Unity in the Communion

famulus · Post by **famulus** » Sat 3 September 2005 8:24 am

Rejoice in Christ!

Could you tell me brothers which True Otrhodox Churches are in Communion with each other? I.e. the Synod in Resistance is in Communion with ROCA - ot not? Or tne greek Synods - which one recognizes which outside Greece?

1937 Miraculous Cross · Sat 3 September 2005 5:04 pm

Dear Famulus,

None of the True Orthodox are in communion with each other...sad to say.

Russians: ROCOR(l) is headed towards union with the MP, so even the Cyprianites have suspended relations. I don't know about the Bulgarians and Romanians

ROCOR (V) is not in communion with anyone

ROAC: ditto, except for communion with the TOC Latvia who derive
their bishops from ROAC.

there is a ROCOR (V) split off group in Russia (don't know their name),
that is also not in communion with anyone else.

Abp. Gregory of Colorado -- recently cut off from ROAC: a one man "synod" apparently looking to expand to a synod of two if he gets Fr. George "secretly" consecrated by a lone GOC/Lamian bishop

Greeks: too many to post all here
a) GOC/Kiousis synod: only in communion with the GOC of North America under Abp. Pavlos of Astoria.
b) GOC/"Lamians": a splinter off the Kiousis synod (or vise versa depending on whose viewpoint you take. They are in communion with no one else.
c) TOC/Matthewites under Abp Nicolaus: in communion with no one either.
d) TOC/Bp. Kyrikos: recently split from the TOC/Nicolaus and has some followers in Greece and mostly Russia. another one bishop situation.
e) TOC/Gregorians: separated from former Matthewite Abp Petros in 1995 over matters pertaining to icons. Originally 5 bishops and I think now done to 2 due to the repose of elderly bishops. They are also by themselves.
f) HOCNA: episcopacy derives from Abp Auxentios. In communion with no one else.
g) several others who are independent Old Calendar bishops in greece, in communion with no one else.
h) TOC/Cyprianites: only in communion with the TOC of Bulgaria and Romania, both derive their episcopacies from the Cyprianites in Greece.

Did I miss any? I probably did. Anyway, as far as I can see, most of us believe and practice the same things, but are far too suspicious to even have dialogues. Part of the problem is that many are splinters off of some other group and have been deposed by the others. Lovely, no?

Nectarios

joasia · Post by **joasia** » Mon 5 September 2005 8:02 pm

It's pathetic. How can the Orthodox faith stand for the truth if everybody is splitting off? I think the hierarchy are to blame for this. These are grown men, full of pride and certainly not a good example of doing God's will. So the question is...whose will are they doing?

Joanna

romiosini · Post by **romiosini** » Tue 6 September 2005 5:48 pm

Well Joasia and Famulus, I don't know to what extent you mean "True" Orthodox and following God's will.

Priest Siluan · Post by **Priest Siluan** » Tue 6 September 2005 6:17 pm

1937 Miraculous Cross wrote:
there is a ROCOR (V) split off group in Russia (don't know their name),
that is also not in communion with anyone else.

That group is "Russkaya Istinno-Pravoslavnaya Tserkov" (True Russian Orthodox Chruch) or "Lazarites" because they were under deceased Skhi-Archb. Lazar (Zhurbenko), now the First Hierarch is Arb Tikhon of Siberia.

joasia · Post by **joasia** » Tue 6 September 2005 10:39 pm

romiosini,

The truth, to me, means that which upholds all of Christ's teachings against heretical teachings.

God's Will, as I see it, means to conduct the matters of the church as the way Christ would want us to. Basically, a person who conducts his life, by God's Will, is united to God, in constant communion with the Holy Spirit(theosis) and therefore, in this state, is able to know, conduct himself according to God's Will, because it is also his will.

If all the bishops and priests, in our synods, had attained the state of theosis, then all their wills would be according to God's Will because they are all united to the same will and they would recognize the same will within each other because the main source would be the same...God.

Now, with both of these circumstances...I feel that the men in positions of clergy and hierarchy, are making decisions based on prejudices stemming from their personal egos, whatever that may be. They are not united with God in spirit.

For this reason, we have all these splinter groups and constant arguements amongst the different synods. This is not God's Will.

In Christ,

Joanna

famulus · Post by **famulus** » Wed 7 September 2005 4:31 am

romiosini wrote:
Well Joasia and Famulus, I don't know to what extent you mean "True" Orthodox and following God's will.

True Orthodox - I mean the Churches not accepting new-calendar and icumenism. True Orthodox in faith.