Saturday, July 30, 2016

current pathetic activities of the schism-makers

About SOME of the current pathetic activities of the schism-makers here: as of today, July 30, 2016

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Sat, Jul 30, 2016 at 6:47 PM

MANY YEARS!  MNOGAYA  LETA! to our Honorable Vladyka Metropolitan Agafangel and to our ROCA Honorable Synod of Bishops!...to each and every one of them!
And may Almighty God, grant them, and us, victory over these impious and malicious schism-makers!
May they all repent!

"Fore-warned, is fore-armed!"


  Some of what was related to me today, Sat. July 30, 2016, by  highly reliable sources :

It seems...that:
 Vl. Sofrony is THE main episcopal clerical leader of this schism [though he is currently officially  'retired' by our Synod, and thus has NO CANONICAL episcopal authority to DO ANYTHING!] , and because he is POWER HUNGRY/'Ambitious', ...and has been so for a long time, and as he hopes to wear the white klobuk himself.  He wants to be the Metropolitan! ...This is what many here, see in him.

Busy energetic retired, Vl. Sofrony [who is a very warm likable 'charismatic', youthful fellow, as most here think of him] is currently physically HERE  in the US... and speaking with and visiting numerous ROCA clergy and laity.... almost daily it seems.
 
OTHERS also, are constantly busy, some have been so throughout the past many ages.
 
*In the Book of Job, the Holy Prophet Job asks the Devil what he does all day, to which the Devil replies: "I  constantly go to and fro, traveling though out the whole earth, seeking those whom I may devour!"
 
Recently, [the possible new metropolitan, to be?] Sofrony  communicated to people here, from Russia, with his numerous, daily, phone calls and emails. 
Currently, he with Dimitry Gontscharow, (* in whose house in Virginia he is staying, and is being driven around by Dimitry), together visited poor retired Bp. Joseph, (who is now in an oxygen tent and in very bad shape), to request him to join their schism enterprise, to which he declined.

Apparently also, they visited  [or somehow spoke with]  RTOC-Trenton Vl. Stefan Sabelnik, and asked him also to join their enterprise, to which... IT SEEMS... [but is not yet confirmed] that he too declined to participate.

 Personally I have much respect for Vl. Stefan, WHO KNOWS BASIC ORTHODOX CHURCH ORDER!... and whatever his faults may be.... as perceived by anyone,  he clearly must have more common sense than to get involved in this pathetic three-ring CIRCUS of our impious power-hungry church-wrecking schism makers, WHO RESPECT NO BISHOP!... UNLESS THEY CAN 100% CONTROL HIM!, ..and which if he did, would only start divisions in his RTOC-Trenton flock here, and ruin his diocese.

Who else?..might they hope to lure?... such as perhaps unbalanced  ROAC Andre 'Maklakov' they might also ask to join their new 'synod', is not yet known.

Mr. George (Yuri) Lukin, another central player in this schism, and another hater of Metropolitan Agafangel,  and the owner and developer of Mountain View, i.e. he never gave ownership of that property to the Church, [where he routinely orders poor Vl. Andronik around as if he owns him, or as if he were his servant], was formerly very involved in the past "Mansonville-Vitaly Schism"... which means that he has a history of involvement in schisms in the ROCOR. Perhaps, he likes sponsoring schisms?

The Metropolitan shall arrive here in about 2 weeks, and plans visiting with GOC Met. Demetrios... and also, Vl. Andronik, plus with others...  and on conducting a general parish meeting in the Astoria Holy Trinity Church.

Of course, he hopes to heal this schism.  But I am not at all sure that he can, as those of this schism crowd, do not want to be healed or to repent.

Last Sunday, in the Astoria Church, Fr. Dimitry Dobronoravov [who, sad to say, is a big and pivotal priestly clerical supporter of this rebellion against the Metropolitan and our Synod]... in the Liturgy, commemorated  GOC Met. Demetrios! (and not Met. Agafangel), at which, the choir refused to respond, and then he in front of the whole church, ordered off and threw the choir director off the cleiros, [where the choir stands in that church, not up in the rear balcony as in some churches] after she asked him: why? did he commemorate GOC Met. Demetrios and not OUR ROCA head, Met. Agafangel:

His angry loud response: "Because I hate  Metropolitan Agafangel... but I like Met. Demetrios!" (!!!)

So, we shall see what more unchristian and anti-Orthodox shenanigans and monkey-business these BUSY and ENERGETIC deluded schism makers will create, and who all will foolishly join them, or who will wisely avoid them, and stay loyal to our ROCA.

And I share this unhappy information, in  the hope that it may contribute to informing our loyal clergy and laity, to NOT be fooled by these church destroyers, and their various slanders and outright lies, who may claim to be creating a more-pure ROCA, and 'free from dictator metropolitans and bishops', but who in reality are simply making a rotten ill-founded schism.

The Holy Fathers on Schism" in good human English


And A General Sharing: A Correct English Translation: "The Holy Fathers on Schism"-Russian original text, with a very good human-English translation

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Sat, Jul 30, 2016 at 10:57 AM









Our Lord Jesus Christ On His Throne of Glory, the Righteous Judge of the Living and the Dead
 


NOTE: This human-English  translation, is far better and more accurate than the clumsy and rough, 'smoothed-out machine-English text'  I just shared around. My rough work missed many of the nuances and the full meaning of these quotes from these saints.
MUCH THANKS to the translator of this !

The Holy Fathers on Schism


Священномученик Иларион (Троицкий):
«Церковь едина, и одна она только имеет всю полноту благодатных даров Святого Духа. Кто и каким бы образом ни отступал от Церкви — в ересь, в раскол, в самочинное сборище, он теряет причастие благодати Божией» (Письмо Р. Гардинеру),
«знаем мы и убеждены в том, что отпадение от Церкви в раскол ли, в ересь ли, в сектантство ли — есть полная погибель и духовная смерть. Для нас нет христианства вне Церкви. Если Христос создал Церковь и Церковь — Тело Его, то оторваться от Тела Его — значит умереть» (О жизни в Церкви).

Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky):
“The Church is one, and only she alone has all the fullness of the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit. Whoever has fallen away from the Church, and no matter how – into heresy, into schism, into an arbitrary assemblage – he loses the communion of God’s grace” (letter to R. Gardiner),
“we know and are convinced that falling away from the Church – whether into schism, or into heresy, or into sectarianism – is complete perdition and spiritual death. For us there is no Christianity outside of the Church. If Christ founded the Church, and the Church is His Body, then to break away from His Body means to die” (On Life in the Church).


Блаженный Августин:
«мы веруем во святую соборную Церковь. Однако еретики и раскольники также называют свои общины церквами. Но еретики, ложно мысля о Боге, искажают саму веру, а раскольники беззаконными разделениями отступают от братской любви, хотя верят в то же самое, что и мы. Поэтому ни еретики не принадлежат вселенской Церкви, которая любит Бога, ни раскольники не принадлежат к ней» (О символе веры, Х).

Blessed Augustine:
“we believe in the holy, catholic Church. However, heretics and schismatics also call their communities churches. But heretics, thinking falsely about God, distort the faith itself, while schismatics, through their unlawful divisions, fall away from brotherly love, although they believe in the same thing that we do. Therefore, neither do heretics belong to the universal Church, which loves God, nor do schismatics belong to her” (On the Symbol of Faith, X).


Сщмч. Игнатий Богоносец:
«Не обольщайтесь, братья мои! Кто следует за вводящим раскол, тот не наследует Царствия Божьего» (Послание к филадельфийцам, 4).

Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer:
“Be not deceived, my brethren! Whoever follows one who introduces schism, he does not inherit the Kingdom of God” (Epistle to the Philadelphians, 3)


Свт. Киприан Карфагенский:
«усилия еретиков и зломыслящих раскольников начинаются обыкновенно с самоугождения, соединенного с надменным и гордым презрением к предстоятелю. Так совершается отступление от Церкви и осквернение алтаря, так возмущается мир Христов, чиноположение и единство Божие» (Письмо к Рогациану).

Hierarch Cyprian of Carthage:
“the efforts of heretics and evil-minded schismatics usually begin with pleasing themselves, united with a haughty and proud disdain towards him who presides. Thus is accomplished a falling away from the Church and a profanation of the altar; thus is disturbed the peace of Christ, God’s appointed order and unity” (Epistle to Rogatianus).


Свт. Иоанн Златоуст:
«производить разделения в Церкви не меньшее зло, как и впадать в ереси…грех раскола не смывается даже мученической кровью» (Толкование на послание к Ефесянам: 65, 11).

Hierarch John Chrysostom:
“to cause divisions in the Church is no lesser evil than to fall into heresy… the sin of schism is not washed away even by the blood of martyrdom” (Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians: 65, 11).


Свт. Игнатий (Брянчанинов):
«смертный грех православного христианина, не уврачеванный должным покаянием, подвергает согрешившего вечной муке… Смертные грехи для христианина суть следующие: ересь, раскол, богохульство, отступничество… каждый из них умерщвляет душу и делает ее неспособною для вечного блаженства, доколе она не очистит себя покаянием» (Слово о смерти).

Hierarch Ignatius (Brianchaninov):
“the mortal sin of an Orthodox Christian that is not healed by fitting repentance subjects the one who has sinned to eternal torment… Mortal sins for a Christian are the following: heresy, schism, blasphemy, apostasy… each of them kills the soul and makes it incapable of eternal blessedness, as long as it does not cleanse itself through repentance” (Discourse on Death).


Свт. Дионисий Александрийский:
«Если, как говоришь, ты отделился от Церкви невольно, то можешь доказать это возвращением в Церковь по своей воле. Лучше было бы тебе все вытерпеть, лишь бы не рассечь Церкви Божией. Не менее славы доставило бы тебе мученичество за целость ее, как и мученичество за отречение от идолов; а по-моему, и еще более, потому что в последнем случае всякий принимает мучения за одну собственную душу, а в первом — за всю Церковь. Если бы ты даже и теперь убедил и заставил братьев возвратиться к единению, то твоя доблесть была бы сильнее твоего зла. Последнее тогда не вменилось бы тебе, а первая заслужила бы похвалу. Но когда уже ты не в состоянии положиться на послушание братьев, то по крайней мере всячески спасай собственную душу» (письмо к раскольнику Новату, Церковная История Евсевия Памфила, VI, 45).

Hierarch Dionysius of Alexandria:
“If, as you say, you have become separated from the Church unwillingly, you can prove this by returning to the Church voluntarily. Better would it be for you to endure everything in order to avoid cleaving the Church of God. Martyrdom for the sake of her unity would procure for you no less glory than martyrdom for renouncing the idols; and to my mind, even greater glory, because in the latter case everyone accepts torments for the sake of his own soul alone, while in the former case in behalf of the whole Church. If even now you persuade and compel the brethren to return to unity, your valor would be more powerful than your evil. Then the latter would not be imputed to you, and the former would earn you praise. But when you are no longer able to rely upon the obedience of the brethren, then in any case at the least save your own soul (Epistle to the schismatic Novatus, Ecclesiastical History, by Eusebius Pamphilus, VI, 45).


Св. Иоанн Кронштадтский:
«Достигай, человек, единства: всячески бегай духовного разделения… Единение — Бог. Разделение — диавол. Разделение церквей — дело диавола; ереси, расколы — дело диавола» (Моя жизнь во Христе. Часть II,9).

St. John of Kronstadt:
“Attain unity, O man: in every way flee spiritual division… Unity is God. Division is the devil. The division of the churches is the work of the devil; heresies, schisms are the work of the devil” (My Life in Christ. Part II, 9)


Свт. Ириней Лионский:
«Христос рассудит тех, которые производят расколы, — не имеющих любви к Богу и заботящихся больше о собственной выгоде, чем о единстве Церкви, по маловажным и случайным причинам рассекающих и разрывающих великое и славное тело Христово и, сколько от них зависит, разрушающих его, говорящих о мире и производящих брань» (Пять книг против ересей, 4.7).

