Is the STOC embracing Cyprianism?

[Orthodox in Michigan]

Archbishop Andronik and the ROCANA haven't repented of their Cyprianism. Perhaps Bishop Akakije is doing this to get back at Archbishop Tikhon of Omsk?

Andronik and the bishops with him issued a statement on the same website that they all reject Cyprianism. However, a priest under Sofrony praises Cyprian openly online. A further clarification would be welcome. Akakije has stated that both "Mathewitism" and "Cyprianism" should be rejected. There is no sign Akakije had changed positions on that.

If they condemn Cyprianism why do they not bring up the late Bishop Stefan's "Radicalized Orthodoxy" encyclical which goes against the 2008 RTOC decision to anathematize it. It seems hypocritical that the ROCANA bishops would condemn Cyprianism but forget that their hierarchy comes directly from Met Agafangel's synod: the same person who asked the Synod in Resistance for help consecrating bishops after the 2007 ROCOR union.

This is a good point you made , i was under the impression that like St Peter when he denied Christ 3 times he was received back amongst the disciples, as also a bishop could repent from cyprianism , however they would not be able to restore themselves from a heresy they received their orders from , but would have to join themselves to right confessing orthodox bishops ..

[Maria]

This is a good point you made , i was under the impression that like St Peter when he denied Christ 3 times he was received back amongst the disciples, as also a bishop could repent from cyprianism , however they would not be able to restore themselves from a heresy they received their orders from , but would have to join themselves to right confessing orthodox bishops ..

Exactly, and this is what the three repenting New Calendarist Greek bishops did when they approached Hieromonk Matthew (later St. Matthew) to be restored to the True Church. They repented, received absolution from Hieromonk Matthew who was a True Orthodox Hieromonk, and then signed a profession of faith denouncing the EP and the New Calendar. This was done in 1935, eleven years after the heretical New Calendar was imposed unilaterally on the Greek Orthodox people in 1924. After absolution was given and the three were restored to Holy Orthodox, then two of these bishops consecrated new bishops including Bishop Matthew and established the GOC Synod.

All during the time between 1924 and 1935, St. Matthew was ministering to the faithful flock. He traveled around Greece and the Greek Islands serving the Divine Liturgy and all the Holy Mysteries following the True Old Calendar. In 1925, when St. Matthew was celebrating the All-night Vigil of the Feast of the Holy Cross on September 14 (old style), the Holy Cross brightly appeared in the early morning skies of Athens, Greek over his little church. Police who had come to arrest the faithful upon seeing the miracle joined the faithful in celebrating this great miracle.

[d9popov]

... this is what the three repenting New Calendarist Greek bishops did when they approached Hieromonk Matthew (later St. Matthew) to be restored to the True Church. They repented, received absolution from Hieromonk Matthew .... In 1925, when St. Matthew was celebrating the All-night Vigil of the Feast of the Holy Cross on September 14 (old style), the Holy Cross brightly appeared in the early morning skies of Athens, Greek over his little church.

Dear Maria,

Thank you for your recent kind words on this thread ("Good food for thought, d9. Thanks for your valuable contributions").

Are you sure that it was Archimandrite Matthaios Karpathakes at the Church on Mount Hymettus in 1925 when the Precious Cross appeared? No published source I can recall said it was Archimandrite Matthaios.

Please also remember that some of the True Orthodox Christians (clergy and laity) between 1924 and 1935 continued to commemorate their old bishop (even if he had switched to the new calendar) while they requested all the bishops to return to the old calendar. Father Nicholas Planas, who conducted the Holy Water Service for the founding of the Genuine Orthodox organization, was in this category: he was obedient to the canonical calendar, but he did continued to commemorate his bishop who had gone into error. From 1924 to 1935 all of the True Orthodox were asking all the bishops to return to the Orthodox calendar.

Also, no published source I can recall documents that the three hierarchs asked to be absolved sacramentally by Archimandrite Matthaios. Sources indicate that the two hierarchs who had been consecrated before 1924 (Chrysostomos of Florina and Germanos of Demetrias) did perform cheirothesia (laying-on of hands) on Chrysostomos of Zakynthos, since he had been consecrated after 1924. But no one administered any Holy Mystery to the two hierarchs.

What happened in 1935 was a union of the three hierarchs and the True Orthodox Christians (clergy and people). The idea that Archimandrite Matthaios Kapathakes was central to everything is an exaggeration that one finds on the internet, but the published sources do not back that idea up. It was more complex.

God sent the Precious Cross as a "God-sent confirmation" to the True Orthodox clergy and people that they were doing the right thing by continuing to follow the canonical Orthodox calendar. The Cross did not "confirm" Bishop/Archbishop Matthew as superior to Metropolitan Chrysostom of Florina in their later disagreements. We all agree that grace does not necessarily leave as with a "light-switch," so, I would claim, the later Florinite-Matthewite disagreements need to be examined fairly, without over-simplification.

