Patriarch Athenagoras?

[Andreas]

From the Traditionalists point of view, what do you think of him?

[PFC Nektarios]

ANATHEMA!

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

Judge for yourself the supposed Orthodoxy of Athenagoras...a true representative of the MP, the JP, and all the rest.

Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople

(1886-1972)

His Statements, Messages, and Activities*

"Of late, he [Athenagoras] has become a cause of anarchy and nihilism in the Orthodox world. The Fathers of the Holy Mountain...are right in calling him a heretic and an apostate…"

AFTER SOME SEVENTY YEARS of catastrophic activity by the so-called ecu­menical movement (1920-1990), as well as deviation on the part of the Or­thodox ecumenists, to so great and such a degree that the latter no longer have any scruples about praying even with those of other [i.e., non-Christ­ian -Trans.] religions,1 and this, in­deed, with the blessing of Patriarch Demetrios of Constantinople,2 who is regarded as the leader of Orthodoxy [at the time that the present article was written -Trans.), every pious Ortho­dox Christian is exceedingly grieved at the attitude of those clergy belong­ing to the innovationist New Calendar Church [of Greece -Trans.], who not only do not agonize over this unacceptable situation, not only do not protest against it, not only literally "bury" the subject by their deadly silence, but even justify the heretical ecumenical movement and grant it a "remission of sins," since —according to them— it is nothing more than a dialogue of the Orthodox with the heterodox: "The Church, through her Patriarchs and her Bishops, or through other persons ap­pointed by them, fearlessly enters into contact with the heterodox and engages in dialogue with them, in order to point out to them their er­rors; this is the duty of the Church"; "the presence of an Orthodox clergyman at a heterodox memorial service, for example, does not necessarily betoken joint prayer...but may be simply an expression of social etiquette"; "it [ecumenical activity -Trans.] is a meeting for di­alogue, an occasion for contact between leaders of different confessions; it is not liturgical communion or joint prayer"; "it is a question of dialogue, and mutual courtesies are, after all, basic expressions of our humanity."3

The naiveté of these views provokes such astonishment, that, in truth, we are left speechless. For this reason, we will allow others to speak, so that they might characterize the situation in the way that it deserves, that is to say, as it was created by pan-heretical ecumenism during the Patriarchate of Athenagoras -a situation which continues, today, and this to a far worse degree. Let us see in detail, then, who Athenagoras was, what he did, what kind of Orthodoxy he professed, and what his "holy and great policy" was, a policy which the present Patriarch Demetrios [who reposed the year after the publication of this article -Trans.) declared, at his very enthronement, that he would follow.4

According to Patriarch Demetrios, Athenagoras was "ever-mem­orable" and "venerable," "a great predecessor of blessed memory," and a "great Churchman."5

The innovationist New Calendar Church of Greece, which dedi­cated its 1969 calendar to the twentieth anniversary of Athenagoras' Patriarchate, notes in the prologue: "Already His All-Holiness, Patri­arch Athenagoras has rightly and unassailably been characterized as a 'Prophet and Apostle,' who 'sees and preaches the good news' of 'things to come,' and as the Patriarch of 'Christian reconciliation and unity.’” 6

Archbishop leronymos of Athens, on the occasion of the repose of Patriarch Athenagoras, in 1972, said: "But great men do not die. Athenagoras was a great man, no matter how much those who deemed it necessary to war against him might wish to deny it,"7 while a commentator for the periodical 'Ekklhsia not only maintained that "Œcumenical Patriarch Athenagoras will be inscribed in the pages of history as a great man,” 8 but also tried in some way to "Glorify" him as a Saint, composing a prayer to him modeled on the High-Priestly prayer of our Lord to His Heavenly Father! "Anyone reading this prayer will have the impression that its author was not content to place the deceased Patriarch beside the Throne of God, but actually raised him up to the very throne of the Godhead! What other explanation could there be for the following excerpt from this prayer? 'Do not ut­terly neglect us, but look upon us with a radiant and gracious countenance, as thou didst when thou wast alive, and strengthen the Ortho­dox flock, leading it by the hand for the good of Christ's Holy Church, showing it the straight way that leadeth unerringly to God, and lastly, guiding thine august successor, above all, that he might teach aright the word of Evangelical Truth to all those who seek the Lord. Finally, bestow a right and just spirit upon all the leaders of the Orthodox Churches’”! 9

Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Peristerion today sings the praises of "the ever-memorable Athenagoras I, who was magnificent in his thinking, ideas, conceptions, and decisions, as well as in stature."10

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However, the eminent Serbian dogmatic theologian, Archiman­drite Justin (Popovich) held very different views from the various en­comiasts of Patriarch Athenagoras, both those of yesteryear and those of our own day. Like a two-edged sword, the Patristic pen of this con­temporary Confessor of Orthodoxy confuted the Patriarch, who had fallen grievously into error. The ever-memorable Father Justin said the following about him:

What about the Patriarch of Constantinople? For more than a decade now, by his neo-papist behavior, both in word and in deed, he has been scandalizing the consciences of Orthodox Christians, denying the unique and all-saving truth of the Orthodox Church and Faith, recognizing the Supreme Pontiff of Rome in all of his demonic, anti-ecclesiastical arrogance. And, following the exam­ple of the Vatican he is preparing, with suicidal haste and frivoli­ty, his own so-called 'Great Pan-Orthodox Synod,' based, howev­er, not on the fundamental theme, set forth in the Gospels and Holy Tradition, of the salvation of man and the world, but on a set of issues of purely scholastic and Protestant provenance.11 He is preparing it, moreover, in the Babel of today's anarchic and ni­hilistic world.12 without the participation of true Orthodox con­fessors and bearers of the Orthodox Faith, theology, Tradition, and ecclesiality. Of late, he has become a cause of anarchy and ni­hilism in the Orthodox world. The Fathers of the Holy Mountain, in open letters addressed to him in the press, are right in calling him a heretic and an apostate.13

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But it is now time for us to present a montage —albeit inchoate— ­of the most important activities and the most revealing excerpts from occasional statements by, interviews with, and messages from Patri­arch Athenagoras, in order to remind those who arc defenders of Or­thodoxy by nature and inclination of their duty, taking into account the incomparably worse condition of Patriarch Demetrios in our day. The following material is presented as it appeared in the Greek peri­odical Ekklhsistikoz (No. 48 [May 1970], pp. 3-4), follow­ing the cessation of communion with Patriarch Athenagoras by three Metropolitans [of the State Church of Greece -Trans.]: Augoustinos of Florins, Ambrose of Eleftheroupolis (†), and Paul of Paramythia.14 [Note that some citations, being more appropriate to a specifically Greek audience, have been deleted, below, from the original material –Trans.]

ATHENAGORAS SPEAKS
His occasional statements, messages, and activities
On the present page and the one immediately following [in the columns of the original periodical] are ...extracts from the occasional statements and messages of Patriarch Athenagoras. Also set forth is the uncanonical and un-Orthodox activities in which this Prelate en­gaged at various times. So much did the aged Primate of the Phanar say and do, in manifest violation of the Divine and Sacred Canons, that an entire volume would be needed to encompass all of them. We provide, here, a mere glimpse of the most important activities and the most revealing excerpts from the statements, interviews, and mes­sages of the Patriarch.

