Apocalypse 12:14: “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent”

The Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in 1983 made a bold decision to anathematize the PAN-HERESY of SYNCRETISTIC ECUMENISM. This was the most important event in the recent history of The Church (the last 100 years at least), and the significance of this decision reverberates through today having a special importance on the Sunday of Orthodoxy when this Anathema used to be read in the ROCOR Churches. ROCOR, alongside The Catacomb Church of Russia, even though under heavy persecution and reduced to a very small flock after the defection of the majority of its bishops to the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) in 2000, are the only canonical rightful successors to the Holy Russian Orthodox Church. With the infamous declaration of Moscow Patriarchate (MP) through Metropolitan Sergius in July 1927 which submitted the MP to the atheistic communist authority (the red beast of the Apocalypse), the official Russian Church fell into heresy, in which situation finds itself even today because no MP synod of bishops ever adopted any official decision to condemn the mistake and correct its error. On this subject we shall write more in the future.

In 1983, then Archbishop Vitaly, Metropolitan of ROCOR, stood firmly for this decision and gave it his unqualified support in a published leaflet, “Orthodox Review” (#58, April 1984). He wrote:

“Without doubt, the time for discussion and polemics has passed and the time has come to judge this movement and, however insignificant our Council of 1983 may seem, it has condemned Ecumenism and anathematized it in the following words: ‘To those who attack the Church of Christ by teaching that the Lord’s Church is divided into so-called “branches” which differ in doctrine and way of life, or that the Church does not exist visibly, but will be formed in the future when all “branches” of sects or denomination, and even religions, will be united into one body, and who do not distinguish the priesthood and mysteries of the Church from those of the heretics, but say that the baptism and eucharist of heretics is effectual for salvation; therefore, to those who knowingly have communion with these aforementioned heretics or who advocate, disseminate, or defend their new heresy of Ecumenism under the pretext of brotherly love or the supposed unification of separated Christians: Anathema.’“

Father Dumitru Staniloae had this to say about ecumenism: “Orthodoxy is the only church and the only Truth. Her ecumenical mission cannot be anything else but the complete confession of this Truth. Western Christianity has been deluded by rationalism (Orthologismos) and it has lost the very meaning and the possession of the Divine Mystery, as well as, the full realization of Salvation. I consider this extremely important to have this Truth heard today by using all possible means, since the danger of slipping towards theories of relativism is great, even among the ranks of Orthodox theologians.”

Other quotes form the Holy Fathers:

“Be aware not to be corrupted from love of the heretics; for this reason do not accept any false belief (dogma) in the name of love.” St. John the Chrysostom

“Even if the heretics are many in numbers, they are still found “out­- side of the Holy Gardens” of the church. Even if very few stay true to Orthodoxy and Godliness, they are the church of Christ.” St. Nikephoros the Confessor

“Members of the Orthodox church are all and only those of the faithful that believe and do not doubt the flawless Faith of Christ the Sav­iour and all that was passed down, preached and interpreted by Christ, the Apostles and the Holy Ecumenical Synods.” St. Thositheos

“All the great teachers of the church, all the Synods, all the divine Scriptures prescribe the fleeing from the heterodox (heretics) and to stand afar from their association (communion).” St. Mark Evgenikos

“…do not have a single thing to do with schismatics and absolutely nothing with heretics…As you know I myself have avoided them due to their Christ hating and heterodox heresy. “ St. Anthony the Great

“Nor life without true faith nor this faith without holy works can save.” St. Theodore the Studite

“The fight against heresies represents the highest expression of love for the orthodox while the tolerance and the amnesty for heresy is a cruel form of love and overmasked hate. In the realm of false ecumenism (branch theory) lurks the worse case of ‘man hatefulness’. Thus, it is not without significance that St. Maximos the Confessor issued a statement condemning the tolerance of heretics. ‘I define this to be cruelty towards mankind and absence of divine love to attempt to give authority to a false faith aiding even more the destruction of those that are adhering to it’.” Archimandrite Spiridon Bilalis