Orthodox Reflections

Michael Gianakos of Concerned Greek Orthodox Christians of New Jersey for the Rule of Man’s and God’s Laws is a member of 15 years at St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Flemington, NJ. Michael is from Clinton Township,  New Jersey. He is a retired Vice President Marketing and Sales, having served with a multinational pharmaceutical corporation.  He has a BS in Marketing  and an MBA in Finance.

“‘Hypocrites! . . . in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
-Matthew 15:7, 9

I have filed a formal criminal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, the IRS, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the Attorneys General of New York and New Jersey, and the canonical authorities of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

My complaint seeks an immediate investigation into the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH), the St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine, and the organizers of the Archdiocese’s Sept. 2026 $1,500‑per‑plate dinner, honoring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

I write not as a politician or an activist, but as a Greek Orthodox Christian who believes the Church must defend the persecuted, not honor their persecutors.

I. Why This Matters for Orthodox Christians Worldwide

My complaint begins with a warning:

“When an Orthodox ecclesiastical institution publicly honors a political leader widely accused of persecuting canonical Orthodox Christians, it sends a devastating message to Orthodox faithful in Ukraine, Europe, the Middle East, and throughout the world.”

Under Zelensky, the Ukrainian government has:

• banned the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church
• seized monasteries and churches
• arrested clergy
• outlawed religious organizations
• attempted to replace canonical Orthodoxy with state‑aligned structures

These actions are documented by Orthodox news agencies, international observers, and major media figures.

For example, Tucker Carlson has stated: “Zelensky has banned an entire Christian denomination in Ukraine. He has arrested priests. He has seized churches.”

Whether one agrees with Carlson or not, the underlying facts are not disputed.

Yet GOARCH has chosen to elevate Zelensky at a lavish ecclesiastical dinner under the auspices of St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine — a church originally built to honor the victims of 9/11, now being used to honor a foreign political leader accused of persecuting Christians!

This is not merely inappropriate. It is spiritually catastrophic.

And here is the deeper theological contradiction:

While the Archdiocese, the U.S. State Department, and major media outlets have glorified Zelensky as some sort of Prince of Peace, Messiah, and Savior — even as his government’s actions have contributed to the suffering and deaths of countless Orthodox Christians — Christ, the true Prince of Peace and Savior, never asked anyone to save Him or to die for Him. Christ offered Himself for the world; He never demanded that the world offer itself for Him and his disciples.

To honor a political leader accused of persecuting Christians is to invert the Gospel itself.

It tells the persecutors: Your actions carry no consequence. It tells the victims: Your suffering is expendable. It tells the world: The Greek Orthodox Church can be used to sanctify political agendas.

These inversions are why I filed the complaint.

II. The State Department Narrative: How Washington Reframed Orthodoxy as a Threat

To understand why GOARCH’s Zelensky dinner is dangerous, one must understand the political narrative that preceded it.

For years, State Department officials, congressional actors, and aligned media figures have promoted the narrative that the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine and Russia is a tool of Russian destabilization.

This narrative is geopolitical, not theological.

A. Geoffrey Pyatt: The State Department’s Official Position

My complaint quotes the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt, who spoke at a 2019 religious diplomacy conference in Athens. He said that Russia uses the Church and oil to foment instability and to undermine democracy, negatively influencing Ukraine, Europe, and the world.

Pyatt said:

“Russia is using religion as part of its hybrid warfare strategy, as a tool to achieve political objectives and spread false narratives. . . . And just as Moscow manipulates energy resources to extract political concessions and high prices, it’s now cutting off tourism and sacred practices, like commemoration in prayers, from countries that are not toeing its political line.”

These statements frame canonical Orthodoxy as a geopolitical threat, justifying U.S. intervention in Ukraine and Zelensky’s persecution of Ukraine’s canonical Churches, clergy, and faithful. Importantly, Pyatt’s statements reveal that whatever the State Department accuses Orthodox Russia of doing, they in fact, are doing: Using religion and oil to undermine Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela.

Headlines: Venezuelan oil is ‘victor’s spoils’ – Trump

“We are doing the same” in Iran, the U.S. president has said, appearing to link military operations to control of oil resources

Published 6 Aug, 2026 10:56

B. Donald Trump, Jr.: Congress Echoes the Narrative

On Dec. 2, 2022, Donald Trump, Jr. wrote on X:

“BREAKING: Zelensky is banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“His government has also been raiding Ukrainian Orthodox churches and arresting priests. (Prob why he’s a Dem superstar)

“He’s all about freedom guys. Let’s send him another $100,000,000,000.00 with no accountability.”

Congressional actors knew Zelensky was persecuting Orthodox Christians. They funded him anyway.

C. Tucker Carlson: Media Amplifies the Narrative

Carlson warned: “The Ukrainian government is persecuting Christians, and our leaders don’t care.”

