Erroneous Matthewite and Cyprianite Interpretations of the Florinite Encyclical of 1950

[haralampopoulosjc]

Within Greek True Orthodoxy, people of the Matthewite and Cyprianite persuasion have misinterpreted the intentions behind the 1950 encyclical issued by Metropolitan Chrysostom of Florina and his fellow hierarchs in 1950 which condemned the State Church of Greece to be graceless. Both parties seem to view the encyclical as not representing the genuine views of Metropolitan Chrysostom of Florina at the time.

However, if we consider the context of contemporary events, namely, that the local churches of Antioch, Cyprus, Greece, Alexandria, Constantinople and Jerusalem became founding members of the World Council of Churches in 1948, and that the founding document of the ecumenical movement within World Orthodoxy "Unto the Churches of Christ Everywhere" (1920), first became widely known in 1949, we can assume that Metropolitan Chrysostom and his fellow hierarchs had concluded by this point that any efforts of healing the schism over the Calendar issue were futile, and thus decided to reaffirm the 1935 encyclical which declared the State Church of Greece to be graceless. Unfortunately this didn't bring about the healing of the schism in the TOC of Greece, since the Matthewites felt vindicated in being right all along, while the Florinites felt vindicated in having waited to see how events progressed before making a definitive denunciation of the innovators.

[eish]

view the encyclical as not representing the genuine views of Metropolitan Chrysostom of Florina at the time

A big mistake. We both judge what the bishops believe by what they formally claim, to know if it is Orthodox, and judge what the ancient saints believed by what they formally proclaimed, to know if we are Orthodox.

Claiming that what the Florinites put on paper was not the Florinite position, or that what the Cyprianites put on paper was not the Cyprianite position, or that what the Oecumenical Councils put on paper was not the Oecumenical position, or what the ROCA put on paper was not the position of the Church Abroad (in the 80s), or what the Greek state churches put on paper (in, say, 2016) is not the state church position, is a comfortable little mental gymnastic which would allow me to believe absolutely anything and belong to absolutely any group. I could go back to the patriarchate. I could join the Roman Catholics or the Calvinists, and happily believe anything I want contrary to their written doctrines.

Most members of heretical groups (incl. WO) do just that. We mustn't fall into the same trap. It's logically equivalent to oecumenism.