Very recently, Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, a relatively unknown priest and figure in most Orthodox circles, began an online campaign, publishing a series of articles, posts, and interviews in which he severely criticized what he terms “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy.” Many prominent Orthodox Christians and priests were chastised as part of this campaign, most notably Fr. Josiah Trenham, a beloved priest of the Antiochian Archdiocese.
This loud public campaign from Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson has (rightly) caused a firestorm on numerous platforms amongst concerned Orthodox laity and clergy alike. This campaign (largely against Fr. Josiah Trenham), has been characterized by the overwhelming majority of Orthodox Christians as rumor, speculation, defamation,[1] slander, disgraceful,[2] defamatory, not Orthodox behavior, gossip[3], hit pieces[4] ad hominem attacks wrapped in gossip,[5] disgusting, shameful,[6] and slanderous.[7]
Why this is different
It is not uncommon for people to disagree with or criticize one another. But this is far beyond that. In this extraordinary case, Fr. Emmanuel’s campaign has involved sweeping accusations, documents from lawsuits and related proceedings, and the invocation of Fr. Josiah Trenham’s family and children in order to criticize and attack him. In total, Fr. Josiah Trenham was either accused of, or heavily implied to be guilty of, manufacturing a false Orthodox persona,[8] [9] misleading young converts,[10] having a “highly stylized, affected foreign accent,”[11] building a rival digital authority,[12] encouraging rebellion against hierarchy,[13] profiting from a media platform[14] and hidden “money trail,”[15] fostering a cult-like following,[16] and standing amid serious family, abuse-related, and legal allegations.[17] He even posted many files from court cases for the world to see.
In other words, these are not small passing criticisms, but incredible allegations and accusations being made against another priest in an extremely public and antagonistic manner.
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson unfortunately can dish it but cannot take it. Against a seminary who spoke against him, he said the following:
No authentic presbyter rooted in the patristic tradition would utilize a public platform to wage an adversarial campaign against the episcopate.
— Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” section “The Latent Sectarian Mindset,” https://lemelson.substack.com/p/the-theater-of-digital-orthodoxy
Yet this is precisely what he is doing to another priest: using a public platform for an adversarial campaign, complete with insinuations, court documents, family allegations, and repeated posts.
Fr. Emmanuel’s answer to the overwhelming negative reaction he has received has been to say that those favorable to his campaign were “older, mature people, including many clergy,” thereby implying that those who disagree with him are young and immature, and stating that these more mature people were “so glad” he was publishing these articles.[18] He further claims that those who were not favorable toward what he has published are simply loud critics, “mostly on X,” operating “behind pseudonyms,” without avatars, and “not even clear if they’re bots or not.”[19] Of the numerous critics who have commented on his posts, he says that they were not “addressing the points raised,” that they “didn’t even read the article,” and that they had a “crypto trading attention span.”[20] He then claims a monastic told him the reaction itself was “the proof of what you’re dealing with,” because priests cultivate sheep, “not a pack of hyenas.”[21] In a later Facebook post, he said responses from Fr. Josiah’s followers solely consisted of “aggressive personal attacks rather than addressing what was actually written,” showing “loyalty to a figure rather than to The Truth.”[22] Elsewhere, he says his critics “haven’t been able to point out where it’s wrong” and “just criticize me,” adding that “everyone knows an ad hominem attack is when you can’t actually refute the arguments.”[23]
Of course, much of this response, like much of Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson’s campaign, is needlessly antagonistic, disrespectful, dismissive, and last but not least, demonstrably false. Many laity, along with more established and mature Orthodox voices, were very critical of Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson’s behavior, including voices like Fr. John Whiteford and Fr. Seraphim Holland.
Maybe siding with an apostate sodomite who slandered an Orthodox should cause one to reconsider their position.
— Fr. John Whiteford, reply under Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson’s X post, June 29, 2026, https://x.com/Lemelson/status/2071706336920785097
You’re just engaging in gossip and innuendo and character assassination. You would best stop because you’re endangering your soul. God help you. I would ask you if you pray for father josiah. If you don’t then you would best be quiet and start praying for him and repent because you’re definitely sinning by throwing all this stuff on the internet.
— Fr. Seraphim Holland, Facebook comment under Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson post, accessed July 3, 2026, https://www.facebook.com/elemelson/posts/pfbid0KvA19AW8SEAuJxyMApZERumvFsUAR6jfkjELfipbpjMgeygndjE8pq54Frc5hWzzl?comment_id=2101353310781654
Since no one at the time of this publication has yet offered a significant response to this barrage of claims from Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, which are no doubt aimed against Orthodox Christian traditional values, adherence to the wisdom of our saints, and the tradition of our Church, we were constrained to provide our poor response so that this campaign against a more traditional Orthodox witness may not go unanswered.
First, a brief background of Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson is in order.
Background
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, legal name Gregory Lemelson, is a canonical Orthodox priest of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas. He received an M.Div. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 2003, and was ordained deacon and priest in July 2011 at the Chapel of Holy Cross by Metropolitan Elpidophoros Lambriniadis of GOARCH (now Archbishop Elpidophoros of America), with the consent of Archbishop Demetrios and Metropolitan Methodios.[24] [25] [26] [27]
Fr. Emmanuel says he received a bachelor’s degree in Theology and Religious Studies from Seattle University, which describes itself as a Jesuit, Catholic university, and calls both Seattle University and Holy Cross “extremely formative.” In a business profile he says that around age eighteen he felt called to priesthood after an encounter with his “teacher/hero Rev. Fr. Robert Spitzer.”
For those who don’t know, Fr. Spitzer is Robert J. Spitzer, a Jesuit priest, former Seattle University professor, and former president of Gonzaga University.[28]
This is worth noting, because Fr. Emmanuel continues to insult Orthodox converts from Protestant and evangelical backgrounds, including Fr. Josiah Trenham. He calls such figures “Protestant convert clergy,” and in a later Substack article reaches back before Fr. Josiah’s Orthodox life to describe him as the evangelical “Brad.”[13] [17] Yet Fr. Emmanuel’s own background includes Jesuit and Catholic formation that he himself has described as “extremely formative.”
