OUR MAIN PHOTO: Just a few months ago, the whole Constantinople Patriarchate leadership, guided very aggressively by its State Department / Intelligence “liaison” Karloutsos, met in New York, at the Ukrainian offices at the U.N. to make plans and “coordinate”.  But now they want the “sheep” to believe they are “blameless”…
ΕΑΝ ΠΡΟΤΙΜΑΤΕ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΠΑΤΗΣΤΕ ΤΗ ΣΗΜΑΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΚΑΤΩ ΜΕΡΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΘΟΝΗΣ

By Nick Stamatakis

Patriarch Bartholomew’s recent public posture, presented through a friendly Western media lens (interview with Greek daily “Ta NEA” – link here and full translated text at the bottom), resembles less a moment of spiritual leadership than a coordinated exercise in damage control. The tone is defiant, the language absolutist, and the allocation of blame entirely one-sided: Russia is responsible for everything; Constantinople for nothing. This framing closely mirrors the broader Western narrative of the Ukraine war—a narrative increasingly exposed as selective, evasive, and incapable of acknowledging its own role in producinsonhole g catastrophe.

At any rate, the threat of Bartholomew’s messaging lies in a familiar strategy: total externalization of responsibility. The war is Russia’s fault. The ecclesiastical schism is Russia’s fault. The persecution of clergy and parishes is Russia’s fault. The humanitarian disaster is Russia’s fault. Bartholomew casts himself as a besieged moral witness—courageous, slandered, unafraid—but never as a decision-maker whose actions reshaped realities on the ground.

This is not a coincidence. It is imitation.

Should I add here that Kaloutsos has disappeared from the face of the Earth in recent weeks – in a likely effort to dissociate himself from the Ukrainian catastrophe? 

The Western Template of Denial

Western political culture has, in recent years, perfected a model of leadership in which disastrous outcomes are paired with moral grandstanding and zero accountability. When the Nord Stream pipelines were destroyed, the immediate response was not a transparent investigation but narrative management. Responsibility was rhetorically displaced, even as Europe suffered self-inflicted energy collapse, deindustrialization, and inflation. No senior Western official accepted responsibility. The suffering was real; accountability was absent.

The same pattern emerged when former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President François Hollande openly admitted that the 2015 Minsk agreements (which, if followed by the West and Ukraine, would have brought permanent peace) were never intended to secure peace, but to buy time to arm Ukraine. This revelation should have shattered the West’s moral absolutism. Instead, deception was reframed as strategic wisdom, and escalation as necessity.

Bartholomew has now imported this logic directly into ecclesiastical discourse.

Ukraine as an Ecclesiastical Minsk

For decades, the Orthodox Church in Ukraine maintained a fragile yet real canonical equilibrium. It was imperfect, but it was recognized, functional, and followed by the overwhelming majority of believers. Bartholomew knew this. He acknowledged it repeatedly, at least once IN WRITING – in a letter to the Moscow Patriarch. He affirmed jurisdictional boundaries and warned against violence, seizures, and disorder.

Then came the reversal.

The unilateral grant of autocephaly was framed as a moral imperative—a healing act meant to correct injustice. In reality, it functioned as an ecclesiastical equivalent of Minsk: a political maneuver presented as peace, but structurally designed to provoke confrontation. The consequences were immediate and predictable. Churches were seized. Clergy were assaulted. Communities were torn apart. The canonical Church was stigmatized as hostile. The state intervened. Faith became a weapon.

Now, confronted with the ruins, Bartholomew speaks as though none of this could have been foreseen.

Moral Absolutism as Evasion

The defining feature of Bartholomew’s current rhetoric is moral absolutism. Russia’s war is described in metaphysical terms—evil, irrational, satanic—while Constantinople’s actions are placed beyond scrutiny. This is not theology; it is immunity through moralization.

By elevating his own role into a realm of untouchable righteousness, Bartholomew avoids concrete questions:

  • Why were canonical procedures bypassed?

  • Why was the pan-Orthodox consensus ignored?

  • Why were previously acknowledged jurisdictional realities reversed?

  • Why were warnings about violence disregarded?

