About a Liberal nun in "ROCOR" - MP

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Maria
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Re: About a Liberal nun in "ROCOR" - MP

Post by Maria »

Barbara, please be careful to avoid gossip and speculation.
Just stick to the facts.
(Remember that old black and white TV show, Dragnet? "Just the facts ....")

We have these facts:

Sr. Vassa is an ROCOR-MP nun. Thus, she is not to be trusted as the ROCOR is in communion with Ecumenists.
None of us in True Orthodoxy should be listening to her gossipy programs.
She boldly entered into very indiscreet homosexual waters through a public post, and earned the wrath of the ROCOR-MP.
When grace has departed a synod through the pan-heresy of Ecumenism, should we be surprised?
No, instead we should be praying that this "nun" may repent. We should also pray for all those whom she has scandalized.

Whether or not she is an intelligence agent really does not concern us. In fact, such speculation is dabbling in politics.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Barbara
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Re: About a Liberal nun in "ROCOR" - MP

Post by Barbara »

No I never once saw that show, but I recall the name.

That's a wonderful summary, Maria. Succinct and to the point.

However, I would surmise that Rocor, now fully captive to the MP after 10 years of so-called autonomy, is probably NOT even wanting to participate in ecumenical activity. I assume most all except a few enthusiasts are chafing at the bit at having to put up with concelebrations by their Hierarchs, etc.
I bet at least the older ranks are dragging their feet on jumping into the ecumenical circus. It must be the MP that is pushing them to participate in ecumenical gatherings, etc. This all is just a guess.

Still, the Rocor Synod clamped down in an effort to stop the runaway Sister Vassa in her tracks, which is more than any other World Orthodox jurisdiction would have done. They deserve credit for making an unpopular move. But the RIGHT ONE.

The ryassophore nun may well - from the sound of her reactions to criticisms so far - toss her head impudently and continue her outreach in the same terrible vein. It will be her big loss.

As for the spy angle, I agree it sounds far-fetched. Nonetheless, today I felt I must stop at a certain place. I was amazed to see a car parked in front of a dumpster with the license plate : "SPY CAR". It was a Suburu Impreza, which made me think of Sister Vassa's aim to impress her audience of various liberal Orthodox jurisdictions and people with other belief systems. Where will this end up ? Surely in the trash might be the message./

I could be wrong easily, but I suspect that few if any of her programs concern the Mother of God. That is indeed a red flag.
She is aiming more at a general Christian-Protestant audience with explanations of Orthodox beliefs and practices. I noticed a facebook post of hers the other day about Orthodox vestments. This is nothing new. Then-Archimandrite Chrysostomos published a book, "Orthodox Liturgical Dress" in 1981 ! [ Published by Holy Cross, Boston. ] Yes, the Etna hierarch covers Byzantine and Latin liturgical dress as well and makes comparisons with Orthodox ones. So, Sister Vassa is not teaching anything that hasn't already been thoroughly covered by experts. She is merely popularizing some aspects of Orthodoxy for 'the masses'. She seems to increasingly project the image of a VIN [ not the car numbering system but a Very Important Nun ] -- waited upon like an Archduchess [ the titles used in the Hapsburg Empire ] by a set of bustling devoted attendants.

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Re: About a Liberal nun in "ROCOR" - MP

Post by Justice »

Barbara wrote:

No I never once saw that show, but I recall the name.

That's a wonderful summary, Maria. Succinct and to the point.

However, I would surmise that Rocor, now fully captive to the MP after 10 years of so-called autonomy, is probably NOT even wanting to participate in ecumenical activity. I assume most all except a few enthusiasts are chafing at the bit at having to put up with concelebrations by their Hierarchs, etc.
I bet at least the older ranks are dragging their feet on jumping into the ecumenical circus. It must be the MP that is pushing them to participate in ecumenical gatherings, etc. This all is just a guess.

Still, the Rocor Synod clamped down in an effort to stop the runaway Sister Vassa in her tracks, which is more than any other World Orthodox jurisdiction would have done. They deserve credit for making an unpopular move. But the RIGHT ONE.

The ryassophore nun may well - from the sound of her reactions to criticisms so far - toss her head impudently and continue her outreach in the same terrible vein. It will be her big loss.

