The temptation of Anthony
In the maelstrom of revelations and accusations, we cannot distinguish how much blame falls on Father Anthony, the founder and heart of the Ark of the World shelter for disadvantaged children.
Perhaps the judicial inquiry will shed light on this. Till then, though, the beasts of public rage and indignation will have dismembered the (suspended) priest, those around him and the organization that he founded and developed over the past 15 years.
Many are pleased. Mainly those who envied the admiration that people and the state showered on the (initially) young priest who devoted his life to helping unfortunate children and their families – Greeks and immigrants.
Most people, though, still hope that the accusations are not true, as Father Anthony was the celebrity that we need – someone who projects kindness and love.
Continual disappointment has made us both cynical and vulnerable to the hope that “this time” someone who appears to overcome the cycle of rapid rise and then fall into scandal will turn out to be worthy and resilient.
Whether or not he is found guilty, the many revelations show that (at best) Father Anthony succumbed to the temptation to develop an organization that he either managed very badly or he lost control of.
With the many honors bestowed on him, with the number of children who passed through the Ark growing, with the large amounts of donations and grants, it was certain that Father Anthony would face all kinds of temptation. After all, his namesake, Anthony the Great, is hailed for withstanding the temptations of the flesh and wealth.
If the “demons” who assailed the saint were not so powerful, the triumph of the ascetic and founder of monasticism would not be so significant.
And yet, the temptations of Anthony of Kolonos are greater. They are not fantasies in a cave in the Egyptian desert but the everyday features of a society that is unable to place limits, to establish frameworks and behaviors in time to prevent evil from breaking out.
A society that succumbs to the temptation to elevate people to godlike stature and then, with greater speed, bring them crashing down. Before it turns to the next hero, the next disappointment.
