Beloved Faithful of the Metropolis of Toronto,
Recently there have been a number of emails sent out by some misguided soul using the name Gnesisos Christianos and other pseudonyms who claims to be part of our local Church community. This claim is obviously false since, if he were in fact a member of our Church he could have discussed any of his concerns with the local clergy. Sadly, this person seeks to slander our bishops and find fault with the recent joyous union that was accomplished in Greece. For anyone who possesses goodwill and common sense, it is obvious that we have not changed our ecclesiology.
I would like to remind everyone of the contents of a public letter written in 2008 by our own Bishop Photios wherein he listed non-negotiable points that must be agreed upon for the sake of our union to continue. Among these points were:
• an unequivocal condemnation of ecumenism as a heresy.
• a rejection of the idea of New Calendarism as the “mother Church.”
• an acknowledgement that members of the New Calendarist-Ecumenist “Church” must not commune of the Immaculate Mysteries before being incorporated into true Orthodoxy.
• the acceptance through Chrismation of those coming from New Calendarism/Ecumenism.
• the acceptance through Baptism of all who do not bear even the form of Orthodox Baptism.
• a retraction of the expression “ailing members of the Church” in the case of heretics.
• an avowal of the validity of the condemnation of Ecumenism by the Russian Church Abroad and by the Church of the True Orthodox Christians of Greece.
• an avowal that those competent to condemn heresies have always been the Bishops who abide in Orthodoxy, whatever their number or whether or not Patriarchs are among them. Today it is the Bishops of the Church of the True Orthodox Christians who have the right to condemn Ecumenism and every heresy.
These points, along with the more recent document titled, “The True Orthodox Church And The Heresy Of Ecumenism” with the footnotes and explanations are enough to convince people of goodwill that we have maintained our defense of Traditional Orthodox ecclesiology.There is every indication that the person who wrote the various malicious emails belongs to the self-appointed autocephalos church of Warren Street. It is no secret that, after they began to promote heresy and after the open admission of the guilt of one of their leaders moral transgressions to many witnesses, over 80 % of the clergy and laity departed from this group over a period of 2 years. Sadly, the leadership of this group holds itself accountable to none.
The primary reason I am sending out this email is that I ask you all to remember in your prayers all of those who are still being deceived by the leadership of this religious corporation.
May our Savior provide all good things for you and your families in this age and in the age to come.
In Christ,
+Moses
Courtesy of Fr. Panagiotes Carras from his Yahoo group.
September 13, 2014