Persecution of Mount Athos' Esphigmenou Monastery by the EP

[Seraphim Reeves]

Last month Bartholomew - who, as the Ecumenical patriarch, is based in Istanbul - pronounced the monks "schismatics". As such, he said, the clerics no longer represented the spirit of Orthodoxy and should be expelled - a decision that allowed the republic's state-appointed administrator to step in.

Apostolic Canons

• Canon X. (XI.)

If any one shall pray, even in a private house, with an excommunicated person, let him also be excommunicated.

• Canon XLV.

Let a bishop, presbyter, or deacon, who has only prayed with heretics, be excommunicated: but if he has permitted them to perform any clerical office, let him be deposed.

• Canon XLVI.

We ordain that a bishop, or presbyter, who has admitted the baptism or sacrifice of heretics, be deposed. For what concord hath Christ with Belial, or what part hath a believer with an infidel?

• Canon XLVII.

Let a bishop or presbyter who shall baptize again one who has rightly received baptism, or who shall not baptize one who has been polluted by the ungodly, be deposed, as despising the cross and death of the Lord, and not making a distinction between the true priests and the false.

• Canon LXIV.

If any clergyman or layman shall enter into a synagogue of Jews or heretics to pray, let the former be deposed and let the latter be excommunicated.

Truly, an Oecumenical Synod, or some sort of representative, pan-Orthodox meeting is necessary to sort this out and issue the appropriate anathemas (both of ideas and of persons.) In the meantime, at least the spirit of these canons should guide our outlook (even if we are impotent, both by means and stature, to put them into effect.)

Suffice it to say, it is the EP, not the zealots of Mt.Athos, who need to be concerned about whether or not they really represent the "spirit of Orthodoxy."

Seraphim

[Seraphim Reeves]

If you read through the letter of resistance, for example, you'll find that a great number of people would be unorthodox (or semi-orthodox) according to the monks in question. It seems to me that the "moderate ecclesiology" of ROCOR, Met. Cyprian, Arch. Chrysostomos, et al. would probably not be acceptable to these monks.

I'm not so sure if that's the case - and I mean this from "both ends."

a) I do not think the Esphigmenou fathers are "that far right" of say, ROCOR or the "resistors" in communion with Her.

b) I do not think the ROCOR is as "far left" as you may perceive them to be (though, granted, there are perhaps some ROCOR clergy that are more philo "world Orthodoxy" than others.)

I've read several of the letters that have come from the Esphigmenou monastery, and have yet to see anything too "far out." In reality, the biggest difference between ROCOR/Esphigmenou/"Moderate" Old Calendarist Resistors and more "strict" groups (HOCNA, the various divided up Greek Old Calendarists, and the fringe Russian resistor groups), is not to be found in principle, but in application. Groups like Metropoliton Cyrpian's synod, and ROCOR for that matter, simply refuse to be presumptuous. While one (or a Synod) can separate itself from another group out of some perceived danger (the whole "walling off" idea, which has loads of patristic support), it is quite another thing to definitively declare persons or groups beyond their juristiction as being "cut off" from the Church, or even further that their mysteries are barren.

A key example of this difference can be found in the case of HOCNA vs. ROCOR. The HOCNA folks cite ROCOR's "anathema of ecumenism" as grounds for writing off the rest of the Orthodox world as graceless. The problem however, and ROCOR realizes this, is that the anathema's import can really only be felt in ROCOR itself - it's not as if it's received oecumenical status, whether it be via an Oecumenical Synod, or simply the widespread acceptance of this anathema throughout the world. In addition, for ROCOR to make judgements of those beyond Her juristiction would be inappropriate meddling. There is also the question of whether all activities called "ecumenical" that occur in "world Orthodoxy" fall under the conditions in ROCOR's anathema (in other words, what many would call "false ecumenism", as opposed to simply understanding each other's positions, or trying to bring other groups into Orthodoxy, which I still think is the goal of at least a few ecumenical types...this was certainly the case of someone like Fr.John Romanides, who I believe had some involvement with "ecumenical dialogue").

In short, one group is cautious, the other (imho) presumptuous...and because of it's presumptuousness, forever cursed to ignore canonical order, and thus cursed to ever remain fragmented and schismatical in their orientation (all too ready to denounce anything which could be construed as an error, even the most petty nonsense, and none too rarely, allow human envy and failings to be robed under the guise of "Orthodox zeal"...HOCNA being a case in point.)

Seraphim

[Justin Kissel]

seraphim reeves

I'm not so sure if that's the case

I agree You'll notice in the thread you started on this situation a few weeks ago, asking how anyone could disagree, that I change my mind on the issue. I read back over some of the documents, and came to see that I had, at first, misunderstood what was being said.

Re: HOCNA, I think some take ROCOR's anathema a bit too far. It seems to me (from reading excerpts of what was said) that ROCOR didn't just generally condemn "false ecumenism," but condemned specific aspects of false ecumenism (e.g., the "branch theory), aspects which the more ecumenically minded Orthodox don't affirm (so far as I know). One thing that is sad to see is the tug-of-war over Fr. Georges Florovsky that is waged between the OCA and ROCOR, each trying to claim him as their own regarding their position concerning ecumenism.

[尼古拉前执事]

A nice image from the monastery...

http://www.esphigmenou.com/images/CHURCH%20inside.jpg

[Logos]

That is so beautiful!!! It looks like such a holy place. The church certainly does remind one of heaven. Amazong!

[尼古拉前执事]

MT ATHOS, Greece, April 22, 2003 (Espohigmenou) --

[Justin Kissel]

We may be seeing prophecies fulfilled before our eyes... :ohvey: