{"id":1364,"date":"2016-09-23T06:50:46","date_gmt":"2016-09-23T06:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/?p=7822"},"modified":"2016-09-23T07:05:33","modified_gmt":"2016-09-23T07:05:33","slug":"193-oct-922-1975-st-james-son-of-alpheus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/?p=1364","title":{"rendered":"193. Oct. 9\/22, 1975. St. James, son of Alpheus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Nina,<\/span><\/p>\n

We were glad to get your letter. Thanks also for the letters which give the \u201cBoston version\u201d of recent events. We didn\u2019t like the tone at all\u2014 \u201coily,\u201d self-justifying, and rumor-mongering. To spread to California rumors about the personal life of Fr. Augustine Whitfield is not very noble, to say the least\u2014and yet the constant accusation that it is everybody else who is spreading rumors. (Are they really unaware that it\u2019s not proper to send out letters with such rumors in them? Do they really not see that they\u2019re doing exactly what they accuse others\u2014often falsely\u2014of doing? If so, things are bad.) We also don\u2019t like the \u201celitist\u201d philosophy set forth\u2014 \u201conly we and the bishops can discuss these things.\u201d Bishops we have known have always been very straightforward in telling what they thought of church events, without flattering us that we are part of some inner sanctum of the organization. And yet the \u201celitist\u201d explanation is obviously a cover-up, for Fr. Alexis says (p. la, para. 2) that the purpose of Fr. Panteleimon\u2019s act was \u201cIN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE FAITHFUL UNDER SYNOD AND TO THE OLD CALENDARISTS IN GREECE some consistency, and the fact that we do not accept Bp. Peter….\u201d Of course this is hidden now only because it backfired and gave much adverse publicity to Fr. P.<\/p>\n

The attack on Alexey is also very low\u2014of course they have been spreading rumors all the time about Alexey, just as much after as before the \u201cfriendship was sealed\u201d with him. We have been astonished and grieved to hear these things\u2014and we let the rumors stop with us, not telling you or Alexey or anyone else about them. Evidently, again, the \u201cGreeks\u201d do not consider that these are \u201crumors\u201d or \u201cslanders\u201d that they are spreading\u2014everyone else does that, but they are only \u201cwarning the faithful,\u201d \u201ctelling the truth,\u201d etc. Because they have a double standard, they cannot understand the opposition that is mounting against them. Out of self-importance, they do not see what they are doing, and so any warnings or advice to them will only be answered by another oily, self-justifying letter (or worse, an open letter).<\/p>\n

We are frankly glad of the stink that was raised over the last episode. You cannot \u201cexplain\u201d things to Fr. P., you cannot \u201cpersuade\u201d him\u2014he is a politician and listens only to a manifestation of power, even if it\u2019s just a big noise in our \u201cRussian tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is our \u201cGreeks\u201d who have now introduced into our Church the spirit of party politics, false zealotry, and suspicion. If they can\u2019t see this, it\u2019s pointless to talk to them.<\/p>\n

There is a certain down-to-earth basic honesty and straightforwardness that is lacking now in our Greeks, and that is what makes us despair for the future. They are blinding themselves. And this is not manifest just in their \u201ccontroversial\u201d acts and words. They sent us recently a copy of a letter to someone in Australia (obviously written with the idea of sending us a copy!), which includes these words: \u201cIt might be to your profit and edification to write to the Fathers at Platina…. We are sure that they would be rejoiced to have occasion to make confession of our true faith and instruct you so that you may come to a better understanding.\u201d This is spiritual fakery. We want out of this phoney atmosphere of \u201cknow-it-all,\u201d of \u201chumble instruction\u201d of the lower classes, of pretending to make a \u201cconfession\u201d when all we are doing is giving our opinion. As Fr. Dimitry Dudko so well says (and for all his mistakes, he is more Orthodox than the Boston \u201cParty\u201d), this is the religion of the West: \u201cSpirituality with comfort.\u201d Alas, this is what America is offering to Orthodoxy! But how many can see through this subtle trap?<\/p>\n

Well, were going to forget all this (if they\u2019ll let us) and get on with our business; may God grant you all to do the same. Alexey will have to \u201cforget the Greeks\u201d completely if he\u2019s going to stay sane; the more you can do the same, the better, so as to avoid worse temptations later. It\u2019s futile for you to defend Alexey\u2014or us, when the time comes\u2014before Fr. Panteleimon; his views are not based on facts, but on political realities. You\u2019ve been warned! No need to \u201ctake sides\u201d\u2014but be sober.<\/p>\n

By the way, a sure sign that Fr. P., whatever his outward arguments, is spiritually wrong in this case: he terribly grieved one hierarch (Vladika Averky\u2019s letter to us is one of despondency, and if Fr. P. will say in self-justification that Vlad. A. \u201cmisunderstood\u201d him, then it is Fr. P.\u2019s fault for not communicating to him in a decent and understandable way), and he terribly upset at least two others; and yet not one word that Fr. P. is \u201csorry\u201d or in any way is anything but \u201cright.\u201d There is spiritual disaster ahead for this man; he has gone off the Orthodox track in so many ways of feeling and sensitivity that I once thought he understood.<\/p>\n

