Orthodox Baptism: Ignorant Parents, Irresponsible Pastors

ΤΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΑΡΧΙΚΟ ΚΕΙΜΕΝΟ ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΕΙ

By Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Attica and Boeotia (of the Old Calendar Greek Church)

Baptism is a basic condition for salvation, in combination with the right faith and of course, with the right experience. The naturalization of a new Christian into the body of the Church implies that he will remain faithful to its teaching and will struggle in the future to preserve what Baptism offered him, holiness. And since in our days, infant baptisms take place, the responsibility of the commitment for a continuous and unceasing effort to preserve the holiness of the newly baptized is assumed by the sponsor, the mother, and the father through the provision of Orthodox Education. However, a basic condition for assuming the sacred responsibility that follows the Sacrament of Baptism is for the sponsor, the mother and the father to come consciously to the Sacrament and to be true members of the Body of Christ.

Since, therefore, these apply to Baptism, it is a great blessing that Baptisms take place, because, correspondingly new members of the Church arise who put on Christ with the perspective of preserving holiness and transmitting it to human society. This is the orthodox view, but rather utopian in our days, because most uneducated parents and guardians, unfortunately, ignore it.

Baptism, like other sacraments (“Mysteria”) of our Church, has been established in the consciousness of a large part of the Greek people as a beautiful custom. This could possibly be characterized as something good, because the majority of the Greek people do not renounce the faith that fermented generations and generations of Greeks, since the time of the Apostles. On the other hand, however, it is very problematic. Baptism in today’s time has taken on the dimensions of a social event that is shaped according to the social and economic situation, the education, but also the moods for celebrations, projection and demonstration of the parents of the newly enlightened. The world is not aware of the sacredness of the Mystery. Most parents probably consider Baptism as a pleasant, spectacular way to name their child. With such beliefs it is expected that the Mystery does not receive the due treatment most of the times.

Thus, we see Baptisms taking place, for example, on Friday, and after the Sacrament, so-called Orthodox Christians in the entertainment centers are thrown into a frenzy. Is this how we honor the event of Baptism? We see in the most sacred space of the Temple, the supreme place of worship of the Triune God, people behave with great disrespect, which is not justified by their unjustified ignorance. They talk constantly, they are indecently dressed, they even go so far as to try to smoke. Prayer does not even cross their mind, as they do not know what it is. But what dominates in the last decade is the famous phenomenon of the couple’s wedding and the Baptism of their child taking place consecutively, which sometimes also holds the bride’s name. The phenomenon has reached such proportions that now it seems that the Church has no problem with premarital relations since it does almost nothing to humiliate it. Since we have such issues and the Church is pastorally called to provide a solution, a good way to solve the issue with due seriousness and for everyone to understand that marriage before marriage is problematic, is to perform the two Sacraments/Mysteria on separate dates, as and if it doesn’t suit most people. Of course, here lies the other issue. “They don’t marry and baptize us there. We will go to another priest.” If there were a unified position in the Church, things would have been put in place and each passerby would not do his will by spreading new “teachings” in the Church space.

We also see parents and guardians without confession and fasting proceeding to the Sacrament. Of course, since it is a spectacle for them, why should they fast or confess? We see pairs of foster parents anointing the child, because it is more spectacular, not knowing that they thus become brothers in spirit with all that this entails. We also see the swimming pool decorated with various ornaments. Really, if this is permissible, let’s do something similar with the Holy Grail. As much as it is allowed to decorate the Holy Grail, so is the swimming pool. Finally, we see one more thing: people who have no connection with the Church want to become foster parents, even if they are heterodox or completely atheist, and this is because the parents choose them as good friends.

We must know that after the baptism, the main person of the Sacrament of Baptism is not the father, nor the mother, (the only one of the two genders is appropriate) but the godparent. After Baptism, he is considered by the Church as the spiritual parent of the baptized. His role is very important. Because according to infant baptism, the infant is not in a position to confess Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Trinity, Homoousion and Inseparable, the confession is taken over by the sponsor. First he pronounces the Creed and then the Baptism follows. After Baptism, the goal is to maintain holiness. This requires the choice of the contractor to be such as to help achieve this goal. The godparent is not only there to take the candle or the gifts to the child, but to admonish him, to teach him the right faith and to cultivate the virtues in the soil of his soul until at least he reaches adulthood. The undertaker must be a Saint, as exaggerated as it may sound.

