OK, so while no Protestants were massacred in Paris this year (as opposed to what happened back in 1572), you could say that a lot of our Church’s canons were massacred the other day.
For those who may not know, bishops from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese chose to celebrate the Divine Liturgy at St Bartholomew’s Episcopal Cathedral in New York City. The celebrant (and homilist) was Archbishop Elpidophoros, the primate of that jurisdiction.
Now, caveats aside: St Bartholomew’s is a magnificent edifice. I’ve seen it myself and architecturally, it is stunning, with significant byzantine influences. I wouldn’t mind seeing it being gifted to the Orthodox Church (all things being equal). However things aren’t equal, are they? St Bart’s is completely on board with the whole globo-homo agenda. Earlier they “blessed” the gay pride flag because this month is Gay Pride Month. You know, if you’re going to march in a parade, it’d be a good idea to bless your organization’s banners. Somehow though, I missed the part in the Bible that said there should be a month dedicated to sodomy –much less a parade.
Now we know why the GOA chose to celebrate St Bartholomew’s day: it’s the patronal feast of His Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch. It’s not a bad idea all things considered. That’s the official story anyway.
But let’s be honest: this thing has “hidden agenda” written all over it.
First, I fervently believe that this was a case of special pleading, a way to keep His Holiness’ name in the papers. (Perhaps to make up for the loss of Hagia Sophia?) As we could tell from the uninspired homily given by the Archbishop, the ecological and globalist ministry of Bartholomew was front and center. He hit all the right buzzwords that make ‘Piskies and other globalists (but nobody else) get all warm and fuzzy inside.
You know, “nationalism bad/Bartholomew tolerant”.
Secondly, you gotta hand it to the ‘Piskies, they’re dying on the vine but they still have major moolah propping them up. I’d say that even if they dwindle down to a few dozen parishes and weddings between man and beast are sanctified, it’ll be no skin off their bones. And that’s because of their trust funds which are massive. They’ll keep going for at least another couple of generations. As long as the Left controls the high ground of information, they’ll also continue to spew out their propaganda.
The GOA is also no stranger to propaganda, mind you, with ridiculous misinformation about how many members they have, while the Phanar boldly misinforms people about their universal supremacy based on a completely ahistorical misreading of Canon 28. They can’t seem to help themselves; Byzantines gotta byzantine. It’s in their DNA. And who knows? Maybe they can effect a union of sorts and get access to some of their funds?
Finally, it sent a powerful signal to the Globalists that the Istanbul patriarchate –unlike those wascally Wussians–is totally on board with the entire globo-homo agenda. (In a wink-wink/nod-nod sort of way if you get my drift.) At this point, I wouldn’t have been surprised if during the Entrances, an altar boy led the procession carrying the gay flag. Right now, perhaps a bridge too far, but in time –you never know.
Fortunately, none of the bishops from the other jurisdictions were there. Word on the street was that Metropolitan Tikhon of the OCA (a former Episcopalian by the way) was “on vacation”. Metropolitan Joseph of the Antiochian jurisdiction had “another commitment”. From where I sit, those are good things.
The original St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre was perpetrated by mobs of Parisian Catholics on the French Huguenots (Calvinists) during the French Wars of Religion. Estimates of the victims range from 5,000 to perhaps as many as 35,000. The spark was the marriage of Charles IX’s sister Margaret, to the Protestant prince Henry III of Navarre on the 23rd of August (the feast-day of St Bartholomew on the Catholic calendar). Several of the most prominent Huguenot nobles showed up for that wedding, thinking that this signaled the end of the inter-religious wars, however, unbeknownst to them (and for reasons that remain murky) Charles ordered the targeted assassination of several of the most prominent Huguenots. Within hours, a conflagration spread and Catholic mobs in Paris went on a rampage killing thousands of other Protestants.
Ultimately, what this signals to everybody who is not in the GOA, is that Patriarch Bartholomew is doubling down on the entire globalist agenda. As far as he’s concerned, it’s a done deal. (For more information, please see Nick Stamatakis’ analysis on Helleniscope: https://www.helleniscope.com/2021/06/15/from-new-york-to-istanbul-with-love-from-green-to-rainbow-patriarch)
The OCA’s Archbishop Michael was quite visibly a concelebrant at St. Bartholomew’s. I highly doubt he was there to promote any “hidden agenda”. He’s a pretty forthright person. It would be better to just take his participation in this at face value. He is the Secretary of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops, and New York is his diocese.