  • Why has no responsibility been taken for the persecution of clergy loyal to the canonical Church?

Instead of answers, the public is offered indignation. Instead of accountability, accusations of propaganda.

This mirrors Western political behavior precisely: when outcomes are disastrous, intensify virtue signaling and suppress discussion of causality.

Kiev and Spiritual Recklessness

Kiev is not an administrative abstraction. It is the baptismal cradle of Eastern Slavic Christianity, the place where Prince Vladimir was baptized, the source from which a civilization emerged. To treat Kiev as a technical jurisdictional problem subject to geopolitical realignment is not only canonically reckless—it is spiritually blind.

Bartholomew’s decision ignored this depth. History was treated as an inconvenience, tradition as an obstacle. The result was not healing but fragmentation; not unity but coercion. Faith was subordinated to timing, alignment, and pressure.

Now, as consequences multiply, responsibility is displaced entirely onto a single external villain.

Panic Disguised as Courage

The repeated insistence—“I am not afraid”—is itself revealing. Leaders confident in the justice of their actions do not need to announce fearlessness. Such language signals strain, isolation, and an awareness that the historical verdict may be harsh.

Bartholomew is not being challenged because he is righteous. He is being questioned because his decisions had consequences. Ukraine’s humanitarian catastrophe did not begin with tanks alone. It began when spiritual authority was subordinated to politics, when canonical restraint was abandoned, and when unity was sacrificed for alignment.

To acknowledge this would require humility. Instead, we are offered defiance—panic dressed as prophetic courage.

January 24, 2026, n.stamatakis@aol.com   www.helleniscope.com

DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.

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Sources / Further Reading

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Bartholomew: “I am not afraid of them!”

How do you assess your recent visit to the White House, based on what you discussed with President Trump, and is there something in particular that stayed with you from your conversation?

It was our first meeting, and we had the opportunity, in a warm atmosphere, to discuss with His Excellency the President the initiatives, ministry, and ecumenical mission of the First-Throned Church of Orthodoxy. He received us warmly and showed great interest in the issues of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as did the Vice President of the United States and the other close associates of the President who were present at the meeting in the Oval Office.

We retain the best impressions and hope that we will have the opportunity to reciprocate the hospitality at our See, at the Phanar, as happened with other predecessors of the American presidents.

Do you believe there are solid indications that the Theological School of Halki will reopen soon, and how do you evaluate your cooperation with the Turkish authorities?

Ms. Mourelatou, I could not but express my optimism. The issue of reopening our School returned to the forefront at the initiative of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Erdoğan, who gave the relevant instruction to the Minister of National Education, Mr. Yusuf Tekin, to begin dialogue for this purpose between the Ministry and the Patriarchate.

The first step was taken in May 2024, when the Minister visited our Theological School, and since then several meetings have taken place between the two sides. I believe significant progress has been made, although there remain some issues that must still be resolved. However, it appears that there is political will, which gives us hope that good news from the state authorities will come soon.

At present, extensive renovation works are being carried out in the historic School building and surrounding area, with the financial contribution and overall support of the Archon Exarch of the Mother Church, the Honorable Mr. Athanasios Martinos, Ecumenical Great Benefactor, and his wife, the Most Noble Mrs. Marina. The works are expected to be completed by summer, and we hope that by then the final framework for the School’s operation will have been established and the relevant permit granted, so that after 55 years it may once again welcome new students. And we will invite His Excellency the President to inaugurate the reopening of our Patriarchate’s historic educational institution together.

What messages would you like to convey from Thessaloniki, which you are scheduled to visit in the coming days?

Every visit to Greece gives us the opportunity to communicate face to face with the pious Greek people, who always honor and respect the venerable Center of Orthodoxy and of the Nation. This time we are visiting the city of Saints Demetrios and Gregory Palamas, responding to the invitation of the shepherd of the local Church, His Eminence the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Mr. Philotheos, and the Board of the Philanthropic Brotherhood of Men of Thessaloniki, in order to preside over the anniversary events marking 155 years since the founding of this important charitable organization with its multifaceted social work and contribution.