But the parents, too, must step firmly on the Christian foundations. Judging from them, we Clergy have a very big responsibility for the Baptisms we perform. Of course, babies are pure and innocent. When, however, the parents do not guarantee that the child will grow up in Christ in the blessed family society, in a blessed marriage society, how will we proceed with the celebration of the Mystery? For reasons of conscience? But this is absent from the parents themselves. To strengthen the work of the Church? Which play; Is it the work of the Church to baptize thousands of children and have them come to participate only on the first three Sundays and then leave themselves at the mercy of the chaotic society? Is it for financial reasons? If yes, fire will fall to burn us, because we received Grace freely and we give it freely to those who accept Grace. To the one who is not receptive, woe to us if we “market” Grace.

I referred to the condition of blessed marriage communion. Not by chance. For twenty-one centuries, the Church has accepted as a marriage union the persons who, by the Grace of God, can bear fruit, the man and the woman. The twenty-one century, I think, is proof that we don’t need to become supposedly smarter, more progressive, more hopeful, or anything else, and to “bless” a different form that, of course, cannot be a family. Unless, for a clergyman to perform such an act, he is forced “somehow” to legislate foreign institutions tomorrow. Then, however, “he is a thief and a robber and he does not care about the sheep”. He does not care about the souls of innocent children, who, deprived of the possibility to taste fatherhood from their father and motherhood from their mother, grow up in a psychologically sick environment. He does not care about the souls of those who wanted to transcend nature, because with his “blessing”, he deprived them of the reflection: “Are we making a mistake?”. Unfortunately, Christ’s words “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify our father in heaven”, which should have been the goal and fruit of the struggle of every Clergyman and Christian in general, is not replicated from many. Who is the light today?

Because, as pastors, we were called by God to guard Thermopylae of faith, we cannot turn a blind eye to the bad texts and the new “gospel” that some supposedly progressive clergy want to introduce. Here we make it clear: either we remain with Christ, or we follow the world. “No one can work without masters.” Every Orthodox Christian and Clergyman has an imposed duty to live, to exist, to breathe, to walk evangelically and according to the tradition of the Church.

Society today suffers and is in complete decline, because we pastors do not give due weight and care to the foundations of Marriage and Baptism. If we do not build the house properly from the foundation, let us be sure that when it is raised we will not be able to fix it. If we then indiscriminately try to fix it, it will fall and knock us down.

† Chrysostomos of Attica and Boeotia

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“Ἀκατήχητοι γονεῖς, ἀνεύθυνοι Ποιμένες Βαρυσήμαντο άρθρο τοῦ Σεβ.Μητροπολίτου Ἀττικῆς καὶ Βοιωτίας(Γ.Ο.Χ.) κ.Χρυσοστόμου

Τὸ Βάπτισμα ἀποτελεῖ βασικὴ προϋπόθεση σωτηρίας, σὲ συνδυασμὸ μὲ τὴν ὀρθὴ πίστη καὶ βεβαίως μὲ τὸ ὀρθὸ βίωμα. Ἡ πολιτογράφηση ἑνὸς νέου Χριστιανοῦ στὸ σῶμα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας συνεπάγεται ὅτι αὐτὸς θὰ παραμείνει πιστὸς στὴ διδασκαλία της καὶ θὰ ἀγωνισθεῖ στὸ ἑξῆς νὰ διατηρήσει αὐτὸ ποὺ τοῦ προσέφερε τὸ Βάπτισμα, τὴν ἁγιότητα. Καὶ ἐφόσον στὶς μέρες μας γίνονται νηπιοβαπτισμοί, τὴν εὐθύνη τῆς δέσμευσης γιὰ συνεχὴ καὶ ἀκατάπαυστη προσπάθεια διατήρησης τῆς ἁγιότητος τοῦ νεοφώτιστου ἀναλαμβάνει ὁ ἀνάδοχος, ἡ μητέρα καὶ ὁ πατέρας μέσα ἀπὸ τὴν παροχὴ τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Παιδείας. Βασική, ὡστόσο, προϋπόθεση γιὰ τὴν ἀνάληψη τῆς ἱερής εὐθύνης ποὺ ἀκολουθεῖ τὸ Μυστήριο τῆς Βαπτίσεως, εἶναι ὁ ἀνάδοχος, ἡ μητέρα καὶ ὁ πατέρας νὰ προσέρχονται συνειδητὰ στὸ Μυστήριο καὶ νὰ ἀποτελοῦν πραγματικὰ μέλη τοῦ Σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Ἐφόσον, λοιπόν, αὐτὰ ἰσχύουν ὡς πρὸς τὸ Βάπτισμα, εἶναι μεγάλη εὐλογία νὰ γίνονται Βαπτίσεις, διότι προκύπτουν ἀντίστοιχα νέα μέλη τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ποὺ ἐνδύονται τὸν Χριστὸ μὲ προοπτικὴ τὴν διατήρηση τῆς ἁγιότητας καὶ τὴν μετάδοσή της στὴν κοινωνία τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Αὐτὴ εἶναι ἡ ὀρθόδοξη ὀπτική, ἀλλὰ μάλλον οὐτοπικὴ στὶς μέρες μας, διότι τὴν ἀγνοοῦν, δυστυχῶς,  οἱ περισσότεροι ἀκατήχητοι γονεῖς καὶ ἀνάδοχοι.

