The Beginning of... a Dilemma

 Nikolaos Mannis

The beginning of a... dilemma

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

 

These days, a good friend sent me to listen to someone, Fr. Joseph Koutsouris, in the following video on the channel "Απαρχή":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwJ-bThwUm8

In this video, Fr. Joseph claims that Ecumenism is an imaginary heresy, which "its opponents created," who "demonized the West, the World Council of Churches, and the Union of Christians," initially accusing Patriarch Athenagoras completely unjustly since "he did not make any scandalous move." These opponents "ignited the powder keg of fundamentalism," "injected consciences with false enemies" and lies like "Papism is plotting against us," and eventually became "pawns, worthy collaborators and disciples of the devil, whom they even surpassed"!!!

In this post, I have gathered some individuals who, according to Fr. Joseph Koutsouris, are deceived "disciples of the devil" who fought against the "Church" with their statements, which are completely contrary to those of Fr. Joseph -

Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Chrysostomos Chatzistavrou (+1968):

"Let the Orthodox Greek people consider where they are being led by this new theory of Ecumenism. They are called to abandon divinely inspired and centuries-old dogmas and traditions and to be indifferent to the consequences and impacts on religious indifference... And here is how the same Apostle describes the modern wicked and deceivers of the 'Ecumenical movement' in the Spirit: 'But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived' (2 Tim. 3:13)" (Orthodoxos Typos, issue 81/November 1967).

Saint Justin Popović (+1979):

"Ecumenism is a common name for the pseudo-Christianities, for the pseudo-churches of Western Europe. Within it lies the heart of all European humanisms, with Papism at the head. All these pseudo-Christianities, all these pseudo-churches, are nothing but one heresy alongside another heresy. Their common evangelical name is pan-heresy" (The Orthodox Church and Ecumenism, publication of the Monastery of Archangels, Ćelije, Valjevo - Serbia, p. 224).

Saint Philotheos Zervakos (+1980):

"My humble opinion, regarding the unifying spirit toward the pan-heresy of Ecumenism, which pervades the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is that we, as Orthodox Christians and especially as monks, ought to follow not our own opinion, but the opinion of our Holy Fathers, Prophets, Apostles, Teachers, and preachers of our true faith... Fruitless works of darkness are sins of all kinds and heresies, and the ultimate pan-heresy of Ecumenism, which the workers of darkness deceitfully offer us with cunning and guile, in order to poison and kill our immortal souls" (To an Athonite Monk - Feb. 1977).

Metropolitan Iakovos Malliaros of Mithymna (+1984):

"...they ask us how we continue to commemorate the name of the Ecumenical Patriarch. These questions were submitted to us long before other brethren ceased, rightly in our opinion, this commemoration. And all these things happen because of the blatant disregard—in the name of the much-vaunted unity—of the sacred canons through the promotion of the new heresy of Ecumenism... Therefore, let us be vigilant and take up the sword of the Spirit, so that we may cut off the head of the Ecumenism that threatens holy Orthodoxy and immortal Greece" (Orthodoxos Typos, no. 120/May 20, 1970).

Fr. Epiphanios Theodoropoulos (+1989):

"Under the accursed Ecumenism, not just one heresy is hidden. What is hidden is the very denial of the revelatory character of the Christian Faith. In this respect, Ecumenism is worse than any heresy. ...all other heresies pale in comparison to the monstrosity of Ecumenism" (The Two Extremes, pp. 26-27).

Saint Porphyrios (+1991):

"Do not be afraid, the Pope's intentions have always been to subjugate the Orthodox Church, and the day will come when the dialogue will be canceled; nothing will come of it; besides, the Uniates, this Trojan horse (note: while for Fr. Iosif Koutsouris the 'Trojan horse' is the Anti-Ecumenists, for Saint Porphyrios the 'Trojan horse' is the Uniates, that is, the Unionists like Fr. Iosif!), it is clear as day that what interests him is for the Orthodox to recognize the Pope as their head and nothing more" (Elder Porphyrios, Anthology of Counsels, Milesi, 2003, pp. 229, 290).

