“Dear Fathers,
There are many people pointing out the obvious errors of the New Calendarists, yet no
one appears to be willing to make an attempt to remedy the malady of the HOCNA schism.
I have had conversations with Bishops Ephraim, Moses, Macarios, and Photios, but it would serve no purpose in sending to them this letter.
I visited with Abp. Anthony+ [ROCOR, Los Angeles.] of blessed memory, on three occasions, shortly before he reposed in 1996. I had asked him, in repeat of a question I had asked him in 1992: “Why did you in 1986, in front of Mother Juliana (Hazbun), tell me that Fr. Panteleimon was guilty of sexually abusing monks that were entrusted to him?
His deathbed answer was the same he told me and my wife Maura in 1992: “Fr. Panteleimon told me he was guilty, during the investigation at the Susse Chalet Motel [1986], and I immediately ended the proceedings because Fr. Panteleimon’s face was very red and his veins were bulging out of his neck; I was afraid he was going to have a heart attack...He agreed to leave the monastery. We did not want to believe the stories, but there were so many accusers, we could not simply turn our backs. It was a very sad situation, [Panteleimon later retracted], and now many, many more monks have come forward.”
I said, “Vladyka, how do you fell about these priests saying that they must cover Fr. Panteleimon’s sins?” He responded, “the canons speak very clearly about this type of sin, and how much it is worse with priests and that St. Paul also reminds us of this.”
I asked,” do you think The Synod handled the Boston situation in a fair manner?” Vladyka replied that he “had agreed to go the monastery and stay until things could be worked out. It was difficult because they wanted Fr. Isaac or Fr. Ephraim to be in charge. This was not possible, as Fr. Justin was appointed. [by ROCOR]” [Fr. Justin soon thereafter fled HTM]
“Vladyka,” I continued, “when Fr. Elias came to Fresno and told me of his long time sexual affair with Fr. Panteleimon, he insisted that I never reveal this in order to protect his brother, (now Bishop Moses) who was still in the monastery. Although I never agreed to his demands, I still feel bad, by not telling him that I needed to discuss this with my Father Confessor, Fr. Nicholas[Liberis], from HOCNA’s St. Demetrios Church, Pomona, CA.” Vladyka said I “did the correct thing and that Fr. Elias should not have asked this.”
I then told Vladyka how Fr. Nicholas went into denial and started insisting on something like Fr. Panteleimon only stuck his hands “down there” to help Fr. Elias quiet his passions, by blessing him. Fr. Nicholas then referred me to Fr. Neketas [Pallasis] of HOCNA’s St. Nectarios Church, Seattle Washington. He despondently retreated into denial and advised me to call Bishop Ephraim.
Like a fool I called and told bishop Ephraim that I was concerned about the charges against Fr. Panteleimon. Bishop Ephraim told me to call Fr. Elias and he would clear the matter up to me or something to that effect. Of course I then told him that Fr. Elias was the one who personally told me about his own sexual experiences with Fr. Panteleimon. That’s when Bp. Ephraim responded with his classic remark. “Fr. Elias was not a good monk!” And when that didn’t work, “If you do not leave this alone, I will take Fr. Constantine [Parr] from your community.” HTM immediately called Fr. Elias, who in turn called me, and was angry about what I had done, while assuring me that he would deny everything to protect his brother.
I asked Vladyka why the priests would rally around Fr. Panteleimon without even considering the evidence against him and was this typical of a cult mentality? He said , “this was not only about sexual perversion, but more importantly, Fr. Panteleimon is an atheist, and an enemy of God. This was much worse than someone who didn’t ever come to know God. Fr. Panteleimon has hurt a lot of people with his sexual perversion; even a person who does not know God wouldn’t commit such acts.”
I also asked Vladyka if it was fair to suspend and then defrock the priests who followed Pr. Panteleimon, [into schism] especially since he fooled so many people in the Synod? He said that , “the Priests needed to be obedient to their Bishops and not Fr. Panteleimon, and at some point this action had to be taken.”
When the suspension of Fr. Panteleimon came in 1986, there were six accusers who came forward one at time. Prior to this, charges had been brought to the Russian Synod one at a time over a decade. Five of the monks who testified in 1986 claimed to be victims, the sixth said he warded off unwanted advances by Fr. Panteleimon. HTM’s defense was to attack the character of the witnesses. People who sided with HTM at the time, people like myself who couldn’t deal with this, accepted HTM’s counter attack as if it were Divinely inspired, and somehow we continued on, clearly trusting Fr. Panteleimon. We in turn became warriors in defense of a ‘helpless innocent’ Monastery.
Fathers of HOCNA, I can give you and account of someone who allowed his teenage son to go to Hoy Transfiguration Monastery with the intent of considering monasticism as a vocation, only to learn that his son was forced to leave because one of the senior Fathers couldn’t contain himself regarding this innocent child. This again is ground for a court case, and of course a scandal of irreversible proportions.
Fathers, if you all can see it, next time you see Metropolitan Ephraim take a good look. What you will notice is clearly a millstone tied around his neck. It was given to him for justifying himself, for covering Fr. Panteleimon’s sins, with no regard shown towards the welfare of Orthodox Christians such as my children and grandchildren, some of whom he baptized.
I URGE YOU ALL TO TAKE THE PROPER ACTION TO RECTIFY THIS EVER PRESSING MATTER.
It is sad knowing that the Hierarchy of nearly every jurisdiction on the planet is aware of this scandal. Startetz Siouan’s words about homosexuality imply that Fr. Panteleimon has an evil spirit. Archbishop Antony + of blessed memory says Fr. Panteleimon is an atheist. I would trust them especially with the overwhelming evidence available. Vladyka Anthony of LA said Fr. Panteleimon was guilty and admitted this to him. He also again told me this on his deathbed. Why would he risk his salvation, saying this about Fr. Panteleimon, a man he told me he loved, if it wasn’t true? Vladyka A/B Antony + was absolutely lucid at the time nearing his repose, as many can attest. He also warned about many enemies of Orthodoxy within ‘Orthodoxy.’
Thank God many of us have learned the dangers of lock stepping behind a single voice, who doesn’t happen to be our Savior; a single voice who would choose schism over salvation, heresy over honesty.
Your friend in Jesus Christ,
John Chaplain”
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