To Metropolitan Paul of Astoria

[Constantine]

The Matthewites. They had their opinion and ran with it. They had to be "right."

Could you please tell me what was their "opinion"?

[Incognito1583]

Deleted

[Constantine]

That they were right and everyone else was wrong.

The "Matthewites" are the only synod to not put their opinions forward, Bishop Matthew was the only bishop to remain loyal to the 1935 confession of faith, in other words what the church taught. So if bishop matthew was wrong then the whole GOC confession of faith was wrong. It is only when other bishops began putting their opinions in front of the churches that a schism occured.

That Matthew had the right to violate the canons of the Church.

Bishop Matthew did not violate any canons. It is a bishops DUTY to pass on the Apostolic Succesion and Faith. Any bishop that refuses to do these things is a not fullfilling his responsibilities as a bishop.
http://genuineorthodoxchurch.com/1948consecrations.htm

I am leaning toward the opinion that the traditional movements cannot be the light to the world, simply because their whole history is chaotic

.

Please tell me, when was their was one period in the history of the church when things were not chaotic.

You can thank people like Archbishop Gregory, Matthew, Paul of Astoria, Cyprian, Macarius and the various "true" Russian groups for where I am today in my understanding

Abba Dorotheos says in his book "all bad things that happen to us we are the cause of"

Do not blame others for your current state, obviously you are trying to learn which is good, but one should not condemn others when they are learning, the hand you are spitting on today in ignorance may be the hand you are kissing tommorow in God's truth.

Constantine

[Incognito1583]

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[Constantine]

while I respect Dorotheos' opinion, I have to disagree with him.

Then unfortunatly there is not much more for us to say, perhaps the humilty you were talking about is needed, it is much easier to prescibe medication than it is to take it. I wish you luck in finding what you are looking for.

Constantine

[GOCPriestMark]

Please tell me, when was their was one period in the history of the church when things were not chaotic.

There have always been problems, but the first thousand years for example had a greater sense of unity and obedience to authority.

Really? All schisms and heresies which had any length of life to them took place in the first 1,000 years, especially if you count, as some do, the Roman Catolic schism from the 9th century use of the filioque.

In the second millenium of the church what schism do we find until the new-calendar movement in the 20th century?

[Incognito1583]

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