The True Christ

NEW HERESIES 

by Met. Augoustinos Kantiotes of Florina

“We will not deny you beloved Orthodoxy!”

Concerning Philo-papism

     (From the Editor) Many contemporary and influential Orthodox leaders have been traveling on a crooked path of betrayal by kissing, praising, flirting, embracing and glorifying the Pope of Rome, who has usurped the place of Christ as Head of the Church, even to bringing popes into the Orthodox churches. This article by the Metropolitan was translated from original Greek. Also the dogmas of Orthodoxy require that every one outside must enter through denouncing their heresies and must by baptized by triune baptism)

      Lately, certain theologians under the influence of contemporary world wide currents, have begin to savor the words “ecumenicity”, “ecumenical spirit”, and “ecumenical movement”, as if they were hard candy.  Ecumenicity, what a beautiful word!  And yet, behind these words lie a hidden most fearful danger to Orthodoxy.  What is this danger?  We will show you by means of an example.

     Imagine a woman, a woman faithful to her husband, a woman who will show no third party to enter into their relationship, ever mindful of the promises which she has made before God and before men. She is a woman of exceptional beauty, drawing the eyes of many a man. On account of her uprightness, however, anyone who dares to touch, or to proposition her, immediately meets with her anger.  Should such a one persist, this honorable woman will deliver a strong slap to his face in order to bring him to his senses.

     Those men who are learned in such vile business, however, will try another method. These will try too uncover what it is that this woman likes; does she love poetry, or philosophy, or art? By means of these things the secret admirer will trap her.  With great deftness he will begin having innocent conversations with her on those subjects that are beloved to her. “What a wonderful poem!”; “What a beautiful painting!”; “What a wonderful play!”; “How sweet a piece of music!’ And thus begins the dialogue.  Gradually the unsuspecting woman is lured into longer conversations with the deceiver who, while his tongue speaks of philosophy and art, his heart leaps at the hope of taking the woman for himself.  Finally after an air of great familiarity and mutual understanding has been achieved through these conversations, the door is open to the foul deed, the shameful union.  Just as the most-evil serpent succeeded in beguiling Eve by means of a simple conversation, in like manner the seed of shameful union was sown,

     Did you catch what we are trying to say, beloved? We have spoken in a parable.

     The woman concerning which we have spoken is our Orthodox Church. She is the beauty. She is the woman who, according to the book of Revelation is “clothed in the Sun”, who wears “upon her head a crown of twelve stars”, and who has “the moon under her feet”.  It is the Orthodox Church which has remained faithful to the Lord, to the eternal bridegroom. It is she who has kept our the tradition of the Lord and of the Apostles – both written and unwritten – in accordance with the God inspired call to “stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”  It is she, the Orthodox Church, which for nineteen centuries has fought the hard and bloody battle against various deceptions, against the various heresies which have sought to pollute and corrupt her holiness.  One of the worst of these heresies is Papism which, on account of its delusions, its authoritarian spirit, and its atrocities, caused the rise of Protestantism and the fracturing of all of Christendom.  Yes, the Papists are heretics. 

     The enemies of the Orthodox Church, including Papism to be sure, know well that she has persevered in the faith of her Fathers. Yet, having been persuaded through many examples that they cannot conquer that fortress which is Orthodoxy by means of a frontal attack, these enemies have recently begun trying by other means.  They have begun a new war, a war of peace, a war worse than the Crusades. Do you not hear the voice of the serpent, seeking to corrupt the minds of Orthodoxy, leading us away from our simplicity? 

     Here is what the serpent says: I am a sweet angel bearing the message of love. I am not going to hurt you. Keep your dogmas and traditions.  Leave these things to the theologians . . . I invite you into my room to discuss other matters.  Let us make a common stand against hunger, against poverty, against atheism, against communism, against war.  Do these matters not move you? Does not this proposition not excite you?  Come then, let us begin our conversation on high, on the level of ecumenicity, on the level of mutual understanding. You will see how beautiful our coming together can be!

     O Orthodox Church!  Our suffering mother! Will you accept this proposition? Will you enter into dialogue with Papism? Can you not see the danger inherent in this proposition? That those who ineptly and unworthily represent you are creating conditions favorable to your enemies to such a fearful degree that you without even taking notice, will fall into the arms of Papism. And what will follow then? A union, a pseudo-union, spiritual adultery, a most vile act; something which should never to have occurred and which will require centuries of repentance from those Orthodox who played the role of pimp for the Orthodox Church.  The hour will come when these will sigh and say: “Let the language which we spouted concerning “ecumenicity” and “mutual understanding” cease; let these feet which ran to bring together Orthodoxy and wolves in sheep’s clothing become leprous; let these hands which signed ecumenical epistles and documents fall off!” 

     This my beloved, is the famous ‘theory of ecumenicity’ which our leaders savor!

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