The faithful reader will certainly feel distress over the continual lapses on the part of the Leader of Orthodoxy. At the same time, he will vindicate those who, discerning the danger, have been protesting and struggling against the Patriarch's ideas and policies over a num­ber of years. Likewise, the contents of these two pages will serve to justify totally the action of those Metropolitans who ceased to com­memorate the Patriarch [during that period], but also as a reminder to the remaining Metropolitans of the Orthodox Church of the duty which they have as guardians of the Orthodox Faith.

I. Statements
• Dogmas are no longer relevant. "The age of dogma has passed" (a statement by Patriarch Athenagoras; see Akropoliz [29 June 1963]).

• A League…of Churches. "We have already achieved unity with Protestantism, whereby we constitute an allied force of 350 million individuals with regard to purely ecclesiastical issues. Concerning the Catholic Church, there have been many contacts and we are continu­ing these in an effort to bring about an alliance between the different branches of Christianity, which will embrace a population of one bil­lion individuals. We have no differences with the Old Catholics. With the New Catholics [sic], especially after 1870, we have minor differ­ences which can and should be ironed out" (from an interview given by the Patriarch to Greek journalists, in April of 1962; see Kaqolikh, No. 1289 [18 April 1962]).

• A tribute to the Pope. "He [the deceased Pope John XXIII] blazed a new trail in the Catholic world, leading to ecumenical dia­logue, which aims at fulfilling the sacred supplication of our Lord Jesus Christ. Inspired from on high and being possessed of great energy, in view of the rapprochement of the Churches, the ever-memo­rable Pope showed, through his convocation of the œcumenical Vati­can Council, that the Catholic Church nurtures sentiments of love and peace towards the Orthodox Church and the other Churches" (from a statement made by the Patriarch to a French news agency on the oc­casion of the death of Pope John XXIII; see Kaqolikh, No. 1345 [12 June 1963]).

• The dawn of union. "Christian humanity has been living for cen­turies in the night of division. Its eyes have become heavy from gaz­ing into the darkness. May this meeting of ours be the dawn of a shin­ing and holy day, wherein future generations of Christians will com­mune from the same Cup of the precious Body and Blood of the Lord and will praise and glorify the one Christ and Savior of all in love, peace, and unity" (from the Patriarch's address to Pope Paul VI dur­ing their meeting in Jerusalem, January 5, 1964; see Tó Oikonmenikon Patriapceion [The Œcumenical Patriarchate], a volume published by Kriton Georgiades in honor of the twentieth anniversary of Athenagoras' Patriarchate [p. 17]).

• A tribute to the Pope. "We give thanks to Divine Providence for this day, and we express our recognition of the services rendered by Pope Paul VI, a Hierarch whom we love and revere. We are writing, today, not only a page in the history of the Church, but also a page in the history of our hearts" (from an interview given by the Patriarch to correspondents from a foreign news agency during his meeting with Pope Paul VI in Jerusalem, January 5, 1964; see Tó Oikonmenikon Patriapceion, p. 22).

• His dream. "The ice has broken between our two Churches. I have always dreamed of meeting the Pope, who is truly a great-heart­ed man. May the day of our meeting be a great day for Christianity and for the whole of humanity. I am going to meet the Pope and em­brace him in a fraternal manner. We will leave discussions to the the­ologians" (from statements made by the Patriarch prior to his depar­ture for the meeting in Jerusalem; see Kaqolikh, No. 1371 [8 January 1964]).

• What joy! What delight! "What joy! What delight! I am living in a dream, a dream which fills my heart with great hopes. I am going to meet a great-hearted man" (from statements made by the Patriarch on an airplane bound for the meeting in Jerusalem with Pope Paul VI; see Kaqolikh, No. 1372 [15 January 1964]).

• What ugly past? "I was especially impressed by the fact that the Pontiff has completely forgotten the ugly past and made it possible for us to inaugurate a new era. Paul VI and I are reaping the first-fruits of this new era. A vista full of hopes and confidence is already clearly dawning on the horizon" (from a statement made by the Patriarch to a correspondent from an Italian news agency; see Kaqolikh, No. 1372 [15 January 1964]).

• A new era.... "We are living in a new era. Let us lay aside the past and let us leave the theological issues which divide us to the pun­dits and the experts; as for us, from this very moment let us aim al­ways to be united through the love of Christ" (from the Patriarch's ad­dress to the Melkite [Uniate] Patriarch Maximus IV; see Kaqolikh, No. 1373 [22 January 1964]).

• Joint prayers. "We prayed together, we recited together the 'Our Father' in Greek and Latin, as we had already done with His Holiness, the Pope in Jerusalem. It is truly astonishing that we were able to re­main separated for such a long period. Today, a new era is beginning for Christianity" (from statements made by the Patriarch to Roman Catholic monks, January 26, 1964; see Kaqolikh, No. 1375 [5 Feb­ruary 1964]).

• Paul VI equals Paul II. "We find ourselves in a period in which the Pope of Rome takes precedence over all of us. My beloved broth­er, Paul II —I call him the Second, not the Sixth, because he ought to come right after the Apostle Paul, on account of the work he has done—has shown such far-sightedness and boldness that I rank him among the great Popes of history" (from statements made by the Pa­triarch; see Kaqolikh, No. 1539 [24 May 1967]).

• A unionist program. "The Pope beat me to it and came here in person to the Phanar. Here, we consolidated and mapped out a com­mon program of cooperation, a common ecumenical course, a com­mon Christian witness of love, understanding, and mutual respect. The details of this common ecumenical and unionist program between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church will certainly become known little by little. This historic meeting was the fruit of prayer and sacrifice on the part of Christians, of the people of God; it was the will of God, but also the will of the Christian world. I beseech you to pray and lead others to pray for the union of us all" (from an interview given by the Patriarch to Roman Catholic journalists on the occasion of the arrival of Pope Paul VI in Constantinople, July 25, 1967; see Kaqolikh, No. 1549 [13 August 1967]).

• A search for the truth! "We are being called upon to free our­selves from the nets of polemic and controversy in theology and to equip theology with the spirit of inquiry and the formulation of the truth in love and patience. Christianity, today, needs a theology of rec­onciliation" (from a homily given by the Patriarch at the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade, October 12, 1967; see `Eqnoz [an Athens daily, no longer in circulation], [13 October 1967]).

• Regardless of Creed... "Welcome, holy brother, successor of Peter, who are one in name and character with Paul and the messenger of love, unity, and peace. We embrace you in the center of the Church with the love of Christ.... But let us now look to all those who believe in one God, the Creator of man and the universe, and, in cooperation with them, let us serve all of mankind, regardless of race, creed, or other convictions, for the upbuilding of goodness and peace in the world, that the Kingdom of God might prevail upon earth" (from an address given by the Patriarch on the occasion of the arrival of Pope Paul VI in Constantinople, July 25, 1967; see Kaqolikh, No. 1549 [13 August 1967]).

