In a letter, of which the Agency of Religious News Romfea.gr has published extracts, the eminent hierarch does not consider there to be any problem of restoring the unity of Christians, since this, in his opinion, was never disrupted. Rather, certain Christians chose a path different to the one we follow, that of the original Orthodox truth.<\/p>\nThere are no churches or confessions. Rather, these have cut themselves off from the Church and must be considered heretics and schismatics, notes His Eminence, expressing confusion as to why such an important issue has been ignored.<\/p>\n
The stance of His Eminence, who invokes the right of each hierarch to express his opinion regarding such an important event, is sure to cause discussion and debate within Orthodoxy.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince, in agreement with regulations sent to us regarding the organisation and operation of the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church, and in particular article 12, paragraphs 2 and 3, indicate that we are entitled first to express our views at our local Synod, I, having examined my conscience, humbly submit to the Holy and Sacred Synod of our holy Church my views and opinions regarding the following matters,\u201d the Reverend Metroplitan Athanasios underlines in his letter.<\/p>\n
In his letter, to which Romfea.gr gained exclusive access, His Eminence Athanasios speaks about the text of the 5th Preconciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference held in Chambesy in October entitled \u201cDecision \u2013 Relations of the Orthodox Church to the rest of the Christian world,\u201d stating the following:<\/p>\n
\u201cI am in total agreement with the first three articles of the text. However, at article 4 onwards, I have made the following observations: \u201cThe Orthodox Church has always prayed \u2018for the union of all\u2019 \u2013 I believe this to mean the return to and union with Her of all those who broke away and distanced themselves from Her, of heretics and schismatics, once they have renounced their heresy and schism and flee from those things with repentance and are integrated and joined \u2013 united \u2013 with the Orthodox Church in accordance with the teachings of the sacred canons,\u201d remarks His Eminence Athanasios.<\/p>\n
His Eminence continues: \u201cThe Orthodox Church of Christ never lost the \u2018unity of faith and the communion of the Holy Spirit\u201d and does not accept the theory of the restoration of the unity of those \u2018who believe in Christ,\u2019 because it believes that the unity of those who believe in Christ already exists in the unity of all of Her baptised children, between themselves and with Christ, in Her correct faith, where no heretics or schismatics are present, for which reason She prays for their return to Orthodoxy in repentance.\u201d<\/p>\n
His Eminence completes his letter, of which Romfea.gr has released excerpts, thusly: \u201cI believe that what is stated in article 5 regarding ‘the lost unity of Christians’ is incorrect, because the Church as God\u2019s people, united among themselves and with the Head of the Church which is Christ, never lost this unity and therefore is not in need of rediscovering or seeking it, because it always was, is, and will be just as the Church of Christ has never ceased nor will cease to exist.\u201d<\/p>\n
His Eminence Athanasios adds that, \u201cwhat happened is that groups, peoples or individuals left the body of the Church and the Church prays, and is required to try through mission, that they all return in repentance to the Orthodox Church via the canonical route. In other words, there do not exist other Churches, only heresies and schisms, should we wish to be more precise in our definitions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe expression \u2018towards the restoration of Christian unity\u2019 is incorrect because the unity of Christians \u2013 the members of the Church of Christ \u2013 has never been broken, as long as they remain united to the Church. Separation from the Church and flight from the Church have unfortunately happened numerous times due to heresies and schisms, but there was never a loss of the internal unity of the Church,\u201d His Eminence continues in his letter.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, His Eminence Athanasios states: \u201cI question why the text contains multiple references to \u2018Churches\u2019 and \u2018Confessions\u2019? What difference and which element allows us to call some Churches and others Confessions? Which is a Church and which a heresy and which a schismatic group or confession? We confess one Church and that all the others are schisms and heresies. I maintain that giving the title ‘Church’ to heretical or schismatic communities is entirely incorrect from a theological, dogmatic and canonical perspective because the Church of Christ is one, as also stated in Article 1, and we cannot refer to a heretical or schismatic community or group outside the Orthodox Church as \u2018Church\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt no point does this text state that the only way that leads to union with the Church is solely the repentant return of heretics and schismatics to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ, which according to Article 1 is our Orthodox Church. The reference to the ‘understanding of the tradition of the ancient Church’ gives the impression that there is an ontological difference between the ancient Church of the Seven Ecumenical Councils and the genuine continuation of the same until the present day, namely our Orthodox Church. We believe that there is absolutely no difference between the Church of the 21st century and the Church of the 1st century, because one of the attributes of the Church is the fact we also confess in the Symbol of Faith, namely that it is Apostolic,\u201d stressed the Metropolitan of Limmasol.<\/p>\n
The Bishop subsequently underlines that in Article 12, the impression is given that the Orthodox are looking to restore the right faith and unity, giving cause for an unacceptable view.<\/p>\n
\u201cArticle 12 states that the common purpose of the theological dialogues is \u2018the final restoration of unity in correct faith and love\u2019. This gives the impression that we Orthodox are seeking our restoration to correct faith and the unity of love, as if we had lost the right faith and are seeking to discover it through the theological dialogues with the heterodox. I maintain that this theory is theologically unacceptable for us all,\u201d underlines Metropolitan Athanasios.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, His Eminence expresses objections to the text, stressing that \u201cthe reference of the text to \u2018the World Council of Churches\u2019 gives me the opportunity to make a complaint against occasional syncretistic events which took place therein, but also against its title, since it regards the Orthodox Church as \u2018one of the Churches\u2019 or a branch of the one Church which seeks and strives for Her realisation at the World Council of Churches. For us, however, the Church of Christ is one and unique, as we confess in the Symbol of Faith, and not many.\u201d<\/p>\n
His Eminence further states: \u201cThe view that the preservation of the genuine Orthodox faith is guaranteed only through the synodical system as the only \u2018competent and final authority on matters of faith\u2019 is exaggerated and ignores the truth that many synods throughout Church history taught and espoused incorrect and heretical doctrines, and it was the faithful people which rejected them and preserved the Orthodox faith and championed the Orthodox Confession. Neither a synod without the faithful people, the fullness of the Church, nor the people without the synod of Bishops, is able to regard themselves as the Body of Christ and Church of Christ and to correctly express the experience and doctrine of the Church.\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing the Archbishop of Cyprus and the members of the Holy Synod, the Metropolitan of Limassol stresses: \u201cUse of hard or insulting language cannot be made in ecclesiastical encyclicals of this kind, nor do I think anyone desires the use of that form of expression. However, the truth must be expressed with precision and clarity, though naturally with pastoral discernment and genuine love towards all. We owe it also to our brothers who find themselves in heresy or schism to be entirely honest with them, and with love and pain to pray and do everything possible to bring about their return to the Church of Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI humbly maintain that texts of such importance and prestige as those of the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church must be very carefully formulated with theological and canonical precision in order that these ambiguities or untested theological terms do not also give rise to incorrect expressions which could lead to misconceptions and distortions of the correct attitude of the Orthodox Church. Moreover, in order for a Synod to be valid and canonical, it must not depart in any way from the spirit and teaching of the Holy Synods which preceded it, the teaching of the Holy Fathers and Holy Scriptures, and it must be free from any ambiguity in the precise expression of the correct faith,\u201d adds His Eminence Athanasios.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, invoking the Holy Fathers, His Eminence Athanasios stated: \u201cNever did the holy Fathers nor ever in the holy canons or rulings of the sacred Ecumenical or Local Synods, are heretical or schismatic groups referred to as churches. If the heretics are indeed churches, where is the single One Church of Christ and the Apostles?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Metropolitan of Limassol also expressed his strong opposition, stressing that those who do not have the right to vote and participate in the Synod are merely ornamental.<\/p>\n
\u201cI humbly express my disagreement with the fact that the practice of all Sacred Synods until the present of allowing each bishop a vote is abolished. There was never before a system of \u2018one Church, one vote,\u2019 which renders the members of the Holy and Great Synod, with the exception of the primates, mere decorative items by refusing them the right to vote,\u201d His Eminence Athanasios says in his letter.<\/p>\n
In closing, the Hierarch of the Church of Cyprus states that: \u201cI do not want to upset anyone with what I wrote, nor do I want to be seen to be teaching judgement of my brothers and fathers in Christ. I simply feel the need to express what my conscience requires me to.\u201d<\/p>\n
To read the Metropolitan’s entire letter, see the site of the Holy Metropolis of Limassol.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In an open letter to the Synod of Cyprus, Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol points out some of the heresies that are to be adopted at the coming Pan Orthodox Synod of 2016. We hope and pray that others may take his example and come forth in this matter of utmost importance. Original article: http:\/\/www.pravoslavie.ru\/english\/90619.htm In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1096\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}