Protodeacon Herman Ivanov-Treenadzaty | December 15, 2020
To recall the debates, the
discord that agitated the Russian Orthodox public, especially in the Diaspora,
13 years ago, and to compare it with today’s, one might say, complete apathy...
More or less, everyone has come to terms with the trauma that then befell us
all. Who today remembers the fact that, in order to facilitate the smoother
absorption of the hapless members of the Church Abroad, the Moscow Patriarchate
granted a five-year moratorium — the possibility, for five years, of not
commemorating the Patriarch aloud during services(!), which, however, in no way
was to overshadow the fact of his primacy! Some kind of childish game, but
nevertheless, it showed that some could still experience a perfectly
understandable feeling of unease. The conscience was still somehow stirring.
But even that is no longer the case today...
Yes, thirteen years ago, what
entered the history of the Church was that on the very day when the entire
Christian world was celebrating the glorious ASCENSION of the Lord, Orthodox
Christians were given to behold a great FALL. From the firmament of the Church
fell into the abyss a once-glorious star.
Even now it is difficult to
comprehend, to grasp — how could such a thing have happened?
How and why such spiritual
corruption could blossom in souls that until quite recently had been
uncompromising — it is hard to say.
Of course, the secularization of
both the flock and the clergy may have played its role, along with the
increasing pressure of the surrounding non-Christian environment. We all know
where the world is heading. One recalls the sorrowful yet wise words of our
late Archbishop Seraphim [of Brussels and Western Europe], spoken at a time
when everyone was rejoicing over the fall of Soviet power. He rightly warned
that now the most difficult times would begin for us: until then, everything
had been clear — white was white, black was black, but now everything would
become gray... And so it happened. To a certain extent, the Old Testament story
of the Tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues repeated itself. Certainly,
the long-awaited fall of Soviet power inspired entirely justifiable joy, but
how mistaken and sinful it was not to see that with the fall of that power, the
Evil — that dreadful Evil which had been resisted for decades — was not
eradicated. It merely dimmed for a time, fell silent, and under various guises,
false appearances, attempted to lull the consciences of men. And this
manifested itself particularly in the influx of elements foreign to the spirit
of the Church Abroad, entering the parishes and especially filling the ranks of
the clergy. More and more enthusiastic voices were heard, speaking of a
springtime that had come upon our Church, of some sort of revival, while in
reality the rot was taking hold — and continues to do so...
Naturally, a role was also played
by the shameless lies spread by the patriarchal dignitaries and the traitors
from the Diaspora — lies claiming that Sergianism had supposedly been “crossed
out,” and that Ecumenism was a matter of the past, something that had to be
dealt with during Soviet times purely for political reasons, but that now one
could openly speak of a break with Ecumenism, of withdrawal from the World
Council of Churches, etc.
Now that there is no longer any
need to lure people in with lies, everyone is free to observe the current state
of affairs: monuments are being erected not only to Sergius, but former members
of the Church Abroad are even compelled to admit that yes, through his
policies, Sergius was “saving the Church.” And as for Ecumenism, any discussion
is entirely superfluous. Just recently, we learned of the existence of a
certain oddly named “Summer Institute,” organized by the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, in collaboration with the Department for External
Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. This is merely a foretaste of the
Havana meeting between the Pope and Kirill Gundyaev — the fruits are yet to
come.
The gray cardinal — in every
sense of the word — Hilarion Alfeyev, who marked the anniversary of the
historic, momentous Havana meeting at a ceremonial event at the University of
Fribourg (Switzerland), spoke precisely about these future fruits. We do not
know how it was in Russia, but abroad little publicity was given to this
“glorious event”; evidently, this delicate moment was to be veiled in a modest
shroud of silence. And there was certainly something to be ashamed of. And
something to fear — who knows, perhaps in some the conscience might still
speak? And indeed, Hilarion Alfeyev, despite the storm of indignation that
arose among his own flock, burst forth with his usual enthusiastic speech, in
which he openly summed up the event that had taken place and unveiled the
prospects. We know that there is none so deaf as he who does not wish to hear;
nevertheless, we invite those who are willing to acquaint themselves with what
awaits them in church life to open the following link: http://www.pravoslavie.ru/101063.html
That the MP is following such a
path, alas, does not surprise us — only the blind can fail to see, and thus
fail to understand, that no improvement is to be expected. Everything has
already been written in advance. The entire program has been outlined. Just as
it was clear that after Aleksei Ridiger, Kirill Gundyaev would come to supreme
power, so now it is just as clear that he will be replaced by Hilarion Alfeyev
— even if in recent times new young contenders have appeared. [In 2022, Hilarion
was transferred to Metropolis of Budapest for not supporting the Russian side
in the war with Ukraine, and was eventually suspended in 2024 – trans. note]
One can only wish Kirill that this
transition will not occur under the same dark and still mysterious
circumstances as when he took power from Aleksei... Yet the entire program and
picture of the coming years is visible as if in the palm of one’s hand.
What continues to amaze, however,
is the unshakable calm with which those who until recently belonged to the
Church that had consciously and effectively fought against the doctrinal vices
of the MP now regard their position — even as these vices have in no way
disappeared, but rather have been joined by open moral depravity and shameless
pursuit of wealth, which has turned church service into a den of profiteering.
