Orthodox Reflections

The Churches of Russia and Constantinople have been in schism since October 2018. The ROC unilaterally broke full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate over the granting of a “tomos” of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). The ROC’s actions included stopping the mention of Patriarch Bartholomew’s name in liturgy, dissolving the eucharistic connection, and considering the entire Constantinople Patriarchate tainted. This was followed in 2019 by a break between Alexandria and Moscow, over the former’s commemoration of “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko of the schismatic OCU in the Divine Services. Moscow further retaliated by setting up a new Exarchate in Africa and receiving 102 African priests.

Most Orthodox jurisdictions maintain communion will all sides of the disputes, even though most steadfastly support Metropolitan Onuphry and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The U.S. National Security State, working through its Constantinopolitan asset, had a real shot at moving Bulgaria into the “OCU” camp. This effort failed when, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, an actual Orthodox Bishop was elected Patriarch.

This is not an ideal situation, by any means, but it is at least a potentially manageable one. The issues underlying these schisms are largely questions of jurisdictional authority, not differences over Christian dogma. Such disputes, while vexing, have been resolved many times in the past. Their resolution is all the more likely if the U.S. National Security State ceases its meddling in the Orthodox Church.

Unfortunately, the issues separating the Churches are not staying confined to just ecclesiastical politics. As noted in the article, The Way to Schism Part 1: Ordination of a Female “Orthodox” Deacon, differences are now starting to appear between Orthodox Churches in matters of Faith and Practice. In one of the more egregious examples of a Church unliterally altering the practice of the Orthodox Faith, Alexandria has ordained a female Deacon and given her a role in the Divine Services, including distribution of the Eucharist. To say that was a shocking development in the world of Orthodoxy is an understatement. This ordination deliberately set a precedent that the supporters of female ordination hope will spread to other Orthodox jurisdictions.

If ordination of women remains a sort of “backwater” affair, then perhaps it can be ignored / papered over. That is largely what is happening right now. Most Orthodox hierarchs appear to be ignoring the new female Deacon, fervently hoping she will just go away. Such a strategy, however, stops working as soon as a female ordination occurs somewhere too prominent to ignore. There are limits to the differences that can be swept under the rug in the name of “unity”.

Ironically, a larger, more serious schism in the Orthodox Church could end up being caused by a “unity” of sorts between Constantinople, perhaps with Alexandria in tow, and the Roman Catholic Church, possibly with the Anglican heritage churches along for good measure. That is the kind of development that even the most schism-averse synods could not ignore.

Wait, you might say. Isn’t any kid of “unity” between all those churches impossible? The Anglican Church ordains women and homosexuals. (As noted, female ordination may becoming less of a barrier day-by-day for some “Orthodox”.) The Roman Church claims universal primacy for Pope Francis. (Or does it?) The Orthodox Church rejects Vatican I’s extravagant claims about Papal power, the Filioque, certain Marian dogmas, and has married priests. How can you overcome all the differences between these churches in order to have some kind of “unity” around a common chalice?

Easy. Ignore everything you can’t agree on, and let the Good Vibes flow. Welcome to Post-dogmatic Christianity, where it is all about the warm, fuzzy feelz. We are already well on our way to some form of union, judging by all the common prayer we are seeing.

Common prayer with the heterodox is canonically forbidden for the Orthodox. We can easily find many examples of canons forbidding the practice, but Canon 45 of the Holy Apostles will suffice to make the point clear: “Let any bishop, or presbyter, or deacon that merely joins in prayer with heretics be suspended, but if he has permitted them to perform any service as clergymen, let him be deposed.”

There are good reasons the canons forbid the practice of common prayer with the heterodox.  Common prayers can appear to affirm the validity of heterodox beliefs. Such practices muddle the witness of the Orthodox Church to being the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church by putting heterodox on an “equal footing” with us. Further, joint prayer confuses the Orthodox Faithful by opening the door to concelebration. If we can all pray together, then why can’t we fully worship together?

Eucharistic unity seems to be the overarching goal of Orthodox ecumenists, which is why Pascha 2024 saw Roman Catholic and Anglican clergy as prominent guests at Orthodox Divine Services.

Is a Roman Catholic Cardinal really a leader in the Orthodox Church who can claim an Orthodox Cathedral as his own?

Another example was an Episcopal Priest joining Fr. Evagoras at a Holy Week service. Fr. Evagoras is the Director of Special Events for the Office of the Archbishop and the Dean of the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Brooklyn. He is not some anonymous Orthodox priest from an obscure town in Fly Over country.