Τὸ Βάπτισμα, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλα Μυστήρια τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μας, ἔχει καθιερωθεῖ στὴ συνείδηση μεγάλου μέρους τοῦ ἑλληνικοῦ λαοῦ ὡς ἕνα ὠραῖο ἔθιμο. Αὐτὸ ἐνδεχομένως νὰ μποροῦσε νὰ χαρακτηρισθεῖ ὡς κάτι καλό, διότι ἡ πλειοψηφία τοῦ ἑλληνικοῦ λαοῦ δὲν ἀπαρνεῖται τὴν πίστη ποὺ ζύμωσε γενιὲς καὶ γενιὲς Ἑλλήνων, ἀπὸ τὴν ἐποχὴ τῶν Ἀποστόλων. Ἀπὸ τὴν ἄλλη, ὡστόσο, εἶναι πολὺ προβληματικό. Τὸ Βάπτισμα τὴν σημερινὴ ἐποχὴ ἔχει πάρει διαστάσεις κοινωνικῆς ἐκδήλωσης ποὺ διαμορφώνεται ἀνάλογα μὲ τὴν κοινωνικὴ καὶ οἰκονομικὴ κατάσταση, τὴν παιδεία, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὶς διαθέσεις γιὰ ἑορτασμούς, προβολὴ καὶ ἐπίδειξη τῶν γονέων τοῦ νεοφωτίστου. Ὁ κόσμος δὲν ἔχει συνείδηση τῆς ἱερότητας τοῦ Μυστηρίου. Οἱ περισσότεροι γονεῖς μάλλον θεωροῦν τὸ Βάπτισμα ὡς ἕναν εὐχάριστο, θεαματικὸ τρόπο γιὰ νὰ δώσουν ὄνομα στὸ παιδί τους. Μὲ τέτοιες πεποιθήσεις εἶναι ἀναμενόμενο τὸ Μυστήριο νὰ μὴ τυγχάνει τὶς περισσότερες φορὲς τῆς πρέπουσας ἀντιμετώπισης.