As our presence in Thessaloniki coincides with the feast of the Three Hierarchs, the protectors of education, we will preside on the feast day in the morning at the Divine Liturgy in the festal namesake Holy Church of the Metropolis of Thessaloniki, while on the eve we will deliver the keynote address at the celebratory event of the Theological School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. During our stay, we will also visit the neighboring Holy Metropolises of Neapolis and Stavroupolis, and of Nea Krini and Kalamaria.

It is an opportunity, within the context of everything we have said, to pray together for the end of wars and for the prevalence of peace in our world. Prayer, after all, is the shield of the people of God, and I believe that today we need it more than ever—especially our brothers and sisters who are tested by illness, poverty, wars, and their consequences.

 

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38 COMMENTS

  1. Thank you. Excellent. I have one admission and one question. I read your article but couldn’t drag myself to read Bartholomew’s deceitful and self-serving interview.

    Second, there is nothing regarding Bartholomew’s motive. I’m speaking of Bartholomew’s accepting the $20 Million dollar bribe by Hilary Clinton and her U.S. Statw Department to create a totally heretical church staffed with ex clergy who were defrocked and or excommunicated.

    Greek Orthodox U.S. government Officials Jim Jatras of the U.S. State Department and ex-CIA Officer John Kiriakou both have commented on this extensively. Last I looked, there are videos of them on YOUTUBE. This needs to be brought to the public especially the church laity. All the clergy I know personally know and accept it.

    Hopefully by emphasizing this publicly, we can both inform and bring much needed change.

    Thank you

  2. I have sympathy for HAH. He only knows what he is told. People he personally trusts are telling him things. Those who have the King’s ear control the King, as the adage goes.

    If someone I absolutely trusted told me about a situation, I’d believe them. I certainly wouldn’t believe someone (Moscow) who I believed to be antagonistic towards me. It’s an old story. The actual truth of the Ukrainian situation will not be revealed until after the guns are silent. There is too much Propaganda from all sides.

    “Russia as Katechon” is a pernicious idea that has gained traction in the Orthodox world, and has made too many people incapable of objectively viewing Russian actions (similar to Israel being confused with “the Biblical Israel”). Too many people are riled up, and there is too much spiritual confusion to accurately assess things outside of a politically partisan binary.

    • David,
      Forcing autocephaly on a country that does not want it (except for the schismatics) does not need an explanation. After the war and after the little creep zelenski is removed from power, I think the dark forces and the schismatics will continue to persecute the UOC. So the situation may not be clear even after the war, to those that refuse to see what the reality is over there. The persecution of the OC never stopped, and it is only the canonical church that is always persecuted. In reality, the entire canonical OC world (except a few questionable persons) is by now aware of the truth and spoke against the persecutions of the canonical UOC, except for those involved and refusing to see the truth and for those that are part of the propaganda, taking Barto’s side for the crimes against the OC.

    • David, you are being far too charitable to the EP. Recent (pre-2018) history showed that he was totally informed about the structure and history of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He was sunder no illusions and in fact, in the run-up to the Cretan Robber Council of 2016, both he and his mouthpiece (Karloutsos) brazenly admitted that the issue of Ukraine was off the table. That the Archdiocese of Kiev belonged to Moscow.

  5. David you are overly kind to Bartholomew the Heretic. He has and does know exactly what the situation is. But he is arrogant and greedy – a deadly combination. He know who stuffed the twenty million pieces of silver in his greedy, grubby hands. He has much to answer for before the One Just Judge.

    • I’ve only met HAH once, on one of his pastoral visits. We (my family and I) received his blessing and had a brief conversation. He was kind and engaged in our very short encounter. I found his entourage to be more off putting than the man himself.

      Beyond that fleeting impression, I only know what others say about him (and actions that have his signature on them). He is my Patriarch (being part of an EP jurisdiction), and so I want to be measured in my words. Even Christ Himself told his disciples to show the proper respect to the Pharisee high priest and leaders, for they “sit in the seat of Moses.” But not to follow them in their iniquity.

      When a man is in a position of power, he makes decisions. Some of those decisions are good, and some bad. If you’re high up enough and around long enough, a few of those wrong decisions may turn out to be catastrophic.

