Note: I am not a member of the clergy. I pose this series of questions only to facilitate a discussion.
We have some people at E Cafe who are inquirers, and who are coming from Catholicism, Protestantism, and World Orthodoxy. Others are confused, have left True Orthodoxy, but are trying to find their way back. They are confused because they witness members of True Orthodoxy attacking one another.
Here at E Cafe, we can minimize the scandal this division causes by discussing Intra-TOC polemics in this private forum, but at other websites and user groups, horrible blows are delivered for all to see.
When the Matthewites confront the Kallinikites or each other, it makes Catholics, Protestants, and World Orthodox who are looking into True Orthodoxy shutter and avoid us. They say, "Where is the love?" not knowing what love really means. They ask, "Why cannot the True Orthodox be united?" not knowing that there are serious issues at play. In addition, they have other questions such as these:
- Where is sacramental grace to be found?
The typical response in World Orthodoxy is that they know not where sacramental grace is to be found as they are not to judge. However, a Matthewite would respond that sacramental grace is only to be found in the Holy Mysteries of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, which would be any of the parishes of the Synod in which they belong.
- Why can't we pray together?
We cannot pray with those who are outside of our Church Synod as canons forbid us from doing so. However, we can pray privately for all our friends and relatives, and even for our enemies that they may be saved.
If a person who is not a member of the Church enters one of the True Orthodox parishes as a visitor, they can attend a service, they can pray the Lord's Prayer with us, they can even sing a hymn with the congregation if they know that hymn, but they cannot join the chanter's stand, join the choir, attempt to sing a hymn alone, read the Epistle, or receive the antidoron or one of the Holy Sacraments (Mysteries).
Some specific examples follow:
a. Matthewites are among the strictest of the True Orthodox because they are instructed to avoid visiting any other church in which they are not a member, nor to take part in any of their services as that would be considered praying with heretics. For example, Matthewites can only visit their own parishes. In case of a baptism, marriage, or funeral of a relative or friend who is outside the Church, they can attend that service, but they cannot take part by serving as a choir member, chanter, godparent, flower girl, ring bearer, bridesmade, pall bearer, etc.
b. Can a Cyprianite clergyman visit a Matthewite Church during Vespers, Divine Liturgy, or a consecration and sit unvested in the church? Would that be considered praying with the Matthewites? To the Matthewites, such an action would be breaking a canon and causing a scandal. To a Cyprianite, such as Met. Cyprian of the GOC-K (under Kallinikos), attending a consecration of a bishop would be considered "brotherly love."
c. Another example occurred while I was a member of the GOC-K. Due to the hardship of attending Pascha services in Northern California as I live in the Los Angeles area, two of their clergymen told me that I could visit the nearby HOCNA parish in Pomona due to the distance of attending Pascha services in Northern California, attend their Pascha service, and even attempt to receive communion there if they would give it to me. Furthermore and unbelievably, these two clergmen told me not to tell them if I had received communion with the HOCNA parish. This was back in 2012, when HOCNA was boldly proclaiming the Awake Sleepers heresy and had already boldly proclaimed that Name-Glorification was not a heresy. Needless to say, I did not attend that HOCNA parish at Pascha or at any time later on. How can a devout Orthodox Christian pray with bold-faced heretics? Would not that act of worship be violating Church Canons?