For readers unfamiliar with the term “Jesuit”: they are a Papist order which deem themselves “the Society of Jesus”. Their own site calls them the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church and says Jesuits take a fourth vow of obedience “specifically in regard to worldwide mission,” meaning they must accept whatever mission the Pope requires.[29] Fr. Emmanuel treats the Protestant or evangelical background of Orthodox converts as a polemical weapon while having his own Jesuit and Catholic formation.
The Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas lists His Grace Bishop Theophan of Philomelion first among its clergy and lists “Rev. Presbyter Emmanuel Lemelson” beneath him. A diocesan news item also identifies him as “Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson of St. Catherine Orthodox Chapel in Vermont.”[30] [31]
To state it simply: Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson is a part of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas. His bishop is Bishop Theophan of Philomelion, which means his patriarch is Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.[32]
His bishop, his patriarch, and the Phanar
Fr. Emmanuel’s own bishop, Bishop Theophan of Philomelion, previously served in the Orthodox Church in America’s (OCA) Romanian Orthodox Episcopate. He put himself forward for the OCA’s own Albanian Archdiocese, was not elected, but was then received into Constantinople, and only weeks later was elected Bishop of Philomelion for the Phanar’s Albanian Diocese of America.[33] The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania also described Bishop Theophan as “known to the Orthodox of Albania as a leader of divisive actions,” recounting his role in expelling clergy of the Albanian Church from the Panagia Church in Elbasan during the Divine Liturgy.[34]
Also important to note: at his episcopal ordination (keep in mind, this is a bishop now), Bishop Theophan of Philomelion recited the Creed with the Filioque.[35] He later called this an oversight under emotional tension, but this is quite an extraordinary mistake for a bishop, especially given the overtures toward Rome from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, under whom he serves.[36]
Thus, this is is the ecclesial world from which Fr. Emmanuel is speaking: under Patriarch Bartholomew, under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which has made numerous overtures toward Rome. All of this is important context when trying to make sense of the stances of Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson.
Patriarch Bartholomew’s official biography says he studied at the Pontifical Oriental Institute of the Gregorian University in Rome, the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, and the University of Munich, and says he has “worked tirelessly” for reconciliation with the Roman Catholic Church. Another Constantinopolitan biography adds that Patriarch Athenagoras elevated Fr. Bartholomew to Archimandrite in the Patriarchal Chapel of St. Andrew.
Patriarch Athenagoras is also the same individual whom St. Paisios the Athonite and many monasteries on Mt. Athos ceased commemorating, on account of his many dangerous overtures toward Roman Catholics.[37] Of course, many of these overtures are held by Patriarch Bartholomew. St. Justin Popović described Patriarch Athenagoras as denying the unique and wholly salvific Truth of the Orthodox Church and recognizing Rome’s “demonic, anti-ecclesiastical pride,”[38] and also deemed him an “apostate and heretic.”[39]
This is the standard our saints give us for ecumenist gestures toward Rome.
This may all seem irrelevant, but Patriarch Athenagoras is part of the living Phanar line that formed and elevated Bartholomew,[40] which elevated Bishop Theophan, who is now Fr. Emmanuel’s bishop. Thus, when Fr. Emmanuel leaps over that entire line and says the real danger is traditional converts, beards, cassocks, and internet Orthodoxy, the asymmetry should be noticed, because these are also the positions of his ecumenist leadership.
The ecumenism he does not name
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson himself has publicly been involved in Ecumenism. Catholic News Service reported that he was “part of the official Orthodox delegation” during Pope Francis’s 2014 visit to Turkey. After watching Pope Francis bow his head for a blessing from Patriarch Bartholomew, Fr. Emmanuel said he “couldn’t sleep that night.”[41]
He then said:
Suddenly that vision has been reignited. I believe that Pope Francis is truly a great leader and has shown great humility, and that he is not afraid.
I think this comes at a critical moment in history; this sign of unity is important to all Christians to put their nominal differences aside.
He immediately extended himself to the Russian Orthodox Church, saying he wants this unity, and although relations between Moscow and the Vatican have remained cold … if anyone can overcome that, Pope Francis can.
What a beautiful move and I think it will happen, and I don’t think the (Russian Orthodox) patriarch will turn down that invitation.
— Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, quoted by Tom Tracy, Catholic News Service, https://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.php?ID=172614
This is precisely the problem the Holy Mountain warned about. Dialogue with the heterodox is not wrong if the goal is to show them the Orthodox faith and help them return to Orthodoxy. But the 1980 Extraordinary Joint Conference of the Sacred Community of Mount Athos warned that theological dialogue must not be linked with common prayer, joint participation in liturgical or worship services, or any activities “which might create the impression” that the Orthodox Church accepts Roman Catholics “as part of the fulness of the Church” or accepts the Pope “as the canonical bishop of Rome.” Such activities, the Athonite fathers said, mislead both the Orthodox people and the Roman Catholics themselves. They also warned that hastening dialogue with Rome under such conditions is “equivalent to spiritual suicide for the Orthodox.”[42]
So when Fr. Emmanuel describes Orthodox-Catholic separation as “nominal differences,” and treats papal-Phanar gestures as the reigniting of a vision for reunion, this is exactly the kind of ecumenical imagination our fathers warned against. St. Justin Popović did not call ecumenism an unfortunate tendency, or a harmless attempt at kindness. He called it “the common name for the pseudo-Christianity of the pseudo-Churches of Western Europe,” with “Papism as its head,” and “Pan-heresy.”[43]
St. Justin also explains why this kind of unity language is not simply “love”:
Without repentance and admittance into the True Church of Christ, it is unthinkable and unnatural to speak about unification of “the Churches,” about the dialogue of love, about intercommunion.
The contemporary “dialogue of love,” which takes the form of naked sentimentality, is in reality a denial of the salutary sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth … The essence of love is truth; love lives and thrives as truth.
— St. Justin Popović, Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ, pp. 170–171
Not a neutral critic
Therefore, Fr. Emmanuel is not merely a concerned priest who happens to dislike Fr. Josiah Trenham or a few online personalities. He is speaking from within the Bartholomew-Athenagoras ecumenist line, from a Jesuit and Catholic educational background, and from his own public record of defending Orthodox-Catholic reunion language. When he attacks “Protestant convert clergy,” “Internet Orthodoxy,” visible traditionalism, beards, cassocks, and converts, he is not speaking from nowhere. He is speaking from a very identifiable ecclesial and ideological place.
This is what makes the asymmetry so important. In a recent interview, Fr. Emmanuel says “there’s already a schism taking place,” that “we’re already heading down that path” because a “wedge is being inserted” into Holy Orthodoxy, and that young neophytes and converts are being misled by divisive figures.[44] But he does not direct the same scrutiny toward his own side: toward Orthodox-Catholic reunion language, toward the actions of his own bishop who recited the Filioque, toward Patriarch Athenagoras, or toward the ecumenist line of his own jurisdiction. He leapfrogs over the issues within his own jurisdiction, his own bishop, and his own leaders, and then says other groups are forming a “schism.”
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson is squarely in the Ecumenical Patriarchate / Albanian-Greek ecclesial world, and much of his stance lines up with the stances of Archbishop Elpidophoros and Patriarch Bartholomew. He himself has reinforced that connection by explaining that their own opinions “reflect themes” in the articles he is authoring.[45]
That is why Fr. Emmanuel’s internet critique should not be treated as novel. In a time when “the internet” stands as one of the few places where Orthodox Christians can freely communicate, figures such as Archbishop Elpidophoros and Patriarch Bartholomew are repeatedly criticized for un-Orthodox behavior and church-order controversies: support for Communion for non-Orthodox spouses,[46] the same-sex-couple baptism controversy,[47] the Hindu temple address,[48] broader ecumenical outreach,[49] and the OCU/Ukraine church-order controversy.[50] Both Archbishop Elpidophoros and Patriarch Bartholomew have been criticized even by Mount Athos: Elpidophoros over the same-sex-couple baptism controversy, and Bartholomew over ecumenical statements and gestures toward Rome.[51] [52]
When Fr. Emmanuel denounces “Internet Orthodoxy,” convert zeal, beards, cassocks, and strict public Orthodox speech, he is echoing a familiar anti-traditionalist line from the same ecclesial world: focus suspicion on the people exposing the departures, rather than on the departures themselves.
More tangible examples of this will be given later in this series.
The hedge-fund priest
While Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson is almost unknown in Orthodox Christianity, he has made quite a name for himself in the secular world. A finance profile summarized the same unusual public identity as “priest by day, hedge fund CIO by night,” while another called him a “clerical-collar-wearing hedge fund manager.”[53] [54]
While at Holy Cross Seminary, Fr. Emmanuel says he worked “50, 60 hours a week sometimes as a graduate student,” and that one company he started building while he was there grew at a 120% annual rate for six years and generated “something like 40 million in revenue.”[55] Elsewhere he says he “turned a couple hundred dollars into roughly 40 million in revenue,” and that by the time he graduated he “could have retired” at “26 or 27.”[56] Therefore, Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson is, by his own (repeated) account, a very well-off and successful hedge fund multi-millionaire.
Further evidence of his notability is that now-President Donald Trump asked for and received a blessing from Fr. Emmanuel in 2015.[57] [54]
On that topic, Business Insider later reported that after Pope Francis suggested Trump was “not Christian,” Fr. Emmanuel defended him this way:
Donald has confessed the Christian faith and stated he intends to defend it. He has asked for the blessing of an Orthodox Christian Priest in sincerity and humility. Let us take him at his word.
— Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, quoted by Allan Smith, Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/franklin-graham-donald-trump-pope-crhistian-2016-2
Donald Trump, regardless of what one may think of him, is not an Orthodox Christian, and therefore has not confessed the Christian faith in the Orthodox sense. That makes the ecumenical asymmetry revealing: Fr. Emmanuel can ask readers to take Trump’s confession at face value, while treating Orthodox converts and traditional priests with suspicion.
Fr. Emmanuel’s public notability is also clear: he has even met with and advised the actor Mark Wahlberg.[57] [58]
His own public branding does not soften this picture:
We see that Fr. Emmanuel considers and markets himself as somewhat of a martyr and truth-teller.
The same page describes him as “a Greek Orthodox priest and former hedge fund manager once ranked among the world’s best,” says he writes by “exposing corruption in Wall Street, Washington, and the Church,” and frames the publication not as ordinary commentary, but as “confession, confrontation, and catechesis.”[59] His capital-management website likewise states that it may contain “Fr. Lemelson’s current views” on securities, that his holdings “could change at any time,” and that he may buy or sell holdings without updating the site or giving notice.[60]
Though it is understandable that a priest may often need to provide for their own well-being, it is strange, to say the least, that a canonical Orthodox priest would be a hedge-fund multimillionaire and interact with the world in a very political and secular way at such a prominent level.
A Bishop, or Priest, or Deacon must not undertake worldly cares. If he does, let him be deposed.
— Apostolic Canon 6, in St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite, The Rudder, p. 113
Apostolic Canon 81 says that a bishop or priest “must not descend himself into public offices, but must attend to ecclesiastical needs,” adding the Lord’s warning that “no one can serve two masters.”[61] The Fourth Ecumenical Council likewise forbids clergy from taking up other men’s estates “for the sake of filthy lucre,” negotiating secular affairs “to the neglect of the Divine Liturgy,” and managing secular property “out of love of money.”[62] The Council of Carthage says bishops, priests, and deacons must not become “farmers or procurators,” nor profit from what is shameful and dishonorable, because “No one serving God will entangle himself in worldly affairs.”[63]
A priest who publicly presents himself as a former world-ranked hedge fund manager, activist investor, podcaster, and dissident voice in Wall Street, Washington, and the Church, is already presenting a very particular picture of himself before he ever begins lecturing traditional priests and converts.
Fraud-hunting persona
One major way Fr. Emmanuel has made a name for himself is through exposing fraud and alleged corruption: mortgage securitization fraud,[64] public-company accounting and management failures,[65] and regulatory abuse.[66]
This is relevant context. It is not too surprising that the same person who made such a name for himself calling out fraud in the secular world has now turned his attention to what he sees as corruption in the Orthodox Christian world. He himself admits this frame on his own profile: a “dissident voice exposing corruption in Wall Street, Washington, and the Church.”[67] In the Young Penitent interview, he makes the analogy explicit: “It’s like frauds at Wall Street … Well, it’s the same way in the church.”[68]
With this background in place, we can better understand the context in which Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson criticizes Fr. Josiah Trenham, a more traditional Orthodox priest who happens to be a convert.