Ἔτσι, βλέπουμε Βαπτίσεις νὰ λαμβάνουν χώρα, γιὰ παράδειγμα, ἡμέρα Παρασκευὴ καὶ μετὰ τὸ Μυστήριο νὰ γίνεται κατάλυση εἰς πάντα καὶ γλέντι ἀπὸ λεγομένους Ὀρθοδόξους Χριστιανοὺς στὰ κέντρα διασκεδάσεως. Ἔτσι τιμοῦμε τὸ γεγονὸς τῆς Βαπτίσεως; Βλέπουμε στὸν ἱερώτατο χῶρο τοῦ Ναοῦ, τὸν κατ’ ἐξοχὴν τόπο λατρείας τοῦ Τριαδικοῦ Θεοῦ, οἱ ἄνθρωποι νὰ συμπεριφέρονται μὲ μεγάλη ἀσέβεια, ἡ ὁποία δὲν δικαιολογεῖται ἀπὸ τὴν ἀδικαιολόγητη ἄγνοιά τους. Μιλᾶνε συνεχῶς, εἶναι ἀσέμνως ἐνδεδυμένοι, φτάνουν μέχρι καὶ στὸ σημεῖο νὰ ἐπιχειρήσουν νὰ καπνίσουν. Ἡ προσευχὴ οὔτε ποὺ περνᾶ ἀπὸ τὴν σκέψη τους, καθὼς δὲν γνωρίζουν τί εἶναι. Αὐτὸ δὲ ποὺ κυριαρχεῖ τὴν τελευταία δεκαετία εἶναι τὸ περίφημο φαινόμενο νὰ τελοῦνται διαδοχικὰ ὁ Γάμος τοῦ ζευγαριοῦ καὶ ἡ Βάφτιση τοῦ τέκνου τους, τὸ ὁποῖο κάποιες φορὲς κρατᾶ καὶ τὴν οὐρὰ τοῦ νυφικοῦ. Τὸ φαινόμενο ἔχει πάρει τέτοιες διαστάσεις ὥστε πλέον νὰ φαίνεται πὼς ἡ Ἐκκλησία δὲν ἔχει κανένα πρόβλημα μὲ τὶς προγαμιαῖες σχέσεις, ἀφοῦ δὲν κάνει σχεδὸν τίποτα γιὰ νὰ τὸ ταπεινώσει. Ἐφόσον ἔχουμε τέτοια ζητήματα καὶ ἡ Ἐκκλησία καλεῖται ποιμαντικὰ νὰ δώσει λύση, ἕνας καλὸς τρόπος γιὰ νὰ λυθεῖ τὸ θέμα μὲ τὴν πρέπουσα σοβαρότητα καὶ νὰ καταλάβουν ὅλοι ὅτι ὁ γάμος πρὶν τὸν γάμο εἶναι προβληματικός, εἶναι, νὰ γίνονται τὰ δύο Μυστήρια σὲ ξεχωριστὲς ἡμερομηνίες, ὅσο καὶ ἄν δὲν βολεύει τοὺς περισσοτέρους. Βέβαια, ἐδὼ ἔγκειται τὸ ἄλλο ζήτημα. «Ἐκεὶ δὲν μᾶς κάνουν μαζὶ Γάμο καὶ Βάφτιση. Θὰ πάμε σὲ ἄλλο παπά.». Ἄν ὑπῆρχε μία ἑνιαία θέση στὴν Ἐκκλησία, τὰ πράγματα θὰ εἶχαν μπεῖ στὴ θέση τους καὶ δὲν θὰ ἔκανε ὁ κάθε περαστικὸς τὸ θέλημά του σκορπίζοντας νέες «διδασκαλίες» στὸν χῶρο τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Βλέπουμε, ἐπίσης, γονεῖς καὶ ἀναδόχους δίχως ἐξομολόγηση καὶ νηστεία νὰ προβαίνουν στὸ Μυστήριο. Βέβαια, ἐφόσον, γιὰ αὐτοὺς πρόκειται γιὰ ἕνα θέαμα, γιατί νὰ κρατήσουν νηστεία ἤ νὰ ἐξομολογηθοῦν; Βλέπουμε ζευγάρια ἀναδόχων νὰ λαδώνουν μαζὶ τὸ παιδί, διότι εἶναι πιὸ θεαματικό, ἀγνοῶντας ὅτι γίνονται ἔτσι ἀδέρφια ἐν πνεύματι μὲ ὅ,τι συνεπάγεται αὐτό. Βλέπουμε, ἐπίσης, στολισμένη μὲ διάφορα στολίδια τὴν κολυμβήθρα. Ἀλήθεια, ἄν αὐτὸ εἶναι ἐπιτρεπτό, ἄς κάνουμε κάτι ἀνάλογο καὶ μὲ τὸ Ἅγιο Ποτήριο. Ὅσο ἐπιτρέπεται νὰ στολίσουμε τὸ Ἅγιο Ποτήριο, ἄλλο τόσο ἐπιτρέπεται καὶ τὴν κολυμβήθρα.  Τέλος, βλέπουμε καὶ ἕνα ἄλλο∙ νὰ θέλουν νὰ γίνουν ἀνάδοχοι ἄνθρωποι ποὺ δὲν ἔχουν σχέση μὲ τὴν Ἐκκλησία, σὲ σημεῖο νὰ εἶναι ἑτερόδοξοι ἤ τελείως ἄθεοι καὶ αὐτὸ διότι ἐπιλέγονται ἀπὸ τοὺς γονεῖς ὡς καλοὶ φίλοι.

