Name-Glorifying's Encroachment into Russian Orthodoxy

DIscussion and News concerning Orthodox Churches in communion with those who have fallen into the heresies of Ecumenism, Renovationism, Sergianism, and Modernism, or those Traditional Orthodox Churches who are now involved with Name-Worshiping, or vagante jurisdictions. All Forum Rules apply. No polemics. No heated discussions. No name-calling.


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Maria
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Re: Name-Glorifying's Encroachment into Russian Orthodoxy

Post by Maria »

A google machine transcription of the above letter in the Greek from Met. Rafael to Met. John reveals that this is the same letter dated June 16, 2014 that was previously posted at http://www.portal-credo.ru/site/?act=news&id=108220 (in English and in Russian). However, there was no Greek text provided until Thomas Deretich posted it over at Paradosis today, July 29, 2014.

Now the question I must ask is what is the original language of this letter dated June 16, 2014?

Was it originally written in ecclesiastical Greek by Met. Ephrem of HOCNA and then translated into Russian for Met. Rafael and into English for Met. John?

Or did Mr. Thomas Deretich and/or Met. Ephrem of HOCNA translate the Russian or English Text into Greek for the benefit of those who read Greek?

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Suaidan
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Re: Name-Glorifying's Encroachment into Russian Orthodoxy

Post by Suaidan »

Met Ephrem of HOCNA is a native English speaker. This is an attempt to bring over the Greeks of the TOC-PC.

Fr Joseph Suaidan (Suaiden, same guy)

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Maria
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Re: Name-Glorifying's Encroachment into Russian Orthodoxy

Post by Maria »

Suaiden wrote:

Met Ephrem of HOCNA is a native English speaker. This is an attempt to bring over the Greeks of the TOC-PC.

Lord have mercy. Have some of Met. Angelos' clergy defected over to Met. Rafael?

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Re: Name-Glorifying's Encroachment into Russian Orthodoxy

Post by Suaidan »

no

Fr Joseph Suaidan (Suaiden, same guy)

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Maria
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Re: Name-Glorifying's Encroachment into Russian Orthodoxy

Post by Maria »

UPDATED September 11, 2016: Communion announcement of Damascene and Gregory Lourie

The following is a slightly edited Google Translation from the Russian.

http://www.portal-credo.ru/site/?act=news&id=121373

I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, but the identity saith, all ye, and so will not be in your strife, that ye may be also approved in perfect prudence and perfect thoughts (1 Cor 1: 10.) - the holy apostle Paul calls us. Following the natural desire to be of one mind in the faith of Christians, which unity is the outward expression of the mysterious unity of the Body of Christ, by this Act, we, the undersigned bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Bishops Council of the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church, bear witness to the full canonical communion between us.

Numerous divisions in our local Russian Orthodox Church have emerged in the era of persecution of the twentieth century and have been associated with both the machinations of persecutors, following the old principle of 'divide and rule', with differences in theological and canonical views. For centuries, these differences were present in our church and secretly broke out after a godless revolution. But if the Sergianist Renovators had fallen away from the Church in a fundamental, religious character, the division among the True Orthodox were and still are mostly purely administrative, not accompanied by differences in faith. So, the Catacomb True Orthodox Church in the Fatherland and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia mutually recognize each other. In addition, the hierarchy of ROCOR in Russia has helped the Catacomb Church to be restored.

New temptations face our Church after the fall of the atheist regime. Firstly, the persecution of the True Orthodox in Russia has not stopped, but has acquired new forms, sometimes more subtle and dangerous than it was during open atheism. Secondly, the Church has been enriched with a mass of new converts from among the[ former atheists or followers of the Sergianist Patriarchate. In addition, the Church has been weakened with the spirit of unhealthy "competition" and sinful lust for power. Many of us have been responsible for the new division because of the fervor, lack of prudence and love, too much suspicion of neighbors and other sinful, but venial (through repentance) human weaknesses. The new division, while painful and sinful, did not involve falling away into heresy or schism in the strict canonical sense. Such separation is well known in church history, which gives us a lot of examples of how the Orthodox find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict caused by a misunderstanding. Recognizing such division is the first step in the healing of a person, and we see this healing as the duty of Orthodox bishops. Now we have to forget old feuds and not return to them.

On this basis, having repentance for our division, and asking for forgiveness from each other and all the True Orthodox Bishops of the Russian tradition, we, the bishops of the True Orthodox Church of Russia, agree to the following:

  1. The Russian Orthodox Church unites now all true Orthodox Christians who reject the ancient heresies, convicted by the Holy Fathers, and the latest Sergianism heresy, ecumenism and imyaborchestvo (Name-fighting or those who are against the heresy of Name-Worshiping), regardless of their organizational and administrative situation of these Christians.