Steve, the agenda wasn’t hidden, it was plain as day for all to see. I fail to understand how being a member of SCOBA compels one to participate in an event like this. None of the bishops from the other NY jurisdictions went, did they? So why did Archbishop Michael decide to attend? He served the Liturgy in a non-Orthodox church. On what altar did they serve? There was a massive rainbow flag flying on the church, and he saw it, and went inside anyway. He stood there while Elpidophoros basically equated Patriarch Bartholomew with the Apostles, and praised the violent and shameful schism in the Ukraine as “liberating” the people… I take his participation in this at face value as well – that he consents to all of this, and agrees with it. A man’s actions speak louder than his words, and as a prominent Archbishop of the Orthodox Church, he clearly knew and was fully aware that his presence and full participation in this disgusting ecumenical spectacle would cause scandal to the faithful, but he did it anyway. I am a member of ROCOR in a different state, but I have close family (including my mother) that are in the OCA in Archbishop Michael’s diocese. She is totally shocked by this, as she has had a lot of respect and love for her bishop up to this point. My mom will be speaking to her priest about this, and possibly we’ll send a letter to Archbishop Michael asking for his side of the story. As if the covid restrictions (which were unbelievably harsh and strict in the OCA in NY, exceeding even Cuomo’s dictatorial decrees) weren’t bad enough, now there’s this…
Was there backstage pressure applied here? Why does everyone tip toe around the goa? Isn’t there some independent leadership out there?
It would be very interesting to be a fly on the wall and know what they other hierarchs have to say about the GOA when the cameras aren’t around
Thank you Herman!
What do you know, it’s the same Archbishop Michael who has done NOTHING to address the many scandalous pro-abortion and pro-LGBT comments of Fr. Christopher Calin (posted publicly for many years) who is one of his priests. What a coincidence!
Something can, and should be done about this. Don’t think this will stop with the Greek Archdiocese. The longer it goes unchecked, the more it spreads.
Abp. Elpidophoros is the head of the canonical bishops of the U.S., where is the outcry from the other bishops?
Silence implies consent, or worse, cowardice.
If we laity don’t voice our opinion or defend the faith, then we have already lost it. Even if you aren’t part of the Greek Archdiocese you should flood their inbox with voices of concern and outrage…I did. And if not to the Greek Archdiocese, to any Orthodox hierarch in America, no matter what the jurisdiction.
Will it work? Who knows. But, at least I will know I have done my part to defend the Faith and not let it be sent down the sewer.
Having been formerly Roman Catholic, trust me, this will not stop. It must be dealt with.
Other should do the same.
Petros,
Speaking of “silence implies consent, or worse, cowardice,” have a look at this ongoing travesty that the bishops of the Greek Archdiocese have tolerated and enabled for years…
https://www.orthodoxytoday.org/blog/2021/06/mari-iakovou-mars-proudly-and-publicly-celebrates-lgbtq-pride-month/
As she has done in previous years, Presbytera Mari Iakovou Mars is enthusiastically, proudly and publicly celebrating and promoting homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer pride for LGBTQ Pride Month this year also.
On her Facebook page, on June 2, 2021 Mars wrote:
“Happy pride, y’all!!! To all my LGBTQ+ family, friends, and clients: I see you, I love you, and I will never stop fighting for you.”
Mars is the wife of an active Orthodox priest in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOAA).
Mars, Presbytera Mari Marilisse, is married to Fr. Christos P. Mars who currently serves at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Atlanta, Georgia.
The presvytera’s behavior says more about her husband than it does her, to be honest.
Has no one reported her to Metropolitan Alexios?
Petros,
Ha, that’s a good one. What makes you think Met. Alexios doesn’t know already?
When comments like this πρεσβυτέρα’s show up in this fashion, it’s not to shock as in “OMG I’m saying something that should shock faithful Orthodox Christians.”
No, it’s well past that.
It’s the challenge: “Yeah, this is what I’m saying out loud and this is what I believe. So what? Now whaddya gonna do about it?”
This πρεσβυτέρα probably knows well from her own experience that the answer will be an impotent “nothing at all.”
It’s the same thing when Time published that piece in February about how multiple forces colluded to prevent Trump from being reelected in November 2020. It wasn’t to shock people about what they did – it was rather to say, “Yeah, so what, now whaddya gonna do about it?”