• Pope and Archpastor. "We are present here in order to witness, together with our most beloved and esteemed brother, the Most Holy Archpastor of the Roman Catholic Church and of us all, to our com­mon and holy desire, to journey in this direction, in love and patience, correcting, on both sides, the mistakes of the past and whatever has contributed to our division, and making straight the way of the Lord" (from a homily given by the Patriarch to the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church during his visit to Rome, October 26, 1967; see Ekklhsia [official publication of the Church of Greece], No. 22 [ 15 November 1967]).

• The common Cup. "I have come here in order to prepare for the day on which, as happened during the first ten centuries A.D., we will celebrate the Eucharist together with Pope Paul, using the same bread and the same wine, and drinking from the same Cup" (from state­ments made by the Patriarch on his arrival in Rome, October 26, 1967; see Kaqolikh, No. 1557 [1 November 1967]).

• Recognition of the Pope. "Today we offer Your Holiness our personal recognition, esteem, and gratitude, that of our Church of Constantinople, and indeed, that of the whole world" (from remarks made by the Patriarch during his meeting with Pope Paul VI in Rome, October 26, 1967; see Kaqolikh, No. 1562 [27 December 1967]).

• A tribute to the Pope. "We are especially fortunate to have come to the venerable Prelate of Rome, a bearer of Apostolic Grace and the successor of a constellation of holy and wise men, who have made il­lustrious this throne which, in honor and rank, is first in the commu­nity of Christian Churches throughout the world—men whose holi­ness, wisdom, and struggles for the sake of the common faith in the undivided Church are a 'possession for all time' and a treasure of the entire Christian world—, to a Pope of exceptional spiritual eminence and Christian spirit, who has 'achieved the heights by humility,' whose sense of responsibility before the Lord, before the divided Church, before the multifarious tragedies of this world, leads him from day to day, and from act of love to act of edification, to the vital service of God, the Church, and the world" (from remarks made by the Patriarch during his meeting with Pope Paul VI in Rome, October 26, 1967; see Kaqolikh, No. 1562 [27 December 1967]).

• The quest for terra firma. "The exodus of all of us from isolation and self-sufficiency in the quest for that terra firma on which the un­divided Church is founded, has revealed to us the truth that there are more things that unite us and fewer that divide us" (from remarks made by the Patriarch during his meeting with Pope Paul VI in Rome, October 26, 1967; see Kaqolikh, No. 1562 [27 December 1967]).

• Supporting the Pope. "I support the Pope in all of his statements and activities" (from statements made by the Patriarch to a corre­spondent from a French news agency; see Kaqolikh, No. 1596 [28 August 1968]).

• No impediment to union. "We see no obstacle on the path lead­ing to union between the Church of Rome and the Church of the East... We do not see an obstacle, for the very simple reason that such obstacles do not exist" (from statements made by the Patriarch on the occasion of his meeting with Pope Paul VI in Rome, October 26, 1967; see Orqodoxoz Tnpoz [a biweekly newspaper published by the Pan-Hellenic Orthodox Union], Nos. 90-91 [August-September 1968], p. 4).

• The darkness of the past. "All of the Christian Churches are journeying, today, towards Church unity. Christian peoples have grown weary of looking at the darkness of the past. The interminable quarrels of nine whole centuries have led to nothing other than the spiritual coldness of many people and an obfuscation of their aware­ness that the Church is one" (from a homily given by the Patriarch in an Anglican Cathedral in London, November 11, 1967; see Apo thn poreian thz agaphz, p. 28).

• Emerging from Orthodoxy.... "We Churches are all emerging from ourselves. We are awakening the consciences of Christians to the fact that we belong to the same religion. We are making the longing for union the predominant demand of our age. We are lowering the banners of hatred and, in their place, we are raising the Cross of love and sacrifice. And finally, we are exchanging Holy Cups with each other, praying that we may, one day, commune from the same Cup, as we used to live during the first millennium of Christianity, in spite of the differences that existed then" (from a homily given by the Patri­arch in the Orthodox Cathedral in London, November 12, 1967; see Apo thn poreian thz agaphz, p. 42).

• The common Cup. "We are conducting this dialogue with the ob­ject of reaching the same goal, which is the common Cup—just as we were in the thousand years up until 1054. We had differences back then, because we had theologians back then, too, but those who gov­erned the Churches had their own policies and we bad Mysteriologi­cal (Sacramental) communion" (from a homily given by the Patriarch in the chapel of Lambeth Palace, London, November 13, 1967; see Apo thn poreian thz agaphz, p. 52).

• In one Church with the heretics. "Why do we not automatically return to Mysteriological (Sacramental) communion? Because it is necessary for us to prepare our peoples for it, both theologically and psychologically. During the nine hundred years that have elapsed since 1054, we, the two worlds of East and West, have come to think that we belong to different Churches and different religions. And, as a result, the purpose of dialogues becomes quite evident. It is to pre­pare our peoples psychologically to understand that there is one Church and one religion, that we all believe in the same God-the Savior Christ. You and we respect all religions and we esteem the place and the time in which we live" (from a homily given by the Pa­triarch in the chapel of Lambeth Palace, London, November 13, 1967; see Apo thn poreian thz agaphz, p. 53).

• A dialogue of love, not a theological dialogue. "I, too, once re­ceived a diploma from the same theological school as my beloved brother and namesake, the Archbishop of Thyateira [Athenagoras Kokkinakis—Trans.], from the School in Halke, but in a very short time I lost it, and so I undertook a dialogue of friendship, love, and understanding, and not a theological dialogue" (from a homily given by the Patriarch in the chapel of Lambeth Palace, London, November 13, 1967; see Apo thn poreian thz agaphz, p. 52).

• Orthodoxy is not the only true Church! "We are deceived and we sin, if we think that the Orthodox faith came down from Heaven and that all [other] creeds are unworthy. Three hundred million people have chosen Islam in order to reach their god, and other hundreds of millions are Protestants, Catholics, and Buddhists. The goal of every religion is to improve mankind" (from statements made by the Patri­arch; see Orqodoxoz Tnpoz, No. 94 [December 1968]).

• The Pope in the Diptychs. "Being always close in spirit and in heart to Your most honorable Holiness, we most especially remem­bered in prayer You and the Most Holy Roman Catholic Church under You, during the Divine Liturgy in our all-venerable Patriarchal Church, on the occasion of the Holy Episcopal Synod assembled around You" (from a telegram sent by the Patriarch to Pope Paul Vl, on the occasion of the convocation of a synod of bishops at the Vati­can, October 18, 1969; see Kaqolikh, No. 1651 [4 November 1969]).

