St Sarmean: How True Hierarchs Act When They Make Errors

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尼古拉前执事
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St Sarmean: How True Hierarchs Act When They Make Errors

Post by 尼古拉前执事 »

The following is from the Paradosis List:

How True Hierarchs Act When They Make Errors

There is a very interesting incident in the life of St. Sarmean, Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia (+774): "Sarmean was a firm defender of Orthodoxy. Once, however, on Cheese-fare Thursday at Shio-Mgvime Monastery, a group of strangers bearing gifts arrived at the monastery. He served Holy Communion to them without ever inquiring into their faith. Later he learned that they were Jacobites [Monophysites].

"His carelessness was revealed to him in a dream that same night. When he awoke the next morning, Catholicos Sarmean summoned the bishops, confessed his mistake, burned the gifts that the Jacobites had given him before their eyes, and departed for an isolated cave, where he wept over his sin with bitter tears.

"But the All-Merciful Lord sent a sign to St. Sarmean to inform him that his transgression had been forgiven. 'O Great Sovereign Patriarch Sarmean! Rejoice! We, your spiritual children, believers in your holiness, the entire council of bishops, wish to inform you that St. Shio has appeared and told each of the five of us that the Lord has remitted your sin. Make haste and summon us to the monastery, that we may give thanks together to our Holy Father Shio!" (from Archpriest Zakaria Machitadze, "Lives of the Georgian Saints", Platina, 2006, pp. 304-305).

At almost the same time the Holy Patriarch Paul of Constantinople voluntarily retired from his see because of his participation in the heresy of iconoclasm, and a new, untainted hierarch was elected in his place, St. Tarasius.

That is how true hierarchs act when they make mistakes.

But how do the present hierarchs of World Orthodoxy act? In recent years, I have heard of only one case which we may be considered similar: Patriarch Theoctistus of Romania temporarily retired because of his cooperation with the Romanian communist secret police, the Securitate. Of course, he did not repent before the Romanian hierarchs of the True Orthodox Church who did not cooperate with the Securitate, nor did he stay in retirement long but returned to his post without the blessing of God. And he continues to espouse the pan-heresy of ecumenism... Nevertheless, we must be thankful for small mercies in our terrible times. At least he admitted he had done wrong, and did something to correct it.

I know of no similar cases among the Orthodox hierarchs who cooperated ardently with the communist secret police in Russia or other places...

In Chambesy in 1990 ALL the hierarchs of World Orthodoxy committed themselves to an act many times worse than the mistake of St. Sarmean. They removed the anathemas on the leaders of the Monophysite heresy, the so-called "oriental" or "non-Chalcedonian Orthodox", and accepted them as a "family of churches" on a par with themselves. St. Sarmean never confessed Monophysitism - but the hierarchs of World Orthodoxy have done just that. St. Sarmean gave communion to a small group of Monophysites in ignorance of who they were - the hierarchs of World Orthodoxy have, consciously and officially, committed themselves to giving communion to all the millions of Monophysite heretics throughout the world. For if they are Orthodox and are freed from the anathemas of the Ecumenical Councils, why should they not be given communion? No doubt that is why Patriarch Alexis of Moscow serves so frequently with the Armenian Monophysite Catholicos...

There have been hierarchs on a par with St. Sarmean in our time. One of them was Metropolitan Philaret of New York. Once Monophysite heretics were allowed to serve in the Jordanville church ouf of "pastoral condescension". On hearing this, the metropolitan ordered the church to be church to be immediately closed and re-sanctified as having been defiled by heretics. And he said that no "pastoral condescension" could justify communion with heretics.

Let us follow the example of such saints as Sarmean of Georgia and Philaret of New York, and turn away from those "hierarchs" whose conscience is so seared that they wish to give that which is holy, not to those who have been sanctified by the confession of the true faith, but to those whose false teaching has been officially condemned by the Holy Church at the highest level for over 1500 years!

Vladimir Moss

Christophoros

Post by Christophoros »

That is how true hierarchs act when they make mistakes.

But how do the present hierarchs of World Orthodoxy act?

A good question. And how is the example of the bishops of "True Orthodoxy" any different? How many bishop have been justly deposed once, twice, thrice (as if such a thing is possible!), and there was no repentance in them? How many saints in the past, out of humility and love for ecclesiastical unity, accepted false condemnations? St. John Chrysostom was deposed and condemned falsely multiple times, and yet commanded his followers to remain in communion with his persecutors and continue contributing to the Church as much as they did under him, in order to not divide the Church.

When bringing up the errors and shortcomings of others, we must all recall the publican and the Pharisee.

In Christ,
Chris

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Post by GOCTheophan »

Christophoros wrote:

And how is the example of the bishops of "True Orthodoxy" any different? How many bishop have been justly deposed once, twice, thrice (as if such a thing is possible!), and there was no repentance in them?

Chris



Your Kyprianos was deposed thrice.

Theophan.

Evfimy

Post by Evfimy »

I don't know if Orthodox clergy are capable of admitting they are wrong.

I believe there are three virtues lacking in contemporary Orthodoxy:

love

humility

patience.

I believe this is pandemic and needs to be checked immediately if Orthodoxy is to survive into the next generation.

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Post by joasia »

Evfimy

I believe there are three virtues lacking in contemporary Orthodoxy:

love

humility

patience.

I believe this is pandemic and needs to be checked immediately if Orthodoxy is to survive into the next generation.

Considering your posts, I think that this is lacking in you too. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Stop preaching and start living...in Christ. You sound like a hypocrite. What do you want? Paradise? You have to earn it with your own spiritual struggles.

We all do. What? Do you think you are so pious? Then, please, teach me the way to piety..since you seem to have it all figured out. Orthodoxy is not good enough for you so you go with the papists. Tell me, what holy teachings do the papist teach?

What do the papists have that YOU consider above the Orthodox faith, that would make you turn to them?

Since you want to make such suppositions...please inform me.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps. 50)

Evfimy

Post by Evfimy »

I am not a papist. But I am open to the possibility. I have arguments against my own arguments. I am just presenting information I found. The references I gave are real. How one interprets them is the question.

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Post by Lenexa »

Absolutely excellent article!
The way bishops act now, though there are a few very bright shining examples of Orthodoxy still in our midst, I am amazed to think of a bishop being so humble and pious and willing to state that the Monophysites really are Monophysites and not Orthodox.
I remember one priest who told me simply whenever someone comes to you trying to get you to believe otherwise it is best not to get angry and/or try to engage in a long debate, unless you truly have been qualified to do so, as in Vladimir Moss's case, but you should simply and quietly dismiss it saying, "That's not Orthodox."
For those in the AA: Inter-communion with the Melkites is not Orthodox. Inter-communion with the Monophysites is not Orthodox.

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