Hierarch Irenaeus of Lyons:
“Christ will judge those who cause schisms – those who do not have love towards God and care more about their own self-interest than about the unity of the Church; who for unimportant and incidental reasons cleave and tear asunder the great and glorious body of Christ, and, as much as depends on them, destroy it; who speak about peace and produce warfare” (Five Books Against Heresies, 4.7).

Friday, July 29, 2016

TWO ARTICLES of Church Fathers

Just For Thought: A Sharing: TWO ARTICLES: first one: by St. Cyprian of Carthage:-"To Rogatianus, Concerning the Deacon Who Contended Against the Bishop", /and- "What The Holy Fathers Say About Schism"-

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Fri, Jul 29, 2016 at 1:27 PM

NOTE: The only just cause for any of us to separate ourselves from our lawful bishop, 'to wall ourselves off  from him' is if HE BECOMES AN APOSTATE from our Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church. Of course that was the case with those bishops and clergy who in 2007, betrayed our church to the Sergianists of the MP. They became apostates. But, that situation is not the case with our honorable  and solidly Orthodox and pious, Metropolitan Agafangel or of our other honorable Synod of Bishops. Also, the fallacious and malicious accusations of the trouble-makers, claiming that the Metropolitan and  our Synod,   have 'violated various canons' are bogus, and unproven, utterly. They are simply slanders and lies.

Any one who believes such naïve rubbish, is a co-fool with them, and a co-wrecker of our struggling ROCA flock.

The sshism-makers have fanned what were simply, individual differences of opinion or opposing perspectives on various specific local church matters, mainly here in N. America, into a full blown schism. And too, some here have swallowed the Putin propaganda, that what he did in Ukraine was SOMEHOW..JUSTIFIED. THAT WAR HAS SPLIT OUR FLOCK.

Yet, illogically, our Metropolitan and our Bishops are being held to account,
 -that they have not blessed Putin's evil bloody immoral war against fellow Orthodox Christians! This clearly at least some of these schism makers do seem to believe. They like V. Putin!

 UNBELIEVABLE!






 Concerning the Deacon Who Contended Against the Bishop
St. Cyprian of Carthage
To Rogatianus, Concerning the Deacon Who Contended Against the Bishop

Argument.— Cyprian Warns the Bishop Rogatianus to Restrain the Pride of the Deacon Who Had Provoked Him with His Insults, and to Compel Him to Repent of His Boldness; Taking Occasion to Repeat Once More Whatever He Has Said in the Previous Letter, About the Sacerdotal or Episcopal Power.

1. Cyprian to his brother Rogatianus, greeting.

I and my colleagues who were present with me were deeply and grievously distressed, dearest brother, on reading your letter in which you complained of your deacon, that, forgetful of your priestly station, and unmindful of his own office and ministry, he had provoked you by his insults and injuries.  And you indeed have acted worthily, and with your accustomed humility towards us, in rather complaining of him to us; although you have power, according to the vigour of the episcopate and the authority of your See, whereby you might be justified on him at once, assured that all we your colleagues would regard it as a matter of satisfaction, whatever you should do by your priestly power in respect of an insolent deacon, as you have in respect of men of this kind divine commands.  Inasmuch as the Lord God says in Deuteronomy, “And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest or the judge, whoever he shall be in those days, that man shall die; and all the people, when they hear, shall fear, and shall no more do impiously.”  And that we may know that this voice of God came forth with His true and highest majesty to honour and avenge His priests; when three of the ministers — Korah, Dathan, and Abiram — dared to deal proudly, and to exalt their neck against Aaron the priest, and to equal themselves with the priest set over them; they were swallowed up and devoured by the opening of the earth, and so immediately suffered the penalty of their sacrilegious audacity.  Nor they alone, but also two hundred and fifty others, who were their companions in boldness, were consumed by a fire breaking forth from the Lord, that it might be proved that God's priests are avenged by Him who makes priests.  In the book of Kings also, when Samuel the priest was despised by the Jewish people on account of his age, as you are now, the Lord in wrath exclaimed, and said, “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me.”  And that He might avenge this, He set over them Saul as a king, who afflicted them with grievous injuries, and trod on the people, and pressed down their pride with all insults and penalties, that the despised priest might he avenged by divine vengeance on a proud people.

2. Moreover also Solomon, established in the Holy Spirit, testifies and teaches what is the priestly authority and power, saying, “Fear the Lord with all your soul, and reverence His priests;" and again, “Honour God with all your soul, and honour His priests.” Sirach 7:29,31  Mindful of which precepts, the blessed Apostle Paul, according to what we read in the Acts of the Apostles, when it was said to him, “Do you revile thus God's high priest? ”answered and said, “I knew not, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.”  Moreover, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, our King, and Judge, and God, even to the very day, of His passion observed the honour to priests and high priests, although they observed neither the fear of God nor the acknowledgment of Christ.  For when He had cleansed the leper, He said to him, “Go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift.”  With that humility which taught us also to he humble, He still called him a priest whom He knew to be sacrilegious; also under the very sting of His passion, when He had received a blow, and it was said to Him, “Do you answer the high priest so?”  He said nothing reproachfully against the person of the high priest, but rather maintained His own innocence saying, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you smite me?”  All which things were therefore done by Him humbly and patiently, that we might have an example of humility and patience; for He taught that true priests were lawfully and fully to be honoured, in showing Himself such as He was in respect of false priests.

