October 2, 2018
NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announces the appointment of Rev. Economos Earl (Demetrios) Cantos as the new Youth Safety Compliance Officer of the Archdiocese, effective October 1, 2018.
“The Archdiocese continues to move forward in Her sacred responsibility of protecting all our children and youth. We are excited to add Father Earl to our team at the Archdiocese, as we are dedicated to implementing and assuring compliance with the new Policies for the Safety of Youth and Children which were unanimously approved at the last Clergy Laity Congress,” stated His Grace Bishop Andonios, Chancellor of the Archdiocese.
These new Policies apply youth safety guidelines and best practices to all youth ministry programs and events across the Archdiocese. This is a significant step forward from the existing Youth Protection Manual, which only applied to camps and retreats. The new Policies take effect on September 1, 2019. After that date, no youth ministry programs or events will be allowed to function unless they are in full compliance with the Policies.
Father Earl has been an attorney since 1981 and is licensed to practice law in both California and New York. He attended both Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Greece in obtaining his Masters of Divinity degree. He was ordained a clergyman in 1998 and has served in various capacities at the Archdiocese and in parishes over the years.
In his early career as a lawyer, he worked as a Senior Policy Consultant for the Judiciary Committee of the California State Legislature where he drafted laws concerning child abuse and domestic violence. He additionally volunteered with the YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter helping women and children escape abusive situations.
He will continue to serve the needs of the parish of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church of Flagstaff Ariz. on the weekends.
For more information concerning the Policies, please visit goarch.org/safety.
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