EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). In the last days of December 2023, Pat. Bartholomew released a statement declaring its “desire for more direct contact with all the local Orthodox Churches and our willingness at the same time to contribute to the search for solutions to all, what concerns the intra-Orthodox body, always within the given principles, conditions, and limits of the ecclesiology of the Eastern Orthodox Church.” As Eleftherios Kosmidis notes (below in English and Greek), we cannot rejoice because, behind the double-faced Phanariot language, we cannot detect any sincerity or any feelings of remorse that would lead to true reconciliation.
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source- katanixi.gr
The Phanar declares itself ready for contacts with Churches on the “pan-Orthodox problem”
By Eleftherios Kosmidis
Patriarch Bartholomew called [1] on all Churches “to work together, not only theoretically in the Eucharist, but in all aspects of church life.”
On December 27, 2023, the feast of St. Stephen, presided over the Divine Liturgy, celebrated at the celebrated Church in Balata, of the Orthodox Bulgarian-speaking Community of the City, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople stated that the Phanar is ready for contacts with the Churches on a “pan-Orthodox problem”.
This is undoubtedly good news. But why can’t we rejoice? Why are we extremely sceptical about these statements? It seems that the Phanar puts water in its wine and accepts the proposal that Archbishop Anastasios of Albania had submitted from the beginning.
A strong reservation is justified because one goes from “heartbreak” to “forgiveness” only through humility and sincere repentance.
We wondered whether these publications are valid for Orthodoxy to live the mystery of practical repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation, with the practical healing of schism within Orthodoxy.
On a closer reading of Patriarch Bartholomew’s statements, we did not come to the same conclusion. Rather, he seems to be calling on the Churches to find out if they have learned their lesson, what awaits anyone who questions the new role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as formulated in the new heretical ecclesiology of the pseudo-synod of Kolymbari, Crete:
The challenges are many. The Great Church of Christ in Constantinople suffers repeated blows. The dilemmas are huge. The need for coordination and balance between canonical precision and pastoral solution is imperative. The adventurous weather changes in the historical present of the time make it difficult to choose alternative routes. The venerable and holy chorus of our predecessors with pain and paternal condescension is trying to find solutions. The major issue of the pastoral arrangement of each local Church within the limits of the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate becomes a pan-Orthodox problem, as the other three patriarchs of the East deal with us.
The pressing demands for emancipation, on the pretext of easier pastoral care, are taking explosive proportions and the status of the so-called Autocephaly is becoming a major problem within the Orthodox body. Unfortunately, the openness and long-suffering – in fact a sacrifice – of the Great Church of Christ was perceived – erroneously and ingratitude – as weakness and inability to settle matters. But the truth can never be concealed. The passage of time and the accumulated spiritual experience of the Patriarchate brings things back to right.
Today we have all understood from the actions and mistakes of the past that unity is the goal and the safe and only basis for the stability of the Holy Churches of God. The gradations and naming of the various ecclesiastical formations throughout the world are not a project, but a tool for the pastoral healing and ministry of the faithful. The understanding and coexistence of local churches is now or sometimes a priority and demand. The mistakes of the past are not only a negative legacy, but mainly the germination for new sowing and cultivation of coexistence, the closer and deeper understanding of problems, the restoration of non-Orthodox ecclesiastical life to its primordial well-being.
Today, from this Holy Church, a point of once problematic reference, we send to all our invitations of love and solidarity in unity, not only theoretical in the Holy Eucharist, but in all aspects of ecclesiastical life. We declare our desire for more direct contact with all the local Orthodox Churches and our willingness at the same time to contribute to the search for solutions to all, what concerns the intra-Orthodox body, always within the given principles, conditions and limits of the ecclesiology of the Eastern Orthodox Church”.
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Άρθρο του Ελευθέριου Ν. Κοσμίδη
Η διγλωσσία που χαρακτηρίζει τη Φαναριώτικη ρητορική και την Πατριαρχία Βαρθολομαίου Αρχοντώνη, δεν μας καθησυχάζει
Ο Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος απηύθυνε κάλεσμα [1] σε όλες τις Εκκλησίες «να εργαστούν μαζί ουχί μόνον θεωρητική εν τη θεία Ευχαριστία αλλ’ εις πάσας τας πτυχάς του εκκλησιαστικού βίου».
Στις 27 Δεκεμβρίου 2023, εορτή του Αγίου Στεφάνου, προεξήρχε της Θείας Λειτουργίας, που τελέστηκε στον πανηγυρίζοντα φερώνυμο Ι. Ναό στον Μπαλατά, της Ορθοδόξου Βουλγαροφώνου Κοινότητος της Πόλεως, ο Πατριάρχης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Βαρθολομαίος δήλωσε ότι το Φανάρι είναι έτοιμο για επαφές με τις Εκκλησίες για «πανορθόδοξο πρόβλημα».