The actual target: convert traditionalism
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson often appears with closely cut hair, a trimmed beard, and a clerical suit. That is not, by itself, the issue. The issue is that he then turns around and treats more traditional Orthodox visual forms such as cassocks, beards, and visible strictness as evidence of an artificial “Old World” persona. He frames this as coming from converts, but these traditional practices are often drawn from saints like St. Nikolai Velimirović,[69] St. Justin Popović,[43] St. Paisios the Athonite,[37] and the Holy Mountain,[42] not from a Protestant subculture. They certainly do not originate with Fr. Josiah Trenham; he has simply held fast to the witness of the saints. That has not stopped Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson from severely chastising him.
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson says of Fr. Josiah Trenham[9] that he is a “Southern California-born convert priest,”[70] with an “exoticized ‘Old World’ persona,”[71] a “highly stylized, affected foreign accent,”[11] and “strict, public visual maximalism” through cassock, beard, and cross.[72] He is speaking about Fr. Josiah’s media platform, Patristic Nectar: an “independent publishing and media company,” a “global digital brand,” and “his platform.”[73] He describes that platform not simply as an online ministry, but as a “digital mega-church,”[74] a “highly profitable corporate media platform,”[75] and “Protestant sovereign autonomy, wrapped in the stolen garments of an imperial aesthetic.”[76] In this same interview, the same frame becomes “Protestant convert clergy,”[13] “young neophytes and converts” who “don’t know any better,”[10] and an “almost cult-like” following of “neophyte young Protestant converts.”[16]
Therefore, his target is not merely one man’s internet habits, but the world of convert traditionalism around him.
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson also keeps referring to Fr. Josiah Trenham as “Brad” in multiple formats, which is bitter and disrespectful in a polemical context:
According to accounts from that period, it was Kerry from Mount Shasta who helped bring the evangelical “Brad,” as he was known then, into Orthodoxy.
— Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, “The Boy in Exhibit #20: An Internet Pastor’s Chilling Silence,” https://lemelson.substack.com/p/the-boy-in-exhibit-20-an-internet
In short: we have a millionaire hedge-fund priest, who blessed Donald Trump and speaks openly about his business success, warning that converts and traditionalists are the ones causing schism in the Church. He calls converts Protestants and insinuates that they are schismatics, while directing suspicion toward people who want to grow their beards, wear head coverings, restore cassocks, and recover older Orthodox practices.
Taken together with the record above, his campaign looks less like a neutral concern about the internet and more like a familiar anti-traditionalist move: shift suspicion toward the people trying to preserve older Orthodox forms, while leaving the departures of his own ecclesial world largely unexamined. Fr. Emmanuel may say, “I love the saints and I love traditionalists,” but the pattern of targets says something else.
This is only a brief introduction to the matter. The campaign is ongoing, and Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson continues to push it on both Facebook and X, even making entire posts around commenters who express any degree of agreement, however speculative.
Will there be consequences?
Many people have called for Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson to be defrocked in response to what he is doing. We will not comment on that. But it is important to understand that Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson is under Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and aligned with Archbishop Elpidophoros, who themselves repeatedly take anti-traditional stances without obvious repercussion. So the question is not simply whether his behavior is serious, but whether anyone above him is likely to treat it as serious, especially when he has shown that they are on a similar wavelength.
Conclusion
Having now established a portrait of who Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson is, in future articles we will more closely examine his behavior, statements and his claims.
Chris Palo comment under Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson Facebook post, calling one post “rumors, speculation, and defamation,” https://www.facebook.com/chris.palo.12?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMzkwNzA5MDk2MjExMzg1Xzk4NjE0NTk5NDIzNzI3Ng%3D%3D. ↩
Mark Schutzius comment under Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson Facebook post, writing that Fr. Emmanuel could be taken to task for “slander” and calling the behavior “disgraceful,” https://www.facebook.com/troparion?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMzkwNzA5MDk2MjExMzg1XzkzOTA2Njk1NTgxMTg5OQ%3D%3D. ↩
Kat MT comment under Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson Facebook post, calling it “defaming,” “NOT Orthodox behavior,” and “gossipy nonsense,” https://www.facebook.com/kat.mt.277367?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMzkwNzA5MDk2MjExMzg1XzE3MTEwMjI5MTY3MDg5Mjg%3D. ↩
Nicholas Kot comment under Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson Facebook post, writing, “Please no hit piece on Fr. Josiah,” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572867583078&comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMzc4ODQ1NDc3Mzk3NzQ3XzE1NDgwMzI5MjY2Nzc4MTk%3D. ↩
Louie Diaz comment under Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson Facebook post, calling the article “ad hominem attacks wrapped in gossip,” https://www.facebook.com/louie.diaz.680461?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMzc4ODQ1NDc3Mzk3NzQ3XzE0MDI3MjA0NTgzMzM3ODY%3D. ↩
Jeremiah Cook comment under Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson Facebook post, calling it a “Disgusting attack” and “Shameful,” https://www.facebook.com/jeremiah.cook.113709?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMzc4ODQ1NDc3Mzk3NzQ3XzEzNjA3NDIyMzI2MzM2OTE%3D. ↩
Justin Ferguson comment under Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson Facebook post, referring to “slanderous posts on social media,” https://www.facebook.com/JustinRferguson?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMzgwNjU2NjgzODgzMjkzXzEwMTI2ODExMTQ0NzkwODU%3D. ↩
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” Substack, https://lemelson.substack.com/p/the-theater-of-digital-orthodoxy, opening Girls Gone Bible example, especially “Southern California-born convert priest,” “American convert movement,” “exoticized ‘Old World’ persona,” “highly stylized, affected foreign accent,” and “strict, public visual maximalism” of cassock, beard, and cross. ↩
