source – orthodoxtraditionalist.com
On January 30th, 2026, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH), in cooperation with the World Council of Churches, once again participated in a blasphemous public display of heresy by conducting a joint ecumenical prayer service inside Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York. This event was led by the Arch-Heresiarch Elpidophoros, head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. As is evident from their own publicly posted YouTube video, the service lasted over an hour and consisted of the graceless pseudo-bishop Elpidophoros, together with other so-called “Orthodox” bishops and priests, publicly praying the Our Father alongside a wide assortment of non-Orthodox heretics [1].
Among the participants at this blasphemous event were the Papist Cardinal Dolan, a personal friend of Elpidophoros, a number of Monophysite hierarchs, Lutherans, Anglicans, and other Protestant sectarians. At this event, Papists and Monophysites were given time to lead these supposed “Orthodox” clergymen in prayer through an ecumenical prayer service created specifically for the occasion and composed of non-Orthodox prayers [2]. In addition to leading prayers, these heretics were also permitted to deliver sermons to the audience, during which they openly preached their heretical ecumenical theology and even exchanged the so-called “kiss of peace.”
At this heretical event, the program included prayers taken from the ecumenically condemned Monophysites, followed by a heretical address delivered by the Arch-Heresiarch Elpidophoros. In this address, he openly and bareheadly preached an anti-Orthodox homily, explicitly rejecting Orthodox dogmatic ecclesiology. He declared that Orthodox Christians must “move beyond our ecclesial insularity” and that “we must endeavor to intentionally embrace the diversity that already exists in the Body of Christ.” This so-called “diversity” is nothing other than theological diversity. In effect, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and its primate are publicly promoting the heretical branch-theory of ecclesiology, according to which the Church is said to exist outside of Orthodoxy. This explains why Elpidophoros calls for the abandonment of ecclesiological exclusivity—that is, the confession that the Orthodox Church alone is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, and in fact the only True Church of Christ [3].
In addition to his absolutely heretical and blasphemous preaching and abandonment of Orthodox Christian ecclesiological doctrine, this event differed from Elpidophoros’ usual ecumenical gatherings in that, on this occasion, he invited three female “clerics” to lead Orthodox bishops, priests, and laity in prayer. One of these women was a female cleric from the Anglican sect; another was a so-called “bishop,” Bishop Katrina Foster, Presiding Bishop of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), an openly homosexual cleric of that sect [4]; and the third was from an unidentified denomination dressed in Latin priest vestments. During the event, Elpidophoros allowed Dr. Kirsten Guidero, a female “pastor” of the Episcopal sect [5], to take center stage and lead the congregation in joint prayer while standing at the center of the ambo, directly in front of the iconostasis saying,
O refuge and shelter, Lord Jesus Christ, look with compassion on refugees throughout the world who suffer the agony of displacement and the loss of their homes. Move us to manifest our communion with you, with them, and with each other through gestures of hospitality and loving help. [Congregation Repeats: Lord, have Mercy].
O Christ our Savior, we pray for the people of Armenia and Artsac and their kindred throughout the world who long ago turned to your light through the preaching of the Apostle Thaddius and the miraculous witness of St. Gregory the Illuminator. [Congregation Repeats: Lord, have Mercy]. Shine the light of your righteousness and wisdom on all your creatures. Make us children of light and children of the day, so that we may always live our lives reverently and become for all the world worthy lampstands for your life-giving light. [Congregation Repeats: Lord, have Mercy].
For you are our Savior, and to you be glory, dominion, and honor now and always and unto the ages of ages. [Congregation Repeats: Amen] [6].
Here once again we see a perfectly clear image of where the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America stands with respect to Orthodox doctrine, ecclesiology, and the pan-heresy of ecumenism. Judged according to Orthodox theology, their repeated actions give every appearance of indifference toward Orthodoxy itself and instead advance a vision of religious unity that collapses Orthodoxy into communion with heretical sects, mirroring the priorities and assumptions of the contemporary secular and “woke” worldview.
What is particularly notable about this event is that the pseudo-bishop Elpidophoros appears to be continually testing the limits of what he can do without provoking serious resistance from his laity. This hierarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate openly prays and conducts services with Monophysites, Nestorians, Jews, Muslims, and adherents of other world religions, and has now added to that list homosexual female clerics from some of the worst sects of Protestantism. He has gone so far as to permit these female pseudo-clerics to lead prayer inside Orthodox churches themselves.