3. But deacons ought to remember that the Lord chose apostles, that is, bishops and overseers; while apostles appointed for themselves deacons after the ascent of the Lord into heaven, as ministers of their episcopacy and of the Church. But if we may dare anything against God who makes bishops, deacons may also dare against us by whom they are made; and therefore it behooves the deacon of whom you write to repent of his audacity, and to acknowledge the honour of the priest, and to satisfy the bishop set over him with full humility.  For these things are the beginnings of heretics, and the origins and endeavours of evil-minded schismatics; — to please themselves, and with swelling haughtiness to despise him who is set over them.  Thus they depart from the Church — thus a profane altar is set up outside — thus they rebel against the peace of Christ, and the appointment and the unity of God.  But if, further, he shall harass and provoke you with his insults, you must exercise against him the power of your dignity, by either deposing him or excommunicating him.  For if the Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, said, “Let no man despise your youth,” how much rather must it be said by your colleagues to you, Let no man despise your age?  And since you have written, that one has associated himself with that same deacon of yours, and is a partaker of his pride and boldness, you may either restrain or excommunicate him also, and any others that may appear of a like disposition, and act against God's priest.  Unless, as we exhort and advise, they should rather perceive that they have sinned and make satisfaction, and suffer us to keep our own purpose; for we rather ask and desire to overcome the reproaches and injuries of individuals by clemency and patience, than to punish them by our priestly power.  I bid you, dearest brother, ever heartily farewell.

source
         


===========================================================================================================================

 *Article found on:<http://internetsobor.org> 'What the Holy Fathers Say About Schism':


My added comment: 

What spiritual schism-tragedy which is now happening inside of our ROCA, is not at all, a justified 'reform' movement to make our church 'better', etc. or to 'free it from tyrannical bishops', etc., but it is a full blown immoral, uncalled for, and anti-Orthodox  impious SCHISM...which will gain for those making it, unless they repent, a place in Hell Eternal...and...here and now,  the total destruction of our ROCA  local earthly current church life, HERE.

THAT IS ORTHODOX TEACHING!...who likes it, or not....to those who would dare to make up their own version of Orthodoxy! 

And this dark reality goes way beyond any personal/ human  errors of individual persons, personal disagreements or insults or hurt feelings, etc,. coming from  either bishops, priests, or laity.

May all those currently who are sadly and pathetically involved in organizing this unjustified rebellion, [ by phone calls and holding meetings] STOP and consider what you are really being a part of, and REPENT.

Those involved in this useless mess, and soul-killing activity, are not ..creating a new PURER local valid Orthodox church, [as they seem to see as their 'holy and righteous effort'], 

etc...rather but a lawless vagante graceless SCHISM para-synagogue which is ..condemned by all the Saints of God.

Wake up, and stop, and repent! ...IF you really believe that there is a God?...DO YOU???
An historical side note: In all of Church history, ALL heresies and schisms start with the battle cry: "To REFORM the church, so that it is  more pure, better, more holy", etc.

All schismatics and heretics consider their new organizations, as BETTER than, more pure than,  The Church.. and its God ordained and empowered, bishops, and so do these current deluded schism makers inside  of our ROCA.

WHERE did any of them learn basic Orthodoxy???..or do they even care?
When they die, their very names will be Thrice-Cursed, not blessed.. and no one will pray for their souls' salvation.

For such persons, it would have been better, HAD THEY NEVER BEEN BORN! 

MY views on all this do not matter. Only what the Orthodox Church teaches- that is what matters.
Elderly retired Reader Daniel Everiss in Oregon, very dismayed by this unnecessary man-made chaos in our ROCA.

May God save us...from ourselves!

"Where the Bishop is, THERE IS THE CHURCH!"
We are not Orthodox Christians, [of any nationality] if ....we who call ourselves, 'Orthodox Christians', if...we do not obey our rightful Bishop!

HE.... has the last & final word, always, no matter how many 'meetings' we hold or how the majority votes in those meetings go, which includes the decisions/edicts of any Parish Council/Soviet, ...if the Bishop does not accept or CONFIRM their decisions/requests. Also he can dismiss them, if he chooses.

They have no power or authority, if they oppose the bishop, NONE!



 The Holy Fathers On Schism:
Автор: Монахиня Вера вкл. Author: NUN VERA  . . Опубликовано в Труды отцов Церкви (Просмотров: 30) Published in Proceedings of the Church Fathers (Views: 30)
Священномученик Иларион (Троицкий):

Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky):


«Церковь едина, и одна она только имеет всю полноту благодатных даров Святого Духа.

 "The Church is one, and only one, it is the fullness of the grace of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Кто и каким бы образом ни отступал от Церкви — в ересь, в раскол, в самочинное сборище, он теряет причастие благодати Божией» (Письмо Р. Гардинеру),

 Who, anyone, would  and by whatever means, shall take a  path which deviates/ separates  from the Church, he is in  - heresy, a  part of a  schism, blending  into a gathering  of arbitrariness,  and he thus   loses the sacrament/gift  of God's grace "(Letter R. Gardiner)

«знаем мы и убеждены в том, что отпадение от Церкви в раскол ли, в ересь ли, в сектантство ли — есть полная погибель и духовная смерть.

 "We know and believe that in the act of  falling away from the Church into schism,  there is a heresy, a dissolving  into sectarianism - and in so doling, there is  complete destruction and spiritual death, for those participating in it.

 Для нас нет христианства вне Церкви.

For us,THERE IS NO CHRISTIANITY OUTSIDE THE CHURCH.

Если Христос создал Церковь и Церковь — Тело Его, то оторваться от Тела Его — значит умереть» (О жизни в Церкви).

 If Christ created the Church and the Church - is His body, then to break away from His Body -means  to die "(Life in the Church).

Блаженный Августин:
 Saint Augustine:
«мы веруем во святую соборную Церковь.
 "We believe in the Holy Catholic Church."
Однако еретики и раскольники также называют свои общины церквами.
 However, heretics and schismatics also call their communities,  'churches'.
 Но еретики, ложно мысля о Боге, искажают саму веру, а раскольники беззаконными разделениями отступают от братской любви, хотя верят в то же самое, что и мы.
But heretics, holding false ideas about God, distort the Faith itself, and schismatic  lawless divisions, are a  retreating from brotherly love, but, otherwise,[ or so they imagine]  they  believe in the same things that we do.
 Поэтому ни еретики не принадлежат вселенской Церкви, которая любит Бога, ни раскольники не принадлежат к ней» (О символе веры, Х).
Therefore, neither do  heretics  belong to the Universal Church, which  loves God, nor do the dissenters [the schismatics]  belong to it "(On the Creed, X).

Сщмч. Hieromartyr. Игнатий Богоносец:
 Ignatius of Antioch:
«Не обольщайтесь, братья мои!
 "Make no mistake, my brothers!
 Кто следует за вводящим раскол, тот не наследует Царствия Божьего» (Послание к филадельфийцам,
4). Those who follow the misleading divisions/schisms, CANNOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD" (Letter to the Philadelphians 4).