Lemelson X post, June 14, 2026, https://x.com/Lemelson/status/2066245955717079501. The quoted paragraph is item 4 of the post and names
@PatristicNectar (Fr. Josiah Trenham)directly. ↩Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 01:31:30–01:31:50, where Lemelson says divisive figures are misleading “very large numbers of young neophytes and converts” who “don’t know any better.” ↩
Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” opening Girls Gone Bible example: “highly stylized, affected foreign accent.” ↩
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” Substack, https://lemelson.substack.com/p/the-theater-of-digital-orthodoxy, section on media and ecclesial authority: “the problem is not the use of media itself”; the divergence, he says, is a cleric using an online platform to construct an independent baseline of authority that explicitly rivals his own spiritual hierarchy, which Lemelson calls a “deeply ingrained Protestant paradigm.” ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 01:39:16–01:39:50, where Lemelson says “Protestant convert clergy” reluctant to let go of Protestant formation make it easy to criticize clergy; he calls this “Protestant behavior clothed in the nomenclature and outward appearances of orthodoxy.” ↩
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” Substack, https://lemelson.substack.com/p/the-theater-of-digital-orthodoxy, phrases “digital mega-church,” “highly profitable corporate media platform,” and “Protestant sovereign autonomy, wrapped in the stolen garments of an imperial aesthetic.” ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 01:29:43–01:30:05, where Lemelson describes what appears to him as an “almost cult-like” or “very unorthodox cult like following” of “neophyte young Protestant converts.” ↩
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, “The Boy in Exhibit #20: An Internet Pastor’s Chilling Silence,” Substack, June 29, 2026, https://lemelson.substack.com/p/the-boy-in-exhibit-20-an-internet. The post explicitly asks “Where is Aidan?” and names “Fr. Josiah Trenham”; later describes him as the evangelical “Brad”; discusses Aidan and family/abuse-related allegations; and attaches legal PDFs including a letter to Peter Sanfilippo, a first amended complaint, a motion for default judgment, a final order, and a Thomas More press release about the libel lawsuit. ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 00:54:45–00:55:20, where Fr. Emmanuel describes the response as “totally bifurcated” and says “older, mature people, including many clergy” were “so glad” he published the article. ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 00:55:23–00:55:35, where Fr. Emmanuel describes a vocal cohort “mostly on X” operating “behind pseudonyms,” without avatars, and “not even clear if they’re bots or not.” ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 00:55:40–00:56:12, where Fr. Emmanuel says critics were not “addressing the points raised in the article,” “didn’t even read the article,” and had a “crypto trading attention span.” ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 00:57:11–00:57:44, where Fr. Emmanuel says a monastic told him the reaction was “the proof of what you’re dealing with,” because priests cultivate sheep, “not a pack of hyenas.” ↩
Emmanuel Lemelson Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/elemelson/posts/pfbid035UcwAkitPL89NfPeBF9hwveBn7Vps753KMdWVpxaABYTGmX7YiHBmk323DUDGiQDl, saying responses from Fr. Josiah’s followers had “largely consisted of aggressive personal attacks rather than addressing what was actually written,” behavior showing “loyalty to a figure rather than to The Truth.” ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 01:14:48–01:15:09, where he tells critics to publish their work openly for scrutiny and says his critics have not shown where his article is wrong but only criticize him; “everyone knows an ad hominem attack is when you can’t actually refute the arguments.” ↩
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, “Affidavit of Defendant Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson,” signed March 30, 2020, SEC v. Gregory Lemelson et al., Civil Action No. 1:18-cv-11926-PBS, ¶¶1, 9, 12, https://www.amvona.lemelsoncapital.com/images/blog-images/20200330_-aff_of_EL_re_religious_affiliation-FINAL-_signed.pdf; he states that Gregory Lemelson is his given name, that he entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1999, and that he received an M.Div. from Holy Cross in 2003. ↩
Lemelson affidavit, ¶18; he states that he was ordained deacon and then priest in July 2011 at the Chapel at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, with the express consent of Archbishop Demetrios and Metropolitan Methodios, by Metropolitan Elpidophoros Lambriniadis. ↩
GOARCH, “Episcopal Ordination of His Grace Bishop-Elect Theophan of Philomelion,” published July 25, 2023, https://www.goarch.org/-/episcopal-ordination-of-his-grace-bishop-elect-theophan-of-philomelion-2023. The page says Bishop-elect Theophan was ordained at the Phanar with the blessing of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and will serve the Albanian Diocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the USA and Canada. ↩
GOARCH, “Archbishop Elpidophoros presides over the Installation of Bishop Theofan of Philomelion,” published October 15, 2023, https://www.goarch.org/-/archbishop-elpidophoros-installation-bishop-theofan-2023. The page calls him Archpastor of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas. ↩
Susan Wright, “Amvona Unites Thinkers On Multi-Faceted Blog,” Investment Underground, archived June 16, 2013, https://web.archive.org/web/20130616164330/http://investmentunderground.com/6541/long-short-ideas/amvona-unites-thinkers-on-multi-faceted-blog/; Fr. Emmanuel says he received a bachelor’s degree in Theology and Religious Studies from Seattle University and an M.Div. from Holy Cross, calling both “extremely formative.” Seattle University, “Who We Are,” https://www.seattleu.edu/who-we-are/, accessed 2026-07-03, describes Seattle University as “a Jesuit, Catholic university.” Wicked Local, “Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson,” Marlborough Enterprise, June 16, 2014, https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/story/marlborough-enterprise/2014/06/16/rev-fr-emmanuel-lemelson/37014515007/; Fr. Emmanuel says that at about eighteen he felt called to serve God as a priest after an encounter with his “teacher/hero Rev. Fr. Robert Spitzer.” Magis Center, “About Father Spitzer,” https://www.magiscenter.com/father-spitzer, accessed 2026-07-03, identifies Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., PhD, as a Jesuit priest, former Seattle University professor, and former president of Gonzaga University. ↩
