H ομιλία π. Αλέξανδρου Καρλούτσου (Θεολογική Σχολή, 2025)

Σάββατο 17 Μαίου 2025, επί αρχιεπισκοπίας Ελπιδοφόρου, στην τελετή αποφοίτησης ανακηρύχτηκε ''επίτιμος διδάκτορας'' της Θεολογικής Σχολής στην Βοστώνη, ο πρωτοπρεσβύτερος πατριαρχείου Κων/πολης, Αλέξανδρος Καρλούτσος (καταγωγή Ηλεία). Αποφοίτησαν 14 από το Ελληνικό Κολέγιο και 11 από τη Θεολογική Σχολή (δυστυχώς, ΜΗ ομιλούντες την ελληνική).

Στην ομιλία του, υπεραμύνθηκε του ''οικουμενικού πατριαρχείου'' και κατάγγειλε τις ''φωνές'' στις ΗΠΑ (και μέσα στην Θεολογική Σχολή) που ζητούν ''ανεξαρτησία'' ή απομάκρυνση από αυτό.

Ολόκληρη η ομιλία...

.........

Your Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, Your Eminences, Your Graces, President Katos, Mr. Consul General Esteemed Students, Faculty, and Members of the Board of Trustees, Honored and Hope-Filled Graduates of Hellenic College/Holy Cross, Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Risen Lord, Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη! ​

Before I begin, I want to publicly thank Archbishop Elpidophoros, Dr. Katos and the Board of Trustees for their kindness in remembering and honoring my service to the Church.

I am very happy today to share this Honorary Degree distinction with Helen Carlos, the cherished daughter of my friends of blessed memory, Eula and Andrew. Helen's steadfast service and generosity to our School has been legendary in our Archdiocese, and I want to personally thank her for setting an example for the women and men of our Community.

In fact, our Parish in the Hamptons has recognized the heroic and historical role of women in our Church, starting with those who were the first to hear the good news that "Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified, is risen." We decided to honor the Myrrh-Bearing Women - the First Evangelists - by placing their icons prominently on the four columns just below the Four Evangelists.

As St. John Chrysostom noted: "Do you see the courage of the Myrrh-Bearing Women? Do you see their love? Do you see their nobility of spirit? We men should imitate those women and not abandon Christ in His tribulations.

* * *

In1969, at my first Commencement remarks, there was a beautiful and humbly-proud 20-year-young woman who had to listen to my words, because we were engaged to be married. I have been blessed beyond measure, because Xanthi Karavellas has been fully engaged in our joint διακονία for 55 years now.

My Presbytera, has been my conscience, my curb, and my compass. And our 10 grandchildren constantly remind me to add another "C" - Yiayia is a great Cook as well.

His All Holiness fondly calls her the Protopresbytera; I call her the love of my life and the penultimate reason I can address you today. Without Presbytera Xanthi, there is no Father Alex.

When my father, the Very Reverend Michael Karloutsos, who was widowed at age 35, brought my brother Jimmy and me to the School in 1962, (to be followed by our brother Peter 3 years later), I remember entering the back foyer in the Main Building, and being profoundly moved when I saw the image of Christ on His knees. His head was crowned with thorns and carrying His Cross; and there was an inscription: "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

I was truly blessed because my ministry began with my ordination by Archbishop Iakovos of sacred memory.

Early on, Xanthi and I were guided by Father Byron and Presbytera Xanthipi Papanikolaou.

And our inspiration has been from one of the greatest Archbishops of Constantinople in history. His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who is the embodiment of the "Patriarch of our Genos," is himself a Lighthouse, a Fanari, for every member of both clergy and laity.

I am taken aback by those who advocate breaking away from the Mother Church, and I must admit I cannot fathom sucha false and shallow narrative. Some of these inane voices offered these schizoid thoughts right here at our school.

We cannot, and we must not, sever ourselves from the spiritual roots divinely planted by the Holy Spirit through Saint Andrew, the First-Called Apostle. It is those roots, watered and nourished by the blood of our forefathers and foremothers, that give us the precious and priceless fruit known as the True Faith: the True Faith of the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and the Church Fathers and Mothers throughout the ages.

I remember that in 1968, a group of us Seminarians went to listen to Harvey Cox at Harvard, who was the preeminent sociologist of Religion of that time. His message was an Orthodox message and so we approached him after his powerful presentation.

He asked us where we were from. We said sheepishly, from Holy Cross in Brookline. He said to us with boldness: "You Orthodox have the true Faith, but you lack one thing. You don't have the fire and spirit of the Three Hierarchs."

Today, there is a phenomenon occurring right in front of our very eyes in America. Orthodoxy is on fire and yet we don't, as yet, manifest the spirit of the Three Hierarchs. We must inculcate their vision and total commitment to follow Christ at all costs.

We must look to the icon of Pentecost and realize that we are called and ordained to have tongues of fire, rather than tongues of ashes. We must comprehend the great truth articulated by Jaroslav Pelikan that "tradition is the living faith of the dead; and that traditionalism is the dead faith of the living." From the ancients we must take the fire and leave the ashes. We must shed the insidious mindset of acedia and apathy that makes us so indifferent, that we cannot make a difference in this world.

No matter how much money we raise or how wealthy we become or political doors we open, without the "fire and spirit of the Three Hierarchs," the Church will never be able to fulfill Her Destiny, which is to "make disciples of all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father; and of the Son; and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." This is what our Lord commanded us when He called us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him.

* * *

If I may, I would like to close my remarks by sharing with you one of the true highlights and blessings of my life that reminds me of our commitment to that "spirit of the Three Hierarchs." God blessed me with the opportunity to help His All Holiness bring back the holy relics of the Three Hierarchs to Constantinople.

On Saint Andrew's Day 2004, the 800th Anniversary of the Fourth Crusade, my wife Xanthi and I along with our son in law FatherConstantine, witnessed a sea-change in history - the Three Hierarchs were finally home where they belonged.

To the Graduating Students today, this is your time to "deny yourselves," to rise, shine and serve, by picking up the Cross entrusted to this generation of priests and presbyteres, here and now, to meet the challenge and cause prophesied by Sir Steven Runciman, that the 21st Century is the Century of Orthodoxy.

This is your Cross; it's not impossible, because the fire and spirit of the Three Hierarchs is alive and well. With God everything is possible, and you are his chosen servants and fellow Cyrenes.

We are proud of your academic accomplishments and look forward to your ministry and service ahead.

Now I would end these words with the onlywords which began my ministry 56 years ago, offered here at Commencement: "Much has been written; much has been said; those who have written; are dying or dead. Jesus said love one another, I have nothing significant to add."

Thank you.

.......

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