By the way, the fact that we refuse to enter into the campaign of distrust of Vlad. Laurus or of any of those accused of \u201cWestern influence\u201d (and those who use this accusation are clearly under Schmemann\u2019s influence), does not mean that we agree entirely with them on any given issue. We suspect, for example, that the most sober position with regard to the Old Calendarists lies somewhere between Vlad. Laurus\u2019 position and that of Dr. Kalomiros. But we continue on the best of relations with both, because we all realize that we are human and do not have all the answers, unlike Fr. P., who (like all \u201cparty men\u201d) sees plots against him everywhere.<\/p>\n

With Fr. Panteleimon we would like to remain on the best of terms also, but I doubt that he will allow this. Dr. Kalomiros says that he \u201ccuts off\u201d anyone who disagrees with him, and we have already seen what this means in the case of Alexey, a fellow struggler in his own Church and for the same Orthodox zealot cause. Also, Fr. P., playing \u201cSynod politics\u201d for so long, has himself become part of the boring, stifling \u201corganization mentality,\u201d covered with a sticky layer of unctions \u201clove\u201d for everyone which is not borne out by his actions. In the end this will submerge his many qualities, in which we don\u2019t doubt, which could have been such an asset to our Church if he hadn\u2019t come to think himself so important.<\/p>\n

There are, by the way, many undercurrent factors in Fr. P\u2019s whole position in the Church which I don\u2019t think he understands at all; these make any defense or attack of him of little value, if it is based only on what seems superficially to be involved. If I get the chance and time, I will try to sort these out some day and write about them to Dr. Kalomiros, who seems to be the most level-headed Greek we know. I don\u2019t think any Greek, for example, is aware of how the whole Old-Calendarist situation seems to Russians\u2014their demands to \u201ctake sides\u201d just don\u2019t make any sense to Russians. No one, least of all Fr. P. himself, has ever thought that our Synod is obliged to follow whatever the Synod of Auxentios decrees, particularly when the decree is based on a position which our Synod refuses to accept (declaring lack of grace of the New-Cal. Church). Therefore, it would have been absurd for Vlad. Averky to break off communion with Bp. Peter\u2014it would have been simply a bowing to a political demand of some brazen young clergyman. Now that our Synod has done so, of course, the situation is at least superficially clearer\u2014but the problems actually remain.<\/p>\n

Again, Fr. P. doesn\u2019t seem to understand that his position in our Synod is a special one, something granted as a great favor to him. Vlad. John told us in the beginning that the logical place for the \u201cGreeks\u201d when they came over was under Bp. Peter. The decision to bring them under our Russian jurisdiction, thus creating two groups of Greek Old Calendarists in this country, was a risky one and was owing to the love and kindness and naivete of our bishops. But Fr. P. seems to think that this special favor is his right, and he thereby involves our Church directly in Greek disputes, which he thinks is normal, but our bishops certainly don\u2019t. I\u2019m afraid the logical conclusion of all this, which will probably now be more and more impressed on our bishops, is that Fr. P. belongs in some Greek jurisdiction where he can do what he thinks is right without dragging Russians into it. If he doesn\u2019t want this, Fr. P. had better start being more quiet and meek, just like the rest of us.<\/p>\n

Enough of all this. Symeon replied to you? We haven\u2019t heard from him since we warned him (and Fr. Alexander) about going too fast. He\u2019s not ready yet to be a deacon, as far as we can see, but probably he\u2019s already been ordained.<\/p>\n

Glory be to God for all things! Alexey will just have to learn more about rejoicing in sorrows. All this will be good for him, if he survives\u2014by God\u2019s grace and Vladika John\u2019s prayers, he will. May God preserve us all. Be prepared for really difficult trials ahead when you will have to defend the Faith. But don’t think you can do it by \u201cbeing right\u201d\u2014that\u2019s Fr. P\u2019s fata! mistake. You must be in the spirit and tradition of the Church, and then you will survive even if you might be \u201cwrong\u201d about something or other (even \u201cecclesiology\u201d\u2014we have so many \u201cecclesiological experts\u201d nowadays!). This message has not yet sunk into Fr. P, even though he talks about it.<\/p>\n

Seraphim, monk<\/p>\n

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Dear Nina, We were glad to get your letter. Thanks also for the letters which give the \u201cBoston version\u201d of recent events. We didn\u2019t like the tone at all\u2014 \u201coily,\u201d self-justifying, and rumor-mongering. To spread to California rumors about the personal life of Fr. Augustine Whitfield is not very noble, to say the least\u2014and yet […]<\/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-1364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1364","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=1364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1364\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}