Jesuits.org, “The Jesuits,” https://www.jesuits.org/about-us/the-jesuits/, accessed 2026-07-03. The page identifies the Jesuits as “the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers,” says they are “the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church,” and explains that Jesuits take a fourth vow of obedience specifically regarding worldwide mission, so that they must accept whatever mission the Pope requires. ↩
Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas, “Our Clergy,” https://albaniandiocese-ep.org/who-we-are/our-clergy, accessed 2026-06-30 and checked 2026-07-02; lists “His Grace Bishop Theophan of Philomelion” and “Rev. Presbyter Emmanuel Lemelson.” ↩
Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas, “Latest News,” June 1, 2025 item, https://albaniandiocese-ep.org/news/latest/, naming “Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson of St. Catherine Orthodox Chapel in Vermont” among clergy accompanying Bishop Theophan at Holy Cross. ↩
Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas, “Contact,” https://albaniandiocese-ep.org/contact/, accessed 2026-07-02. The page is headed “Ecumenical Patriarchate-Albanian Orthodox Diocese of the Americas” and lists P.O. Box 224 - 245 D Street, Boston, MA 02127-0003; voice (617) 415-3733; His Grace Bishop Theophan of Philomelion at
bishop.theophan.aod.ep@gmail.com; and Archdeacon Spyridon / diocesan office contact atdnspyro@gmail.com. ↩OrthoChristian, “OCA priest elected bishop for Constantinople’s Albanian Diocese of America,” June 29, 2023, https://orthochristian.com/154532.html. The report says Archimandrite Theophan Koja had been serving in the OCA’s Romanian Orthodox Episcopate, put himself forward as a candidate for bishop of the OCA’s Albanian Archdiocese, was not elected, was received into the Patriarchate of Constantinople a few weeks before the report, and was then elected Bishop of Philomelion for Constantinople’s Albanian Diocese of America. ↩
Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, “Fr. Theophan (Arjan) Koja was elected Auxiliary Bishop for Albanians in the USA!,” July 5, 2023, https://orthodoxalbania.org/2020/en/2023/07/05/fr-theophan-arjan-koja-was-elected-auxiliary-bishop-for-albanians-in-the-usa/. The announcement says Archimandrite Theophan Koja was “known to the Orthodox of Albania as a leader of divisive actions,” recounts that on October 8, 1995, he “expelled the celebrants of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy” from the Panagia Church in Elbasan, and says the OCA avoided his election after receiving reliable information about his actions. ↩
Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, “Ανακοίνωση – Πρωτοφανής επιβράβευση υπονομευτού της ενότητος της Ορθοδόξου Αυτοκεφάλου Εκκλησίας της Αλβανίας,” July 26, 2023, https://orthodoxalbania.org/2020/el/2023/07/26/%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%b1%ce%ba%ce%bf%ce%b9%ce%bd%cf%89%cf%83%ce%b7-%cf%80%cf%81%cf%89%cf%84%ce%bf%cf%86%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%ae%cf%82-%ce%b5%cf%80%ce%b9%ce%b2%cf%81%ce%ac%ce%b2%ce%b5%cf%85%cf%83%ce%b7-%cf%85/. The Holy Synod press office states that Theophan Koja, at the critical moment of his episcopal ordination at the Phanar on July 25, 2023, presided over by Archbishop Elpidophoros, recited the Creed with the Filioque. ↩
Kirill Aleksandrov, “Filioque at the Phanar: Did the new Bishop of Philomelion make a mistake?,” Union of Orthodox Journalists, August 3, 2023, https://spzh.eu/en/zashhita-very/75245-filioque-at-the-phanar-did-the-new-bishop-of-philomelion-make-a-mistake. The article reports Bishop Theophan’s explanation that the Filioque reading was an oversight caused by emotional tension and great personal anxiety at the ordination. ↩
Hieromonk Isaac, The Life of Elder Paisios of Mount Athos (Chalkidiki: Holy Monastery of St. John the Theologian, 2012), p. 659: “For a time, together with almost the entire Holy Mountain, he ceased commemoration of Patriarch Athenagoras in response to his dangerous overtures toward the Roman Catholics.” ↩
Bishop Artemije, “The Serbian Orthodox Church Vis-a-Vis Ecumenism,” citing St. Justin Popović on Patriarch Athenagoras, archived at http://web.archive.org/web/20031001/http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/serbian.htm: “He, by his neo-Papist behavior, has for decades scandalized, in word and deeds, the consciences of the Orthodox, denying the unique and wholly salvific Truth of the Orthodox Church and Faith, recognizing the Roman Supreme Pontiff, with all of his demonic, anti-ecclesiastical pride…” ↩
“The New Persecution of the Zealots of Mt. Athos,” The Orthodox Word, Vol. 10, No. 2 (March-April 1974), p. 74; the article says Archimandrite Justin Popovich had declared Athenagoras an “apostate and heretic” since 1971, citing Contacts journal, no. 4 (1971), and Orthodoxos Typos, Nov. 1, 1971. ↩
Ecumenical Patriarchate, “Biography of the Ecumenical Patriarch,” https://ec-patr.org/en/the-patriarch/biography-of-the-ecumenical-patriarch/, accessed 2026-07-03; the official biography says Bartholomew pursued graduate studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute of the Gregorian University in Rome, the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, and the University of Munich, and says he has “worked tirelessly for reconciliation” with the Roman Catholic Church. Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,” https://uocofusa.org/ecumenicalpatriarchbartholomew, accessed 2026-07-03; the biography says that six months after his priestly ordination, “His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras elevated Father Bartholomew to the office of Archimandrite in the Patriarchal Chapel of St. Andrew.” ↩
Tom Tracy, Catholic News Service, “Some see unity vision reignited by pope, patriarch’s gestures in Turkey,” The Pilot, December 2, 2014, https://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.php?ID=172614. The article identifies Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson as “an American priest of the Ecumenical Patriarchate” and says he was “part of the official Orthodox delegation during the papal visit to Turkey.” It quotes him saying “I couldn’t sleep that night,” that his youthful vision of Catholic-Orthodox reunion had been “reignited,” that Pope Francis is “truly a great leader,” that the meeting was “moving things forward in the right direction,” and that “this sign of unity is important to all Christians to put their nominal differences aside.” ↩
