Patriarch Germanos V Concening the"Name-Worshippers"

[Maria]

Here is an excerpt from His Grace Bishop Photios (GOC-Kallinikos):

• Following the advice of the Theological School of Halki Patriarch Germanos V also condemned this heresy (epistle of Patrairch Germanos V dated August 22, 1913) as well as the Synod of the Russian Church (epistle of May 18th and decision of August 22nd 1913).

  It should be noted that in the condemnation of this heresy the famous Athonian Elder Kallinikos the Hesychast helped greatly. Having taught himself Russian he studied the writings of Hilarion and Boukovic and he wrote to both the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Russian Church. Elder Kallinikos said concerning Name-Worshipping “they left the head and worship the hat”.

  For this reason after the condemnation of this heresy the Russian Tsar and the Russian Church sent medals to Elder Kallinikos which are preserved to this day in the Athonian hut of St. Gerasimos.

For the complete text, please click http://www.ecclesiagoc.gr/en/anti-heret ... atolatrias

Does anyone know where one can find the reference to Elder Kallinkos' statement: "They left the head and worship the hat."
"Head" obviously refers to Christ, but what is the reference to "hat?"

[Dionysios]

I think it is significant that this document is an encyclical and not a synodal decision.

Aside from this encyclical, I appreciate the history of Patriarch Germanos V. He kept the tradition of loyalty to the Ottoman Empire throughout the war, and he was an opponent of the ecumenist party. According to 'The Greek Minority of Istanbul and Greek-Turkish Relations 1918-1974' by Alexis Alexandris, the Patriarchate of Constantinople seems to have become divided into to schools of thought in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The westernizing faction was led by Joachim III (1834-1912) who was patriarch from 1878 to 1884 and again from 1901 to 1912. His opponent was Germanos V who was forced off the throne by the westernizing and nationalist faction (by that time called Venizelist) in late 1918 shortly after the Turks signed the surrender treaty on Limnos ending the war.

The Patriarchal seat was empty for several years until it was filled by the false patriarch Metaxakis. Germanos V was the last genuine Patriarch of Constantinople.

I know this is off the subject, but I was told by a Cypriot monk in Athos that when the British later forced Patriarch Photios off of the throne of Alexandria in 1926 in order to install Metaxakis, the British took Photios to a prison in Patra, Greece where he remained until he died. Is anyone able to corroborate this history about the Patriarchate of Alexandria?

This story might be related by way of analogy to Photios's contemporary Germanos V of Constantinople because although Photios was the legitimate Patriarch of Alexandria, he was not perfect without sin. According to Greek Masonic websites, this same Photios of Alexandria was one of their members.

[jgress]

Promotion or defense of name-worshipping, or name-worshipping supporters or proponents, is not permitted in this forum. I'm moving Dionysios' posts to Miscellaneous issues.