HOCNA & Makarian Synod = Sisters in Name-Worshiping

DIscussion and News concerning Orthodox Churches in communion with those who have fallen into the heresies of Ecumenism, Renovationism, Sergianism, and Modernism, or those Traditional Orthodox Churches who are now involved with Name-Worshiping, or vagante jurisdictions. All Forum Rules apply. No polemics. No heated discussions. No name-calling.


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Alexander Kuzmin
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Re: Strange Events Happening within the Makarian-HOCNA Synod

Post by Alexander Kuzmin »

Where can I read that he says it?

I study English, forgive my mistakes.

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Maria
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Re: Strange Events Happening within the Makarian-HOCNA Synod

Post by Maria »

Alexander Kuzmin wrote:

Where can I read that he says it?

You really do not want to read his writings. Read the New Testament.

Remember the Apostolic warning that in these times men with ears itching will seek novel doctrines.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

denis_
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Re: Strange Events Happening within the Makarian-HOCNA Synod

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Alexander Kuzmin wrote:

Where can I read that he says it?

http://yadi.sk/d/IDI2HoCNQwJhr

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Alexander Kuzmin
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Re: Strange Events Happening within the Makarian-HOCNA Synod

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Thank you very much! I have read "AWAKE, SLEEPER!" by Metropolitan Ephraim of Boston but I have not found the idea there that the soul can repent after death.

Dear Maria, forgive me that I did not follow your advice. It was a serious condemnation against Metropolitan Ephraim and I wanted to see the proofs.

I study English, forgive my mistakes.

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Re: Strange Events Happening within the Makarian-HOCNA Synod

Post by denis_ »

Now, in the eyes of men, this man appears to have died after having rejected Orthodox Christianity.But is this actually the case?
According to the teaching of the New Testament (I Peter 3:18-20), our Saviour preached to those spirits in Hades "who formerly had not obeyed…." So now, the person whom we, the living, saw departing this life as one who had "rejected" the Orthodox Christian Faith might actually be in the bosom of the Father, thanks to his acceptance of our Saviour's preaching. …
Certainly, after death, there is no change in man's character. But here we are speaking
specifically about those who had neverheard the gospel of Christ during their lives.

mitr.Makariy`s clarification fully resolves potential confusions. (see: MakariosMetropolitan.AwakeSleeper.PositionPaper.2011.05.04.pdf)

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Alexander Kuzmin
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Re: Strange Events Happening within the Makarian-HOCNA Synod

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Thank you very much!

I study English, forgive my mistakes.

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Maria
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Re: Strange Events Happening within the Makarian-HOCNA Synod

Post by Maria »

Here are two of Father Panagiotes Carras' 2011 papers, which expose Met. Ephraim's and Met. Makarios' doctrine of Awake Sleeper, and which were posted at yahoo groups:

  • MY REPLY TO THE FALSE REPORT OF THE BOSTON MEETING OF MARCH 23, 2011

    At Metropolitan Makarios’ request, I accompanied him to Boston to meet with Metropolitan Ephraim and to discuss with him our concerns about the erroneous teachings contained in his "Awake Sleeper" series of articles. On Wednesday, March 23, 2011, Metropolitan Makarios and I met with Metropolitan Ephraim, Bishop Demetrios, Fr. Isaac and Fr. Haralambos at St. Philaret House in Boston.

    The meeting, which lasted for about two and a half hours, was unproductive. Metropolitan Makarios made the startling opening statement that he did not understand the objections of the five Toronto presbyters against "Awake Sleeper". Yet, over the last two years, the five presbyters of Toronto have had extensive conversations with Metropolitan Makarios concerning "Awake Sleeper". We made it clear to the Metropolitan that the "Awake Sleeper" controversy is threatening the doctrinal integrity of our Church. We pointed out that these articles presented the false doctrine of posthumous enlightening of those persons who did not receive this enlightening during their life on this side of the grave, and that Metropolitan Ephraim’s innovative doctrine is camouflaged by a duplicitous presentation of Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers. The very title "Awake Sleeper" is intended to mislead. Nowhere are we told by the Holy Fathers that this passage from Saint Paul (Ephesians 5:14) instructs us in any posthumous preaching or enlightenment. Rather it is a call to the living to awake from their sinful sleep.

