[RildFiemodo]

I think everyone should just ease up on the Patriarch. I'm not defending him nor am I criticizing him. In my opinion, at least we don't have a guy who thinks he's Christ on earth and can't make a mistake because he thinks he's perfect like God. And that man would be Pope Benedict. And so what if the Patriarch gets a little press? As Nikolaj said, "One Church". We're THE CHURCH not just a church. The Catholics, Protestants, Baptists, etc. all came for THE CHURCH--Orthodox Christianity. If the Patriarch gets a little press, then more people will know about the Orthodox Church. If you mention to someone you're Orthodox, they'll ask if you're Orthodox Jewish. Then when you qualify the statement that you're Greek Orthodox, their response "Oh, you're like the Catholics. Do you follow the Pope?" I don't know about you but I've come across this attitude all my life. As Metropolitan Philip said (Antiochian Archdiocese of America), "Orthodoxy is the best kept secret in America."[and probably the world too]. Do we want to remain that way? Isn't our duty as Orthodox Christians to preach Christ's Word (not proselytize--which is what Western Christians did--when they forced their faith on those who already had faith in God--remember the 4th Crusade (aka the Sacking of Constantinople in 1204-setting up Orthodox Christianity for 400 years of slavery and persecution under Ottoman rule?)?