Fr. Ephraim of Arizona is a controlled opposition.

[Maria]

... Fr. Ephraim has been heavily criticized for the cult of personality built up around him over the past 25+ years. Fr. Ephraim has been well-known for doing such things as: giving penances for sins confessed and penanced 50 years ago; stating that the ecumenistic heresy isn’t serious enough to break communion with the heretical Phanar over; creating a ‘church within a church’; stating that any disobedience to him will ensure your damnation; attacking True Orthodox Christians while defending the Ecumenical Patriarchate; etc.

Of course, it is very possible that Elder Ephraim has been allowed to operate under the Phanar because of all these problems. It makes the ‘conservative’ or ‘traditionalist’ position look absolutely crazy. A sort of controlled opposition.

Thus, Ephraimites support Confession, which is good, but, then they do crazy things to make it look bad. They support the traditional teaching on telonia, but, then state other teachings which make telonia look disreputable. They state ecumenism is bad, but, support communion with the Phanar and praise the Ecumenical Patriarch and attack True Orthodox Christianity. They support monasticism but then create a cult-like mentality to bring monasticism into disrepute. ...

To read more, visit ... http://nftu.net/elder-ephraim-supporter ... -adultery/

[xenondrum]

Very well written article, Father Enoch. Your insights on Fr. Ephraim are impressive. Indeed, Fr. Ephraim is being used as a Trojan Horse.

[Cyprian]

I don't keep up with the goings on of Ephraim of Arizona and his monastery, so I am curious to learn where he or his representatives have attacked True Orthodox Christians in a public manner.

[Barbara]

So now we have the facts about elder Ephraim having started the Arizona St Anthony's Monastery AFTER he departed Rocor.
Why would he have done that ???
He should have stayed there. He could have always transferred to a TOC - which he SHOULD HAVE DONE -
after the 2007 'union'. Instead he "went liberal". Why ?

Is there a Greek nationalistic aspect to the thinking ? That even if it's GOA, it's still Greek as opposed to Russian ?
As we know, though, there ARE Russian style chapels, icons etc. at St Anthonys.
Is that a gambit to attract Russian and other peoples ? Or sincere appreciation for the traditional Russian Orthodox path ?