Tuesday, May 23, 2017

On their website, Mt. View schismatics falsely indicate that the Moldovan diocese belongs to their group

All-human-English statement from the Moldovan Diocese of ROCA-

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Tue, May 9, 2017 at 7:43 PM

ROCOR: On their website, the schismatics falsely indicated that the Moldovan diocese belongs to their group
Official Statement
23 April / 06 May 2017. The Holy Great-Martyr George.
On the schismatic ROCANA website of Vladika Andronicus' banned group, below, among the references- there is an active link to the Moldovan diocese of ROCA: the Diocese of Moldavia. This fact caused confusion for some of the children of our Church who have remained faithful to the Synod of Bishops under the chairmanship of the legitimate First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, Metropolitan Agafangel.
Thus, this notification.
The Kishinev and Bolgrad dioceses are not related to the schismatic group headed by the banned archbishops Andronik and Sophrony, who committed the perilous sin of schism. They themselves have fallen away from the Church of Christ and are now corrupting others, seducing them from the true path in various cunning ways. What a pity that our brothers have strayed from the correct path of the Church!
+ Archbishop George
The ruling bishop of the Kishinev and Bolgrad dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.



Paschal-tide General Sharing: Three Articles

Paschal-tide General Sharing: Three Articles: 1) Homily-"The Pascha of Incorruption" and PHOTOS: -2) Week of the Paralytic in Mandra, Greece, and 3) Paschal Greetings exchanged in the parishes of Attica and Boeotia, Greece

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Dan Everiss

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Tue, May 9, 2017 at 5:52 PM



 

CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD, TRAMPLING DOWN DEATH BY DEATH, AND UPON THOSE IN THE TOMBS, BESTOWING LIFE!   ALLELUIA!