We could, of course, enumerate the numerous canonical violations and ecclesiological abuses that took place at this blasphemous and disgusting event, but by now most readers understand that this behavior is largely routine, especially for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Are the laity going to rise up, protest, and correct their bishops in the only way bishops truly care about—by withholding their tithes and allowing episcopal coffers to run dry? Of course not. They will remain silent and obedient, because, in the words of Peter Heers, one must wait for an Ecumenical Council before separating from such bishops.
Is Saint Anthony’s Monastery in Florence, Arizona, going to rally its flock in protest over this egregious and blasphemous event, in which multiple GOARCH bishops participated with the approval of their Metropolis synod? Of course not. For them, having their pseudo-elder canonized by the very heretics who conduct joint prayer services takes precedence over all else.
On various social media platforms, there have been World Orthodox clergy who have expressed opposition to this event, particularly some within the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Is the OCA going to take any concrete action by issuing a formal protest to GOARCH over this blasphemous affair? Absolutely not. A handful of priests throughout World Orthodoxy may speak out, but they already know the response they will receive from their bishops: “sit down and shut up.” And they will comply, remaining in communion with their heretical bishops and in prayerful communion with lesbian pseudo-clerics from the Anglican sect.
For those who can see through this demonic work and recognize that your graceless pseudo-bishops are serving nothing less than the Antichrist, and that within your churches no mysteries are present, how much longer will you tolerate these hierarchs? Your synod is compromised. Your bishops are compromised. Your so-called traditionalist monastery is compromised. Your priests are spineless milquetoasts. How much longer are you going to continue spiritually suffering under these servants of Satan?
Saint Paul teaches in his Epistle to Titus regarding unrepentant heretics: “A man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject” (Titus 3:10, KJV). Likewise, he writes, “As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9, KJV). If what Elpidophoros is preaching—and what the rest of World Orthodoxy remains in communion with—is not “another gospel,” then what is?
It seems the “resistance from within movement” needs some reinforcements because they’re looking pretty irrelevant in their struggle against ecumenism.
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References
[1]. “Live with Restream,” Archdioceasan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity – Official YouTube Channel, accessed January 31st, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/live/FGjN7nQNT4I?t=217s
[2]. “Diversity exists in the body of Christ, Archbishop Elpidophoros says at ecumenical prayer service,” Orthodox Observer – Official Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Publication, accessed January 31st, 2026,
https://web.archive.org/web/20260131181456/https://orthodoxobserver.org/diversity-exists-in-the-body-of-christ-archbishop-elpidophoros-says-at-ecumenical-prayer-service/
[3]. Ibid.
[4]. “Reverend Dr. Katrina Foster shares her insights on being gay,” scccmediaproduction YouTube Channel, accessed February 1st, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFPLf4LbKfc
[5]. The Rev’d Kirsten Guidero, PhD, Priest Associate for Adult Formation and Chaplain to Faith at the Crossroads,” Trinity Episcopal Church, accessed January 31st, 2026, https://trinitychurchindy.org/our-staff/the-revd-kirsten-guidero-phd/
[6]. “Live with Restream,” Archdioceasan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity – Official YouTube Channel, accessed January 31st, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/live/FGjN7nQNT4I?si=uCbVCEV3aRqeondC
Before I make make my comments, please know that in no way do l advocate and support activities like this. However, the author is probably not a member of a canonical Orthodox Church. Apparently, he places himself above the Ephraim monasteries and above Mount Athos since both are in communion with the EP.
Nick, I don’t know how you can endorse this kind of thinking since you present AB Iakovos as your champion of leadership. Iakovos participated and advocated for similar activities. Ask Markos what he thinks about Iakovos?
We praise Iakovos for his many qualities and we criticize him for his Ecumenism – not as loud as displayed here.
What a sad comment you make. It shows shallow understanding of the ecumenist cancer and exhibits rebellious feelings towards the Saints, who opposed such actions as those of the Goarch AB and the EP.
Btw. We are not old calendarists but a hurt new calendar parishioners who see orthodox hierarchy being taken over by unworthy and worldly clerics. The stones will speak soon
Μπορείτε να εξηγήσετε σε ποιό σημείο του άρθρου, ο αρθρογράφος βάζει τον εαυτό του υπεράνω του Εφραίμ τα μοναστήρια και υπεράνω το Άγιο Όρος;
Υπάρχη η Αγία Γραφή και οι Ιεροί Κανόνες όπου είναι υπεράνω τα Μοναστήρια.
Δυστυχώς ορισμένα μοναστήρια έχουν κάνει τον Γεροντισμό Ευαγγέλιο. Όπως οι Οικουμενισταί, έχουν κατάργηση τους νόμους της Εκκλησίας, και θέλουν να κάνουν το Ευαγγέλιο αγνώριστο.
