Sunday, August 24th 2008, 4:00 AM
You may not see them on prime time television, but prayers by the clergy will very much be a part of the national political conventions unfolding over the next two weeks.
Rabbis, priests and ministers will take the stage both in Denver, where the Democrats convene this week, and in Minneapolis-St. Paul, where the Republicans will gather the week after.
As might be expected, the clergy members chosen to speak tend to be close to the party that's hosting the convention. Most clergy go to one convention or the other. But there is one clergyman who will speak at both: Archbishop Demetrios, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church of America.
With his white beard, black robe, monk's hood and shepherd's staff, Demetrios cuts a distinctive figure. Even if you don't catch him at the podium, you might well spot him in the crowd.
How did it come that he goes to both the Republican and Democratic conventions?
"It's a tradition that goes back to 1980," said the Rev. Alexander Karloutsos, the public affairs director of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. That year, both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan invited one of Demetrios' predecessors, Archbishop Iakovos.
Feeling close to both and not wanting to offend anyone, Iakovos went to both conventions. He and his successors have barely missed a convention since. Demetrios will give the invocation Wednesday in Denver and a prayer in the Twin Cities on Sept. 4.
The conventions offer a lot of visibility for what is a relatively small church. There are an estimated 1.5 million Greek Orthodox in America. But in some ways Demetrios represents the larger community of Orthodox Christians, who number about 5 million and include Russian, Georgian, Serbian, Ukrainian and other national groups.
Demetrios was visiting family this week in Thessaloniki, Greece, where he was born 80 years ago, and was unavailable for comment. But in a recent interview with the PBS program "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly," he emphasized that his church is "not in anyway partisan." But he added, "We are not indifferent."
He said he will be "praying for the people who are governing."
"We are in constant communication with them and with God, asking for His guidance," he said.
Demetrios mentioned that he stands ready to offer not only prayers but guidance to the major party candidates. He met in June at his New York offices with Republican John McCain and is expected to meet there soon with Democrat Barack Obama as well.
Demetrios has an understanding of Orthodox Christianity that might be valuable to both men. Many of the nations that have emerged from communism are reasserting their Orthodox heritage. In fact, the leaders of both the Russian and Georgian churches have been important in promoting peace after the recent military clashes between the two nations.
Karloutsos said he saw no problem in having the archbishop offer prayers at both the Republican and Democratic conventions, even if it is something that doesn't happen in most other church denominations.
"If His Eminence went to only one convention, now that would be a problem," Karloutsos said.
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