Dueling EP Bishops at Political Conventions

To add to the oddity of Archbishop Demetrios of the GOA appearing at the Republican National Convention, we have learned that Bishop Nicholas of the GOA was scheduled to appear as a substitute for Abp Demetrios at the Democratic National Convention.

In almost unrelated news, the DNC today, in hurried fashion, put the word “God” back in their platform after having removed it from the 2012 platform. Sadly, the good Bishop was scheduled well before the public backlash caused the word to be restored to the platform.

The Democratic Platform has been adamantly pro-abortion for the decades. Likewise, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been ambivalent about the subject, and for the most part supported Democratic candidates. Until recently, most Republican candidates did little to nothing to change the climate of permissiveness for abortion, despite “pro-life” rhetoric.

What is most disturbing is that this year the GOA has decided to simply send speakers to both conventions. What is not surprising is that they are not capable of crafting positions for Orthodox Christians to follow on their own. Some argue that is because such an act requires moral leadership, which the Archdiocese has generally lacked. We are in no position to judge.