Πρέπει νὰ γνωρίζουμε ὅτι μετὰ τὸν βαπτιζόμενο, τὸ κύριο πρόσωπο τοῦ Μυστηρίου τοῦ Βαπτίσματος εἶναι ὄχι ὁ πατέρας, οὔτε ἡ μητέρα, (ὁ ἑνικὸς στὰ δύο φύλα εἶναι σκόπιμος) ἀλλὰ ὁ ἀνάδοχος. Μετὰ τὴν Βάπτιση, αὐτὸς θεωρεῖται ἀπὸ τὴν Ἐκκλησία ὡς πνευματικὸς γονέας τοῦ βαπτισθέντος. Ὁ ρόλος του εἶναι πολὺ σημαντικός. Ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τὸν νηπιοβαφτισμό, τὸ βρέφος δὲν εἶναι σὲ θέση νὰ ὁμολογήσει Πατέρα, Υἱὸν καὶ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, Τριάδα, Ὁμοούσιον καὶ Ἀχώριστον, τὴν ὁμολογία ἀναλαμβάνει ὁ ἀνάδοχος. Ἐκφωνεῖ πρῶτα τὸ Σύμβολο τῆς Πίστεως καὶ μετὰ ἀκολουθεῖ ἡ Βάπτιση. Μετὰ τὸ Βάπτισμα, σκοπὸς εἶναι ἡ διατήρηση τῆς ἁγιότητας. Αὐτό, ἐπιβάλλει ἡ ἐπιλογὴ τοῦ ἀναδόχου νὰ εἶναι τέτοια ὥστε νὰ βοηθήσει στὴν ἐπίτευξη αὐτοῦ τοῦ σκοπού. Ὁ ἀνάδοχος δὲν εἶναι γιὰ νὰ παίρνει μόνο τὴν λαμπάδα ἤ καὶ τὰ δῶρα στὸ παιδί, ἀλλὰ γιὰ νὰ τὸ νουθετεῖ, νὰ τοῦ διδάσκει τὴν ὀρθὴ πίστη καὶ νὰ καλλιεργεῖ τὶς ἀρετὲς στὸ ἔδαφος τῆς ψυχῆς του μέχρι τουλάχιστον τὴν ἐνηλικίωσή του. Ὁ ἀνάδοχος πρέπει νὰ εἶναι Ἅγιος, ὅσο ὑπερβολικὸ καὶ ἄν ἀκούγεται αὐτό.

Ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ γονεῖς, πρέπει νὰ πατοῦν γερὰ στὶς χριστιανικὲς βάσεις. Ἀπὸ αὐτοὺς κρίνοντας, ἑμεῖς οἱ Κληρικοὶ ἔχουμε πολὺ μεγάλη εὐθύνη γιὰ τὶς Βαπτίσεις ποὺ τελοῦμε. Βεβαίως, τὰ νήπια εἶναι ἀγνὰ καὶ ἄκακα. Ὅταν, ὅμως, οἱ γονεῖς δὲν ἐγγυῶνται ὅτι τὸ παιδὶ θὰ μεγαλώσει ἐν Χριστῷ στὴν εὐλογημένη οἰκογενειακὴ κοινωνία, σὲ μία εὐλογημένη κοινωνία γάμου, πώς θὰ προβοῦμε στὴν τέλεση τοῦ Μυστηρίου; Γιὰ λόγους συνειδήσεως; Μὰ αὐτὴ ἀπουσιάζει ἀπὸ τοὺς ἴδιους τοὺς γονεῖς. Γιὰ νὰ ἐνισχύσουμε τὸ ἔργο τῆς Ἐκκλησίας; Ποιό ἔργο; Εἶναι ἔργο τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὸ νὰ βαπτίζουμε χιλιάδες παιδιὰ καὶ νὰ προσέρχονται νὰ μεταλαμβάνουν μόνο τὶς τρεῖς πρῶτες Κυριακές καὶ μετὰ νὰ ἀφήνονται στὸ ἔλεος τῆς χαοτικῆς κοινωνίας; Μήπως, ἄραγε γιὰ λόγους οἰκονομικούς; Ἄν ναί, θὰ πέσει φωτιὰ νὰ μᾶς κάψει, διότι τὴν Χάρη δωρεὰν τὴν ἐλάβαμε καὶ δωρεὰν τὴ δίδουμε στοὺς δεκτικοὺς τῆς Χάριτος. Σὲ ἐκεῖνον ποὺ δὲν εἶναι δεκτικός, ἀλίμονό μας ἑὰν «ἐμπορευθοῦμε» τὴν Χάρη.

