I consider myself something of an expert on Byzantine history, and I am puzzled that you would consider the infamous Council of Florence to be an instance of exemplary Orthodox conduct by any of the delegates other than St. Mark of Ephesus and a handful of Orthodox dissenters from the Ecumenical Patriarch at the time. Are you not aware that the majority of the Orthodox citizens of Byzantium rose up in protest against the Council of Florence, and that St. Mark was ultimately venerated as a great "pillar" of Orthodoxy for his proper Orthodox confession at this Council? The Byzantine Emperor and Patriarch denied the canons of the Orthodox Church to achieve a secular, political end at Florence, but the gates of hell did not then prevail against St. Mark and the remnant of the true Orthodox Church.
I am responding because it feels you are being threatened. Perhaps you think that because you fall under the Patriarchate that makes you less Orthodox? I for one see you as being in the Faith. We have disagreements on this forum but as brothers and sisters in Christ we try our best not to discredit or insult anyone.
Now some of my ethnic background is from Asia Minor and I have read "History of the Byzantine State" by George Ostrogorsky. Besides that book I have also read "The History of the Council of Florence" by Ivan N. Ostroumoff. I know about the political and ecclesiastical disposition of the Byzantine Empire during its last years.
Now it is known to me the current Patriarchate of Constantinople is in trouble and that there may be an end to it. This would be a tragedy to say the least. HOWEVER and this is very important for you to understand; that does not mean that the ORTHODOX CHURCH will fall apart. The Ecumenical Patriarch, important as he is, is only one Bishop. Even if MOST Bishops fail and fall into heresy that still does not mean YOU or I or ANYONE has to fall into heresy with them.
Now ecumenism since 1924 has failed to bring any heterodox into the salvific bosom of the Orthodox Church. Quite the opposite is true; converts are being received because of 2000 years of pure Apostolic Tradition. Why then should we compromise the Faith through ecumenism? It is a total loss if we even alter ONE piece of our dogma. We also have many Saints who have spoken against any kind of union with the Papists.
St. Mark of Ephesus "The councils of the Church have condemned as rebels those who have transgressed against some dogma and have preached thus and fought for this, for which reason also they are called "heretics"; and from the beginning the Church has condemned the heresy itself, and only then had it condemned the leaders of the heresy and its defenders."
St. Kosmas O Aitolos- "My brothers, I studied for forty and fifty years. I read many books about the Jews, the idolaters, and about the impious and heretics. I studied the depths of wisdom. All the other faiths are false and counterfeit. Only our faith, the Orthodox Christianity, is True and Holy."
Blessed Justin Popovic- "Ecumenism is the common name for the pseudo-Christianity of the pseudo-Churches of Western Europe. Within it is the heart of European humanism, with Papism as its head. All of pseudo-Christianity, all of those pseudo-Churches, are nothing more than one heresy after another. Their common evangelical name is: Pan-heresy."
Blessed Philotheos Zervakos- "I am not aware of the reasons which pushed you to deny Orthodoxy and bow down to Papism which is FORERUNNER of the Antichrist because it was pride and arrogance that ruled over the Pope who desired to become the highest authority of the Church and of the state."
Now already Patriarch Bartholomew has signed multiple declarations saying the Orthodox Church will "share the Holy Chalice" with heretical Papism sometime in the near future.
The Canons of the Ecumenical Councils, Holy Saints, and Martyrs who shed their blood for the sake of Christ, are against such a tragedy. That is why many of us on this forum are against Ecumenism and those who are its advocates. "For if God is with us who then can be against us."
If your still don't believe that today's Ecumenism is something to fully reject 110% please watch:
About gathering together to denounce the past and current trends of Ecumenism, I'm in but more importantly are you?
Thank you for your sincere and heart-felt reply. You must understand I abhore schism unless it is absolutely necessary and I honestly believe that the very truth and correctness of our faith will, and has, convert many to the One True Faith which is Orthodox Christianity.
This is why I believe in Ecumenisim. Not because we give up anything, which I honestly believe we have not, nor to become a world Church through the true heresy of Synchonism, but that all others may come to our church and return to the true faith.
This is why I'm still with GOARCH and still attend Old Calendarist Greek Orthodox Church. However, what I don't like because of my experience, is break away groups that have not sought permission to breakaway. That slit and schisim within and among themselves.
What type of testimony is that to the non-believers? By doing these slits and schisims we look and become like the protestants.
I use sarcasim to get people riled up to start thinking really thinking about there positions. All I can say is that I am more than confortable with what the EP and our Patriarch are doing in this regard, and for those Churches that are Greek or Russian that are Old Calerndarist and broken communion with the Moscow Patriarch, the ROCA or GOARCH I still love these people and still consider them Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc., but do they think the same of me? Some do some don't.
Talking helps not only with the Catholics to help them discover the True Faith, but among us to end this stupidity among us. I know about the heresy of Modernism in the WCC and NCC, but the Orthodox who have attended have denounced this heresy and it expressions. I honestly do not see error or heresey, which I agree with Metropolitan Isaiah is a very serious charge to just through out there without any direct concrete proof. I this time there is none IMHO and I have seen the videos on youtube.
I want "ONE ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH." I don't want schismatics, unless the proof is abousolutely clear. On this topic it must be beyond a reasonable doubt. If there is any reasonable doubt then there is no heresy, no freemasonry and no Synchonisity.
