Deposition of Fr Gregory (Lourie) of St Petersburg

[joasia]

Tom

I know that you're looking from it at a different angle than myself. I still believe in the Orthodox saints. They did God's will, but the hierarchs these days are following their own pride and that's what upsets me. They're causing confusion. But, I can understand how someone who would be searching for the truth would consider the Orthodox faith just as fallen as all the other Christian religions.

I have my specific view of the Orthodox saints and my heart trusts in them, without question, but the stuff going on in all the Orthodox jurisdictions is not right.

[尼古拉前执事]

Yes it is true, Joasia is unfortunately correct. It is going to probably take, with the help of the Holy Spirit, a movement of laity demanding that the schisms among the traditional Orthodox Churches be healed.

Vladyka Valentine also agrees that these are not splits of Faith between the various acronymed jurisdictions of the Church of Christ and at our last Clergy-Laity Conference the following was reported:

The reasons for the divisions between the ROAC and these other Churches result not so much from a difference in confession of Faith, as from differences arising from the personal ambitions of the different bishops involved.

The previous Clergy-Laity Conference called for the unity of the Faithful suggesting that maybe the Russians and Greeks in America could get together and unite in to one Church with one Hierarchy instead of these very American situation of so many hierarchies in one land sharing the same Faith.

Unity will never happen without expressing the will of unity of the Truth to our hierarchs and lots of prayer.

[TomS]

..but the hierarchs these days are following their own pride and that's what upsets me. They're causing confusion.

But Joasia, they ALWAYS have. Read a history of the Church that is not propoganda. Read "The Closing of The Western Mind" It is a secular history that is thoroughly referenced and is not anti-christian.

[joasia]

David wrote:

I work out my salvation in my local ROCOR parish and won't "protestantize" Orthodoxy by straining out the gnat of my own understanding of the holy canons while swallowing the camel of schism.

Wow. That's an interesting perception. Are you a writer? I couldn't write like that. I'm a meat and potatoes writer...except on Wednesdays and Fridays, of course.

[TomS]

Vladyka Valentine also agrees that these are not splits of Faith between the various acronymed jurisdictions of the Church of Christ and at our last Clergy-Laity Conference the following was reported:

The reasons for the divisions between the ROAC and these other Churches result not so much from a difference in confession of Faith, as from differences arising from the personal ambitions of the different bishops involved.

Then doesn't this mean that Vladyka Valentine is saying that HE is PART of the problem? Why doesn't he just remove the barriers for HIS Church?

Otherwise what he is saying is that HE is right and it is up to the other heirarchs to change.

[joasia]

Tom wrote:

But Joasia, they ALWAYS have. Read a history of the Church that is not propoganda. Read "The Closing of The Western Mind" It is a secular history that is thoroughly referenced and is not anti-christian.

Who's the author? I'll check it out.

Does it talk about Orthodox saints who were led by their own personal prides?

Joanna

[TomS]

Who's the author? I'll check it out.

Does it talk about Orthodox saints who were led by their own personal prides?

Does not really deal with specific Saints - more along the lines of how theology evolved and the politicalization of Christianity by the State.

Don't expect to agree with all of it.

The Closing of The Western Mind

Read the first review post (which is from the author)