Свт. St. Киприан Карфагенский:
Cyprian of Carthage:

«усилия еретиков и зломыслящих раскольников начинаются обыкновенно с самоугождения, соединенного с надменным и гордым презрением к предстоятелю.
 "The efforts of heretics and schismatics,  customarily  usually begin with self-indulgence, coupled with a haughty and proud contempt for the primate/bishop."
 Так совершается отступление от Церкви и осквернение алтаря, так возмущается мир Христов, чиноположение и единство Божие» (Письмо к Рогациану).
Thus, their actions are a departure from the Church and a desecration of the altar,[ of all that is holy],  which  so outrages the peace of Christ, and the ordained clergy,  and the unity of God "(Letter to Rogatsianu).

Свт. St. Иоанн Златоуст:
St. John Chrysostom:

«производить разделения в Церкви не меньшее зло, как и впадать в ереси…грех раскола не смывается даже мученической кровью» (Толкование на послание к Ефесянам: 65, 11).
 "To make the separation/schism  is not a small  evil, but it is, as well,  a falling  into the heresy of schism ...a  sin which is not washed off, even by the blood of martyrdom in the Church" (Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians: 65, 11).

Свт. St. Игнатий (Брянчанинов):
 St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov):

«смертный грех православного христианина, не уврачеванный должным покаянием, подвергает согрешившего вечной муке… Смертные грехи для христианина суть следующие: ересь, раскол, богохульство, отступничество… каждый из них умерщвляет душу и делает ее неспособною для вечного блаженства, доколе она не очистит себя покаянием» (Слово о смерти).
 "A mortal sin/deadly sin, for an  Orthodox Christian, if  not healed properly through repentance,  exposes the sinner to eternal torment. ... Mortal sins for a Christian are the following: heresy, schism, blasphemy, apostasy ...even  just one of them, by itself,  kills the soul and makes it unable to enjoy eternal bliss, if  the sinner  does not purify himself by repentance "(The word of the death).

Свт. St. Дионисий Александрийский:
 Dionysius of Alexandria:

«Если, как говоришь, ты отделился от Церкви невольно, то можешь доказать это возвращением в Церковь по своей воле
. "If, as you say, you have been  involuntarily  separated from the Church, then you can prove it, by your  individual return to the Church on your own.
Лучше было бы тебе все вытерпеть, лишь бы не рассечь Церкви Божией.
 It would be better for  you to suffer anything,  rather than for you to be  cut off  from The Church of God.
Не менее славы доставило бы тебе мученичество за целость ее, как и мученичество за отречение от идолов;
No less glory,  would it give you as your own martyrdom  for your spiritual integrity,  as would martyrdom because of your  renunciation of idols;
а по-моему, и еще более, потому что в последнем случае всякий принимает мучения за одну собственную душу, а в первом — за всю Церковь.
and in my opinion, and even more, because in the latter case, you just accept suffering for your  own soul's sake,  and in the first - on behalf of  the whole Church.
Если бы ты даже и теперь убедил и заставил братьев возвратиться к единению, то твоя доблесть была бы сильнее твоего зла.
 If you are even now convinced of your error, and you are now  influencing [schismatic]  brothers to return to unity, then your valor will be stronger than your evil.
 Последнее тогда не вменилось бы тебе, а первая заслужила бы похвалу.
The latter would then not be reckoned to you, and the first, for you  to deserve  praise.
 Но когда уже ты не в состоянии положиться на послушание братьев, то по крайней мере всячески спасай собственную душу» (письмо к раскольнику Новату, Церковная История Евсевия Памфила, VI, 45).
But if  you are not already able to rely on the obedience/repentance  of your schismatic  brothers, then at least by  every possible means, YOU need to escape the schism, for your own soul's sake "(letter to the dissenter Novato, Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus, VI, 45).

Св. Иоанн Кронштадтский:
 St. John of Kronstadt.:

«Достигай, человек, единства: всячески бегай духовного разделения… Единение — Бог.
 "Reach for-join with,  and be, a man of unity: but strongly flee spiritual separation ... Unity -is  God, and separation from the Church, is the Devil" 
Разделение — диавол. Separation
- the devil.
Разделение церквей — дело диавола;
Separation from the  Church - it is of the Devil;
ереси, расколы — дело диавола» (Моя жизнь во Христе. Часть II,9).
 Heresies, and schisms - are  of the
Devil " (My Life in Christ Movement II, 9.).


Свт. St. Ириней Лионский:
St. Irenaeus:

«Христос рассудит тех, которые производят расколы, — не имеющих любви к Богу и заботящихся больше о собственной выгоде, чем о единстве Церкви, по маловажным и случайным причинам рассекающих и разрывающих великое и славное тело Христово и, сколько от них зависит, разрушающих его, говорящих о мире и производящих брань» (Пять книг против ересей, 4.7).
 "Christ will judge those who make divisions, - doing so without the love of God and caring more about their own benefit, than the unity of the Church, and for  ACCIDENTAL AND UNIMPORTANT EXCUSES,  dissecting and tearing apart the great and glorious Body of Christ, and how much of this destruction from them, depends on destroying it by them, as they speak publically all around  the world and by  which they spread,  in  spoken and written words. "(Five books against heresies, 4.7).
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Hegumen Andrei Erastov calls for a schism in ROCA

Sharing: The Sad & Confusing Words From Hegumen Andrei Erastov-After the Odessa Synod (Russian and human-English)-

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Thu, Jul 28, 2016 at 9:26 PM



My brief comment: ...-and my pre-apology for offending anyone...but I must speak the truth, who likes it or not!

NO! NO! NO!... to most of what poor confused, though no doubt in his own mind, his 'righteous positions',  Hegumen Andrei pathetically spouts here, as he is being utilized by the other schism makers here in N. America-

"THE FEAR OF GOD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM!"
and, "Where the bishop is, there is the Church!