JK,
In modern Constantinopolitan history, and especially in the last few decades, the overwhelming majority of Constantinopolitan Patriarchs (and increasingly Synodal bishops) after Meletios Metaxakis certainly exhibited a degree of “ecumenist DNA” in one way or another (including bowing down and kissing the Pope’s hand on camera)…the degree of “treason” and Canonical violation varies with each individual Patriarch / hierarch when compared to what the Canons say about the behavior of bishops… if you are asking about a comparative mental exercise in comparing Iakovos to the others (who is a lesser or greater violator of Canons), it is really a pointless exercise. However one distinction is important…Meletios Metaxakis, and even Iakovos would probably not have brazenly served Liturgy in a Protestant church that was draped with rainbow-flags…”woke Ecumenism” is a new “upgraded” flavor that the newbies have introduced in the reign of Bartholomew…
Specifically concerning Iakovos, it is certainly ironic that one key reason “North and South America” were split into Metropolises by Bartholomew and his Synod, is because he never again desired the “Iakovos phenomenon” (competition) within Constantinople’s sphere of influence… and even more interestingly, in a “reversal” of this “strong man avoidance dogma”, Elpidophoros somehow managed to “behave like a new mini-Pope”, and punish fellow metropolitans Evaggelos and Methodios via Synodal decree, and literally “hijack” the Metropolis of NJ for a couple of years before he was forced to retreat (after several non-related public relations blunders that eroded his original image) and Apostolos took over… and before someone complains about “fellow metropolitans”, those who know the fine print understand very well why both Elpidophoros and the other Metropolitans are referred to as “your eminence”, despite the “titular” (in name only) label of “Archbishop”…
Nevertheless, despite the circus comedy we have been witnessing, the underlying problem is simple…You (JK) mention “members of the Canonical Church”…however, most of these “famous men”, including Elpidophoros, (according to the Canons and Traditions of our Church) should technically not even be active members of the clergy when examining the treasonous and at times heretical Canonical violations that they have perpetrated in the public eye and on the public record… And, if we were to sprinkle in the fact that in the original Church ALL bishops were elected in part by the Laity, who had to concur with the vote, then the intentional violation of Tradition should be grounds to nullify not only all elections conducted in this manner, but also all the anti-Canonical Ecumenical decrees and “synodal decisions” that those violaters have enacted over the years… have you ever seen a “house of cards” collapse?
Finally, in the week of the Publican and the Pharisee, we have to ask ourselves…IF the words “ορθοτομουντα τον Λογον της Σης αληθειας” really apply to these “hierarchs” that are being commemorated at that moment in Divine Liturgy, where is the evidence that they are meeting their obligations to the Faith with the shameful Canonical infractions that we are witnessing on a daily basis?
Markos, according to your criteria are there any authentic bishops in the GOA? Additionally, according to your criteria Iakovos is a heretic. Ecumenism is a heresy and Iakovos was an ecumenist. Please don’t try to obfuscate the point. Breaking the canons is tantamount to heresy. Agreed that ecumenism has gone off the deep end and is significantly more egregious than in the past. But for those like yourself, who adhere to letter of the law, the entire GOA and all those under the EP are heretics.
Read the words carefully before you accidentally twist them like a common news reporter…breaking Canons is not automatically equivalent heresy…many Canons regulate morality and “fitness to serve” as a clergyman. The definitions of heresy, schism, and “illegal congregation” have been long supplied to us by St. Basil.
The definition of “authenticity” is different from the definition of “heretic”, because it combines all “good traits” that an Orthodox bishop must exhibit, including of course not promoting heresy. Authenticity is the full package, and that’s what the faithful seek, in the end, yes.
Ecumenism has been labeled a heresy, indeed…but why? When a hierarch says “there are many paths to the top of the mountain”…when a Cardinal is allowed by Elpidophoros to cense the Orthodox Faithful in a provocative manner during Pascha services….when a Patriarch routinely joins in common prayer with heretics…etc, etc, etc… these unacceptable things fall under the umbrella of Ecumenism… shouldn’t we express our dissatisfaction and call it what it is…heresy?