• Recent [1970—Trans.] statements by Athenagoras. "The rason (cassock) no longer has any appeal today, neither in appearance nor in purpose. If I'd seen you beforehand, I would have told you to give some other title to your article: ‘The rason does not make the Priest, the Priest must make the Priest, without the rason’ There you have it. Of course, we must be realistic and, above all, we mustn't be afraid of the truth. We say oftentimes that this or that item is historical and must endure. A mistake. A big mistake. How many preconceptions in the Church are not historical—I mean ancient—, and we struggle to free ourselves from them? Ask village Priests what Christians want from Priests, who have nothing to do with our Church and are remnants of paganism. I've made my views quite clear regarding the marriage of clergymen, even after they've been Ordained. Ordination is not an im­pediment to marriage. We would have many graduates of theological schools who would be Priests, if they knew that they could get mar­ried when they found their partner for life, and not in haste, as it's de­manded by convention. We would have decided on this at a clergy-­laity congress of the Church in America, and I would have settled this matter, but I wasn't able to. I was summoned here [to Constantino­ple—Trans.]. I'm glad you published the entire address by Metropol­itan [Meliton] of Chalcedon [concerning Mardi Gras—editorial note in the Greek original]. He spoke the truth plain and simple, like peo­ple want it. People don't want you to confuse things, because they think you're laughing at them and making fun of them. Meliton is quite a personality. We don't have many of them. He's the voice of the Phanar, the voice of the centuries. The centuries have given us courage and strength. What else have we got here? Some people, nat­urally, accuse us of not holding to a good line, but they're being neg­ative. I'd be very happy if they proposed their own solution to the en­deavor of the union of the Churches. They tell us, ' We want union and we pray for the union of all, but we're against your endeavor.' You get the point? They're in favor of union, but against our endeavor. Was­n't Meliton right, after all, when he talked about hypocrisy? We pro­pose the Holy Cup as the means of union. We had the common Cup even when we separated from the West, up until 1050.15 The Schism took place, and we stopped. The Schism took place because of the anathema. The anathema between the two Churches, of the West and Constantinople, has been lifted. What obstacle is there? Let's find it, let's talk about it with a good attitude, not with insults. Can there be a dialogue of love when there are insults? ‘But we have many differ­ences,' they tell us. What differences? The Filioque? It existed since the seventh century,16 and the Churches didn't separate. Primacy and Infallibility? What do we care about them? Let every Church maintain its own customs.17 If the Catholic Church wants it, let it keep it. But I ask you: What does Infallibility mean today, when the Pope has a per­manent fifteen-member council in Rome which makes the decisions? Besides, we all think we're infallible—in our work, in our thoughts, in everything. Does your wife ask you how much salt to put in the food? Certainly not. She has her infallibility. Let the Pope have his, if he wants it. We don't want it. Theological dialogue won't grant it. We're not ready, and centuries will be needed. Only one dialogue is feasible: the dialogue of love. This will facilitate the dialogue regard­ing differences. Differences and love can't coexist. It doesn't matter what others do to you, but what you do to them" (from an interview given by the Patriarch to the journalist Spyridon Alexiou, from the newspaper Eqnoz, and published on March 20, 1970. As is well known, the content of this interview created an uproar in the body of the Orthodox Church and compelled certain Hierarchs in Northern Greece to cease commemorating the Patriarch).18

II. Messages
• I am ready to sign.... "Once again, we are celebrating a new (kainon) and holy Pascha, beloved brethren and children in the Lord. But the entire Christian world is also celebrating a common (koinon) Pascha this year [March 28/April 10, 1966—Trans.]. And, as we em­brace one another, we strike up the hymn of victory over evil, over di­visions and death, out of a common faith and hope, and appealing to love, that we may one day celebrate a common Feast of the Resurrec­tion, on the same fixed Sunday every year....

“…All things are moving towards a pan-Christian world. And all people are enlisting themselves for this purpose.... How we have di­vided the same Lord for so many centuries! But now Christ is risen ­the first-fruits of the new day, the new and common (kainhz kai koinhz) day, following the reconciliation of West and East, which will come as simply as it did back then [before the Great Schism—Trans.].

"...Perhaps Christ permitted us to have theological conflicts, so that, although He founded one Church, we might speak about 'many Churches' and might pray 'for their good estate and for the union of all.' But He did not permit us to speak about many Christianities. For, there is one Christianity in the world, extending across seas and con­tinents unimpeded, one and unique in substance, although God's fel­low-laborers are still many, according to the Apostle Paul, and many are the artisans of His will. Hence, consigning our differences to the­ological dialogues, we ought, today, to announce the unifying mes­sage of Christianity to the world together....

"From our side, our Holy Great Church of Christ and we person­ally are ready, together with the other venerable leaders of the local Sister Churches of West and East, to sign joint documents and joint statements representing a single Christianity, for the purpose of mak­ing known to all mankind the Church's teaching on 'mutual love,' and so that we might demonstrate, through concrete actions, that, although the union of the Churches and the meeting of Christians in the same Holy Cup are still delayed, their practical unity will, nevertheless, come and will not be slow in coming, and that the unity of one Chris­tianity cannot remain unacualized" (from the Patriarch's 1966 Paschal message; see Cronoz [a weekly newspaper in Constantinople, no longer in circulation], 10 April 1966).

• Love buries the Truth. "Let us inaugurate the third period of the Church, the period of love, in reconciliation and in unity and coexis­tence on an equal footing, until we meet together once again, accord­ing to the Lord's good pleasure, in the common Cup of His precious Body and Blood, as we lived up until 1054, in spite of the differences that existed then.... It is time for 'love to bury the deadwood, to lay age-old hatreds to rest, to free the enslaved truth and the imprisoned realities ....’ 'The world needs a strong current of love,' that can sweep away barriers, prejudices, and mistrust" (from the Patriarch's 1966 Paschal message; see Kaqolikh, No. 1536 [3 May 1967]).

• We will "refound" the Church! "In the movement for union, it is not a question of one Church moving towards the other, but let us all together refound the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, coexisting in the East and the West, as we lived up until 1054, in spite of the theological differences that existed then" (from the Patriarch's 1967 Christmas message; see Apo thn poreian thz agaphz, p. 87).

• Unconditional and unbounded love. "Where is Christ the Sav­ior? In our divisions, we have chased Him away.... Thus, today, does history, valiantly restoring the truth of things, summon the responsi­ble leaders and hierarchies of the Churches to enlist theology, now as a handmaid, and make 'man,' for whose sake God became man, the sole purpose of their existence and mission, and portray him in a pos­itive light, at this tragic hour of his..., with the watchword of uncon­ditional and unbounded love.... There is no other way of achieving this. The major ecclesiastical events of the last six years, especially our three successive meetings with His Holiness, Pope Paul VI and his recent declaration that 'no voice should be silent in the endless symphony of the Churches and the whole world,' have abolished the distances separating us and bridged the gap.... His fellow-travelers are the Peoples of Christ. Unaware of dogmatic differences and not caring about them, they now see one another as brothers in Christ. And they live in impatient anticipation of the hour of union, and in­deed, not as a distant legend, but as a profound reality deriving from within themselves. This is proof that Christ is born.... So it is that union, ceasing any longer to be 'negotiable' or an effort on the part of unrealistic and fruitless theological dialogues concerning union, has turned out to be practical and a fait accompli wrought by 'peace-lov­ing stragglers...’” (from the Patriarch's 1968 Nativity message; see Kaqolikh, No. 1611 [31 December 1968]). (Emphasis that of the translator.)

