EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). You can watch below the full long (over 2 hrs) video presentation of a new book about Freemasonry and its penetration into Orthodoxy – or you can preferably link here for a short version of Fr. Zisis’ speech on AB Anastasios of Albania and his Freemasonry ties (also at the end of the long video) and its effect on his Orthodox life and practice. I will also ask you to read both “editor’s notes”, this and the one by Markos following.
Let me start by saying that I was aware of Anastasios’ Freemasonry ties early on, at the same time as I was aware of his immense spiritual and educational stature, four decades ago, in the early 1980s… And yes, we all know he studied Comparative Religion and was among the leading global scholars in this field. But suggesting, as Fr. Zisis does in the video, that the Freemasons supported his enormous work in Albania and therefore we should cross it out as heretic, is not right.
Why do we forget that before coming to Albania, Anastasios spent two decades doing enormous missionary work in many African countries, learning the local languages and providing tangible solutions and Orthodox spiritual foundations to millions of impoverished people? And in the end, paying a heavy price as he was infected by malaria? Has anyone of his fervent recent critics anything remotely similar to show – even 50% of his work? I am afraid not…
We all understand his “Ecumenist” views. But how many realize that Metropolitan Ioannis of Korce, Anastasios’ spiritual son and likely successor as the head of the Church of Albania, was a Muslim converted to Orthodoxy by Anastasios himself?
If these facts – and the ones presented by Markos below – do not convince us to avoid painting all arguments “black and white” then it is us who are in sin and in need to correct our course.
Not everything is “black and white” in life, despite the human need to create little “boxes” putting all aspects in “categories” and paint them “good” and “evil”. There are some things and some personalities that do not fit in little “boxes” and Anastasios was one of them…
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EDITOR’S NOTE (Markos). The Ecumenist path of Anastasios over the years was and is known. And he frequented and conversed with heretics at official meetings, and much more. However, when the time came to decide whether to support the Schism of the “Tomos” of Ukraine, he refused. And this fact constitutes a “confession of faith”, because he denied participation in a Schism of Orthodoxy, not only silently, but also with communicated letters to the Patriarch of Constantinople, asking NOT to proceed with the publication of the “volume”.
Because Christ has said that he is accepted who fulfills the desire of his Lord even at the 11th hour, we know that at least in the last years of his life, Anastasios made confessions of faith, but also several valuable works in Albania, towards the building of the Church of Christ, things which certainly contradict his “ecumenist”- “masonic” historical past. Now, if the money spent for these works had as its source the Masonic system, or other dirty “sacrifices”, it does not mean that the money was not utilized for a good purpose. Also, it is not absolutely certain that such “dirty money” should automatically be rejected according to the Old Mosaic Law, since we live in a New Testament. Certainly, however, if there is a version or indication that donations from evil people will one day constitute a “lever of control” over the Church, then it is better for a hierarch to never accept such money…
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The Roman Emperor Vespasian said: “Pecunia non olet”
(Money has no smell); but he would say that, wouldn’t he?
The road to paradise begins in hell.
Dante Alighieri
Was Dante a mason too? A Templar I believe…. Perhaps AB Anastasios endured enough pain whilst on this earth and now deserves to be in paradise with our Lord? Only God can judge.
Reader beware when today’s society is trying desperately to normalize Orthodoxy ecumenism and masonry. Oh what an evil web they weave….. Let us not exalt any man but only God….Read the daily Synaxarion if you want to meet the heavyweights…
George Washington was a mason and there are many masonic symbols on the faces of the dollar bill.
And all over Washington DC. It’s a graveyard memorial for all the soldiers that were sacrificed for their evil, masonic enslavement of mankind. Their symbolism is everywhere if you’re awake enough to notice. Go visit the Rotunda at the Capital, and look up. Tell me what do you see?
The Freemasons are essentially gnostics. Like the heretical gnostics of old, they offer “Truth through Knowledge”. Of course, that disturbing catchphrase was also exactly what the serpent promised to Eve. In contrast, Christ tells us that He is the Truth, the Way, the Life. There is no truth except through Christ.
It’s not as simplistic as that. There is always a separation of the pathways to knowledge and to faith.
There are two distinct forces in the world, good and evil. If you are not praying to Christ (who is all the good in the world/universe), who are you praying to?
There is NO other knowledge, pathway, nor true light other than Jesus Christ. One pathway to Christ.. He is the way, the truth, and the life.
Their erroneous praxis and purposeful indoctrination, spreading lies by the father of all lies, as these individuals look for the knowledge and the light. Whilst amassing earthly treasures as if they’re taking it with them.