PASCHA OF INCORRUPTION

New Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop of Verey

Listen to the triumphant chants of the Church! Not only on the days of Holy Pascha, but on all the great feasts, you often hear the word, “incorruption.” The whole matter of salvation of the human race is expressed in living Church theology as the gift of incorruption. It means that we need incorruption. We are in a state of corruption. The synaxarion for the Holy and Great week of Pascha [Bright Week] is of course only read in monasteries, and not even in all of them. Meanwhile, the meaning of the events we celebrate during this week is described thus: “Then He came down from the heavens and made His dwelling in the womb of the Virgin; now He has stolen human nature from the treasury of hell, raised it to heaven, and brought incorruption—man’s ancient inheritance.” There are two remarkable details here: Pascha is positioned next to the events of the Nativity of Christ, and corruption is called the ancient inheritance.
When you hear the chants in Church, you become more and more convinced that they are truly rich in a treasure of ideas, and are greatly important for a truly Orthodox understanding of life today. Our dogmatics courses taught in the theological seminaries and academies are in this respect on an immeasurably lower level than that theology taught to the faithful by our readers and chanters from the church cliros.
The Pascha of incorruption… The ancient inheritance is returned… Our seminary theology talks about some legal accounts between God and man. Sin is called for the most part a crime against God, an offense against God, for which God’s justice must take revenge against the despicable offender. But the Church first of all calls sin corruption, the loss of our ancient inheritance: incorruption. In this there are no legal accounts to settle with the Lord God. Man fell away from God, and his spiritual and physical corruption began. Self-rule in spiritual life led to slavery to sin and passions. Man began to decay in seductive passions. The soul rots and decays. This may sound strange, but that is really how it is. The process of spiritual corruption can be compared to any kind of decay. If an organism decays, everything breaks down in it, and with time, poisonous and foul smelling gases rise from it. It is the same with spiritual nature that has been harmed and infected by sin, which is as if rotting. The soul loses its chastity, its integrity, and decays; its will is weakened, along with everything connected with it and everything subject to it. Passionate thoughts and evil deeds continually break forth from the sinful soul. Anyone with an attentive relationship to his own spiritual life would not be surprised at how difficult it is to instill all that is good and beautiful into the soul, and how easily and quickly everything dark and evil takes root and grows in it. Therefore, wouldn’t we say that there is something bad living in our soul? Our soul is not healthy, it is sick. Corruption reigns in our soul, and our body is quite obviously subject to corruption. Many do not notice their spiritual sickness; they stifle the inner groaning and cry of the soul with the noise of life. But death and bodily decay are irrefutable, and all life’s vivid color pales before this decay. They can reject the works of the ascetics who expound upon spiritual death, and perhaps even laugh at them. But find me a nihilist who could not understand the funeral services and St. John Damascene’s lamentation over the grave!
Humanity has always seen the inner corruption of its spiritual nature, and has always beheld with its own eyes the destruction of the temple of its body. To admit that you are spiritually rotting and to know that your body is the inheritance of worms—that is the lot of sinful man! Where is the joy? What can we hope for in the future? Sin is essentially linked with unhappiness and suffering. Sinful awareness paints the future in dark, joyless colors. The Hebrew Sheol, the kingdom of shadows in the murky Hades of the Hellenes and Romans—both depict a disconsolate future.
Salvation is healing. Salvation is freedom from corruption. Salvation is a return to the original goodness of incorruption; for man was created in incorruption. Needed was the restoration to health of human nature. This restoration is given in the incarnation of the Son of God. “We could not have become incorrupt and immortal, had not the Incorrupt and Immortal One not been first made what we are.” The Incorrupt and Immortal One, in His unity of persons, has assumed “the corruption and death of my stolen nature.” The nature of corruption received the inoculation of incorruption, and the process of creation’s renewal, the process of man’s deification, has begun, as has also begun the creation of God-humanity. The sting of death has been blunted. Corruption is conquered, for the antidote for the illness of corruption is given. All those born of earth have inevitably come to those gates of death and hid behind them, trembling with horror. But now, Christ is resurrected! What does this mean? This means that salvation is truly wrought. For, human nature has joined with Divine nature in the person of Christ, “unmingled, unchanged, undivided, and inseparable.” It is not God Who has passed through the gates of death, and not before God were the “eternal chambers open wide,” not for God’s sake was the stone rolled away from the doors of the tomb, but for the sake of the God-Man. Together with Christ, our human nature has passed through the mysterious gates of death. Death reigns, but not forever!
Death was terrible to the human race before Christ’s death, but after Christ’s resurrection, man became terrible to death, for One of us has conquered death; He did not remain in the tomb, and did not see corruption. Passover was the freeing of Israel from Egypt. Our Pascha frees us from the slavery of death and corruption. Christ is risen! I now know that my salvation is truly wrought. I know that God truly appeared on earth. There have been great people, conquerors of the elements, conquerors of nature; but death cut them all down and revealed our common nothingness. Who has passed through the doors of death? It can only be God. This means that God was truly incarnate on earth, truly brought the healing cure against the corruption that corrodes and torments me. Incarnation and resurrection are united into one. The incarnation gave meaning to the resurrection, and the resurrection irrefutably convinces us of its truth and reality as something that is not a phantom or a dream.
Now I am no longer frightened by death, for I have seen the victory over corruption. I also see a different law other than the law of life working in me—I see the law of death and corruption. I see how sin reigns over me at times. But I know that this reign has been shaken, that my situation is not hopeless. I can now hope for victory, I can hope to overcome sin, I can hope for freedom from slavery to corruption. Now I can look with joy upon the podvig of struggle with sin and passions, for the enemy has been conquered many times by ascetical strugglers. The saints of God shine in the heavens of the Church like stars—those who lived on the earth, conquered sin, attained purity and chastity, which is incorruption, and therefore departed rejoicing upon the way of all the earthly. Incorruption, that is, purity and chastity, gives joy. Blessedness is not an external reward, as unfortunate Catholic hirelings reason with their minds. Blessedness is the inner consequence of virtue. Virtue is a healthy soul, and a healthy person is always happier than a sick one. My sinful illness is curable—the resurrection of Christ convinces me of this. To me is opened the blessedness of paradise. Let no one lament his poverty when entering the Kingdom of all! Joy has come to all, because hope for incorruption, for redemption from sinful corruption, has also come. Christ God has brought us out of death into life. Egypt is left behind, Pharaoh has perished, and the Promised Land and incorrupt Kingdom lay ahead—where there are many abodes, and where the rejoicing is endless! O Pascha of incorruption! O Salvation of the world!
CHRIST  IS  RISEN!
Translated by Nun Cornelia (Rees)



 
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Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece Week of the Paralytic in Mandra (Attica). ФОТО A PHOTO Автор: Монахиня Вера вкл. Author: Nun Vera incl. 09 Май 2017 09-May-2017 . . Опубликовано в ИПЦ Греции (Просмотров: 15) Published in the CPI of Greece (Views: 15)
2017 г. В Неделю о расслабленном в церкви святых бессребреников Космы и Дамиана (Агион Анаргирон) в Мандре (Аттика, ИПЦ Греции) отслужил Божественную литургию Митрополит Хризостом Аттикийский и Беотийский.