• The form of.the Church was altered. "One day, love between brothers grew cold, and in its place there prevailed hatred, and the form of the Church, which Christ wished to be glorious, not having spot or wrinkle, but without blemish and holy, was altered" (from the Patriarch's 1968 Christmas message; see Kaqolikh [20 December 19681).

• The common celebration of Pascha (A). "On the occasion of Holy Pascha this year, we lift up our humble hearts to the God of the Resurrection and express our most fervent wish that all of us Chris­tians may be counted worthy, as soon as possible, of celebrating the Pascha of Jesus together on the same Sunday. At the same time, ad­dressing ourselves to all of our brethren, the venerable leaders and shepherds of all Christian Churches and Confessions, and also to all Christians on earth in general, we wholeheartedly beseech that, in a spirit of humility and responsibility, we may actively make this our common concern: to seek after and to devise a way, when we are unit­ed in the future, of celebrating the greatest Feast of Christianity, Holy Pascha, on one and the same Sunday" (from the Patriarch's message on the occasion of Roman Catholic Easter, 1969; see Kaqolikh, No. 1626 [14 April 1969]).

• The common celebration of Pascha (B). "And again, we propose the second Sunday in April as a day for the common celebration of Pascha throughout the Christian world, in the hope that this common, fixed celebration will constitute not only a symbol, but also a positive contribution to the fulfillment of Christian unity" (from the Patriarch's message on the occasion of a "Symposium" concerning the common celebration of Pascha; see Kaqolikh, No. 1635 [18 June 1969]).

• The common Cup. "We are at the final step towards this goal. It is a step that is difficult and easy. It is costly, as we have acknowl­edged, because the final step requires prayer, realism, and boldness to demolish the last barriers. We draw all of these qualities in abundance from you (the Orthodox) and from the entire plenitude of the Church, so as to open up the way for the Holy Cup to be made available to all who have been Baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity" (from a message addressed by the Patriarch to the Orthodox; see Elenqeroz [2 August 1969]).

III. Activities
• Praise of Spiritualism. "While the Church of Greece has taken a clear stand against Spiritualism and has, in the wake of the accusa­tion that two of her Hierarchs had become entangled in the nets of Spiritualism, held inquiries and summoned the accused to defend themselves (they signed statements against Spiritualism), suddenly a voice was heard from Constantinople blessing and supporting the ranks of Spiritualists. And this voice—can you believe it?—was that of Patriarch Athenagoras. Now, how did he give his blessing? This is how! A leading theoretician and teacher of Spiritualism in Greece, the physician B.G. Tsinoukas, published a book with the alluring title There Is No Such Thing As Death (concerning psychic and spiritual phenomena), in which, supposedly under the guise of science, all of the errors of Spiritualism are regurgitated and the foundations of Christianity are attacked, directly or indirectly.

"The author sent this book to the Patriarch. Instead of excommu­nicating him, the Patriarch, displaying inopportune politeness in a sit­uation which called for the thunderbolts of a Chrysostomos, sent the author not just a letter of thanks for sending him this Spiritualist book, but—if you please—a letter of congratulations, in which you will read, to your astonishment: 'We received with joy and very gladly went through the copy of your work, There Is No Such Thing As Death, which your beloved Honor sent to us. Fervently thanking you for your zeal in sending this book to us, we sincerely congratulate Your Honor for writing such an erudite work, and we pray that the Most High may richly strengthen you to continue for as long as pos­sible your excellent writings and your fruitful contributions to this field'! A leading adherent of and writer on Spiritualism is praised, blessed, and wished many years in a letter from the Patriarch!" (see Cristianikh Spiqa, No. 148 [October 1953]).

• Joint prayers with Armenians. "An historic event took place, for the first time after long centuries, in the Armenian Church of the Holy Trinity, in Peran, on Sunday, January 21, 1962. Following an agree­ment between the Œcumenical Patriarch and the Armenian Patriarch, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated in this Church, according to the Or­thodox typikon, by the Reverend Father Dionysios Ladopoulos, a seminarian at Hake, with the Reverend Father Evangelos serving as second Priest; the service was chanted by a mixed choir from the Church of St. Nicholas, in Galatas [in Constantinople—Trans.], under the direction of Mr. Eleftherios Georgiades. Praying together were His Most Divine All-Holiness, Œcumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, accompanied by His Grace, Bishop Aimilianos of Miletos and the Great Archdeacon Agapios, and His Beatitude, the Armenian Patri­arch, Sinork Kaloustian, with his synodeia" (see Apostoloz Andreaz [31 January 1962]).

• The meeting of the Patriarch and the Pope in Jerusalem. The following events took place in the context of inter-Christian relations and dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church:

Code: Select all

On September 20, 1963, the Œcumenical Patriarchate received a message from Pope Paul VI. Patriarch Athenagoras wrote a reply to Pope Paul on December 6, proposing a meeting in the Holy Land, which the Pope was going to visit. His proposal was accepted.

On January 5-6, the meeting between Patriarch Athenagoras and Pope Paul took place in Jerusalem, as agreed. Making up the Patriar­chal retinue, in addition to dignitaries from Constantinople, were Archbishop Evgenios of Crete, Metropolitan Spyridon of Rhodes, Metropolitan Kallinikos, formerly Bishop of Berroia, and Archbishop Iakovos of America, who has, hitherto, contributed in a variety of ways to the promotion of inter-Christian relations and whom the Œc­umenical Patriarchate holds in high esteem. 

There follows a detailed account of what transpired. On Sunday, January 5, at 9:30 p.m., the first meeting was held in the assembly hall of the Papal Legation in Jerusalem, which is located on the Mount of Olives. The Pope and the Patriarch remained alone behind closed doors for thirteen minutes. Thereafter, the door opened, the Patriar­chal retinue and the press entered, and on both sides there were intro­ductions, addresses, and responses. The following day, Monday, Jan­uary 6, at 10:00 a.m., the Pope paid a visit to the Patriarch at the sum­mer residence of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, also located on the Mount of Olives, in which he delivered an address to the Patriarch. (This account is based on press reports.)  

• Was Athenagoras a Freemason? "In Paris, a book entitled The Sons of Light was published, in which it is stated that Patriarch Athenagoras is a Freemason. On page 313, the Patriarch is called a Freemason. Since the Patriarch has not come forward to deny this, the scandal persists in the consciences of Christians who have read such frightful news in the daily Athenian press and in publications coming from America—a scandal not so much because of what the journalists report, but because the Patriarch himself, who seems indifferent about the matter or does not wish, for reasons best known to himself, to come forward and deny this report" (see Cristianikh Spiqa, No. 268 [January 1964]).

• Friends with everyone. "Patriarch Athenagoras has, unfortu­nately, been attacked by the bacterium of the new heresy of ecu­menism. Through his involvement with the ecumenical movement, he wants to ascribe to his title 'Œcumenical' a different meaning than that which beat in the hearts of his predecessors. He wants to be called 'Œcumenical' by heretics, both Papist and Protestant; why not also by Muslims? He smiles at everyone in all directions, right and left, and he embraces everyone; in his eyes, everyone is good and holy. What does it matter if they are not Orthodox? In this way Athenagoras suc­ceeds in collecting praises and plaudits from all of the heretics and from those who have a worldly mentality" (see Cristianikh Spiqa, No. 268 [January 1964]).

