The AHEPAN - Spring 2015 - 20

LITERARY CORNER

Ahepan to Publish Book on the "People's Advocate"
Brother Michael A. Papadeas, Cape Fear Chapter 408,
Wilmington, N.C., is publishing the biography "John D.
Xanthos: The People's Advocate" as part of the Heart of
Alamance County Heritage Book Collection.
Xanthos, who hailed from Burlington, N.C., was a
prominent criminal attorney. According to Papadeas,
Xanthos was known in the area as "The People's
Advocate." A full-size statue of him stands in front of the
Graham, N.C. Criminal Justice Building and constructed
entirely by private contributions. Xanthos' fellow attorneys and many members of the community considered him as the "Atticus Finch" of the area and worthy of this honor, added
Papadeas. Xanthos died in 1991.

COMMENTARY & OPINION

Two Men for All Seasons: A New Year's Meditation
Past Supreme President Dr. Spiro Macris
Update: Since the time of the commentary's original publication in The National Herald (January 10-16, 2015 edition), John Kiriakou was released
from federal prison on February 3, 2015 and is now serving three months of house arrest.
I had to choose between the Phanar
and Loretto, thousands of miles apart
geographically, centuries apart in history.
It was November 2014 and Pope
Frances was making his obligatory first
visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in
Constantinople on the name day of St.
Andrew, and I wanted to be there. I was
there in 1979 when Pope John Paul visited Patriarch Demetrios, and I was there
in 2006 when Pope Benedict visited
Patriarch Bartholomew.
In 1979, St. George, the Patriarchal
Church, was cold and empty except for
a couple dozen Greek American pilgrims on the annual AHEPA pilgrimage
to the Phanar, when the Pope and the
Patriarch walked in together, the Pope
in white, the Patriarch in black. The
prayers and services were not long, there
may have been three chanters, greetings
were exchanged, there was a kiss of
peace as I recall, and then they walked

THE AHEPAN · Spring 2015

yet a lot had not. Church properties were
out. AHEPA's President, Nick Smyrnis,
still being confiscated, the seminary on
and the other members of the delegation
Halki was still closed, the Turkish govfollowed them out.
ernment still exercised a veto on the
In 2006, the next occasion of a papal
election of a patriarch. The
visit, the church was overflowEcumenical Patriarch, spiritual
ing, a dozen Catholic hierleader of 300 million Orthodox
archs in white and red entered
Christians around the world,
together with a dozen Orthodox
was considered by the Turkish
hierarchs in black, dignitaries
government only as a bishop
were squeezed into every bit
of the Phanar in Istanbul,
of space, two groups of chantof perhaps 2,500 Orthodox
ers competed with each other
still remaining in Istanbul.
with their Byzantine melodies,
John Kiriakou
In fact the patriarch had no
Pope Benedict and Patriarch
Bartholomew entered to the sounds of
gasps and exaltations, the prayers and
services were long, there were letters of
understanding read, a kiss of peace, and
then they walked out, almost crushed
by the faithful, clutching their ornately
printed programs, taking photos, touching the robes of these holy men.
A lot had changed in 27 years. And

legal standing, no legal personality. The
Patriarch was essentially a virtual prisoner of the state.
It was November 2014 and some
things had changed but only superficially, and I wanted to be there for the
visit of Pope Francis to the Phanar, to
show my respect for Bartholomew, for
all that he has endured, for all that he

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The AHEPAN - Spring 2015

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