Saint Paisios of Mount Athos (+1994):

"...my writings are nothing but an expression of my deep sorrow for the course and, unfortunately, worldly love of our father Mr. Athenagoras. It seems he has fallen in love with another modern woman, called the Papal Church, because our Orthodox Mother does not impress him at all, as she is too modest... With this kind of worldly love, our Patriarch reaches Rome. While he should first show love to us, his children, and to our Mother Church, he has unfortunately sent his love far away. The result was that he comforted all the worldly children, who love the world and have this worldly love, but scandalized all of us, the children of Orthodoxy, both young and old, who have the fear of God. To my sorrow, among all the pro-unionists I have met, I have not seen any of them with even a trace of spiritual substance, neither inside nor outside. However, they know how to talk about love and unity, while they themselves are not united with God, because they have not loved Him" (Testimonies of Pilgrims, Elder Paisios the Athonite, vol. A', 3rd ed., p. 508, published by Nikolaos Zournatzoglou).

"Ecumenism, and the common market, one large state, one religion to suit them. These are plans of the devils" (Elder Paisios the Athonite, Words, vol. B' - Spiritual Awakening, Holy Monastery 'Evangelist John the Theologian,' Souroti, Thessaloniki 1999, p. 176).

"I was struck by what a bishop from the Patriarchate told me. I had said to him: 'What is this situation? On one side, Ecumenism, on the other, Zionism, Satanism!... Soon we will be worshipping the devil with two horns instead of the double-headed eagle'" (ibid. p. 230).

"The devil has three tentacles. For the poor, communism; for the faithful, ecumenism; and for the rich, masonry" (Hieromonk Makarios, Elder Paisios the Athonite, Words of Wisdom and Grace, Mount Athos, p. 73).

Saint Ephraim Katounakiotis (+1998):

"...I went to my cell and prayed, asking Christ to inform me what Ecumenism is. I received His answer, which is that Ecumenism has a spirit of malice and is dominated by unclean spirits" (Testimony of Fr. Ephraim Katounakiotis to Professor Dimitrios Tselengidis, Parakatathiki magazine, March – April 2016).

Professor Andreas Theodorou (+2004):

"Ecumenism is not a heresy or pan-heresy, as it is usually characterized. It is something much worse than pan-heresy. Heresies were obvious enemies of the Church. The Church could fight against them and defeat them. However, Ecumenism is indifferent to dogmas and the doctrinal differences of the Churches. It is an overstepping, an amnesty, an overlooking—if not a legalization and justification—of heresies. It is a deceitful enemy, and from this precisely comes the deadly danger" (from the pamphlet Ecumenism, Holy Monastery of Parakletos, Oropos, Attica, 2007).

Fr. Athanasios Mitilinaios (+2006):

"Ecumenism is a great, great danger. The ultimate danger. There is no greater one. As I told you, Fr. Justin Popović says that Ecumenism is the pan-heresy. We must be very careful. Don’t say, 'But isn’t it good?' Do you know what arguments will be used? What 'logical' (in quotes) and 'beautiful' arguments will be made in favor of the union of the churches? 'Why shouldn't we want peace?' 'Why shouldn't we be united?' 'Why, when all this seems so beautiful?' 'Doesn’t God want us to be united?' Be careful. There is also the 'peace' of thieves, and there is the 'peace' of demons. It is not the peace of God, and it is not the unity of God" (Homily on 15-01-1990).

Archbishop Christodoulos Paraskevaidis of Athens (+2008):

"Ecumenism, as this term has come to be signified, is certainly a heresy because it means the renunciation of basic characteristics of the Orthodox faith, such as, for example, the acceptance of the branch theory—that is, the idea that each Church has a portion of the truth and that all the churches must unite, putting these portions of truth together to form the whole. We believe that Orthodoxy is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Period, there is no discussion on this; therefore, anyone who advocates otherwise may be called an ecumenist and thus a heretic" (Interview on the Church Radio Station, 24-5-1998).

Metropolitan Augoustinos Kantiotis, former of Florina (+2010):

"If the primary reason for which Ecumenical Councils are convened is heresy, there is indeed a serious reason for an Ecumenical Council to be convened. Apart from the other errors and heresies that need to be condemned, there is also the heresy of heresies, called ecumenism. Its stain has affected not a few, reaching even Mount Athos" (Christian Spark, issue 344/July-Sept. 1971).

For the sake of brevity, I omitted the statements on Ecumenism made by hundreds of other Hierarchs, Monks, Theology Professors, and other..."pawns of the devil" (according to Fr. Joseph).

After all this, I understand that the choice is very difficult...

Whom should we follow?

The above Saints, bishops, and theologians, or Fr. Joseph Koutsouris?

A great dilemma, isn't it?

 

 

Translated from Greek source: https://krufo-sxoleio.blogspot.com/2024/09/blog-post_18.html