HOW THE LIGHT OF ORTHODOXY SHONE UPON DN. ATHANASIUS FROM CUBA

On 24th of August 2005 the Orthodox Missionary Union of St. Kosmas the Aetolian, had the pleasure to welcome Hierodeacon fr. Athanasius Yannes Indy on the occasion of the feast of its patron Saint. The members of the Union had a very interesting conversation with him on Orthodoxy in Cuba, which is included below.

- Father Athanasius, we would like for you to tell us what made you leave catholicism and become Orthodox.

Even though I grew up in a family with Communist principles and experiences, already from the time I was a university student (1993), I had started having much spiritual restiveness for life, the soul and man's purpose and destination in this life, so I thought it would be prudent to search for the answers to all these questions inside the Church. Many years ago I was feeling the call of our Lord to the Priesthood and, since there was no Orthodox temple in Cuba, I approached the Roman Catholics and began preparing for Priesthood. Soon afterwards, however, I came to a serious conflict with the Roman Catholic Tradition, despite the similarities that it showed with the Orthodox Church.

First of all, I would like to refer to a personal situation. I was interested to become ordained but at the same time get married. I wanted, therefore, to have a wife and a family. This however is forbidden by romeocatholicism. I was thinking, therefore, "how is it possible that there is such a contradiction between two Holy Mysteries? Some theological error must have taken place." Thus I began searching for something different, perhaps more theologically genuine.

On a later occasion, I happened to meet with a friend of mine at the theatre, who mentioned to me that we have here in Cuba a Priest of the Orthodox Church of Greece. I had no idea about this. The next morning I made a phonecall to the Embassy of Greece, without much hope that they could provide any essential help to my request. Anyway, the secretary at the Embassy informed me that Hierapostle fr. Isidorus of Cuba did not often pass from the Embassy. However, she promised that if she happened to hear from him or meet him, that she would inform him about me.

The miracle did not delay to happen. Without having some specific reason to do so, fr. Isidorus passed the next day from the Embassy and, after having learnt about me, called me immediately on the phone. He could have been indifferent to the event that I asked for him or ignore it as a passing interest to Orthodoxy by a stranger. This was a revelation to me. The light of the Orthodox Tradition and Christianity shone so vividly, that I could not deny this calling of the Holy Spirit, in front of my very own eyes. This light was not a mere denial of another confession of faith, but the revelation of the will of God in my life. It was the light of the Orthodox Tradition and of the Patristic teachings, inside where I was finding the answers to the great questions that had been troubling my thoughts. Thus I realised that inside Orthodoxy I could bring to fruition the Lord's will and be received in the clerical orders.

I expressed to him my interest to learn about Orthodox Christianity, so that I could then make a conscious decision about what road I could follow inside the realm of Christianity. I desired to enrich the little I knew about Orthodoxy. As a student of the History of Art I had been taught about Byzantine Art; but that was something entirely different. Now I was feeling the need to learn more deeply about our Church.

Thus, we started discussing together various issues. This helped me take the decision to follow the road of Orthodoxy, bringing to fruition my calling I had to become a married priest.

My problem now was finding a girl I could possibly marry, one that would have the same love for Orthodoxy as I had, and this at a time when the Orthodox Tradition did not exist in modern-day Cuba. It wouldn't be so easy to find such a girl that would desire to follow such a different way of life to what she would have been used to. Eventually, God took care of this problem too, sending me the presbytera, as she now is, Sophia.

- How did your family react to your becoming a priest?

I had no problems or obstructions from the side of my family. On the contrary, they were greatly interested to learn about Orthodoxy and to go deep into Her spirit. They go to Church every Sunday, but they have not yet been baptised. After all, something like this requires a great effort and preparation. Also, it is difficult for them to abandon the Communist ideology.

Today, freedom of speech exists in Cuba and no one is hindered from expressing their own beliefs. I wish that my compatriots accept Orthodoxy in their heart and to understand fully the Christian truth. It is becoming however widely felt in Cuba that Orthodoxy is something genuine, the true salvation for the soul.

