My brief comment on this chaotic picture, of worldly powers and forces outside of genuine and true Orthodoxy, as Stalin's 1943 creation, his bogus communist political tool, his uncanonical "Moscow Patriarchate" (here referred to, many times, as: "The Russian Church"), which, gives us....who care about THE TRUTH of things, ("God Is TRUTH"), but more and more evidence, that today, we may indeed be in the Apocalyptic "End Times". Where is truth today, anywhere?
Betrayal and deceit, rule the day. Lies are depicted as the truth, and the Devil is presented, as if he is God. True evil is 'good' and true good is 'evil', an upside down universe.
Behind all of these disgusting and lamentable and unchristian and unseemly impious power-grabbing hungry struggles, we can clearly see the Kremlin's sinister hand, of KGB Vladimir Putin's "Russian World" grandiose world domination schemes, plus a lining up of those other local Orthodox churches, (most previously seriously spiritually damaged by their recent previous post World War II enslavement in their soviet-era wounding and moral weakening) marching behind their master, Moscow...or its rival, Constantinople and its allies, etc. And all the while, many of these power game players, are also selling out genuine Orthodoxy, The Holy Apostolic Orthodox Faith, to our centuries old foes: via their common commitment to the faith-destructive poisons of ECUMENISM: as that of fallen away Rome and our other "ecumenist friends", as the Protestants, etc.
Where in all of this ecclesiastical nightmare, is the simple and sincere pious local Orthodox, BELIEVER in any nation? Who can he fully trust?
"In Thee O Lord, do I trust, let me not then be put to shame, in the age to come!"
I fear I must conclude, that....after all is said and done, that we can totally and finally, trust ONLY GOD HIMSELF.
Retired Reader Daniel Everiss in Oregon
P.S. I am only sharing this informational article, because I feel it at least gives us a broad picture of this pathetic chaos. I do not claim that anything presented in it, is the absolute or full truth of this matter. So, reader beware.
NOTE: Especially please click unto and read the below source: "TNI, The Political Role of the Russian Orthodox Church" It is most revealing about the continued sinister Moscow Patriarchy and its sinister subservient political and 'spiritual' role and use to the Kremlin communist hang-over government of dictator Vladimir Putin. Such a 'use' is exactly why Stalin first created it, uncanonically in 1943.
The Serbian Orthodox Church does not recognize Ukrainian autocephaly, and the Russians have already sided with the Serbs on the issue of Northern Macedonia and Montenegro. The crisis of "identity" in world Orthodoxy has reached a peak; the foundations of Orthodoxy that are useful in the struggle for "political influence" and control have been called into question.
Jutarnji list (Croatia): Podgorica and Skopje may cause a new historical split in Orthodoxy
The Serbian Orthodox Church does not recognize Ukrainian autocephaly, and the Russians have already sided with the Serbian Orthodox Church in the matter of Northern Macedonia and Montenegro. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is ready to meet the Macedonians if the Macedonian "brothers" recognize it as the "Mother Church". But then the Bulgarians will have problems with Constantinople, who considers himself the "mother" of all Orthodox churches ...
The epochal upheavals within world Orthodoxy continue. The schism threatens, which is comparable to the Great Schism of 1054, when Christianity broke up into Catholicism and Orthodoxy. The crisis of "identity" in world Orthodoxy has reached a peak, and many believe that the very foundations of Orthodoxy, but not so much religious and liturgical, as those that are useful in the struggle for "political influence" and control, were called into question. It would seem that the unshakable “state” Orthodox structure is being destroyed.
It all started with the conflict over the recognition of autocephaly (independence) of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, in the church and religious region, which the Russian Orthodox Church considers to be her own. The fact is that the Russian Orthodox Church was a state church in Ukraine as well. But when the Constantinople (Ecumenical) Patriarch Bartholomew (popularly called the Orthodox Pope) supported the Ukrainians and granted them a tomos, an act recognizing autocephaly, this caused outrage and debate, mainly of an ethnopolitical nature, within the Orthodox Church. The Russian and Serbian Orthodox Church broke off relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and then there was a split within the churches themselves, since the Greek (Hellas) and Alexandrian Orthodox Church recognized the Ukrainians. The Russians considered this a betrayal of Orthodoxy and, of course, their interests,especially because the Russian Orthodox Church considers itself the main church in world Orthodoxy.