    Furthermore, Metropolitan Makarios had even openly stated to the five presbyters of Toronto, to eighteen members of the Saint Nektarios Church Council, and to at least twenty other parishioners that he did not accept Metropolitan Ephraim's teaching concerning posthumous enlightenment. In fact, he told us that he had attempted to speak to Metropolitan Ephraim about this matter to no avail. What has happened to Metropolitan Makarios? Why does he now claim to accept Metropolitan Ephraim's false teachings?

    The rest of the meeting consisted of my presenting the errors found in "Awake Sleeper". No answer was given concerning the use of heretical writings as authoritative. When I presented Metropolitan Ephraim with the fact that the word "Theologoumenon" (Greek term he uses, meaning “personal opinion”) which he used was heretical in origin, he simply laughed.

    Metropolitan Ephraim was adamant that everyone will be given an opportunity to believe in Christ, either in this life or the next, and that this is what our Lord's descent into Hades teaches us. I objected to the way this was presented and told him that it appeared in his writings that the Descent into Hades was a reoccurring event, and that his teaching is reminiscent of Roman Catholic Scholastic Theology which argues that the Crucifixion of our Lord reoccurs at every Mass. Metropolitan Ephraim stated that he has never said this and that he would use his Paschal Encyclical to clarify this misapprehension. This was the only item that we were able to agree on.

    The meeting was amicable. There was a good spirit without any angry outbursts. In spite of this, we were unable to resolve our disagreement over the teachings contained in "Awake Sleeper". Metropolitan Ephraim reaffirmed that what he wrote was the teaching of the Church, and that people who disagree with him are simply not reading Holy Scriptures, the Fathers and the Lives of Saints. In fact, the opposite is true. Every one of his quotations was examined and none of them support his teaching concerning "posthumous enlightenment". For the most part, these quotations deal with the destruction of Hades and the mercy of God.

    He stands by his teaching as presented in the fifth "Awake Sleeper" article, "Not a Second Opportunity". Here he claimed that he was expressing his opinion on a subject concerning which the Fathers have opposing positions. This is what he said: "Certainly, after death, there is no change in man's character. But here we are speaking specifically about those who had never heard the Gospel of Christ during their lives. Christ's resurrection freed all these dead also, giving them a chance to make a choice according to the character and virtues they had cultivated in life, according to their consciences as people who 'have not the Law, but by nature do the things contained in the Law' (Rom. 2:14). This would be their opportunity, they would have the choice, at last, to express their remorse over their former idolatry and believe in and accept the true God, Christ, Who, until that moment, had been for them 'the Unknown God'."

    This is just a reaffirmation of what he stated in the very first paragraph of "Awake Sleeper": "in order to judge mankind fairly, our Saviour will give every person who ever lived on earth the opportunity to espouse or reject His teaching. Whether this happens while the person is still living or in Hades - whenever it happens - he or she will have the opportunity to make that choice."

    A few days following the meeting, an unexpected and inaccurate "Summary" was distributed by Metropolitan Ephraim. It is a deception and entirely unacceptable. The final two paragraphs are pure fiction. What was the purpose of these misleading "minutes"? Is the Church being served by this deception? Are we any closer to answering the concerns of clergy and laity throughout our Synod?

    Metropolitan Makarios previously spoke out against this erroneous teaching. Now he says that he accepts the above two quotations from Metropolitan Ephraim’s articles. The “Summary” also implies that Bishop Demetrios, Father Isaac and Father Haralambos concur with Metropolitan Ephraim. If this is not true, then they should state so in writing. The idea of posthumous salvation is appealing on a sentimental level. However, its teaching threatens the doctrinal integrity of the Church. What happens after death is a mystery – God has not revealed it to us. Speculation and deductive reasoning only introduce heresy. Regarding what happens to the souls of those outside the Church after death, it is sufficient to trust in God’s mercy.