      The relationship between Moscow and the Patriarchate has been strained for decades. Not only a hangover from the Cold War, but also lingering bitterness about Russia’s support for the autocephalous movements of the 19th Century. A very old feud in its latest incarnation. One of the ironies of this conflict, is the nationalist sentiments that spurred the autocephalists of that era have now turned on Moscow.

      The Tomos was a tragic mistake. Archbishop Anastasios of Albania and Metropolitan Kallistos of Diocletia (of Blessed Memory) were right. I personally believe that the Ukrainian (and US) government lied to the Patriarchate. HAH was inclined to believe them, because the bitterness against the Russians had reached the point of no return, where there was no trust at all (the feeling was mutual). Like the Iraq War, preconceived notions and beliefs prejudiced the viewing of the facts. Distorted and Erroneous information was used to make a terrible decision. Promises were made (as they always are).

      Speaking as an Iraq War Veteran, I understand WHY George W. Bush did what he did. It doesn’t excuse what was done, but I understand why it was done. I see HAH in the same way. Lots of factors came to a head to create this terrible situation. What we’re seeing now is leadership trying to salvage the situation, as our government tried with Iraq (and Afghanistan definitely). The truth can no longer be hidden, which is why HAH rebuked the OCU and Kiev publicly (perhaps not strongly enough) and mentioned Metropolitan Onuphry by name. There was even an apology to people “who interpreted our silence as condoning any wrong-doing.” Not good enough for some, but the fact that this even happened clearly shows the wheels are coming off.

      It’s all terribly sad. It didn’t have to be this way. Events will run their course. “Being right” is no comfort here. Lord, have mercy.

      • Well stated… But no matter how hard we try to be balanced evaluating his decisions and actions, we cannot fail to enumerate his countless flawed, heretic and corrupt decisions that render his tenure the most catastrophic for Orthodoxy in the last few centuries.
        – instead of punishing Emnanuel for the huge scandal with the Bulgarian gay escorts in Paris he promoted him.
        – Then he used Emmanuel as his main advisor and collaborator for Ukraine’s “cacocephaly”.
        – in the process he took steps to “normalize” homosexuality. Practical steps, and please allow me not to be more specific – I have reported nunerous incidents of “gay life” surrounding the Phanar.
        – furthermore, he pushed aside major foundational principles of Orthodoxy and sought to become the “Pope of East”.
        Should I go on? Sorry the space is not enough here…

      • David, first of all, thank you for your service.

        Having said that, I think we can all put aside our naivete about the Iraq War –myself included. We knew from the late 1990s with the “Clean Break” memorandum and the neoconservative capture of the State Dept, that the US was being pushed into war against seven Islamic states, all for the sake of Israel.

        We should have listened to Pat Buchanan.

      • Reading David’s comment is a breath of fresh air. I don’t agree with everything he says, but it is a far cry from commentary by Sandy, who obviously has inside information, that Ukrainians didn’t want autocephaly except the schismatics”, which is an empty phrase, because “”schismatics” means breaking away, which is what Ukrainians wanted, just as all other Orthodox nations. Russia herself is “schismatic”, because she broke away from the patriarchate. Then, Sandy adds more unassailable “evidence” to back her argument, by calling Zelenski a “creep”, as if she caught him in the act of being a voyeur.

        Alex piles up on “evidence”, by telling us that Bartholomeu is “Little” and that he will have to answer in front of God’s throne, obviously because he’s “little”. Then Michael adds the moniker “heretic”, as if he is all knowing, of what constitutes heresy, And George Michalopoulos considers David as being “too kind”, to Bartholomeu.

        I agree with David, that animosity between Moscow and Constantinople goes back a long time. I would say it goes even further than David says. It goes back to 1483, when Constantinople had fallen to the Turks, when Moscow, with subterfuge, elicited her own patriarchate, wanting to be the new Rome.

        I also agree with David, that today’s culture wars, have somehow elevated Russia into an innocent victim, not only of the patriarchate, but also of the whole Western world. Russia has become a heroic defender of the values that the West has abandoned. Russia is a defender of the weak and a great friend to have. Never mind that all her client States, such as Syria, Iran, Venezuela, Armenia have been left in the lurch, after promises of defending them. An observer said that Russia’s army is good for the parade grounds and for taking a city after four years of fighting, as in Ukraine. Russia is a paper tiger, a weakling, that anyone who thinks that Greece should ally herself with her, ought to have his head examined.

