The Heresy of Fr. Epiphanios Theodoropoulos

      by Dimitris Chatzinikolaou, Assistant Professor at the University of Ioannina

 

Well-meaning and reliable individuals who knew Fr. Epiphanios Theodoropoulos say that he was a virtuous clergyman. He even authored a remarkable book against the accursed Freemasonry, which constitutes a significant contribution to the Church's anti-heretical struggle. Unfortunately, however, it seems that we live in times foretold by the Lord, who said that even the elect would be deceived (Matt. 24:24). A tragic example of this prophecy is Fr. Epiphanios, who proclaimed heresy!

Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite writes: "Heretics are those whose difference directly and immediately concerns faith in God, namely, those who are separated from the Orthodox in faith and dogmas and are entirely estranged" (see Pedalion, Astir edition, p. 588). He further notes that many saints emphasize that even a small deviation from the correct faith constitutes a transgression of God's law, that is, heresy. For example, the Second Ecumenical Council (Canon 7) considers the so-called Quartodecimans to be heretics because they celebrated Pascha not necessarily on a Sunday but on whatever day the moon reached its fourteenth day, even though in other respects they were Orthodox (see Pedalion, p. 163).

But what heresy did Fr. Epiphanios proclaim? In his well-known book, The Two Extremes: Ecumenism and Zealotry, Fr. Epiphanios writes that the Orthodox can maintain ecclesiastical communion with the heretical Ecumenists and condemns as schismatics the Orthodox of the Patristic Calendar who walled themselves off from the Ecumenist "bishops," whereas, according to the 15th Canon of the First-Second Council, he ought to praise them! (Pedalion, p. 358). Why should he praise them? Because since 1920, the pan-heresy of Ecumenism has been officially taught and implemented on a global level, in word and deed, by "bishops" within the realm of Orthodoxy! One of them proposed that we abolish the dogmas of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation of the Lord, and others, and replace them with new dogmas that would be more acceptable! (Iakovos of America, New York Times, Sept. 25, 1967, p. 40). Another teaches that Christ was not sinless from the beginning but achieved sinlessness "step by step"! (Stylianos of Australia, Voice of Orthodoxy, Vol. 9, No. 12, Dec. 1988). A third proposes that we modify the Holy Canons so that they align with his heretical behavior! (Bartholomew of Constantinople, Doctoral Dissertation, 1970, p. 73). And so on.

Fr. Epiphanios contradicts himself, for on the one hand, he acknowledges that the 15th Canon of the First-Second Council grants the right to wall off (The Two Extremes, p. 75) and that the Canon explicitly states that those who wall off do not create a schism but are worthy of praise. On the other hand, he condemns as schismatics those who exercise this right! For, according to Fr. Epiphanios, the decision to wall off must be made by the "officers" and not the "soldiers" (The Two Extremes, p. 59). By "officers," Fr. Epiphanios refers to the "bishops" who, for many decades, have been in communion with the heresy of Ecumenism, continually applying "economy" (The Two Extremes, p. 111), while he considers the walled-off bishops to be "outside the Church." Fr. Epiphanios also asserts that before a believer denounces the Ecumenist "pseudo-bishops" (a term from the 15th Canon of the First-Second Council), they must answer affirmatively the following question: "Do I believe that the entire Orthodox Church throughout the world has been swallowed up by delusion and that only I and a few others have remained preserving the truth?" (p. 58). In other words, according to Fr. Epiphanios, the denunciation of the "pseudo-bishops" is not permitted until they have completely destroyed the Church!

Over the past two decades, it has been repeatedly and extensively demonstrated that these teachings of Fr. Epiphanios are contrary to the Holy Scripture and the Holy Tradition. Consequently, there is no need to once again cite the hundreds of passages and examples of the behavior of the saints in similar circumstances, which confirm the truth of the matter. Moreover, Saint Mark of Ephesus succinctly and clearly summarizes the Orthodox teaching on this subject as follows: “All the teachers of the Church, all the Councils, and all the divine Scriptures counsel us to flee from those of different mind and to separate ourselves from their communion” (P.G. 160, p. 101).

If Fr. Epiphanios had simply created a new heresy and, like all previous heresiarchs, proselytized followers into it, drawing them away from Orthodoxy, the harm would not be as great as it is now, even if the number of his followers were large. For, as is well known, the Church has always had the power to combat and overcome heresies. Unfortunately, however, the heresy of Fr. Epiphanios causes far greater harm than other heresies. The reason is that it wears an Orthodox façade and consists of deterring the Church's battle against Ecumenism with "real fire," that is, with the denunciation of heretical bishops. It allows only verbal and written protests (The Two Extremes, pp. 73–74), that is, mere "paper warfare," as Professor I. Kornarakis aptly characterized these reactions. In this way, even true soldiers of Christ fall into confusion, are disarmed, immobilized, and the Church's anti-heretical struggle is weakened and paralyzed. As a result, the heresy of Ecumenism prevails, and many select souls are lost, including monks! For all these either accept Ecumenism, deceiving their conscience with the false love rhetoric of the Ecumenists, or disagree with it yet remain in communion with it "until the right time" (The Two Extremes, p. 59). They remain "sighing" (The Two Extremes, p. 69), submitting "until the right time" to "pseudo-bishops," as required by the heresy of Fr. Epiphanios, which has aptly been called "until-the-right-time-ism" [achrikaerismos]. Thus, the heresy of "until-the-right-time-ism" deceives the elect, while other heresies usually attract people who were generally indifferent toward Orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

The reason the Church has always overcome heresies is that it has an inherent, so to speak, automatic corrective mechanism, which consists of the effective reaction (and not "paper warfare"!) of its healthy members to the heretical teachings and actions of the "pseudo-bishops" and false teachers. The only effective reaction today is walling off [apoteichisis] from Ecumenism and its preachers. If, in the church where you worship, the name of a bishop in communion with Ecumenism is commemorated, then you must not attend the "Divine" Liturgy that is celebrated there! If other faithful do the same, then you will see the result! Unfortunately, however, the heresy of Fr. Epiphanios immobilizes and nullifies this mechanism.

Recently, the newspaper Orthodoxos Typos (Feb. 19, 2010, p. 8) published an article by Mr. P. Televantos, which once again proclaimed the aforementioned heresy of Fr. Epiphanios. The same author, in the same newspaper (July 3, 2009, p. 7), wrote that under no circumstances is it permissible for schismatics to sign the text of the renowned Confession of Faith. Nor should they be allowed to infiltrate the ranks of traditional people who oppose Ecumenism. The late Epiphanios Theodoropoulos spoke of "the two extremes" and showed us the way.

Since Mr. Televantos refers to "the two extremes" of Fr. Epiphanios, it is evident that the "schismatics" are the Orthodox of the Patristic Calendar who walled themselves off from the Ecumenist "pseudo-bishops." Could Mr. Televantos perhaps explain how his stance—engaging in "paper warfare" with Ecumenism while simultaneously supporting the Ecumenist "pseudo-bishops" in their thrones—aligns with Orthodox teaching, as it is summarized above by Saint Mark of Ephesus?

 

Greek source: https://iaathgoc.gr/index.php/blog/rthra/ntiairetik/834-i-airesis-tou-pepifaniou-theodoropoulou