Πρόκειται αναμφίβολα για μια ευχάριστη είδηση. Γιατί όμως δεν μπορούμε να χαρούμε; Γιατί είμαστε άκρως επιφυλακτικοί με τις δηλώσεις αυτές; Μοιάζει να βάζει νερό στο κρασί του το Φανάρι και να αποδέχεται την πρόταση που είχε υποβάλλει εξ αρχής ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αλβανίας Αναστάσιος.
Είναι δικαιολογημένη μια ισχυρή επιφύλαξη γιατί από τη “σκασίλα” φτάνει κανείς στη “συγχώρεση” μόνον δια της ταπεινώσεως και της ειλικρινούς μετανοίας.
Αναρωτηθήκαμε κατά πόσο ισχύουν τα δημοσιεύματα αυτά για να ζήσει η Ορθοδοξία το μυστήριο της έμπρακτης μετάνοιας, της συγχώρεσης και της καταλλαγής, με την έμπρακτη θεραπεία του σχίσματος μέσα στην Ορθοδοξία.
Με μια προσεκτικότερη ανάγνωση των δηλώσεων του Πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίου, δεν καταλήξαμε στο ίδιο συμπέρασμα. Περισσότερο μοιάζει να καλεί τις Εκκλησίες για να διαπιστώσει αν πήραν το μάθημά τους, τι περιμένει όποιον αμφισβητεί τον νέο ρόλο του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου, όπως διατυπώθηκε στη νέα αιρετική Εκκλησιολογία της ψευδοσυνόδου του Κολυμπαρίου Κρήτης:
“Αι προκλήσεις πάμπολαι. Η εν Κωνσταντινουπόλει Μεγάλη του Χριστού Εκκλησία δέχεται αλλεπάλληλα πλήγματα. Τα διλήμματα τεράστια. Η αναγκαιότης συναρμογής και ισορροπίας μεταξύ κανονικής ακριβείας και ποιμαντικής λύσεως επιτακτική. Αι περιπετειώδεις καιρικαί εναλλαγαί εις το τότε ιστορικόν παρόν δυσχεραίνουν την επιλογήν εναλλακτικών διεξόδων. Ο σεβάσμιος και Άγιος χορός των προκατόχων ημών μετ’ άλγους και πατρικής συγκαταβάσεως προσπαθεί να ανεύρη λύσεις. Το μείζον ζήτημα της ποιμαντικής διευθετήσεως των καθέκαστα τοπικών Εκκλησίών εντός των ορίων της δικαιοδοσίας του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου, καθίσταται πανορθόδοξον πρόβλημα, καθώς συναλγούν μεθ’ ημών και οι άλλοι τρεις πατριάρχαι της Ανατολής.
Τα πιεστικά αιτήματα της χειραφετήσεως, επί προφάσει της ευχερεστέρας ποιμαντικής, λαμβάνουν εκρηκτικάς διαστάσεις και το καθεστώς του λεγομένου Αυτοκεφάλου εξελίσσεται εις μείζον πρόβλημα εντός του Ορθοδόξου σώματος. Ατυχώς, η ευρύτης και μακροθυμία -κατ’ ακρίβειαν θυσία- της Μεγάλης του Χριστού Εκκλησίας εξελήφθη -κατά πλάνην και κατ’ αχαριστίαν- ως αδυναμία και ανικανότης να διευθετήση τα θέματα. Όμως, η αλήθεια δεν δύναται ποτέ να αποκρυβή. Η πάροδος των χρόνων και η επισεσσωρευμένη πνευματέμφορος εμπειρία του Πατριαρχείου επαναφέρει τα πράγματα εις το ορθόν.
Σήμερον οι πάντες έχομεν κατανοήσει εκ της πράξεως και των λαθών του παρελθόντος ότι η ενότης είναι το ζητούμενον και η ασφαλής και μόνη βάσις διά την ευστάθειαν των Αγίων του Θεού Εκκλησιών. Αι διαβαθμίσεις και ονοματοδοσίαι των διαφόρων ανά την οικουμενην εκκλησιαστικών σχηματισμών δεν είναι πρόταγμα, αλλά εργαλείον διά την ποιμαντικήν θεραπείαν και διακονίαν των πιστών. Η συνεννόησις και συνύπαρξις των τοπικών εκκλησιών πλέον η άλλοτε είναι προτεραιότης και ζητούμενον. Τα λάθη του παρελθόντος δεν αποτελούν μόνον αρνητικήν παρακαταθήκην, αλλά κυρίως την φύτραν διά νέαν σποράν και καλλιέργειαν της συνυπάρξεως, της εγγυτέρας και βαθυτέρας κατανοήσεως των προβλημάτων, της επαναφοράς του καθόλου ορθοδόξου εκκλησιαστικού βίου εις το αρχέγονον ευ είναι του.
