Statuary in Orthodox Churches

[Priest Siluan]

Well as for Met. Rafel (Prokopiev -Motovilov) none TOC synod consideres to him as canonical or even a real TOC, for many well justified reasons that now are irrelevant.

As a prove of this I am saying, I read that days ago he and two of his clergymen were present in Suzdal to pray a Panikhida for the first anniversary of the repose of Metropolitan Valentine. Without any official permission their entered and used both altars of the Russian New Martyrs and Confessors Church, where Met. Valentin is buried, and took pictures et al. So when the Suzdal Synodo learned about this, ordened re consecrate both altars.

[Priest Siluan]

Perhaps I got the name wrong, but this one is headed by Bishop Raphael of Moscow.

He is not with RTOC. I think he's with Agafangel now.

Well, I think Joanna is not so wrong in this matter, because Metropolitan Agafangel has with him at least three bishops who were linked directly or indirectly to Raphael's gruop. Two of them were "sekachevtsy", a false catacomb gruop which has a lot in common with Rafaelites, as both were consecrated by the same Ukrainian Autocephalist gruop under "Patriarch" Dimitry, and the other one is a Georgian Rafelite bishop. These gruop groups claim to be "Katakombniki" but they nothing have to do with the real and historical Catacomb Church.

[Priest Siluan]

PS: And Met Agafangel's recognized "sekachetsy" as real "katakombniki", although the old and historical ROCOR never recognized them (or at least had strong suspicions about them)

[Lydia]

Father, Bless.
I am just beginning to learn about all the TOC groups. I find it all confusing.
Is Metropolitan Agafangel not considered True Orthodox? I thought he left ROCOR over their union with the MP. Isn't his synod on good terms with Metropolitan Pavlos?
Could you tell me why Metropolitan Raphael is not considered canonical? Thank you for any information.

[Priest Siluan]

Father, Bless.
I am just beginning to learn about all the TOC groups. I find it all confusing.
Is Metropolitan Agafangel not considered True Orthodox? I thought he left ROCOR over their union with the MP. Isn't his synod on good terms with Metropolitan Pavlos?
Could you tell me why Metropolitan Raphael is not considered canonical? Thank you for any information.

Dear in Christ, Lydia!

God may bless you!

Thank you for your concern about these question.

As for Met. Agafangel's group, I think they are not considered as TOC, becuse they are in communion with Met. Kyprianos' group, and they accept their erroneous ecclesiology, even more than before the old ROCOR accepted it. Because the "Kyprianites" are the real basis of the new ROCOR Synod founded by the then Bp. Agafangel (Pashkovsky). the "kyprinites" help Bp Agafangel to consacrate his first Bishop, but not other canonical Russian synods as RTOC or ROAC, so canonically this gruop has very little to do with the old ROCOR. However, I know that in the Met. Agafagel's gruop are good and pious clergymen and people who do not agree or not know about the "kyprianite"`s ecclesiology, so many od this people have good personal relations with other TOC groips, maybe, I do not know, some of them have good relation with Met. Pavlos's gruop, also we should not forget that many of this people come from the historical ROCOR, and they have had good personal relations con GOC and other group for years.

As for Raphael Prokopiev, well he never was a real "katakombnik", his personal story is even "bizarre", he was a Colonel of Red Army's intelligence service and KGB ans was very active in Middle East, then he was injured (he lost one of his legs) and came back to Russia, he begin to be interested in occultism etc. So he became a "healer" or so, and created a ocultist institution called "St. Raphael Center" o so... as you can see the whole matter nothing have to do with Orthodoxy. Then he was ordained suddenly as clergyman and bishop in a "vagant" and uneven gruop, this gruop was integrated by church adventurers from MP, Renovationist, Ukrainian etc. without any relation with the real Russian TOC and/or ROCOR, even their apostolic succession comes from the Ukrainian autocephalist under "patriarch" Dimitry, a uncanonical and ecumenist group.

Today the Raphael's gruop doctrinally, has little or nothing to do with rel TOC, even they commemore the new Soviet powers in their services, none real Russian TOC does so. Also, it is known that his is even active with his "healing" occultist activities etc.

If you need to know more, you could read this, below, it is in Russian, but you will undertand enough if use a online translator.

http://catacomb.org.ua/modules.php?name ... age&pid=46

PS: Many people, quite justifiably, think that this kind of self-styled "TOC" groups, are an KGB operation to discredit the real Russian TOC groups. Also in Greece, happen similar things.

[Lydia]

Father Siluan,
Thank you very much for the link to that website. It is very informative.
It makes for quite disturbing reading. That men of such bad, even demonic, character pass themselves off as Orthodox Bishops is heart-breaking. There are so many wolves in sheep's clothing these days that I sometimes get discouraged.
I will pray and be patient.

[Maria]

Father Siluan,
Thank you very much for the link to that website. It is very informative.
It makes for quite disturbing reading. That men of such bad, even demonic, character pass themselves off as Orthodox Bishops is heart-breaking. There are so many wolves in sheep's clothing these days that I sometimes get discouraged.
I will pray and be patient.

I agree.

Here in Southern California, two persons have tried to pass themselves off as some kind of Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Bishop. There is even one in Pasadena who passes himself off as a married Orthodox Bishop. Just because someome carries a staff, it does not follow that they were validly ordained. Anyone can pick up a drapery rod.