Walk into any Orthodox church and look up….you will see the light….
THIS IS A SAINTLY HONORABLE MAN.
The only honorable mason is the one that has denounced freemasonry and repented.
Leonidas, and despite being a Mason, don’t forget George Washington’s famous Vision at Valley Forge 1777— upon praying fervently for his troops he saw an Angel showing him future of America. This Angel called him “Son of the Republic look and learn.”
It was written up in The Philadelphia Tribune.
The only angel the masons will see, is the angel of death that will take them to hell. I know masons that had tragedies in their families and big health problems and still they cannot figure out why these things are happening to them…
And falling asleep is not repentance! Denounce free masonry now and save what can be saved!
Amen ΠΓ…. Two wrongs still do not make a right! You can’t have it both ways…. You’re either with Jesus whole heartedly or you’re not!
Orthodox masons is an oxymoron!
Repent before it’s too late!
Some masons, especially the AHEPA ones have this illusion. They think that because they go to church and they receive holy communion, Jesus will show mercy on them.
It doesn’t work like that. You cannot balance on 2 boats. You will either follow Jesus, or AHEPA. Jesus never said to his disciples “Go around the world and make lodges, brotherhoods, fraternities and sororities”.
And stopping being an active member of AHEPA is not going to save you from suffering in this life. You have to denounce AHEPA with actions and repent. Only that way you will avoid going to eternal hell when you die.
Amen….God is the ultimate judge in the end. Even without being in AHEPA, people receive communion each week and are not properly prepared. I am also a co-struggler, although I strive for excellence as much as possible. That’s all God expects from us. Follow the commandments and the holy Mysteries the right way, the way they were intended. Worldly living vs a life in Christ, choose wisely… All these brotherhoods and private clubs need to repent. They just don’t realize that when they die, they take nothing with them, and their affiliations and allegiances will mean absolutely nothing as they stand in front of the throne of God. I’m guessing it will be worse for the clergy who sold out…
Only God knows the truth. I wasn’t aware of any possible links that AB Anastasios potentially had with masonry. I think he accomplished great things in the Albanian Orthodox Church. If he is not known for any innovations such as co-celebrations with other confessions or using multiple spoons, etc I think his fruits were good and he is not much worse than those that crossed the line a long time ago with their innovations. Not sure if all Greek churches do this, but one near me that I used to go to even has an organ and the choir has uniforms. Beautiful church but certain things are just a little off from what I am used to see. Also fasting seems optional in many western churches these days with some minor exceptions. AB Anastasios doesn’t strike me as someone that did any of those things that departed more or less from the eastern orthodox church that is still much more strict.
I have seen videos of Metr. Seraphim of Pireous in his earlier years in the World Council of Churches in a climate not very orthodox to put it lightly. If I would have “crossed him off my list” because of this I would have missed out on his teachings that are in line with the Holy Fathers. He is someone who I greatly respect for his steadiness in the Church and the rejection of the innovations that are trying to infiltrate the OC. We have to be careful not to judge anyone if they repented of something wrong that they might have done at some point like Apostle Paul for example. I do not think a mason would be able to revive the OC and I am cautious about believing that such link exists. Only God knows.
Right on!
Sandy, your intuition is spot on, as Ioannis also concurs…and while there appears to be a lot of “talking past each other” that I’m observing in the comments section here, it appears that everyone agrees on this point.
In the end, it’s “how you finish the race” that counts, and not whether or not you “fell down” on the track earlier in the race… I believe this was the spirit of Helleniscope’s article on AB Anastasios…to counter some “noise” that was brewing about Anastasios’ documented involvement (in prior years) in societies and associations that are known to be antithetical to traditional Orthodox values. Yet, he certainly “finished the race strong”, and his refusal to refer to Epiphanios as anything other than Schismatic was a real big deal…We know he was under pressure to do the opposite, and he refused to enable / support Schism. That’s called Confession of Faith. He also did leave behind a tangible mark on the reconstruction of Orthodoxy in the lands of Northern Epirus and Albania, and that is genuine Apostolic work that can’t be ignored either. Of course, at the end God decides his fate, but compared to other bishops out there, I’ll venture to say that if they were all more like Anastasios, we’d have far more Unity of the Faith, and much lower frequency of ecclesiastical scandals today…don’t forget, it was Anastasios that sent letters warning and pleading with the Synod of Constantinople NOT to make that one Albanian “gentleman”( who ended up reciting the Filioque at his ordination at the Phanar) a bishop to begin with…
We should also keep in mind, there have also been great saints of the Church who earlier in their life had adopted a heretical position, but later rejected it.
