Suzdal Diocese Gazette Excommunication Official Announcement

[Monk George]

Our Lord Jesus Christ taught in a Parable that the Kingdom of God is like a net, which caught all sorts of fish. Then, when the net was brought to land, they sorted the good from the bad.

When people such Fr. Gregory Lourie, or Vladimir Moss, come to the Church, we don't cast them out because of an erroneous opinion; we endeavor to teach them the dogmas of the Faith, hoping that in time they will gain a complete understanding of the them.

As the ship of Church sails its course, it is natural that people's opinions will become known, particularly with communication outlets like the internet. If they make a mistake, then that problem will be addressed appropriately.

Fortunately, the course of action and measures the Synod of Bishops of the ROAC uses to bind up the broken are not subject to the scrutiny of the laity. Our Synod of Bishops has dealt effectively with the issues surrounding the name worshipping heresy, and Fr. Gregory Lourie has shown his obedience to these decrees. Vladimir Moss has not.

Fr. George

[Nevski]

but my question was about the term "pseudo-Jew." OOD seems to have explained the terms' relationship. Or so it appears to me. Thanks to both of you for the enlightening.

Nevski,

What is a "pseudo-Jew," and who in our Ecumenist Church would you point to as an example of one?

"Parasynagogue" refers to heretical/schismatic bodies which have defected from the Church of Christ - similar to how the original Synagogue, once clothed in Godliness, now finds itself in darkness and shame, for having betrayed it's God and replaced Him with an abstraction of their own creation. Heterodox bodies are similar to the Synagogue in this way (hence parasynagogue).

It's not a "nice term", but it is true. Of course, how blunt things are phrased, often has much to do with one's audience.

Seraphim

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

Father George,

I suppose the only person who knows the precise details surrounding the whole affair is Vladimir Moss and the Bishops in Russia collectively. For this reason I have no opinion with regard to this, I just do not believe Vladimir Moss is even close to being a heretic. Again, anyone making that claim would have to do as he did, and show the evidence.

Although I don't think Vladimir Moss falls into this category, I would agree with what you say, unless a bishop is an unrepented heretic one is left with very little to say or do. The Canons and the Fathers of the Church place a very heavy burden of evidence on those who call on the 15th Canon of the First-Second Council in separating themselves from their local bishop, much less a person unilaterally declaring an entire body graceless. For in such a declaration, if untrue, is a declaration against Christ. Any reasonable person, then, must admit that unsubstantiated rumor, by definition, does not measure up to the strict standard of evidence mandated by the Fathers.

More to the point, if one wishes to critique another person or Synod, one cannot turn a blind eye to the contradictions and the inherent problems in their own conceptions, innacurracies, and rumors. People perpetrating such ill should examine their own planks and the divisions they sow, which includes myself before anyone.

[away]

I have been feeling sad about this site.

When I first found it, I thought it was ok, maybe even good. But now I just want to stop coming here at all. There is so much pointless and harmful stuff being posted here. Even if a lot of people here are sincere and maybe even speak the truth, what does it matter when there is clearly so little said with the intention of edification or comforting or guidance or even words of experience or wisdom.

I must say that I have found a lot of things on this site to be all of the above things and very helpful and certainly a blessing and I thank God and his human tools for these things.

The thing is, I have a shelf full of books, my icons and prayer books and plenty of solitude. Sometimes I want to throw this computer out the window when I see the people getting hurt around this place. Im gonna start my own forum and its going to be called "the only true Orthodox way to discover anything about yourself and others and reality and the way to Heaven" and its just going to be a blank page without any way to say or read anything. After a while of visiting my site, I will get tired and bored of it and go and pray and visit my lonely auntie, who is a totally commited Catholic, and my poor friend who is recovering from a nervous breakdown and is a lapsed Catholic and my other good friend who is a junkie and thinks the universe is being created out of his own mind and I will not truly Love these people, but I will truly want to and I will really try to at least not make thier lives any more painful than they are and then I will go home and read the holy fathers and wish I could cry over my sins but try to be content with just confessing them to God and then go to sleep and hope I dont sin while Im half concious because that happens to me alot and its difficult to deal with sometimes. Good bye and be at peace before you post.

[John the Russian]

It was quite insensitive. So was the part about ROAC being schismatic comming from someone who is under anathema and should thus be considered as being schismatic from orthodoxy. WORLD ORTHODOXY= the biggest schism of them all

[Alexis in Alaska]

Slava Isusu Hristu!

Well maybe people are experiencing burn-out and spiritual sickness in forums such as this not because these forums are innately evil, but rather that sins are being commited in them. Sins of slander, gossip, name murdering, et al. When we talk about someone who cannot defend themselves is that not a sin? Hmm? When we murder someone's reputation is that not a grave offense against the law of God? I would suggest that the Moderator re-formulate the rules of this forum to empahize emphatically that the commandments of God and the Church must be obeyed here in our writing; and that those publishing their opinions on this forum are obligated in Obedience to Orthodoxy to be kind, gentle, loving, forgiving, not given to gossip, to name-calling, slander, backbiting and who are academically honest and who show themselves to be followers of Christ and not the pagan manners of this world. The fundamental problem with forums is that people do not know when to practice modesty in writing. They spew out every carnal thing that comes into their mind without thinking about it or considering the feelings and spiritual health of others. Please consider this suggestion given in all due humility for the spiritual wellbeing of my bretheren in the Orthodox Catholic Faith.

In the Pantokrator,

Alexis, Chief Sinner

[Chrysostomos]

AlaskanOrthodox,

I "second" your appeal to this forum.....

With humble bow,

Rd. Chrysostomos