I cannot agree with hardly anything he asserts as the truth here. His thoughts and words are very out of order and untrue and/or simply illogical.

His personal and peculiar anti-bishop vision of the church is something bordering on a fantasy version, one not corresponding to the realities we face today.... nor indeed accurately reflecting on the harsh historical realities in past church life, throughout the last approximately  2000 years, – which is why, we have so many canons, and the God appointed authority of the bishops to apply or to enforce them, and in Orthodox Monarchies, enforced also by the heavy hand of the secular Imperial Authorities too!... who arrested and imprisoned and banished or executed church trouble-makers, in both Byzantium and Imperial Russia.... indeed in every Orthodox country.

He is a sort of a utopian  nihilist  anarchist, [i.e. let everyone do as he pleases without any restraints] and clearly a monk and a priest who will not accept any bishop's authority.  He and his fellow church destroyers are thus, 'self-holy'. 
Yet the current schism makers here, hope to get him made a bishop, by some hands, [only God knows who!], and to be an 'episcopal' leader of their new uncanonical vagante 'church', as also they plan for, with the aid of Sofrony, and Andronik Kotlaroff, and Choir Director Mark Kotlaroff (?)

And too, they all have the further arrogant delusion of hoping for and appealing for  of their schism...getting the GOC's blessing for what they are doing, which would be a profound and utterly uncanonical  interference into our internal ROCA church affairs, of the GOC of Greece, and thus for them, to be seen as ..aiding our internal schism.  That is most unlikely to happen, as it would break apart our, much valued by all, current fraternal unity, to the world-wide detriment of all of our sister churches...and to the joy  of the MP.

And all that he alleges against Met. Agafangel and our other honorable ROCA bishops, is pure malicious slander and indeed, libel. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT!!! : "He speaks with a tongue that has no bone in it"... a Russian, Old-Believer  saying, which fits him.

While our honorable and deeply self-sacrificing and DEDICATED bishops are struggling to hold together our little WORLD-WIDE TINY REMNANT [especially in this time of war, an immoral  war which neo-soviet KGB dictator V. Putin has pushed on Ukraine], of the old once free Russian Church Abroad,  Fr. Andrei, sitting safely in Australia, is lost in his own make-believe pretend fantasy dream-world of what... he thinks... 'the ideal church'... should be... all about... an imaginary  perfect church which has never existed on this earth.... NEVER!

Struggle and conflict have always been a part of Christian Church life... which is why Bishops are necessary.

In reality, Fr. Andrei rejects the authority of both the sacred canons and of our bishops....both God ordained and Apostolic.

WHO IS HE?
In which case then, WHO is left to keep peace and order and to oversee the church?....himself?... and his fellow schismatic church destroyers?

He is some sort of a product of Soviet-Russian-culture, a  Protestantizer rebel against lawful Orthodox episcopal authority.

He would have also rebelled against Holy Patriarch Tikhon too!

He paints a picture of himself, as... himself being the learned and wise and pious arbiter and judge over our bishops, indeed, over any bishops.

He as a priest, wants/no doubt, demands,  devotion and full obedience from the laity who go to him for the sacraments, but ..he...  will not be obedient to his superior, the Metropolitan and our Synod.

Rather, he slanders them.

What kind of an Orthodox priest, or monk (worse yet) is that???

All of the schism-makers here, are of that same impious and arrogant self-deluded and self-centered SELFISH, power-hungry anti-Orthodox mindset. 

And both they and Fr. Andrei paint a picture of our metropolitan and our other bishops, of crass, power and money grubbing dictators, and all ..evil willed vile men.

This is how nihilists and anarchists [the atheist mindset] see all earthly powerful persons, and institutions and governments.... and most especially, churches. 

And to my view [and I have closely studied them over these years, including the malicious and false attacks of their enemies],  of what decisions our Metropolitan and other bishops have made in these past few years, all of them have been correct, and right, and ones which they HAD to pronounce, to protect our flock.... while being put under endless malicious attacks from all sides.. no matter what they have done or said...or not ...said or  not done.

SLANDER!... and DEFAMATION is our metropolitan and our other honorable bishops reward, for their tireless struggles to run and to hold our world-wide flock together.

Hegumen Andrei is guilty of this, over the past years. SHAME! on him! SHAME!
Which decisions of our bishops  does wise Fr. Andrei find are flawed?...I would like him to list them, and to give his version of what ...he... would have done, or would do now, as then we will clearly see, what he believes in  or who he supports...a true picture of his own mind and soul. When we see that, then he will prove that he is not a pious Orthodox monk or priest.

To my mind, Fr. Andrei, the monk and the priest and the icon-painter, is living in profound pride, prelest, and  in his own private make-believe conceited world of delusional ideas as to what his perfect earthly church should be...but which IT IS NOT,  all about. He is just another ordained clerical curse on our struggling church, a mistaken priestly ordination.

This  is but another piece of evidence that we are indeed now, in the End Times, where: 

"Shall there be found faith anywhere upon the earth?"..and when men shall ask: "But... WHERE IS THE CHURCH?"

On this earth, there has NEVER been the perfect church [ the New Testament epistles testify to this], ...that we are called to, for us to aim at, and to  become, through THEOSIS and REPENTANCE,  a part of,... but which exists only in Heaven, the Heavenly Church of the Saints, of the PERFECTED.

St. Paul said: "Ye are called to be saints!".. yet in fact, sadly most of us are NOT!

On earth here, CHRIST-GOD has ordained that we be TAUGHT and GUIDED  and directed and ruled  FIRMLY by strong BISHOPS, THE SUCCESSORS OF THE APOSTLES!, who have the power of the Holy Spirit,  who teach the faith, and who reward the good doers, and who punish the evil doers... and have to sometimes, remove and excommunicate the evil doers from our church, THE BISHOPS! who must keep order in the church.  Once too, Orthodox Monarchs also kept, by physical force, that order. Now, we have none of them.

Yet, yes, if a bishop departs from the Faith, then that one, we Orthodox must reject and flee from Vl. Metropolitan Agafangel and our other honorable bishops, have NOT been  guilty of that, of apostasy.

