BOSTON – Archbishop Elpidophoros of America is chasing Archimandrite Fr. Alexander Kantarakias away from America using as an excuse that his permission from the Church of Greece to serve the United States expired four years ago.

Fr. Alexander was the presiding priest for the past ten years at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox parish in Philadelphia, PA. The parish of the Annunciation is comprised of three hundred families.

The decision of the Archbishop was conveyed to Fr. Alexander by a letter from Archdiocesan Chancellor Fr. Nektarios Papazafiropoulos, ordering him to turn over all his responsibilities to the chancellor of the Metropolis of New Jersey, Archimandrite Fr. Christophoros Economides, and to return immediately to his official position at the Metropolis of Didimotichon in Greece.

Prior to the letter, the Archbishop, through Chancellor Papazafiropoulos, had suspended Fr. Alexander from all liturgical and pastoral responsibilities and summoned him to Spiritual Court. Chancellor Papazafiropoulos in his accusatory letter dated September 12, wrote that according “to reliable information we have received you are blatantly and with disrespect, openly and publicly speaking in a vulgar manner against His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. I am loathe either to write or speak of the

vulgarity with which you conduct yourself in front of your parishioners.” Chancellor Papazafiropoulos also wrote that, “therefore, at the direction of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, you are hereby suspended from all your priestly duties until the end of the calendar year. You do not have permission to serve in any of the sacraments of the Church pending a Spiritual court that will be held on Tuesday October 4^th, 2022 at 12:00 PM. You will be called to the Archdiocese to answer your unacceptable behavior.”

In a telephone communication of TNH with Fr. Alexander, he declined to make any comments.

The National Herald has learned that Fr. Alexander has expressed his opinion regarding some of the actions and statements of the Archbishop which are not in accordance with the ecclesiastical ‘phronima’ of the Church which have been the subject of negative comments publicly by hierarchs in Greece. It is reminded here that the Church of Greece has send an official protest to the Ecumenical Patriarchate against Archbishop Elpidophoros regarding the infamous baptism he presided over in the Metropolis of Glyfada. The Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has sent the letter of protest of the Church of Greece to Archbishop Elpidophoros and directed him to answer it himself.

Church officials from the Archdiocese who for now requested anonymity told TNH that the “persecution of Fr. Alexander Kantarakias is Archbishop Elpidophoros’ revenge because he stood by Metropolitan Evangelos, who was removed from the Metropolis of New Jersey.” They also referred to “the strange role” in the removal of Fr. Alexander of the newly appointed chancellor of the Metropolis of New Jersey, Archimandrite Christophoros Economides, whom Metropolitan Evangelos brought from Greece.