A Noteworthy Statement by Mr. Nikos Sakalakis

Nikolaos Mannis | June 14, 2017

 

 

The esteemed struggler Mr. Nikos Sakalakis, a mathematician from Volos and author of religious and anti-Ecumenist articles, published the following interesting article on Mr. Tsologianis’s blog, “Walling Off”:

 

“Time and the Calendar, as Preludes of Eternity”

(St. Justin Popovich – “Man and the God-Man”)

 

Undoubtedly, the division that Ecumenism imposed upon the Orthodox realm through the change of the calendar in the Church of Greece in 1924 was followed by successive spiritual collapses—that is, a dulling of the Orthodox self-awareness of the Church of Greece, and overestimations of Orthodox maturity by the Christians who sought to preserve the historical and spiritual identity of the calendar, as well as the Orthodox tradition (the Old Calendar).

Both sides bear historical and spiritual responsibility. The official Church because it obeyed—and embraced—the spirit of Ecumenism; while the faction of the Orthodox (G.O.C.) because it did not form a defense marked by Orthodox coherence and canonicity, as befits the critical phases of the Church, during which religious, political, and moral pressures direct and drive the faithful (in heated circumstances) toward mistaken choices.

The official Church of Greece, over time, gradually lost much of its Orthodox self-awareness and signed, in Crete, the synodal ratification of Ecumenism (apostasy)—in contrast to the Orthodox (Old Calendar) faithful, who opposed Ecumenism and later organized themselves “dogmatically” around calendar precision, which, however, is not itself a dogma.

The absolutization of this “dogma” functioned in a divisive manner—“from the right.” Let us repeat that the rallying cry of 1924, “Orthodoxy to arms,” for a continual struggle and vigilance against the invasion of Ecumenism, was not stabilized on an Orthodox canonical foundation. This is why ecclesiological problems multiplied—problems ignited by the ecumenistic spark in the divisive powder keg that the spirit of apostasy accumulates at every stage of ecclesiastical life.

Fr. Philotheos Zervakos, in a letter of his, writes the following: “Let us not consider it a trivial matter that we follow the papal calendar. It [the liturgical calendar] is a tradition, and as a tradition we are obliged to keep it, for we are subject to (synodal) anathema.” Indeed, the calendar innovation is uncanonical and anti-traditional; however, it does not constitute a dogmatic deviation. The dogmatic foundation of the Orthodox who follow the new calendar has not been shattered.

With the establishment of the new festal calendar (1924), the Church was struck at one of its vital unifying pillars, but not at its dogmatic strength, as in the “council” of Crete.

The division of the Orthodox benefits Ecumenism and constitutes one of its crutches. Love for Orthodoxy, however, forms the true unifying cement, which is capable of creating unitive strength among the Orthodox.

On both sides of the calendar, there are spiritual reserves for a unifying effort against the heresy of Ecumenism. One unifying element is the Christian understanding of time.

It is true that time is approached on multiple levels. Scientifically and philosophically, time is a natural resource that is neither altered, nor destroyed, nor replaced, nor granted, nor sold.

The position—the perception—that we must make creative use of it is universal among humanity.

Within the Church, the liturgical organization of time provides the answers and solutions to age-old questions concerning the relationship of man with temporal reality and with God. This is also the deeper meaning of the calendar: our disengagement from coarse, earthly certainties, our liberation from various worldly intellectual “anchors,” and our union with Christ within the bounds of the Church.

As Christians, we invest in time by giving time… to time, for our spiritual fulfillment— perfection (Eph. 5:16).

Saint Justin Popovich emphasizes: “When sin and death are removed from time, then time becomes a wondrous prelude to divine eternity, an excellent introduction to the God-manhood” (John 6:47).

In the life of the Church, spiritually significant events are presented in relation to the temporality of past, present, and future. The dogmatic meanings are found at the core of the spiritual events themselves, and not in the calendar that projects them.

The insistence on the “dogmatic” character of the calendar is akin to the insistence of the Jehovah’s Witnesses that God’s name is Jehovah!

Whoever denies the presence and power of the Church within the new calendar is a heretic; he has lost the meaning of Orthodoxy. The shifting of the calendar was not accompanied by a shifting of the boundaries of the faith, nor was salvation annulled, as happens in heresy. It is unjust (a sin) for those on the new calendar to be labeled as Ecumenists by Orthodox (G.O.C.) of the Old Calendar.

