[ALBSA-Info] Fr. Arthur Liolin

[heljo]

WILL THE REAL Fr.ARTHUR LIOLIN, PLEASE, STAND UP !

Indeed, the real Fr.Arthur stood up in front of an exclusive Greek Club organized by the most influential leaders of the Greek Community in America, the Archons, and with an eloquent speech apologized to the leaders assembled at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan on Saturday, February 17, 2001. In particular, in a surrealistic setting, Fr. Liolin apologized to Greek Bishop Janullatos, the honoree of the occasion. Bishop Janullatos is one of two Greek bishops leading the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. In this position, as an ethnic Greek and a Greek citizen, he is a usurper because article 16 of the statute of the Albanian Church prescribes that the Bishops and the members of the Synod must be Albanian nationals and Albanian citizens.

Fr. Arthur or Fr. Liolin apologized for having resisted in the past the successes of Bishop Janullatos, the very personification of the Greek avantguard for the cultural, political and religious invasion of Albania.

Arthur Liolin, the Albanian-American Priest praised Bishop Janullatos to high heaven with phrases like "A tree full of apples is the target of stones". (An Albanian proverb). To which an Albanian Orthodox has responded: "Mr. Liolin, it is inappropriate for you to use the Albanian language to do harm to the Albanian legacy. The tree full of apples is not Bishop Janullatos. That tree is His Beatitude Fan Noli and the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church which has been and is the target of Greek chauvinists throwing stones and boulders at her". (Kohajone, March 3, 2001, "At Liolini po shkel vepren e Peshkop Fan Nolit" by Sotir Andoni).


The Greek leaders present at the gathering applauded wholeheartedly. Why not? The Greeks finally and publicly conquered and subdued the pretender to the throne of the legacy of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The Greeks reduced to ashes the boastful curator of the memory of Imzot Fan Noli, the principal founder of Albanian Orthodoxy in America as well as in Albania. 

The Greek Archons were celebrating the lonely infidel thrusting the sword of St.George at the heart of his Mentor and at the body of his Mother Church.

Did the Greeks want anything else from Fr.Liolin? 

All of the above is self evident and has the value of clearing the fog that has persisted for the last twelve or more years with regard to the role that the leader of the Albanian Orthodox Church in America would play in the future revival of the Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Albania. In general, the Orthodox Albanians in America have been ineffectual in the revival of the Orthodox Church in Albania. Now, with the abdication and surrender of their presumed leader, their priest Arthur Liolin, they will not even bother to consider getting involved. To some extent, with justification, they will assume that it is useless. 

The Greek chauvinists are powerful and determined to maintain their stranglehold on the Albanian Orthodox Church. Over a year ago they added another Greek, Bishop Ignatios of Berat, to the leadership of the Albanian church. With Fr.Arthur's active non-intervention they were able to ignore the candidacy of Archimandrite Theofan Koja. With these events in front of them a good number of Albanian Orthodox may say privately that they will look at the issue of Autocephaly of their Orthodox Church, eventually, when Albania has joined the European Union and the Albanians are better off economically. 

In the mean time....,God help us. 

(The casual reader should know that this writer has functioned as an official advisor to the Albanian Orthodox Church in America and as a personal advisor to Fr.Liolin, up to 1995, on matters relating to the Autocephaly of the Church in Albania. The split occurred when this writer caused that the Orthodox Church in Elbasan be handed over to Fr. Nikolla Marku, an independent Albanian priest. This writer and Fr.Liolin have shared in all sorts of discussions and meetings, including drinking beer in local bars in South Boston as well as the official trip of the American Orthodox delegation to Albania, in 1992, all for the benefit of Albanian Orthodoxy).

The only interesting question here is: what truly prompted Fr. Liolin to abdicate and give up his rich image of seeming to be all things to all people? Clearly, he is the keeper of the Noli library in Boston. Administratively, he is the Chancellor of the Albanian Orthodox Church in America. He claimed to be a defender of the Autocephaly of the Albanian Orthodox Church. 

