By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
In Parliament recently, when they were debating the Bill on the "civil marriage of homosexuals" and "adoption", the phrase "If a Priest, be a Priest; if a Ploughman, a Ploughman" (ἤ παπᾶς παπᾶς ἤ ζευγᾶς ζευγᾶς) was heard as a response to the Church and its spokesmen, some journalists considered it a contemptuous response to the Archbishop, after the positions formulated by the Church on this matter.
The Origin of the Phrase
Takis Natsoulis in his book Words and Proverbial Phrases (Λέξεις καί φράσεις παροιμιώδεις) writes about the origin of this proverb:
Therefore, this phrase has a special meaning that is not contemptuous of the "priests", which in this particular case referred to a "lad-priest", but it has the meaning of the complete dedication of the "priests" to the struggle for the liberation of the Fatherland and the help of the people.
So the "priests", during the struggle, were both "priests" and "lads/fighters" and sometimes also "ploughmen", helping the people!
The "Priests" as "Ploughmen" in the Freedom of the Nation
It is known to those who read history that the Clerics of all ranks helped sacrificially in the struggle to liberate this land from the Ottoman yoke, so that today some can rule and be in Parliament to vote!
And certainly for 400, and in some places for 500 years, the Clerics kept alive the desire for freedom in the people, as they also preserved the spiritual personality of our race. Only the case of Saint Kosmas the Aitolos needs to be mentioned to show the magnitude of the sacrifice and the offering.
Also, the Clerics and monks gave everything for the establishment of the new Greek State, as we see in the memoirs of the fighters, during the Revolution of 1821, and especially of General Makriyannis. His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Mr. Hieronymos, showed with his many books, that the Church offered almost all of its property for the people, in fact the politicians from time to time took almost 96% of its property from it, in some cases without significant result.
The Orthodox Church preceded the new Greek State and more than that, Hellenism was "baptized" in Orthodox theology and life and cannot be "unbaptized", since Orthodox teaching was expressed through the terms of Hellenism. Greek society differs from other Western societies in which there are other religious and Christian traditions.
Our Orthodox "priests", as General Makriyannis used to say, are not "the Capuchins" of the West, but an important part of the people.
"Priests" as "Ploughmen" in Science, Culture and Society
When one takes a look inside the Church and the work that is being done, one will find that Clergymen of all ranks, the contemptuously called "priests" are in all strata of society with substantial and effective work.
In addition to theology, they have also studied other sciences, namely philosophy, positive sciences, psychology, sociology, in internal and external Universities, they teach in higher schools and generally engage in a dialogue between Orthodox theology and the modern sciences and cultivate culture.
In particular, His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Mr. Hieronymos, to whom this phrase was addressed contemptuously according to the interpretation of some journalists, in addition to theology, he has studied philology and archaeology and has been particularly involved in culture and the arts. Of course, his social work as a Hierarch is of great dimensions, and his 16-year archepiscopal ministry is characterized by sobriety, social contribution and sensitivity.
After all, the work of the Church is theological, soteriological, cultural, but it also practices social work, covering the gaps of the State! It deals with the life of the city, since according to Plato politics is an adjective, as the life of the city and not simply a noun, as it is understood today.
Therefore, the Church also carries out a great cultural and social work and cannot be downgraded to a social organization, to a simple cultural association, even if it is often considered inferior to a trade union organization, since it is not heard, nor considered like the "trade union" associations!
Despite this, the Church with its offering, and the "priests" as "ploughmen" of society cover the gaps and deficits of the State in the Charity sector. If the Clerics stopped being "ploughmen" as well, then the so-called "Social State" would collapse.
Political Rulers and Ecclesiastical Life
In a lawful state, the people vote for the rulers in order to deal with political and social issues. Their responsibility is to take care of the lawful state and the constitution of the society.
