The following is an exchange between +ROCOR Priest Andrew
Kencis and Bishop Kyrill of Seattle concerning the re-posting of
a letter between them.
[Fr Andrew Kencis is now a ROCOR(V) priest serving in
Edmonton Alberta CANADA]
Subject: Re: a letter from Bishop Kyrill
Date: Mon, 21 May 2001 12:45:01 -0600
Dear in Christ Father Andrew,
Personally, I have no quarrel with you - despite your "friendly"
phone message several months past. I have not changed my
views. They have remained the same - as we have discussed
in Mulino.
Dear Bishop Kyrill,
Forgive me but you have changed your views by your actions.
I remember a Bishop [Kyrill] who inspired me when he said that
he would not "seek after shiny miters" and "let them take our
churches we will serve in living rooms!"
I remember a Bishop [Kyrill] who would not serve with the
Serbs and made a point about it... but now what do we
see?
The metropolitan told me many years ago "everyone will deny
and condemn ecumenism, but when we look at their actions we
see something else."
I do not call you an ecumenist. I only see that you
have bent yourself to the winds of Archbishop Mark.
I still remember you telling me how he accompanied you on
a walk around central park in New York trying to recruit you..
Forgive me Vladika you have changed and I grieve.
I feel that my statement need not be posted at this time -
"At this time?" Why not? It shows to people that indeed the church
IS talking different then it did just a few years ago. Besides it was
on the "official site" It is a public document.
why did you return it to the website after you were instructed
to remove it?
Because it need to be re-posted. Besides I received requests for
it.
#Please remove it immediately.
I cannot...
I simply want you to know that no one in their right mind wishes
to join with the Moscow Patriarchate - the leader of which just
recently stated that ecumenism is necessary in that it is impossible
to ignore other christians (ed. hetrodox).
Then say so publicly! Then allow the Metropolitan's letter to be distributed.
Also then tell me very clearly and without "a politicians guile"
why the synod is...
Our beloved Church Abroad has not changed her position of
80 years past. If language, syntax lead people to feel otherwise,
it is very unfortunate.
"very unfortunate!" Then why do the bishops show an
unprecedented coldness and cruelty to those who asked
questions? One of the most "milk toast" of our priests up
here recently said to Bishop Michael... "Vladika all the bishops
had to do is answer our questions at the first and all of this
would have stopped immediately." Even father Christopher
Birchall wrote this to Bishop Gabriel in January.
But what do we see... we are assaulted and insulted by the likes
of Lebedeff, Whitford, Shaw, Potopovs, etc.
We see the French clergy brave in their stand for the truth of our
church and the Mark machine trying to crush them to NO avail,
we see every continent issuing statements. There has been NO
peace in the church since your "errors of syntax" and NO
attempts at calming the flock only threats and name calling.
No Vladika please do not insult my intelligence with these
low level attempts. You see I know too much of what is behind
the scenes. I wish I didn't I would like to be back in those days of innocence.
But I am not.
May the Mother of God cover us with her omophorion.She will keep
the true members and sons and Daughters of the confessing
Church Abroad in full unity of this I am sure of.
Metropolitan Philaret two weeks before his righteous end
said that "after my death our beloved Church Abroad will break
three ways... first the greeks will leave us as they where never
a part of us... then those who live for this world and its glory will
go to Moscow... what will remain will be those souls faithful to
Christ and His Church."
I never forgot this and believed that it would happen. Now I do.
Priest Andrew Kencis
+Bishop Kyrill