1995 (5) Conclave at the Vatican

Conclave at the Vatican

I want and pray you to be wholly harsh and implacable with the heretics only in regard to cooperating with them or in any way whatever supporting their deranged belief. For I reckon it misanthropy and a departure from Divine love to lend support to error, that those previously seized by it might be even more greatly corrupted. —Saint Maximos the Confessor

We have cut the Latins off from us for no other reason than that they are heretics. For this reason it is wholly improper to unite with them. —Saint Mark of Ephesus

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople visited the Vatican for three days this past June. While at the Vatican, the Patriarch engaged in talks with Pope John Paul II, and together with the Pope "celebrated an historic liturgy in Saint Peter's Basilica, professing the faith together.'' [1] The meeting concluded on 29 June (new style) with the issuance of a "Joint Declaration."

The Patriarchate of Constantinople has been on the "road to apostasy" since the early 1920's, when Meletius Metaxis, an ecumenist and Mason, was uncanonically "confirmed on the Patriarchal Throne." [2] In 1964, Patriarch Athenagoras met with Pope Paul VI in Jerusalem, the first "historic" meeting of a Pope of Rome and Patriarch of Constantinople in several centuries. Patriarch Athenagoras' successors, Patriarchs Dimitrius and Bartholomew, have continued this new "tradition" begun by Patriarch Athenagoras, and themselves have met with Popes of Rome. Throughout the decades, the Patriarchate of Constantinople has positioned itself ever more precariously on the slippery slope of ecumenism, which will undoubtedly lead to "re-unions" with both the Monophysites and Rome.

The latest meeting brought the Patriarch and the Pope together for talks, the content of which was not made public. The "public" part of the festivities included the celebration of a "Mass," during which, as has happened before, the Pope blessed the Orthodox deacon to read the Epistle, the Patriarch blessed the Latin deacon to read the Epistle, and the Pope and Patriarch read the Creed together in Greek. Patriarch Bartholomew "left the altar at the start of the Liturgy of the Eucharist," explaining later that "We are not yet worthy of the grace of the common communion cup." [3] The Joint Declaration stated that Orthodoxy and Rome are "on the way to re-establishing full communion," and, in language seemingly lifted almost verbatim from 1993's Balamand Agreement, proclaimed that Orthodoxy and Rome "recognize one another as sister churches, responsible together for safeguarding the one Church of God, in fidelity to the divine plan and in an altogether special way with regard to unity." [4] The Balamand Agreement states that Orthodoxy and Rome "recognize each other as Sister Churches, responsible together for maintaining the Church of God in fidelity to the divine purpose, most especially in what concerns unity." [5] These statements mark the beginning of a hitherto unheard-of ecclesiology, in which "Sister Churches" exist in the absence of "full communion."

The only thing out of the ordinary in the entire proceeding was the statement in the Joint Declaration that "they [the Pope and the Patriarch] encourage dialogue, not only between Christian Churches, but also with various religions, and, above all, with those that are monotheistic." [6] If the "pattern" of "ecumenism" holds true, after these "dialogues" are begun we can expect joint prayer between hierarchs under the jurisdiction of Constantinople and clergy of the "monotheistic" and other religions. Of course, this will probably happen only after unity—that is, "full communion" with Rome.

All of the ecumenical activity between Constantinople and Rome in the past few decades—dialogues, Joint Commissions, meetings of Popes and Patriarchs, Joint Declarations, the Balamand Agreement, the shared desire of Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Bartholomew that "full communion" be achieved by the year 2000, etc., etc.—points to the obvious, that union between Rome and Constantinople is a certainty. The only question that remains is, when will this "full communion" be achieved?

Again, the year 2000 has been set as the "target date." Undoubtedly this was discussed when "the Pope and Patriarch met privately." [7] What were other topics on the agenda? While these talks were not made public, it is not hard to guess at the subjects under discussion. One important point would most surely be the proposed Orthodox-Monophysite "reunion." In 1960, Patriarch Athenagoras stated that, "We, too, as Patriarch of the New Rome, long for the return to Our chair of all our own dissident Churches (Armenian, Nestorian, and so on)." [8] Although the Monophysites and Rome share a greater degree of "partial communion" than the Monophysites and the Orthodox—Syrian Monophysites being able to commune and marry in Roman churches and vice versa—it seems that the "misunderstandings" between the Orthodox and the Monophysites are seen as some sort of problem within the "Eastern liturgical family" that must be healed before "full communion" can be achieved with the West. Also, it is widely recognized that union with the Monophysites will be a sort of "test-case" for the bigger, more important union with Rome. The Orthodox under the jurisdiction of "World Orthodoxy" have been told over and over that the Monophysites are ORTHODOX, and that the Fathers of the Council of Chalcedon were in error, as it was all just a big misunderstanding. It is pretty evident that if the faithful can be made to buy this bill of goods, then being told the same thing over and over about Rome will also become palatable. And of course, after "full communion" between the "Sister Churches" of Rome and Constantinople has been achieved, how long will it be until the faithful of this "super-church" will be instructed that, after all, all religions are the same, and that the differences between Christianity and Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are merely "misunderstandings"?

Steadfast and righteous hierarchs of the Holy Orthodox Church have in the past, and continue until today, to defend the Orthodox faith, and have always welcomed the re-union of all heterodox with Christ's Holy Church, if they but renounce their heretical beliefs and embrace Holy Orthodoxy. Defending the Faith is unacceptable to the ecumenist hierarchs of "World Orthodoxy"; they do not ask the heterodox to join themselves to Christ's Holy Church, but tell them they are part of it. In doing so, they fail to heed the injunction of Saint Maximos the Confessor, by "supporting their deranged belief," and thereby "lend support to error." The unquestionable result of this "departure from Divine love" will be the "wholly improper" union with Rome warned of by Saint Mark of Ephesus.

Michael Woerl,
August 1995

Endnotes

1) Thavis, John. "Pope, Orthodox Patriarch Celebrate Historic Liturgy at Vatican." Catholic News Service, Washington, D.C., June 30, 1995, p. 1.

2) Bishop Photu of Triaditza. The Road to Apostasy: Significant Essays on Ecumenism. Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, Etna, California, 1995, p. 17.

3) Thavis, op. cit.

4) John Paul II/Bartholomew I. "The Pope and Patriarch: Joint Declaration." Origins, Washington, D.C., July 27, 1995, p. 148.

5) "The Balamand Statement." Eastern Churches Journal, Fairfax, Virginia, Winter 1993 1994, p.19.

6) John Paul II/Bartholomew I, op. cit.

7) Report on meeting of Pope and Patriarch. Associated Press, Rome, June 28, 1995, p. 1. 

8) Vogel, John. "Greek Orthodoxy." No publisher given, no date, p. 3.

From Orthodox Life, Vol. 45, No. 5, Sept.-Oct. 1995, pp. 44-47.