sustained for many years beyond the life of the current administration.

* Former Director at the International Monetary Fund.

This article was posted in

www.ekathimerini.com on

November 29, 2011.

From the Cultural
Interests and Activities of Our Members and Friends

BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT

T’Anthropina by Kostas Tsotsos

Greece’s current crisis is not her first one. Greece has endured many crises, has survived and emerged even greater than before. The poem: written by my father, Kostas Tsotsos (1920-2004), on August 10, 1943 while he struggled for freedom from the Nazi occupation in the mountains of northern Greece, immortalizes this: