Shepherd, Know Your Sheep – Open Letter to Archbishop Sotirios

Below is a response from a Canadian Orthodox Christian to a recent encyclical from Archbishop Sotirios asserting that supporters of a single communion spoon are “pagan.” The full text of the Archbishop’s encyclical in Greek and English is published below this response. Click here to skip ahead and read it. 


Your Eminence,

First and foremost, please do not combine the people that do not accept the existence of a Corona Virus or do not want to be vaccinated, together with the people that refuse to receive Holy Communion from multiple spoons. We are not the same. Most of the people that refuse to take Holy Communion with multiple spoons understand the Covid-19 problem and are fully vaccinated.

This brings us to the main issue. You are calling us idolaters because, to use your words, we have made the Lavida God and we worship the Lavida. You are wrong. We do not worship the Lavida. Worship belongs to God and God alone. Having said that, Christ’s body and blood cleanses the Lavida every time it is dipped into the Chalice. If you believe that anyone can get the virus from the Lavida, come out and say so. It looks like you are avoiding this issue because you know it is not true. Just like you cannot get the virus from Holy Communion because it is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, you cannot get the virus from the Lavida because it is cleansed every time it touches the Body and Blood in the Chalice. This is not just an opinion; it is clearly stated in the New Testament:

Matthew 8:2, Mark 1:40, Luke 5:12:

A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”  Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Jesus did not become a leper – the leper was cleansed.

Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25, Luke 8:43-44:

Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped . According to the law (Leviticus 15:27) the woman was considered unclean and any one that she touched her was also unclean.Yet, instead of Jesus becoming unclean, it was the woman that was cleansed.

Christ as EucharistSt Dosetheos of Jerusalem in his Apology against the Protestants explains what we get with Holy Communion. In Holy Communion we have the same body of Christ, the one that was conceived by the Virgin Mary, the one that was born in Bethlehem, the one that was baptized in the Jordan river, suffered, was buried, resurrected, ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

The conclusion is this: Anything that touches Jesus or, anything that Jesus touches, is cleansed. Therefore, when the Lavida touches Jesus’ Body and Blood, it is cleansed even if it has a virus. You cannot get a virus by using the Lavidaunless you believe that Holy Communion is not the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. But again, when the clergy prays during the Divine Liturgy, he is asking God to “make this bread the precious Body of Your Christ” and “that which is in this cup the precious Blood of Your Christ”. Later he continues: “I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that this is Your precious Blood….”  If you truly believe that, then you should not doubt that Holy Communion is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

If Paul’s handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them (Acts 19:12) and if the shadow of Peter was enough to heal the people (Acts 5:15) how can the Lavida which touches Christ’s Body spread a virus?

Now that we know that you will never get a virus from the Lavida the question is why change things? Why the introduction of multiple spoons?

Here are some possible explanations. You circulated the first two:

Communion spoonFirst, the government dictated it. They will issue fines or even close churches. This is wrong. The government has no authority to tell us how to take Holy Communion. It is called freedom of religion. They told us this over and over again. They insist we wear masks and keep proper distances in the church and we do that. If it was dictated by the government, then all Orthodox would have the same issue. How is it that the Old Calendar Orthodox, the Serbian, the Russian churches and so on, have no problem using the same Lavida ever since we had the virus and nobody is doing anything about it?

Second, nobody reported those other churches. This is wrong again. Not too long ago, the Toronto Public Health department visited one of the Old Calendar Orthodox churches here in Toronto and they only wanted to make sure they were wearing masks and keeping proper distances. Someone from the church asked them, “What about taking Holy Communion with the same spoon?” They answered, ”This is beyond our jurisdiction. We cannot tell you how to take Holy Communion.” In plain English, this means, “How you take Holy Communion is none of our business.”

Here is a third explanation: You, alone, wanted to change how Holy Communion is distributed and you used the virus as an excuse. Isn’t it true that this discussion was made in the Archdiocese cafeteria long before the virus came? Isn’t it true that in one of your speeches you proposed that the ladies who prepare the prosphoron should use some wine in the dough, thereby even changing the process of the Divine Liturgy? Isn’t it true that you have done all this and more because you are an Ecumenist and a decorated Freemason?