As for the spy angle, I agree it sounds far-fetched. Nonetheless, today I felt I must stop at a certain place. I was amazed to see a car parked in front of a dumpster with the license plate : "SPY CAR". It was a Suburu Impreza, which made me think of Sister Vassa's aim to impress her audience of various liberal Orthodox jurisdictions and people with other belief systems. Where will this end up ? Surely in the trash might be the message./

I could be wrong easily, but I suspect that few if any of her programs concern the Mother of God. That is indeed a red flag.
She is aiming more at a general Christian-Protestant audience with explanations of Orthodox beliefs and practices. I noticed a facebook post of hers the other day about Orthodox vestments. This is nothing new. Then-Archimandrite Chrysostomos published a book, "Orthodox Liturgical Dress" in 1981 ! [ Published by Holy Cross, Boston. ] Yes, the Etna hierarch covers Byzantine and Latin liturgical dress as well and makes comparisons with Orthodox ones. So, Sister Vassa is not teaching anything that hasn't already been thoroughly covered by experts. She is merely popularizing some aspects of Orthodoxy for 'the masses'. She seems to increasingly project the image of a VIN [ not the car numbering system but a Very Important Nun ] -- waited upon like an Archduchess [ the titles used in the Hapsburg Empire ] by a set of bustling devoted attendants.

The ROCOR-MP is the closest church to True Orthodoxy in World Orthodoxy, makes sense if you think about it.

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Maria
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Re: About a Liberal nun in "ROCOR" - MP

Post by Maria »

The ROCOR-MP has been celebrating hierarchial liturgies with the OCA, a notorious World Orthodox synod, where more than half of their bishops have been forced to retire for unethical reasons of various sorts.

Please do not explore the OCA history in this thread or in this forum. It's best to let a dead dog sleep, and not start any gossip threads concerning the OCA. Besides, it is not beneficial to our salvation.

Anyway, back to the ROCOR. In 1995 and in 1996, I was taking inquiry classes with then Archimandrite Father Alexander Mileant, who was later consecrated as a bishop. At that time, there was considerable discord in the ROCOR due to increasing efforts by certain clergy and hierarchs, notably the Archbishop of Geneva, to join with the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarch (MP).

In 1996, way before the ROCOR-ROC union of 2007, the ROCOR was already allowing members of the OCA laity to confess and to receive communion in the ROCOR. Likewise, members of the ROCOR would visit the local OCA parishes and were allowed to confess and receive communion in the OCA even though the OCA followed the New Calendar. Although the OCA and ROCOR clergy were not allowed to have prayers in common, the laity were. I remember being sick on New Calendar Christmas and not being able to attend the Divine Liturgy in the OCA, but I was well and was able to attend the Divine Liturgy in the ROCOR parish 13 days later. At that time, the Calendar issue did not concern me because I had just converted from Roman Catholicism.

However, this practice of intercommunion between the ROCOR and the OCA shows that certain parishes in the ROCOR were more disposed to Ecumenism, because intercommunion is the fruit of the Pan-heresy of Ecumenism.

Strangely, at this time back in 1996, lay members of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese under the EP, and the Antiochian (Greek) Orthodox Church were not allowed to receive communion in the ROCOR. Somehow, it was okay for OCA laity, considered a sister church to the Moscow Patriarch, to receive communion, but those in communion with the EP, such as the Greek and Antiochian churches, were forbidden to approach the chalice in the ROCOR.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Maria
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Re: About a Liberal nun in "ROCOR" - MP

Post by Maria »

Here is the Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Vassa.

http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/26b36d_dc ... 2a087f.pdf

Notice that in her photo, she wears neither the veil nor the monastic robe. One can see her extensive work with Roman Catholics, especially the Byzantine Catholic Father Taft, S.J.

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Re: About a Liberal nun in "ROCOR" - MP

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Yes< I came across that CV and was mystified about the photo. I figured maybe it was from college ?
By the way, Bryn Mawr is not as great of a school as she made it out to be in her [ self-justifying, contrived ] 'interview'.
It's all right, average, but not really top rung. I think she could have been admitted to a better institution when she was applying. She should have been encouraged to try for other womens schools.

Dr Vassa mentioned in this interview that she had left Bryn Mawr after her sophomore year despite having a full scholarship there. A good choice to pursue monasticism, certainly. But she ended up going back to school anyway, so it would have been better to have been "stable" and finished her 4 years there. Or transferred, if she wasn't happy, which we can surmise she wasn't, to a school with a higher level of academics. [ I put the word stable in quotation marks since stability is one of the vows of Western monastics. Stability means staying in one's convent or monastery and not flitting away to another. ]

Speaking of Catholic nuns, Sister Vassa reminds me of - I hate to say - Karen Armstrong. Karen joined a convent out of high school in Birmingham, England. Unhappy there and afflicted with epilepsy which was not understood by her Mother Superior and any others in the convent, she left it and returned to the world AFTER having been financed by the convent to attend Oxford. She went on to get advanced degree or two [ I am writing this from memory ]. But THEN Karen began to teach at a small Jewish institution in UK. She was pushed by the British media into the role of commentator [ read : critic ] of Catholicism and as time went by, expert on all religions.

