Please forgive me again for making long posts but I would like to get some clarity on this issue.
The downfall of Constantinople and all in their union.
Taken from http://members.aol.com/jnsrca/1.htm
There were several foreshadowing's of the downfall of Constantinople. The council of Florence was one. On at least two other earlier occasions Constantinople desired union with the Latin's and for much the same invalid reason(s). “Constantinople finally splintered, and its manifold accomplishments fell in the shadow of the Italian Renaissance” When Constantinople was faced with the largest invading Islamic army yet “The West finally promised help, but at a fearful price: submission of Byzantium's Holy Orthodox Church to the Church of Rome.” “God had punished the Greeks, Russians piously observed in 1453, when the Turks took Constantinople. For betraying their faith by submitting to Rome, He withdrew His protection and their empire fell” [1] pgs. 709, 755, 762.
The Russians “turned their backs on apostate Byzantium, since she had forfeited all claims to leadership in the Orthodox world by betraying the true Faith.” In Constantinople “Papal commemorative services commenced on November 12, 1452. On December 12, 1452, the union of the two Churches was solemnly commemorated in the Church of Aghia Sophia.” Then, “Greeks who refused to understand the decree of union were to be sent to Rome for re-education.” Also, “Makarios Melissenos records that every night a fire descended from the sky, stood over the City and enveloped her with light all night long... (Then, on the evening of May 27, 1453) the heavenly sign descended in its customary manner but did not envelope the City. The light appeared to be distant, and then it scattered quickly and vanished at once. This filled the Sultan and his court with malignant joy. They interpreted the sign, saying, ‘God has now abandoned the Christians forever!’” Finally, “on the last night of the City's freedom, clergy and congregation, whatever they might feel about union, came together for a final liturgy in Aghia Sophia... Having put aside all bitterness, barely a citizen, except those watching the walls, stayed away from this desperate service of intercession. Those priests who maintained that union with Rome was a grave sin now came to the altar to serve with unionists. The cardinal was there, and beside were bishops who would never acknowledge his authority. All came to confession, so they might take communion, not caring whether Orthodox or Catholic administered it.” [2] pages 476, 503, 504, 518, 521.
Iosif of Volokolamsk (the Father of Medieval Russia) soon wrote, “Behold, today apostasy is come.”
Andrei Kurbsy, a prince of 16th century Russia and defender of Orthodoxy, is noted for saying that the fall of Constantinople was truly destruction along the lines of the apocalypse, that it was then that “Satan was loosed from his bonds.”
Time and again we can see how it is that the Greeks and those in union with them, like the Antiochian’s, were understood as apostates, ever since the fall of Constantinople. When the Antiochian Patriarch Makarios visited Russia in the 17th century “the foreign envoys did not even have a right to attend Russian church services.” [3]. (I would note that Makarios smoked hash at liturgy.)
There have been certain Greek judgments against the union of Florence, but these were too little too late, the damage is done. The Greek capital remains in the hands of the Infidel. This is when the saying, “Better the Infidel…” began. The compromise of Orthodoxy had become second nature and was not corrected by such sayings. The Greeks have been bereft with continual compromises ever since, such as the “Protestant Patriarch” (also known as the Calvinist Patriarch) Cyril Lucaris and also his cousin Alexandrian Patriarch Meletios Pigas before him. This “unionist” thinking continues today as we see such things as the lifting of the anathema upon the Latin’s and the likes of Orthodox presidency of false church councils started by Protestants. In actuality all of Eastern Christianity was at a theological standstill after the “Orthodox Confession” of seventeenth century Kiev, which embraced much Latin ideology.
Notes:
[1] National Geographic, December 1983
[2] Lives of the Pillars of Orthodoxy, Holy Apostles Convent 1990.
[3] http://ecumenizm.tripod.com/ECUMENIZM/id22.html
Holy Rus’
The Third Rome
(and its fall from Grace)
The reputation of Russia was renowned around the entire world. Nobody doubted its place as the reports of its holy practice was undeniable. Moscow became the “New Constantinople” and “New Jerusalem” (For interest sake I have placed a image of an old Russian cross that shows what was called the New Jerusalem). Such a time and place as the Third Rome will not ever return to this most unworthy world. For the few who would dare to spite the abounding wickedness I say stand up, and go and find what can be seen of this magnificent land, of what it once had. There is so much to explain about this that I will not be able to show it all. But I will do what I can, by the end of this spring I should have some very interesting notes and items right here. I hope you will check back soon.
o Avvakum’s cellmate recorded one of the reactions to the reforms around the time of 1666. The holy fathers and monks of the famous Solovetskii Monastery were so sorrowful that they spoke this way about Russia.
“Brothers, brothers! Alas, alas! Woe, woe! The faith of Christ has fallen in Russia, just as in other lands, through Christ’s two enemies, Nikon and Arsenii.”
“The Old Believers and the World of the Antichrist” pg. 10, Crummey, 1970
o The historical record clearly shows that the Old Believers were not the only ones to understand that Moscow alone kept Orthodoxy. Nikon is often still remembered as making this quote below about Russia (though Nikon and the Tsar together came to a different conclusion).
[Russia is] “the only currency in the economy of salvation.”
Ibid, pg. 12
o From The Old Believers: 'The Antichrist.' As reproduced in Peter the Great, ed. Eugene Schuyler, vol. II (New York: Russell & Russell, 1884; 1967), 153-154.