Markos,
Most people, clergy or not clergy, at some point of their life realize that the clock is ticking and there is not much time left… Then they repent for their sins and turn to God in a final effort to avoid going to eternal hell…
Yes, we saw signs of repentance in the last actions of Anastasios, but we didn’t see an open denounciation of freemasonry… Let’s hope that Jesus will show mercy on him.
Markos,
Like you mentioned we have many examples of people that failed and got up. Even the apostles failed in following Christ to His end on this earth except one. And the bad guy that was crucified with Christ earned his position in Haven in the last moments of his life, without much effort at all. No prostrations, mass to go to every Sunday, baptism and so on. Our judgement is flowed and we should not attempt to judge the AB without having the full picture. What appears to be the case from the little that I know is that masons are looking for positions of power but also they accumulate wealth. That does not seem to be the case with the AB so I will refrain to speculate that he was not faithful to Christ especially in light of his accomplishments.
One cannot serve mammon and the Lord. And who exactly do the masons believe in? We all know who it is, and it’s not Christ our Lord
You could say this is so.. But If this is so, how come someone like AB Anastasios of Albania was able to do so much good for humanity? The only answer may be that Freemasonry was meant to be something else and this was transformed and practiced in a devilish way…
But was it only Freemasonry or the Devil has conquered many other institutions and strustures of our civilization – including the supposedly “Christian” Churches?
It is time to get rid of the “boxes” and think more freely if we are going to return to the right direction.
Sad that one thinks this way. You are simply trying to find excuses. The Fathers of the Orthodox Church, and not the current ones following neo-patrology, would disagree with this kind of excuses. So what you are saying is that if a thieve gives me a million $ and I spend it for a good cause that I would be ok with Christ. If one reads the gerontikon one will find many stories in there that oppose this thinking. One such small one is, when the helper of an elder found a dried pea on their way and asked if he could take it to use it for seeding. The elder did not allow him because it was not his; another instance is an elder who owed some money to a fellow and was delaying him until he can come up with the proper amount. He found such an amount on his way, but refused to pick it up because he had not earned it.
What I am saying is very clear for those who have their eyes open: When the time of Judgement comes, and we all appear before God “naked”, God will not ask us who is a “Mason”, or a “Communist” or an “Ecumenist”, or a conservative or a liberal and who is not. God will not judge us with our adherence to certain rules – which are no doubt worthy. God will not ask who fasted and who did not fast – as we all know from our Easter / Christos Anesti service: “νηστευσαντες και μη νηστευσαντες” they all celebrate the Rise of Christ from the dead. BUT HE WILL JUDGE US AS FROM THE LOVE WE OFFERED TO OUR FELLOOW HUMAN BEINGS, FROM THE GOOD WE DID TO HUMANITY.
Yes, we follow the rules of Orthodox Faith to the best of our ability, yet in the end we all know we end up sinners in one respect or another. And we defend the Orthodox Faith.
In these terms, there is NOBODY who has surpasses Anastasios and this why we have repeatedly said that he is the leading Orthodox leader of our times. In order to criticize him you need to show to all of us how his participation in Freemasonry affected his leadership and his work. I tried to find any grounds for such an influence and I failed.
I hope you are more knowledgeable than me.
You are right you know a lot more than me. We agree that only God knows who is saved. We are not discussing whether or not AB Anastasios of blessed memory is saved. I pray that he is. But the issue was your thesis that being a mason is not necessarily bad as it regards Orthodoxy. The saints disagree with your position, and you have not answered the question, who do the masons believe in?
As far as I know from open sources being accepted to Freemasonry (which proclaims it is not a religion) means that one only believes in “God”, the “Supreme Being”. Which is interpreted as: 1) You can believe in the God of your particular faith and 2) Atheists are not accepted in Freemasonry. Again, I am not an expert in this and please correct me if I am wrong.
The idea that Christ does not care about our faith and will only judge us on good deeds is a gross misunderstanding of the gospel reading of the final judgement. It suggests an acceptance of salvation by good works which is contrary to Orthodox soteriology. Without Ortthodoxia we cannot have Orthopraxia. We often forget a small detail in this pericope: Christ saved the sheep because they followed, obeyed and loved their Good Shepherd. They became innocent and pure lamb by imitating the sacrificial Lamb of God.
So all good works are worthless and sinful if they are not done for the Glory of God. I honestly believe that the thirst and simple faith of our Albania Christian brothers have galvanized the faith and resolve of the Archbishop and motivated him to become an example for his flock. The Lord protected him from many would be assassins and I have no doubt that he cut all ties with non Christian ideologies even at the 11th hour. God’s love and mercy visited him with a lengthy illness and hosital stay which afforded him the opportunity for holy confession and forgiveness.