- What was the reason that made you study the Greek tongue and more generally Greek History?

As a student at the University of Havana, where I studied History of Art, I had a great interest in the Greek culture and tradition. Not only within the Christian perspective, but also in antiquity. For this reason I decided to begin the study of ancient Greek studies. At the same time, studying the Greek tongue for a year, helped me delve more deeply into the culture of my spiritual country, Greece. Thus, slowly over time I began to become also interested in the issues of our Orthodox Tradition. Initially, I began to read about the Greek philosophers (always with the help of a dictionary and the aid of one of my teachers, because the ancient Greek tongue is extremely difficult to learn). My road to Orthodoxy thus began, a road that will never end. And of course, as regards my own life, all this interest in Greek studies became a starting point to learn the treasure of our Orthodox Faith.

What had particularly motivated me to study the Greek tongue was my interest in ancient Greece, the philosophers, the Greek light that has shone all over the world. In Cuba there is a great interest for all the events of the modern history of Greece, which we are being taught in our schools.

For us, Orthodoxy was unknown then. In our schools, when we referred to the Hellenic civilisation, our minds would bring only images of ancient Greece, without taking into consideration the [conversion of pagan Hellenism into Christianity and thus of the] Orthodox Tradition, that is so important and without which we cannot appreciate what the [Christian] Hellenic civilisation is.

Thus, I approached the Greek writings and studied ancient Greek for a year. Based on this, I proceeded to learn modern Greek. In Cuba, I have met others who also know ancient Greek, but who do not speak modern Greek. I believe that with the Grace and help of the Holy Spirit we can succeed in the propagation of the Greek tongue for the benefit of the Church and Holy Mission.

- What impact did the arrival of His All-Holiness the Patriarch of Constantinople have in Cuba?

The visit of the Patriarch of Constantinople in Cuba was to me a very important event, because it was connected with the inauguration of the Holy Temple of St. Nicholas, without which there would have been no sign of Orthodoxy in my country. There was of course an Orthodox presence in Cuba, in the past seven to eight years, but we wished to have a Holy Temple, in order to conduct the Mysteries of the Orthodox Faith. This Temple became for me the most appropriate area, where I came in contact with the Priests and prepared for Priesthood. It was the area where I lived the splendour, the depth and the mystery of our Church. It was there that I formed a first general opinion about the Hierarchy of our Church, and about Her unity, whose holy representative [as first among equals] is the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Of course, the visit of His All-Holiness made a deep impression inside me, but that was not the reason that made me move towards Orthodoxy. My decision had already been made before.

- Does Fidel Castro's regime allow the spreading of our Church?

Of course, since the President of Cuba himself symbolically gave the key of the door to the Holy Temple of St. Nicholas to the Ecumenical Patriarch. This is very important, because this way the work of our Church in Cuba has, in some sense, the official acceptance of the government. This is something truly amazing. The President of Cuba himself, after all, expressed in public that the Orthodox Church has caused a great impression inside him.

I need at this stage to refer to a pious man, Mr. Eusebius Leal, who has provided significant help in the propagation of Orthodoxy in Cuba. He is a history writer of the Old City of Havana and is a Roman Catholic, but he confesses that in his soul he feels that he is Orthodox. Referring in fact to Most Holy Mr. Athenagoras, he always calls him "my Despota" [title given to an Orthodox bishop, which does not have the negative connotations the word has in the English tongue and means Master or Lord].

It is after all noteworthy that it was he who first spoke for our Orthodox Tradition and the work of our Church to the President of Cuba. Thus, the proper foundations were set for the support from the government, which was great enough in fact for the government of Fidel Castro -- through the Office of Religious Issues -- to be concerned for the spreading of Orthodoxy in all areas of the country! Something like this is indeed a miracle, and it shows the Divine Will.

Great proof of the things I am telling you about, is the following event:

The Government, following a proposal of Mr. Leal, agreed to give to our Church a large building of traditional architecture. This building is going to be renovated and act as a Higher Hieratic and Pedagogic School.