[Maria]

Father Stephen Fraser of Holy Trinity Parish in Phoenix, Arizona researched the GOC and published a book:
GENUINE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF GREECE (GOC): A Brief History and Commentary
copyright 2005, 2013 by Protopresbyter Stephen Fraser
published by Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.

There are documents showing that St. Matthew received the three repenting bishop through
confession and absolution.

Bishops who have fallen into heresy or schism cannot absolve each other. This is where
people go astray. They need to return to the True Orthodox Church to receive absolution
and be restored to the faith. This is exactly what the three New Calendar bishops did.
They sought out Hieromonk Matthew.

Once they were restored, then they lay their hands on the third bishop, Next. the three bishop
consecrated Matthew and other candidates and established the GOC as a synod. Before that
time, the True Church was composed of an organization of priests and laity called "True Orthodox
Christians" (TOC). Collectively, they were known as "Traditionalists" or "Old Calendarists."

p. 6 Archpriest Stephen Fraser:

• 1924: "Metropolitan Chrysostom of Florina retires from his position in the
  Ecumenical Patriarchate in protest of the introduction of the new calendar.
  Metropolitan Germanos of Demetrias continues to serve according to the
  patristic Orthodox calendar until he is forced to adopt the new calendar on
  February 15, 1928.

• 1925: On September 14, (O.C.) during the Feast of the Exultation of the
  Precious Cross, the Cross appears in the heavens over the Church of Saint
  John the Theologian on Mount Hymettos, outside of Athens, where two
  thousand faithful had gathered to celebrate the Vigil. The police, who
  were sent by Archbishop Chrysostom of Athens to break up the services
  and arrest the priest, were converted.

For the first time, the invented theory that the New Calendarists were only
"potentially" but not "actually" schismatic makes its appearance in the
writings of Athanasios Dandielidou, an Athonite monk. The community of
True Orthodox Christians publishes many booklets and articles
condemning this theory. Among the books published are: "Distomos
Romphaia" (i.e., "Two -Edged Sword") and "Apostasias Elegchos" (i.e.,
"Apostasy's Censure").

• 1925-1935: Some 800 communities of those who follow the traditional
  Orthodox calendar are established throughout Greece.

I have been in continuous contact with Father Stephen since he received me into the GOC
on February 28, 2015. It was Father Stephan who told me that Archimandrite Matthew received
the repenting three Greek Bishops through the Holy Mystery of Confession thus restoring them
to True Orthodoxy.

[Orthodox in Michigan]

A second appearance of the cross over Crete in 1937 that church was under St Matthew.

[Maria]

A second appearance of the cross over Crete in 1937 that church was under St Matthew.

Indeed. And the importance of that second appearance was profound as it reaffirms St. Matthew as a True Bishop.

Earlier in 1937, Metropolitans Chrysostomos and Gemanos of Demetrias had departed into schism and became known as the "Florinites". These two metropolitans wrote a letter in June 1937 to Monk Mark "in which they claim the calendar innovation is a curable error. And since it does not directly affect any dogma, the State Church is not actually schismatic, but rather only "potentially schismatic" until a Pan-Orthodox Synod decides her fate.
And until she is judged by such a Synod, her mysteries retain sanctifying grace. This belief goes counter to their encyclical of 1935. To be considtent, they both should have immediately returned to the new calendar Church." (p. 10, Father Stephen, Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (GOC))

Note how similar this letter of June 1937 is to the heresy of Cyprianism still espoused by Bishop Auxentios of Etna and Portland.

Later in September 5/18, 1937, to encourage the True Flock, St. "Metropolitan Matthew writes a second encyclical, in which he severs communion with Metropolitan Germanus due to the latter's unorthodox theories and denial of the 1935 Synodal confession. Hence, the Old Calendarists of Greece are divided into two groups, namely, the GOC ("Matthewites," The Holy Synod) which affirms the original Synodal KConfession of Faith, and the "Florinites," who begin to observe the false ecclesiology of the monk Athanasios Danielidou, which states that the New Calendarists are only potentially, but not actually schismatic, and therefore, possess grace in their Mysteries." (p. 12, ibid).

Then on September 14/27, "the Cross appears in the heavens over the Church of the Exultation of the Precious Cross, on Mt. Korphinas, Crete, where more than a hundred people have gathered for an all-night vigil. The Church, in which the miracle occurs, is the GOC under the Omorphorion of Metropolitan Matthew of Bresthena." (p. 12 ibid).

[d9popov]

...
There are documents showing that St. Matthew received the three repenting bishop through
confession and absolution.

...
I have been in continuous contact with Father Stephen since he received me into the GOC
on February 28, 2015. It was Father Stephan who told me that Archimandrite Matthew received
the repenting three Greek Bishops through the Holy Mystery of Confession thus restoring them
to True Orthodoxy.

The overall problem is that there is a gap between what is claimed (a lot is claimed) and the documentation that is cited (not a lot of original documents are cited). Father Stephan's book does not seem to be based on a reading of the original Greek texts. I believe that he admits this. Everyone is willing to look at the evidence for such claims. Could someone please provide such evidence?