Ἀναφέρθηκα στὴν προϋπόθεση εὐλογημένης κοινωνίας γάμου. Ὄχι τυχαῖα. Ἐπὶ εἴκοσι ἕνα αἰῶνες ἡ Ἐκκλησία δέχεται ὡς κοινωνία γάμου τὰ πρόσωπα ποὺ μποροῦν μὲ τὴν Χάρη τοῦ Θεοῦ νὰ καρποφορήσουν, τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τὴν γυναίκα. Οἱ εἴκοσι ἕνα αἰῶνες νομίζω ὅτι εἶναι ἀπτὴ ἀπόδειξη πὼς δὲν χρειάζεται νὰ ἔρθουμε ὥς δῆθεν πιὸ ἔξυπνοι, πιὸ προοδευτικοί, πιὸ ἐλπιδοφόροι ἤ ὁτιδήποτε ἄλλο, καὶ νὰ «εὐλογήσουμε» ἕνα διαφορετικὸ σχῆμα ποὺ ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων δὲν μπορεῖ νὰ ἀποτελέσει οἰκογένεια. Ἐκτὸς ἄν γιὰ νὰ προβεῖ κάποιος κληρικὸς σὲ μία τέτοια πράξη τοῦ εἶναι ἐπιβεβλημένο «ἀλλαχόθεν» γιὰ νὰ νομοθετήσουν αὔριο ἀλλότριους θεσμούς. Τότε, ὅμως, «κλέπτης ἐστὶ καὶ ληστὴς καὶ οὐ μέλει αὐτῷ περὶ τῶν προβάτων». Οὐ μέλει αὐτῷ γιὰ τὶς ψυχὲς τῶν ἀθώων παιδιῶν, τὰ ὁποῖα στερούμενα τῆς δυνατότητας νὰ γευθοῦν πατρότητα ἀπὸ πατέρα καὶ μητρότητα ἀπὸ μητέρα, μεγαλώνουν σὲ ἕνα ψυχολογικὰ ἀσθενὲς περιβάλλον. Οὐ μέλει αὐτῷ οὔτε γιὰ τὶς ψυχὲς ἐκείνων ποὺ θέλησαν νὰ ὑπερβοῦν τὴν φύση, διότι μὲ τὴν «εὐλογία» του, τοὺς στέρησε τὸν προβληματισμό: «Μήπως κάνουμε λάθος;». Δυστυχῶς, ὁ λόγος τοῦ Χριστοῦ «Οὕτω λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς» ποὺ ἔπρεπε νὰ ἀποτελεῖ στόχο καὶ καρπὸ τοῦ ἀγώνα κάθε Κληρικοῦ καὶ γενικότερα Χριστιανοῦ, δὲν βρίσκει ἀντίκτυπο ἀπὸ τοὺς πολλούς. Ποιός εἶναι τὸ φῶς σήμερα;

Ἐπειδή, ὥς ποιμένες, κληθήκαμε ἀπὸ Θεοῦ νὰ φυλάμε Θερμοπύλες πίστεως, δὲν μποροῦμε νὰ κάνουμε τὰ στραβὰ μάτια στὰ κακῶς κείμενα καὶ στὸ νέο «εὐαγγέλιο» ποὺ θέλουν νὰ εἰσάγουν κάποιοι δῆθεν προοδευτικοὶ κληρικοί. Ἐδὼ ξεκαθαρίζουμε∙ ἤ παραμένουμε μὲ τὸν Χριστό, ἤ ἀκολουθοῦμε τὸν κόσμο. «Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν». Κάθε Ὀρθόδοξος Χριστιανὸς καὶ δὴ Κληρικὸς ἔχει ἐπιβεβλημένο καθῆκον νὰ ζεῖ, νὰ ὑπάρχει, νὰ ἀναπνέει, νὰ βαδίζει εὐαγγελικὰ καὶ σύμφωνα μὲ τὴν παράδοση τῆς Ἐκκλησίας.

Ἡ κοινωνία σήμερα ὑποφέρει καὶ βρίσκεται σὲ πλήρη παρακμή, διότι ἑμεῖς οἱ ποιμένες δὲν δίνουμε τὴν πρέπουσα βαρύτητα καὶ φροντίδα στὰ θεμέλια τοῦ Γάμου καὶ τῆς Βάπτισης. Ἄν δὲν φτιάξουμε τὸ σπίτι σωστὰ ἀπὸ τὰ θεμέλια, νὰ εἴμαστε σίγουροι ὅτι ὅταν ὑψωθεῖ δὲν θὰ μποροῦμε νὰ τὸ διορθώσουμε. Ἄν τότε προσπαθήσουμε ἀδιάκριτα νὰ τὸ διορθώσουμε, θὰ πέσει καὶ θὰ μᾶς γκρεμίσει.

† ὁ Ἀττικῆς καὶ Βοιωτίας Χρυσόστομος