Let us consider how this thought takes shape in reverse, on a social level. Today we live within the urban social system, which is the oldest social system in human history, intertwined with private property, commercialism, naturalism, the deification of money, and individual self-interest. Its anti-Christian structures influence and determine, in many respects, the lives of Orthodox Christians and the life of the Church. This social system is not a servant of God for good (Rom. 13:1–6).

If we analyze the philosophical foundations of the urban system from a Christian perspective, it immediately collapses morally. All Orthodox Christians—often without realizing it deeply—experience aspects of this system that are anti-Christian.

For example, the central argument—the core position—of the bourgeois worldview is: “self-interest is the primary motive of economic life.” But Scripture emphasizes: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

How many Orthodox Christians today exhibit egotistical, individualistic tendencies as a result of being influenced by the system? Are all these people, dear G.O.C. faithful, to be judged as deniers of Christ?

Question: When a conscientious Orthodox Christian (G.O.C.), anti-ecumenist and anti-papist, who is committed to ascetic practice and practical Christianity, owns a cosmetics shop, or a butcher shop, or a clothing store (modern dresses, women’s trousers), or a pastry shop, or a dairy store—if he does not close his business on fasting days, how will he be judged? As a denier of fasting, or as a confessor of the faith on account of his steadfastness in the Old Calendar?

Today, the actual conditions of ecumenist apostasy create the prerequisites for the unity of Orthodox forces. Let a beginning be made. And the beginning is half of everything…

* * *

I respect the personal opinion of the esteemed Mr. Sakalakis, whose interesting texts I read; however, in order to show him that this policy of maintaining “equal distance” from the supposed “two extremes” is not just, I would like to ask him whether the Old Calendarists ever:

a. Imprisoned anyone because he followed the New Calendar.

b. Killed anyone because he followed the New Calendar.

c. Exiled anyone because he followed the New Calendar.

d. Shaved anyone because he followed the New Calendar.

e. Put anyone on trial because he followed the New Calendar.

f. Locked anyone’s church because he followed the New Calendar.

Thank you very much.

Nikolaos Mannis

* * *

Mr. Sakalakis responded with a new post, which personally satisfied me completely, and I thank him publicly:

A Due Response to Mr. Nikolaos Mannis

I believe, esteemed Mr. Mannis, that the truth encompasses an infinite breadth of knowledge and interrelationships, which often cannot be approached by human means and requires the help and illumination of Christ.

With a desire for cooperation among all Orthodox forces, I add to and supplement everything that you write and enumerate.

When did the Old Calendarists:

g. Torture anyone because he followed the New Calendar?

h. Force anyone to adopt the Old Calendar by violence?

i. Exclude anyone from university procedures because he followed the New Calendar?

Fr. Theodoretos [Mavros], in a noteworthy study of his, clarifies and substantiates this, citing the positions of Fr. Philotheos Zervakos: “The New Calendarists, having as their allies the authority of the State…”

At another point in his study, Fr. Theodoretos mentions the following observations of Fr. Philotheos:

“If some of the Old Calendarists, out of fanaticism, indiscreet zeal, and ignorance, deviated into extremes, misconduct, and even errors, the cause is the unlawful and uncanonical introduction of the papal calendar and the rejection of the Patristic Calendar.”

In a periodical I read: “…History exerts great power upon our soul…” That is why you included me in the policy of “equal distances” and in the “theory of the two extremes,” neither of which I embrace.

I experience our Church, the Orthodox Church, in her mystical and sacramental essence, without rejecting the usefulness—the ministry—of administrative organization, which many times, in the course of history, became a weapon of false doctrine against the faithful.

Fr. Philotheos and Fr. Theodoretos emphasized it: “The New Calendarists (the administration), having as their helpers the authority of the State (Caesar).”

Within the ecclesiastical circumstances of my Metropolis (the Holy Metropolis of Demetrias), I know very many worthy faithful, both clergy and laity, of the Patristic Calendar, and we always converse on a unifying basis. We have no hostility whatsoever. A process of convergence on certain matters in opposition to Ecumenism must begin.

Let us respond jointly to the portions of the truth distorted by the Ecumenists.

For example, let us demonstrate to them, Scripturally and Patristically, that the only true Church is the Orthodox Church.

Our accusers, the Ecumenists, “rejoice” in the unnatural antagonism—the stupefaction of the Orthodox.

Through the cultivation of a common, unifying ecclesiastical action—a joint text, for example—God will work His miracle!

As far as we are able, let us not increase the “spiritual and human entropy” of the Orthodox sphere.

- Nikos E. Sakalakis, Mathematician

 

Greek source: https://krufo-sxoleio.blogspot.com/2017/06/blog-post_14.html