        • Bob,
          I need to be frank: your comments on “autocephaly” show neither good faith nor a serious engagement with basic, well-documented facts.
          One can debate the theory of granting autocephaly endlessly, but that discussion becomes irrelevant when the Ukro-nazis prohibit the use of the Russian language, bar the faithful of the UOC under Metropolitan Onufriy from their churches, and tolerate or enable the destruction of churches and the use of violence. These actions are not secondary issues—they are decisive. The moment violence and coercion enter the picture, any further argumentation is disqualified. Full stop. That applies to everyone, including you.

          I have stated repeatedly that Patriarch Bartholomew was explicitly warned IN WRITING — by a highly qualified Greek diplomat with extensive experience in Ukraine—that granting autocephaly under these conditions would lead to violence. Bartholomew himself acknowledged this risk when, in his very announcement of autocephaly, he called on all sides to refrain from violent acts. Despite clear warnings and foreseeable consequences, he proceeded anyway. The conclusion is unavoidable: he acted under improper influence — whether bribery or blackmail — or with reckless disregard for the outcome.

          Please spare us the unworthy defense of what is, by any honest assessment, the worst Constantinople patriarch since Meletios Metaxakis. We are dealing here with grave and ongoing violations of human rights. Dogmatic, historical, and canonical debates are secondary when people are being deprived of worship, leadership, and safety.
          By choosing to enter the political arena and play power politics, Bartholomew sat down at the poker table — AND HE LOST. Actions have consequences. Now he must bear responsibility for them. He will pay the heavy price. Period.

        • I think Greece should consider allying with Russia. What are the benefits of an alliance with the US and NATO? The eradication of Greek sovereignty and appeasement of Turkey at the expense of Greece and Cyprus. Of all the great powers since Greek independence, only Russia has never intervened in Greek internal affairs.

          Western interests and Greek interests do not coincide. The western alliance exists to start wars and to maintain the American empire. Turkey is crucial to the American empire which is why the US overlooks Turkish support for ISIS and Al Quada.

          Greece at the least should have had talks with the Russians to consider the possibility of an alliance. But no Greek leader will do that because Greek leaders have sacrificed Greek independence to the western alliance.

  6. Ecumenism>Globalism>Freemasonry! That’s the root of ills consuming Bart, Dumenko, Pope Leo and all the lesser minions doing their bidding! Repeat after me, “money, power, control, money, power, control!” Where have you gone humble & contrite spirit?? Lord have mercy on the Orthodox Church & on us!

  7. Helleniscope (Mr. Stamatakis?),

    That there are scandals in high places is certainly not disputed on my end. I’ve heard the nasty bits about Patriarch Bartholomew AND Patriarch Kyrill (one older Russian woman at a coffee hour I attended told me: “Patriarch Alexei was wonderful! A true man of God! Kyrill?! Hmph!” The way she spat his name out is something that burned into my memory).

    “Lavender Mafias” are a very old problem. The canon against allowing “young boys” into monasteries or a monk’s cell speaks to that. It is clear that the Church has rejected “First without Equals” (even many Greeks). Whenever HAH visits a non-Greek Church and starts with the “daughter church” stuff and goes on about how ungrateful the Slavs are, the Primate of the other Church corrects him by emphasizing “SISTER CHURCHES” in their speeches and conciliarity (which sometimes take on a hint of a rebuttal at times).

    People are sick of the politics. If HAH is guilty, Lord have mercy! If HAH is being slandered, Lord have mercy! Same goes for any Patriarch or Bishop.

    The prayer is the same, in either direction. People misunderstand that position as some kind of Ostrich position.

    NO. We laity have something very powerful—-our feet. Let the politicians in cassocks stand in empty parishes and cathedrals. That has already happened with the OCU. Nobody goes to their churches, because Christ is not there. It’s like a bad restaurant. PEOPLE KNOW. If my Bishop started talking crazy, I’d leave. It’s just that simple. Shake the dust from my feet. Full Churches and Empty Churches tell you everything. I try not to think too much beyond that, because it’s a temptation.

