Metropolitan
Agafangel’s Answer to the
“Open
Letter of the Synod of Bishops
to the
Clergy of the South American Diocese”
Reading the open letter of the Synod of Bishops to the Clergy of the South American Diocese published on the official website of the Synod of the ROCOR that is part of the Moscow Patriarchate, one gets the feeling that it was written not in New York, but in Moscow, and that the author was not a Russian of the old diaspora but a "new" Russian.
One gets this feeling, because
the writer is using modern Soviet-style language and ideas and not writing in
the style of the old Russian émigrés at all. The letter’s tone is reminiscent of the
post-war spirit of the late 1940's - "Come back", it says, "all
is well in
This answer transgresses with
many open distortions, and unfortunately, the author knows this, yet does so on
purpose. One example, is the assertion
that Metropolitan Laurus was the ruling bishop of South America ("On the
death of Bishop Alexander (Mileant), in full accord with the Status of the
ROCOR, and based on the Holy Canons, Metropolitan Laurus remained your First
Hierarch, your ruling bishop" ). This
is an obvious falsehood. Archbishop
Laurus was the ruling bishop of the Syracuse Diocese, and after his election as
Metropolitan, became the ruling bishop of the
Another falsehood is made
further in the "open letter," that there is no heresy in the Moscow
Patriarchate. Only this contradicts the
whole history and tradition of the Church Abroad, which has always maintained
that the Moscow Patriarchate is guilty of the heresy of ecumenism and the sin
of sergianism. This aspect which is so important
to us is completely omitted in this letter, which also suggests that it was
written in
There is another falsehood in
the “open letter” that, "persecution of the Orthodox Church in any form in
the
The conclusion of the “open
letter” cites the words of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), "Understand the
times!" The words of Apostle Paul
could be added, “This know also, that in the last
days perilous times shall come. For
people will (…) have a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away. (…) Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution. But evil men and
seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (2 Tim
3.1,5,12-13).
We see that the Open Letter of
the Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR(MP) is written falsely, and therefore, to
believe it, and especially to take heed of it, is not possible.
+ Metropolitan Agafangel
Holy Myrrh-bearer and Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalen