Matthewites and Chrysostomites

[Constantine]

You are a bishop?

[Incognito1583]

No, I was being facicious. On a serious note, I plan to join the Kiousis Synod in the near future. I am presently not with any church because everyone around me is a heretic. I am standing firm and will never compromise.

[joasia]

I am standing firm and will never compromise.

Courageous words.

[Fr. John Mahan]

I am standing firm and will never compromise.

Prideful words.

[GOCPriestMark]

Regarding this:

The Matthewites separated from the other Old Calendarists very early, with only a brief period in the 70s when they were in communion with both ROCA and (I think) Auxentius' synod.

If you are willing to deny that the State Church of Greece fell into schism in 1924, then I suppose it is understandable that you would not consider the Genuine Orthodox Christians, the "Matthewites", to be the true continuation of the Orthodox Church in Greece. Archbishop Matthew pointed out the reasons for the seperations between the "Old Calendar" bishops in his 1947 epistle: http://www.genuineorthodoxchurch.net/do ... m1947.html

[ioannis_theologos]

The problem with the Matthewite position is that you take a debatable point and make it into dogma before the whole Church has actually pronounced its position. I happen to agree that the State Church really fell into schism when it adopted the New Calendar, which had already been clearly anathematized by various Pan-Orthodox councils. But clearly there is room for debate on when exactly a Local Church that does something against the canons loses sanctifying Grace. The reason why we have torn ourselves apart over this is precisely because the Church has never dogmatized about the presence or absence of Grace in heretical or schismatic sects. It suffices simply to identify and anathematize the actual heresy and refrain from communion with it. So in order to prevent communion with the New Calendarists our Synod (Archbishop Chrysostomos) has repeatedly declared them schismatics, but you're not a heretic if you believe they may still have Grace.

[Constantine]

The problem is that you assume that this is a "Matthewite" position. The GOC hierarchy in unity proclaimed that the state church by adopting the new calendar had become schismatic and void of grace, when did the state church adopt the new calendar? ...1924! This was proclaimed prior to the 1937 florinite schism, so quite obvioulsy it cannot be called a "matthewite" position, but more accuratly a GOC position. Therefore to attack the matthewite/goc position is to attack the legitimacy of the GOC when it proclaimed the new calendarists schismatic and void of grace. Unfortunatly your view differs from the Akakian Synod you belong to as well, they falsly proclaim that they adhere to the 1935 confession of faith which proclaims the nc void of grace, therefore if they are in agreeance with your statement that:

but you're not a heretic if you believe they may still have Grace

they are liars by saying they adhere to the 1935 confession of faith, or the other option is your views are in contradiction to your Synods.