• The blasphemies of Athenagoras. "Since 1920, we have been in­undated with blasphemies, by way of the innovator Metaxakis [Patri­arch Moieties IV of Constantinople (1922-1923)—Trans.] and the Origenist Basil [Patriarch Basil III of Constantinople (1925-1929)­—Trans.], which blasphemies have reached their zenith in the current Patriarch, Athenagoras. What blasphemies! And how numerous! From 1949 to this day, what have we not heard from his mouth? What purpose is there in repeating them? What are we to say about ...his gra­tuitous and unctuous flatteries of Islam—that 'we all believe in one God,' or 'when I become perplexed, I turn my gaze towards a portrait of Atatürk and I am enlightened'; about his uncanonical concelebra­tions with Armenians; ...about his replacement of 'God is the measure of truth' with 'man is the measure'; his silence regarding the persis­tent accusation that he is a Freemason, coming in the wake of a great scandal which has threatened the unity of the Church, namely, his el­evation of the Freemason lakovos to the Archdiocese of [North and South] America? What is the point of our rehashing the well-known events of recent years? What Patriarch of Constantinople has ever consented to become a tool of great secular powers in order to achieve a false union of the Churches, to the detriment of the Orthodox Faith? What Patriarch has spoken in such a liberal and un-Orthodox manner as this man? What other Patriarch has said that 'there are no differ­ences between Orthodox and Latins'? ...What Patriarch has offered 'earth and water' to the Papacy?19 What Patriarch has divided the plenitude of the Greek Orthodox Church into unionists and anti­-unionists? What Patriarch has reduced the prestige of the Œcumenical Patriarchate to such a humiliating position through a unionist policy that lacks the true colors of Orthodoxy? Do not all of these things con­stitute blasphemies against the Holy Spirit...?" (see Orqodoxoz Tnpoz, No. 52 [May 1965]).

• The lifting of the anathemas (A). On December 7, 1965, the Pa­triarch, in Constantinople, and the Pope, at the Vatican, presided over a rite for the lifting of the mutual anathemas of 1054 between East and West. In Rome, the decision on the part of the Patriarchate was con­veyed by Metropolitan Meliton—at that time Metropolitan of He­lioupolis and Theira, and now Metropolitan of Chalcedon—, in the presence of Metropolitans Athenagoras of Thyateira and Chrysosto­mos of Austria. A "Joint Statement" concerning this action of the two Churches was read simultaneously in Constantinople and in Rome. (This account is based on press reports.)

• The lifting of the anathemas (B). "Patriarch Athenagoras pro­ceeded to lift the anathema of 1054 on his own initiative, being con­tent, the day before the lifting (December 6, 1965), simply to com­municate his decision to the local Orthodox Churches through an en­cyclical (in the form of a telegram), which ended with these words: 'This act of lifting the anathemas will take place both here and in Rome"' (see Archimandrite Spyridon Bilalis, Orqodoxia kai Papsmoz [Orthodoxy and Papism] [Athens: Orthodoxos Typos Publica­tions, 1969], Vol. II, p. 358).

• The creator of schism and division. "For some years now, the plenitude of the Orthodox Church, the plenitude of conscientious churchgoers, has been watching, with great anguish, a series of stunts on the part of the Primate of the Orthodox Church that are putting the Faith in jeopardy. Thus—leaving aside other kinds of acrobatic feats—your behavior, and that of certain of your representatives, to­wards the Pope and Papism are throwing the truly right-believing children of the Church into unutterable distress and, as well, terrible tribulation of soul. You correspond with the Pope, observing all ec­clesiastical formalities, as if we were living in the fifth century A.D. You subject yourself to the hardships of long journeys, in order to meet with him. You exchange affectionate embraces and fraternal kisses with him.... You proclaim urbi et orbi that 'no difference sepa­rates the two Churches.' You pray with his representatives and behave towards them almost as you would towards Orthodox Bishops. You remove from our midst age-old excommunications, which...do not ex­press anything other than the Catholic mind of immaculate and God­bearing Orthodoxy and which do not constitute anything other than a simple application, albeit delayed, of the prescriptions of ecclesiasti­cal Canon Law, which dictate the expulsion of sheep that are 'incur­ably ill and moribund,' namely, heretics and corrupters of the Faith, from the Divinely-wrought Fold.... Which of the two has happened? Has the Pope come over to Orthodoxy, or have you gone over to Pa­pism? If it is the first, announce it, so that we may all celebrate with gladness and rejoice with each other. If it is the second, speak sin­cerely and straightforwardly, so that we may be assured that, along with Old Rome, New Rome has also perished and been engulfed by heresy. If neither of the two is the case, but you and the Pope each re­main in your own domains, then how are we to explain your overt ac­tions? ...You have already advanced quite far. Your feet are now touching the waters of the Rubicon. The patience of thousands of pious souls, clergy and laity, is being continually exhausted. For the love of the Lord, draw back! Do not seek to create schisms and divi­sions in the Church. You are trying to unite what is divided, and the only result you will achieve is to tear asunder what is united and cre­ate fissures in ground that, up until today, has been solid and compact. Understand and come to your senses!" (from a letter to the Patriarch in the periodical Oi Treiz Ierarcai [a monthly periodical published by an Orthodox society of that name], December 1965).

• Joint prayers with Protestants. The press in Constantinople pub­lished, on June 18, 1966, a statement by the Œcumenical Patriarch, which mentioned that two heretical Protestants, who had come to visit the Latinizing and Protestantizing Patriarch, would be present at Di­vine Liturgy on June 19, 1966, and would take part in joint prayer. And, as if this public statement were not enough, the Great Chancery issued a circular to the parish Priests, trustees, and presidents of the brotherhoods and associations of the Archepiscopate and the neigh­boring dioceses, in which it advised them that they should "not only come to the Liturgy themselves, but should bring along as many of their parishioners as possible..., so that all together may honor the dis­tinguished guests in question" (see Kaqolikh, [l9 June 1966]).

• Papal visit to Constantinople. On July 25, 1967, Pope Paul VI visited the Œcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. This visit con­tinues the new period of inopportune and uncanonical relations be­tween the Œcumenical Patriarchate and the heterodox, which was—wrongly—inaugurated in Jerusalem. (This account is based on press reports.)

• Patriarchal visit to Rome. On October 26, 1967, the Œcumeni­cal Patriarch, returning the Pope's visit to Constantinople in June of that same year, visited Rome and prayed with the Pope at a special ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica. (This account is based on press re­ports.)

• On the Papal throne. "During his meeting with Pope Paul VI in Rome, on October 26, 1967, the Patriarch sat on the Papal throne for twenty minutes, receiving primarily the Greek Orthodox in Rome, but also Russian Orthodox refugees. They applauded loudly when the Pa­triarch commemorated the Pope's name in Greek" (see Kaqolikh, No. 1557 [1 November 1967]).

