13 May 2018. To Be Or Not To Be… That’s the Question! Shall Bart Grant Autocephaly to the Uncanonical Ukrainians?

Metropolitan Onufry Berezovsky of Kiev and all the Ukraine, First Hierarch of the UPTs/MP, the only canonical Orthodox Church in the Ukraine

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Three weeks ago, a news item flashed through the Orthosphere:

Poroshenko wants Bart to make Kiev an Autocephalous Church!

I decided to “wait and see”… this looked “interesting”, but would it have “legs?” A senior archpriest commented:

This move of granting autocephaly will completely disrupt the worldwide Orthodox Church into a mess that won’t be healed for a long time if ever.

Another senior voice said:

I can’t see it working out without lots of pain and suffering.

After getting communications like this, I decided to let the issue sit and develop. Interestingly, it seems to have gone doggo, if not dead. Buffeted from all sides, Bart checked himself into hospital, then, he left, apparently none the worse. It appears as though HH spoke and Bart listened. Patriarch Kirill is the effectual primus inter pares in Orthodoxy, and all know it. Apparently, Bart was getting pressure from both ends (his American minders and HH), so, he checked into hospital to cool things down. It appears to have simply fallen off the face of the earth. My guess is that American and Canadian Galician nutters working for the American and Canadian special services came up with this cockamamie idea, sold it to their superiors, getting Poroshenko on board, without really informing Bart of what was going on. After this hiatus, the whole thing does appear to be “something run up by the apprentice whilst the blacksmith was out”.

Is it dead? I think not. The Yanks are getting desperate, as none of their foreign policy initiatives are working out at all. China and Russia set up the historic peace meeting in Korea… China, Russia, and Iran stymied American efforts to topple the legitimate Syrian government… China and Russia, possibly joined by the Continental members of the EU, signalled their intent to ignore Trump’s ripping up of the Iranian nuclear accord… the Ukraine can’t get its act together; it can’t topple the patriot Peoples Republics. Therefore, the USA may continue to press Bart to do this. So far, he’s resisted them. It’s been a behind-the-scenes affair… but Bart knows that if events actually came up to a decision, if he didn’t give in to Washington, he’d suffer the same fate as Emmanuel Vaportzis in 1948… the CIA would depose him and replace him with a willing stooge. Would he stand firm or would he punk out? No one knows (I hope that we never have to come to that point).

If Bart were to do this, it’d set up a schism as serious as the one of 1054. Happily, he appears to realise this and isn’t eager to do the bidding of the Anglos. Shall it pass? Only time will tell us… what with the usual shortage of crystal balls and time machines, I don’t know what’ll happen… no one does. Pray for this chalice to pass…

BMD

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Church of Greece Protests Pre-Trial Detention of Igumen Ephrem

Igumen Ephrem (1955- ) of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos… the image is from Abba Ephrem’s recent trip to Russia, that’s Vladimir Yakunin (1948- ) in the rear

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On Thursday, the Holy Synod of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece called for the release of Igumen Ephrem, the abbot of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, who’s currently under arrest on real estate fraud charges. It stated, “Our church respects the rulings of the judicial system and doesn’t like to interfere in its sphere of responsibility. Nevertheless, together with many believers, [the Church] expresses the sympathy of all its members to the embattled abbot, and hopes that they’ll reconsider the possibility of his release from custody”. The Cypriot-born 56-year-old Igumen Ephrem faces charges of involvement in a criminal scheme under which the Greek government swapped cheap farmland for costly Athens real estate, to the favour of the Vatopedi Monastery. He said he isn’t guilty. The First Hierarch of the Church of Greece, Archbishop Ieronymos Liapis of Athens and all Greece plans to visit Igumen Ephrem in prison.

On 29 December, the first Hierarch of the MP, Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias, urged Greek President Karolos Papoulias to release Igumen Ephrem, who was arrested on 24 December {The cops went to Athos to arrest him on 24 December, he was deemed unfit to travel. Igumen Ephrem turned himself in to the coppers on Tuesday 27 December: editor}. In November, Ephrem led a delegation from Vatopedi Monastery that brought one of the holiest Christian relics, the Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God, to Russia for the first time in history. Abbot Ephrem’s arrest sparked a diplomatic row between Moscow and Athens.

The Church of Greece is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches in the Orthodox Christianity. Mount Athos is under the jurisdiction of another autocephalous church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The EP denounced the MP’s “interference” in the case. A number of Greek legal experts have questioned whether the actions of the police on Mount Athos were legal. Athos is part of Greek territory, but it’s autonomous and self-governing. Its monks are Greek citizens, but a special warrant issued by the procurator is required to arrest a person on Athos.

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Today, Thursday 12 January 2012, the Standing Holy Synod (SHS) of the Church of Greece came together for its third Session for the month of January under the presidency of His Beatitude Ieronymos Liapis, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece. During the course of the Session, the SHS confirmed the Proceedings of the previous Session. The SHS concerned itself with the detention of Archimandrite Ephrem, Abbot of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, especially with regard to the time of its announcement and execution during the days of a great Christian Feast, and with regard to the violation of sacred institutions and the non-observance of the statutes of the autonomous administration of the Holy Mount.

These facts have crucially harmed the authority of our Church and have justifiably caused sorrow to the Orthodox Christian flock both in Greece and abroad and, at the same time, provoked considerable perplexity, along with harsh criticism, from noted legal specialists. Our church respects the rulings of the judicial system and doesn’t like to interfere in its sphere of responsibility, even though at different times there have been disagreements over the soundness of this-or-that decision. Nevertheless, together with many believers, [the Church] expresses the sympathy of all its members to the embattled abbot, and hopes that they’ll reconsider the possibility of his release from custody in a more impartial manner. In this spirit, His Beatitude the Archbishop will visit [Igumen Ephrem] at the prison of Korydallos.