“The Apostle says first comes a falling away, then is revealed the man of sin, the son of perdition, the Anti-Christ. First came the falling away from the holy faith by the Tsar Alexis in the year 666 [1666], the number of the beast thus fulfilling the prophecy. And after him there reigned on the throne his first-born son Peter, from his second and unlawful marriage. He was consecrated to the throne of all the Russians by the Jewish laws from head to foot, showing that he is the false Messiah and the false Christ, as the Sibyl prophesied about him that a Jewish Tsar will reign. And that false Christ began to set himself up and be called God by all, persecuting and tormenting all Orthodox Christians, destroying their memory from the face of the earth, spreading his new Jewish faith throughout all Russia. In the year 1700, to the accomplishment of his wickedness, and on the festival of the Circumcision of Christ, he called together a heathenish court and erected a temple to the heathen god Janus, and before all the people practiced all sorts of magic rites and all called out “vivat! vivat! the New Year,” and he sent to all parts of the realm the command to feast for the new year, thus breaking the laws of the Fathers, who in the first Ecumenical Council commanded the feast of the New Year to be on September 1. In the year 1721 he took upon himself the Patriarchal title, calling himself Father of the Country, Head of the Russian Church, and Autocrat, having no one on an equality with himself, taking craftily to himself not only the power of the Tsar, but also the authority of God, and claiming to be an autocratic pastor, a headless head over all the opponents of Christ, Anti-Christ. Therefore must we conceal ourselves in the deserts just as the Prophet Jeremiah ordered the children of God to flee from Babylon. The years of the Lord have passed; the years of Satan have come.”
o From “RUSSIA” by Donald Macknzie Wallace, Chapter 18 (historical look at the year 1666)
“In the seventeenth century this superstitious, conservative spirit reached its climax. The civil wars and foreign invasions, accompanied by pillage, famine, and plagues with which that century opened, produced a wide-spread conviction that the end of all things was at hand. The mysterious number of the Beast was found to indicate the year 1666, and timid souls began to discover signs of that falling away from the Faith which is spoken of in the Apocalypse. The majority of the people did not perhaps share this notion, but they believed that the sufferings with which they had been visited were a Divine punishment for having forsaken the ancient customs. And it could not be denied that considerable changes had taken place. Orthodox Russia was now tainted with the presence of heretics. Foreigners who shaved their chins and smoked the accursed weed had been allowed to settle in Moscow, and the Tsars not only held converse with them, but had even adopted some of their “pagan” practices. Besides this, the Government had introduced innovations and reforms, many of which were displeasing to the people. In short, the country was polluted with “heresy”—a subtle, evil influence lurking in everything foreign, and very dangerous to the spiritual and temporal welfare of the Faithful— something of the nature of an epidemic, but infinitely more dangerous; for disease kills merely the body, whereas “heresy” kills the soul, and causes both soul and body to be cast into hell- fire.”
Many attempt to say that the Greeks remained in communion with Russia after Constantinople fell.
To that type of statement I offer the following:
Maxim the Greek was sent by the Greeks to Russia and it is said that he was under official excommunication.
My page on the downfall of Constantinople gives several examples of how preeminent Russian’s declared the
Greeks to be apostates. Having studied the references for years I do not believe my understanding is crooked there.
I know for a fact that even the Patriarch of Antioch and his envoy visited Russia after the fall of the Greeks was not
allowed to attend any church service. The Antiochian’s were in union with the Greeks but there are records that
Russians did not allow any foreigner to serve in church services. Actually, it is told that if any foreigner visited they
were never allowed around without strictly supervised escort, their very words being guarded. There are reports of
some Russian’s going abroad and possibly communing while away, but that was always ridiculed by staunch
Russians at home who disapproved of such contacts claiming all such as traitors. There are reports of the death
penalty given to many Russians who had gone abroad and the reasons would have always had to do with matters of Faith.
Russians were always very Christian believing and thought the best of people and having high hopes for the Greeks.
The Greeks had already ceased sending a Metropolitan to Russia as the last one was a “unionist” when Constantinople fell.
After Constantinople fell the Greek Metropolitan did return to Russia and was immediately imprisoned till his death
due to his apostasy. Russia elected their own Russian bishop that was an anti “unionist” without bothering to get
permission or approval from the Greeks. The Russians were careful not to be so prideful to elevate themselves to
the place of Patriarchal status so when the Greek were willing to give them that they accepted it as their duty to uphold
the Third Rome. Though I am sure there are details about how that exactly took place which would be good to enter
into this thought.
The only contact the Russians had with other “Orthodox” were for small advices which were tested over and over
back in Russia. For this assistance Russia did pay monetary tribute. This is the extent of communications that
existed between Russia and other Eastern Christians until the infamous Nikon. There was the time that the Patriarch
of Jerusalem visited in the 17th century and was infuriated when he was told that Russian’s were truer Christians than Greeks.
Nikon was persuaded by the Jerusalem Patriarch and things have never been the same in Russia since.
The Stoglav council having anathematized all Latin practices certainly anathematized and excommunicated the Greeks
by default, which is exactly what the Old Believers explain. If you believe there was no excommunication between
Russia and the Greeks after Constantinople’s fall I would ask where all intercommunion was? There were no
ecumenical councils of any kind until the antichrist uncanonical council of 1666. I would really like to know where
the Greeks had any good showing of faith since the fall of Constantinople. To me, when using logic and tempering
it with a strong dose of wisdom there is no other conclusion I can come to except that the Greeks have been in utter
apostasy ever since their fall. Now with the compromise of 1666 Russia became corrupted by western reasonings,
with the exception of the good Old Believers.