About being the greatest leader of our time this is something that God will decide. In Orthodoxy the greatest leaders are the saints and thank God we have an abundance of them Let us all pray for our recently departed brother in Christ Archbishop Anastasios and ask God to forgive all his offences
Constantine Zalalas
Well not quite; that’s simply the pre-election rhetoric that is all puffing as they say. A little more research brother will lead you to Baphomet. You are very capable I’m sure to find your way, but some brave people have published thorough information as each novice progresses through the degrees, and the initial puffing gets pealed away. May our Lord help us enlighten our path. Have a blessed remainder of Lent
Amen Ioannis….people totally miss the mark regarding the initiations, promises and tasks they’re required to take upon entry and show their continued allegiance through the ranks to these satanists, bc that’s what they truly are, satanists, modern day Arians/Nestorians. Orthodox Christians who follow these people lose their holy Chrysma, Holy Spirit and possibly their archangel. It is worse for the clergy who hold the body of Christ in their hands each Sunday as they prepare holy Communion…. These individuals purport to look for the knowledge and the ‘light’ when indeed they already had it and threw it away! Lord have mercy….
Read the lives of the saints, the Synaxarion and the Philokalia, tons of stories and references of truth by true heroes of our faith.
Team Jesus,
It is my understanding that the new members of lower ranks do not have the knowledge but are left in the dark about who their master is. It is my understanding that only the “higher ups”, when they get to the higher ranks, are told who their master is. For this reason I can’t “judge” them all the same because many of them truly don’t know what they are doing. I agree with you 100% that orthodox Christians should not get mixed in masonry and I am well aware of the position of our Holy Fathers on this subject. I do not think that God judges these people as you describe if unknowingly, they choose a wrong path. We also chose the wrong path every day we sin and He is not sitting around in the waiting to take His gifts from us, especially if unknowingly, we do something wrong.
Dearest Sandy, when priests and bishops reach a certain level of holy grace in their ministries, they do not do things unknowingly as you stated. I know for a fact that one of the first questions they are asked upon private club mason initiation is, what are you looking for? Their response is, the light. This is blaspheme to the Triune God…
As I said before, God is the ultimate judge, and will judge us all especially the ones placed in charge and in tutelage of His flock…
Team Jesus:
If you read my post more carefully, you will see I was not speaking about priests and bishops. I was speaking about the newest members. But in this case with the AB, I don’t know enough about the situation. In addition, he is dead and we can’t ask him if at some point he was in the club or if he was temporary in the club or if this is a smear campaign against him, or IF he repented from being a member. Why would I judge someone so harshly if I don’t even have the facts?
I was not making any excuses to someone adhering to the club, I was simply stating that I have read stories from people that left the club and wrote about their experience afterwards. Many said that they were not aware who they were worshiping until they were “enlightened” at higher degrees.
I can’t accuse and I won’t accuse anyone including clergy and especially a dead AB of something I don’t know for sure. I agree that Masonry is incompatible with Orthodoxy, and I expect that ALL our clergy, hierarchs, and faithful, not be part of any of the clubs.
Κοιτάχτε, δυσκολεύομαι να πιστέψω
ότι ήταν μασώνος , αλλά και αν
θεωρηθεί ως δεδομένο, δεν αποκλείεται να τους χρησιμοποίησε,
για να κάνει το τεράστιο έργο του,
υπέρ της Ορθοδοξίας και του
Ελληνισμού.
Ξύπνα Kαπετάνιε, ως και αντίχριστος όταν έρθει θα κάνει όλα τα καλά του κόσμου ειρηνικά και θα ταΐσει τους φτωχούς και θα κάνει έργα μεγάλα και θαύματα πολλά και και παρά πολύ θα το πιστέψουν, θα τον πιστέψουν και θα τον προσκυνήσουν!!!
The antichrist will do even greater almsgiving and even miracles! People will be fooled as they are today and follow it!! Wake up!!!
Ότι και να λες , επιμένω στην
σκέψη μου, διότι έχουμε τα
παραδείγματα του Πατριάρχη, του
Ελπιδοφόρου, του Μακαρίου
Αυστραλίας που διαπράττουν
κατόπιν πιέσεως των αφεντικών των , τερατουργήματα
εις βάρος της Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας και του Ελληνισμού,
ενώ ο Αναστάσιος δεν είχε σκελετούς στην ντουλάπα του.
Ψάξε να βρεις κανένα ξυπνητήρι
από αυτά που είχε φέρει ο Μαρκεζίνης….
