By Panagiotis Ant. Andriopoulos
The clergyman of the Church of Russia Dionysios Slionov, professor of the holy monastery of St. Andrew the Soldier, professor of the Moscow Theological Academy and director of the Department of Postgraduate Studies of the Moscow Theological Academy, recently published a text entitled: “Criticism of the theory of primacy of honor and authority from the point of view of Orthodox Ecclesiology”.
This text is not just any text. It is a text of programmatic principles of the Russian Church on the question of the “primary honor” of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. That is why it is published on the official website of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Since its editor considers me a “follower” of the “prototype” of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, I am forced to respond – aptly – to his argumentation, mainly regarding the Lantern Light, which I manage and to which the Russian clergyman refers eloquently.
The person in question writes: “The Patriarchate of Constantinople and its followers throughout the discussion that is being held, did not make any real move, statement or retreat and did not show any practical repentance with the aim of normalizing the situation. This is proven not only by the scientific and pseudo-scientific publications, which are circulated on their side, but also by a huge range of journalistic positions, expressed at all levels by both leading figures and journalists, ideologues of the primacy theory honor and authority, including the director of the website “Fos Fanariou” P.A. Andriopoulou, who very aggressively promotes the first or second thoughts”.
And the cleric Dionysios Slionov notes in his relevant reference: “Cf. one of the last publications of P. Andriopoulos, where he shows the euktaia about the Ecumenical Patriarch as the head of the Church as a real teaching (Panagioti Ant. Andriopoulos Ecumenical Patriarch the head of the Orthodox // https://fosfanariou.gr/index.php/ 2023/01/26/fos-fanariou-ston-ethniko-kirika-amerikis/ (26 January 2023)’.
The Russian cleric considers that I “extremely aggressively” promote the “primary” positions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. But my text, to which he refers, refers to very specific positions on the subject and not to personal assessments. Here’s what I wrote:
“In his recent interview, in the great expatriate newspaper “National Herald” of America, the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore II answered the question of Th. Kalmoukos if “the time is ripe for the Ecumenical Patriarch to call a Synod of Primates”, as follows:
“It is a personal decision of the Ecumenical Patriarch, as the head of the Orthodox, whenever he decides, he will do so because God has given him wisdom.”
Of course the Head, Domitor of the Church is theologically Christ, but the head of Orthodoxy under heaven – as the head – is, canonically, the Ecumenical Patriarch, and this does not diminish anyone.
Reverend has also said it clearly. Metropolitan of Sparta, Mr. Efstathios: “We generally recognize the Head of our Church to be our Christ. But on Earth he is the Ecumenical Patriarch.”
I suddenly remembered a recent report of the Archsecretariat of the Church of Albania in a text by the Archsecretary of the Holy and Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Grigori Fragakis.
There, in conclusion, it is noted:
“Finally, the Volume of Ukraine states the following:
“We declare to the above that the Autocephalous Church in Ukraine has as its head the Holy Apostolic Patriarchal Throne, as well as the other Patriarchs and Primates”. A similar reference does not exist in the Volume of the Autocephalus of the Orthodox Church of Albania.
I don’t think it escapes Mack’s attention. of Albania Mr. Anastasiou that in the Synodical Chrysovoullos or Volume, on the Patriarchal value of the Church of Russia, which bears the signatures of Jeremiah of Constantinople, Joachim of Antioch, Sophronius of Jerusalem and eighty-one Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops (May 1590, Cal. Del. Volume III, p. 25), it is written verbatim: ‘and as head and principle he has the Apostolic Throne of the city of Constantine like the other Patriarchs’”.
Therefore, not the volume of the Autocephaly of Ukraine, but of Russia itself, as early as 1590, recognizes the Ecumenical Patriarchate as “head” and “principle”.
The Patriarch of the Second Throne, ambassador of the Patriarchate of the East, Theodore of Alexandria, has no difficulty in admitting this age-old truth, as, unfortunately, Anastasios of Albania.
In today’s, Tuesday, January 10, 2023, meeting of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as stated in the relevant communiqué, “the Holy Body was informed with unity of heart and sorrow through the Letters of Mak. Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa, Mr. Theodore, announced canonical decisions of his Church regarding the entry of the Church of Russia into its jurisdiction, let it be accepted, supports this Palaifate Patriarchate in its just struggle in favor of the normal order”.
The head, the Apostolic and Patriarchal Ecumenical Throne, stands unequivocally in favor of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, which is affected by the irregular invasion of the Moscow Patriarchate into its jurisdiction.
The head, as having the primary, takes a position, clear and unequivocal. No aristologies, no wishful thinking, no cheap speeches about unity, but a position in favor of the wronged against the ruthless invader.
May the rest of the Orthodox Churches also take on “armor of light”, i.e. their responsibility and accompany the leading head”.
Of course the clergyman of the Church of Russia Dionysios Slionov wants to argue against the “primary honor” of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but in reality he is lashing out in favor of the “primary” of Moscow.