But the turmoil did not end there, and in mid-2018 Bartholomew granted the demand of the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Ohrid Archbishopric to consider the possibility of recognizing it as other Orthodox churches. “The ecumenical patriarchy has a duty and responsibility for ensuring that the peoples of Ukraine and Macedonia return to the true canonical Church. If we, as the Mother of churches of all Slavic peoples, are looking for ways of salvation for our brothers in Ukraine and in Skopje, then we are thus fulfilling our apostolic obligation. And our apostolic obligation and responsibility is to return these peoples to the true and canonical Church, ”said the Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in a sermon at the Liturgy in St. George's Cathedral in Fener.
La croix
These words outraged the higher hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church, on behalf of whom Irenaeus, Bishop of Bachka, spoke. Irenaeus decided to draw the attention of Bartholomew to the fact that he was not going to support the Macedonians. “God forbid the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew inclines to one-sided and strong-willed decisions regarding the Macedonian and Ukrainian schism. This would be a huge mistake, a big spiritual mistake, and in addition, it would completely destroy the structure of the Orthodox Church and canon law. If this does happen as a result of political or other pressure or suggestion, this will cause categorical disagreement and resistance not only in the Slavic Orthodox world, but also in Orthodoxy in general, ”said Bishop Irenaeus.
Recognition process
Be that as it may, Skopje and Podgorica demanded that the recognition process begin, and it is very likely that (soon) their requirements will be satisfied. (In the framework of the Church, time flows differently, and this “soon” needs to be understood in relation to the church structure.) According to the Constantinople diptych, there are 15 autocephalous churches. As the 15th, the “controversial" Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PCU) is attributed. But in its "diptych", the Russian Orthodox Church recognizes only 12 Orthodox canonical churches. The appeal of Skopje and Podgorica provoked additional conflicts within Orthodoxy, since the Serbian Orthodox Church perceives the autocephaly of these two Balkan churches as a “knife in the back” from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Their separation, of course, would reduce not only religious, but also political,the ethnic and cultural impact of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as depriving it of considerable property and opportunities to earn.
It is worth noting that the Orthodox Church’s own nations are important for consolidating and confirming national and state identities. It was this fact that prompted Ukrainians, Montenegrins, and Macedonians to finally get their own national, "state" church.
Mother churches
The Macedonian Orthodox Church, or rather the Archbishopric of Ohrid, began the process of recognition, and recently a government delegation from Skopje (former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and acting Prime Minister Oliver Spassovsky) visited Bartholomew. Under this name, it will be easier for them to get autocephaly. The Russian Orthodox Church immediately reacted in solidarity, saying that a blow was being struck against the Serbian Orthodox Church. Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin warned that due to the granting of autocephaly to the Ukrainian and Macedonian Orthodox churches against the will of their mother churches, Russian and Serbian, a split could occur in the Orthodox world. The head of the Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Vladimir Legoyda said that the Patriarch of Constantinople "decided to put on stream the service of political elites who use religion in their games,"and ironically invited the Ecumenical Patriarch to take an interest in the world, maybe someone else needs a tomos.
Skopje hopes that already in 2020 the issue of the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Ohrid Archbishopric will be resolved, although the Serbian Orthodox Church claims that "the Macedonian issue is internal to the Serbian Orthodox Church" and reject the participation of Constantinople, and even more so the meeting in Istanbul of delegations of the Macedonian Orthodox Church Ohrid Archbishopric and Serbian Orthodox Church. Despite Belgrade’s tough stance, it is highly probable that in the near future the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Ohrid Archbishopric will be included in the list of Orthodox churches, at least in the Diptych of Constantinople.Indeed, in 1922, the Serbian Orthodox Church received a tomos from Constantinople to the canonical regions of Macedonia and Montenegro (then the Montenegrin Orthodox Church officially ceased to exist). Now there is evidence that the Patriarchate of Constantinople has begun revising this act, and this is a big step towards Macedonian and Montenegrin church independence.
I must say that the Pecsk Patriarchate (Pecsk Autocephalous Church), which is the core of the Serbian Orthodox Church, appeared in 1219, separating from the Ohrid Archbishopric, which since 1767 was canonically attached to Constantinople. The Patriarch of the then Ohrid Archbishopric resisted, but Constantinople helped the Serbs. Now the situation has changed, and the Macedonians already hope that the described fact will help them a lot. In addition, they refer to the example of Ukraine, which gave hope to many who crave church independence.
