On the Glorification of Venerable Elder Philotheos Zervakos

Nikolaos Mannis | March 11, 2026

 

 

I became aware of the effort being made by spiritual children of Venerable Elder Philotheos Zervakos to have his sanctity [formally] recognized by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Mr. Bartholomew. [1] This effort is indeed commendable, because it reveals the love and zeal of the Orthodox faithful toward the person of the blessed Elder; however, in my opinion, it proves to be very mistaken for the following three reasons:

First, because Mr. Bartholomew, as one subject to trial before a competent synodal body (since, on the one hand, the adjudication of the accusation of heterodox teachings against him, submitted by the blessed abbot Fr. Chrysostomos Pichos [+2021], spiritual successor of Venerable Elder Philotheos, [2] is pending, and on the other hand, he communes with the schismatics in Ukraine and recognizes the heretical Papists), does not represent the Great Church of Christ (the institution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate), and thus the authority of his glorifications and of his other ecclesiastical acts is placed in doubt. [3]

Second, because Venerable Philotheos Zervakos has already for years been recognized as a saint in the conscience of the Orthodox throughout the whole world, whether there is, or there is not, an “act of glorification”; for in Orthodoxy there is no “sanctification,” but recognition of sanctity. And this recognition already exists essentially.

Third, and most importantly, because any recognition of the sanctity of Venerable Philotheos by Mr. Bartholomew would constitute an insult to the memory of the Venerable one, since there exists a great ecclesiological gulf between the two men. It is not hidden, moreover, that Venerable Philotheos courageously fought the Ecumenists, among whom was also the spiritual father of Mr. Bartholomew, Meliton of Chalcedon, whom he also called a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” [4] How then will the principle “honor of a saint is the imitation of a saint” be applied, when Venerable Philotheos regarded the Pope as antichrist and lucifer and the Papists as heretics, [5] while Mr. Bartholomew regards the Pope as a “brother in Christ,” the Papists as members of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, while he himself personally presides over the unification (Uniate/Ecumenist) movement?

Will the spiritual children of Venerable Philotheos servilely beseech such a Patriarch for his glorification? The Venerable one would rise from the grave to chase them!

Just as surely the bones of Saint Cyril Loukaris must also have rattled when his sanctity was destined to be recognized by that Patriarch of Constantinople (namely Mr. Bartholomew) who not only shares the same mind as his murderer (the Latin-minded pseudo-patriarch Cyril Kontares), but also synodically ratified, at the Pseudo-Synod of Crete, the pseudo-synods of the 17th century—instigated by the Papists—which anathematized Saint Cyril! What a fine honor for a saint!

May God preserve Venerable Philotheos from such a dishonor.

 

NOTES

[1] https://www.xristianikispitha.gr/agiokatataxi-os-filotheoy-zervakoy/

[2] https://aktines.blogspot.com/2017/03/blog-post_357.html

[3] Already many faithful doubt the sanctity of the great recently manifested Saints Paisios, Porphyrios, Iakovos, and others, solely because they were recognized by Mr. Bartholomew. Is this not unjust?

[4] Orthodoxos Typos, no. 167–168/1 & 15 August 1972, p. 3.

[5] See indicatively Orthodoxos Typos, no. 70/December 1966, no. 114/20 January 1970, and others.

 

Greek source: https://krufo-sxoleio.blogspot.com/2026/03/blog-post.html