Metropolitan
Seraphim of
Piraeus sent a
letter to
Mr.Demetrios
Hadjinikolaou,
Reserve
Professor of
Economic
Sciences at the
University of
Ioannina, with
which he
responds to the
contents of a
letter that was
published in the
newspaper
"Orthodox Press"
on the matter of
the "Patrimonial
(Old)
Calendar".
In that letter,
the Metropolitan
of Piraeus
maintains that syncretistic
Ecumenism and
uncritical
zealotry
comprise the
sides of the
same coin of
fallacy; the
Metropolitan of
Piraeus also
explains why he
does not cease
the
commemoration of
Ecumenists,
while he also
partly justifies
the behaviour of
the Ecumenical
Patriarchate
(even though he
disagrees with
it), explaining
that it is in a
state of
captivity by the
underlying
Kemalist State
and is looking
for support in
international
forums.
The full text of
that letter is
as follows:
Dear learned
Professor,
I have read Your
"open" -as you
have labelled
it- letter to my
humble person,
in which you
have
characterized me
as the "New-Calendarist"
Metropolitan of
Piraeus, as well
as the reasons
you have
addressed me
through it, and
would request
you to allow me,
without any
desire to be
contradictive,
to inform You
that I did not
speak -as you
claimed- against
the Orthodox of
the Patrimonial
Calendar, simply
because the One,
Holy, Catholic,
Apostolic and
Indivisible
Church of Christ
is comprised of
Autocephalous
Churches, some
of which observe
the corrected
Julian Calendar,
while others
observe the
unamended and
so-called
Patrimonial
Calendar.
Consequently,
You are wrong to
speak of my
supposed attacks
against the
Orthodox of the
Patrimonial
Calendar.
On account of
various
movements that
have been
observed within
the boundaries
of my canonical
jurisdiction, my
humble person
had informed the
parishioners -
as my duty
demanded - with
regard to the
canonical and
ecclesiological
demerit of those
who are outside
the body of the
Church, who
present and
define
themselves as
"Genuine
Orthodox
Christians" (G.O.C.).
And this, my
dear professor,
is because the
Church - which
the Lord Himself
had established
on the Day of
the Pentecost
with the descent
of the All-Holy
and Life-giving
Spirit - is only
One and is also
sisterless, and
as Her Head She
has only Her
Builder, the
Lord Jesus
Christ, whose
immaculate and
sanctified Body
She is.
Participants of
that Body are
the Saints and
those who have
pleased God
throughout Time;
the first among
them being the
Most Immaculate
and Most Holy
Mother
Theotokos, then
the Apostles,
the Fathers, the
Martyrs, the
Confessors, the
Saints, the
Righteous, those
who are in the
courtyards of
Heaven and those
who are
"enlisted" on
earth.
Therefore, there
is not a single
possibility,
under any pious
pretext or
excuse
whatsoever, to
co-establish a
Church - that
is, a Body of
Christ - based
on human
perception and
inspiration, as
tragically
exercised by the
Roman-Catholic
Conventicle, the
Monophysite
Antichalcedonians
and the
ill-fated
Protestant
communities.
Unfortunately,
this same
practice was
implemented by
those who have
defined
themselves as
G.O.C., being
under the
impression that
by making any
declaration
whatsoever of
having "walled"
themselves off
from the rest,
they are thus
legitimized - by
God,
dogmatically and
ecclesiologically
- to establish a
Church, that is,
a Body of
Christ, and what
is worse, while
constantly
divided amongst
themselves and
excommunicating
and
anathematizing
each other.
I believe that
you can perceive
the canonical
disorder of such
actions, which,
however, You
seem to be
justifying in
Your text, on
account of the
underlying
Ecumenism of
certain
individuals who
are ministering
to the Body of
the Church. May
I be permitted
to say that
uncritical
zealotry, as
well as
syncretistic
Ecumenism,
comprise the two
sides of the
same coin of
fallacy, and
that they sever
us from
communion with
the Thrice-Holy
God of the truth
and of justice.
You reproach me,
for not ceasing
to commemorate
those who at
times have
declared their
syncretistic
ecumenical
positions,
however, I do
hope you realize
that such a
serious action -
according to the
Canonical Law of
the Most Holy
Orthodox
Catholic Church
and specifically
according to the
13th and 15th
Divine and
Sacred Canons of
the 1st and 2nd
Synods -
presupposes a
public
proclamation of
a heresy and a
barefaced
heretical
teaching to the
Church, which,
in such a case,
would have to be
substantiated
not only by
statements
attributed to
foolishness, a
misconstrued
sense of
courtesy or a
political
expediency, but
by a conscious
participation in
that heresy, and
evidenced by
partaking of the
common Chalice.
But fortunately,
such an incident
has not
occurred, and
subsequently,
Your reproach is
rendered void of
any support
whatsoever.
I furthermore
declare with all
my strength
that, in the
event that I am
informed of -and
ascertain- such
a tragic lapsing
of any
Clergyman, I
shall
immediately, and
even before any
Synodical
decision, forbid
within the
boundaries of my
canonical
jurisdiction the
canonical
commemoration of
the said person.
A fact that
should not be
overlooked is
that
we here, my
Learned
Professor, are
speaking from
within the
safety of our
Hellenic
Homeland,
whereas those
who are
ministering to
the Nation at
the Venerable
Ecumenical
Throne are
speaking from
within their
tragic
situation,
gripped in the
talons of the
underlying
Kemalic State in
Turkey, and are
striving to gain
support in
international
forums, through
the
representatives
of various local
heretical
religious
communities, and
quite often,
they accordingly
strive -out of
necessity- to
converge matters
phrasally - a
fact that does
not find me in
agreement, but
one that I can
comprehend
sufficiently.
In closing, I
humbly pray that
You will
perceive the
truth of
matters.
The Metropolitan of Piraeus
Seraphim».