    Metropolitan Ephraim has brought great turmoil to the Church by his teachings. The two direct quotations from his articles are sufficient for all to understand what he is teaching. We, the five presbyters of Toronto, have responded in defense of the Faith and for the protection of the flock. To date, Metropolitan Ephraim’s only written reply to our Appeal was a half page in which he smugly and arrogantly trivialized and then dismissed these serious matters. For nearly two years Metropolitan Ephraim has been teaching his false doctrine and is not relenting. Now he is attempting to cover his errors by claiming that an agreement was reached at the March 23rd meeting.

    The text of this “Summary” is attached to my reply and the position of the above mentioned clergy can be deduced.

    In Christ,
    +Fr. Panagiotes

    https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Ort ... topics/847

  • THE CURRENT UNCANONICAL POSITION OF HTM/HOCNA [Apr. 29, 2011]

    The cavalier attitude which the current hierarchs of the HTM/HOCNA Synod have regarding the Doctrines and Canons of the Orthodox Faith continues to shock us. As if the blasphemies of the Awake Sleeper series of articles are not enough, we are now subjected to an attack on the Orthodox teachings on the nature of the Church. Awake Sleeper, which is a form of posthumous Ecumenism, has given way to Papal Infallibility and exclusiveness.

    The current hierarchs of the HTM/HOCNA synod, Metropolitan Ephraim of Boston, Metropolitan Makarios of Toronto and Bishop Demetrios of Carlisle, not only subscribe to the unorthodox teachings found in the Awake Sleeper series of articles but also have staged a revolution by removing themselves from the canonical Church of the Genuine Christians of Greece (also known as the True Orthodox Church of Greece) and have formed their own independent Church.

    Let us go back to early 1986 when we realized that the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia had abandoned the Orthodox Faith. At that time we were a group of priests, deacons, monastics and laity, and, after months of petitioning the Synod, we realized that the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia would soon be part of the heretical Patriarchate of Moscow. In the fall of 1986 we left the Russian Synod.

    Out of necessity and for legal reasons we quickly formed a US corporation with the name of the Holy Orthodox Church in North America (HOCNA). We then turned to the Old Calendar hierarchs of Greece, Metropolitan Akakios of Attika and Diavleia, and Metropolitan Gabriel of the Cyclades Islands to find canonical normalcy and a place of refuge. We soon realized that these Metropolitans were not able to guide our parishes and monasteries. In the summer of 1987, the clergy of HOCNA met with His Eminence Archbishop Auxentius and two representatives of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece. After a lengthy discussion on matters of Faith we decided to become part of this Church.

    In 1988 Hieromonk Ephraim was nominated by the clergy and was ordained suffragan bishop by the Holy Synod of Archbishop Auxentius. In 1991 Hieromonk Makarios was also nominated by the clergy and ordained suffragan bishop. They both functioned as suffragan bishops until 1993. At the time of these ordinations the newly ordained bishops were representatives of the Synod of Archbishop Auxentius of Athens. In 1993 both bishops were raised to the rank of Metropolitans of the Holy Synod of Greece. We must remember that at that time there was no HOCNA Synod, but only the HOCNA corporation.

    Archbishop Auxentius reposed in 1994 and the Holy Synod in Greece chose Metropolitan Maximos to become the next Archbishop of Athens. Archbishop Maximos was deposed in 1996 because he secretly and uncanonically ordained three bishops. In his stead, Metropolitan Athanasios of Larissa was chosen by our Holy Synod in Greece as locum tenens of the throne of Athens. The Locum tenens is the administrator of a diocese that does not have a ruling bishop. In 1997 Metropolitan Athanasios of Larissa withdrew from participating in the Holy Synod and Metropolitan Macarios of Toronto was appointed Locum Tenens of the diocese of Athens.

    Metropolitan Macarios, as Locum Tenens, was the canonical head of the Synod in Greece, but Metropolitan Ephraim took control of all Synodical activities including the annual Clergy Synaxis. Metropolitan Ephraim focused his attention on the Church’s activities in the United States and turned his back on the Church of Greece and no attempt was made to maintain a presence in Greece. Even the world famous Convent of the Annunciation on the island of Chios was abandoned.