And by the way, there are many clergy “under” who don’t agree…so technically it’s not the “entire” GOA…the problem is compounded by what was highlighted earlier…when the laity isn’t allowed to vote for their own bishop, it becomes a “good ol’ boy’s club”…and when the club gets corrupt, there is no room for “good, able men” to replenish its corrupt ranks…the “good men” are ignored (like we see in the results of the vote in Cyprus, and in the futile letters the laity of Greece has sent to the Synod of Athens multiple times recommending “authentic person A” to replace a departed Metropolitan, only to be ignored in favor of “good ol’ boy B”…
So, the problem continues…
Even the Anglicans are not putting up with the lesbian clergy and are living the Anglican church. Are we somehow expected to accept it? I don’t know if someone is blackmailing elpi and barto so they accept those compromises or they would have sold us out either way for a few pieces of silver.
https://spzh.eu/en/news/90572-scandal-occurs-at-anglican-archbishopess-enthronement
Also, this is why I always say that photo ups will not end up with a few pictures like some here insist it is the case (except in very rare cases). Photo ups are just the beginning to prime us and then later expect us to accept common prayer as the new normal and then accept union with all the heresies. Those people are prepping the way for antichrist and they will all accept him as their leader, since they are already praying together. This is not the Church of Christ.
Elpidoforos is the president of the National Council of Churches. The rest of the board of the NCC consists of four members, all women clerics. It looks like ecumenism is part of the NCC’s agenda.
Those people from the National Council of Churches are not orthodox so of course they are ecumenists. There are a lot of despicable things happening there, including some tribes calling on the spirits–and just to be clear, those spirits are not of Christian nature because those people with feathers on their heads and barely dressed are not Christian… It is not the spirits of God they are calling so judge for yourself what spirits there are. There are so many heresies there that anyone can just make their own and declare themselves whatever they want. At one of their sessions some made up confession was calling the spirit of the aborted babies. I am not making it up, their sessions are always on youtube. NCC has nothing to do with orthodoxy or Christ, and we should not be there. There is a diabolic spirit present there. Budha statue next to Christ’s icon and our Virgin Mary and some sects smoking incense and calling the spirits that have nothing to do with Christ, in close proximity to the icons!
I did not know Elpi is the president of the National Council of Churches, I haven’t follow what is going on there for a long time. It is probably 10 years when I stopped watching because I felt the presence of evil there. Barto was present with a piece of paper to read at some of these events. No one was listening to him as he was reading–quite contrary, he was stopped and asked to finish faster. This is how they treat the ecumenical patriarch. Very sad that they have no respect for orthodoxy there! It is not me that doesn’t respect the ecumenical patriarch, it is him that doesn’t have enough respect for our faith and himself. He should not bow to this people, he should be a leader and God would always strengthen him and be on his side as long as he follows the Church’s tradition and cannons.
CORRECTION: It is the World Council of Churches, not the National Council of Churches. THe OP called it National Council of Churches and I repeated it, but I was referring to the World Council of Churches. Never heard of the National Council of Churches and I don’t know anything about it, whether it exists or not.
Let Mr. Lipper come here and tell us this is just a photo op. Right on the eve of a great feast of Our Lord! And on the feast of St. Mark of Ephesus on the patristic calendar!
A few years back, I went to the parish feast of a Greek Old calendar parish, where the rector was a former parishioner of mine. Of course, I couldn’t participate. After the trapeza, I took their bishop’s blessing and departed. Two of the four priests greeted me as a priest, two did not. And you know what; I actually respect those two priests who didn’t greet for standing by their convictions. They are outside the Church, some will say. And who is INSIDE the Church? Pope Leo? Patriarch Bartholomew? Elpidophoros? Give me a break!
The idea of a photo op always makes me think of Mrs. Bucket.
The thing is, this “ecumenical prayer service” is not even interesting. It’s just plain boring. It doesn’t actually accomplish anything either, except trample a few ecclesial canons. It really is just a photo-op.
Yet most people will either ignore the photos, shrug, or look the other way. The question then really is, why even bother? Who is paying attention?
The simple answer is: artificial intelligence and government surveillance. That’s who is paying attention.
“…except trample a few ecclesial canons…”
Sure…no big deal right? Why did the Church Fathers even bother one might ask…
So bishops who at their ordination promise to align with the decisions of the 7 Ecumenical councils can now “trample” them instead, because propagandists will spread the notion that some of those Canons are not really important?
Quite a convenient narrative for the Uniate / Ecumenical movement…
Markos,
It is the bishop’s job to protect and lay down his life for the flock. If that means trampling a few canons in the process, this might be justified.
As St. Paul points out, “he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law” and “love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:8-10) Many bishops today, especially heads of local churches, are almost all involved in ecumenism to some degree, but there is likely an ulterior motive involved: the protection of that local church from the political intrigue of our times.
The Church does not serve the canons, but rather the canons serve the church. The bishop has the apostolic authority given to him to apply those canons and sometimes even overlook them.