Σήμερον από του Ιερού τούτου Ναού, σημείον άλλοτε προβληματικής αναφοράς, αποστέλλομεν τοις πάσι πρόσκλησιν αγάπης και συμπορεύσεως εν ενότητι, ουχί μόνον θεωρητική εν τη θεία Ευχαριστία αλλ’ εις πάσας τας πτυχάς του εκκλησιαστικού βίου. Δηλούμεν την επιθυμίαν μας διά αμεσωτέραν επαφήν μεθ’ όλων των κατά τόπους ορθοδόξων Εκκλησιών και την προθυμίαν μας ταυτοχρόνως διά να συμβάλλωμεν εις ανεύρεσιν λύσεων εις παν ο,τι απασχολεί το ενδορθόδοξον σώμα, εντός πάντοτε των παραδεδομένων αρχών, όρων και ορίων της εκκλησιολογίας της κατ’ Ανατολάς Ορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας” [2].
I don’t understand the English translation of Bartholomew’s statement, to say nothing of the Greek original. What the patriarch is trying to say in his convoluted “episcospeak” is beyond my ability to comprehend. I wouldn’t trust the man even if I were able to parse his arcane language. I don’t trust the man at all. As far as I’m concerned he can don sackcloth, cover himself in ashes, and fall on his knees before the other patriarchs, especially the Russian patriarch and the true Ukrainian metropolitan begging for their forgiveness for betraying them. If Bartholomew doesn’t have the respect for his brothers to debase himself like Christ, then I would suggest that he simply abdicate his throne in disgrace and hurry off to a monastery to repent until his dying day. Perhaps then the Lord will have mercy on his soul.
And yes Lawrence …that should be the case for all the Evangelical and Protestant Christian leaders …like Hagee, Graham, Pence, who cheer on Genocide against Orthodox, Catholic , and Muslims of the Middle East !
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. … called the dominate Evangelical and Protestant population of America and it leaders as “Enablers’ of genocide in the Vietnam War! And the most violent nation on the earth! And he was Assassinated by the FBI , C.I.A and members fo the Mafia…(Source: 1996 civil lawsuit verdict by Jury and trial in Shelby, Tennessee. declaring Earl Ray just scapegoat of Martin luther King Jr. murder!
Three years ago the ” the leaders and Boards of the Presbyterian Churches of America issue a proclamation calling the Jewish State of Israel an Aparthied State oppressing the Human and religous rights of the People of Palestine/Gaza and demanded that they stop oppressing of the population of Palestine” They were called Anti Semitic! So Lawrence.. a good way for Bartholomew and the leaders of the Protestant/Evangelical Churches to repent is to condemn the Jewish Zionist Regimes of America , Ukraine , and Israel for oppressing the Human rights and religious freedoms of the Orthodox Church of Ukrarine and Palestines, and stop the genocide of entire population of Palestine and Ukraine!
This would be more than enough, to have 2.4 billion Christians to demand the “Reign of Terror” being imposed on mankind by the Zionist government of America , England , Israel, and Ukraine ! And maybe the lord will have mercy on all the Christian Church leaders of the world !
Christian Zionism is a heresy that is mindlessly embraced by too many Evangelical Christians, as you suggest. There is only one new covenant with God, and that is reconciliation with God through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ. The conditions of that covenant apply equally and without prejudice to all men, whether Jew or gentile. So, in a word the Christian Zionists who carve out a special place for ethnic Jews in their theology are wrong; and you are right.
After the heinous attacks of Oct. 7, Israel was justified in retaliating against Hamas, but it seems that the retaliation has been overwhelmingly disproportionate. Public objections to this are justified if they remain peaceful protests.
The actions of the United States in Vietnam, Iraq, and Ukraine–to name a few conflicts–bring shame to our country. It is especially painful to think how many of our Christian brethren we have killed or whose deaths we have facilitated in those countries over my lifetime. The war in Ukraine, where Orthodox brothers are killing each other, must end soon. That is part of the reason that I support Donald Trump’s campaign.
Would be nice, but not very likely. Black Bart is vain and arrogant. He worries far more about the thirty pieces of silver that the State Department has stuffed in his pockets than the truth or the canons. He is an embarrassment to the whole Church especially to those of us who are Greek.
If this is truly not a hypocritical statement…
“…Today we have all understood from the actions and mistakes of the past that unity is the goal and the safe and only basis for the stability of the Holy Churches of God…”
…then the Patriarch should rescind the Tomos from Epiphanios as a first ACTION of good faith to prove his words…