Commentary of the BCP on Bishop Longin’s appeal from Ukraine to the Romanian Church
8 December 2016
Bishop Longin addressed the Romanian Orthodox Church with an appeal: “Abandon the folly of the path of ecumenism!”
An ordinary Catholic confuses the concept of ecumenism with the concept of unity. Christ prayed: “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (Joh 17:21)
“That they all may be one” – this part is taken out of context and is moreover explained in such way that we have to make unity even with heretics without them denying heresy. Some ecumenists say that we have to make unity even with pagans who de facto worship demons. And this is a model of the so-called New Age Religion (Church).
The quote continues: “as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You” – no unity in heresy but unity in orthodox doctrine and in the Spirit of truth. This unity requires that the basic condition set by Christ should be fulfilled – to lose one’s soul for His sake and the Gospel’s (Mk 8:35). It is unity in true love, which requires denial of self, of the slavery of lusts and pride. This presupposes entering into Christ’s death by faith at the present moment (2Cor 4:10). It means a complete renunciation of our self and our will and total commitment to God, as it should be at the hour of our physical death (cf. a grain of wheat Joh 12:24). Just as Jesus died and commended His spirit to the Father. If we are united to Christ at the present moment, we are able to keep God’s commandments. Without this unity it is impossible. Jesus says: “He who keeps My commandments, it is he who loves Me … and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (Joh 14:21f) If we follow Christ and keep His commandments, we will have unity in God. Thus we will also have unity with all brothers and sisters who follow Christ in earnest as well. Then the world will believe and be saved (Joh 17:21).
In contrast, ecumenism is a big deceit! Jesus never spoke about ecumenism, but prayed for true unity. The Vatican is currently stuck in two great heresies. It is syncretism with paganism, supported by the Nostra Aetate declaration on a so-called regard for pagans, de facto for their demons. The other heresy is neo-Modernism based de facto on atheistic philosophy. The only way of salvation for the Vatican is true repentance. But the Vatican still rejects it.
If the Orthodox Church wants to introduce a kind of theological dialogues with the heretical Vatican, it will in essence receive the spirit of apostasy. This spirit will then infect the Orthodox Church with heresies and drag it through ecumenism into interreligious dialogue with pagans and into the antichristian structure of the New Age.
Regarding the wolfish Council in Crete, it was initiated by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Its documents establish a programme of unity in heresy. It is a suicide of the Orthodox Church. Patriarch Kirill diplomatically avoided his participation in Crete. At the last moment he realized that it was strategically disadvantageous because some Churches refused to participate and the public expressed outrage at the Council. In addition, 33 hierarchs who participated in it refused to sign the documents of that pseudo Council. Let us point out that the Bulgarian Church has issued recently an official declaration concerning the pseudo Council in Crete, stating that it was neither Holy, nor Pan-Orthodox, nor Great. They refused to recognize the documents adopted by it and labelled the Council as unequivocally heretical! The Romanians, however, did accept this pseudo Council, the hierarchy thus betrayed the essential truths of faith and brought down on themselves God’s anathema – curse according to Gal 1:8-9. And now these heretics persecute the orthodox. In this situation, Bishop Longin writes his letter from Ukraine on 3 December 2016. A year ago, he stopped mentioning the name of Patriarch Kirill in the Divine Liturgy on the grounds that he was co-author of this heretical Council, i.e. a heretic.
Regarding the pseudo Council, the Fathers on Mount Athos likewise publicly spoke out against this wolfish Council and stopped mentioning the name of heretical Patriarch Bartholomew in the Liturgy. This resulted in great persecution of the Athos monks aimed at destroying this centre of Orthodoxy.
Bishop Longin addresses the treacherous Romanian hierarchy with these words:
“It is well known to all now that You all signed the heretical Cretan documents… It is high time to abandon the folly of the path of ecumenism! Do renounce the heretical Council of Crete! Repent before God! Love the suffering Romanian people, for whom it was not easy to go through all that happened during history… Please, stop persecuting those who love the Church, the truth, and the only saving faith.”
Bishop Longin addresses Metropolitan Theophan: “What was the purpose of Your visit to Ukraine? To defile the flock of Christ by Your heretical teachings here as well? Moreover, You do not allow others either to follow Christ and attain salvation.”
Bishop Longin also turned to the persecuted Romanian Christians:
“The suffering and persecuted Romanian people!
You, who wish to keep the unwavering faith of Your ancestors, are now treated so badly! They persecute You, and exclude and expel You from the monasteries and churches out into the streets! You suffer because You refuse to accept the accursed heresies and disagree with the villainous and heretical Council in Crete. It so happened that today Your own hierarchy and priests treat You worse than the persecutors at the time of Communism.
Dear suffering soul, desiring to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, I want to tell You that the time has come to confess the Truth! Let nothing frighten You! You will find the place for the Divine Liturgy under the open sky, in houses, forests, caves and catacombs. Just remain faithful confessors … even if You should pay for it with Your life.”
The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate hereby supports the appeal by Bishop Longin.
+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
+ Methodius OSBMr + Timothy OSBMr
Secretary Bishops
+ Samuel
Spokesman of the BCP
http://vkpatriarhat.org/en/?page_id=9564
Copies to:
– Bishops of the Orthodox Church in Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Greece
– Political governments of these nations
– Mass media
Download: Commentary of the BCP on Bishop Longin’s appeal from Ukraine to the Romanian Church (8/12/2016)
