Monday, January 27, 2025

Even Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol has a false view about the cessation of commemoration

 

The Metropolitan of Limassol provokes a global scandal in Orthodoxy

A video 

(here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLMGvt2wzME), 

and two short excerpts in particular, was sent to us at the Katanixi channel: From min. 1:01:30 to 1:15:00 and from 1:21:50 to 1:26:30.

Those who listened to them were frightened and outraged. We, striving to calm them and almost certain that there had been a misinterpretation, watched and re-watched the excerpts carefully and could not believe our ears and eyes.

In the video, unimaginable lies are heard, unfortunately!

A faithful woman (listener of the speech): "I want to ask you about walling off. I am not walled off, and I do not intend to wall off… but I was told that walling off does not remove you from the Church… and the same was done by Saint Paisios."

Metropolitan of Limassol: "When did Saint Paisios do this?"

The faithful woman: "Towards Athenagoras."

Metropolitan of Limassol: "He never did that! Never!"

The faithful woman: "And Augoustinos Kantiotes?"

Metropolitan of Limassol: "Neither Kantiotes! I served with him, I served with him on Mount Athos. He didn’t do anything of the sort. And I served every day with Elder Paisios; when did he wall off? These are lies!"

At another point, the Metropolitan of Limassol is heard saying: "I met Saint Paisios in 1976."

Reasonable questions

Why such persistence and passion in exposing so many lies against Saint Paisios and the blessed Hierarch Metropolitan Augoustinos Kantiotes?

Is it possible to ignore the cessation of commemoration of Patriarch Athenagoras, which took place from 1970 until his death (July 7, 1972)? Have you not read the book published about the Saint, titled "The Life of Elder Paisios the Athonite" by Hieromonk Isaac, in which it literally states:

"For a period (note: Elder Paisios) ceased, along with almost the entire Holy Mountain, the commemoration of Patriarch Athenagoras due to his dangerous overtures towards the Roman Catholics."

Regarding the walling off by the blessed confessor Metropolitan Augoustinos Kantiotes of Florina, the matter is even worse because there is a text composed by Saint Bishop Augustinos himself, titled "Responses on Ecclesiastical Subjects," in which he emphasized that he, along with Metropolitan Ambrosios of Eleftheroupolis and Paul of Paramythia, ceased "entirely canonically" and not "entirely arbitrarily" the commemoration of Patriarch Athenagoras, in accordance with Canon 15 of the First-Second Council [1]:

"If you open the Pedalion and study Canon 15 of the First-Second Council, you will see that we ceased the commemoration of the Patriarch not 'entirely arbitrarily' but 'entirely canonically.' We ceased it after his terrifying statements about the primacy and infallibility of the Pope, about the Filioque, and so on. These anti-Orthodox teachings were proclaimed 'with uncovered head' on a global level and were condemned by numerous Councils. The three Metropolitans of Northern Greece who, with pain of soul, proceeded to cease the commemoration of the Patriarch, declared in a document to the Holy Synod that, if the Patriarch renounced those statements, we would resume commemoration. But, unfortunately, he persisted in his misguided opinions. The fact that the Holy Synod, despite all the pressures it received, did not impose sanctions against us demonstrates that it recognized, deep down, the correctness of our action. This action of ours provided the Patriarchate with a high service because it acted as a brake on the Patriarch, who was rushing headlong toward an inopportune union with the Papists. (Responses on Ecclesiastical Subjects, Athens 1973, p. 49-50).

† Bishop Augustinos"

It is unnecessary to mention more arguments on the subject.

To think positively, if you erred out of ignorance, let us know, and we will provide you with all the necessary information to restore the truth regarding the Saint. Otherwise, is it permissible to tell lies about a Saint about whom you continually proclaim, among other things, that you "knew him personally"?

"I experienced and was with Saint Paisios!!!"

The sanctity of any Elder only increases the disciple's responsibility before God. Sanctity is not a natural phenomenon (like electricity, magnetism, or gravity) to work through induction, nor is there any kind of infallibility that is transmitted in Orthodoxy.

The video is saddening. A Metropolitan, who once filled the faithful with hope for his right thinking, unfortunately falls so dramatically and deafeningly low.

One unanswered question remains. WHY?

Why is the canonical, holy, and patristic walling off attacked with such passion?

Why is the pan-heresy of ecumenism not attacked?

Why does he not take an Orthodox stance for leaving the World Council of Heresies (WCC)?

Why does he not denounce the pseudo-Council of Crete, which recognizes heresies as Churches and paths to salvation?

Why does he not thunder against the new ecclesiology of Patriarch Bartholomew Archontonis, who distributes anti-ecclesiastical and arbitrary autocephalies, hosting the new schism within Orthodoxy?

Whom does His Eminence fear, distorting the facts about canonical walling off while addressing the people, instead of rebuking the enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ?

At the resounding celebration of Saint Demetrius, we wish good repentance to him personally, to the inspired and established guests of the speeches in the homonymous city of Athens, who, instead of an Orthodox refuge, have transformed the parish into a "spiritual hive" for the production and dissemination of unorthodox, unecclesiastical, and ecumenist opinions.

Good Repentance!

[1] https://www.augoustinos-kantiotis.gr/?p=53935


Translated from the original Romanian source, posted November 29, 2024.

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