    Four years later, in 2001, the Holy Synod of the Church of the True Orthodox Christians in Greece, comprised of the last three successors of Archbishop Auxentius, that is, Metropolitan Ephraim, Metropolitan Makarios and Bishop Moses, resolved to …elevate Bishop Moses of Roslindale to a ruling bishop with the title of Metropolitan of Seattle. At the same time the Synod formed the Eparchial Synod to the Holy Orthodox Church of North America (HOCNA). The misleading excuse given at this time was that this was needed for administrative purposes. (An eparchial synod is a local synod for a local geographical area – in this case, for North America.)

    The only one who realized the deception then was Father Victor Melehov, Rector of (our then) Holy Resurrection parish in Worchester Massachusetts and Dean of the Russian Mission. He accused the HOCNA bishops of attempting to dissolve the canonical Synod of Greece. On December 18th, 2001, Metropolitan Makarios, as Locum Tenens of the Archdiocese of Athens wrote to Father Victor and stated: we, as hierarchs of the Sacred Synod cannot dissolve it since it is from this very Synod and Church of Greece that we received our ordinations and derive our canonicity and legitimacy.

    From 1997 until 2010, Metropolitan Makarios was, canonically speaking, the presiding hierarch of our Holy Synod because he was the Locum Tenens of the throne of Athens. In actuality, however, Metropolitan Ephraim presided and Metropolitan Makarios simply followed. Thus, when in 2006, Metropolitan Ephraim wanted to expel Metropolitan Moses from Seattle, Metropolitan Makarios and Bishop Demetrios slavishly complied. The Holy Canons of the Church were tossed aside. Metropolitan Ephraim had succeeded in making the Synod dysfunctional and he was free to do whatever he wished since the Synod had abandoned the Holy Canons.

    The Clergy Synaxis, which had in 1986 formed HOCNA, was transformed into a do-nothing meeting completely under the control of Metropolitan Ephraim. The new structure of the Clergy Synaxis effectively silenced the Presbyters of the Church. Accordingly, the five Presbyters of Toronto have increasingly refused to attend the reformed and emasculated Clergy Synaxis and to be part of the reshaping of HOCNA.

    Then at the October 4th, 2010 session, the Holy Synod effectively resolved to break with the Church of Greece. Metropolitan Makarios was convinced to resign as Locum Tenens of Athens and HOCNA severed all ties with the Church of Greece. In essence the HOCNA Synod declared itself autocephalous, i.e. independent. When the five Presbyters of Toronto received the minutes of this Synod meeting they immediately informed Metropolitan Makarios that this decision was uncanonical and that they would not be part of this new HOCNA. Metropolitan Makarios did not reply.

    In an attempt to justify this uncanonical breaking away from the Church of Greece, Metropolitan Ephraim produced more of his duplicitous articles. Metropolitan Ephraim knows that most of our clergy and laity are not well read in the history of the Orthodox Church. To cover up this uncanonical revolt against the Church of Greece, he brought forth examples of how certain Churches became Autocephalous. His first example is his most blasphemous example.

    Metropolitan Ephraim holds up the Schism of the Church of Greece from the Patriarchate of Constantinople as an example of how a Church becomes autocephalous. He omits to mention that this revolt was brought about by the 18 year old Roman Catholic King of Greece who was under the control of the British (Protestants) and the French (Roman Catholics). The European powers wanted to prevent an alliance of Orthodox countries, i.e. Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, with Russia. As head of the Church of Greece, King Otto closed and destroyed more than 300 monasteries, brought the Protestant Bible into Greece, imprisoned, exiled and executed those who opposed his Church reforms. One of his opponents, the monk Christopher Panagiotopoulos, is venerated as a Saint. The monk Kosmas Flamiatos was poisoned in prison. This is how the Church of Greece became independent. Using this as a precedent is another example of Metropolitan Ephraim’s duplicity.

    Metropolitan Ephraim convinced his obedient followers, Metropolitan Makarios and Bishop Demetrios, to subscribe to the unorthodox teachings of Awake Sleeper, to form an independent Church with himself as its head and to expel Metropolitan Moses and Bishop Sergius from the Synod.

    These things we, the five Presbyters of Toronto, will not accept. You will soon receive more information on how we propose to resolve this situation.

    In Christ,
    +Fr. Panagiotes

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Ort ... topics/853

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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