Recently, the Tucson television station
KVOA broadcast a very one-sided
"investigative report" on
Saint Anthony's Monastery.
Even non-Orthodox friends and relatives of mine saw how "skewed" the report was.
The following Open Letter from George Chondropoulos expresses the feelings of many (posted with permission).
From: George ChondropoulosTo: kchoal@kvoa.comDate: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 21:58:24 -0700
Subject: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE KVOA NEWS DIRECTOR -- RE: THE “MONASTERY REPORT”
Madame:
My wife and I can not recall if you are one of the persons we met during our short visit to your TV station, before the “Monastery Mystery” report aired. I believe that we had a short meeting with you and Mr. Brad Stone. We introduced ourselves as the happy parents of a very happy monastic. We explained to you that we live in Arizona and we were shocked that a story about or from monastic parents would be aired. Knowing some info about the interviewees, we volunteered to be interviewed as well. We also informed you that your story represents only the negative side which also happens to be the absolute MINORITY! We also informed you that there are many other parents, just like us, that can be here in a moment’s notice, and would gladly provide you with all kinds of un-prepared, un-practiced feedback. You, of course, refused our offer and instead urged us to view your so-called fair and unbiased report.
We did view it, but fair and unbiased it was not. We can emphatically and categorically state that the story was greatly biased and extremely unfair. First and foremost, the simple response which you received BEFORE it aired should have caused you to raise your antennas. You did not stop to think and then repeated your error on two different nights. I am certain that the overwhelming response in support of the monasteries must have certainly caused you some concern; if it did not, then I kindly suggest that you are foregoing your fiduciary responsibility as journalists and reporters.
We, the happy parents of Greek Orthodox monastics, do not have a coalition group, yet. However we are parents and we are human, just like you; thus, when somebody attacks the very institution that our child is part of and presents misinformation and slander of the type that you anxiously accepted as de facto from David Smith, it causes great concern to say the least. It is for this reason that we are writing to you to inform you of your report’s deleterious impact upon us, our children, and our fellow Orthodox Christians. After all, when you attacked monasticism, you also attacked our 2000-year old religion in a manner that is unacceptable, prejudicial and highly unethical.
You see, Ms. Choal,, you and your peers have no right to make my wife cry with lies and innuendos; you have no right to accept the word of a character like Smith and disregard the truth which the monastics presented to you, along with Fr. Anthony. You did a masterful job of picking the worst possible few seconds of Fr. Anthony’s 2-1/2 hour interview so that you can introduce your pre-determined agenda. You thus also condemned a retired priest who dedicated his entire life to God. But then, you were worried about ratings… oh those ratings, how quickly they make you all compromise your integrity!
You also took the word of a troubled woman like Ms. Alec, whose own husband did not participate in this fiasco report. Additionally, you accepted input from a peculiar individual like Ashley Nivens who has made himself a prophet and declares false truths to anybody who will give him a small amount of time. As far as the Pantanizopoulos family, when you mentioned that their child was back home, you did it briefly and never questioned how in the world he “escaped” from this God-awful monastery prison, and why did he leave with the help of the monastics who supposedly guarded him and brainwashed for the last 9+ years. You did not even bring up that several other monks and nuns have left the monasteries upon their expression of such wish, even though you knew it and you knew it very well.
I can not help but ask: Do you consider yourselves ethical journalists (or even just journalists) with such type of reports? Do you have any concept how many parents shed tears because of your story? Do you know how many Jewish-heritage monks (yes, there are several monastics of Jewish descent) were not only perplexed but astonished and upset with your anti-Semitism garbage? Yes, I call it YOUR garbage and not Smith’s – anybody spending any amount of time with him should be able to surmise that this is an extremely unstable young man – and you knew MUCH more about him, yet you went with this garbage! Do you also know how many siblings or nephews or other relatives got confused because the place they go (i.e., St. Anthony’s) is NOT the place you described?
I will try in parent-talk to explain to you a couple of things about this monastic “call” that you obviously neither understand nor took the time to understand. I have three sons who, since their early youth, have been going in and out of this or that monastery, off and on, for several years (and much longer than Smith). Somehow, though, their brains were not washed away by the monks and they selected to remain in the world and pursue a family life. Their sister, on the other hand, who spent much less time than them talking with or being around the monastics, decided to become a nun. And even then, she was a novice for over five years! YES! Five years! Think about that! Why would a brainwashing institution need five years to do their KVOA-hypothesized brainwashing job? Could it be that KVOA has been misled by those who are known polemics to the monasteries into a false story?
You need to think about my words, you need to realize that all these people that contacted you, they truly love the monastery for what it is, a unique spiritual oasis that heals the soul and provides comfort and support to all faithful Orthodox Christians; and I ask that you also take the time to picture my wife crying, you need to consider that there were many tears shed by many monastic mothers and many Orthodox faithful over the falsehoods of your story, and when you get this picture clear in your mind, think for a second that this could be YOUR mother… or YOUR wife… or YOUR sister…
How does it feel?
George Chondropoulos
Queen Creek, Arizona