Those, regretable  bishops and priests,  who betrayed the Orthodox Faith by their 2007 submission to anti-Christ, THEY did go into apostasy, and THEM we must reject and flee from,...  as so orders our canons, the Patristic Fathers, and Holy Scripture.

I suspect that  this product of soviet culture, this Fr. Andrei Erastov,  does not really have a traditional/accurate a  vision of genuine or Patristic Orthodoxy. His words here prove it.

He, along with the other current impious church-wreckers, are the New Testament church-dissemblers that St. Paul told us to cast out of our midst, and for the Orthodox people to avoid and to shun.  That casting out, is the DUTY of our bishops so to do.

He spends six hours per average day, painting icons, and most of them for the ROCOR/MP churches in Australia.

Perhaps they are also paying him, to make trouble in our church, and to drive us to the MP?

Also, he seems to have a very imperfect and flawed knowledge as to the exact problems here in N. America, OR of the problems in  Russia or Ukraine or in Europe, as he seems to swallow whole, what the church destroyers  relate to him.

And much of their erroneous information as to what goes on in Russia or Ukraine, is straight from the Putin propaganda machine!

He infers, clearly,  that he is on the side of those who left our church in Russia, and.. automatically...blaming our metropolitan and our other honorable bishops, for what THOSE PEOPLE have done wrong.  Astounding ignorance and unashamed self-righteous judgementalism ! Is this a product of his 'monastic' life?

My picture of our honorable Metropolitan Agafangel and our other honorable Synod of Bishops: THEY ARE NAILED TO THEIR OWN CROSSES and ARE CO-SUFFERING WITH CHRIST!...and those doing this to them, are of the Sanhedrin of the Ungodly....the false-brethren.

But all-knowing and all-wise Fr. Andrei and his fellow impious cohorts in this schism game, know better than our bishops,...about everything. Or, do they???
SHAME! on them all! and may Almighty GOD [Whom they clearly do not believe in nor fear),  STOP ALL OF THEM!, in this world and the next.

May at least some of them, repent.
Just my observations-
Rd. Daniel Everiss in Oregon




 Russian version:
 Игумен Андрей Ерастов. После одесского синода 
27 июля 2016 

В основе нынешнего конфликта в РПЦЗ лежит различное понимание догмата о Церкви; настолько различное, что люди просто не понимают друг другаЦерковь это тело Христово. Церковью управляют не люди-архиереи, а Дух Святой. Приснопамятный Митрополит Виталий говорил, что когда архиереи издают свой указ, они должны затем духовным слухом прислушиваться: какое действие оказал этот указ на Церковь, принимает ли тело Церкви - церковный народ - этот указ или отвергает. В последнем случае этот указ остается лишь листом бумаги в архиве. Так происходит взаимодействие между возглавлением Церкви - архиереями с телом церковным - народом. Это взаимодействиедуховный, таинственный процесс; оно не может быть логически объяснено, поставлено в какие-то формальные рамки. Митрополит Агафангел и его присные понимают Церковь как земную организацию с иерархической структурой, наподобие армии. Митрополит Агафангел любит говорить о церковной дисциплине, которую он понимает как беспрекословное повиновение самому себе. Однако, Церковь не армия. Послушание в Церкви основано не на принуждении и страхе, а на добровольном, свободном убеждении и любвиПоследние несколько лет деятельность Митрополита Агафангела можно охарактеризовать как непрестающую войну с церковным народом. Как может голова враждовать со своим телом? Церковь не принимает указы одесского синода, отторгает их, как чуждый элемент. Однако, Митрополит Агафангел видит в этом происки своих врагов и неутомимо борется с телом церковным, отсекая от него все новые и новые части. Митрополит Агафангел установил в Церкви единоличную диктатуру. Послушные епископы его синода без разбора одобряют все его действия и решения. Таким образом митрополит в нашей Церкви получил власть подобную власти римского папы. Такое положение совершенно анти-канонично, противоречит самому принципу канонического права Православной Церкви. Ведь и отпадение римской церкви произошло, в первую очередь, из-за притязаний папы на верховную власть в Церкви. Всякого, кто осмелится протестовать против такого порядка вещей, ждет расправа. Митрополит Агафангел привык сам судить и расправляться с тем, кто требует церковного суда над митрополитом. Это вопиющее попрание самого 
принципа правосудия, как гражданского, так и церковного. Причем все это обильно сдабривается цитатами из Св. Писания и ссылками на св. каноныКаноны составлены свв. отцами для созидания Церкви, для того, чтобы жизнь Церкви протекала согласно Божией правде и милосердию. У Митрополита Агафангела, напротив, несправедливость кощунственно подтверждается ссылками на каноныНо это еще не самое страшное. Диавол изначала борется с Церковью путем создания подделок под Церковь. Такими подделками были и есть все еретические сообщества, которые выдают себя за Церковь. Еще более тонкой подделкой было сергианство, по форме вполне каноническое и православное, но по сути анти-церковьТакой же подделкой является и синод Митрополита Агафангела. Заседания одесского синода с каждым разом все больше похожи на какую-то уродливую пародию. По слову Писания, Церковьэто «столп и утверждение истины» (1 Тим. 3,15). Можно ли сказать это о нашем синоде? Ложь у них выдается за правду, насилие и месть - за справедливый суд, лицемерие и своекорыстиеза пастырское душепопечение. Своими действиями они отрицают Евангелие, отрицают учение Христово. Самое страшное в одесском синодеэто его единодушие; единодушие в неправдеНаша совесть не может мириться с таким положением. У нас разногласие не по какому-либо второстепенному вопросу, это принципиальное расхождение. Наш долг перед паствой требует, чтобы мы ясно высказали свое отношение к синоду Митрополита Агафангела: это не возглавление Церкви, а подделкаСогласно 15-му правилу Константинопольского собора, прекращение поминовения своего митрополита допускается лишь в том случае, если он проповедует какую-либо ересь. Но нужно учитывать, что каноны составлялись по поводу реальных ситуаций, а не гипотетических; поэтому каноны не могли предусмотреть всего, что может произойти в Церкви. Например, такое явление как сергианство не предусмотрено в канонахСергианство страшнее любой ереси. Как сказал о нем один из новомучеников, - это попытка объединить Христа с Велиаром. Однако, сергианство не догматическая ересь, а явление духовно-нравственного порядка. Поэтому в 1927 г. для многих не легко было сделать решение об отделении от митроп. Сергия (Страгородского). 
Каноны написаны для вселенской соборной Церкви. Каноны не предвидят отдельного независимого существования маленькой церковной структуры, как наша. По канонам, всякий епископ, какую бы кафедру он ни занимал, может быть привлечен к церковному суду высшей инстанции. У нас это невозможно, поскольку мы являемся маленькой независимой частью Русской Церкви, порабощенной сергианамиСогласно Положению о РПЦЗ, митрополит подсуден архиерейскому собору РПЦЗ под председательством старейшего архиерея. Однако, в нашей ситуации, когда большинство архиереевпослушные угодники митрополита, такой суд может стать лишь очередным фарсомНе существует канонического выхода из этого тупика. Разделение неизбежно, как оно было неизбежно в 1927 г. для отошедших от митр. Сергия. Иг. Андрей            