In Greece, the Members of Parliament who vote in the Parliament are members of the Church, they represent and must represent their voters who are basically Orthodox Christians, without overlooking the just demands of the minorities.
Also, the Members of Parliament, in order to be elected, usually receive the "blessing" of the local Bishops and Priests, attend church "ostensibly" in the Sacred Temples, usually recite the "I Believe" and the "Our Father" during the Divine Liturgy , participate prominently in litanies attended by thousands of Christians, and generally want to have a relationship with the Church, basically for selfish purposes.
The same is done by the Prime Ministers, ministers and party leaders during their tours in the Provinces, who want to be photographed when they light candles before the icons, when they visit the Temples or the Metropolitans or the Archbishop in their Offices, because they understand the influence of the Church on the people.
Also, at the beginning of the Parliamentary term and at the beginning of each year of the work of the Parliament, a sanctification of the waters takes place in the Parliament by the Archbishop and the Members of the Permanent Holy Synod, who are received with respect! Of course, laws are passed in the Parliament on various social issues, since no State can be absolutely "Christian", but the MPs are basically Orthodox Christians, and they want to express it in different ways.
Therefore, the various insulting speeches about the Church and its representatives, such as the one that was officially heard in the Parliament, concerning the Church that loves everyone and has a strong tradition and life, does not convey the respect of those who use them, when they refer to the Church, the Clergy, but also to Archbishop Hieronymos, who treats everyone kindly and accepts them without discrimination.
The issues that refer to the Church and its Clergy, especially to Archbishop Hieronymos, are dealt with seriously and not with divisive phrases like the one mentioned in the heading of this article.
The only thing that consoles me is that possibly this phrase was said in an unfortunate moment of being over-stressed which I think in another moment of self-awareness and self-criticism will be revised in practice.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
The Origin of the Phrase
Takis Natsoulis in his book Words and Proverbial Phrases (Λέξεις καί φράσεις παροιμιώδεις) writes about the origin of this proverb:
"If a Priest, be a Priest; if a Ploughman, a Ploughman". This is also an expression that we hear regularly and the first person who said it and it reached our time was the Old Man of Morea, Theodoros Kolokotronis.
One day when they had appointed a meeting, in order to go and hold an ambush, after receiving information that they would pass through an Arvanite village, one of his lads was late in coming. He was a priest who had given up his teleliturgical duties and had dedicated himself to the holy struggle of liberating his homeland from unbelieving enemies. Where he was ready to give the order to the troops to begin, seen from afar was Papa-Lefteris coming running.
When the Old Man asked why he was late, he replied that, as he was passing through the village, he saw the widow of the ill-fated Thanasis who was killed, trying to plow her field, but it was impossible for her. "Then I felt sorry for her and remained behind to help her."
"If a Priest, be a Priest; if a Ploughman, a Ploughman," Kolokotronis told him then and ordered them to begin.
Therefore, this phrase has a special meaning that is not contemptuous of the "priests", which in this particular case referred to a "lad-priest", but it has the meaning of the complete dedication of the "priests" to the struggle for the liberation of the Fatherland and the help of the people.
So the "priests", during the struggle, were both "priests" and "lads/fighters" and sometimes also "ploughmen", helping the people!
The "Priests" as "Ploughmen" in the Freedom of the Nation
It is known to those who read history that the Clerics of all ranks helped sacrificially in the struggle to liberate this land from the Ottoman yoke, so that today some can rule and be in Parliament to vote!
And certainly for 400, and in some places for 500 years, the Clerics kept alive the desire for freedom in the people, as they also preserved the spiritual personality of our race. Only the case of Saint Kosmas the Aitolos needs to be mentioned to show the magnitude of the sacrifice and the offering.
Also, the Clerics and monks gave everything for the establishment of the new Greek State, as we see in the memoirs of the fighters, during the Revolution of 1821, and especially of General Makriyannis. His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Mr. Hieronymos, showed with his many books, that the Church offered almost all of its property for the people, in fact the politicians from time to time took almost 96% of its property from it, in some cases without significant result.
The Orthodox Church preceded the new Greek State and more than that, Hellenism was "baptized" in Orthodox theology and life and cannot be "unbaptized", since Orthodox teaching was expressed through the terms of Hellenism. Greek society differs from other Western societies in which there are other religious and Christian traditions.
Our Orthodox "priests", as General Makriyannis used to say, are not "the Capuchins" of the West, but an important part of the people.
"Priests" as "Ploughmen" in Science, Culture and Society
When one takes a look inside the Church and the work that is being done, one will find that Clergymen of all ranks, the contemptuously called "priests" are in all strata of society with substantial and effective work.
In addition to theology, they have also studied other sciences, namely philosophy, positive sciences, psychology, sociology, in internal and external Universities, they teach in higher schools and generally engage in a dialogue between Orthodox theology and the modern sciences and cultivate culture.
In particular, His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Mr. Hieronymos, to whom this phrase was addressed contemptuously according to the interpretation of some journalists, in addition to theology, he has studied philology and archaeology and has been particularly involved in culture and the arts. Of course, his social work as a Hierarch is of great dimensions, and his 16-year archepiscopal ministry is characterized by sobriety, social contribution and sensitivity.
After all, the work of the Church is theological, soteriological, cultural, but it also practices social work, covering the gaps of the State! It deals with the life of the city, since according to Plato politics is an adjective, as the life of the city and not simply a noun, as it is understood today.
Therefore, the Church also carries out a great cultural and social work and cannot be downgraded to a social organization, to a simple cultural association, even if it is often considered inferior to a trade union organization, since it is not heard, nor considered like the "trade union" associations!
Despite this, the Church with its offering, and the "priests" as "ploughmen" of society cover the gaps and deficits of the State in the Charity sector. If the Clerics stopped being "ploughmen" as well, then the so-called "Social State" would collapse.
Political Rulers and Ecclesiastical Life
In a lawful state, the people vote for the rulers in order to deal with political and social issues. Their responsibility is to take care of the lawful state and the constitution of the society.
In Greece, the Members of Parliament who vote in the Parliament are members of the Church, they represent and must represent their voters who are basically Orthodox Christians, without overlooking the just demands of the minorities.
Also, the Members of Parliament, in order to be elected, usually receive the "blessing" of the local Bishops and Priests, attend church "ostensibly" in the Sacred Temples, usually recite the "I Believe" and the "Our Father" during the Divine Liturgy , participate prominently in litanies attended by thousands of Christians, and generally want to have a relationship with the Church, basically for selfish purposes.
The same is done by the Prime Ministers, ministers and party leaders during their tours in the Provinces, who want to be photographed when they light candles before the icons, when they visit the Temples or the Metropolitans or the Archbishop in their Offices, because they understand the influence of the Church on the people.
Also, at the beginning of the Parliamentary term and at the beginning of each year of the work of the Parliament, a sanctification of the waters takes place in the Parliament by the Archbishop and the Members of the Permanent Holy Synod, who are received with respect! Of course, laws are passed in the Parliament on various social issues, since no State can be absolutely "Christian", but the MPs are basically Orthodox Christians, and they want to express it in different ways.
Therefore, the various insulting speeches about the Church and its representatives, such as the one that was officially heard in the Parliament, concerning the Church that loves everyone and has a strong tradition and life, does not convey the respect of those who use them, when they refer to the Church, the Clergy, but also to Archbishop Hieronymos, who treats everyone kindly and accepts them without discrimination.
The issues that refer to the Church and its Clergy, especially to Archbishop Hieronymos, are dealt with seriously and not with divisive phrases like the one mentioned in the heading of this article.
The only thing that consoles me is that possibly this phrase was said in an unfortunate moment of being over-stressed which I think in another moment of self-awareness and self-criticism will be revised in practice.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
