The Last Will and Testament of Archbishop Antony of Los Angeles
(signed on November 24/December 7, 1995, Holy Martyr Katherine)
The Lord has destined us to live in an extremely hard time unlike
any other in the history of the Russian Church. That is why in the
last will and testament one should speak of the most important
thing. When a living organism is dying, all thoughts are
concentrated on how to survive. So should we. In our times of
predominant apostasy from God and the Truth, we should be concerned
with two questions: how to keep faithfulness to the True God and how
to save our souls.
1. According to many canonical rules, all of the so-called bishops,
archbishops and metropolitans of the Moscow Patriarchate, being KGB
agents, are apostates from Christ. The 62nd Apostolic Canon deprives
them of these titles, and if they repent, it calls for them to be
accepted as laymen and not to be ordained. Similar orders are found
in numerous (24) canonical rules. From this, we see that the Divine
Canons do not admit the Divine Gifts to apostates - KGB agents.
The holy Martyr St. Patriarch Tikhon testifies to the same in his
epistle excommunicating the soviet power; Blessed Metropolitan
Anthony (Khrapovitsky) does likewise when he condemns the
Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius (Stargorodsky), as does
Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky) in his last testament.
Hear Holy Patriarch Tikhon's words stated right after committing the
God-fighting soviet power to anathema: "We exorcise you, faithful
children of the Orthodox Church of Christ, in no way to associate
with these fiends of humankind." Holy Patriarch Tikhon not only
admonishes but exorcises. And exorcism is admonishment with the
threat of punishment. His words turned out to be prophetic... How
terribly believers were punished by the communism that so many of
them had supported.
In his letter to Metropolitan Sergius, Blessed Metropolitan Anthony
called his (sergei's) declaration a betrayal. During those times
(1927) Moscow bishops, archbishops and metropolitans had not yet
become KGB agents. The main task of the KGB was the "eradication of
religion". This makes the activities of the bishops, archbishops and
metropolitans of the Moscow Patriarchate much worse than betrayal.
In his last will and testament, Metropolitan Anastassy has said: "As
for the Moscow Patriarchate and its bishops, archbishops and
metropolitans, the Russian Church Abroad must not have any
canonical, prayerful, or even simple everyday association, leaving
them at the same time to the final judgment of the Council of the
future free Russian Church."
These words point out the first and repeated condemnation of the
Moscow Patriarchate by the Russian Church Abroad. As the Apostle
Paul teaches: A man that is a heretic after the first and second
admonition reject (Tit 3: 10).
- Our Lord destines us to a great blessing: to belong to the Holy
Orthodox Church, for only here can we obtain Salvation, if we do not
waste the time of preparing ourselves for eternity.
To avoid wasting this time, let us turn to the awesome admonitions
of the Word of God, Gospel parables, prayers and church hymns which
teach us that our mind is filled with unnecessary triviality and
troubles, THAT THE ENEMIES OF OUR SALVATION GIVE TO US. And we, in
our carefree manner, like to think that they are our own harmless
and pleasant thoughts. Having distracted our mind from God, the
enemy begins bringing sinful thoughts and wishes, which are
extremely hard to resist. TO FIGHT AGAINST SIN SUCCESSFULLY, ONE
MUST REPLACE HIS THOUGHTS WITH CONTINUAL PRAYER TO JESUS.
All the Saints had to do this to reach their sanctity. There is no
other way. The great Saints of ancient times, as well as the Holy
Father Seraphim of Sarov, St. John of Kronstadt, Holy Father Paissy
Velichkovksy and the great Startsy of Optina all testify to this.
This prayer saves and is successful only if done patiently and
humbly, not with the goal of pleasure, but rather release from sins,
and it demands a lot of time.
Our Merciful Lord Jesus Christ, grant us eternal salvation by the
prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary, and of all
the Saints! Amen.
(Signed:) Archbishop Antony of L.A. Los Angeles 24 November / 7
December 1995 Holy Martyr Katherine