    English version- both language versions, the work of Fr. Andrei

    Hegumen Andrei Erastov – After the Odessa Synod 
    July 27, 2016 

      At the root of the current conflict within the ROCA lies different understandings of the Church’s dogma; so different that people simply do not understand each other. 
      The Church is the Body of Christ.  The Church is not led by people who are bishops, but by the Holy Spirit.  Metropolitan Vitaliy of venerable memory said, when bishops issue their ukases, they must then listen closely with their spiritual sense of hearing; what effect did the ukase have on the Church, does the body of the Church, the church members, accept this ukase or reject it.  In the latter case, the ukase remains no more than a sheet of paper in the archives.  This is the how the interaction occurs between those heading the Church, the bishops, and the body of the Church, the people.  This interaction is a spiritual, mystical process; it cannot be explained logically or contained in some formal framework. 
      Metropolitan Agafangel and his minions understand the Church as an earthly organization with a hierarchical structure similar to an army.  Metropolitan Agafangel likes to talk about church discipline, which he understands as unquestioning obedience to himself. 
      Alas, the Church is not an army.  Obedience in the Church is not founded on coercion and fear, but on well-meaning, free persuasion and love. 
      Metropolitan Agafangels actions in the last few years can be characterized as a ceaseless warring with the church members.  How can the head battle with its own body?  The Church does not accept the ukases of the Odessa synod and rejects them as a foreign element.  Sadly, Metropolitan Agafangel sees in this the schemes of his enemies and battles endlessly with the body of the church, hacking off from it yet more and more parts. 
      Metropolitan Agafangel has established a personal dictatorship in the Church.  Obedient bishops of his Synod approve of all of his actions and decisions indiscriminately.  As a result, the metropolitan of our Church has assumed power similar to the power of the Pope in Rome.  Such a situation is completely against the canons and contradicts the very principle of the canonical rights of the Orthodox Church.  Note that the fall of the Church of Rome occurred precisely because of the Pope’s claim of complete dominance in the Church. 
      Punishment awaits anyone who dares to protest against such a state of affairs.  Metropolitan Agafangel is used to judging and punishing those who demand an ecclesiastical court judgment of the metropolitan.  This is a flagrant abuse of the principle of justice, whether civil or ecclesiastical.  This is all accompanied with sprinklings of quotes from the Holy Scriptures and references to the Holy Canons.  
      The canons were created by the Holy Fathers for the enlightenment of the Church, so that life in the Church flowed in accordance with God’s truth and mercy.  It is just the opposite with Metropolitan Agafangel, where injustice is blasphemously confirmed by scriptural quotes. 
      Yet this is not the worst of it. 
      The Devil has always fought with the Church by creating fraudulent copies of the Church.  Such forgeries have been and are still all the heretical groups, who pass themselves off as the Church.  A more nuanced forgery was sergianism, which looked canonical and Orthodox, but was in essence an anti-church. 
      Metropolitan Agafangel’s Synod is a similar sham.  With each time, the sessions of the Odessa synod look more and more like some disfigured parody.  Scripture tells us, the Church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth.(1 Timothy 3:15).   Can this be said of our synod?  Falsehoods are presented as truth, coercion and vengeance as righteous judgment, hypocrisy and self-interest as pastoral care.  By their actions they renounce the Gospel, they renounce the teachings of Christ. 
      What is most horrible about the Odessa synod is their unanimity, unanimity in falsehood. 
      Our conscience cannot abide with such a situation.  We do not have a disagreement on some secondary question, we have a fundamental disagreement.  Our duty before our flock demands that we clearly announce our relation to the synod of Metropolitan Agafangel, that this is not the administration of the Church, but a sham. 
      The 15th rule of the Council of Constantinople stipulates that not commemorating your metropolitan is allowed only in that instance, if he professes some heresy.  It must be noted, that the canons were developed as a result of real, not hypothetical situations.  Therefore, the canons could not foresee everything that may occur in the Church.  For example, a development like Sergianism was not anticipated by the canons. 
      Sergianism is more horrible than any heresy.  As one new martyr characterized it, it is the attempt to unite Christ with Belial.  Sergianism, though, is not a dogmatic heresy, but more of a religious and morale one.  That is why in 1927, it was not easy for many to decide to separate from Met. Sergey (Stragorodskiy). 
      The canons are written for the ecumenical, conciliar Church. The canons do not provide for the separate, independent existence of a small church structure such as ours.  According to the canons, any bishop, regardless of what cathedra he leads, can be called before the ecclesiastical court by a higher church body.  That is not possible for us, because we are a small, independent part of the Russian Church, which is held captive by sergianists. 
      In accordance with the Status of the ROCA, a metropolitan can be tried by the ROCA Council of Bishops under the chairmanship of a senior bishop.  Unfortunately, in our circumstances, such a trial can simply become yet another farce. 
      A canonical way out of this stalemate does not exist.  A separation is unavoidable, just as it was unavoidable in 1927 for those who broke with Met. Sergey. 
      Hegumen Andrei