Historic Letter of Bishop Chrysostomos (Naslimes) of Magnesia (+1973) to St. Philaret of New York (+1985)

On the Uncanonical Episcopal Ordinations of Archbishop Auxentios of Athens and the Correction of Matthewite Orders

 

HOLY DIOCESE
OF THE GENUINE ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS
OF MAGNESIA

Dimarchou Georgiadou Street 135
Telephone No. 58 38
VOLOS

Protocol No. 29

In Volos, 3/16 August 1971

TO
Metropolitan His Eminence PHILARET
In the U.S.A.

Your Eminence,

Since Your love and interest toward our Church in Greece of the G.O.C. are great, I have the honor to make known to you the uncanonical actions of our Most Blessed Archbishop, His Beatitude Auxentios, concerning the ordinations of Hierarchs that [recently] took place,* disregarding our opinion, which was negative. I consented only to the ordination of Archimandrite Chrysostomos Kiousis, and to this one because he had been elected by Clergy and People before our ordinations. Not only was I ignored with regard to the persons and their number, but even after the ordination, no notification was made to me by His Beatitude.

I was also informed that before the ordination, they were compelling the candidates to sign a declaration by which they accept terms that they had imposed. Among these terms, as I heard, are the obligatory recognition of the “Matthewite[”] ordinations – a constraint from the Holy [Bishop Akakios] of Diavleia – their non-involvement in matters of administration, the acceptance of the supremacy of His Beatitude, etc., which declaration is wholly contrary to the spirit of Christianity and the Canons of the Church.

Our opinion concerning the ordinations performed by Matthew alone is the same as that of the Church, which never accepted such uncanonical acts as valid, and especially if it is taken into consideration that no necessity existed; I ask Your Eminence, during the discussions with our Archbishop who is there,** to draw His attention to this, because such actions do not advance the struggle, but on the contrary divide and bring destruction.

Hoping that I shall receive your due attention, I remain

with brotherly greetings,

Chrysostomos of Magnesia

 

* The following bishops were ordained by the GOC in 1971, none of whom were canonically elected except for Archimandrite Chrysostomos Kiousis:

- Paisios (Evthymiadis) of Euripos

- Chrysostomos (Kiousis) of Thessalonika

- Kallinikos (Chaniotis) of Thavmakos

- Akakios (Ntouskos) of Montreal

** The ROCOR was reviewing and correcting the orders of the Matthewite hierarchy at the time, with the hopes of reuniting the Florinite and Matthewite factions.