2017. In the Week of the Saints of Cosmos and Damian (Agion Anargyron) in Mandra (Attica, Greece, Greek GOC,) and in the Week of the Paralytic, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Metropolitan Chrysostom of Attica and Boeotia.

В своем слове Его Высокопреосвященство, рассказывая о Евангельском событии об исцелении расслабленного, подчеркнул, что в нашей жизни мы должны чувствовать радость, душевные силы и оптимизм, если мы верим в Воскресение Господа.

In his sermon, , His Eminence, was speaking  about the Gospel event about the healing of the paralytic, wherein he  stressed that in our life we should feel joy, spiritual strength and optimism, if we believe in the Resurrection of the Lord.

 Тот из нас, кто просит лучшей жизни, вначале должен сам исправиться и не оставаться в состоянии духовного паралича.

The one who wishes  for a better life must first correct himself and not remain in a state of spiritual paralysis.
 
По окончании Божественной литургии настоятель храма, о.

 At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the rector  of the church, Fr.

 Афанасий, и члены церковного комитета организовали праздничную трапезу для всех присутствующих, после чего состоялось конструктивное обсуждение текущих приходских вопросов.

Athanasius, and members of the church committee, organized a common festive meal for all those present, after which a constructive discussion of current parish issues took place.


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Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece:  Paschal greetings in the parishes of Attica and Boeotia, Greece:  ФОТО- PHOTOS Автор: Монахиня Вера вкл. Author: Nun Vera incl. 09 Май 2017 09-May-2017 . . Опубликовано в ИПЦ Греции (Просмотров: 10) Published in the CPI of Greece (Views: 10)
Приходы Святого Иоанна Крестителя в Лутуфиу и Благовещения в Фивах (ИПЦ Греции) посетил с пасхальными приветствиями в понедельник 8 мая (н. ст.) 2017 г. Митрополит Хризостом Аттикийский и Беотийский.


In the parishes of St. John the Baptist in Lutufiu and the Annunciation parish in Thebes, they were  visited with the Paschal  greetings on Monday, May 8 (n.), In 2017., by Metropolitan Chrysostom of Attica and Boeotia.
Храм Св. Иоанна Предтечи:
Church of St. John the Baptist:
Благовещенская церковь: Annunciation Church:



Shirtless Putin rides bear

Sent to me: some silly internet humour for the day: "Shirtless Putin rides bear!"...or in reality, a tame normal HORSE!- ...like a heroic superman (?)..[ it looks like a pro-or ANTI-Putin, SLOPPY propaganda photo-shopped piece]

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Dan Everiss

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Tue, May 9, 2017 at 1:50 PM

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

RESENDING: -(without the hard to read, confusing & duplicated sentences): All-English ROCA EPISTLE Of The Council of Bishops, 2017

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Dan Everiss

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Tue, May 9, 2017 at 3:38 PM


Note: My computer seems to be under a special  attack, to try and stop the sharing of this English translated epistle text,
which clearly is a powerful statement against the foes of our ROCA.
OH! the many troubles of the electronic internet!
So, I hope that this easier to read,  English version, without confusing duplicated sentences, gets through to all.
Reader Daniel Everiss in Oregon


MAY!  ALMIGHTY GOD!  GRANT  MANY YEARS!, [and victory over all critics and adversaries and foes, and the closing of the mouths of the malicious shameful slanderers, calumniators,  and liars,]  to our beloved and honorable and very soundly ORTHODOX!  Vladyka Metropolitan Agafangel!, and to all of our loyal Bishops and to our Holy Synod, and to all of our loyal clergy and laity and friends! , world-wide.
Amen! Amen! and Amen!
Save, O Christ God!


 



 