- Can you sketch for us the work that our Church is performing in Cuba?

Initially, I would like to tell you that Catechetic [= "Sunday"] schools work in Cuba around the clock. At the same time, those who are interested to learn ancient and modern Greek, irrespective as to whether they are Orthodox or not, have the ability to do so. This small effort of ours constitutes the basis and bedrock of the future of the Orthodox Church in Cuba. In this way, ten young students have already approached our Church and participate now in the chorus we have created, having already become ordained as Readers by the Right Reverend Mr. Athenagoras.

These days we are preparing, together with fr. Timotheus, Protosygkelos ["Canon"] of our Metropolis, the beginning of lessons of Hellenic History and of the History of the Orthodox Church, but also the creation of an Orthodox Library with the aid of Mr. Eusebius Leal. Personally, coming from university circles, I came in contact with the Manager of the National Library of Cuba, who showed a great interest. Thus, I took on the presentation of a circle of talks for the history of Orthodox Hagiography, that are taking place in a Roman Catholic monastery. In fact, we had to find a new auditorium, because the number of people interested to learn about the Mysteries and the Tradition of our Church, but also to learn about that mystical element, that has been lost from the other so-called "christian churches", increased.

- How do you explain the fact that the Government of Cuba helps and boosts the running of our Church's Schools?

First of all, the government is not hostile or dangerous to our Church. It supports and aids Her educational endeavour, reasoning that Orthodox Schools contribute to the education of the Cuban people. Something like this can only be achieved through co-operation and mutual assistance. The government respects the Orthodox Church, because She does not serve any "political game" and is wholly dedicated to the Hierapostolic work and to the kerygma [= preaching the announcement of a reality] of the truth for the glory of God and the salvation of the world. The Government has realised that the Church is not turned against it and for this reason is willing to co-operate with us, because it realises that we are able to develop many activities for the benefit of the people of Cuba.

- What are the prospects for the future of Orthodoxy in Cuba and more generally in the wider area?

With the freedom that the government has given us, but also with its more general support, we can succeed in the propagation and active presence of our Church in all the provinces of Cuba. The Cuban nation is hospitable and very similar to the Greek nation as regards their hardships through History. They also have the same incontestable love for freedom and independence. A mixed feeling of curiosity, religious questioning and seeking, as regards the Orthodox Tradition, is prevalent all over Cuba. At the University, for example, the students often ask me "What is Orthodoxy?", "What is the Orthodox Tradition?", "What are the teachings of the Fathers of the Church?".

The interest of Cuba for Orthodoxy initially stemmed from the primary interest of the Cuban people for Hellenic antiquity. But these days things have changed. In one of my visits to the University of Havana, I openly professed that without knowledge of Orthodoxy, the deeper accession of the Hellenic civilisation is impossible. Knowledge of the spirit of the Orthodox Tradition makes possible further knowledge of the Hellenic civilisation.

I want to thank you warmly because you -- all the Greeks -- have turned our efforts into a reality with your continuous support.

(Bibliographia, Orthodox Magazine of the Mission St. Kosmas the Aetolian).

To be continued.

FOOTNOTES

presbytera = The title given to a priest's wife. Read also this article.

contradiction = A better word might be antiphasis. The father refers here to this wide gap that seems to exist between the Mysteries of Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders in Papism. Indeed, Orthodox theologians due to Western influence will often speak of the "seven sacraments" but never in an absolute sense, because then the unity between all the Mysteries disappears, the continuous becomes discrete, the harmony disappears and we are left with scholastic theories. In particular, we forget that the whole Church is Mystical and that all the Mysteries complement one another, something that clearly cannot happen when we are imposing a law of celibacy. This subtle yet important point is further discussed here.