So these heretics that the bishop prayed with was an example of him “laying his life down”? Give us a break, dude…
You lay your life down to defend the Faith first, the Flock second, your own self last…that’s how this works, historically. And furthermore, there is a time to be a Confessor, and a time to be a Martyr…we haven’t seen much sign of “Confession of Faith” in these disgusting and provocative displays of “Compromise of the Canons” by these Ecumenist activists…
“There is no compromise on matters of Faith” – St. Mark of Ephesos (remember him?)
And what is this “political intrigue” of our times? Is it perhaps a suggestion of “go woke or go broke” that the politicians are threatening the bishops with?
Or perhaps is it that these bishops are flawed, and the “politicians” have a file on their “flaws” that will be published in the newspapers if they don’t “conform”?
Seems to me that in that case the bishops would be “protecting themselves” more than the “local church”…besides, Christ has stated clearly that the faithful will be persecuted, and the Church was built upon the legacy of Martyrs that REALLY laid down their life, and who DIDN’T have big “bishop salaries” and other antithetical “benefits” that we see today….
Do you remember the phrase from the Katavasies of Nativity…’Δυσσεβους προσταγματος ΟΥΚ ΕΠΤΟΗΘΗΣΑΝ”? That’s the Orthodox spirit…not compromising in the face of any “political threats”…
Markos, the “trampled canons”, against praying with schismatics and heretics, are not dogmatic canons of the faith. Are you missing that nuance?
Has anybody here ever had a schismatic or heretical person visit their Orthodox parish? Well, guess what, they probably prayed with you.
If my bishop wants to compromise his orthopraxis, to take one for the team so to speak, that’s fine with me, as long as I don’t have to also.
Joseph,
That is a delusional assertion…the Canons prohibiting common prayers with heretics were ABSOLUTELY put in place to protect the Dogmas and Faith of the Orthodox Church…
Just because GOARCH clergy today ignores the existence of the “prayers of the Catechumens” in Divine Liturgy, especially the words where “only the Faithful remain”, that doesn’t mean that the authors of this Divine Liturgy (who were living in an era where “prohibition of prayer with heretics” was taken very seriously) didn’t have a good reason to put those words in there…
So If your bishop wants to compromise, he is free to join the Roman Catholics or the Protestants, and certainly take you with him, since it’s “fine with you”…
Markos, all I’m doing is defending the bishop’s right and authority to apply and even sometimes overlook the canons. Bishops do overlook canons all the time, and that doesn’t necessarily make those bishops schismatic or heretical. In fact, it is sometimes schismatics who want to justify their schism “because the bishop overlooked a canon.”
When “Economy” becomes “the Canon” (Rule), that “bishop’s authority” has turned into abuse of authority, and he should be dealt with as what he is…a violator of the Tradition and the Ecumenical Council decisions he promised to uphold when he was ordained…
Joseph “laying his life down”??? Is he a martyr now? We did not ask for this kind of “sacrifice”. No matter how you look at it, ecumenism is a heresy, no reason to put lipstick on the pig.
When Canons are convenient to your narrative, you cite them all the time…when they don’t fit your narrative, they are something to “trample in the process”…
“Lay down his life for the flock”…is that what he was doing with the heretics? Or were the heretics his new flock? Give us a break, dude…
An Orthodox bishop’s role is first and foremost to defend the Faith, then instruct the Flock to embrace a life in Christ, and in the very least cares to endulge his own self in worldly prestige and material desires…
And what does “political intrigue of our times” mean?
– Is it perhaps a message of “go woke or go broke”?
– Is it perhaps that politicians may have “damaging files” on high ranking clergy such that the hierarchs must “compromise to the political intrigue” to protect their dirty laundry from airing out in the media?
-Is it perhaps more intentional…that the hierarchy has been hijacked by “reformists” who only allow other “reformists” to enter the Synod, blatantly ignoring Canons and Traditions along the way? (“trampling” as you call it)
And you think this is ok? Many Canons that are being “trampled” as you call it were specifically put in place to protect the Church from heresy…they are guardrails, and it is not a trivial thing to “overlook them”, especially on a regular basis like these guys are doing…
To make the Canon the “exception”, and the “exception” a Canon, absent a Pan-Orthodox Synod is equivalent to brazen rebellion and apostasy from Apostolic and Patristic Tradition, and not part of the bishop’s “job description”…
Well Joseph,
If you so easily and readily dismiss canons and traditions, what else are you willing to “cut off” from the teachings of the OC? The goal is not to depart from the Church’s teachings if we are working towards salvation. Do you think Elpi and Barto are wiser than the saints who, after much prayer and fasting, put together those canons? May I remind you that those canons are NOT the product of one hierarch? And if you are aware of this (which I am sure you are), what makes you think that any one hierarch in the OC has the right to do these prayers, if ALL other hierarchs do not agree with this practice (in which case, it means this practice is outside the church and a “service” that is not accepted by all).
