Arabic original here.
During the Divine Liturgy at which he presided on the occasion of the Synaxis of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and All the Bodiless Hosts, Patriarch Theodorus II of Alexandria and All Africa commemorated Epiphany, head of the so-called "Orthodox Church of Ukraine", thus making the Patriarchate of Alexandria the third church to recognize this entity, after the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Church of Greece.
This decision may not surprise those familiar with what's going on behind the scenes in the Orthodox world, those who are skilled in reading the signs preparing the way for this sort of decision, and those who have for some time have noticed:
- Patriarch Theodorus' total abstention from treating the Ukrainian issue for almost a year, after having been one of the ones to most strongly reject the granting of autocephaly to schismatics and after he visited Ukraine and expressed his clear support for Metropolitan Onufry and the church that he heads.
- The participation of one of the bishops of the Church of Alexandria in a service with a "bishop" from the schismatics, without the patriarch issuing any protest.
- The position of the metropolitan of Nigeria, who stated that "The Patriarchate of Alexandria is not and will not be allowed to be a protectorate of the Church of Russia."
If anyone in the Orthodox world is still unsure about the fact that Greek Orthodoxy as a whole does not approach the Ukrainian issue from an ecclesiastical, theological perspective, but rather from a racial-political perspective connected to the role of the "head of the Greek nation"-- that is, the Patriarch of Constantinople-- in the Orthodox world today, and from the perspective of lining up behind him whether he's right or wrong and integrating into the Phanar's politics, which aim to isolate the Church of Moscow, fragment it into national churches and weaken its role in the world, then it is difficult for believers to discover the Patriarch of Alexandria's renunciation of his previous words and positions, especially his statement on September 20, 2018 during the Divine Liturgy at which he presided with the one whom he called at the time "Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine", Onufry, in Odessa on the occasino of the 130th anniversary of the Baptism of the Rus, that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the legitimate Church, and his appeal to it to stand firm at a time of hardship and difficulty and in the face of schism, telling her faithful to remain united with this legitimate Church and to remain loyal to their Orthodox faith.
The Patriarch of Alexandria addressed the faithful of the legitimate Church, who have been subjected to persecution, saying, "I have come so that the whole world may see that the Patriarch of Alexandria is with you personally in these difficult days." He stated in the press conference, "The Church should be governed according to sacred canons. Politicians have their own considerations, guidelines and instructions but politicians come and go whereas the Church has existed inviolably for already two thousand years now. In this sense, the Patriarchate of Alexandria agrees with the opinion of the Russian Church that political pressure must not be yielded to. It is wrong that when states are divided and then the Church has to be divided too."
Who will remind the patriarch of his words on that day? Who will save the Church of Christ from the great scandal into which its leaders have fallen by surrendering and dociley complying with the politics of this world and abandoning the Law of God? Who will console the faithful in the abject state to which they have been brought today by the traffickers in holy things and temple theives?
The Patriarch of Alexandria has resoundingly fallen and his own words condemn him. His fall is not only a spear in the breast of the legitimate Church and her members, but also a spear in Christ's side. The Orthodox Church shall come forth, renewed and victorious from this side and his lot will be with all those who, over the course of history, have betrayed the faith.
Your Own Mouth Condemns You!
During the Divine Liturgy at which he presided on the occasion of the Synaxis of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and All the Bodiless Hosts, Patriarch Theodorus II of Alexandria and All Africa commemorated Epiphany, head of the so-called "Orthodox Church of Ukraine", thus making the Patriarchate of Alexandria the third church to recognize this entity, after the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Church of Greece.
This decision may not surprise those familiar with what's going on behind the scenes in the Orthodox world, those who are skilled in reading the signs preparing the way for this sort of decision, and those who have for some time have noticed:
- Patriarch Theodorus' total abstention from treating the Ukrainian issue for almost a year, after having been one of the ones to most strongly reject the granting of autocephaly to schismatics and after he visited Ukraine and expressed his clear support for Metropolitan Onufry and the church that he heads.
- The participation of one of the bishops of the Church of Alexandria in a service with a "bishop" from the schismatics, without the patriarch issuing any protest.
- The position of the metropolitan of Nigeria, who stated that "The Patriarchate of Alexandria is not and will not be allowed to be a protectorate of the Church of Russia."
If anyone in the Orthodox world is still unsure about the fact that Greek Orthodoxy as a whole does not approach the Ukrainian issue from an ecclesiastical, theological perspective, but rather from a racial-political perspective connected to the role of the "head of the Greek nation"-- that is, the Patriarch of Constantinople-- in the Orthodox world today, and from the perspective of lining up behind him whether he's right or wrong and integrating into the Phanar's politics, which aim to isolate the Church of Moscow, fragment it into national churches and weaken its role in the world, then it is difficult for believers to discover the Patriarch of Alexandria's renunciation of his previous words and positions, especially his statement on September 20, 2018 during the Divine Liturgy at which he presided with the one whom he called at the time "Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine", Onufry, in Odessa on the occasino of the 130th anniversary of the Baptism of the Rus, that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the legitimate Church, and his appeal to it to stand firm at a time of hardship and difficulty and in the face of schism, telling her faithful to remain united with this legitimate Church and to remain loyal to their Orthodox faith.
The Patriarch of Alexandria addressed the faithful of the legitimate Church, who have been subjected to persecution, saying, "I have come so that the whole world may see that the Patriarch of Alexandria is with you personally in these difficult days." He stated in the press conference, "The Church should be governed according to sacred canons. Politicians have their own considerations, guidelines and instructions but politicians come and go whereas the Church has existed inviolably for already two thousand years now. In this sense, the Patriarchate of Alexandria agrees with the opinion of the Russian Church that political pressure must not be yielded to. It is wrong that when states are divided and then the Church has to be divided too."
Who will remind the patriarch of his words on that day? Who will save the Church of Christ from the great scandal into which its leaders have fallen by surrendering and dociley complying with the politics of this world and abandoning the Law of God? Who will console the faithful in the abject state to which they have been brought today by the traffickers in holy things and temple theives?
The Patriarch of Alexandria has resoundingly fallen and his own words condemn him. His fall is not only a spear in the breast of the legitimate Church and her members, but also a spear in Christ's side. The Orthodox Church shall come forth, renewed and victorious from this side and his lot will be with all those who, over the course of history, have betrayed the faith.
The Patriarch of Antioch should remind him as he is his next in honor and now the responsibility lies on his shoulders. J.G. is his adviser and he takes part of this responsibility.
ReplyDeleteComplete nonsense. There is nothing that is canonically incorrect about Constantinople's actions in Ukraine at all. No matter how much you agree or disagree with his decision. This dangerous rhetoric is the real cancer that will break Orthodoxy. On either side of the issue, Moscow or Constantinople. Clearer heads must prevail.
ReplyDeleteWhile granting this decision was unwise and terrible for Orthodox unity, it is not uncanonical and it is entirely within the prerogatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to do so. Slavs and Greeks need to accept both these facts, which they are, facts. That Constantinople has legitimate authority to commit to this action and that the action was basically a failure. And we need to come together as one Church to solve this issue. May clearer minds prevail than this, and than any other people who want to spread division in the Orthodox Church over this issue.
Everything is canonically incorrect about Constantinople's actions in Ukraine based on the official position paper distributed by Constantinople itself to the local churches in the 1990's. The main issue is not about the prerogatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to grant Autocephaly or not but it is about how and to whom it should be granted. Constantinople decision it is not only unwise but it is against the basic principle of conciliatory and unity in the Church.
Delete