Time and time again — whether it’s this πρεσβυτέρα in Atlanta or “Fr” Christopher Calin in Manhattan making the former Met. Leonty roll over in his grave if he were aware who’s now at his 2nd street cathedral — this “yeah, so what, now whaddya gonna do about it” stuff happens in American Orthodoxy a lot. Too much. The actors do it with impunity. Nothing ever happens to them.
Orthodoxy isn’t relative. We’re too absorbed in relative American style Protestantism to be aware of it many times. What priest has ever said at confession to a penitent, “well I suppose you’re not as bad as that guy over there.”
What’s appropriate social behavior for Orthodox Christians in Belgrade or Chios or St Petersburg is also appropriate social behavior in New York or Omaha or San Diego. It’s not relative.
If a priest’s wife shouldn’t say this stuff in Bucharest, then she shouldn’t say it in Atlanta.
Does she buy the leftist BS that Orthodox Christians will have blood on our hands from mass LGBTQQWERTY suicides if we don’t give affirmation in the LGBTQ-Trans behaviors that draw people away from God? Total garbage. But many fall for it.
Evidently she does buy this garbage. And she’s saying “Yeah so what?” Because she knows ain’t no one with any authority gonna call her on it. And embarrassingly, she’s right. Particularly not in the GOA or in the east/west coast OCA. Pathetic.
Then WE should be blitzing Met. Alexios or her husband. I’m sure there have been people at the cathedral in ATL who have complained. We need to start letting our voices be know and shame her
I don’t think shaming is ever a good option…. it’s my opinion that shaming is always uniformly toxic. Shaming, recall, is saying “you are a bad person” or “there is something wrong with you.” This is very different than saying “your behavior is wrong but we love you as a person.”
Most of us are hard-wired to reflexively resist shame and throw up walls to block it whenever our bodies sense it come in. Which is why shaming never works and is always toxic.
All this πρεσβυτέρα needs is for her husband’s bishop or for a handful of well-respected clergy in her husband’s diocese to come to her and say, rather dispassionately, “that sort of talk is not tolerated in our Church. If you fully believe this LGBTQwerty-trans stuff and need to scream it out loud, then being a πρεσβυτέρα in our Orthodox Church is not for you. After all, a πρεσβυτέρα is very much a leadership position.”
However, we know that it’s more likely to see a cow fly over the moon than for that to happen. It’s tragic. If this πρεσβυτέρα’s bishop or respected clergy in her diocese believe that they had something OF VALUE to PROTECT in their Church, then they would do this in a heartbeat. But they don’t, so with delusional, misguided “kindness”, they do nothing, and then this πρεσβυτέρα helps to bring the GOA closer and closer to becoming the ECUSA or PCUSA.
That’s why I fully believe that responsible, serious Orthodox Christians need to flee jurisdictions like the GOA. It will collapse before any serious *metanoia* at the Archdiocesan level will ever happen. Yes metanoia can always happen at the individual or small parish level, but the “movers and shakers” in charge of the large bureaucracy seem to enjoy their pseudo-influence too much.
Plus, the GOA has never been led by monastic hierarchs like the Russian Churches in America, who lead with humble humility and, frankly, lead just with love of Christ, His Mother, and the Saints. Think Metropolitan Anastassy, Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), Metropolitan Philaret. The closest the GOA ever got was Abp Iakovos, who was a good man but who got trounced by the globalists in C’ple.
The GOA is run like a business (and it shows). The Russian jurisdictions are run like Orthodox dioceses, which is why the OCA needs to return to its Russian roots, not emulate the Greek Archdiocese. As others have said, it’s clear as day that in a few years the GOA and C’ple will formally become the newest Uniates. The truth hurts sometimes, but there it is.
It’s far better to have painful truth than comfortable lies.
Blessed Pentecost.
Shame is good, as it comes from our realization that we have let the wider community down and have failed in our responsibilities as a Christian. Good, healthy shame can bring someone to repentance, but it needs to come from a heart and mind that are aware of the wider implications of our actions.
Our individualistic society cannot stand shame for this reason, because we are taught to do whatever we want, when we want, and not have to care about consequences. Presvytera here is the fruit of that, and her husband’s lack of action, his “letting her express her opinion,” is the fruit of that.
Shame is good because it holds us to account, and shaming can be good because we need to hold others to account. It needs love, though, and there isn’t much of that around these days.
Someone who truly loved the GRIDS community would tell them that they need to the repent and that the Church is here to help them do that.
