The Teaching of the Ecumenical Councils on Defilement by Heresy and the Validity of the Holy Mysteries

The Teaching of the Ecumenical Councils on Defilement by Heresy and the Validity of the Holy Mysteries

 

“Saint John Chrysostom said that not only do we call heretics enemies of God, but also those who are in communion with them, he said this firmly, with a loud and powerful voice.” [493]

“On the one hand, they have completely shipwrecked in regard to the faith, and even if they have not sunk through their thoughts, nevertheless they have entirely fallen through the communion with heresy.” [494]

"Even if someone has received all the money in the world, if he is in communion with heresy, he cannot be a friend of God, but an enemy. And what do I mean by communion? He will be accountable for eating, drinking, and friendship with heretics. This is the decision of Saint John Chrysostom and of any other Saint (meaning all the Saints)." [495]

"I beg you, from now on, guard yourselves against the soul-destroying heresy, for communion with it is estrangement from Christ the Lord." [496]

He interprets what defilement through heresy means: "although the one who enters into communion with the (still) uncondemned heretic is Orthodox in mind, he is defiled by any kind of communion with them, even for food, drink, and friendship maintained with heretics he will be accountable," so defilement is shared condemnation with the heretic.

In other words, the heretic is an enemy of God, and the Orthodox, through communion with him, also becomes an enemy of God.

The heretic has shipwrecked in regard to the faith and therefore he is lost, meaning he will be condemned, he will go to hell. The Orthodox who are in communion with him have not failed in regard to the faith, but still, they will also be lost, will be condemned, will go to hell, it is understood that if they does not repent and does not stop doing this (that is, being in communion with heresy). So the principle of communicating vessels, meaning that heresy has consequences for the heretic himself, exactly the same happens with the Orthodox who are in communion with him. Here we have a complete identity of the teaching of Venerable Theodore the Studite with that of Saint Basil the Great (for whom he had such great reverence and whom he followed), of Saint John of Damascus, of the Holy Athonite Fathers from the time of the Latin-minded Patriarch John Vekkos, of the Fifth Ecumenical Council, and of the entire Church.

Moreover, Venerable Theodore himself says this: "This is the decision of Saint John Chrysostom and of all the Saints." It is the "consensus Patrum" (consensus of the Holy Fathers).

The fact is that the Orthodox are defiled if they are in communion with the heretic. And one more thing, all the texts we have seen do not leave room for certain exceptions, meaning sometimes the Orthodox are defiled and in other situations, they are not defiled by communion with heresy.

Whenever there is communion with heresy, as long as it exists, defilement also coexists; if the communion ceases, then the defilement also ceases.

"Therefore, together with this greeting, I considered it necessary to remind your reverence, so that knowing that heresy exists, you may flee from heresy, that is, from heretics, so that you neither commune with them, nor commemorate them in the Holy Liturgy in your very well-known monastery, because there are many threats mentioned by the Saints for those who make compromises, even in relation to common meals." [497]

You must flee from heresy, cries and commands Saint Father Theodore and explains what it means: "that is, from heretics." He identifies heresy with heretics. Do not commemorate them, do not commune from them, nor eat together with them; this is a command of the Saints, accompanied by great threats.

And below he states the unique condition and for whom it is valid. "But since the heretical blasphemy has now been openly revealed through the council, it is now necessary for your reverence, together with all Orthodox, not to commemorate any of those who took part in the adulterous council or those who are of one mind with this council.

"Because it is right, venerable father, being in all things as your name says, Theophilus [meaning lover of God], to love God even in relation to this situation. Because Saint John Chrysostom, with a loud voice, called not only heretics enemies of God but also those who are in communion with them…" [498]

The only condition is that the heresy be revealed; here this was done through a council, and this makes them enemies of God, but also Theophilus, to whom the letter was written, and all Orthodox, if they are in communion with the heresy.

There are no exceptions; defilement through heresy does not show partiality, it is valid for everyone and always, without other conditions. Sin remains sin always, regardless of who commits it. Communion with heresy (with heretics not yet condemned by a council) is a sin, according to Saint Theodore the Studite.

If someone does not accept the written texts of Venerable Theodore regarding the adulterous heresy, as not being anathematized by Venerable Meletius the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople, consequently, they should not take seriously the economy that he performed in relation to this heresy.

However, Saint Theodore has exactly the same teaching regarding the Iconoclast heresy. It is a well-known fact how he is praised by the Church for his confessional struggles and that in the Synodikon of Orthodoxy he is called "Venerable."

In other words, he is a teacher of the Church, and the writings of Saint Theodore the Studite were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Concluding the presentation of Saint Theodore's teaching, we would say that our era must learn from his example and teaching. The boundaries he established must not be exceeded for any reason; economy should be used only for the weakness of people, having a therapeutic character, so as to bring the weak one, for whom the economy is made, to exactness.

Economy is used for a period, it is not without limits, and he used it due to the fear of the terrible persecutions of his time.