Sandy, thankfully I dont have to attend such boring services. If you take a look, there’s hardly anybody there. It really looks like a staged non-event.
I suppose the other Orthodox bishops have every right to make a stink about such things if they want. Do you think they will? No, probably not, because they mostly understand what this is about: protecting the flock from the political intrigue of our current times.
Joseph,
I wonder what Christ would do… Would he mix up with the leaders of the other confessions to protect “the flock from the political intrigue of our current times?”
And if He would not, then what church is Elpi in?
Interesting theory, but what precisely is this “political intrigue” you speak of, why does the flock need to be protected from it, and how does ecumenism accomplish that?
If Orthodox hierarchs just focused on internal Church affairs and did not participate in such “services” and events, what harm could possibly come from it?
Orthodoxy in America is sometimes viewed as being foreign/ethnic and therefore insular/secretive (especially if it’s all in Greek, Russian, Arabic, etc). This coupled with the current news that Orthodoxy in America is exploding with new catechumens and converts, as reported even by the New York Times, is going to raise some eyebrows. As noted before, several U.S. lawmakers have already requested investigations into Orthodox churches for “Russian influence”.
Countering such political intrigue is not that hard really. A photo op of the Orthodox bishop essentially holding hands and singing kumbaya with Catholics and Protestants basically negates that political intrigue. Personally, I really don’t mind if my bishop does that, just as long as I don’t have to do it myself. I suspect that most Orthodox Christians feel similarly.
Let them raise eyebrows and investigate. I’d rather our bishops maintain the faith free of spot and blemish and suffer a little than participate in such niceties.
Why is it always those who want to maintain the faith who are made to bend to those who want to be more “flexible”? It’s one thing to practice economy to save a soul, but we are not talking about those kinds of dangers. What you propose is purely for the sake of convenience, which should not be a factor.
Well, Joseph, you can find excuses for those at the top that break the canons and don’t have respect for our saints who truly did lay down and paid with their life for our faith. I would rather show my respect and love to the saints, by honoring them and show them that I appreciate their sacrifice so that I can have an untainted OC.
It is my goal not to do anything that will change it, I want to keep it as Christ gave it to us, as much as possible.
I have read today that the Romanian diaspora is experiencing tremendous growth. I have read that they canonized a lot of the communist martyred saints last year and this year they are doing it again for other saints. Whenever I find articles I read about them. Orthochristian.com has small articles with their lives once in a while so I read there too.
I am inspired by how ne-ecumenists they were. I am not inspired by barto or elpi at all, so thank God for all the other churches in US because I have options. The Russians also canonized a lot of their communist martyred saints. ALL those people truly did lay their life for their faith. You mentioned Elpi laying down his life for his flock or something at this nature. Please, don’t make me laugh! He is sacrificing nothing and saving no one!
https://spzh.eu/en/news/90683-romanian-church-reports-growth-of-diaspora-in-2025
This blog always seems to focus on ecumenical relations of the Greek Archdiocese and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The other Local Churches do much the same though.
The current Patriarch of Antioch, for example, has met and prayed with Catholic and Protestant leaders, especially Pope Francis, on 11 different occasions, praying for Christian unity and solidarity in the Middle East. Of course the main source of political intrigue in the Middle East is the State of Israel.
Joseph,
Again, your excuses don’t make any sense. Their prayers are shattering canons and clearly their prayers do not work, since the Christians in Middle East and the State of Israel are abused and persecuted and the wars are not ending. If they really care, they can pray separately and not break the canons and maybe then, Christ will hear their prayers. But this masquerade, culminating with Barto commemorating Leo–who is outside the OC, is doing no one a favor but only upsets God. How can one man be so proud, to think of himself as infallible and how can Barto, be proud to trample on the canons and commemorate him? Your logic is flawed. Very, very flawed. Barto set a dangerous precedent. The pope has no place of commemoration at our services, stop making excuses. No other patriarch is doing this, so Barto has created his own “church”, second schismatic “church” after OCU. His actions are more and more bizarre. And of course, Elpi is creating a “church” of his own, with the pride flag on the building. These 2 men are putting themselves outside the OC. Thank God we can go to a different jurisdiction and thank God Barto is not the “one without equals” in the OC, but a confused man in a shrinking church in which he is becoming less relevant by the day, in the large scheme of things. Same with Elpi, plenty of good priests in his jurisdiction that don’t put a LGBT flag on their buildings. No one is following them. Both are losing their common sense and are departing from the OC. They are good examples of Church Leaders that we should NOT follow.