How such indifference, such submission before Evil has become possible remains
incomprehensible to us. And yet even here, the course of events could have been
foreseen.
To understand this, one must go
back several years, to the time when the cracks began to appear that eventually
brought down our ecclesiastical edifice in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Arguably, the intrigues of Vladyka Mark in the Holy Land were the first visible
signal of the impending assault on the Church stronghold. Then, in July 2001,
there took place the “criminal-bandit synod,” officially convened to mark the
fiftieth episcopal anniversary of His Beatitude, now sainted, Metropolitan
Vitaly. It is bitter to recall those events and all the disgrace that followed,
but they must not be forgotten, much as many would clearly prefer it that way. Yes,
quite a celebration the Synod members arranged for the venerable First Hierarch
— men who did not stop before anything sacred — and who carried out the
unimaginable: they forcibly compelled the elderly Metropolitan, respected by
all — everyone except them! — to retire, or rather, to speak plainly, they
dismissed the Head of the Church!
As if following the example of
Dostoevsky’s Grand Inquisitor — “Leave. You’re in our way!” — they began to
silence and unceremoniously remove all those who disagreed with the policy of
dismantling the Church Abroad, all the while continuing to assure the entire
world that they were introducing nothing new, and that all the uproar was
nothing but the pure invention of malicious provocateurs. In those memorable
and disgraceful days, bypassing the faithful hierarchs, all those who had
gathered for the “celebration” of the jubilarian Metropolitan came with a
specific intent and mission — to obtain, by force or otherwise, the resignation
of Metropolitan Vitaly. Force had to be used — that very day, and repeatedly
thereafter. Like vultures descending on their prey, several bishops pounced
upon the Metropolitan, rudely refusing to allow entry to the priest whom the
Metropolitan had invited to serve as his secretary. From all sides came
attacks; they tried to compel the Metropolitan to renounce his position, but he
courageously resisted for two whole days. Only on the third day, July 13, 2001,
did he seemingly agree that the question of his retirement be discussed at the
next Council, and immediately left the session hall, saying: “It seems to me
that we have nothing more to talk about.” Thus ended the “jubilee
celebrations”…
At the opening of the Council in
October of that same year (another October Revolution!), the Metropolitan
appeared and handed out a written Statement of the following content: "Recognizing
the depth of the sinful fall of certain members of the Hierarchal Council of
our Church, in their persistent — though not yet fully expressed — desire for
union with the Moscow Patriarchate, I, with full responsibility before God, the
Russian Orthodox people, and my own conscience, consider it my archpastoral
duty to declare that the upcoming Hierarchal Council, set to open on October
23, 2001, can be called nothing other than a gathering of the
irresponsible," — orally adding: "I do not see among you
anyone who could become the successor of our Metropolitans."
Who today could contradict him?
Following this came the election
of the so-called "First Hierarch Metropolitan" Laurus and two
outrageous attempts — under the inept direction of the Synod’s henchman for
dirty affairs, Mikhail Donskov [then Bishop of Toronto]— to abduct the
Metropolitan. The first was a failed attempt, miraculously thwarted, involving
hired force. The second occurred three weeks later and involved the violent
transport of the Metropolitan to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation — an
evaluation which, to the shame of the Synod members, officially and legally
confirmed the Metropolitan’s sound mind and full capacity to handle church
affairs. But none of this prevented the newly elected, “Diaspora” First
Hierarch in name only, and his Synod, from continuing their treacherous
actions. Nor did it hinder the thrice-anathematized Mikhail Donskov from
sitting, as if nothing had happened, in the rank of archbishop on the Geneva cathedra
— from which, incidentally, he had previously been disgracefully expelled by
his own Synod for various shady dealings. This, however, does not stop him from
continuing to appear at various events as a supposed worthy representative of
the White Émigré tradition...
Why do we recall these bitter
days, these sorrowful events? Because they must not be forgotten — for if not
us, then who will remind others of them... But also, in order to emphasize once
again that, just as in the history of Russia there would have been no October
without February, so too, had there been no unlawful dismissal of the
Metropolitan, there would not have been the subsequent shameful union that cast
the Church Abroad into its present state.
Few of us remain, but we serve
the IDEA — not men, not fashion, not the world. Therefore, today’s resistance
of the small remnant of the Church Abroad is nothing other than a sacred duty
of memory toward our Fathers, toward our past — a duty of memory for the sake
of the spiritual future, which we can attain only through the unification of
our scattered forces.
But is there still any point in
calling people to return to the historical path of the Church Abroad? The
answer belongs to them alone. For so many times already the call has gone out,
and in all this time only a handful — who can be counted on the fingers of ONE
hand — have recoiled from the shame. Yet one must never lose hope.
Who knows — perhaps the 100-year
anniversary of the Church will stir at least some to an awareness of their duty
before the memory of the Fathers and before their own conscience.
Russian source:
https://karlovtchanin.eu/index.php/istoriatcerkvi/941-k-slavnomu-stoletiyu-zarubezhnoj-tserkvi-vspominaya-dukhovnoe-padenie-17-go-maya-2007-g-protodiakon-german-ivanov-trinadtsatyj
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