The Various Matthewite Synods

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haralampopoulosjc
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The Various Matthewite Synods

Post by haralampopoulosjc »

The Gregorian schism (1995): A controversy had arisen within the past decade over accusations against certain members of the synod as being opposed to the New Testament Trinity and Resurrection icons and preferring the traditional Old Testament Trinity and Harrowing of Hades icons instead. Archbishop Andreas was viewed as the ringleader of a group of clergy and laity within the synod who were opposed to the God the Father and Resurrection icons, and was thus "suspended" by five bishops of the synod of the GOC under the leadership of Metropolitan Gregory of Messina pending an investigation of the icon issue. Archbishop Andreas sensing a coup was in effect consecrated five new bishops along with Metropolitan Nicholas of Piraeus, Metropolitan Pachomios of Argolis and Metropolitan Epiphanios of Kitium in order to replace the seditious members of the synod. Gregory of Messina and his accomplices were subsequently excommunicated. Within a few years of the Gregorian schism three out of the five coup-plotting bishops reposed and a further schism occured between the two remaining bishops Gregory of Messina and Chrysostom of Thessaloniki over issues of ecclesiology. Gregory of Messina then single-handedly and uncanonically consecrated a bishop, and with him renewed the episcopacy of his own para-synod. Chrysostom of Thessaloniki remains alone to this day in a single parish in the city of his former diocese. In 2017 the Gregorian synod entered into communion with one of the continuing ROCOR synods whose episcopacy had also been renewed through a single-handed consecration at some point in time.

The Kirykite schism (2003-2007): In 2003 the lay theologian Eleftherios Ghoutzidis was excommunicated by the Holy Synod of the GOC, after refusing several times to recant and repent of his ecclesiological and trinitarian heresy regarding the Holy Trinity as the first "beginningless church". Then Metropolitan Kirykos Kontogiannis of Mesogeia and Lavreotiki a long time friend of Ghoutzidis broke all contact with the Holy Synod in protest over the excommunication of his friend, as well as the retirement of Archbishop Andreas due to poor health and subsequent election of Metropolitan Nicholas of Piraeus to the archepiscopal throne of Athens as his replacement. Kirykos stated that this election was uncanonical on the arguement that a ruling hierarch must never resign from his position unless he is deposed or excommunicated, even though there are many examples of this happening throughout history (Metropolitan Anastatsius Gribanovsky the first-hierarch of the ROCOR resigned from his position due to poor health, and reposed a year after Metropolitan Philaret of New York had been elected to take his place). Kirykos was then approached by a representative of a small and little known synod in Romania who had received their apostolic succession from Archbishop Victor Leu of the ROCOR. Kirykos entered into communion with the two bishops of their synod (Metropolitans Gherontie of Vrancea and Cassian of Bacau), and they proceeded to consecrate several clergy to the episcopacy. Shortly before the outbreak of the COVID pandemic the former Metropolitans Eustathius of Patras and Pachomios of Argolis of the mainline Matthewite synod under His Beatitude Archbishop Stephanos of Athens, joined Kirykos and his para-synod. A hieromonk Gerasimos, a pupil of Eustathius was subsequently consecrated to the episcopacy, and given the diocese of Argos. Around 2022 Pachomios of Argolis was elected Archbishp of Athens and all Greece. However, the union was short-lived and in 2023, Eustathius tried to orchestrate the seizure of several of Kirykos' parishes in Greece by sending laymen under his omophorion to squat within Kirykos' parishes and claim them as their own. Kirykos sent his own parishioners to guard the buildings and had the police evict the squatters. Eustathius and Kirykos proceeded to mutually excommunicate each other with half of the bishops of the synod joining Eustathios and the other half joining Kirykos.

To this day, the synod under the omophorion of His Beatitude Archbishop Stephanos remains the only canonical synod which can trace it's apostolic succession back to Blessed Matthew of Bresthena.

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Re: The Various Matthewite Synods

Post by BenjaminMcCraw »

I have been trying to trace the situation of the current day Matthewites for historical purposes and to add to what you have said.

I have found there is an ongoing schism started in 2024 within the Gregorian synod which is not in communion with Metropolitan Chrysostom Metropoulos of Thessaloniki. One synod has Metropolitan of Attica and Megara Kosmas Dimitrakakis and Metropolitan of Cisinau and Moldavia Adrian Zamlinski, the other synod is lead by Metropolitan of Messinia Iakovos.

There is also the schism in 2019 of Bishop Amphilochios of Larisa from the synod of Metropolitan of Mesogaias and Lavreotikis Kirykos Kontogiannis.

I'm struggling in both cases to figure out what the schism was for due to limited access to their information

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Re: The Various Matthewite Synods

Post by BenjaminMcCraw »

I recently found and am now adding the surname here. Metropolitan of Messinia Iakovos Kitsantas. I don't know the surname of Bishop Amphilochios of Larisa

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Re: The Various Matthewite Synods

Post by Thomas_Deretich »

The surname of the Matthewite Metropolitan Amphilochios of Larisa is Tampouras. He was consecrated a bishop by Metropolitan Kerykos (Menas Kontogiannes), but broke after Kerykos went under Pachomios. Amphilochios Tampouras (Ἀμφιλόχιος Ταμπουρᾶς) wrote some booklets under that name as a hieromonk, booklets I am trying to acquire from someone in Greece. He is strongly against western-influenced icons and claims that they are based on anti-Palamite heresy concerning the energies of God and based on filioque heresy. His recent attack on Metropolitan Kerykos (Menas Kontogiannes) is full of references to conciliar and patristic sources. I cannot tell either way if it was written by the Metropolitan himself, or by Eleutherios Gkoutzides, or maybe as a collaboration. He discourages divisive arguments about name-glorification, but some of his supporters who have researched the issue take a moderate position, like HOCNA and others, that says we should focus on Saint Gregory Palamas's writings as the Orthodox standard with regard to uncreated energies and created names. If anyone has knowledge about Matthewite polemical writings on "beginningless church," please let me know where I can read them. I have read several, but I know that there is more out there that I have not found.

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Re: The Various Matthewite Synods

Post by BenjaminMcCraw »

Checks out, thank you I will add that to my records.

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