Like many things, shame is something that can be used for good and for bad.
But why is the head of the bishops? What gives him the right to be the head? Why isn’t an american born and raised bishop head of the american bishops? This a puzzelment
Because the GOA is suppose to be the “largest” jurisdiction in America (I think that’s why). But if they keep hemorrhaging people that will be nil in less than a decade
Figures lie and liers figure,,,,the question becomes which of the jurisdictions is the most christian,,,,hellenism does not equate to christianity, nor vice versa,,,,,,an american institution should be led by an american born and educated person not tied to a foreign agenda ,,,, we are here in America to bear witness to america
Amen.
George,
What’s happening is the Church is shedding dead weight. God is pruning the vine, or He is allowing the evil one to prune off the deadness – choose your metaphor.
You have a communion of formerly Orthodox churches forming centered around the Phanar including the Greek led churches and Alexandria. Antioch is a wild card, Romania seems to be leaning away from the CP. It is difficult to tell with the New Calendarists where they stand. Same with OCA. You have another communion forming around Jerusalem and the MP consisting of Serbia, Georgia and a few others.
Constantinople v. Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Communion will, of course, simply remain the Church. The strays will vacillate. And the Constantinople Communion will continue to head into a progressive Unia.
I genuinely do not know what Antioch will do. However, the longer they remain aloof from the Jerusalem Communion, the more solidly will Jerusalem’s leadership be cemented. They’re trying to play cagey but may be playing with fire.
Either the OCA will split or it will go with Constantinople. I suspect the Diocese of the South may split off. There may be other conservative pockets but that is the one with which I am most familiar. I’ve warned them all for years that the fruit of heteropraxis is heterodoxy but they just follow a different drummer. They see Old Calendarism as extreme and opt for “normalcy”. Normalcy compared to what?
We are safe and sound, all warm and furry by the hearth.
Russia has propped up the Antiochian Patriarchate, and now Russia will likely have to prop up the Jerusalem Patriarchate also. The Zionists would rather the Jerusalem Patriarchate not exist. For example, the Holy Land Tours promoted by the “Christians United for Israel” doesn’t even include the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in their Jerusalem itinerary.
https://cufi.org/cufiisrael/
Unfortunately, this group is representative of the typical American “Christian” pro-Israeli mentality, likely viewing the Christian Holy sites in Israel as the fraud creations of 12th century Crusaders. For them, the Jerusalem Patriarchate is just another weird anomaly that doesn’t belong there. It’s blind arrogance, and Russia will have to fight against it to keep the Jerusalem Patriarchate propped up.
Rufus,
Well someone has to feed the dhimmis. The US State Department and GOARCH prop up Constantinople as well. They’re all bankrupt slaves to the Muslims. Let’s not kid ourselves.
Quite correct Rufus. A lot of Protestants don’t even believe the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the correct site of Christ’s burial. They believe in that place known as “the Garden Tomb.” It was discovered by the British in the 19th century. It was debunked however by folks who put together the Archaeological Study Bible.
LOL! A pilgrimage to the US Embassy, the ‘Security Wall,’ and and IDF base!
John Hagee and his fellow “Christian” Zionist schmucks have absolutely no interest in Jesus Christ.
You’re right, Basil: Hagee is not only an arch-heretic, he’s a complete idiot –as in useful idiot.
If the OCA splits apart, and I’m hoping that it doesn’t, I know in my gut that 80-90% will remain faithful. The rest can go and be with the EPC if it wants. Good riddance.
Antioch is still out of communion with Jerusalem, as far as I am aware (I check the Patriarchal website occasionally for updates and have never seen one), so that prevents Antioch from having too cozy of relations with Jerusalem.
It really is a parallel situation to Russia-Ukraine in a microcosm, so I wonder if Antioch doesn’t take a strong stand because it is in the same situation. Or maybe they don’t want to further contribute to animosity. As an ancient patriarchal see I do think Antioch has a greater responsibility to the Church, so I do hope she will stand up when the moment calls for it.
I can say that Antioch will never play footsie with the queer agenda like GOARCH is.
Shouldn’t jerusalem be representative of their arab flock and not just be dominated by greek nationals? The melkites and maronites have indigenous bishops,,,so why not jerusalem? Also wasn’t met anastassy a Russian bishop of jerusalem? What is the effect of the Russian mission in jerusalem?
