"Let us stand well, let us stand with fear, let us attend!"
The undersigned, members of the National Orthodox Synaxis of clergy, monks, and laypeople joined through the cessation of commemorating hierarchs who approved the decisions of the false synod in Crete, desiring to wage the good fight for the defense of the true faith and to guard ourselves against the danger of slipping into schismatic thinking and attitude, confess the following:
1. We are and remain members of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Church of our ancestors, ours and of our descendants. The purpose of our struggle is to distance ourselves from the ecumenist heresy and to raise awareness within the fullness of the Romanian Church about the danger of this heresy infiltrating the church life, thereby generating a reaction meant to compel the hierarchy to condemn the synod in Crete as one that institutionalized ecumenism on a pan-Orthodox level and to initiate the steps for the withdrawal of the Romanian Orthodox Church from all local, national, regional, and global ecumenical organizations.
2. We refrain from considering all members of the Romanian Orthodox Church who still maintain communion with ecumenist hierarchs as heretics. We make the necessary distinction between those who exhibit overtly heretical thinking, built over decades of ecumenist propaganda and expressed through wholehearted acceptance of ecumenism and the decisions of Crete – in the case of hierarchs, and solidarity with their decisions in the case of clergy and laity with ecumenist mentalities – and those who are in communion (participation) with them for reasons other than attachment to ecumenical values: fear, ignorance, lack of proper information, an inability to understand what transpired in Crete, etc. We treat those with heretical thinking as condemnably heretical, though not yet condemned by an ecumenical or pan-Orthodox synod of the Orthodox Church. We urge them to repent, to forsake and condemn ecumenism, and to return to the Orthodox mindset of the Church. As for those still in communion with them, we advise them to acquire accurate information regarding the deceitful synod in Crete. After a serious contemplation of the effects of the ecumenist heresy on salvation and the life of the Church, in full freedom of their own conscience, they should cease communion with the ecumenist heresy and those who propagate it within our Church by refraining from commemorating their names. It is known that the Holy Fathers concur that heretics and those in communion with them are equally enemies of God, and participation in heresy, regardless of the reason that generates it, is the beginning of the fall and the formation of heretical thinking and practice.
3. We do not subscribe to the notion that all bishops of the Orthodox Church worldwide are compromised, or that currently there are no longer any Orthodox hierarchs anywhere, or that all Orthodox Churches are ecumenist. We acknowledge and respect both the struggle waged by Orthodox Churches that have ceased participation in the ecumenical movement and have declined to take part in the synod in Crete for this reason, as well as the witness of hierarchs who openly oppose ecumenism and the decisions made in Crete. We beseech the benevolent God to strengthen them in order to convene an Orthodox synod of the entire Church that would condemn ecumenism, the synod in Crete, and, by name, those who support them.
4. We agree that the calendar change in 1924 was an ecumenical action that fractured the liturgical unity of Orthodox believers everywhere. We believe that a return to the patristic calendar can only be accomplished through a decision of the Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, or of a pan-Orthodox or ecumenical synod with authority for all Orthodox faithful worldwide. We believe that a unilateral, personal, or group return to the old calendar would, at this moment, create the same division that its change caused a century ago.
5. In liturgical life, we urge adherence to the calendars published by the eparchies of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Regarding various allowances concerning fasting and the consumption of fish in these calendars, or other uncertainties, we recommend to those who wish to follow the rigor that the Church has always upheld in fasting or celebrating holidays, without the relaxations introduced in recent decades, to consult with spiritual fathers who are knowledgeable about the ancient regulations of the Typikon.
6. We affirm that the suspension of commemorating ecumenist hierarchs does not in any way suspend the canonical legislation of the Orthodox Church, which remains obligatory for all in its correct, centuries-old interpretation by the Church, and not by each individual employing it. We distance ourselves from any deviation in theological thinking, language, or behavior under the pretext of combating the ecumenist heresy, as being motivated by examples misunderstood or taken out of context from those who fought against various heresies in the Church in the past. In this regard, we encourage all those who have suspended commemoration to adopt a balanced and reserved theological language, in a spirit of peace, intended to especially encourage those who think in an Orthodox manner and are preparing to break communion with the heresy and its promoters. Additionally, it should also encourage those who have not yet taken a stance on ecumenism to view our struggle as a good fight rather than an intolerant or loveless attitude.
7. We respect the principles of the fight against ecumenism outlined in the Resolution of the Synaxis at Botoșani on June 18, 2017,* and the decisions adopted during the meeting at Beiuș on September 12, 2017.** We also respect and support the priests who have been canonically excommunicated for their Orthodox confession and continue non-commemoration until the hierarchy disavows and condemns the synod in Crete and takes measures to withdraw our Church from all ecumenical organizations. We only participate in meetings and synaxes organized legitimately, with a broad consensus among the members of the National Orthodox Synaxis regarding the opportunity and necessity of their convocation, expressed in the spirit of peace and collaboration, for the purpose of serving Christ and His Church together.
8. We consider the continuation of efforts to inform the clergy and faithful of the Romanian Orthodox Church about the seriousness of the documents of the synod in Crete to be of paramount importance. These efforts can take various forms: articles, sermons, books, pamphlets, conferences, public or private discussions, and more. In this spirit, we are open to an honest dialogue with ecclesiastical authorities concerning what transpired in Crete, in order to find a solution to the current crisis.
9. We affirm our willingness to participate in national or inter-Orthodox activities aimed at consolidating an attitude among Orthodox hierarchs, clergy, and believers, with the purpose of convening a pan-Orthodox or ecumenical synod to condemn ecumenism, the synod in Crete, and specifically those who support them.
10. We recommend to all the clergy and faithful who have suspended commemoration to dedicate themselves to the liturgical and prayerful life, and to fulfilling the Gospel commandments, through which spiritual renewal and ascent are achieved, rather than engaging in futile theological speculations and debates that risk causing division among those who embarked on the same path with the same goal. We emphasize the need for unity, brotherhood, and coherence in the confession of those who have suspended commemoration, so that our example may be worthy of emulation by all those who wish to take a stand against ecumenism.
These principles will be proposed for public discussion and then subjected to the analysis of the other members of the National Orthodox Synaxis during the next legitimate quarterly meeting. At that time, they may be modified or supplemented by those members, and if they attain the necessary agreement of the majority of the Synaxis members, they will be incorporated into a resolution to which the faithful can express their adherence. This will occur within a legitimately organized synaxis with the participation of clergy and believers who have suspended commemoration of ecumenist hierarchs.
May God help us!
Hieromonk Grigorie Sanda
Priest Archimandrite Stavr. Ioan Ungureanu
Priest Cosmin Florin Tripon
Priest Claudiu Buză
Monk Chiriac Cioi
Theologian Mihai-Silviu Chirilă
** http://ortodoxinfo.ro/2017/11/06/preotii-care-au-intrerupt-pomenirea-ierarhilor-deciziile-intalnirii-de-lucru-de-la-beius/
Source: https://www.marturisireaortodoxa.ro/sa-stam-bine-sa-stam-cu-frica-sa-luam-aminte/
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