Yes, we will not judge the Archbishop for his freemansory but Christ will. However, for all of us still in this world, the teaching/guidance of the Church is clear.
In the early 20th century, the Church of Greece officially declared that when someone becomes a Mason (a member of Freemasonry) they commit an act of apostasy from the church and therefore, until they repent, the person involved in Freemasonry cannot partake of the Eucharist.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Crr1YvFZBEA&si=SIkfWemnaaHP9X0n
Yet, many Hierarchs of the Greek Church are Freemasons.
Indeed, a very sad and cancerous reality. Let us not forget that it was the mason Meletios Metaxakis who caused the major schism of the Greeks with his uncanonical introduction of the new calendar in 1924. Athenagoras, another documented mason removed the Anathemas in 1965 because he knew better than all the Saints and the Church combined! And then you have the current EP who officiated a robber synod in Crete in 2016 and had a document issued (in a presence of a woman which is not allowed by church cannon law to be present in any Synod) to recognizable the heterodox such as Coptics, Latins and such others as orthodox(!). Great works of the masons! Against Christ and His Church
Sandy,
So sorry! You are right….we just don’t know about the AB and should never judge. Although, it is our job to warn and wake people up, for all those who have ears to hear. Are people so blind with ego and pride today that they don’t see truth?
Orthodox Christians willingly seek these private clubs with promises of great wealth, security and connections, protections, and exaltations bc of their ego, pride and passions. The way we come into this world is the way we go out. As Orthodox christians, we better be prepared and account for all our sins, when we see the true light in front of us….☦️
Team Jesus,
I have read the testament (will) of the AB a while back, which was read aloud shortly after his funeral. It seems that he had almost no possessions to give away. If I remember correctly mostly books. It makes more sense he was first of all a humble, poor monk which would not qualify him as a mason at all by the modest way he lived. Based on this and other reasons, it seems very unlikely he was involved in anything else other than Orthodoxy.
He was a Freemason of the 33rd degree – meaning he had reached the top of “the ladder of knowledge”. Don’t ask how do I know this – but I do. And NO, I am not a Mason… What we are not sure about is whether he was a Mason after he was elected Archbishop of Albania. Even if he remained a Mason, he probably had little or no participation in the Athens Lodge where he belonged. Because for him and for many others at the time, Masonry was not a religion. He was devoted to Orthodoxy – that much we can be sure about.
Did other Masons offer him money and help for Albania? Yes, very likely. But he was probably offered more money by other wealthy Greeks, non-Masons. You have to understand that at these times (1990 and before) he was admired by ALL Greeks as he was the “Star of Knowledge and Wisdom”. Greeks value education more than anything and in these times this tendency was much more pronounced. Very few Greeks could compare to him in his status as a “Wise Man”: Constantinos Tsatsos, Panagiotis Kanellopoulos and very few others. At these times participating in Freemasonry in Greece basically meant one’s effort to climb the 33 steps of knowledge. In America, Freemasonry was and is a “business network” and it is mainly about money. This is why we see people with minimal education being proud to be “Masons”. Many contractors and construction managers in our New York community are “Masons”. We can all understand why.
Don’t worry, I did not think you are a Mason :)… Regarding the AB, or anyone else for that matter, whatever he did in his early life, doesn’t matter IF he repented. A few years ago I was reading about the Romanian Patriarch and his activities during communism. He was participating in common masses with the Catholics, there are plenty of pictures that substantiate this. He was in “good terms” with the communists and when they started to close down monasteries and churches, a few of them he told them NO, this is mine and that is mine. And those did stay open. If he didn’t do this, and he didn’t have a “friendly” relationship with them, certainly they would have closed all of them… A lot of people were judging him that he was a Mason. Only God knows if he was or not. But the other stories I read were from bishops, monks and priests telling their stories how the Patriarch, risking his own life, was finding hiding places for them so they would not be put in jail. How monks and nuns with his blessing, never stopped printing bibles, prayer books, etc in printer shops hiding in the basement of the monasteries. Another story about Elder Cleopa (now St. Cleopa) was that the communists took him to question him and beat him up pretty badly but then the Patriarch intervened, and he was let go. He lived hidden as a hesychast to escape communists for many years. THe Patriarch loved him very much. Given that the AB also had to deal with Communism, I am reluctant to judge him since I don’t know if he repented or not from being a mason. Those men, during that time, only them and God know how hard the times were for everyone that was orthodox. It is of course easy for us to speculate and even judge, but I don’t think is the right thing to do so unless we know for sure he did not repent. St. Christopher served the devil and then he served Christ and became a saint, so as long as we repent, there is no sin that God won’t forgive.