Sunday, May 27, 2018

Pentecost in Sydney

On the feast of Pentecost in Sydney, at the parish of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, father Nebojsa Mirkovic (ROCA) conducted the services in three languages: English, Greek and Slavonic. The church was well attended on this great feast, and many received Holy Communion. By the time the Slava cake was cut at the end of the long service, many had unfortunately left!

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Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Pastoral Epistle

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Pastoral Epistle

of the Synod of Bishops to all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Christ is Risen!

Having gathered together on these Paschal days in the blessed city of Odessa, the Synod of Bishops congratulates its flock with the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ! May this greatest event of all times help to strengthen us on the sorrowful path of the carrying of the truth of Christ, in the midst of the numerous modern departures and apostasy!

Thanks be to God,- by God’s mercy, the true Orthodox faith is open to us, as is the Church that contains this truth. We have everything that is necessary for our salvation, and our task consists in bringing this truth into our souls and hearts before the Last Judgment of God.

Christ strengthens all of us through His mercy and grace, as do the prayers of His Most Pure Mother and the Saints. We must vigilantly and diligently pray for each other during these evil and sorrowful times. The Church of Christ is one and universal, and the genuine Church must testify before the world regarding the truth, including the reality of its unity. The fortification of its unity directly depends on each member of the Church. Therefore, we will serve Christ, strengthening the unity of the Church founded by Him, whilst praying ceaselessly for one another, and for our entire Church!

In fulfillment of this hope, we invite all of our parishes to include in the augmented litany, before the petition: “Again we pray for them that bring offerings …”, a petition for the fortification of the unity of the Church of Christ: “For the strengthening of the unity of Thy Holy Church, to destroy our pride and strengthen us in humility and love, that we may be one with Christ, as He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, we pray, hearken and have mercy.”

May this good deed serve to the glory of God and for the benefit of the Church.

Truly, Christ is risen!

April 12/25 2018, St. Basil the Confessor

Chairman of the Synod of Bishops

+ Metropolitan Agafangel

Members of the Synod

+ Archbishop George (Secretary of the Synod)

+ Bishop Athanasius

+ Bishop Kirill

+ Bishop Gregory

+ Bishop Nikon

+ Bishop Anfim

Appeal The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad 2018 on the danger of self-isolation

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The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad 2018 on the danger of self-isolation

Unfortunately, in our times of apostasy, the dangerous tendency of self-isolation of those considering themselves to be abiding in “true Orthodoxy”- has widely spread. Previously, starting with the Byzantine era, in the event of serious disagreements among Christians, the civil Orthodox authority could convoke Church Councils. Thanks to these Church Councils, at these councils - after carefully considering all the arguments and disagreements - they could come to a general concilliar decision which was mandatory for all. However, presently no such authority exists, and so it is impossible to counter the dispersion of Christians with the help of the state.

On the contrary, the God-fighting authorities undertook the the exact opposite measures - making great efforts to divide the Church, with its goal being the complete annihilation of it. It was precisely in the creation of divisions that these authorities saw one of the main ways of destroying the Church. Currently, however - these divisions often occur not with the help of any authorities, but rather unfortunately proceed from within the Church itself.

In the past, many efforts were made by the catacomb Christians to find a legitimate bishop since they were deeply Orthodox people. They understood that without a bishop there is no church. But now the world is filled with impostors, surrounded both by those who are deceived by them, and by those who became accustomed to ignorance and indifference. Depicting itself as a “little flock”, and using the following words of Christ: “I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18 KJV), and applying that exclusively to themselves and to their present state, they do not think at all about what might happen to them tomorrow.

Tragically, the way of such groups is one - first spiritual marginalization, which eventually turns them into a sect, and then the diminishing of the group, and then ultimately its extinction. Already, we can name a few almost extinct groups from among those who considered themselves to be the “continuation” of the ROCOR. A similar situation occured with the catacomb Christians. However, they were hindered by external circumstances, and so they were not guilty of that which had happened. It is impossible to justify the contemporary “zealots” who are forever orchestrating new schisms in the Church. Modern Russian “true jurisdictions,” or those who are “standing for the truth,” are in the stage of physical extinction, and most of them do not even have the chance of producing the next generation of their followers. We appeal not to those who adhere to the most extreme views, because unfortunately, it is impossible to get through to them. We appeal to those of whom the Savior spoke: “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matt. 11:15). We hope that there are still many such persons among the scattered Christians around the world.

Like the Synod of the Greek GOC, our Synod of Bishops constantly made and makes efforts to overcome schisms. And today we call upon all those who tread their paths on the off-roads, or else those who are barely hanging on to a broken part of - as they say- “the damaged ship (the church)”, so as to enter into negotiations, with the goal of looking into the possibility of overcoming the church division. This is the only way that will allow us to jointly strengthen our Church and thus transmit the good news of salvation to many more people. Being in spiritual union with the Greek, Romanian and Bulgarian Old Calendarist Churches, this possibility is feasible. The Church does not need us, but it is we who need to stay within the bosom of the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Nowadays, the only unifying force appears to be the fear of God, and the Christian conscience. Therefore, our Synod of Bishops once again calls upon all Orthodox Christians to unite around the true confession of the Orthodox faith, its lawfully ordained bishops, its living Orthodox tradition which the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia has kept, and the sacred sacraments they contain, the most important of which - is the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. We call upon all to unite around Christ - the only Savior of the Universal Church.

April 12/25, 2018 St. Basil the Confessor, Bishop of Para

Chairman of the Synod of Bishops

+ Metropolitan Agafangel

Members of the Synod:

+ Archbishop George (Secretary of the Synod)

+ Bishop Athanasius

+ Bishop Kirill

+ Bishop Gregory

+ Bishop Nikon

+ Bishop Anfim

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Metropolitan Agafangel
First Hierarch of the Russian
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