{"id":1568,"date":"2017-08-23T19:13:54","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T19:13:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/?p=8464"},"modified":"2017-08-23T19:17:59","modified_gmt":"2017-08-23T19:17:59","slug":"interview-with-abbot-father-petroniu-tanase-of-prodromos-skete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/?p=1568","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Abbot Father Petroniu T\u0103nase"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Words of wisdom, offered to a group of Orthodox pilgrims from Melbourne, by Abbot Father Petroniu Tanase from the Romanian Skete Prodromu (the Forerunner), at the Holy Mount Athos (on 23rd May 2005)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Romanian skete Prodromu (\u201cThe Forerunner\u201d) from the Holy Mount Athos is certainly a very welcoming place.\u00a0 One of the greatest things that anyone could have noticed was the Abbot bowing down to the ground in front of the door, waiting in this position until all the pilgrims, after meal, have left Trapeza.\u00a0 This Orthodox greeting could be \u2018translated\u2019 as such: I wish you to humble yourself, so you can gain the Heavens!\u00a0 Do not practice tourism, even in Sacred places, but act according to what God expects from you: look for Him, and He will be right next to you! \u00a0Get rid of your ego, so the Truth can dwell in you.<\/em><\/p>\n

Father Petroniu Tanase: These people, the hermits (the monks living in wilderness \/ desert) live in reclusion and prayer.\u00a0 They gave up the bodily needs, without saying many prayers, limiting themselves to \u201cLord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner\u201d.\u00a0 In order that one could reach that spiritual stage, as it is found in Philokalic writings and at Saint Symeon the New Theologian, one can not go straight to this Hesychastic experience.\u00a0 There is a need for a long preparation.\u00a0 In other words, man must be at peace from four directions.\u00a0 They are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. to be at peace with God, because He is our Maker,<\/li>\n
  2. to be at peace with his neighbour,<\/li>\n
  3. to be at peace with the material world (food, clothing, etc.) \u2013 because we can not use all these things as we like; otherwise these things lead us to gluttony, for instance, which is not from God,<\/li>\n
  4. to be at peace with ourselves, because we are not the masters of this \u201cmachinery\u201d \u2013 our body.\u00a0 This machinery can run quite well, but it does not depend on us.\u00a0 In other words, our beating heart is made by Someone Else, so we must be at peace with our body.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If all these things are fulfilled, we can start praying\u2026 And another thing: to reach the stage of passionless.\u00a0 What is to be passionless?\u00a0 It is the control of passions \u2013 gluttony, fornication, love of money and riches, hatred towards brethren \u2013 etc. first of all we have to get rid of all these things, reaching the stage of being passionless.\u00a0 Nevertheless, after sinning we still have the marks of sins, which we wear: they are inclinations to sin and these leanings towards sin are difficult to drop, therefore a passionless life is hard to achieve.<\/p>\n

    Once that man is at peace with God, with his neighbour, with the material world and with himself, he also must be passionless.\u00a0 Who can do all these things in today\u2019s world?\u00a0 In today\u2019s world the Hesychastic prayer is not anymore possible.\u00a0 Only the hermits can reach to this prayer.\u00a0 Saint Basil the Great says, explaining the Apostle\u2019s words of \u201cpray unceasingly\u201d, that to God we do not need to say many things.\u00a0 Therefore, let us fulfil the Apostle\u2019s words: either you drink, or you eat, thank to the Lord.\u00a0 We believe, as our Saviour promised to us, that He is with us until the end of the age.\u00a0 We do not say that we are here and God is in Heaven.\u00a0 God is with us!<\/p>\n

    The Power of God sustains our existence and is everywhere.\u00a0 As a proof that this is the teaching of the Church, it is the Lord\u2019s Prayer: \u201cOur Father who art<\/u><\/strong> in Heaven\u201d and not our Father who is<\/u> in Heaven!\u00a0 We speak directly to God our Lord!\u00a0 He is not at one kilometre away.\u00a0 He is present next to us all the time!\u00a0 But we can not understand with our limited minds, as He sees and hears us\u2026\u00a0 In spite of this reality, why do we forget this, as if He is not present\u2026 We imagine that if I do something during night time, locked in my room or cell, He does not know me and He does not see me\u2026 Saint Basil the Great says to follow exactly what the Apostle said.\u00a0 When we wake up from sleep we must say: thank God that I am awaked.\u00a0 Likewise in everything; when I start working I thank God that He gives me health to be able to do that job.\u00a0 This is the prayer that the Apostle is talking about: pray unceasingly.\u00a0 So, it is different from what the Hesychast living in desert does\u2026<\/p>\n