In fact, he cites the Patriarch of Jerusalem Dositheos as a source, writing verbatim: “Let us turn to the “History of the Patriarchs in Jerusalem” by Dositheos Notaras. We must say that this hierarch of the end of the 17th – beginning of the 18th century, who was at the origins of the Slavo-Greno-Latin Academy, very friendly towards the Russian Orthodox Church, is that theologian, who among all the other fathers, both ancient, as well as the most modern, he taught and supported the synodical polity of the Church. In no other author do we find so many arguments in favor of synodality as in the Patriarch Dositheos. Dositheus in particular fought not only the primacy of Rome, but also the absolutist power of Constantinople, which existed to an impermissible degree even at that time, which is why he neither more nor less characterized the followers of this kind of absolutist power as “new heretics” .
So, we remind the Russian clergy of a letter written more than 300 years ago by the Patriarch of Jerusalem Dositheos to the then Patriarch of Moscow Joachim, who convinced the then newly elected Kievan Gideon to accept being ordained by him in Moscow and not by the Ecumenical Patriarch as always.
This act of Joachim of Moscow had caused huge reactions in Kiev and despite the pressures the ordination was not accepted. Then a pressure mechanism was activated on the Ecumenical Patriarch Dionysios IV in order to change his mind, which was finally done.
“Perhaps you wish that we also make Jerusalem a bishopric and worship at your feet… Is it a small thing that the Metropolis of Moscow was promoted to a Patriarchate and you were elected by a Synod and considered Patriarch by all? …But you also wished for a foreign province! You would be able to remain a commissioner of the Patriarch of Constantinople in relation to the Metropolitan of Kiev. You say that it was a necessity and you praised the Metropolitan of Kiev, but we think that there was no necessity, but hospitality. Without need, why divide the boundaries of the fathers? Can this be forgiven? By doing this, without any need, but only to satisfy your excessive ambition, instead of good, you bring harm to yourselves and to the Church”.
And he notes emphatically, but also prophetically, Dositheos of Jerusalem to Moscow: “According to the definitions of the fathers, the provinces must remain inviolable within their own borders, for this reason no bishop has the right to ask for authority in a foreign province, but you ask to understand foreign province. You may be able to justify this act, but only a disgrace to men and a sin to God will fall upon the following name”.
Today Moscow is attempting to seize the entire jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria! And, of course, she does not mean that she can lose her ecclesiastical rule in Ukraine, despite the brutal Russian invasion.
What “priority” of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is Moscow daring to talk about today when:
He did not attend the Holy and Great Synod of Orthodoxy in 2016, only because the Ecumenical Patriarch was presiding, according to the class, and of course he tried in every way to torpedo it.
It has stopped commemorating the Ecumenical Patriarch since 2018.
He has launched a merciless attack against the Ecumenical Patriarchate, questioning as much as he can its canonical prerogatives, and attacking the face of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, trying to diminish him in the eyes of the Orthodox and beyond.
The Moscow Patriarchate, by developing a rhetoric against the “first honor” of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is trying to consolidate its own position in Orthodoxy, which is being shaken by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
However, it is no coincidence that the text of the cleric of the Church of Russia Dionysios Slionov is published alongside a corresponding text of the cleric of the Church of Greece Archim. Athanasios, predecessor of M. Meteoros, with the title: The “embassies of honor” and their reduction to a “principle of power”.
The Russophiles and anti-patriarchs in Greece happily become instruments of “Holy Russia”, openly supporting the “primacy” of Moscow over the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
For Dionysius Slionov there is no Russian invasion of Ukraine, no invasion of the Moscow Patriarchate into the canonical jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, no war, no dead, no destruction, only the “prime”!
But how could the Russian Dionysios Slionov not have this logic, when he writes that “the so-called heresy of ethno-tribalism was condemned by the third session of the Synod of Constantinople on September 16, 1872 almost by a unilateral act of the Patriarchate of Constantinople”.
Here is the key to the interpretation of the attitude of the Russian Church. It does not condemn ethno-tribalism as a heresy, so everything is allowed! And the invasions and incursions and all kinds of arbitrariness since, according to Dionysios Slionov “the polemic of the Russian Orthodox Church against the theory of the primacy of honor and power and the non-acceptance of this theory are fully justified and pursue high and noble purposes: the good of the unity of ecumenical Orthodoxy”.
The cleric Dionysios Slionov has nothing to say about the “theory of war”. Correctly! After President Putin congratulates the Russian Church on Easter Day for supporting him in the Russian invasion of Ukraine!
Moscow has trampled over every concept of theology and ecclesiology and ecclesiologically “controls” the Ecumenical Patriarchate (sic)!
At the same time that it controls – see it manipulates – the Orthodox Churches, so that they are tied to its chariot.
A great example is the NOT placing the 9 Autocephalous Churches in the situation that Moscow is creating by invading the normal jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa. They were officially informed by a Letter from the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria Theodore II and we read that the specific letter was “read” at the local Synods. No reaction! And then Moscow dares to talk about the “prime authority” of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and about “ecclesiology”. This domineering and invading woman will do everything she can.
The “principle” of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is the pretense, it is the pretext, it is the cover for the Moscow bloodthirsty Cyril.
However, the time is approaching when he will be tried for his crimes, overt and unseen, and then no “theory” against the Universal Throne will be able to save him…
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