Fifty Athonite cells cease commemoration of Ecumenical Patriarch

Moscow, March 31, 2017

Photo: The Union of Orthodox Journalists Photo: The Union of Orthodox Journalists
    

According to the Greek site vimaorthodoxias.gr, more than fifty Athonite monastic kalyves and cells have ceased commemoration of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, as reported by a monk of one of these cells.

These small monastic dwellings have taken this step in response to the “ecumenical course” of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, especially following last June’s “Great and Holy Council” which gathered representatives of ten of the fifteen autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches, producing documents that several Synods, hierarchs, clergy, theologians, and monastics have taken issue with.

As previously reported, prominent theologian Archpriest Theodore Zisis announced on the Sunday of Orthodoxy that he was ceasing commemoration of his local hierarch of Thessaloniki, as had another priest, Fr. Nicholas Manolis. The same day, four Crete priests made the same move, although one has since resumed commemoration. Bishop Longin (Zhara) of Banchensk of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has taken a similar stand, as have a host of clergy of the Moldovan Church and of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Those who have ceased commemoration have not sought to join another or form their own synod, but rather have decided to practice a “walling off” as a form of protest, without committing the grave sin of schism. These hierarchs, monasteries, and fathers appeal to Canon 15 of the First-Second Council held in Constantinople in 861, presided over by St. Photios the Great, which states that if a bishop clearly preaches a heresy previously condemned by either a council or the holy fathers, priests are allowed to cease commemorating him in the Liturgy, and are to face no canonical penalties.

Objections following Crete have mainly been focused on the text “Relations of the Orthodox Church With the Rest of the Christian World,” which many feel gives, at best, an imprecise understanding of the Orthodox Church as the one and only true Church of Christ, or at best, contradicts this self-understanding.

Met. Athanasios of Limassol, who did not sign the controversial text, wrote after the council:

I maintain that giving the title “Church” to heretical or schismatic communities is entirely incorrect from a theological, dogmatic and canonical perspective because the Church of Christ is one, as also stated in Article 1, and we cannot refer to a heretical or schismatic community or group outside the Orthodox Church as “Church”… I humbly maintain that texts of such importance and prestige as those of the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church must be very carefully formulated with theological and canonical precision in order that these ambiguities or untested theological terms do not also give rise to incorrect expressions which could lead to misconceptions and distortions of the correct attitude of the Orthodox Church.

Cells and kalyves on Mt. Athos are smaller monastic dwellings that are dependencies of the ruling monasteries. It is also reported that two of these twenty ruling monasteries on Mt. Athos are also considering ceasing commemoration of the patriarch.

3/31/2017

See also
The “Council” of Crete and the New Emerging Ecclesiology: An Orthodox Examination The “Council” of Crete and the New Emerging Ecclesiology: An Orthodox Examination
Fr. Peter Alban Heers
The “Council” of Crete and the New Emerging Ecclesiology: An Orthodox Examination The “Council” of Crete and the New Emerging Ecclesiology: An Orthodox Examination
Fr. Peter Alban Heers
In this new lecture, Fr. Peter offers an insightul and balanced look at June 2016's Council that took place on the island of Crete, in which participated ten of the fifteen Local Orthodox Churches. Fr. Peter's talk covers the long process leading up to the council, the events that occurred during the council, and the documents produced by it. Through his examination of the theology and procedures of the council, Fr. Peter demonstrates that it is not a true representation of the Orthodox Church and its Orthodox faith.
Greek abbot calls upon Holy Synod to condemn heresies of Ecumenical Patriarch Greek abbot calls upon Holy Synod to condemn heresies of Ecumenical Patriarch Greek abbot calls upon Holy Synod to condemn heresies of Ecumenical Patriarch Greek abbot calls upon Holy Synod to condemn heresies of Ecumenical Patriarch
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Comments
Isidora4/3/2017 12:56 pm
Axios!
Paok4/1/2017 10:18 pm
Thank God! Hopefully, they stay strong and others follow suite. The problem is that they begin well, and they capitulate to the pressure from the ruthless high ranking clergy once. I hope this will not be the case here.
Anthony3/31/2017 11:00 pm
Now this news has made my day. Hee hee hee. Hopefully this turns into an avalanche and we see more and more Orthodox lifting up their heels against the heretical antics of the cia installed shill of Constantinople/
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