Extraordinary Joint Conference of the Sacred Community of the Holy Mount Athos, “The Announcement of the Extraordinary Joint Conference of the Sacred Community of the Holy Mount Athos,” April 9/22, 1980, archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20231117070950/http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/athos.aspx. The statement says dialogue with heterodox is not reprehensible if its goal is to inform them of the Orthodox faith so that they return to Orthodoxy, but must not be linked with common prayer, joint participation in liturgical or worship services, or activities creating the impression that Roman Catholics are part of the fullness of the Church or that the Pope is the canonical bishop of Rome; it also says hastening dialogue under such conditions is “equivalent to spiritual suicide for the Orthodox.” ↩
St. Justin Popović, “Humanistic Ecumenism,” in Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ (Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 1994), pp. 168–170. St. Justin writes: “Ecumenism is the common name for the pseudo-Christianity of the pseudo-Churches of Western Europe. Within it is the heart of European humanism, with Papism as its head,” and says their common name is “Pan-heresy.” He also writes that without repentance and admission into the true Church of Christ, it is “unthinkable and unnatural” to speak about unification of “the Churches,” the dialogue of love, or intercommunion. ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 01:31:28–01:32:34. After being asked whether there is danger of “some sort of schism or heresy or alteration of the faith,” Lemelson answers: “there’s already a schism taking place,” says there are “very divisive figures” misleading “very large numbers of young neophytes and converts,” and adds: “will there be a schism down the road? I think we’re already heading down that path because a wedge is being inserted … into holy orthodoxy.” ↩
Emmanuel Lemelson Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/lemelson/posts/pfbid032Kaqb5ncSTQpkbZocKUDvyE1iVE9ebpRXajGABBRbASNzFBfP2TaYi6spsMk8Kxhl. Fr. Emmanuel writes that Archbishop Elpidophoros’ comments “reflect themes in the original May article” and concludes: “What began as an article exposing serious fractures in digital Orthodoxy has now reached the highest levels of the Church in America.” ↩
The Pappas Post, “Archbishop Elpidophoros of America: OK for Non-Orthodox Christian Spouses to Receive Communion,” February 2020, https://pappaspost.com/archbishop-elpidophoros-of-america-ok-for-non-orthodox-christian-spouses-to-receive-communion/; OrthoChristian, “Archbishop Elpidophoros supports communion for non-Orthodox spouses,” April 23, 2020, https://orthochristian.com/130200.html; GOARCH, “Why Non-Orthodox are Excluded from the Sacrament of Holy Communion,” archived http://web.archive.org/web/20240304072225/https://www.goarch.org/-/why-non-orthodox-are-excluded-from-the-sacrament-of-holy-communion. ↩
Neos Kosmos, “Archbishop Elpidophoros conducts first openly gay baptism in Athens,” July 12, 2022, https://neoskosmos.com/en/2022/07/12/news/archbishop-of-america-elpidophoros-baptizes-children-of-celebrity-gay-couple-in-athens/; Kathimerini, “Holy Synod protests over baptism of gay couple’s children,” July 18, 2022, https://www.ekathimerini.com/society/1189292/holy-synod-protests-over-baptism-of-gay-couples-children/; Orthodox Times, “Archbishop of America: Discriminating against people based on whom they love is not Orthodoxy,” June 12, 2024, https://orthodoxtimes.com/archbishop-of-america-discriminating-against-people-based-on-whom-they-love-is-not-orthodoxy/. ↩
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, “Interfaith Harmony Day,” October 2023, https://www.baps.org/News/2023/Interfaith-Harmony-Day-24199.aspx; OrthoChristian, “Greek Orthodox Bishop Reads Abp. Elpidophoros’ Address at Hindu Temple,” November 2023, https://orthochristian.com/158195.html; OrthoChristian, “Greek Orthodox Bishop Apologizes for Reading Abp. Elpidophoros’ Address at Hindu Temple,” November 2023, https://orthochristian.com/158262.html. ↩
Orthodox Times, “Archbishop of America: The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Very Definition of Ecumenical Outreach,” September 2024, https://orthodoxtimes.com/archbishop-of-america-the-ecumenical-patriarch-is-the-very-definition-of-ecumenical-outreach/. ↩
Metropolitan Nikiforos of Kykkos and Tillyria, The Ecclesial Crisis in Ukraine, pp. 34–35; see also Patriarch Bartholomew’s 1992 and 1997 letters recognizing Moscow’s jurisdiction and Filaret’s condemnation. ↩
“Mt. Athos issues statement on baptism of children of same-sex couples,” OrthoChristian, July 28, 2022, https://orthochristian.com/147460.html. The report prints a statement from the Sacred Community of Mount Athos after Archbishop Elpidophoros’ public baptism for the children of a celebrity same-sex couple; the statement says such public appearances and positions by clerics and hierarchs can give the impression that the Church accepts another form of family besides the one established by the Gospel, and that this scandalizes the faithful. ↩
“Open letter of censure from the Athonite Monks to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,” May 11/24, 1999, reproduced at https://www.orthodox.net/ecumenism/open-letter-of-censure-from-the-athonite-monks-to-ecumenical-patriarch-bartholomew-may1999.html. The letter expresses Athonite “disquiet” and grief over Patriarch Bartholomew’s ecumenical statements toward Rome, including language about “two lungs,” “sister churches,” common prayers, and the risk of overturning Orthodox Tradition. ↩
Donal Ashbourne, “Priest by Day, Hedge Fund CIO by night - Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson of Lemelson Capital,” Invezz, August 26, 2022, https://invezz.com/news/2022/08/26/priest-by-day-hedge-fund-ceo-by-night-rev-fr-emmanuel-lemelson-of-lemelson-capital/. The profile calls him a Greek Orthodox priest and CIO of Lemelson Capital, a hedge fund specializing in deep value and special situations. ↩
Jackie Salo, “Who Is The Hedge Fund Priest? Meet Emmanuel Lemelson, The Reverend Of Wall Street,” International Business Times, October 27, 2015, https://www.ibtimes.com/who-hedge-fund-priest-meet-emmanuel-lemelson-reverend-wall-street-2159138. The article identifies him as a “clerical-collar-wearing hedge fund manager” and notes the Reuters photo of Donald Trump being blessed by Rev. Emmanuel Lemelson at a campaign rally in Keene, New Hampshire. ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 00:05:23–00:06:09. Fr. Emmanuel says that while at Holy Cross he worked “50, 60 hours a week sometimes as a graduate student,” that one company he built grew at “120% annually for six years,” generated “something like 40 million in revenue,” and that by the time he finished Holy Cross he had generated more revenue than the school’s budget and endowment combined. ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 00:27:39–00:27:59. Fr. Emmanuel says he “turned a couple hundred dollars into roughly 40 million in revenue” and that by the time he graduated he “could have retired” at age “26 or 27.” ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 00:38:31–00:40:51. Fr. Emmanuel says Donald Trump asked for his blessing in Keene before becoming president, and says Mark Wahlberg later contacted him about making a movie and that the two remained friends. ↩