Exceeding or violating these boundaries means lawlessness [499]: "entirely lawlessness and falsehood."

Economy does not mean the absence of defilement, but there is defilement, which it tries to slowly make disappear, bringing the sick sheep from economy to exactness. In exactness, defilement ceases, there is no more sin, it ceases.

Therefore, it is mandatory to avoid communion with heretics, but also with those who are in communion with them, because not only heretics are enemies of God, according to Saint John Chrysostom and the other Saints. When Venerable Theodore refers to Saint John Chrysostom, he means the entire Church.

Therefore, the Holy Canons, which command us to cease ecclesiastical communion with heretics, are mandatory. Moreover, this is also proven by the use of economy.

"Where have you found this absurd economy, which does not ease the burden of sin, but makes it heavier, which does not save, but delivers to perdition, which does not cleanse, but adds more corruption? Who has ever known such an economy? Because economy is a saving concession, which saves the one who has sinned, extends a helping hand to him, and lifts him from his fall and does not allow him to remain in the fall or push him towards a terrible abyss.

"Economy is the imitation of God's love for man, which snatches from the mouth of the beast, which has rushed upon us, the one who is about to be swallowed by its terrible mouth. Through the divine method of economy, he removes sin and urges its expulsion.

"If someone listens to me, rather than to the Holy Laws, I accept the repentance of those who sin and accept economy for them, but the one that makes the sin ineffective, not the one that prepares it to act.

"Because it is impossible that, committing the sin and at the same time rejoicing that he is granted economy regarding the sin, he is also given permission to live together with the sin. For this is rather of the one who mocks and ridicules the help of economy and not of the one who benefits from economy." [500]

Once, when a spiritual son told him that he was obliged by a certain "officer" to sing together with heretics and to eat the food that they had "sealed," especially with the danger that he could not escape from that officer in any other way, Venerable Theodore replied: "and regarding this, we will not answer you in haste, because exactness completely excludes anyone with a right mind from being a partaker with heretics, and not to enter into food, drink, or any relationship of friendship with them. Knowing these things, your reverence should have this good zeal, building the inner structures on the good foundation like gold." [501]

He tells him: build on the good foundation of exactness the inner structures like gold, meaning those of the Holy Spirit. And above he writes: "for in this way you will show your love and connection to God." For in this way you will show your love for Him and that you want to be in communion with Him. The good foundation for all these is exactness!

 

NOTES

493. Idem [St. Theodore the Studite], Epistle 39, "To Abbot Theophilus," in P.G. vol. 99, col. 1049.

494. Idem [St. Theodore the Studite], Epistle 15, "To the Patriarch of Jerusalem," in P.G. vol. 99, col. 1164.

495. Idem [St. Theodore the Studite], Epistle 32, "To the son Thalaleus," in P.G. vol. 99, col. 1205.

496. Idem [St. Theodore the Studite], Epistle 60, in P.G. vol. 99, col. 1276.

497. Idem [St. Theodore the Studite], Epistle 39, "To Abbot Theophilus," in P.G. vol. 99, col. 1054.

498. In E.P.E., The Philokalia, vol. 18B, pp. 199-201.

499. Here we are allowed to ask a question, driven by Epistle 49: "if the bishop did not participate in the adulterous council and calls it a false assembly," by saying this, does Venerable Theodore exonerate those bishops of today's era who with their mouths speak about the "false assembly, about the council of Crete" (2016), but with their hands have distributed the encyclical called To the people, exonerating this council, as well as the dialogues with heretics? The answer is left to the reader's discretion.

500. Saint Nicholas I Mystikos, Epistle 32, "Nicholas, Archbishop of Constantinople, to the Most Holy Pope of the Mother City Rome, concerning the fourth marriage illegally accepted by the Romans," in P.G. volume 111, columns 212-213.

501. Epistle 174, "To the Founder Philotheos," in P.G. volume 99, col. 1544.

 

Father Antim's note: Regarding the sentence on page 317, the last paragraph ("Economy is used for a period, it is not without limits, and he used it due to the fear of the terrible persecutions of his time."), we, the priests who have separated ourselves from the heresy of ecumenism, must be very careful and attentive, because, as the Saint says, there were terrible persecutions through deportations, imprisonment, tortures, because they opposed the council of that time, and we are not in the same situation as then, laypeople and priests (persecuted as they were in the time of the Saint), so we do not have the same justification to exercise economy as the Saint did.

 

Source: Învățătura Sinoadelor Ecumenice despre întinarea prin erezie și validitatea Sfintelor Taine [The Teaching of the Ecumenical Councils on Defilement by Heresy and the Validity of the Holy Mysteries], by Hieromonk Eugenios, (Sf. Gheorghe: The Association "Friends of Saint Ephraim the New," 2020), pp. 314-320. Romanian edition of the Greek original.

Online: https://stranaortodoxa.wordpress.com/2022/02/09/invatatura-sinoadelor-ecumenice-despre-intinareaprin-erezie-si-validitatea-sfintelor-taine/