Joseph,
Trust me when I say that you would put some communists to shame with your propaganda. They distort the truth just like you, turning things 90 degrees, then 180 degrees and then spinning all around without ever getting anywhere. There are a couple of politicians that said Rocor should be investigated after Barto and his minions lied about it. Elpi criticized this himself, so I applaud him for his honesty, which is very rare. He took Rocor’s side on this. Also there are a few politicians that are investigating OCU, quite more than they are investigating ROCOR, but you always are telling us half truths. If the communist failed to brainwashed me, you can’t accomplish it either. Be honest and stop repeating only what fits your agenda and only a small fraction of the truth, always referring to the little aunt in the room, and failing to see the giant elephant next to it.
Sandy, yes, Archbishop Elpidophoros stood up to protect ROCOR. Did ROCOR thank him for this? Probably not.
People would much rather criticize Archbishop Elpidophoros for having an “ecumenical prayer service”, a service that may actually help counter the current U.S./Russia political intrigue that threatens ROCOR with investigation.
Joseph,
Criticizing Archbishop Elpidophoros for having an “ecumenical prayer service” is the correct thing to do to protect our faith from heresies. You did not see Christ “serving” with a bunch of cults. And a couple of confused congressman threatening to investigate ROCOR is the joke of the century, since more of the other congressman are threatening to investigate OCU. I did go to ROCOR churches and I had the feeling I was in a real church. Nothing but long service and standing up, no chairs except a few outback for the elderly. Very serious people and no one speaking. Everyone was very emersed in prayer. Never heard anything about Russia there. Not one word! Only prayers. This thing with the russia paranoia is all bs and made up. But Rocor and russian church are not going anywhere because they are protected by God. A couple of noisy congressmen who are serving different interests don’t scare God.
Mr. Elpi, why do we need you? If you are correct that the Church exists outside of Orthodoxy, then why be Orthodox? Why fast? Why have Icons? Why bother? We can all become Protestant and do what we want, when we want. This man is either a heretic or an idiot! GOARCH has gone off the rails as well as the entire EP!
Isn’t the author an Old Calendarist? Why post something that is schismatic in its outlook (“World Orthodoxy”?!) and written by an actual schismatic?
David,
You need to look who created the schism between the old and the new calendar in 1923 and who created most of the recent schisms. Is it a coincidence that they are all Freemasons? The majority of the Orthodox world (Russia etc.) follows the Old Calendar! Definitely the old calendarists are more preferable than the new carnivals, like Bartholomew and Elpidoforos… The Old Calendarists laugh with them:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ghZbjOHqaE8
Are you saying the Old Calendarists are all Freemasons?
The “New Calendar” was freely implemented by all the local churches that chose to adopt it, such as by Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania. Some churches, such as Russia, Serbia, and Jerusalem chose not to adopt it, and this was, and is, not a problem.
The Old Calendarist schisms all existed at the local church level where it was implemented. St. Paisios was highly critical of the Old Calendarists for going into schism over something not about the faith or dogmatic in nature. As St. Paisios would comment, the New Gregorian Calendar was founded by a Pope, while the Old Julian Calendar was founded by a pagan idolator. Why go into schism over a calendar?
Implemented Freely? Are you delusional? Do you have any idea how many people were arrested and or beaten by the police and how many priests were “defrocked” in Greece when the calendar was imposed BY FORCE in the years following 1924?
Constantinople did not force the New Calendar on anyone. It was the local churches and governments that forced it.
Constantinople has always had Old Calendar churches, like on Athos. The Carpatho Rusyns in America, under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, have always used the Old Calendar since they formed in 1938, and they still do.
Barf! More disgusting antics from the clown caravan.
Nick, in the past, you presented Iakovos as the model of leadership and the paragon of Orthodoxy. Not once did you criticize him for his participation in ecumenism. I doubt you will print this because it reveals truth and your obvious hypocrisy.
JK – the Ecumenism of the 1960s and 1970s is not the Ecumenism of today. If you want to be critical you have to be fair: we referred to his activities with Ecumenist organizations – in the same way we referred to AB Anastasios (Gisnoulatos) analogous activities. Neither of these two hierarchs would be ever be called a heretic by anyone. Can you say the same for Bartholomew and Elpidophoros? Intellectual honesty is a necessary element of a well-founded analysis and you need to work on this front harder.
At this point it’s just exhausting that he is still not only allowed in the Assembly of Bishops, but is in fact head of it.
The AOB just needs to kick him, and quite frankly, all Greek bishops out of the AOB till the EP can get its sh** together.