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson X post, June 17, 2026, https://x.com/Lemelson/status/2067230785187598609. The post shows Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson and his family with Mark Wahlberg. ↩
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, “About,” Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson: Against The World, Substack, https://lemelson.substack.com/about, accessed 2026-07-03. The page says: “Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson: Against the World”; “A priest. A target. Still standing”; describes him as “a Greek Orthodox priest and former hedge fund manager once ranked among the world’s best”; says he writes by “exposing corruption in Wall Street, Washington, and the Church”; and says the Substack is “confession, confrontation, and catechesis.” ↩
Lemelson Capital, “Substack,” https://lemelsoncapital.com/substack/, accessed 2026-07-03. The disclaimer says the website may contain “rev. Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson’s current views” on securities, that his views and holdings “could change at any time,” and that he may sell or increase holdings without updating the site or giving notice. ↩
Apostolic Canon 81 in St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite, The Rudder, p. 236: “We have said that a Bishop, or a Priest, must not descend himself into public offices, but must attend to ecclesiastical needs… For no one can serve two masters.” The interpretation adds that those in Holy Orders must not lower themselves into “political and secular affairs and business,” but must confine themselves to “the service and needs of the Church.” ↩
Canon 3 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council in The Rudder, pp. 599–600. The canon says some clergy hired other men’s estates “for the sake of filthy lucre,” negotiated secular affairs “to the neglect of the Divine Liturgy,” and managed secular men’s estates “out of love of money”; it decrees that no bishop, clergyman, or monk should farm an estate or involve himself in secular cares except for guardianship, church affairs, or the needs of orphans, widows, and those needing ecclesiastical assistance. ↩
Canon 18 of Carthage in The Rudder, pp. 1211–1212: bishops, priests, and deacons are not to become “farmers or procurators,” nor derive profit from anything shameful and dishonorable, because “No one serving God will entangle himself in worldly affairs” (2 Timothy 2:4). The interpretation says those in Holy Orders should not become managers of worldly matters and mundane businesses. ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 00:15:16–00:17:21. Fr. Emmanuel says he wrote on mortgage securitization fraud, that those articles were read by “like a million people,” and that the Thornburg matter yielded “1.9 million.” ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 00:33:35–00:36:29. Fr. Emmanuel says a 56-page report crashed a company by $500 million in market capitalization, that his WWE report caused an $800 million market-cap loss and put him on the front page of USA Today, and that another letter moved a stock up 10%, or roughly $100 million. ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 00:14:05–00:14:21, where Fr. Emmanuel describes publishing public analysis for public scrutiny; at 00:15:16–00:17:21 for the mortgage securitization and Thornburg fraud account; at 00:33:35–00:36:29 and 00:40:30–00:45:40 for public-company reports, market reactions, Ligand, and the government fight; and at 00:53:42–00:54:29, where Young Penitent frames the article as possibly analogous to Fr. Emmanuel’s finance work exposing corruption, before Fr. Emmanuel answers by describing the response to the article as “totally bifurcated.” ↩
The Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson Podcast Substack landing page, https://lemelson.substack.com/podcast, accessed 2026-06-30; presents him as an Orthodox priest, activist investor, and “dissident voice exposing corruption in Wall Street, Washington, and the Church.” ↩
Young Penitent, “The Fallout: Reactions to The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy w/ Fr. Emmanuel,” YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwMtysQt_c, at 01:20:15–01:20:28. Fr. Emmanuel says, “It’s like frauds at Wall Street,” gives Bernie Madoff, Enron, WorldCom, and Ligand as examples, then adds, “Well, it’s the same way in the church.” ↩
Julija Vidovic, “St. Nikolai Velimirovic and St. Justin Popovic on Ecumenism,” OrthoChristian.com, https://orthochristian.com/87573.html, accessed 2026-07-03. The article quotes St. Nikolai’s report from the 1954 World Council of Churches meeting: “The union of all the churches cannot be achieved through mutual concessions but only by adherence by all to the one true faith in its entirety … It is the Holy Orthodox Church.” ↩
Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” Substack, https://lemelson.substack.com/p/the-theater-of-digital-orthodoxy, opening Girls Gone Bible example: “Southern California-born convert priest.” ↩
Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” opening Girls Gone Bible example: “exoticized ‘Old World’ persona.” ↩
Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” opening Girls Gone Bible example: “strict, public visual maximalism” of cassock, beard, and cross. ↩
Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” section “The Empirical Footprint of Autonomy.” He does not use the words “Patristic Nectar” in that passage, but he is describing the same “Southern California-born convert priest” discussed throughout the article, then refers to “his independent publishing and media company,” “his global digital brand,” and “his platform.” Fr. Josiah Trenham’s publishing and media platform is Patristic Nectar: Patristic Nectar Publications describes itself as publishing Orthodox catechetical materials, https://patristicnectar.org/mission-and-teachers, and Cause IQ identifies Josiah Trenham as Director / President of Orthodox Christian Ministries / Patristic Nectar Publications, https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/orthodox-christian-ministries,273015070/, both accessed July 3, 2026. Lemelson’s later X post also names
@PatristicNectar (Fr. Josiah Trenham)directly. ↩Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” section on media and ecclesial authority: “digital mega-church.” ↩
Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” section on media and ecclesial authority: “highly profitable corporate media platform.” ↩
Lemelson, “The Theater of Digital Orthodoxy,” section on media and ecclesial authority: “Protestant sovereign autonomy, wrapped in the stolen garments of an imperial aesthetic.” ↩