In your encyclical, you say: “By your selfishness you deprive yourselves of the Body and Blood of Christ.” You are wrong again. We do not deprive ourselves of the Body and Blood of Christ. We refuse to accept that you can get the virus from the Lavida. We take it from the other Orthodox churches that have kept the same method for thousands of years and there is nothing you can do about it. By the way, if some left the New Calendar Orthodox churches and went to the Old Calendar churches, consider yourself responsible for this. It was your unorthodox actions that drove them to this change.

Corona virus is not only a Canadian problem – it is all over the world. Can you explain why not thousands but millions of Orthodox continue to use one Lavida throughout the whole pandemic, and thank God they are doing just fine? Or is it true that we, in Canada, became the guinea pigs to see if the use of multiple spoons will be accepted by some and then you try to impose it on every Orthodox?

If you still believe that you can get a virus from the Lavida, ask yourself who the idolater is?

You are asking us to confess our sins and find the right spiritual father. We already do that. Thank God not all spiritual fathers are allowing themselves to follow your ideas. Confession is still private and you cannot pretend to know what goes on behind closed doors.

Also, let us not forget that most heresies started from the clergy and even patriarchs.  You claim that archbishops, priests, elders, monks, nuns do not follow the right Orthodox spirit but that you do follow it. Isn’t that your own egotism?

Finally, you are asking us to repent and obey you. We repent every day, every hour, we never consider ourselves above anything or anyone. As for obeying, sorry but “We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). If you fear the Triune God, and not the Luciferian god, you, your Eminence, would do the same.

Respectfully,

Christopher Papadopoulos – Member of the Orthodox Church of Canada


June-July 2021 Viewpoint

Θεοποιείς την λαβίδα; Είσαι ειδωλολάτρης.

Do You Worship the Communion Spoon? Then You Are a Pagan.

Τι κρίμα; Δεν το καταλαβαίνεις και νομίζεις, ότι είσαι ο πιο ορθόδοξος. Φωνάζεις προς όλες τις κατευθύνσεις, ότι κατέχεις την αλήθεια. Χωρίς να το καταλαβαίνεις θεοποιείς τη λαβίδα. Η Θεία Κοινωνία είναι Σώμα και Αίμα Χριστού. Είναι φάρμακο αθανασίας. Η λαβίδα είναι ένα όργανο. Όργανο μετάδοσης της Θείας Κοινωνίας και τίποτε άλλο. Θεοποιείς τη λαβίδα; Είσαι ειδωλολάτρης.

Όλοι οι νεοφανείς αλάθητοι είναι ειδωλολάτρεις και δεν το καταλαβαίνουν. Φωνασκούν. Εμείς έχουμε την αλήθεια. Εμείς γνωρίζουμε καλύτερα. Εμείς είμαστε οι πραγματικοί ορθόδοξοι. Κανείς άλλος δεν ξέρει τίποτε. Ούτε οι κυβερνήτες. Ούτε οι γιατροί. Ούτε οι πατριάρχες. Οι αρχιερείς . Οι ιερείς. Όλα είναι σκευωρία. Όλα είναι του σατανά. Εμείς έχουμε την αλήθεια. Δεν χρειάζονται τα εμβόλια. Όλα είναι ψέματα.

Όλα είναι προπαγάνδα. Μην ακούτε τους επιστήμονες. Ακούστε μόνο εμάς. Εμείς είμαστε αλάθητοι. Ξεπεράσαμε τον Πάπα κι ας υποστηρίζουμε, ότι είμαστε ακραιφνείς ορθόδοξοι.

Τι κρίμα; Που είναι η ταπείνωση; Δεν βλέπετε, ότι έχετε εωσφορικό εγωισμό; Αυτά διδάσκει η ορθόδοξη πίστη; Αυτά εμπνέει το Άγιο Πνεύμα; Όχι. Όλα είναι της δικής σας φαντασίας. Όλα είναι γεννήματα του εωσφορικού σας εγωισμού. Δεν βλέπετε πως πολλοί που υπεστήριζαν αυτά προσεβλήθησαν από τον κορωνοϊό και πόσοι πέθαναν; Τίποτε δεν μπορεί να σας συγκρατήσει; Κρίμα.

