After reading this, it's very hard to say the Old Calendarists are without any firm basis for their concern (and resistance)...
http://orthodox.truepath.com/articles/o ... agoras.htm
Seraphim
Moderator: Mark Templet
After reading this, it's very hard to say the Old Calendarists are without any firm basis for their concern (and resistance)...
http://orthodox.truepath.com/articles/o ... agoras.htm
Seraphim
One can be opposed to the statements of Pat. Athenagoras and still be a faithful New Calendar Orthodox. And let's not forget that Met. Anastasy of the future ROCOR signed the decrees of the Pan-Orthodox Synod of 1923 (I listed the citations on my webforum orthodoxchristianity.net in a discussion of the topic) and was a member of the Synod of Constantinople for awhile, so let's not make Old Calendarists out to be a haven either. Let's just follow the truth and stand up for it, whichever Orthodox Church we find ourselves in.
One can be opposed to the statements of Pat. Athenagoras and still be a faithful New Calendar Orthodox. And let's not forget that Met. Anastasy of the future ROCOR signed the decrees of the Pan-Orthodox Synod of 1923 (I listed the citations on my webforum orthodoxchristianity.net in a discussion of the topic) and was a member of the Synod of Constantinople for awhile, so let's not make Old Calendarists out to be a haven either. Let's just follow the truth and stand up for it, whichever Orthodox Church we find ourselves in.
Actually, strictly speaking ROCOR is not an "Old Calendarist" Church, if by Old Calendarist one is refering to the resistance movement which began in various New Calendar Churches. The Russian Church never went over to the "New Calendar", thus it has no "Old Calendarist" movement per se. Unless of course one wants to use the term "Old Calendarist" for everyone still using the Orthodox calendar (which is typically not how the term is used, since "Old Calendarist" usually refers to a specific group of people.)
What is also clear, is that like ROCOR, the Old Calendarists themselves took time to come to their position (seeing the problems with the orientation much of "world Orthodoxy" was beginning to take.) For example, the Greek Old Calendarists did not appear over night (it was not an immediate reaction to the move by the EP to change calendars.) Given this, I'm neither shocked (nor scandalized) by the information you put forward. Besides, Patriarch Athenagoras was not spouting this nonsense in 1923.
However, the question is not simply what the EP has said in times past - but whether or not this has become something assimilated into the thought life of much of the "official", "canonical" Orthodox world...whether it be in it's heirarchs, in their seminaries, or popular publications.
You tell me Anastasios - is what you read coming from Athenagoras within the boundaries of Orthodoxy?
"We find ourselves in a period in which the Pope of Rome takes precedence over all of us. My beloved broth