Archbishop GREGORY of Denver and Colorado

[Alexis in Alaska]

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Lord, Bless!

Archbishop Gregory has always shown me every kindness in my correspondences with His Eminence; I am astounded at this contraversy.
This does not change my belief that His Eminence is a very good man and a lover of souls.

I know that the Lord will work all this out. Until then I must suspend my contact with ROAC and return to the OCA. His Grace Nikolai, Hierarch of the OCA Diocese of Alaska is also a good episkopos; I will go where there is less contraversy; That said, Archbishop Gregory is still up there in my book.

Please pray for me. I am going to move to Juneau in 2 months and will be fine at the small Russian Church there. I just need to worry about the salvation of my soul and stay out of the mucky waters of Traditionalism or rather the unstable nature of young Traditional groups in the US. The OCA Diocese of Alaska is where I was chrismated into Orthodoxy and I will be satisfied to live my Faith here.

Father Deacon Nikolai indeed I am very happy at your ordination to the Diakonate. Axios and Many Years! Pray for me Father Deacon Nikolai. I always knew that you would enter Orders.

God help me.

Lord, Bless.

In Christ,

Alexis

[Monk George]

I logged into the Euphrosynos Cafe from Bulgaria and I learned of the lengthy discussion about the announcement from Metropolitan Valentine concerning our Archbishop Gregory. Needless to say, this was very shocking to us all, that the Metropolitan would dare to post something to the public about an ecclesiastical matter which Archbishop Gregory first put before the Holy Synod. Archbishop Gregory was waiting for a decision from the Holy Synod concerning a matter of deep importance which he submitted before them and our Metropolitan revealed this to the lower clergy in Colorado. We had hoped that this would just remain a ROAC affair, until the Holy Synod made its decision.

The Metropolitan's announcement has caused great scandal and his motives for doing this are yet to be determined. I hope his motives are not in retaliation to him being placed under accusation to the Holy Synod by Archbishop Gregory. Many have known Archbishop Gregory to be one of the great confessing hierarchs of our time. Do you really think that he would be found wanting in an ecclesiastical controversy and moreso knowing that he would have to answer before the throne of God? Therefore I suggest that since no one knows yet all the facts of this controversy that we refrain from any acts or statements until such time as the Synod makes a decision. Then the righteous shall shine forth and those in error will be corrected. Archbishop Gregory has refrained from speaking about any of this because this matter is before the Holy Synod. Therefore, how can we who know nothing of this matter make any judgments or decisions? Needless to say, Archbishop Gregory is not suspended and not forbidden to serve and to perform any ecclesiastical acts.

George, archimandrite

[TomS]

Many have known Archbishop Gregory to be one of the great confessing hierarchs of our time.

Needless to say, Archbishop Gregory is not suspended and not forbidden to serve and to perform any ecclesiastical acts.

Wow. PATHETIC!

[Lucian]

Many have known Archbishop Gregory to be one of the great confessing hierarchs of our time.

Needless to say, Archbishop Gregory is not suspended and not forbidden to serve and to perform any ecclesiastical acts.

Wow. PATHETIC!

This thread is part of the reason I started the thread on authority over on the Theology and Tradition forum.

It puts me in mind of the following verse:

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12).

On the one hand we are faced with the wimpy spectacle of liberal ecumenists pandering to the enemies of Christ. On the other we have the traditionalists bickering and squabbling among themselves.

Sigh . . .

[Moronikos]

Two things struck me as interesting about Archimandite George's post.

1) Many have known Archbishop Gregory to be one of the great confessing hierarchs of our time.

I thought the reason St. Maximos the Confessor and others got their title of "confessor" is because they confessed Christ under torture--not because they jurisdiction hop.

The second thing that struck me is the signature at the end from St. John of the Ladder,

Obedience is life. And the opposite is also true.

ISTM, that the Archimandrite's post was an apologia for why Gregory doesn't have to be obedient. Seems ironic.

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

On the one hand we are faced with the wimpy spectacle of liberal ecumenists pandering to the enemies of Christ. On the other we have the traditionalists bickering and squabbling among themselves.

The Holy Fathers place heretics on an equal footing with schismatics - they are far from the Church and Christ, their only difference is the reasons for their departure; the schismatics being less defensible.

So this is not a question of "liberal ecumenists pandering to the enemies of Christ", they are the enemies of Christ and their communion has nothing to do with His Church. On the other hand, these new pseudo-apostles demonstrate clearly by their schisms that they do not act according to the limits set down by the saints. Rather, according to their own authority and discretion they act against what has been declared by the saints, when some bishop or other absolves in a situation where the saints did not absolve, or binds in a situation where the saints did not bind. And you see these things happening every day.

[Alexis in Alaska]

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Lord, Bless!

This terrible contraversy upsets me to no end. Archbishop Gregory is a wonderful man. I couldn't sleep last night because of all this. What a work of the Devil! I can't even imagine why Metropolitan Valentin would be so careless as to discuss higher-internal matters with lower level clergy. I believe Father George and trust that what he says is the truth.
I don't care what Archbishop Gregory did or didn't do: His Eminence showed me deep care and grace over and over again in his writings; His Eminence is a true Christ.

My return to the OCA is only pastoral in light of this situation. The OCA Diocese of Alaska is Old Calendar and traditional. And so it will suffice. To become a member of ROAC in the US only to have it liquidated by contraversy and scandal would kill me; I don't think I could handle it. That is why I have to submit to Bishop Nikolai. But never have I seen a lover of souls as Archbishop Gregory. I mean who ever heard of a Bishop going into the prisons to baptize people. That is a sign of humilty and Grace. Now whatever things His Eminence is accused of are none of our concern.
We should pray for His Eminence and fast. After what Metr. Valentin did to His Eminence, by acting before the Synod made a decision, I certainly would not hold Archbishop Gregory guilty of leaving ROAC and going to another Jurisdiction. I am a supporter of Archbishop Gregory, period.
No matter what truth comes out in these several months, I am going to be in deep prayer and openness to the Lord's call.

If anything can be said of this debacle it is that the witness of Traditional Orthodoxy in America has been dealt a deadly blow; what a sad day we live in.

Archbishop Gregory: if Your Eminence reads this be assured of my prayers and thanksgiving for Your Eminence's grace toward me a sinner; I am praying for Your Eminence's welfare and episcopate. Many Years!

Lord, Bless!

In Christ,

Alexis