U.S. media helped to construct a narrative that concealed Ukrainian persecution of Orthodox Christians while escalating confrontation with Russia.

D. GOARCH’s Dinner Reinforces This Narrative

By honoring Zelensky, GOARCH:

• legitimizes the State Department narrative
• sanctifies congressional funding
• reinforces media messaging
• aligns the Church with U.S. foreign‑policy objectives

This is why the dinner is not merely inappropriate — it is dangerous.

III. Impact on Orthodox Christian Communities Worldwide

GOARCH’s decision to honor Zelensky sends a dangerous global signal: That persecuting Orthodox Christians carries no consequence.

When the largest Orthodox jurisdiction in America blesses a leader accused of banning churches, arresting clergy, and seizing monasteries, foreign governments may conclude they are free to impose similar restrictions.

Inside the U.S., priests fear retaliation for speaking honestly, parish boards fear losing favor with their Metropolises, and faithful Orthodox Christians fear their Church is being weaponized to endorse political agendas rather than to defend the Gospel.

GOARCH’s Zelensky dinner threatens Orthodox unity, undermines trust in ecclesiastical leadership, and emboldens governments worldwide to treat Christian communities as expendable tools of geopolitical strategy.

IV. GOARCH’s Legal Jeopardy: Federal, State, and Ecclesiastical Exposure

My complaint alleges violations across three jurisdictions:

A. Federal Law

The event may constitute:

• prohibited political activity by a 501(c)(3)
• nonprofit fraud
• donor laundering
• foreign influence routed through a religious institution
• violations of Treasury anti‑money‑laundering rules

Honoring a foreign head of state at a $1,500‑per‑plate dinner is not a neutral religious act. It is political.

B. State Law

New York and New Jersey regulate charitable solicitation and nonprofit governance. The complaint alleges:

• abuse of charitable status
• unlawful political fundraising
• misuse of donor funds

C. Ecclesiastical Law

Honoring a political leader accused of persecuting Orthodox Christians violates canonical norms.

V. Religious–Political Ideology: A Dangerous Fusion

My complaint also addresses the growing trend of religious‑political ideology infiltrating Christian institutions.

I cite public statements by U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, who is a Christian Zionist. Huckabee has said that he cannot understand why everyone who calls themselves a “Christian” would not also be a Zionist.

• • • Huckabee has stated that he is “part of a global and growing evangelical tradition” that believes God’s covenant with Abraham requires political support for Israel and its geopolitical dominance.

• • • He stated: “My Christian faith is built on the foundation of Judaism and without it, Christianity would not exist.”

This is not Orthodox theology. It is political ideology masquerading as Christianity.

While GOARCH elevates Zelensky and, by extension, itself, many Evangelical Christian‑Zionist church and government leaders elevate Israeli political leadership with equal fervor — often treating political figures as instruments of divine prophecy rather than as subjects of moral righteous accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The patriarchs of Jerusalem have warned that such ideology:

• distorts the Gospel
• blesses suffering instead of alleviating it
• aligns Christ’s name with policies harming civilians

GOARCH’s Zelensky event exemplifies this danger: Political agendas dressed in ecclesiastical vestments.

VI. Nuclear Escalation and Public Safety

Carlson warned: “We are closer to nuclear war because of Zelensky’s demands.”

Honoring Zelensky under Orthodox auspices sanctifies these demands.

It tells the world: “The Greek Orthodox Church endorses this foreign policy.”

This is reckless. This is dangerous. This is irresponsible.

VII. Expected Outcomes

I expect:

• Federal authorities to investigate prohibited political activity
• IRS to review 501(c)(3) violations
• Treasury FinCEN to examine donor networks
• State Attorneys General to investigate charitable‑solicitation violations
• Ecclesiastical authorities to determine canonical violations

VIII. What I Ask of Readers

If you care about the integrity of the Orthodox Church, I ask you to take action:

1. Sign and share the Orthodox Reflections petition demanding a cancellation of this event.
2. Call GOARCH – (212) 570-3500
3. Email GOARCH – archdiocese@goarch.org
4. Speak to your priest
5. Speak to your bishop
6. Speak to your Parish Council
7. Share this op‑ed
8. Pray for the Church
9. Call or write your congressman and ask: “Why do you continue to fund and support the Zelensky and Netanyahu regimes, which are persecuting Orthodox Christians, both clergy and the faithful in Ukraine, Gaza, Palestine, and Jerusalem?”

IX. Final Appeal

My complaint is not an attack on the Church. It is a defense of the Church.

It is a plea for integrity. It is a plea for accountability. It is a plea for courage.

The Orthodox Church has survived empires, wars, persecutions, and tyrants. It will survive this moment too — but only if the faithful speak out.

I filed the complaint. Now I ask you to raise your voice.