Patriarchate Defrocks Rev. Nick Katinas

BOSTON – The Holy & Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople defrocked Rev. Nicholas Katinas and returned him to the rank of the laity. Rev. Katinas has been accused of sexual misconduct with minors while shepherding the Greek Orthodox parishes of the Dormition in Olympia Fields, Illinois and Holy Trinity in Dallas, Texas.

The National Herald has learned that the Patriarchate defrocked (now former) Father Katinas on July 11, though nothing had been announced by the Archdiocese, thus far. The Orthodox Observer had not published anything about the decision in its July-August issue.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who presides over the Synod and sets its agenda, had placed the defrocking of Mr. Katinas among the first items of discussion. None of the members of the Synod expressed any objection. They all knew the issue, since the Patriarch had often furnished them with copies of the National Herald’s articles about the Katinas case.

Meanwhile, a Dallas court has rejected Holy Trinity Church’s request to reject the lawsuit filed by several of Mr. Katinas’ alleged victims, and has set a trial date for June 9, 2008 at 8:30 AM.

The Herald has also learned that Mr. Katinas continues to remain in Greece on the island of Rhodes, where he has relatives. A phone call to Mr. Katinas’ son, Rev. James Katinas, who is serving at the Annunciation parish in Kansas City, Missouri, went unanswered.

Archbishop Demetrios had tried to spare Katinas from being defrocked by arguing that suspension was enough punishment for a retired priest of advanced age, but he did not succeed. Surveys conducted by the Herald in May among the hierarchs, priests and laity indicated consensus that Mr. Katinas should have been defrocked early on.

Demetrios, under the enormous pressure from all sides, was compelled to convene the Archdiocese Spiritual Court of the First Instance, which recommended that Mr. Katinas be defrocked. Bishop Savas of Troas, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, chaired the spiritual Court at the Archdiocesan headquarters in New York on June 15. Its members were Archdiocese Assistant Chancellor Rev. Michael Kontogeorgis, Archdiocese Executive Director of Communications Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos, Rev. George Stavropoulos of the Holy Trinity Church in Hicksville, New York and Rev. James Moskovitis of the Annunciation Church in Manhattan.

Mr. Katinas did not attend the Spiritual Court.

The Archbishop changed his initial position on Mr. Katinas after the Herald published statements from hierarchs, priests and lay members of the Church throughout the country.

The Archbishop had previously insisted that, “The suspension of Father Katinas was enough. He is 72 years of age. He has repented, and he wishes to be buried as a priest.”

Demetrios was friends with Mr. Katinas, who is also close to Rev. Nicolas Triantafilou, president of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Rev. Dr. Theodore Stylianopoulos, Rev. Dr. Alkiviadis Calivas, both longtime professors at HC/HC, Rev. Tom Paris, pastor of the Ascension Church in Oakland, and Rev. Alexander Karloutsos, spiritual advisor of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Metropolitans Isaiah of Denver and Gerasimos of San Francisco were absent from the Eparchial Synod last June. Isaiah wholeheartedly supported Mr. Katinas, as the Herald disclosed by publishing the text of a sermon he delivered on Pentecost Sunday while visiting Holy Trinity Church in Dallas, where Mr. Katinas had served for 28 years prior to retiring last year.