Yes, that is a problem. I have it from people from the region that Arabic speaking Orthodox are being targeted by Uniates, and a lesser extent Protestants, because the faithful can’t even get catechized in their own language. But the Latins are happy to teach them and liturgize in Arabic.
God bless those who stay faithful because the Greek hierarchy is doing almost everything they can to drive them away.
So how can we serve the needs of our dwindling arabic flock,,should the Russian mission challenge the corrupt hellenists
The Jerusalem Patriarchate must/should start promoting Arab clergy or they will soon have a Ukraine situation on their hands thanks the the State Department, don’t think they wont capitalize on that.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that:
https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/947
I am surprised that nobody has posted this video of our “new Eve” here yet: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DqgA-jI72Rs
I see no apple.
Has she eaten it already?
Two Orthodox bishops from canonical jurisdictions in communion with each other met. Is that all?
I am sure you’re right, Antiochene Son they must have ONLY discussed the topics mentioned in the article. I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona you might want to check out sometime!
Are they actually wondering how they can encourage those who are afraid to go back to Church by sitting 6 feet apart?! – Most people don’t talk with a table between them.
In Elpi’s defense, he’s shown a little less concern about these things.
Sadly, the fear isn’t going to lift for some people. They’re going to continue to wear masks and avoid people as much as they can.
If they’re meeting about this it must mean that the coffers of the GOA & AOAA are drying up. But that could just be me.
**Advanced apologies for the text wall**
In my opinion (take with grain of salt), I think things will ramp up come November when Russia formally decides if it will anathematize Patriarch Bartholomew. This also coincides with Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit to America on 11/1 (I think?). He is coming for the official opening of the St. Nicholas “shrine,” which I pray to God He intervenes to stop it because I’m sure it will not only be an affront to St. Nicholas but will be a mockery of Orthodoxy.
We are probably getting ready to see a break in American Orthodoxy, I’m pretty certain the OCA will split, that much seems inevitable, with the Diocese of the South not going along with the charade. I could also see the Diocese of Alaska staying firm, especially if Bishop Alexis is at the helm.
The Antiochians seem like a wild card but I would imagine all of them will be on the “orthodox” side. Outside of the Northeast I have a hard time believing that any jurisdiction will side with GOARCH. I know the Elder Ephraim monasteries are waiting for Constantinople to officially concelebrate with Rome before they decide to leave, but, at what cost? Much spiritual damage/harm can be done with what is already going on.
TBH I think the vast majority of American, and world, Orthodoxy will remain on the Orthodox side. The vast majority of people seem to be disinterested in what the Phanar has to offer.
Take the Church of Alexandria for example, at minimum 90% of that Patriarchate is in Sub-Saharan Africa which is at least a couple of million people, if not much more. Priests there have already petitioned the Church of Russia to accept them. They don’t care about Greek supremacy or superiority, and they will not be siding with Patriarch Theodoros if things get hot.
Even within the Church of Greece and the Church of Cyprus not every bishop/priest is on board with this.
George/Gail, since you all are more in the know on American Orthodoxy than I am given ya’lls connections, would like your input on this as well!
Meant to add: My prediction is that in November the Church of Russia will formally declare Patriarch Bartholomew to be schismatic since he has concelebrated with schismatics. I have a hunch they will also say the same about the other bishops in the Churches of Alexandria/Greece/Cyprus who have concelebrated with the schismatics as well.
I’m sure the Church of Russia will give them chances to repent, but, this draws a line in the sand for the other autocephalous Churches. I think that all of the Slavic Churches plus Albania will side with Russia. Antioch I’m honestly not sure about, they could go either way but I feel they will side with Russia as there is no gain for them to go with Constantinople. Same with Jerusalem, and given the large number of Russian Orthodox living/making pilgrimage to the Holy Land, it would be a bad decision for them to go with Constantinople. The Greek Churches (Greece/Cyprus/Alexandria) will obviously go with Constantinople, but, not without major breaks within each of those Churches.
Petros,
. . . ROC and ROCOR have already excommunicated the Phanar and all those who recognize the OCU. This was done immediately after the so called grant of “autocephaly”. Any such declaration would be redundant.
Now, I do not hold my breath for the ROC to declare the Phanar explicitly heretical. They are, no doubt. However, balls are in short supply among all the hierarchs in this evil generation. What I expect is that permanent anathema will only come when the Phanar formally unites with Rome. That is likely the next shoe to drop.
