On Internal Divisions in the Church

 On Internal Divisions in the Church

by Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky

The unity of the Church is not violated because of temporary divisions of a non-dogmatic nature. Differences between Churches arise frequently out of insufficient or incorrect information. Also, sometimes a temporary breaking of communion is caused by the personal errors of individual hierarchs who stand at the head of one or another local Church; or it is caused by their violation of the canons of the Church, or by the violation of the submission of one territorial ecclesiastical group to another in accordance with anciently established tradition. Moreover, life shows us the possibility of disturbances within a local Church which hinder the normal communion of other Churches with the given local Church until the outward manifestation and triumph of the defenders of authentic Orthodox truth. Finally, the bond between Churches can sometimes be violated for a long time by political conditions, as has often happened in history. In such cases, the division touches only outward relations, but does not touch or violate inward spiritual unity.

- Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky, Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, A Concise Exposition (Platina, CA: Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1984), p. 235. Translated from the original Russian edition published Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY, in 1963, and revised by the author in 1973.