The sainthood of Tzar Nicholas II

This is a safe harbor for inquirers and catechumen to ask questions and share their journey into Holy Orthodoxy. Please be kind to our newcomers and warmly welcome them. All Forum Rules apply. No polemics. No heated discussions. No name-calling.
Post Reply
Justice
Sr Member
Posts: 816
Joined: Fri 5 May 2017 4:39 pm
Faith: Deism
Jurisdiction: Possible Inquirer
Location: United States

The sainthood of Tzar Nicholas II

Post by Justice »

Tzar Nicholas II has been canonized by both the MP and the pre-union ROCOR, though this raises a few questions: while tzar Nicholas was a pious Orthodox Christian, he didn't die for his Christian beliefs, and therefore cannot be considered a martyr. The MP originally venerated him as a martyr but upon realizing this they made him a passion bearer. Historians have also said that Tzar Nicholas II was an incompetent ruler that simply couldn't rule the Russian empire effectively. Shouldn't this also cancel out any chance of canonization? There was many debates about this subject within the ROCOR back in 1981 and in my mind hasn't been resolved. Based on everything we know is it ok to call Tzar Nicholas II a saint within the Orthodox Church?

d9popov
Member
Posts: 211
Joined: Fri 9 June 2017 8:29 pm

Re: The sainthood of Tzar Nicholas II

Post by d9popov »

I do not believe that the evidence indicates that Saint Nicholas the Tsar-Martyr "didn't die for his Christian beliefs." Neither am I aware of credible evidence that he was murdered as an act of "ritual murder" --- Jewish, and/or occult, and/or atheist. The Communists (Russian, Jewish, and many other nationalities) were concerned that a living tsar --- and especially a liberated-from-captivity tsar --- would be a great morale booster to the White forces in the Civil War (many of whom were Christian) who were trying to prevent the consolidation of a totalitarian, anti-Christian government. The murder of the tsar, his family, and attendants was perpetrated with the purpose of crushing the (largely Christian) resistance to the evil Communist takeover of a predominantly-Christian Russian empire. The Communists claimed to hate economic inequality, but they also hated Christian values and loved violence against non-Communists, especially Christians. That is why tens of thousands of clergy, monks, nuns, and church workers were systematically shot, starved, or sent to the Gulag. That is why the Communists shut down almost all Orthodox Churches and schools under their control in the 1930s. Extremist theories about the Tsar-Martyr such as "didn't die for his Christian beliefs" or (an opposite view) "ritual murder" might be sensational, emotionally-tempting conspiracy theories, but both theories seem to be detached from reality. The anti-theist revolutionary Communists murdered so many human beings because the victims (many of whom were Orthodox Christians) were considered to be obstacles to the fantasy of the new socialist/Soviet man and a future Marxist paradise on earth. The Communists were evil utopians who wanted to murder human beings (especially Christians) who had a degree of understanding about the fallenness of mankind and who would not support evil Marxist-Leninist schemes to change human nature. The fascists and Nazis, I should add, were also inspired, in part, by socialist utopianism and anti-Christianity. This is why both the Communists and the Nazis murdered tens of millions of human beings in the twentieth century --- many of whom were Orthodox Christians. Hatred of Christianity was clearly a motivating factor for both the Communists and Nazis. More important than the motives of the murders is the confession of faith of the victims. Those who offer a true witness to the God-Man and to His Orthodox faith through their own personal suffering will obtain mercy from God in eternity. O Holy Martyrs, pray to God for us sinners, that He may have mercy on us the sinners.

Post Reply