Who is the esteemed Episcopalian guest? Well, he is a “married” homosexual “priest”. Here is his bio:

There was no word on whether or not Very Reverend William’s “husband” Jonathan also attended the Orthodox service as a “special guest”.  A gay Episcopal priest (married to a man) is specifically invited by an Orthodox priest to a Holy Week Service. He attends while garbed in a cassock, carries a blessing cross, is not in a pew (Greek parishes have pews, so it is obvious) but rather is up front with the Orthodox priest as if they are “leading” the service together. His presence is later celebrated by the Orthodox priest on social media, who specifically states that the Episcopal priest joined him in prayer. Even though common prayer with the heterodox is uncanonical. The only way to understand all that is as an endorsement of both homosexuality and heresy, and a repudiation of Orthodox canonical norms.

Of course, not be left out, Archbishop Elpidophoros invited Roman Catholic Cardinal Dolan to attend Saint Nicholas National Shrine and bless the Orthodox Faithful on Holy Saturday.

In case you are wondering, it is absolutely uncanonical to receive the blessing of a heretic. Canon 32 of the Local Council of Laodicea states: “That one must not accept blessings of heretics, which are misfortunes rather than blessings.” As you can see in the picture above, Cardinal Dolan was giving out a lot of misfortune on Holy Saturday with the full support of a nominally Orthodox Bishop.

As an aside, there is no distinction made in Orthodox canons, or the witness of Orthodox saints, between common prayer with a “schismatic” versus a “heretic”. Even if there were, the Roman Catholic Church is, in fact, considered by Orthodox Christians to be heretical. Just one example comes from Silvester Syropolous, Great Ecclesiarch of Constantinople from the 15th Century as quoted in The Rudder: “The difference of the Latins is a heresy, our predecessors also held it to be such.”

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The occurrences of common prayer with heretics did not stop after Pascha. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine hosted a Juneteenth Ecumenical Prayer Service for “Healing the Wounds of Slavery”. Female “priests” were prominently featured at the event, sharing the spotlight with Archbishop Elpidophoros and other Orthodox clergy.

This was a double win for the ecumenists. At one event they were able to normalize both common prayer with the heterodox and female ordination. Orthodox ecumenists want female “priests” for their own ideological reasons, but also to remove one more barrier to potential unity with Anglicanism and Lutheranism. The continued “mainstreaming” within Orthodoxy of Woke ideology, particularly in regards to allegations of systemic American racism, was an added bonus.

If you are already praying together, blessing each others’ congregations, calling each other leaders in each others’ churches – then how far from a common chalice are you? If the previously-mentioned differences between the Churches can be papered over sufficiently to allow for this very advanced level of public “unity”, then what could possibly stop things from progressing even further?

Not much, judging by what is already happening. Next year, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church will share a common date for Pascha. There have already been wishes expressed, by both sides, for the two Churches to agree to a common date for Pascha going forward. To make that happen, one side of the Great Schism is going to have to comprise on the calendar / calculation used for the date of Pascha each year.

It is a good bet that when serious compromises are needed, they will likely be made by the Roman Catholic side. Why? Because the Papacy is an absolute monarchy and there is no analogous office within Orthodoxy. The Global powers-that-be, who are ultimately behind all this ecumenism, are perfectly okay with provoking a major schism within Orthodoxy over some jurisdictions joining a kind of “confederation of Churches”. However, they want Constantinople, and her allies, to bring as many Orthodox Christians along for the ride as possible. Too many changes at the parish level, and rebellions are sure to occur. The more things continue to look “normal”, the more Orthodox Christians will convince themselves that nothing to worry about is happening.

The Papacy defines Roman Catholicism. If the Pope, the Vicar of Christ, says it then it must be both true and obligatory. The Patriarch of Constantinople (or of Alexandria or Moscow or anywhere else) does not define the Orthodox Faith. A Roman Catholic can’t break communion with the Pope and remain Roman Catholic. An Orthodox Christian can separate from a faithless hierarch, and still be a member of the true Body of Christ.

We have no idea how far the Papacy will ultimately go in pursuit of “unity”. What we can say is that the Papacy has already gone further in affirming Orthodox positions, on a great many things, than anyone could have ever imagined. Former Roman Catholic writer, and Orthodox convert, Michael Warren Davis, wrote about this on his substack:

As an aside: it’s true, the current pope did influence my conversion, though not in the way you might expect. Since Francis took office, the Vatican has issued a steady stream of ecumenical statements conceding virtually every point to the Orthodox. Then came the recent “study document” on papal primacy, which calls for a “rereading” and “reinterpretation” of the First Vatican Council.

 

Now, Catholic apologists are quick to point out that these texts aren’t magisterial. But that’s not the point. The point is that the Catholic Church’s greatest scholars have basically admitted that Rome bears the lion’s share of blame for the Great Schism, and that Vatican I is historically and theologically indefensible, and that the Catholic Church must return to a more Orthodox understanding of ecclesial and magisterial authority. But, then, why not just… become Orthodox?