Αρχιερείς, ιερείς, γεροντάδες, μοναχοί, μοναχές, άνθρωποι απλοί που νομίζετε, ότι είστε ακραιφνείς ορθόδοξοι, καιρός να το ξανασκεφτείτε. Όλοι πρέπει να ενεργείτε υπεύθυνα. Αυτό σημαίνει, ότι αναγνωρίζετε, ότι ο κορωνοϊός είναι πραγματικότητα. Αναγνωρίζοντας αυτό πρέπει να δίνετε το καλό παράδειγμα. Πρώτοι εσείς να εμβολιαστείτε. Να γίνετε το παράδειγμα και να οδηγείτε όλους στον εμβολιασμό. Να σωθούμε από την επάρατο αυτή ασθένεια του κορωνοϊού.

Με τον εγωισμό σας στερείτε τον εαυτό σας από το Σώμα και το Αίμα του Χριστού. Σκανδαλίζετε τους πιστούς τρέχοντας σε παλαιοημερολογίτες και σε άλλους που δεν ακολουθούν το σωστό ορθόδοξο πνεύμα για να εξυπηρετηθείτε. Αυτό εκτός από ασέβεια είναι και μη εμπιστοσύνη στον Σταυρωμένο και Αναστημένο Χριστό.

Συνέλθετε. Μετανοείτε. Αναλογιστείτε το κακό που κάνετε. Οδηγείτε τους εαυτούς σας στην κόλαση και παίρνετε κι άλλους στο λαιμό σας.

Ταπείνωση και σύνεση. Η ταπείνωση είναι η βάση όλων των αρετών. Η σύνεση είναι η συνισταμένη όλων των αρετών. Προσευχηθείτε. Ζητήστε τον φωτισμό του Αγίου Πνεύματος. Βρείτε σωστούς πνευματικούς. Εξομολογηθείτε. Κλάψτε για τις αμαρτίες σας. Ζητήστε από τον εύσπλαχνο Θεό την συγχώρεσή σας. Θα σας συγχωρέσει. Είναι πολυεύσπλαχνος. Αυτή είναι η πραγματικότητα. Όλα τα άλλα είναι δημιουργήματα του εωσφορικού εγωισμού σας.

What a shame that you refuse to understand this. You continue to think that you are more orthodox than others. You shout in all directions that you possess the truth. Without realizing it, you deify the spoon. Holy Communion is the Body and Blood of Christ. It is medicine for immortality. The communion spoon is merely an instrument. It is a vehicle through which Holy Communion is given and nothing else. Do you worship the communion spoon? Then you are a pagan.

All of the newly proclaimed infallible are pagans without even realizing it. They howl that they have the truth. That they know better. That they are the genuine orthodox believers. That no one really understands what is happening in the world. Not the governments. Not the doctors. Not the patriarchs. Not the hierarchs. Not the priests.

For these people, conspiracy is everywhere. Everything comes from Satan. Only they have the truth. Vaccines are not necessary. Everything is a lie. It is all propaganda. They do not want us to listen to the scientists but to listen to what they have to say. They are the infallible. They have even surpassed the Pope, yet they claim to be genuinely Orthodox.

What a shame! Where is the humility? Can you not see your luciferian egotism? Is this what the Orthodox faith teaches? Is this what the Holy Spirit inspires? No. All of this is in your imagination. All of this is a product of your luciferian egotism. Do you not see that many who supported these ideas were infected with the coronavirus and some have died? Can nothing restrain you? What a pity.

Hierarchs, priests, elders, monks, nuns, ordinary people, all of you who think that you are more genuinely orthodox than the others, it is time to think again. You need to act responsibly. You need to recognize that the coronavirus is a reality. In recognizing this, you must set a good example for others. Be the first to get vaccinated. Become an example and lead everyone to get their vaccines. So we could finally save ourselves from this accursed coronavirus disease.

By your selfishness, you deprive yourselves of the Body and Blood of Christ. You scandalize the faithful by running to old calendarists and others who do not follow the true orthodox faith. This is not only disrespectful but also distrustful to the Crucified and Risen Christ.

Get a grip on yourselves. Repent. Think about the evil you are doing. You are leading yourselves to Hades and dragging others with you.

Think about humility and prudence. Humility is the basis of all virtues, and prudence represents the broader coherence, the resulting outcome of the virtues. You need to pray. To ask for the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. Find suitable spiritual fathers and confess. Cry for your sins. Ask the merciful God to forgive you. He will forgive you. He is merciful. This is the reality. Everything else is a product of your luciferian egotism.

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For more information on multiple spoons in Canada, please visit this category page

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