Karen wrote first interesting, but then increasingly feminist books. I read her early books - EXCEPT the one criticizing monasticism and Saints. She actually mocked much beloved Catholic holy figures such as St Margaret Mary Alacoque. Why ? Because St Margaret Mary entered her Visitation Convent in Paray-le-Monial, France, with the stipulation that the young novice should never be forced to eat cheese, as it made her terribly sick. The young nun's brother Chrysostome extracted this rare provision before permitting his sister to enter the Visitation. But Karen Armstrong sneered that the poor girl should have been made by the nuns to eat cheese so that she was exactly on the same level as all the other nuns. That sounds to me socialistic rather than trying to achieve an ascetic feat ! After Karen's own complaints about the failure to treat her epilepsy, this comes as rather hypocritical at best, and rather venomous at worst.

I am writing this up because I fear that Sister Vassa might follow in some respect the famous author, Karen Armstrong.
The latter wrote another autobiography much later, after her media success, in which she boasted about going to a restaurant with "her homosexual friends"> Karen dropped it in in an apparently casual way, but the point was clear. Karen was saying that she approved of homosexuals and had no "Catholic hang-ups" which might make the liberals hesitant about accepting Karen.

It seems to me I read on one of the 2 main commentaries of Sister Vassa's shocking statements to the [ probably fake ] "mother of the 14 year old son" that Sister Vassa had boasted likewise about having a "60 year old homosexual Catholic friend". I didn't see the context for that, but it still stands out in my mind as appalling. She may have even written "a DEAR 60 year old homosexual friend". If that is TRUE, how would a Rocor nun have a "homosexual friend" EVER - EVER - EVER ???

Back to Maria's comment, I felt that like Karen, Sister Vassa may leave eventually and go somewhere else. Then, like Karen again, she may loudly speak her mind and we will all be more horrified than we already are at what hints she has dropped by her evil talk to the supposed mother. First agreeing with 'the mother' that yes, her son is of course 'homosexual' because he said so, is ridiculous ! The answer should have been : "Your hypothetical son is NOT homosexual : he is only jabbering > this is DEMON POSSESSION which makes the boy speak like that. Get the boy onto a real spiritual regime which will eliminate the occupying demons. Such as fasting strictly, not going out with 'pals', limit computer and cut out social media entirely, etc. etc.
Look at the diet, change it to vegetarian or close to that, cut out sugar, cut out - yes, COFFEE " [ as on the thread of our member Justice on topic of TV, movies and coffee being deleterious to youth particularly, but to everyone of all ages. Sister Vassa answered a recent question from a fan - I won't say 'a zillion' as that sounds too self-congratulatory despite the nun's insistence that it is 'a mystical term' - about whether she herself drinks coffee. The answer was yes, and she named a German or similar European brand as her coffee of choice. ]

But this sister will NEVER recommend to any supplicant even one of these sensible suggestions. She has become a media superstar now in her own field, much like Karen Armstrong to a wider audience. What if the word got out that she was not sympathetic to homosexuals ? Perish the thought !

Nor would she EVER consider telling anyone to cut coffee out of their life ! Her life is now vested in her "Coffee With Sister Vassa" carefully crafted image.

Last edited by Barbara on Fri 4 August 2017 2:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: About a Liberal nun in "ROCOR" - MP

Post by Barbara »

In this same 'interview', Sister Vassa writes that her 'spiritual father', Archbishop Mark said to her "What will I do with you, you always want to study !" Something similar to this ; I don't have the original text handy. The way it was written struck me as faked. I can't imagine a 70 or so year old Archbishop speaking like that. The German Rocor hierarch MIGHT have expressed surprise, but not how Sister Vassa twisted it to make it sound. Sister Vassa wished to underline how remarkable she is for wishing to pursue her higher studies. Thus she has the hierarch figuratively throwing his hands in the air as if to exclaim with a sigh : "Oh Sister Vassa, you are SO INTELLECTUAL ! What can we poor archpastors do with such a brilliant, ambitious, ryassophore nun who is talented beyond compare ?"

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