Blessed Averky of Jordanville: “We must break decisively with ecumenism and have nothing in common with its fellow travelers.”

 

[…]

But the greatest danger in our time, both to the pastor of today and to his flock, comes from the Satanism that is now already close to triumphing in the world, and that most cunningly clothes itself in garments of light under the deceptive guises of “humanism,” or, among us, “Tolstoyism,” service to the welfare of humanity, universal unity, “peace,” and even “Christian love.”

Alas! Very many Orthodox pastors have already, in one way or another, to a greater or lesser degree, become entangled in the nets of this skillfully camouflaged Satanism, which, like the two-faced Janus, now appears in two forms: as “Marxist Communism” in countries enslaved by its God-fighting power, and as “ecumenism” in the countries of the so-called “free world,” which in reality is not free at all. They have a common father—Satan himself, who is now strenuously preparing his faithful servant, the Antichrist, to reign over the world.

We must know and remember: a true pastor of the true Church of Christ can have no contact, no relations, direct or indirect, with either of these two forms of world evil.

Yet this evil entices many pastors and members of their flocks with all manner of handouts and promises of earthly benefits, for which people are so eager, especially in our day.

A true pastor must take every care to guard himself and his flock against this very dangerous temptation, which usually cloaks itself in “charity.” Here we must constantly remember the apt Russian proverb: “Once a claw is caught, the whole bird is lost.” Many have already become deeply entangled in one or the other of these nets and would sometimes like to free themselves, but can no longer do so. Satan holds his prey firmly in his grasp.

We Russians living in exile know more or less well what Communism is and are, to a considerable extent, somewhat shielded from it. But by no means everyone has clearly understood that “world evil” is not confined to Communism, that Communism is only a derivative evil, merely an “offspring,” while more terrible still is its parent, which has begotten an evil no less—and perhaps even more—dangerous and destructive: so-called “ecumenism,” headed by the “World Council of Churches.” It is far from accidental that the “World Council of Churches,” which formerly lured the Orthodox into its ranks under the pretext of the need for a common union in the struggle against advancing godlessness, now takes such a conciliatory attitude toward God-fighting Communism and does not even breathe a word at its conferences about any struggle against it, having readily admitted into its ranks representatives of Orthodox churches who are obedient instruments of Communism.

At present, we pastors of the Russian Church Abroad, whose existence finds its meaning and justification only in the resolute rejection of “world evil,” stand, as it were, at a crossroads. Until now, we have for the most part modestly kept silent, without publicly proclaiming in full the entire ideology for the sake of which we exist. Only our [periodical] “Orthodox Rus’” has always written very decisively and unequivocally, which some people even disliked. But now matters have gone too far, and “ecumenism” has revealed itself so fully that we now have a whole series of official documents that place considerable obligations upon us. These are, first of all: 1) Three epistles of our First Hierarch, His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret: those addressed to Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople and to the Greek Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America, and the “Sorrowful Epistle,” addressed to all the heads of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches and all the bishops of the Orthodox Church; 2) The epistle of the Ninth Diocesan Assembly of the Western European Diocese, signed by His Eminence Archbishop Anthony and Bishop Iakovos; and 3) The report on the most recent conference of the World Council of Churches, entitled “Uppsala and Orthodoxy,” by Protopresbyter Father George Grabbe, who oversees the external relations of the Synod of Bishops. To these must also be added 4) His Eminence Archbishop Vitaly’s report to the Council of Bishops of 1967, entitled “Ecumenism,” published in the Canadian Diocese’s journal “Orthodox Review,” no. 40, June 1969.

These documents of exceptional importance show that we have already sufficiently recognized the thoroughly corrupt and pernicious nature of ecumenism as a movement leading humanity toward the Antichrist.

Now, therefore, we must show that we are not content with words alone, with mere assertions, but that our words are followed by corresponding deeds that confirm their truth.

We must break decisively with ecumenism and have nothing in common with its fellow travelers.

Our path is not theirs. We must say this decisively and demonstrate it in our deeds. A time of true confession of the faith is approaching for us, when we may find ourselves alone and subject to persecution. Since all the local Orthodox churches have now joined the “World Council of Churches,” thereby betraying Orthodoxy and bowing down to Satan, the time has come for our complete separation. We cannot and must not have any communion with apostates from true Orthodoxy, and we must be ready, if necessary, to withdraw into the “catacombs,” like the “True Orthodox Christians” in our homeland.

Our position as champions and confessors of the pure and uncorrupted truth of Christ places great obligations upon us, greater than ever before.

[…]

 

Excerpt from “The Essence and Methods of True Pastoral Ministry and Our Time,” an address by Archbishop Averky at the pastoral conference of the clergy of North America and Canada, August 21 / September 3, 1969.

Russian source:

https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Averkij_Taushev/sushhnost-i-metody-istinnogo-pastyrstvovanija-i-nashe-vremja/