I would 100% fully support and honestly respect the AOB much more if they kicked out the Greeks and brought the Russians back in in their place.
Until then, they’ll just allow this to happen.
We are getting so many converts here in America and the optics of this are beyond horrendous. Kick the Greeks out NOW
Pseudo Elder, I hope you’re not talking about who I think you’re talking about. In addition, beyond being correctly critical of the Arch- bishop, you go on to criticize St. Anthony’s, the Elders, the Priests, the Monks, the laity, the OCA…I’m surprised that you didn’t name all the Orthodox churches, Hierarch, clergy, monastics, laity. Your pride is leading you astray not to mention the hurt you’ve thrown upon the rest of us. Since you are better than us, would don’t you give give us a plan? Trust me, I’m as upset as you, as are the monks, the Fathers and the Elders. If you would read about Elder Ephraim, he prophesied about “wolves entering the church” many years before his passing. It’s obvious he was warning us about Bart, Elpi and their fellow Phanatiotes. Fr. Heers was right, about what is required…why don’t you listen to him. I would ecstatic to sign a petition about the abusers and abuses and pleading with all Hierarchs to call an Ecumenical counsel. Trust me, I have to bite my tongue every time I see the heretic, not for myself but for my loved ones.
Orthodoxy is undergoing a resurgence with tens of thousands of converts because the converts correctly perceived Orthodoxy as the stalwart protector of true Christian beliefs and traditions going back to the first century. Many of the converts are coming because they object to their previous churches of the inclusion of lesbians et al as articulated in this post. It seems someone in New York decided to forgo 20 centuries of history and traditions. The martyrs did not sacrifice for this! I urge all to send a link to Constantinople and ask if they are OK with this and to ask for corrections. If Constantinople is OK with this, then our religion has been hijacked at the highest levels and not just in America. Hopefully it turns out it is only in America and this is corrected ASAP
After reading about this unfortunate gathering at Holy Trinity Cathedral, I had hoped that our bishops and monks would speak out, but it didn’t happen.
But, in the epistle readings for the first three days of the week of the Publican and Pharisee St. Peter does speak to us and here are excerpts:
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord, who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle. and their destruction does not slumber.
For if God did not spare the angels but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of the eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterwards would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked(for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)- then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanliness and despise authority.
Well said….Let us remember, Lot never once criticized nor condemned the ungodly and the wicked. God took care of business in His own way. I’m afraid, we are headed in that direction. The heresies and foul stench of ecumenism are too great for any man to change; as per the holy Father/Saint Ephraim from AZ has warned us. Father Peter Heers is correct, one must wait for an Ecumenical Council before separating from such bishops.
Saint Mark stood his ground alone when everyone was against him. Met Tychikos of Cyprus, Met Onuphry of the Ukraine are currently being persecuted for digging their heels in the ground and owning their truths. We must do the same. Use the power of walking out, never pay dues or stewardships and tell all your friends and family, spread the word to all who have ears to hear! Try to wake the lukewarm laity half asleep in the pews on Sunday morning. Share this story with all those who are clueless and ignite a spark in them.
Does anyone know the saint I believe Saint Haralambos, who was held hostage by the Vatican and was dressed in papist vestments in his coffin. He kept appearing in the dreams of the pope telling him to put his Orthodox vestments on and send him home (Greece). Every morning, they would check on the saint only to find the papist vestments on the floor next to the coffin. This went on for a while. The papists kept dressing him again, and again he would appear to the pope and then finally threatened him if he wasn’t returned home wearing his rightful Orthodox vestments. The pope was frightened and finally the saint was returned to Greece wearing Orthodox vestments. Glory be to God!
Let us follow the ways of the saints and live the words of Christ. Let God do His bidding….let us rely on His power and wisdom…..☦️
The papists ambition is to unite but not as equals but under them. Clearly, they are too proud to recognize how ridiculous is the papal infallibility. The pope put himself as head of the church, removing Christ’s infallibility and taking it upon himself. That’s why giving them power in our churches by treating them like equals is horrendous. Let’s also remember that in poor judgement, the “one without equals” decided to commemorate the pope before himself as the pope is our spiritual leader.
Now the pope thinks it is fitted for him to order the canonical Church UOC to unite with OCU. He has no right. He should clean up his own “church”, especially by making sure his priests don’t molest any more boys. Barto creates messes in Ukraine and now the pope is giving us his 2 cents, like we care. Pffff!
https://spzh.eu/en/news/90679-pope-calls-on-the-orthodox-to-disarm-hearts-for-the-sake-of-unity