Quotes about Greek Orthodox Church

Loukas Notaras

Rather the Sultan’s Turban than the Cardinal’s hat.

The Christian world was in a great struggle with Islam. The Sultans were trying to take over Constantinople—the seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Western Catholic Church in Rome also yearned for unification but under the Pope and his Cardinals. Notaraus feared them more than the Ottomans. Howeer, it was the latter who conquered Constantinople (Byzantium) in 1453 and executed the “first family” when Notaras would not deliver his children to Sultan Mehmet as hostages for assuring “good behavior” by the Greek community.

Amhed Cevdet Pasa

The Greek patriarchs [clergy] were displeased. Whereas in former times in the Ottoman state, the communities were ranked, with the Moslems first, then the Greeks, then the Armenians, then the Jews, now all of them were put on the same level. Some Greeks objected to this, saying, “The Government has put us together with the Jews. We were content with the supremacy of Islam.”

In 1856 Turkey and its Ottoman Empire was struggling with new ideas and attempts to reform before they were hopelessly engulfed by modernism. A set of reform laws were passed in February of 1856 which horrified the conservatives and traditionalists. But interestingly the orthodoxy of the Greek minority were unhappy with their legal elevation if it meant that all would be equal. The Minister’s description of opposition to the reforms was somewhat self-serving in that he opposed most of the reforms and wanted to maintain the traditional Islamic state.

Jules Jezequal

the Greek Orthodox Church is the Church of the State. Other churches are only tolerated. All the Orthodox archbishops and bishops have a constitutional right to sit in Parliament, but only one Catholic bishop has been admitted

In some countries, although not theocracies, the religious establishment had an automatic right to sit in the parliament. In this particular case it was essentially only the majority church. Catholics had 1 seat and the various protestant denominations, Jews, and others had no automatic religious representation in the legislature.

Anthimos

The devil has devised in the present century another artifice and preeminent deception, namely the much-vaunted system of liberty. Everywhere this illusory system of the diabolical one has led to poverty, murder, damage, rapine, complete ungodliness, spiritual destruction and vain repentance.

The Eastern Orthodox church fathers were, like most Christian sects at the time, very wary and suspicious of freedom and liberty.

Telly Savalas

I'm a proud Greek. I carry my Hellenism like a badge of merit.

Amy Sedaris

My mom used to say that Greek Easter was later because then you get stuff cheaper.

Saint Mark Eugenicus

Flee from the Papists as you would from a snake and from the flames of a fire.

Before the Protestant Reformation of Martin Luther, there had been a schism of the Catholic Church into the Western Roman Empire—the Latins, headquartered in Rome; and the Orthodox Church—the Greeks, headquartered in Constantinople (Byzantium). One of the main issues of the schism was the Papacy itself. As this quotation shows, Luther was by no means the first to attack the Papacy. Saint Mark’s quotation here was more than 50 years before Luther was born.

George Pelecanos

I go to church for the cultural element. It's where you go to see Greek people once a week. It's real important to me, and I hope my children see they're part of something bigger than just this family.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

For Christ sake, why do you make an appointment with a guy that's gonna kiss me?

Learning that an appointment had been made for Greek Orthodox Archbishop H. G. Athenagoras, who, as was his custom, had kissed President Truman on a previous visit:

Greek Orthodox Church Quotes