So does this mean that the Roman Catholic Church is in the process of becoming Orthodox? Not at all. There may be some compromises on the Roman Catholic side, maybe even some extreme ones, but the blueprint being followed is for more of a “confederation” than a true “union”. A confederation in which all the parties involved keep the majority of their distinctive beliefs and practices, while still being “one” in a sense that is useful to the Global Elite. The desired future is outlined below (emphasis added) in an article entitled Rome Moves Toward ‘Full Communion’ With Orthodox Anglicans: 

In a historic step, the Vatican is working toward “full communion” with conservative Anglicans by recognizing Anglican holy orders and churches without requiring “amalgamation or conversion.”

 

According to the Malta I proposals, differences in matters like Petrine primacy, infallibility, and Mariology, would be overcome by ensuring that “neither Communion is tied to a positive acceptance of all the beliefs and devotional practices of the other.”

 

The document agrees with the Eastern Orthodox Churches that the pope did not enjoy universal jurisdiction in the first thousand years of Christianity and quotes Cdl. Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI): “As far as the doctrine of the primacy is concerned, Rome must not require more of the East than was formulated and lived during the first millennium.”

Unity in diversity! How positively post-modern and appropriate for the 21st Century! We will become “one Church” again by simply ignoring our differences when possible, and forcing Rome to compromise when not.

The Global Elite pushing this confederation of churches has bigger plans for unity than just Christianity. In many concrete ways, the powers-that-be show us constantly that, in their preferred future, all faiths will be “one”. There is already an “Abrahamic Family House” in Abu Dhabi that is a multi-faith complex including a mosque, church, and synagogue. Even Russia is not safe from the pressure for “interfaith” unity. There are plans to Construct an interfaith cultural and educational center in the Kommunarka section of Moscow that will include an Orthodox Church, a mosque, a Jewish temple, and a Buddhist temple. The symbolism of co-locating different “houses of worship” in the same complexes simply cannot be ignored.

We can expect that, at some point, Hinduism will get added into the mix as well. Archbishop Elpidophoros already referred to a new Hindu temple in October 2023 as “sacred”:

In the boundless tapestry of creation, we are called to recognize and celebrate the diverse ways in which humanity seeks to connect with the divine. As Orthodox Christians, we are continually reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words, for from Him and through Him and for Him are all things.

 

In this spirit, we celebrate the unity and oneness that underline our shared human journey towards a world of peace and reconciliation. May the opening of this beautiful shrine be a beacon of joy, understanding, harmony within the Hindu community and beyond. May this unique piece of Indian art stand as a testament to our common humanity and may its sacred hall be a place where hearts are uplifted and souls find solace.

Welcome to the New World Order of Many Paths to God: All beliefs are valid. Whatever you believe is just fine. No need to argue. No need to evangelize. No need to convert. Follow your own cultural traditions. Or just your personal preferences. Whatever. Live and let live. God is the same, though different religions may express truths about Him / Her / It in different ways. Just chill, dude, it’s all good! 

If you want a practical example of how all this can play out, look no further than the Republican National Convention. The RNC featured a Sikh prayer from the main stage in prime time, and introduced the world to a supposedly “staunch” Roman Catholic Vice Presidential candidate who just happens to have an unconverted, Hindu wife. J.D. Vance believes so strongly in Freedom of Religion, he even practices it in his own family.  How enlightened of him!

Heck, even Freemasonry is going to end up in the coming religious “melting pot”. There are current masons among the ranks of Orthodox hierarchs today. Plus, Archbishop Elpidophoros has endorsed it. So let’s all extend a hearty welcome to our brothers from the local Masonic Lodge! There is truly room for everyone in the new Kingdom of God.

The fly in the ecumenical ointment, however, is that much of the Orthodox world will go into schism with the hierarchs who are heading in this direction. On a certain level, that is just fine with the Global Elite. The Russian Church will, most likely, be among those that says “Nyet” to “many paths to God”. For the West, that will help further “isolate” Russia and damage its perceived primary means of “soft power” (influence over culturally conservative non-Orthodox Christians in the West). The schism(s) that result along the path to “confederation” with various heretical bodies will be permanent. Important parts of ancient churches will be lost. An already messy jurisdictional situation in the West will get even more complicated for the average Orthodox Christian. Still, we will persevere.

The biggest threat to Orthodox Christians is that the unwary will accept some kind of false union because “nothing much is changing”. As noted above, keeping as much as possible the same in each church is a deliberate strategy to convince the congregations that everything is okay. When you show up on Sunday, you’ll still have the same liturgy, the same priest, the same icons, the same hierarchy, etc. Only now, you will be able to go to communion with everyone, even your unconverted, non-Christian spouse! Think of how good that will be for the children! You get to keep everything you have today, but it will be even better!

Don’t fall for it.

Regardless of who decides to “unify” or “confederate” with whom, until Christ’s Triumphant Second Coming, true Orthodox Christians must maintain the purity of the Faith – without compromise.  To remain within the Church founded by Christ, follow the canons, the Fathers, and Holy Tradition, while ignoring the ecumenists. Their way leads only to perdition.

Nicholas – member of the Western Rite Vicariate, a part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese in America