Bishop Agafangel opens his "LiveJournal"

[Anastasios]

Whatever I think about the Kyprianites I would not ask a secular state to harass and persecute them....Would you do so even of OCA for example? Possibly but I doubt it. He is an enemny of the Church.

I would not ask that either but what are the facts?

Does our Synod know enough about this man? Have they stated that clearly he is an Orthodox Bishop and we must regard him as such? Certainly the monastery of Esiphigmenou believes that he fell away from the Church 6 or 7 years ago.

"Esphigmenou" has 105 monks I believe. Are you sure they have one, unified opinion? And are they always consistent? I submit not. And if they are, are they the authority? No. I respect them, but they are not the Holy Synod.

I myself only found this out about Agafangel from the sister of a priest in Russia over the weekend. I am sure if I was to look more deeply into this man other things would emerge.

Theophan.[/quote]

You just found out about him, from word of mouth, and without further investigation assume what you heard is true? Do you think that our Synod has no one that knows people in Russia? I submit that you should take a little more time before calling people apostates. Even if Agafangel persecuted people but did not preach heresy, he is still an Orthodox bishop. We are not Donatists. If he preached heresy, show us the evidence and I will inform some people of this straightaway. In this era of persecution, I notice that many of us jump to hasty conclusions, apply words like "apostate" and "heretic" very quickly, and generally don't act with charity. I don't consider this calling a spade a spade--this is not speaking frankly but making a hasty judgment. Again, if you can show me some evidence that he harassed True Orthodox, I will take that under consideration.

[Pravoslavnik]

"Agafangel sinned aganist the Church by encouraging the secular state made up of former Communists to persecute those who stayed loyal to Metropolitian Vitaly in ROCOR and the Catacombniks."

GOCTheophan,

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    Can you give a reference, some documentation, of this allegation against ROCOR Bishop Agafangel?  I would like to learn more about this issue, and the source of these allegations, especially since the history of the ROCIE and the ROCOR-Vitalyite schism  following the retirement of Metropolitan Vitaly has been somewhat vague.  My impression is that Bishop Agafangel has been willing to endanger his own life by defying the MP and the secular authorities in the former Soviet Union.

[Cyprian]

Even if Agafangel persecuted people but did not preach heresy, he is still an Orthodox bishop. We are not Donatists. If he preached heresy, show us the evidence and I will inform some people of this straightaway. In this era of persecution, I notice that many of us jump to hasty conclusions, apply words like "apostate" and "heretic" very quickly, and generally don't act with charity. I don't consider this calling a spade a spade--this is not speaking frankly but making a hasty judgment. Again, if you can show me some evidence that he harassed True Orthodox, I will take that under consideration.

Kyprianism is a heresy and Agafangel was until only recently in the Lavrite synod which continues to preach this heresy.

I consider Agafangel a Kyprianite until he publicly repudiates the Kyprianism which he supported for all those years.

Notice how one of the first things Met. Vitaly and company did after finally wresting themselves from the traitors in ROCOR was to issue an official severing of communion and repudiation of the doctrines of the Kyprianites.

For Agafangel to be credible he should do the same.

[catechuman]

Even if Agafangel persecuted people but did not preach heresy, he is still an Orthodox bishop. We are not Donatists. If he preached heresy, show us the evidence and I will inform some people of this straightaway. In this era of persecution, I notice that many of us jump to hasty conclusions, apply words like "apostate" and "heretic" very quickly, and generally don't act with charity. I don't consider this calling a spade a spade--this is not speaking frankly but making a hasty judgment. Again, if you can show me some evidence that he harassed True Orthodox, I will take that under consideration.

Kyprianism is a heresy and Agafangel was until only recently in the Lavrite synod which continues to preach this heresy.

I consider Agafangel a Kyprianite until he publicly repudiates the Kyprianism which he supported for all those years.

Notice how one of the first things Met. Vitaly and company did after finally wresting themselves from the traitors in ROCOR was to issue an official severing of communion and repudiation of the doctrines of the Kyprianites.

For Agafangel to be credible he should do the same.

Cyprian,
You make an interesting case but can you explain then why this list of GOC Bishops and Metropolitans do consider Agafangel a Bishop?

GOC Synod Chairman:

+Chrysostomos, Archbishop of Athens and All Elladi

GOC Synod Members:

+Akakios, Metropolitan of Attica and Davleia

+Maximos, Metropolitan of Thessalonika and Dimitrias

+Kallinikos, Metropolitan of Achaia and All Peloponnesos

+Stephanos, Metropolitan of Chios, Psaros, and Oinousses

+Justin, Metropolitan of Euripos and Euboia

+Gerontios, Metropolitan of and Piraeus and Salamis

+Chrysostomos, Metropolitan of Attica and Boiotia

+Gregory, Bishop of Christianoupolis

+Photios, Bishop of Marathon

+Theodosios, Bishop of Bresthene

[Pravoslavnik]

"Kyprianism is a heresy and Agafangel was until only recently in the Lavrite synod..."

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     So-called "Kyprianism"--i.e., not assuming that a Church administration is abolutely without grace in the absence of the formal condemnation by a Church Council--is one thing.  Accusing an Orthodox bishop of betraying other Orthodox Christians to secular, anti-Christian, police authorities, is quite another.  I am still awaiting a credible reference about these slanderous allegations against ROCOR Bishop Agafangel.