Now, the Phanar may excommunicate the UOC/MP. That may very well happen this year during a visit to the Ukraine. But Moscow has already severed communion with the CP. We are no longer allowed to commune in CP parishes, for example.
https://mospat.ru/en/news/47059/
For us, the CP, the OCU and all those who recognize the OCU are outside the Church. We do not say their mysteries lack grace and will not until there is at least a local inter-church council formerly condemning their schismatic and heretical actions. But communion is severed and they are not considered part of the canonical Church.
It’s very sad to see but the GOA/EP is quickly going the way of the Dodo.
Alexandria is less of a big deal because maybe the ethnic Greeks in Egypt will follow along, but I highly doubt the Sun-Saharan flock will, they comprise at least 90% of that patriarchate and they don’t care about Greek allegiance
I am very sad about what is happening to the GOA. The article from Helleniscope made me cry.
You will be very upset after you watch this short video by Fr. Peter Heers. I was. I hope everyone here is reading the psalms and God’s Word.
Elpi is not an archbishop. He is a fraud.
Please watch. It’s short and to the point.
https://youtu.be/ul1OmFub9jY
I think that I’m gonna be sick.
Interestingly, following the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre,
Henry III of Navarre fought his way through his rivals to become Henry IV of France.
Having difficulty making his rule stick, he decided that Paris is worth a Mass
and converted to Roman Catholicism – to be later assassinated by a fellow RC.
Henry of Navarre was baptized a Catholic shortly after his birth in 1553. His mother, Jeanne D’Albret, Queen of Navarre (b. 1528, Q. 1555, d. 1572), converted secretly to Protestantism shortly after becoming queen, and in 1560 proclaimed Calvinism the official religion of Navarre. Her son Henry was raised a Protestant, and only escaped death in the aftermath of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre by abjuring Protestantism. For the next four years he was compelled to reside at the French Court, but when he escaped in 1576 he formally abjured Catholicism and returned to Protestantism. He inherited the crown of France after the assassination of King Henry III of France (his very distant cousin) in 1589, but it was not until he reconverted to Catholicism and abjured Protestantism in July 1593 that he was recognized as king by the majority of the French nobility and by Paris and other French municipalities.
As Winston Churchill said when he left the Liberals
to rejoin the Conservatives, from which he had left to join the Liberals:
“Anyone can rat, but it takes a certain amount of ingenuity to re-rat.”
Whatever it was, Henry had it in spades…
Truly.
“Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.
“To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.”
-Ezekiel 9
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
WRONG, OCA archbishop should have not participated. For that matter, OCA should have stayed out of it. Now I understand better why Frs. On Mt Athos are against ecumenism. The bad fruits of ecumenism are showing their colors, uguly.
I couldn’t agree more. Not breaking overall communion for the sake of communion with fellow faithful Greeks is one thing (though it is high time for line to be drawn in the sand, or preferably stone), but serving at this disgraceful event is quite another.
The thing is with these lunatic Christians who take their communions far afield from God, is that they maintain plausible deniability for as long as they possibly can.
Yes, the liturgy was in an Episcopalian Church, but only Orthodox clergy celebrated.
Yes, the church was full of non-Orthodox, but they didn’t commune.
Yes, there was a homosexual flag outside the church, but they were only guests.
Yes, this was syncretistic ecumenism, but nobody denied Orthodoxy.
Yes, this was a terrible display, but some of the clergy present are solid.
The more this happens, the smaller the leap to “Yes, canons were violated, but we are all brothers in Christ and that’s what matters.”
That already happens, on a regular basis.
If some of the clergy who attended are solid, then why did they attend? Should they not have called it as it was,,,,remember the story of the emperor’s new clothes,,,they should have been like the little boy,,,,otherwise did they not compromise the faith we hold so dear,,,,,if the episcopalians respect us so we’ll, could they not have removed the flag for a day,,,,who is fooling who here
“And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
Acts 11:26
“And the apostates were first called Dialogics in…”
Acts 1910:26
Side note, Gail & George, you should bring back the video format you all did a while back, that was great. Also, you should think about teaming up with Orthodoxy First (YouTube channel) and other Orthodox outlets to tackle the problems in the Church. That is something that is specifically talked about on Orthodoxy First quite a bit
Good ideas, Petros!
An issue that I have not seen addressed here: one can voice opposition to the antics of the GOA, but if your bishop is in communion with the GOA and the EP…….?