  2. For historical reasons, the Orthodox Russian Church is currently deprived of a common organization, formed by the Local Council of the Higher bodies of church authority, obedience, which should be mandatory for all its bishops, clergy and laity.

  3. The True Orthodox hierarchs of the Russian Church in these circumstances have combined to form temporary church organizations (sometimes called a small cathedral) or they continue to exist independently, which, however, does not release them from the obligation to be in full communion with each other, where the faithful and priests in their diocese can concelebrate.

  4. None of the above time-church organizations, and none of the True Orthodox bishops of the Russian Church does not have the powers of ecclesiastical authority over other similar organizations, and bishops, but every small or independent Cathedral Bishop guided by their own internal traditions and orders, not conflict with the general church law. Only dogmatic and canonical issues, because their value goes beyond the lives of individual religious associations are subject to joint discussion of all the Bishops, have come together in the full church and canonical communion.

  5. The differences in historical facts or seemingly incompatible political views should not be an obstacle for communication between True Orthodox Christians. The Apostle Paul even admits that a certain share of disagreements between Christians occurred on minor issues, reminding us to cover this difference of opinion with love.

  6. None of the bishops have authority over one another, but all are brothers in Christ.

This Act is drawn up in seven copies (one copy for each of the signatories) for the two groups of bishops: the Russian Orthodox Church and the Bishops Council of the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church.

We invite all the bishops, historically associated with the Russian Orthodox Church, and we share the same true-Orthodox confession of faith, denouncing the heresy of ecumenism Sergianism and leave the old quarrels and restore communion in the bosom of a single True Orthodox Church of Russia.

Metropolitan of Moscow and All-Russia of Damascus

Archbishop of Zaporizhia and John Malorossiysky

Bishop of Belgorod and South-Russian Mikhail

Vladimir Bishop

Bishop Gregory of Petrograd and Gdov

Bishop Sebastian Chelyabinsk

Bishop of Kaluga and Obninsk Ignatius

Approved: in the village Myatlevo Kaluga diocese in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow."

June 26 / July 9, 2016
Mother of God Tihfinskiya

Note: This is the new Synod of Met. Damascene of Moscow who styles himself as the Met. of Moscow and All-Russia of Damascus and of Bishop Gregory Lourie who calls himself, Bishop Gregory of Petrograd and Gdov.

Both Damascene and Gregory have capitulated to the heresy of Name-Worshiping, which they call Name-Glorification. They falsely accuse the True Orthodox of being Name-Fighters, but those of us in True Orthodoxy do not hate the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and God, nor do we fight against His holy name. We venerate his holy name, but we do not claim that His holy name is uncreated, that His holy name is part of the Divine Energies of God, or that His holy name is part of the Essence of God.

Jesus Christ is God. His name is holy and we should take care not to take the name of the Lord in vain, but the name of Jesus is not God, nor is it uncreated. Otherwise, why would many boys and men in Latin America, Spain, and in Mexico be given the name of "Jesus" or "Jesse" or "Joshua."

** King James Version: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Re: Name-Glorifying's Encroachment into Russian Orthodoxy

Post by Justice »

The monastery of St Pateleimons on Mt Athos was stormed by Russian soldiers with Archbishop Nikon of Vologda. The Name-Worshipping monks were beaten with batons and imprisoned for not changing their heretical beliefs. Why was such extreme action taken by the archbishop?

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Maria
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Re: Name-Glorifying's Encroachment into Russian Orthodoxy

Post by Maria »

Justice wrote:

The monastery of St Pateleimons on Mt Athos was stormed by Russian soldiers with Archbishop Nikon of Vologda. The Name-Worshipping monks were beaten with batons and imprisoned for not changing their heretical beliefs. Why was such extreme action taken by the archbishop?

Name-Worshipers are very stubborn heretics. Please read the other threads about this heresy.

Some of the modern name-worshipers have sexually abused others. They claim that repeating the name of Jesus becomes a sacrament in itself, and that they themselves are forgiven sexual immorality by repeating the name of Jesus. It does not work that way. Confession requires that we confess our sins before Christ with a contrite spirit in the presence of one of His Priests. Christ has established the Holy Orthodox Church to grant remission of our sins through the priestly prayer of absolution in Holy Confession.

Name Worshiping is similar to the Roman Catholic idea of spiritual communion, that by praying for unity in Christ through communion, Christ will come to them as if they had just received communion. This is a form of NAME IT and CLAIM IT Christianity.

These teachings are also found in the Charismatic Renewal where Catholics and Protestants are also into name-worshiping, especially those who claim that there is Power in the Name.

Yes, we are to venerate (honor) the holy name of Jesus, but we do not worship the name of Jesus as God Himself.

We come to receive the Holy Mysteries in the Orthodox Church, but we do not expect that Christ will give us the Holy Mysteries whenever we want confession or communion just by uttering His Name.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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