This process is not only a religious issue, but also largely political, since this will limit the Serbian influence in Northern Macedonia. Therefore, the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church support each other. The Serbian Orthodox Church does not recognize Ukrainian autocephaly, and the Russians have already sided with the Serbian Orthodox Church in the matter of Northern Macedonia and Montenegro. On the other hand, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is not inclined to interfere with the Macedonians, especially because the Macedonian Orthodox Church declared their readiness to recognize the Bulgarian Orthodox Church as their "mother church". But then the Bulgarians will have problems with Constantinople, who considers himself the "mother" of all Orthodox churches. The Serbian Orthodox Church calls the Macedonian Orthodox Church “titular”, notingthat it was under an agreement with the previous communist regime in 1967 that she proclaimed her autocephaly and secession from the Serbian Orthodox Church, although it still remains unrecognized. (Remember why the state is now called Northern Macedonia.) In addition, the Church of Greece is fiercely competing with the Russian Orthodox Church, since the Russians long proclaimed Russia the Third Rome and called themselves the legitimate heirs of the Byzantines, and the Greeks do not like it, because in this role they see yourself.since the Russians had long proclaimed Russia the Third Rome and called themselves the legitimate heirs of the Byzantines, and the Greeks do not like it, because in this role they see themselves.since the Russians had long proclaimed Russia the Third Rome and called themselves the legitimate heirs of the Byzantines, and the Greeks do not like it, because in this role they see themselves.
Peaceful procession in defense of the rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church in MontenegroThe Russian Orthodox Church took a tough stance, not only because it “lost” Ukraine, but also because it did not want the Belarusian Orthodox Church to take the same path. In the “canonical” region of the Russian Orthodox Church, an Estonian Orthodox Church has also appeared, which is also waiting for its tomos in line in front of the doors of the Ecumenical Patriarch in the Fener district of Istanbul.
In all recent events, the central role is played by Patriarch Bartholomew I, who recognized the Ukrainian Church and is now going to do the same with Northern Macedonia.
Archondonis Dimitrios (that was his name in the world) became an ecumenical patriarch 29 years ago. The highest-ranking hierarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, was born in 1940 in the village of Agios Theodoros on the island of Imroz and first studied theology at a theological seminary in Halki in Turkey, and then at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome and Munich. After that, in 1972, he became the managing director of the Patriarchal Cabinet in Istanbul, and in 1990 - Metropolitan of Chalcedon. October 22, 1991, when Bartholomew was only 51 years old, 15 metropolitans of the Holy Synod elected him the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Bartholomew is the 270th heir to the Apostle Andrew and at the same time an honorary leader of 300 million Orthodox.
His residence is located in Constantinople-Istanbul, but the situation of the few Christians in Turkey is difficult. There are only about a hundred thousand, of which 60 thousand are Armenians, 20 thousand are Assyrians, and several thousand more Greeks. In addition, as early as 1936, all non-Muslim foundations, which were legitimate representatives of the church, were required to declare all property. So the Turkish authorities confiscated and resold most of the more than a thousand monasteries, hospitals, schools, residential buildings and cemeteries belonging to the church.
Priest Training
In such circumstances, Bartholomew tried to find a compromise with the regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, from whom he demanded to open the Higher Theological School on the island of Halki (in Turkish, Heybeliada) in the Sea of Marmara. In 1971, it was closed by decision of the then authorities. Halki is of great importance, since the training of priests depends on the Higher Theological School, and therefore the preservation of the Patriarchate, since, according to church rules, only a priest should be the ecumenical patriarch, and only Turkish citizen under Turkish law. The problem is that Turkey denies citizenship to those theologians who studied abroad. But at the same time, she permits conferences and seminars to be held at Halki, and recently the confiscated sites were returned to the Patriarchate there.
Russian Bartholomew does not like, including because he advocates rapprochement with the Roman Catholic Church. In the fall of 2006, he invited Pope Benedict XVI to Istanbul, and in 2013 he became the first Greek Orthodox patriarch to participate in the intronization ceremony of the new Roman Catholic Pope Francis after the church was split into Western and Eastern in 1054.
The Croats remember him too. In September 2016, Bartholomew I somewhat unexpectedly arrived in Croatia, where he attracted attention with his speech. He delivered a very important speech in Jasenovac, the most terrible camp in the Independent State of Croatia. He cited the incorrect data that the Serbian Orthodox Church "popularizes" that Ustashi contained about 700 thousand Serbs in this camp. It is clear that all the other details of Bartholomew’s visit to Croatia were then relegated to the background. Bartholomew and the Serbian Patriarch Irenaeus then served the holy hierarchal liturgy in the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Jasenovac, since on September 10, the Serbian Orthodox Church made the day of remembrance of the holy martyrs Jasenovac.
Now their relationship is far from ideal. Moreover, there are accusations from Moscow and Belgrade that the Americans are paying Bartholomew to fragment Orthodoxy and consciously weaken it.
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