Epistle

“Edict of Milan,” you stated: “I look forward with hope to the day when
the divisions of the second millennium will be definitively consigned
to the past.”37
Among other things, you stressed to the representatives of the Ecu-
menical Patriarch (His Grace Ioannis Metropolitan of Pergamon, His
Grace Athenagoras of Sinope and The Very Reverend Archimandrite
Promdromos Xenakis), who had arrived at the Vatican in order to take
part in the celebrations of the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul:
“It is significant that today we are able to reflect together, in truth and
love, on these issues, starting with what we have in common, but with-
out hiding that which still separates us. This is not merely a theoretical
exercise, but one of getting to know each other’s traditions in order
to understand, and sometimes also to learn from them.” Elsewhere,
speaking of unity, you stressed that, “We know very well that unity is
primarily a gift from God for which we must pray without ceasing, but
we all have the task of preparing the conditions, of cultivating the soil of
the heart, so that this extraordinary grace can be received.” Regarding
the developments of the Dialogue between the Orthodox and Papists
you stated: “unity among Christians is an urgency which, today more
than ever, we cannot ignore. A fundamental contribution to the search
for full communion between Catholics and Orthodox is offered by the
Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue, co-chaired
by Your Eminence, Metropolitan Ioannis, and by my venerable broth-
er Cardinal Kurt Koch.” You also added, “I sincerely thank you for
your valuable and tireless commitment. This Commission has already
produced many common texts and is now studying the delicate issue
of theological and ecclesiological relationship between primacy and
synodality in the life of the Church.” You underscored further, “I am
confident that the effort of shared reflection, so complex and laborious,
will bear fruit in due time.” Finally, you stressed, “I am comforted to
know that Catholics and Orthodox share the same conception of dia-
logue that does not seek a theological minimalism on which to reach a
compromise, but rather is based on the deepening of the one truth that
Christ has given to His Church.”38
You should know, Your Excellency, that for us Orthodox there do
not exist many forms and models of reunion, neither is the “Uniate”
form of union valid, which you wish to impose, allowing each “con-
fession” to keep its own ecclesiastical customs and traditions, but
requiring that they recognize your universal primacy of power and
commemorate you in the diptychs and the services. For the Orthodox
Church the one and only form and model of reunion with the Cath-
olic Orthodox Church is nothing less than your repentance, the official
renunciation of your heresies and errors, the public confession of the
Orthodox faith in full and your return to the One, Holy, Catholic and
Apostolic Orthodox Church.
If one studies carefully the development of relations between the
Orthodox and the Papists, one will perceive that there exists a plan
of the Vatican’s that is gradually being put into effect until “union”
is achieved. The Professor John Karmiris, of blessed memory, wrote
the following about the Vatican’s plan to promote the union of the
Orthodox and Papist: “Pope Paul VI and his circle of Papist theolo-
gians worked out a well-researched and broad program of Rome-cen-
tered Ecumenism, in agreement with Latin Ecclesiology.”40 His Grace,
Chrysostom of Peristeri, clarifies the type of union that is planned:
“The Papists, in one way or another, are letting it be understood that
the Orthodox Church can unite with them through a form of union
that is identical or similar with that which exists between the former
and the Uniates.”41 However, Fr. John Romanidis, of blessed memory,
revealed that a Papist “bishop” had confided to him that, according to
the Vatican’s plan, the union would not happen from the top, that is
to say, from the bishops, the theologians and the dialogues, but rather
from the so-called grassroots ecumenism, that is to say, through the
mutual association between the two sides and the gradual implemen-
tation of sacramental intercommunion (intercommunio), which is al-
ready being put into effect by Rome and the Orthodox Ecumenists.42
According to the program of Papist Ecumenism the following steps
have already been taken:
1.) The uncanonical lifting of the anathemas of 1054 by the Ecu-
menical Patriarch Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI, without solving the
dogmatic differences.
2.) The exchange of visits by the Primates and the surrendering, on
the part of the
Vatican, of various holy relics. In this way the impression is given
that the Vatican is
favorably disposed to the Orthodox.
3.) The commencement of the theological dialogue on the basis of
what already unites the two sides.
In this way the Joint International Commission for Theological
Dialogue, through a series of common documents – which in the be-
ginning contained the seeds of mutual recognition of the same faith,
the same introductory sacraments, the same priesthood and apostol-
ic succession between the Orthodox and the Papists, and in general
the recognition of the two Churches as “sister Churches,” – ultimately
produced, with all solemnity, the Balamand Declaration (June 23rd,
1993) during its VIIth plenary session. This document proclaims their
ecclesiastical identity to be as follows: “Since the pan-Orthodox Con-
ferences and the Second Vatican Council, the rediscovery and valua-
tion of the Church as communion, both on the part of Orthodox and
of Catholics, has radically altered perspectives and thus attitudes. On
each side it is recognized that what Christ has entrusted to his Church
– profession of apostolic faith, participation in the same sacraments,
especially the one priesthood celebrating the one sacrifice of Christ,
and the apostolic succession of bishops – cannot be considered the
exclusive property of one of our Churches. It is clear that within this
framework, any kind of re-baptism is ruled out.”43 And this recogni-
tion of Papism as a complete and true “Church” was made in spite of
the sedulous preservation of its dogmatic differences between it and
the faith of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church!
The union which is being attempted, regardless of the fact that the
Vatican has been preparing it for decades, will not be accepted by many
Orthodox. It will nevertheless bring about a fragmentation of Ortho-
doxy; for it will be accomplished not by solving the essential dogmat-
ic differences – that is, without the Papists renouncing their heretic-
al dogmas (Filioque, Papal Primacy, created Grace, etc.) – but rather
by a reinterpretation of these errors in a manner innocuous for the
Vatican yet acceptable to some Orthodox. Of course, our secularized
culture, which is suckled by the mantras of globalization and the New
Age movement, does not possess the dogmatic sensitivity of the Ortho-
dox, which once repudiated the decisions of the “uniting” Council of
Ferrara-Florence. Nevertheless, there exist, even today, the people of
God, the prophetic remnant of conscious Orthodox Christians, who
will resist every form of union that is not a product of the true Ortho-
dox Faith.
The concern of many Orthodox Christians for all these recent
events proves that the Orthodox conscience is functioning.44 These few
will always be a majority: in the Church, the majority is not found in
numbers but in communion with the Truth, which is not an idea or a
philosophy, but a person, the incarnate Word Who declared: “I am the
way, the truth and the life.” Even if only one is in communion with the
“Truth” (Christ), this is a majority!

...
With respect,
Andrew of Dryinoupolis, Pogoniani and Konitsa
Seraphim of Piraeus and Faliro
http://www.romfea.gr/diafora-ekklisiastika/23625-2014-04-14-08-11-42