ROCA: Pastoral Epistle of the Council of Bishops 2017
See then, that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5:15-16)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Christ is Risen!
Currently, the times are such, that when in both civil and ecclesiastical society, authority is crumbling, numerous false teachings are invented, and many groups refer to themselves as if Christ is among them. How can a person keep one’s balance in this chaos, where the media easily convinces a host of people that black is white and vice versa? It is not within a person’s strength nor within his ability to be able to understand such a variety of lies- it is possible only if God Himself opens the veil of Mysteries before him.
We believe that we have been vouchsafed God's mercy, and that His mercy has been manifested to us by pointing towards the direction of the historical Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, as the only true stewardship of the earthly flock of Christ of the Russian Church, through which the earthly Church is ruled by our Divine Savior.
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth like a branch, and is withered" (John 15:5 -6).
We believe that our Russian Church Abroad is the vine of Christ-  the vine on which a multitude of genuine spiritual fruits have  blossomed- including the parishes of the Catacomb Church, which were deprived of their centralized administration, and therefore have attached themselves to this vine. This vine is the source that gives us eternal life and salvation. If we lose that, we will lose God’s saving grace. That is why Holy Tradition, which is passed down from generation to generation by our spiritual Fathers, is what we must hold on to, in spite of all the trials and temptations. Whoever dares to revise this living Tradition and distorts and rejects it, will deprive himself not only of a spiritual foundation, but will deprive himself of a connection with Christ- a connection that is passed on like a continuous thread from the time of the apostles down to our days.
Sacred Tradition is the only solid ground on which one can protect the Church from schisms. Whichever winds of modernism  are raging about, if you stand on the firm rock of Tradition - they are powerless. However, if one gives in just a little to the “spirit of the times”  and allows oneself to think for but a moment that tradition is outdated and does not correspond to modern challenges – then one can easily slip from a solid foundation and thus be carried along the waves to eternal perdition.
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Mt. 7.24-27).
So will it be with those who reject the rock of living Holy Tradition, the canons and rules which the Fathers established, declaring them obsolete and not binding, and who justify their unlawful actions for lack of any arguments at all, with some imaginary "spiritual approach" and with the "demands of the times." This baseless justification for lawlessness can be compared to how the supporters of the traitor of the Church Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), justified and justify his betrayal owing to his "special wisdom" corresponding to that time, but not within the boundaries of patristic Orthodoxy. Similarly, the enemies of Christ, the Masons, even blasphemously distort the meaning of the betrayal of Judas, which, supposedly, only those of their initiated can truly understand.
Of course, there are things within in the Church that change with time, subordinating itself to the current period. But this applies only to the external attributes, the forms of the exposition (presentations) of its invisible sacred content. One and the same truth can be conveyed, for instance, in different languages. In this case, the language can change, but the truth does not. The mistake that many make, is that they do not distinguish well enough  the difference between where the truth is, and where the form of its presentation is. Having the desire to make the truth more understandable, often and without knowing it - they distort it and smother it.
Nowadays, ecumenism is a particular, subtle evil - a heresy that often enters into the Church and into the soul of a person like some diabolical flattery, gradually and imperceptibly. Thus, unexpected for many, not only were the representatives of the well familiar-to-us official Orthodoxy susceptible to this heresy, but so were some separate old-calendar groups as well, professing that one could be saved in isolation from other Christians, that the Church has ceased to be the One, Holy and Universal, but rather has divided itself  into a multitude of supposedly self-sufficient "Church-Synods". It is precisely this thought, through which the heretical, false doctrine hides behind. Insofar as the Church of Christ has always been singular, so will it remain as such - being the only One (Church), according to the Savior's word, until the end of time.
The First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Metropolitan Vitaly, had said that he believes that those whom the Lord has prepared for salvation, He Himself leads, simply guiding them along His pathways, and eventually  leading them to our Russian Church Abroad, and, accordingly, cutting off those who are headed towards perdition. Therefore, we must love and appreciate our Church and remember that it is singular, and that a schism in the Church means perdition, and that the (heretical) confession that all the various Churches in which one supposedly can also be saved, of which there are many – amounts to an ecumenical heresy, and to even greater perdition.
The Synod of Bishops warns all of its faithful children of the Church of Christ of the harmful nature of such a false confession of faith that contradicts the words of Christ Himself: "I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Mtt.16:18), and likewise the ninth article of the Creed: "I believe ... in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church." The Lord created one Church. Therefore, the Head cannot have many Bodies. Thus did the Lord create it, so the apostles taught, so believed the holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church. So do we also believe. "This is the apostolic faith, this the faith of the fathers, this is the Orthodox Faith, this faith confirmeth the universe!" (From the Service of the Triumph of Orthodoxy).
During these festive days of Pascha, The Synod of Bishops addresses our entire flock with a call especially relevant in our times of apostasy: "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Rev. 3:11).
Truly, Christ is risen!
Chairman of the Synod of Bishops
+ Metropolitan Agafangel
Right Reverend Bishops:
+ Archbishop George (Secretary of the Synod)
+ Bishop Athanasius
+ Bishop Kirill
+ Bishop Anfim
For Bishop Gregory and Bishop Nikon + Archbishop George (Secretary of the Synod)
April 20 / May 3, 2017,  St. Theodore Trichinas.