Posts

Two Letters of St. Philaret on Elder Tavrion of Glinsk Hermitage

Two Letters of St. Philaret the New Confessor on Archimandrite Tavrion (Batozsky) of Glinsk Hermitage (+1978) Letter No. 1 September 9/22, 1980 Dear Father Herman [Podmoshensky], I am sending you material for printing which I have received from a novice of Lesna Convent, Maria Erastova. It is about the last elder of Glinsk Hermitage, Archimandrite Tavrion. According to the information which I have, this wise and pious elder belonged at first to the Catacomb Church; but seeing how the believing people were scattered like sheep without a shepherd, he joined the official church, but in his activity, he stood absolutely apart from it, giving all his strength to the spiritual guidance of believing souls. The Erastova family knew him well and made use of his spiritual guidance. May God help you. Peace be to you and the brethren.  With love, Metropolitan Philaret - Letter of Metropolitan Philaret of New York to Abbot Herman (Podmoshensky) of St. Herman of Alaska Monastery, Platina, CA. Pu...
Post a Comment
Read more
Contribution to the Dialogue on the Mysteries of the Church of Christ Monday, December 3, 2018 Comment from "Secret School": In recent days, an online dialogue has been taking place regarding the validity of the Mysteries. The positions of our blog are well known, and we do not intend to write anything new on the matter. From the recent articles that have been published, we agree with the writings of Panagiotis Simatis ("Thoughts on Valid and Invalid Mysteries") and Fr. Paisios Papadopoulos ("RESPONSE TO THOSE WHO CLAIM THAT THE MYSTERIES PERFORMED BY THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN CONDEMNED BY A COUNCIL ARE INVALID"), whose positions align with ours, as they have already been expressed in the past by our own theologians (former Metropolitan of Florina St. Chrysostomos, Fr. Theodoretos [Mavros], Aristotle Delimbasis, etc.). However, on the matter, we are publishing a text sent to us by our brother and collaborator, Mr. Dionysios Polymenopoulos. The issue of t...
Post a Comment
Read more

2013 Letter of Metropolitan Cyprian II to Metropolitan Agafangel

2013 Letter of Metropolitan Cyprian II (Holy Synod in Resistance) to Metropolitan Agafangel (ROCOR-A) (Letter of Metropolitan Cyprian II of Oropos and Fili, sent in response to the greeting of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia regarding his election as Primate of the Synod in Resistance. In this letter, it is specifically stated that the Synod in Resistance fully adheres to the ecclesiology outlined by the Old Calendar Bulgarian Church, which is included in the appendix. [https://www.imoph.org/pdfs/2013/05/29/E20130519aEkklesTheseisBulgaria.pdf]   To His Eminence, the Most Reverend Agafangel, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Odessa, Ukraine. October 11, 2013 (Ecclesiastical Calendar) Fili, Attica. Holy Apostle and Deacon Philip   MESSAGE OF PEACE   Your Eminence, beloved brother in Christ and our concelebrant, Metropolitan Agafangel, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Divine Grace and Walling Off

  Divine Grace and Walling Off by Nikolaos Mannes Whenever a heresy has made an appearance in the Church, according to all that we read in Church history, the Orthodox expeditiously (or gradually, within a reasonable interval of time) broke communion with the exponents of the heresy; that is, they proceeded to wall themselves off from them. The Orthodox who walled themselves off were not content with breaking communion, but undertook a great and sacred struggle for the suppression of the heresy by its condemnation and by the expulsion of  unrepentant heretics  from the Church by way of the convocation of a Major Synod. This Major Synod constituted the culmination of that sacred struggle. [1] Nowhere in Church history do we read that a connection was ever made between Divine Grace and walling-off. Walling-off occurred so that the Orthodox might not become participants in heresy! How the Church was then to receive back into Her bosom the heretics condemned at a Major Synod ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Concerning so-called "Cyprianism"

  Concerning “Cyprianism” On the Occasion of a Document Issued by the “Russian True Orthodox Church”   by Nikolaos Mannis 1. A short time ago [2017], the Synod of the Russian True Orthodox Church (RTOC), under Archbishop Tikhon [of Omsk and Siberia], deposed five of its clergy “for Cyprianism.” 1 Now, what is this “Cyprianism,” in the opinion of the RTOC? A document issued by the RTOC provides an analysis of the doctrine in question. 2 According to this document, “Cyprianism” is, supposedly, a heretical teaching that not only acknowledges the existence of Divine Grace in the realm of the so-called “official” Churches, but also pardons their heresies, inaugurating a new relationship between the Church and heresy. “Cyprianism” is expressed (in the opinion of the RTOC, of course) in the following three basic positions: a. that local Synods do not have the competence to excommunicate heretics from the Church; b. that only Ecumenical or Pan-Orthodox Synods have the competence ...
Post a Comment
Read more