    An example: a well-known Hesychast from Romania, St Paisius Olaru from Monastery Sihastria told us this story.\u00a0 An old woman comes to him asking: \u2018What should I do, because I am illiterate, I can not read.\u00a0 I do not know many prayers from books.\u00a0 Shall I be saved?\u2019 \u2018How do you pray?\u2019 asked the father.\u00a0 \u2018Like this\u2019, answers the old woman.\u00a0 \u2018When I sweep the room, I say: cleanse, O Lord, my heart of all the rubbish as I clean of dirt my house, to make room for Thee and to please Thee as I like a clean the house.\u00a0 Likewise, when I wash clothes I say cleanse, O Lord, my soul of dirt in the way that I cleanse my clothing, so I shall be pleasing to Thee as I like my clothes to be clean.\u00a0 Is this a good prayer?\u2019\u00a0 Saint Paisius answered with \u2018pray only like this!\u2019\u00a0 So this woman was praying unceasingly haven\u2019t been reading from Saint Basil the Great.\u00a0 We need to make no confusion between the Hesychastic prayer form wilderness and the continuous prayer that man in the world could and should do.<\/p>\n

    Holy Fathers say \u2013 Saint John of the Ladder \u2013 that there is no communal life when you have a scattered mind.\u00a0 The Hesychastic prayer is difficult to be reached.\u00a0 You\u2019d rather say: Lord, have mercy!\u00a0 In the church we have a Liturgical life.\u00a0 During Pascha we say: Christ is Risen from the death!\u00a0 We do not just say: O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!\u00a0 There are feasts when we do not necessarily say: Lord, cleanse me of my sins.\u00a0 The Liturgical life comes with other and different states of the soul \u2013 and besides, living together with others, in the monastery or in the world, differs from the life that the hermits have.\u00a0 If you are interested in the prayer of the heart, the Hesychastic prayer, do not believe that you can do it in Melbourne. \u00a0You would rather try and do what Saint Apostle Paul advises us: either you eat or you drink, give thanks to God our Lord.<\/p>\n

    The Saints, the hierarchs and Saint Basil the Great know what they say.\u00a0 You live in this so-called Western civilisation.\u00a0 Does it not look unnatural and abnormal? \u00a0Especially this continuous obsession with sexuality?\u00a0 After the monk\u2019s life, everything can be explained very simply.\u00a0 The first thing which you have to abstain from in a monastery is eating too much. \u00a0Without this refrain from filling up your belly, that is fasting, all the other things simply fall.\u00a0 If our belly is stuffed up, straight away the demon of fornication enters the man\u2019s heart.\u00a0 In this \u2018society of consumption\u2019, from a good living, psychologically talking, all the other things unfold.\u00a0 The \u2018promotion\u2019 of a full belly is something completely abnormal.\u00a0 The insistence on these things is coming from the devil; we should keep our human dignity of men as created by God.<\/p>\n

    Answering questions, as posed by pilgrims:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    About the Orthodox family<\/u><\/p>\n

    Here at the monastery, we do not have a family as you know it.\u00a0 But no matter of how the situation is, we must live a Christian life.\u00a0 We know the Teaching of our Saviour.\u00a0 The Psalmist says in the First Psalm: \u2018blessed is the man who walketh in the law of the Lord\u2019.\u00a0 The Church teaches us all the good things: the sacraments, how to fast, alms giving, prayer \u2013 we have the Right Teaching, the Orthodox Teaching.\u00a0 If we hear differently do not get involved; it is not our business.\u00a0 Every one who teaches differently will be judged by God.\u00a0 The Church does not teach wrongly.\u00a0 The Orthodox should not be a stranger to the True Teaching.\u00a0 There are many books available.\u00a0 One of the heavy sins is ignorance.\u00a0 One can teach erroneously from a lack of knowledge.\u00a0 Holy Fathers clearly name these sins: lack of knowledge, carelessness and forgetfulness \u2013 and they can generate all the other sins.\u00a0 But if we keep everything that we have: the New and the Old Testaments, the Orthodox services, fasting, etc., we will not fail.<\/p>\n