That’s why I was saying in my above post why we all should be voicing our opinions to the hierarchs, no matter the jurisdiction
It is incredible that Bartholomew thinks he is some kind of Eastern pope and he can do what he wants. He can only dream but reality is that the Church is One Orthtodox Church and his dirty work would not go through as it did not in 1054
Wow– let’s celebrate the Supreme Court 9-0 decision on that adoption case out of Philadelphia!
I’m celebrating! That unanimous vote encourages me that there is sanity on at least one issue.
“The faithful people of God will be attacked with all kinds of lies. They will be told to accept union with Rome, with schismatics, with Protestants and even non-Christian faiths. There will be bishops who abandon the faith, and there will be those who stay true to the Church. But there will always be faithful people who refuse to follow heretics. The people recognise a true bishop when God sends them one. The Orthodoxy of a bishop is felt in everything he does, not just his words, but his love of truth, his defence of tradition, and the people see this for what it is. I have great confidence in our ordinary laity, thanks be to God for their simple faith.” – Father M. quoted in Fr. Spyridon Bailey’s book In Search of Holy Russia
Problem with OCA Bishops is that they were born in US 🙂 and is very hard for them to grasp Orhtodox Chruch. As long as they dont recongnize shisamtics in Ukraine they are fine in the Church because they represent people in US who are born in unorthodox world and you can not excpect from them same as from Serbiians or Romaninas or Russians etc who were born Orthoodx.
“Trouble with Scotland is that it’s full of Scots!”
…and thistles!
One has to wonder how the GOA or OCA can forbid Orthodox Weddings from taking place in venues that are not Orthodox Churches when they celebrate the Eucharist as described in this article?
Remember, most people do not leave the Church because they reject following its teachings. They leave Church because they see the Church’s leaders reject those teachings.
True.
Those are great points.
Ouch!
This is very wicked. How can true Orthodox remain in communion with these wicked apostate jurisdictions?
Dear Ms. Sheppard:
I appreciate your efforts. I’m a cradle Episcopalian and a former Anglican priest who is a late-in-life convert to Orthodoxy. This abominable action by our archbishop got my back up, so I decided to write an essay on it and then created a weblog to post the essay.
If you’re so inclined, please take a look:
https://wordpress.com/post/weborthodox.com/42
I’m new to blogging, so if that doesn’t look right, try this:
https://weborthodox.com/2021/06/26/elpidophoros/?preview_id=42&preview_nonce=ef8632dba9&preview=true
Thanks,
Lawrence B. Wheeler
Great essay! Loved it!
Good. I’m glad to hear that because I spent a lot of time on it. I’m just getting started with WordPress. Which of the two links that I posted on your site worked for you? Or, did they both?
Bottom worked. Top leads to your login.
Excellent essay, btw, Fr. , however, I am reminded of the joke of the two old men talking in the rear of the nave of an Episcopal Cathedral. The earth goddess Gaia had just been carried in on a bier by the parish council preceded by the incensing priest vested in a dashiki and led by African tribal dancers, surrounded by Pride flags. One ole boy says to the other: “That’s it!, if they change just one more thing I’m outta here!”
The time to flee the GOA is now. It is in the same death throes that afflicted the Episcopal Church. The time has long since passed to flee the Episcopal Church and Anglicanism in general. Those of us who saw the implosion of Anglicanism understand that there is no good ending to the story of believers remaining in the GOA. GOA is committed to apostasy. Committed. Just like the Episcopalians, just a slightly different flavor.
Do not let the economia of the rest of the Church fool you. The GOA leadership are already apostate. Reluctance to curse them for heresy should not be interpreted as evidence that they remain of an Orthodox phronema. We are merely maintaining, for better or worse, that the matter of expulsion from the Church is very grave and should be undertaken slowly and with the utmost patience and deliberation because ultimately it affects all of the faithful under Constantinople, et al.
For in the end, the break will be final, permanent and alter the trajectory of souls as well as the contours of the Body of Christ.
For me, only the second link worked. Since you’re at the very start of your blogging journey, may I humbly suggest trying a different name. Maybe it’s just me, but the current name seems a little sterile/bland, for what I’m sure will be a lively place of discussion. A few other points on formatting and the general look of things, but these I’m sure you’ll learn how to fix soon enough.
The article itself is good, and well written. Bravo!
I clicked on the bottom link, which worked. But this is a cleaner link, which I got by just cropping off the excess stuff and hitting Return.
https://weborthodox.com/2021/06/26/elpidophoros/