(Last four paragraphs deal with other matters)

From the Standing Holy Synod

 12 January 2012

RIA-Novosti

http://en.rian.ru/Religion/20120112/170728226.html

http://www.ecclesia.gr/greek/holysynod/holysynod.asp?id=1365&what_sub=d_typou

Editor’s Note:

“The Cheese stands alone”… the EP stands isolated by its lickspittle subservience to Langley. Even though the Church of Greece is dependent on Greek state funds to pay its clergy, it refused to cut Igumen Ephrem adrift. This means that any chance of a Great all-Orthodox Council has dissipated into thin air. There never was much substance to such talk. Then, when the Greek government cut its funding for Chambésy, it not only virtually shut down that EP facility, it cut the throat of any notional “Council”.

If you hear any nonsense from SVS, konvertsy punks, or OCA fanatics about an upcoming “Great Council”, you should openly laugh in their faces and hold them up to public scorn. It ain’t happening, kids… there’s no gelt to put it on, there’s been no planning of the details, there’s no venue, and Bart’s pissed off the entire Orthodox world by his nasty kicking of an Athonite elder at the Americans’ insistence. In short, it’s not going to happen any time soon (or any time later).

Sic transit gloria mundi…

BMD

The MP Chose Not to Respond to the EP Statement Concerning the Vatopedi Affair

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The MP chose not to comment on the statement made on by the EP Holy Synod concerning the situation surrounding the arrest of Archimandrite Ephrem, the abbot of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos. On Wednesday, a source at the MP DECR told Interfax-Religion, “I think that it speaks for itself. All that the MP felt necessary to say in connection with the case is contained in the letter written by Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias to the President of Greece, and in the comments given by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev on 28 December”.

As noted in the statement of the EP Synod, a copy of which is in Interfax’s hands, the members “express their sorrow over the situation that developed” around the case of Archimandrite Ephrem. At the same time, they noted that the EP has “respect for the independence of the judiciary” and it “at all times avoids every involvement on legal matters in process, given that, besides, it has no knowledge of the contents of this particular case file”. In addition, the members of the EP Synod responded to “statements issuing from sister Orthodox Churches on the aforementioned matter”, saying, “The EP reminds everyone that the Holy Mountain is its canonical territory, even though there are Orthodox monks of various nationalities there; this fact doesn’t make it a place of all-Orthodox character {even though it does have monks from all over the Orthosphere… the Phanar isn’t denying that, it’s a statement about jurisdictional matters only: editor}, and it doesn’t allow any form of interference in its affairs by other Autocephalous Churches”.

As reported in December 2011, a Greek court ordered Fr Ephrem’s arrest in connection with an investigation of real estate transactions between Vatopedi and the Greek state in 2008. In late December, Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias wrote a letter to Greek President Karolos Papoulias asking for Archimandrite Ephrem’s release from custody, expressing surprise at his pre-trial incarceration as “[Fr Ephrem] doesn’t pose a threat to society and repeatedly expressed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation”. Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, the head of the MP DECR, described the arrest of Fr Ephrem as an attack on Athonite monasticism in particular and on Orthodoxy in general. Previously, influential Russian politicians, the MP, the RF MID, as well as the Foundation of St Andrew the First-Called voiced support for Igumen Ephrem. This was in recognition of the fact that Abba Ephrem was part of the delegation from Vatopedi Monastery that brought the Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God to Russia for a stay lasting from 20 October to 28 November, going to various cities throughout the country, where nearly 3 million people venerated the relic, including top political leaders.

11 January 2012

Interfax-Religion

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=43713

10 January 2012. Phanar Issues Craven and Mealy-Mouthed Statement on Igumen Ephrem

THIS is why the Phanar won’t protest the wanton arrest of Igumen Ephrem… it’d lose the money it gets from its Greek-American sugar-daddies, and that would sink Bart & Co… any questions?

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Click here for a Greek-language statement from the Phanar on the situation surrounding Igumen Ephrem. Let’s cut to the chase and not fart around. The Phanar’s “avoiding involvement in the affair”… they expressed “sorrow over the situation”… they wouldn’t get involved as “they respect the independence of the judiciary”. However, the rubber hits the road here:

The Ecumenical Patriarchate, in connection with statements issuing from sister Orthodox Churches on the aforementioned matter, reminds everyone that the Holy Mountain is its canonical territory, even though there are Orthodox monks of various nationalities there; this fact doesn’t make it a place of all-Orthodox character {even though it does have monks from all over the Orthosphere… the Phanar isn’t denying that, it’s a statement about jurisdictional matters only: editor}, and it doesn’t allow any form of interference in its affairs by other Autocephalous Churches.

My, my, my… the Phanar’s caught between its US and Vatican paymasters on the one hand, and an angry Orthodox “street” on the other. Let’s keep this short and sweet. NONE OF THE POLITICIANS INVOLVED ARE IN THE SLAMMER. NONE OF THEM. The only person sitting in a nasty cell in the worst prison in Greece is a sickly Athonite cleric. A monk… a respected elder. The Phanar kisses the naked bum of Langley for all to see. They didn’t even protest that the politicians involved got off scot-free. You see, they were ND pals of the American rightwingers, which means that they can do as they please, with no consequence from the Phanar whatsoever. This smells like a bad rerun of Maximos Vaportzis. Don’t let the American special services muck with the Holy Mountain! How much do you wanna bet that George Stephanopoulos is involved with this? His sister IS involved with the ex-ROCOR schismatics, after all.

FREE IGUMEN EPHREM NOW!

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Albany NY