  8. Bob, George, et al.:

    I have no illusions about what the Iraq War was about. Even so, I can also see that the people who were right about what would happen were discounted, because of who they were (in particular their politics). The Patriarchate wasn’t going to listen to ANYTHING Moscow had to say for much the same reason. Terrible, but this is why relationships matter. Why diplomacy matters.

    THAT is where Kiev (and the US government) deceived the Patriarchate. That simply removing Moscow from the equation would bring the two sides together. This is a blood feud that the Patriarchate foolishly got itself in the middle of, not knowing (or seeing) all of the facts. This is why you see many voices calling for the expansion of the EP Exarchate (now more than ever). The attempted suppression of the UOC has failed, and the EP is looking for a way to salvage the ecclesial situation (and save face) before the war ends. Ukraine will be forced to take a deal sooner or later. The UOC’s status will be a term in any agreement. The Patriarchate knows that. Kiev knows that. And the UOC knows that.

    As terrible as “First without Equals” is, I find “Russia as the Katechon” to be worse. Proto-Papism or Messianic Delusion? The former is much easier to resolve than the latter, I think. It’s Prelest, and it makes objective discussion about Russia’s actions impossible. It is akin to the belief that the biblical Israel and modern Israel are one and the same. Geopolitical spiritual manipulation.

    • I do not believe the Patriarchate was deceived by anybody. Patriarch Bartholomew is a partner in attempting to carve up the Russian Orthodox Church, of which the Ukrainian Church is a part. Patriarch Bartholomew joined the west’s anti Russian alliance.

      From the early 1990’s until 2018 the Patriarch recognized only the canonical Church in Ukraine. He and his synod are fully aware of what they have done.

    • David, while I agree in the main with many of your points, we have to be honest and say that, yes, the EP was deceived but –he was willing to believe the worst about Moscow. (And all Slavs for that matter.)

      I do believe that the Church –as protected by an Orthodox state–is the katechon. There has been a katechon as long as there was a Christian king/emperor.

    • In the Spring of 2022, the UOC changed their statute so that Metropolitan Onuphry only commemorates Patriarch Kirill in the order of the diptychs, using the same diptychs that Patriarch Kirill uses, beginning with Patriarch John of Antioch, and omitting Constantinople, Alexandria, Cyprus and Greece.

      In other words, the UOC is serving liturgy as an autocephalous church. The Ukrainian government has asked the UOC to clarify this to the rest of the Orthodox world in writing that, yes, they self-claim to be an autocephalous church. However, the UOC refuses to do this. That’s the blatant hypocrisy right there. They want to act like an autocephalous church without receiving autocephaly from anyone, but still claim the canonicity and jurisidiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.

      • Joseph,
        You are the real hypocrite here. Those people are in the middle of a war and are hit equally hard by the Russians on one hand and by the war barto started against them and their canonical church, UCU, on the other hand. So it is understandable that they won’t commemorate Patr. Kirill at the moment, I can’t blame them–I have no doubt whatsoever that the russians and ukrainians will make up down in history, when the ukrainians will find out how they were used by the powers of this world. However, they are never going to commemorate the wannabe pope Barto.

        Bart is a disgrace to the OC, commemorating Leo in our church. Shame on Bartp! We will never kneel to Leo! Barto is clearly going senile and forgot that Leo is catholic and not orthodox–why would barto commemorate a catholic if he was in his right mind? Good grace! The martyrs that died to the hands of the catholics, including those monks in Mt. Athos, are turning in their graves!

  10. The most insidious deception of all is self-deception. That is why I use the Iraq War as an example. When you hear something that confirms a previously held view about something, you latch onto it as truth. The relationship between the EP and MP was already broken—smashed to bits, in fact. “FSB Church!” “CIA Church!” “Modernist!” “Nationalist!”