Also, he pretended to be a friend of the Albanians from Kosova and from the territories of the former Yugoslavia until 1999 when the Serbs forced the massive expulsion of the Albanians from Kosova. The March 25, 1999 issue of the Boston Globe quotes Fr. Liolin speaking against NATO bombing of Serbia without a single mention of the plight of the Kosovars. By contrast, the Albanian Orthodox Fr. Spero Page spoke eloquently for the pain and suffering of the Kosovars. This pronouncement on the part of Fr.Arthur was not reported in the Albanian media, after some debate, because it was believed that Fr.Liolin must be preserved notwithstanding this questionable behavior on the Kosova issue. Note that Greek Bishop Janullatos was not spared attack in the Albanian press, here and in Albania, including debate in the Albanian parliament, for denouncing the NATO bombing in a chorus with many of his Greek compatriots.

Fr. Liolin acted as a friend of all Albanian Orthodox and in particular those who were willing to labor to preserve the principles of the Autocephaly of the Albanian Orthodox Church. He attempted to appear kind, considerate and caring. He liked to appear as erudite and intellectual. 

Fr.Liolin was perceived as an enigma to those who got a little bit closer to him. Every shortcoming that might be gleaned of this man, Arthur, was glossed over so that he might continue to function as the sole guardian and leader of the Albanian spiritual resistance to the Greek usurpation of the Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Albania. And, for as long as this enigma and this perception were preserved, the Greeks actually, and rightfully so, were never sure they had indeed conquered the Church in Albania. They knew, for example, that even the government of Fatos Nano would, and did, consult with Fr. Liolin on the matter of the addition of the Greek Bishop Ignatios to the leadership of the Church. Obviously, Fr Liolin's advice to the Albanian government, through negotiator Kastriot Islami, was such that Bishop Ignatios was given the Episcopate of Berat whereas the candidacy of the Albanian citizen by birth Archimandrite Theofan Koja was rejected, the latter act being a direct responsibility of Fr.Arthur.

Fr.Liolin adapted and engaged in a vicious campaign against Archimandrite Theofan that originated in Greek circles. This Greek campaign was very similar to the one fabricated against himself when he seemed to oppose Greek Bishop Janullatos. For the sinful act of engaging in rumor mongering Fr. Arthur will never be able to live with his own God. This sin alone is likely to tip the balance for Fr. Liolin's soul when he faces his Judgement Day. In addition, by this act he deprived the Albanian Orthodox and the Autocephalous Church of Albania of the services of Archimandrite Theofan Koja, who is fully a canonical priest, practicing in America, and is, at least, on an equal theological footing with former Archimandrite Jani Pelushi, the current Bishop Jani of Korca. 

With the abdication speech in New York, Fr.Liolin traded to the Greeks his enigma and his cultivated perception as the spiritual shield and fortress of the Albanian Orthodoxy in Albania and in America. Before that betrayal, the Albanian Orthodox would say that for as long as we have Fr. Arthur we can continue as best we can to oppose and resist the inroads of the Greeks and maintain hope for the future. Interestingly enough, the Greeks were never able to find a handle to this spiritual dilemma. A few years ago they attempted to breach the issue by pleading that Bishop Janullatos be allowed to celebrate the Holy Mass at St. George's Albanian Orthodox Church in South Boston, where Fr.Liolin is the Dean. Bishop Janullatos' request was rejected. Now, of course, the situation has changed. Bishop Janullatos may yet celebrate Mass at St. George's Church in the future.

In this connection, the following quote, translated from Albanian, is appropriate:

"Perhaps, you have decided to remove the bust of Bishop Fan Noli from the vestibule of St.George's cathedral just to please Mr.Janullatos who, as you well know, has removed the portrait of this giant of Albanian Orthodoxy from every Orthodox Church in Albania. If you happen to decide to do this, please, let me know so that I can take and shelter the bust of the hero who speaks with every true Albanian, but not necessarily with you". (Kohajone, op.cit.)

It is fair to say that the Greeks will no longer be interested in Fr.Arthur because Fr. Liolin has nothing else to offer the Greek Orthodox Church leaders in Albania and Greeks anywhere. On the evening of February 17, in the cabal among the powerful Greek leaders, Fr.Liolin lost the essence of his existence and he lost his Christian Orthodox soul. He violated canon 34 of the Holy Apostles of the Orthodox faith. The Greeks have no reason to resuscitate him and they have no need for his corpse.

On the other hand, the Albanians, Christians and Moslems alike, will disown him permanently as their Knight of the Autocephaly, the most noble and miraculous treasure of their ancestors. 

Fr. Arthur Liolin! In the minds of the Greeks and the Albanians, now and forever, you have lost your usefulness, you are history. 

March 3, 2001 Sejfi Protopapa

Illyria, March 16, 2001

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