    About the influence of the worldly (Masonic) teachings<\/u><\/p>\n

    We should not have anything in common with such teaching.\u00a0 We do not go to those people.\u00a0 As Holy Fathers say, if you touch the dirt you are getting dirty.\u00a0 We have nothing to take from them.\u00a0 Our Teaching is fulfilling and sufficient for our salvation.\u00a0 We should not discuss with others and be influenced by them.\u00a0 They need Orthodoxy.<\/p>\n

    About commemoration of the pope of Rome<\/u><\/p>\n

    It is wrong.\u00a0 The priest must pray for his bishop.\u00a0 Personally, in his private life, the deviant one can pray for the pope and for the pagans \u2013 but with a price: damaging his soul dangerously.<\/p>\n

    About families where members belong to other religions (Catholics, Protestants, etc.)<\/u><\/p>\n

    This is a mistake.\u00a0 The family must be united, so that it can not be broken.\u00a0 I hear similar things from Romania \u2013 there are only troubles and misunderstandings, because people look for material interests.\u00a0 If one of the members of a family is of another faith, he must be brought back to Orthodoxy.\u00a0 The Catholics and Protestants have wrong teachings, which can not harmonise because of the mentalities resulting from those teachings.\u00a0 For instance, the Catholics preach that the pope is God\u2019s deputy on earth!\u00a0 The Orthodox does not believe that because it is not true.\u00a0 The Saviour, when He ascended to Heaven, says: I am with you until the end of the age.\u00a0 Christ God is the One Who leads His Church, so it could not be a creature, a man leading the Church.\u00a0 Holy Fathers say: if only one hour the man would live, he will be full of sins.\u00a0 There is no infallible man.\u00a0 There is no logic in what the Catholics say that the pope would have a special charisma.\u00a0 There is nothing like that in the Holy Scriptures.\u00a0 This is an invention, and here at the Holy Mount, we do not recognise the Catholic baptism.\u00a0 When someone wishing to come to Orthodoxy arrives here, we baptise him.<\/p>\n

    More important details: <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Some twelve years ago we have been to the Holy Mount Athos, in a pilgrimage. We were ten people, and i was the only Romanian, as the other ones were Orthodox faithful from Melbourne, Australia, of different origins: Lebanese and Russian. Interpreting during our presence at the Romanian Skete was not an easy task…<\/p>\n

    In the context of the blasphemies arranged at the Cretan \u201csynod\u201d, part of this article tried to correct and to answer in an Orthodox manner to these stumbling things. At that time, in 2005, we knew about diverse heresies found in patriarchs and bishops and other people of the Orthodox Church, but the urgency that we live presently we did not feel then… Our path to these holy places was full of Orthodox teachings of great help: fixing family problems, finding jobs, understanding all things around in an Orthodox manner \u2013 all resolved! Of course, a few wounds and scratches happened too, after the Orthodox gains! But we could see clearly what Orthodoxy means, Who is NOT A RELIGION, but the ABSOLUTE LIFE INTO CHRIST!<\/p>\n

    And another detail: shortly after arriving back to Australia, personally i was a witness to a miracle. I was looking for a job, and this job i received on the day celebrating Holy Unmercenary Doctors Cosmas and Damian, at the Greek Orthodox College Saints Anargiri Cosmas and Damian!!! The Holy Relics of these Saints from Prodromu Skete and the prayers, as done by the dwellers living there, made the miracle! Glory to God, glory to Thee, O Lord!<\/p>\n

    Many more pictures with the Abbot can be found at: http:\/\/www.orthodoxphotos.com\/Orthodox_Elders\/Romanian\/Fr._Petroniu_Tanase\/index.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Words of wisdom, offered to a group of Orthodox pilgrims from Melbourne, by Abbot Father Petroniu Tanase from the Romanian Skete Prodromu (the Forerunner), at the Holy Mount Athos (on 23rd May 2005) The Romanian skete Prodromu (\u201cThe Forerunner\u201d) from the Holy Mount Athos is certainly a very welcoming place.\u00a0 One of the greatest things […]<\/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-1568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568","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=1568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxaustralia.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}