A Brief Historical Synopsis Of The Greek Orthodox Old Calendar Church

In 1920, the Patriarchate of Constantinople issued an encyclical, entitled “Unto the Churches of Christ Wherever They May Be Found”. In this encyclical, the Locum Tenens and the Synod suggested that the Orthodox Churches should forget their theological differences with the heterodox and enter into dialogue with them, having as their ultimate end the unification of all those who call themselves Christians, both heretics and believers, as one Church. Two years later, the Mason Meletios IV (Metaxakis) became Patriarch of Constantinople, and a year later, in 1923, he began celebrating the Menaion cycle according to the New Menaion (the State Calendrical System, that is, the Gregorian Calendar for ascertaining the dates of the immovable feasts), but not the Paschalion or calendrical system for ascertaining the dates of Pascha and depending other movable feasts on Pascha.

In March of 1924, the Archbishop of Athens, Chrysostom (Papadopoulos), introduced the New Menaion for use in the Greek Orthodox Church too. The Paschalion remained on the old (traditional) calendar. This innovation within the State Church was opposed by the most venerable Metropolitan Chrysostom of Florina and other hierarchs. Nevertheless, the so-called New or Gregorian Calendar was implemented, however, at a special session of the Synod, called by the Archbishop of Athens, when the above-mentioned bishops were not in attendance.

Metropolitan Chrysostom, however, sought to undermine this decision and eventually to overturn it. He never accepted it himself, although he was in communion with those who had. One of the ways he sought to undermine it was the 1933 condemnation by the Greek State Church of Masonry as a paganistic religion and Freemasons as subject to deposition or excommunication. The introduction of common dates of celebration for the immovable feasts between Orthodox and heterodox was seen by many as the initial step in the designs of Freemasons in both government and church for conditioning the faithful to unite with all religions.

The introduction of the New Menaion caused liturgical disunity and great dissension within the Church of Greece. Two million faithful refused to accept this innovation. Priests, who did not have bishops for almost eleven years, served them and led them in their sacred struggle not to even set foot on the path to apostasy. For this, Chrysostom (Papadopoulos), Archbishop of Athens, declared them schismatics and sought to have this pronounced on July 2, 1929 by the Synod. However, of the forty-four bishops present thirteen departed from the Synod meeting, twenty-seven refused to endorse this decree, and only four signed.

This Canonical Synod

Archbishop Christopher (Contageorge) was consecrated on the 10th of February 1934 by Archbishop Aftimios (Ofiesh) of the Russian Patriarchal Church, Archbishop Sophronios (Bashira) of the Syrian Orthodox Church, and Metropolitan Theophan (Fan Noli) of Albania.
Archbishop Arsenios (Saltas) was consecrated on the 25th of August 1934 by Archbishop Christopher and Bishop Nicholas.

Bishop Joseph (Klimovich) was consecrated in 1935 by Archbishop Nicholas, Archbishop Arsenios and Archbishop Fedchenkoff of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Archbishop Konstantine (Jaroshevich) was consecrated in 1949 by Archbishop Christopher, Archbishop Arsenios and Metropolitan Theophan.

Metropolitan Nicholas (Bohatyretz) of the Autocephalous Ukrainian Church was consecrated on the 14th of October 1950 by Archbishop Joseph, Archbishop Konstantine and Metropolitan Joseph (Zielonka) of the Syrian Patriarchate of Antioch.

Bishop Peter (Zuravetsky) was consecrated on the 15th of October 1950 by Archbishop Joseph, Archbishop Konstantine and Metropolitan Nicholas.

Archbishop Joachim (Souris) was consecrated on the 2nd of June 1951 by Archbishop Joseph, Bishop Peter and Metropolitan Joseph.

On the 10th of April 1982, Archbishop Joachim along with six other Greek Bishops of his Synod, the Holy Synod of True Orthodox Christians (Old Calendar, G.O.X.), consecrated Bishop Andreas (Novak) and elevated him to Metropolitan to lead the Synod in North America.

In 1987, Metropolitan Andreas received into his Metropolis Bishop Philip (Caine) appointing him Bishop of Pennsylvania.

In March 1988, Metropolitan Damaskinos, as President of the Synod in Greece, notified in writing Metropolitan Andreas of the election to the Episcopate of Archimandrite Haralampos (Young). Bishop Haralampos was consecrated on the 11th of June 1988 by Metropolitan Andreas, Bishop Philip and with the blessing and seal of Metropolitan Damaskinos on behalf of the Holy Synod.

On the 4th of January 1985, Bishop Timotheos (Athanassiou) was consecrated by Archbishop Joakim, Metropolitan Damaskinos and two other Bishops of the Holy Synod, and assigned Exarch Metropolitan of Montreal, Canada and the United States. Metropolitan Timotheos also received official recognition for his position from the Ministry of Justice of Quebec, Canada (22 JUL 87) and Patriarchal greetings from Jerusalem (Prot. No. 496, 22 Oct 91).

In December 1993, Metropolitan Timotheos announced, both in writing and via telephone, the election to the episcopate of Hegumen Michael Seraphim (Melchizedek). On the 3rd of January 1994, Father Melchizedek was consecrated by the Metropolitans Timotheos (Athanassiou) and Timotheos (Mavias) in Athens, Greece, at the Church of St. Photini, as well as with the blessing and seal of Bishop Haralampos on behalf of the American Synod.