• He is selling out Orthodoxy! "These, unfortunately, are the great and serious questions that concern all Orthodox, and which the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Œcumenical Throne is endeavoring to re­solve under the Patriarchate of Athenagoras I who is extolled by races, peoples, and tongues, and who thinks night and day about one and only one thing; who is interested in, concerned, and troubled about one and only one thing, and this is how he might arbitrarily and high-handedly sell out Orthodoxy to Pope Paul VI (see Cronoz, 15 January 1967).

• Uncanonical and un-Orthodox actions. "Unfortunately, Patri­arch Athenagoras, indifferent to the state of the Orthodox world, in­different even to the dogmas of the Faith, has opened a door to the het­erodox, and indeed, to the Papists, for them to enter and go forth, without hindrance, into the Orthodox fold and to wreak incalculable havoc. His statements concerning the impending union of the Church­es and concerning the common Cup, uttered at different meetings and in different places, have disturbed the incorruptible conscience of the Orthodox. The Faithful are asking: 'Where are we going? 'Discerning spirits in the Orthodox Church, as the resistance displayed by our Shepherds continually diminishes, perceive that the union of the Churches will be accomplished de facto.... There is a grave and impending danger that the Orthodox world will be rent asunder as a re­sult of the Patriarch's inopportune, uncanonical, and un-Orthodox ac­tions. A crisis of conscience has been created in the souls of many Or­thodox clergy" (from a memorandum by Metropolitan Augustinos of Florina to the Holy Synod [of the Church of Greece—Trans.], Janu­ary 1969).

• Violation of the Sacred Canons. "The first violation of the Sa­cred Canons began, before the lifting of the anathemas, with joint prayer between Athenagoras and Paul VI during their meeting in Jerusalem. After the anathemas were lifted, the phenomenon of the Patriarch of Constantinople praying with Pope Paul VI in Constan­tinople or Rome, or with other heterodox, became de rigueur. Athe­nagoras has prayed in Constantinople with Armenian Monophysite clergy, in London with the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey, and in other instances during his 'journey of love' through heterodox countries. In this way, an example of violating the Sacred Canons, which expressly forbid Orthodox to pray with schis­matics and heretics, was given from on high. The Thirty-third Canon of the Synod of Laodicea, which has ecumenical authority, decrees: 'One must not pray with heretics or schismatics.' The Forty-fifth Canon of the Holy Apostles prescribes excommunication for a cler­gyman who prays with heretics: 'Let a Bishop, Presbyter, or Deacon who has only prayed with heretics, be excommunicated; but if he has permitted them to function as clergy, let him be deposed’” (see Orqodoxia kai Papsmoz, Vol, II, p. 365).

• Subject to canonical sanctions. "With regard to the actions in Palestine on the part of the Œcumenical Patriarchate—and in the name of the entire Orthodox Church, no less—towards such an offi­cial figure as the Pope of Rome, we say that these events, which have been trumpeted throughout the world as salvific for Christianity, are subject to canonical sanctions, since they were perpetrated in con­tempt of the holy and sacred Canons and for the purpose of overturn­ing the age-old order that prevails in the Orthodox Church, to the grave scandal of the Orthodox and—if we may say so—to their divi­sion, as well as to the manifest humiliation of the Orthodox Church of Christ. But such willful and ill-considered decisions, which were made and carried out with such unpardonable haste, to boot, are fraught with perilous consequences" (see Tà Prnsostomon B Catzstanron Arciepiskopon Aqhnwn [The Acts of Arch­bishop Chrysostomos Hatzistavrou II of Athens] [n.p.: n.d.], Vol. II, pp. 40-41).

• A fait accompli. "It is evident that the Œcumenical Patriarch, who has expressed in many ways his desire for union with the Latins, taking for granted the good disposition of the Pope up to now—clear evidence of a conspiracy—, and having sent a letter and report to the Pope, acted in this manner, in order to present all of the Orthodox with a fait accompli, with the intent that Orthodoxy first incline towards the Latin heresy and then seek rapprochement with it through the inau­guration of a dialogue!" (see Tà Prnsostomon B Catzstanron Arciepiskopon Aqhnwn, Vol.II, p.69).

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Notes:

1. As in the joint prayer that took place in Assisi (October 27, 1986). For a description of this shocking event and an Orthodox critique thereof, see the newspaper Fwnh tvn Paterwn (Vol. II, No. 1 [November 1987]). [Back]

2. See the "Ecumenical Doxology of Peace" on the occasion of Patriarch Demetrios' visit to the USA (July 9, 1990, in Washington). Taking part in this ser­vice, as indicated in the program, were: Patriarch Demetrios. Archbishop lakovos of America, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal James Hickey, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore, Cardinal William Keeler, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Edmond Lee Browning, the Pre­siding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Herbert Chilstrom, the President of the National Council of Churches, the Reverend Leonid Kishkovsky, the President of the American Jewish Committee, Rabbi James Rudin, Imam Faisal Khan of The Islamic Center of Washington, the Pres­ident of the Armenian Church of America, the Reverend Hazels Barsamian, and the Reverend Joseph Kwami Labi of the Orthodox Church of Ghana, West Af­rica. In the end, the Patriarch did not attend the service, but was represented by Archbishop lakovos of America and Metropolitans Photios and Evangelos, from the Œcumenical Patriarchate ("Ecumenical Doxology of Peace;' in two lan­guages, 19 pp.; this commemorative pamphlet contains the texts and the order of the joint prayer service. Also see Orqodoxoz Tnpoz, No. 895 [27 July 1990). in which there is a photograph from the joint prayer service). [Back]

3. These are the characteristic opinions of the New Calendarist Archiman­drite Jeremias (Foundas), Ierokhnrnx the Metropolis of Megara and Salamis, who, nonetheless, as he notes, is expressing the ideas of Archimandrite Epiphan­ios (Theodoropoulos) (†) (see Qnmiama [Mandra, Attika], No. 3 [November 1990]. This entire issue [pp. 77-130] constitutes "part of a liturgical catechesis for the people," dedicated to the theme: 'The Old Calendarists of Greece are Outside the Church"). [Back]

4. See Ekklhsia, Nos. 17-I8 (1-15 September 1972): "And we declare our intention, in fidelity to what has hitherto been the policy of the Œcumenical Pa­triarchate, of following the holy and great policy of our great predecessor, the ever-memorable Œcumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I, regarding inter-Christian unity amid pan-Orthodox harmony." [Back]

5. See, for example, testimonies made by him on various occasions, cited in Filhmata Ionda [Kisses of Judas] (Holy Mountain: 1987), 2nd ed., pp, 39, 42. 46, 55. For the fuller characterization in detail, which Patriarch Demetrios made during his recent trip to the USA (July of 1990), see Episkejiz, No. 445 (15 September 1990), p. 12. [Back]

6. See the prologue to the Calendar of the Church of Greece for the year 1969 (published by Apostolikh Diakonia). [Back]

7. Ekklhsia (1-15 August 1972) (emphasis ours). [Back]

8. Ibid., p. 451 (emphasis ours). [Back]

9. Ibid., pp. 408-409; cited in Constantine D. Mouratides, Oikonmevikh Kinhsiz: o sngcronoz megaz peirasmoz thz Orqodoxiaz [The Ecumenical Move­ment, The Great Contemporary Temptation of Orthodoxy] (Athens: Orthodoxos Typos Publications. 1973), 2nd ed., pp. 54-55. [Back]

10. Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Peristerion (Gerasimos Zapheiris), «Proz epanenwsin twn arcaiwn Anatolikwnmh Calkhdoneiwn Exxlhnsiwn meta thz orqodoxon Ekklhsiaz» ["Towards the Reunion of the Ancient Non­-Chalcedonian Churches with the Orthodox Church"], Qeologia (January-June 1990). P. 14. [Back]

11. Let us reflect that in me introductory class, Professor Basil Phanour­gakis presented the figure of Athenagoras and his work for a "general Orthodox synod" to first-year theology students as follows: "...[T]he vital need to resolve the chronic problems of Orthodoxy led to the Œcumenical Patriarchate, under the strong administration of the great Patriarch Athenagoras I, setting in motion the laborious process of convening just such a general Orthodox synod" (Basil D. Phanour­gakis, Eisagwgh sth Qeologia [Introduction to Theology] [Thessaloni­ki: 1984], p. 87). [Back]

12. That is, in Geneva, the headquarters of the so-called World Council of Churches (WCC), which Father Justin regarded as a "heretical, humanistic, man­made, and man-worshipping assembly, which is comprised of 263 heresies, each one of them spiritual death!"; the WCC “is nothing other than a revival of the athe­istic worship of man and idols" («Orqodoxia kai Oikonmenismoz: mia Orqodxoz Gnwmatensiz kai Martnria ton Arcimandriton Ionstinou Popobitz». ["Orthodoxy and 'Ecumenism: An Orthodox Opinion and Testimo­ny by Archimandrite Justin Popovich"], Koinwnia [March-April 1975], p. 99 [emphasis ours]). For the complete text of this inspired "Opinion," see Orqodoxoz Enstasiz kai Martnria, Vol. Il. Nos. 18-21 (January-December 1990), pp. 166-173. This opinion of Father Justin helps us to understand the ex­tent to which the Orthodox ecumenists have been undermined, such that they could express the following views concerning the WCC and Athenagoras: “The ever-memorable Patriarch ...would often observe that Christian leaders ought in every way to leave yesterday's trenches and become fighters on the ramparts of God's eternal and auditioned plan, which consists of love, edification, and unity. For Patriarch Athenagoras, such a rampart was the World Council of Churches, where the Orthodox East and the Protestant West could sit down together on equal terms..."! (Great Protopresbyter George Tsetsis, Oikonmenika Analekta: Snmbolh sthn istoria ton Pagkosmion Snmbonlion twn Ekklhnsiwn [Ecu­menical Gleanings: A Contribution to the History of the World Council of Churches] (Katerine: Tertios Publications, 1987], p. 127 [emphasis ours]). [Back]

13. Archimandrile Justin (Popovich), Epikindunoz h sugklhsiz oikoumenikhz Sunodou (thz Orqodoxias) (The Convocation of an (Orthodox) Œcu­menical Synod is a Hazardous Venture] (Athens: Orthodoxos Martyria Publica­tions. 1971), pp. 12-13. [Back]

14. This report was reprinted in Filhmata Iouda, pp. 27-38. The arrange­ment of subdivisions in the present text is ours.

With regard to the rupture in communion between Athenagoras and the three Metropolitans in question, see Ekklhsiastikoz Agwn No. 47 (March-April 1970), and Orqodoxoz Tupoz, Nos. 117 (20 March 1970), 118 (10 April 1970), and 119 (1 May 1970). [Back]

1. Translator's Note: The Great Schism actually occurred, of course, in 1054. Perhaps this error was simply a slip of the Patriarchal tongue. The Patri­arch's insinuation that the Eastern Church separated from the Western Church, however, is an error that is difficult to dismiss as innocent. Such a statement, coming as it does from the lips of the Œcumenical Patriarch:—a figure whose successors were and are touted as the alleged "spiritual leaders of all Orthodox Christians":—is well-nigh incredible. Needless to say, Orthodox have always be­lieved that the Church of Rome, which was but one of the ancient Sees that com­prised the undivided Christian Church, broke away from the universal Church and is thus both in schism and, by virtue of deviation from the Faith of the undi­vided Church, in heresy. [Back]

2. Translator's Note: This addition to the œcumenical Nicene-Constanti­nopolitan Symbol of Faith was first proclaimed synodally in the sixth, not the seventh, century by the Third Council of Toledo in 589; moreover, it was fore­shadowed much earlier by St. Ambrose and St, Augustine, among other Latin Fa­thers, in certain of their writings. [Back]

3. Translator's Note: Papal Primacy and Infallibility me, of course, not mere ecclesiastical customs. The Blessed Archimandrite Justin (Popovich) re­garded the declaration of Papal Infallibility by the First Vatican Council, in 1870, as the third great fall inhuman history, after those of Adam and Judas (see his ar­ticle "Reflections on the Infallibility of European Man;" in the anthology Ortho­dox Faith and Life in Christ, ed. [Father] Aserios Gerostergios [Belmont, MA: Institute for Byzantine and Modem Greek Studies, 1994], p. 105). [Back]

4. Translator's Note: We have rendered these remarks somewhat colloqui­ally, in order to capture the rather informal and at times folksy tone of the Patri­arch’s Greek. It is quite clear that the Patriarch's official pronouncements, issued in eloquent language, served to mask the significantly simplistic, occasionally anti-intellectual (or anti-theological), and incoherent thinking that were the bests of his supposedly lofty ecumenical spirit. While religious tolerance is a virtue to be upheld and cultivated at all costs, this virtue properly comes forth from a clear knowledge of what differentiates various religious traditions and must never, therefore, violate one's confessional or personal integrity in the name of human­istic "love" or vague ideas about religious universalism. (Emphasis in the text also that of the translator) [Back]

5. Translator's Note: In antiquity, it was customary for vanquished peoples to offer earth and water to their conquerors as tokens of submission. Cf. Herodotus, Histories, V.18. [Back]

6. Translated by Hieromonk Patapois from the Greek periodical Orqodoxoz Enstasiz kai Marturia, Vol. II, Nos. 18-21 (January-December 1990), pp 180-203.

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From Orthodox Tradition, Volume XVIII, Number 1

[尼古拉前执事]

Good article. You can read more about his here.

[PFC Nektarios]

Thats to long.

In Christ
Nektarios

[尼古拉前执事]

Thats to long.

In Christ
Nektarios

Some would say the same about Morning or Evening prayers, Divine Liturgy, The Bible, Vigil, etc. It is part of the modernistic world where we want all our information in 6 second spurts or news bites. Reading takes a long time, but is worth it. We must reject modern culture's wanting of everything right now with no effort on the part of ourselves.

[PFC Nektarios]

Some would say the same about Morning or Evening prayers, Divine Liturgy, The Bible, Vigil, etc.

+

If I printed it out I would be able to read it all but I hate absolutley hate E-Reading if its that long. But Morning/Evening Prayers, Divine Litrugy ect... are worth the time.

In Christ
Nektarios