    It was already horrible. When you stop seeing the other person as a person, and only as “a side” or “a party,” all nuance is gone. All dialogue is gone. All humanity is gone. Scott Ritter and the Left-wing were right about Iraq and what would happen (the only thing they really got wrong were the timelines). The Moscow Patriarchate was right about Philaret and what was going to happen (blood and strife). But, when your “enemy” speaks the truth, you consider it as a lie. When your “friend” flatters you and speaks lies disguised as truth, no due diligence is done, because you trust “your people.”

    I’m not excusing any wrong-doing or sins committed by anyone here. I’ll be candid: If I was in HAH’s place, I’d probably make the same decisions, especially if I lived in the ecclesial bubble that is the Phanar (with all of the people whispering in my ear). I think understanding this reality is important, because it helps us remain humble, and remain grounded. HAH isn’t “Black Bart.” He isn’t “The Patriarch of our Century.” He’s a man, who has spent decades as a Bishop and has been formed in a certain way. I will pray for him, and leave him to the judgement of God and history.

    As for the Katechon. Yes, the Church is the Katechon. It is the 10 Righteous who prevent complete disaster from falling on our heads. What concerns me is the Z Virus, which seems to have infected the Russian Church (the OCU represents the “Zelensky” Variant—it’s the same syndrome). This idea that Russia itself is the Katechon is pure propaganda, and the Moscow Patriarchate is spreading it. Prior to the Maidan, the Russian Church wasn’t saying anything of the kind. A huge portion of Russian society remains barely Churched and still Secular/Soviet in its outlook. Lenin’s body still has its place of honor. The great God-hater Stalin is having nostalgic yarns spun about him (and monuments touched up or even built), and the Banner of the Regicides still flutters. Before 2014, there was an introspection and humility that could be seen on both orthochristian.com and pravmir.com (which shuttered after the war began, it sits frozen in time). “Many are turning to God, but we have a long way to go” was the consensus. Before 2014, the Revolution was “the fault of the Russian people themselves.”

    Where did that humility go? Did the Churches suddenly become overflowing? What changed so drastically in 10 years? It wasn’t a spiritual change. It no longer serves the Kremlin “narrative.”

    So many Americans claim to be “red-pilled” and reject American Exceptionalism, but they then immediately sign on for the Russian version of it. They defend Russian actions with the fervor of the Zionist or the Left-wing “useful idiot.” People who convert in Russian Churches get sucked up in this nonsense to varying degrees. Modern Israel is not Biblical Israel. Modern Russia is not “Holy Rus.” Too many of our brothers and sisters can’t seem to discern the latter.

      • Men of God don’t need to trumpet the fact that they are Men of God. I would say that goes double for the “restrainer of Anti-Christ.” Someone telling me that they are the Katechon is the biggest reason to believe that they in fact, AREN’T.

        The Z Deception is the Devil’s attack from the Right Flank. Don’t be fooled. The narrative will change again soon enough (when Russia turns back to Realpolitik and starts making geopolitical deals), and all of the anti-Western articles and rhetoric will be memory holed. Do you know who won’t forget? The faithful who saw their shepherds lose their minds and start waving war banners (that goes for the Trident lovers, too).

        It isn’t an either/or proposition. Too many will find out the hard way.

        That is all I will say on that.

  11. David,
    If you don’t want to think about Modern Rusia as “Holy Rus”, don’t think of the Patr. of Constantinople and the ecumenical throne as such, since we have no more Constantinople and by all means, not at all what it used to be. Maybe Modern Russia is not Holy RUs, but is not the Soviet Russia either, which many seem to be confused about. Coming from a country that went through communism, I can tell you that all these countries who suffered and repented from Communism, honoring their holy martyrs, are way more humble and more christian than US, who tents to start and FUND wars everywhere. Too many of our brothers and sisters can’t seem to discern this latter, either.

    • The term “Holy Rus” is more of a cultural term. I believe it would refer mainly to the lives of the old slavic saints, especially in Kievan Rus.

      Apparently there is now a religious patrol squad in Russia that calls itself “Holy Rus” that seeks to stop religious blasphemy. Somehow that sounds a bit too familiar, like something out of Soviet times, but replacing communism with Orthodox Christianity.