Hierapostle = Missionary priest.

further knowledge = Of course, the father here says something in order to get people interested in Orthodoxy, even just for the sake of learning about Hellenism. After all, many English converts in the United Kingdom approached the Orthodox Church after studying the History of Russia as scholars. Needless to say that what truly matters is to understand Orthodoxy using the Christian Hellenic (Romean) civilisation as an aid, especially as it developed in the Christian Roman Empire. More specifically, learning Greek History will also lead one to Ecclesiastical History. Learning the Greek tongue and Byzantine chant will open up the road for one's deeper appreciation of both the Bible and Ecclesiastical Music, both of which are essential elements of the Holy Tradition.

impression = In the same way we all witnessed with awe President Bush Sr., a few years back, following the late Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrius' steps (literally) during His visit in the USA, it happened with Castro who followed the Patriarch's steps. The Bishop of Constantinople, that Turkey has assigned the equivalent role of "the group leader in a village", in order to show their contempt for Orthodoxy, had then been seen by millions of people around the world being respectfully followed by the most powerful leader in the world (the American President). The same thing happened this time. Castro in fact followed the Patriarch so closely that, when He entered the Holy of Holies he also wanted to follow Him inside! But then he was told that it was up to here that he was allowed to go! :-) A sweet and very human moment, that brings tears to one's eyes, watching (despite the world persecution of Orthodoxy) Her triumph through the ages. And it is well-known of course that the future King of England, Charles, visits the Holy Mountain sometimes as many as three times a year, and this has opened the road to a betterment in the relations between the Anglican Church and Orthodoxy. In particular, thousands of English (atheists and Anglicans) are learning about Orthodoxy and realise with surprise that they are not learning some "new theory" but what they always knew somehow, inside their soul, to be true. They realise for the first time the presence of what they once were, through the evidence of the Orthodox Saints of ancient England and Ireland, and realise that St. Pancras or St. Patrick were Orthodox Saints. They visit the island of Iowa and make simultaneous (not common) pilgrimages with the Orthodox, where they witness the remnants of old frescoes in ancient English Churches, full of Orthodox Icons, that looked almost identical to the present-day Orthodox temples, speaking of a theology that was somehow lost through the centuries through heresy and its first cousin, intellectualism. Once upon a time they too were "spiritual Greeks". As the defender of Orthodoxy fr. Popovich often said, all Orthodox are "spiritual Greeks". He was not talking of a national "ethnic church" of people of Greek descent who created some religion (for then we would not believe in Christ but in our own "Greek truths", in other words in the accursed idolatric and anathematised by the Oecumenical Councils Greek beliefs of the Olympian gods -- indeed the "Greek" Fathers as well as the "Latin" Fathers had all anathematised the "Greek beliefs" in the Synodic of the Seventh Ecumenical Synod, because they were all "spiritual Greeks" not pagans) but the spiritual children of the Body of Christ, Who, as part of His divine oeconomia brought to fruition the ancient Greek language and civilisation that eventually (after a lot of effort in order to fight the philosophical untruths and idolatry that "went with the whole package" and gave rise to many early heresies) became one of the vehicles of His Holy Tradition, where all (whether of Greek descent or not) could use now this converted Christian civilisation, koine and ancient Greek tongue, art and chant, for their spiritual benefit. In this way we are all "spiritual Greeks", in much the same way we are all, as the Body of Christ, the "spiritual Zion", without having to be of Jewish descent. It should not come now as a surprise to the reader who read the above to find out that the Orthodox Church has actually condemned phyletism formally, for it is alien to Orthodoxy. Read also here. The emerging nationalist movements of the New Idolaters in Greece, that had been foretold by St. Kosmas the Aetolian, the Patron Saint of this blessed Holy Missionary team of Orthodox clergy and laity, will be dealt with at another point of our website. This issue is important for the myths "Hellenism gave rise to Christianity", "the Jews are still the chosen people of God", "Orthodoxy is an ethnic Church" and "Christianity is ashamed of her Jewish roots" are all interconnected and are used by various groups (Atheists, New Age, Judaizers, Olympians etc.) to promote phyletism or a general anti-Christian spirit through such propaganda.