Moderator: Mark Templet
May God forgive and have mercy on his soul!
However us God has said woe to those who call good evil and evil good which sadly is what has been happening in ROCOR a lot these days. We are also asked to be zealous for the faith. Southern Orthodox how much experiance of the Soviet Patriarchate do you have?
A grave sinner,
Timothy.
Well since you ask Cat. Timothy. I come from a Menshevik family, grandparents left Russia for the States. Old Believer by tradition, but have placed my faith the Holy Synod. No I do not have "experience" with the MP. Closest I came was in 92 while serving in the Army, had a trip planned but was told not to go by the US. Was it maybe Communism was falling? Have to check, have to check that fact by reading some of these non-senical post. OK I did and yes it did fall. So to re-store a Patriarchal order in Mother Russia, so why is that so hard to believe for so many non-believers? Just a question? I have seen many non-russians come into the Church and receive the Light, why is this such an issuse? I understand what someone has told you. Yes KGB, Stalin, bad, believe me I know, wouldn't be speaking Engilsh if it wasn't so. But if someone can show me were the New Marty's peached anything but true Orthodoxy while living Orthodoxy. I understand we have along way to go, but I want to live in today and have a heritage to pass on to my chidren that will not only stand the test of time, but stand the test of Orthodoxy.
Hope that helps.
Respectfully in my prayers,
DJ
Dear DJ,
thank you for replying. I spent nearly two years as a member of the Moscow Patriarchate's Representation parish here in Dublin, for most of that time I chanted the Epistle in english and served as an acolyte. I left recently and hope if it is the will of God to be recieved into the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece. This means that I have to take the boat to England and a long train journey every month to attend Church. If I thought it was possible to save my soul and remain in the Soviet Church believe me I would. To give you a small example of what the Moscow Patriarchate is like- my former priest on a trip to Galway loudly proclaimed that he had no problemns at all with the ordination of women in the "Church of Ireland" and remember this is a man who believes that Anglicans have valid sacraments...Of course on our Bible study nights he would proclaim the unchanging nature of Orthodoxy! :ohvey: Still the book stall was filled up with the filth of "Father" Alexander Menn and the "Met" Anthony Bloom. Basically you could choose the level of strictness or whatever word you want to use based on your own "temperment". Now will you be happy in such a broad "Church"? Laying aside other things that scandalised me and frightened for the moment I think it would be a good idea to really examine what ROCOR is getting into.
I am not a good person. I make no claims to be, but being so vile and messed up Orthodoxy is my only hope. Therefore I have to be zealous for it.
Timothy.
I too have witnessed open abuse in the MP, but also great holiness. Is the Church sinful? Can it ever be? If one man sin, even though he be a Priest of God, he answers for it, not the Church nor the people of God. I understand and appreciate your zeal and your entry into resistance, with which I offer you the best regards and good fortune, but I also encourage moderation in your assessments...May we one day be ONE again.
In the LOVE Of Christ,
Rostislav
I, too, until recently felt disdain toward +Metroplitan Anthony for which I repent, but while working on translations of his thought have found a Saint...
Regular prayer and a frequent life in the Mysteries!
Kollvyas, are you with the Synod of Resistance? For a long time I wouldve looked to them and ROCOR-L as examples of pure Orthodoxy but joining a Yahoo Group set up about the Union made me realise that their approach to the apostasy was wrong.
Also meeting "Zealots" had a great effect aswell as I saw in them certain virtues that I would love to have. They pointed out to me that however good the writings of many of the "World Orthodox" can be they just dont have that ascetic fragance that is their in the Fathers and confessors right up to modern times.
Also the national-bholsevik "conservitive" machismo of the Soviet Patriarchate has as little to do with Christ and True Orthodoxy as the seemingly fluffy ecumenist cosmopolitianism of the EP. They are two sides of the same coin of Apostasy!
As far as "Met" Anthony Bloom goes I seriously recommend that write to his former spiritual son Vladimir Moss about him- there are reasons for that great philospher and historian's zeal aganist "World Orthodoxy".
Timothy.
If I were to make a final decision for resistance, it would be with Fili. I do understand how in the West a resurgent Russia might be viewed as suspect, but the early trends have an ever-increasing role for the Church. I am a SCOBAn and a faithful son of the MP. While I would never discount Dr. Moss' apprehensions, I find solace in the thought that even Saints are not perfect...
R
Well I would have probably been of complete ones-ness of mind with you a month or two ago, but the time came when I couldnt fool myself any longer. The Church in Russia is under persecution still, the Soviet Orthodox Church being largely behind it in their attempts to corner the "Religious" market. Russia is heading towards a National Bholsevik nightmare that will protray itself as the re-birth of "Holy Russia"- what blasemphy! The fascist thugs of the "Offical" Serbian "Church" regularly decorate with varied shades of black and blue and bloody red the rib cages of the Orthodox aswell, I dont see anyone in the west showing any concern over that. That happens in Russia too. Remember we are talking about easterners attacking other easterners so the whole east versus west thing is not something I buy into.
Okay lets put it like this. St Joseph of Petrograd died rather than live within the Soviet Church, if I die while attending the Soviet Church will I not face eternal death in the face of his Glory? Remember the saints will judge the earth, and the new martyrs and confessors of the Orthodox Empire of the Third Rome will judge this apostasy.
The Soviet Orthodox Church is one of the greatest foes the Church of Christ has ever faced.
Timothy.
