Oops... Some RETRACTIONS and CORRECTIONS

My deepest apologies and profound condolences go out to the Phanar and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago. Last Monday I reported the repose of the late Archbishop Iakovos, former Primus of the Greek Orthodox Church in North and South America. HOWEVER, I RAN THE WRONG PHOTOGRAPH OF THE WRONG BISHOP IAKOVOS.

Thankfully, the Metropolitan Iakovos whom I then portrayed in error (Monday, April 11th - BELOW. His Eminence' portrait has since been removed.) is in fact very much alive and still shepherding the GO Metropolis of Chicago.

It was my intention to publish an official photo of the late Archbishop Iakovos in his youth and vitality, rather then one in his later retirement years. (Which is also what I strived to do with our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul the Great.) But instead I hastily retrieved the wrong one from my archives since it was the most handsome one I could then find.

Rather, ABOVE is the actual and departed Archbishop Iakovos who went on to his eternal reward last week as pictured with our former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- and the next President of the USA (if and when he abandons his "pro-choice" stance.)

This happened to me once before with our own former Primate: ....On August 28, 1990 my late Father-in-Christ, Metropolitan Paul Aftimios I (Abp. Mario Gerardo Vieites, an autocephalous metropolitan) suddenly reposed ten days after he ordained me to the Sacred Priesthood. I was delegated to write his obituary and send it to the local media. Much to my surprise and horror, the local newspapers ran the name and bio of a local Bishop in Brooklyn, NY - who telephoned me the next day. Somehow I had transposed my pile of manuscripts and submitted the wrong one. Fortunately for this priest, the surviving prelates had a good sense of humor and forgave me. But I still wear that egg on my face.

Also, regarding the Papal Conclave, I was incorrect to state (on Tues., April 5th, BELOW) that the black and white smoke signals coming from the burnt ballots from the Sistine Chapel would no longer indicate the votes which "....will now be accomplished only by the pealing of church bells instead..." RATHER, the bells from St. Peter's Basilica will now SUPPLEMENT the smoke (with the novel addition of chemical additives) so there is no more confusion as there was in the last Conclave when smoke colors could not be distinguished. Therefore, we will now have both. ....And the new Pontiff will make his debut at the balcony 45 minutes later.

As a sage once wrote, "He who is his own editor has a fool for a writer." I sincerely apologize for and regret these errors. Mea culpea, Mea culpea. Mea maxima culpea.