Protocol No. v-920
To His Eminence Agafangel,
Bishop of Taurida
and
and
to the Clergy and Faithful
of
the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
Beloved Brothers in Christ! Take
Joy in God!
Christ’s Church is
concerned with the salvation of its flock and always teaches its members how to
guard against false pastors, who strive to mislead the sensible sheep of Christ
from the field of true faith. It
manifests this, by following the teachings of such saints as Maxim the Confessor,
who states that “each person is sanctified by the just confession of the true
faith,” and equally, by observing the instructions of the holy canons, such as
the 31st Apostolic canon and the 15th canon of the
First/Second Council.
The Greek Church of
the True Orthodox Christians is deeply saddened by the merger of a part of the
Russian Church Abroad with the Moscow Patriarchate, which occurred on the feast
day of the Ascension of Our Lord, as the Patriarchate has not repented and has
not condemned the heresies of sergianism and ecumenism.
On the contrary, the
Moscow Patriarchate continues to participate in the World Council of Churches
and in deceptive ecumenical “dialogues of love.” At the same time, Patriarch Alexy competes
with Patriarch Bartholomew by taking part in joint prayers with Buddhists,
Muslims, Jews, and members of other faiths.
In these
circumstances, the union of the Russian Church Abroad with the Moscow
Patriarchate means that this Church, which strictly adhered in the past to the
precepts of the Holy Fathers, has entered into Eucharistic communion with
ecumenical churches.
The Greek Church of
the True Orthodox Christians is grateful to the Russian Church Abroad for the
ordination fifty years ago of bishops for our church, when, as a result of
persecution from New Calendarists, our Church was
without bishops.
Our Church was in full
Eucharistic communion with the Russian Church Abroad, which was led by
Metropolitan Philaret of Blessed Memory, who conciliarly anathematized ecumenism.
Metropolitan Laurus, when he was a bishop, visited
It is comforting that
a significant part of the clergy and laypeople of the Russian Church Abroad
resisted subordinating to the forces of sergianism and ecumenism, gathered
around Your Eminence, and remains true to the traditions of their Church. We congratulate you with your steadfastness
in truth.
We, the True Orthodox
Christians living in
Holy Synod
Synod Chairman:
+Chrysostomos, Archbishop of
Synod Members:
+Akakios, Metropolitan of
+Maximos, Metropolitan of Thessalonika
and Dimitrias
+Kallinikos, Metropolitan of Achaia and All Peloponnesos
+Stephanos, Metropolitan of
+Justin,
Metropolitan of Euripos and Euboia
+Gerontios, Metropolitan of and
+Chrysostomos, Metropolitan of
+Gregory, Bishop
of Christianoupolis
+Photios, Bishop of
+Theodosios, Bishop of Bresthene
______________________________________________
Letter of Reply
to
the members of the Holy Synod
under
the chairmanship of Most Reverend Chrysostomos,
Archbishop of
Your Eminence, Your Eminences!
Thank you for your
prayers and words of support, spoken to us in these difficult times for the
Russian Church Abroad. The fact that you
addressed the remnants of the Church Abroad, shows
that you treat all our problems with consideration and are not indifferent to
them.
I completely share
your opinion on ecumenism, which will, in the future, certainly become the most
relentless and merciless persecutor of true Orthodoxy. That is why we cannot join or participate in
any way in this essentially anti-Christian movement. Instead, we must strictly guard the Tradition
of our Holy Fathers.
It is quite apparent
that the “world rulers of this century” wish to divide us from one another,
since all of us, if joined together, may become an obstacle to the overall
globalization and centralization of world power, which prepares for the pending
arrival of the Antichrist. The “World
Order” of the future will somehow still tolerate groups of “religious
fanatics,” who are small in number, localized, and who fight amongst
themselves. May we not become such
groups, and instead, witness to all that we are true disciples of our Lord,
Jesus Christ, and may there be amity between us.
That is why the unity,
or goodwill to one another in the meanwhile, of all True Orthodox Christians
becomes especially important in these grievous times we all live in.
Please accept my most
genuine gratitude to you, my dear brothers in Christ. I sincerely hope that the day will come soon,
when we can turn to one another with a pure heart and the words, “Christ is
among us!” May this be soon and without
delay!
With genuine affection
and kindly disposed towards you,
Chairman of the
+Agafangel,
Bishop of Taurida and
Dormition of the Righteous Anna,
mother of the Most Holy Theotokos.