  12. Sandy,

    The Byzantine Empire is gone. You’ll get no argument from me on that. What is the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the post-Imperial age? That is one of the big questions that faces our Church today, and we’re wrestling with it in real time (very messily). Eventually, the reckoning will come, and our Bishops will have to figure it out. I have a good priest, my bishop is not a heretic, so I stay (in an EP jurisdiction). I have no particular loyalty to the EP itself as an institution. The Church isn’t a street gang.

    Just because the Ecumenical Patriarchate is wrong, doesn’t mean the Moscow Patriarchate is right. Just because Washington is wrong, doesn’t mean Moscow is right. I’m just as skeptical of RT as I am of CNN. I don’t believe ANY of it. And I am genuinely mystified how so many people trade one propaganda diet for another. That is the bigger delusion here, I think.

  13. David,
    No propaganda trading from me. I don’t watch CNN or RT and I very rarely watch the news. It is usually from my husband or my children that I hear something happened. I merely pointed out that the propaganda goes both ways and it is not just Russia to blame for all the problems that the state of the world is in, and all the wars around us. Until Patr. Bartolomew condemns the detention with no justification of Metr. Arseny and asks for him to be released, Bartolomew is not any better than Patr. Kirill. Looks like he may go and make the same mistake in Montenegro, legalizing the schismatics. He has been trying the same think in a couple of other countries. Several hierarchs asked for a joint council of all the Churches to decide on OCU, but Patr. Bartolomew pretends he does not hear them, because he knows almost no one is recognizing his schismatic OCU, which means the other hierarchs will vote against it.

    He is prolonging the pain of these people and their persecution, unnecessarily, and the detention of Metr. Arseny who needs heart surgery but was denied medical treatment. I watch the court proceedings over there sometimes. That’s what I watch instead of news. Metr. Longhin, Metr. Arseny, Metr. Pavel are all treated like criminals. Metr. Pavel was wearing an ankle bracelet. They remind me 100% of the communist court proceedings. Every week they are taken to court for a few minutes. Then again, and again, and again every week–sometimes twice a week. For years! Lies, slander, and more lies. The heart of the Ukrainian people will always be with UOC. They’ve been through communism and wars. The OCU “churches” are empty while the faithful is praying outside in the snow and heat because their churches were stolen. That is where the church is: It is where the people are. Outside, hiding and praying in the basements, etc. It is not in the empty buildings that OCU stole and vandalized. No one is there. Those people will never accept Patr. Bartolomew as their leader, he can’t force the Ukrainian people to accept him as a patriarch. There were hundreds of thousands of people waiting for them from the airport to the place he met Poroshenko to sign the Tomos for OCU. They wanted to speak with him and ask him not to sign it. He never stepped out of the car to speak with them. He completely ignored their voice and went ahead and created his political state church.

    Persecution does not work on them–it only makes their faith stronger. They practice pure orthodoxy there, not ecumenism, not the green “church”, not recognizing and schisms and breaking canons. It is actually quite simple to understand and I admire the Ukrainian UOC people and their leader, Metr. Onuphry. Christ did not force himself on people, he did not force them in His church. So I don’t know who Patr. Barto follows.

    • Russia is not to blame for all of the problems we see, but they are not blameless, either. That also goes for NATO or any of the other “actors” in this scene.

      When our Bishops cease to be shepherds and become politicians or enablers, we don’t cease to pray for them or even love them (criticism without love is sin). HAH Bartholomew and Patriarch Kyrill will answer for everything they have done and failed to do. That doesn’t give us license to lose our minds, either. The war has changed everything, and how it all ends up, none of us can know. Those who remain with Christ will endure. God will not be mocked, and those who put nationalism over Christ will suffer the consequences of this, no matter who they are.

      I would take the Patriarchate’s claims of being above politics seriously if American officials weren’t visiting the Phanar so often. I would take Russia’s claims to be “Holy Rus” seriously if they dumped Lenin’s body in a rural grave somewhere and consigned Soviet swag to the dustbin of history. But nostalgia for the USSR serves the current Kremlin narrative, just as anti-Slav dog whistles in Greek ecclesial circles serves the current NATO one.

      That’s all I’ll say. The delusion is all around us. Lord, have mercy.

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