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On 18 March, the website Drevo reported that the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in Poland, after 90 years, returned to the sacred traditional Orthodox Julian calendar. Given the fact that most of the parishes of the Polish Church (96 percent) celebrate Christmas on the traditional calendar, and at the believers’ request, the Holy Synod invalidated its decision of 12 April 1924 introducing the Catholic calendar for fixed feasts, deciding to return to the Julian calendar starting from 15 June 2014 (Week of All Saints). Parishes can use the Catholic calendar only in cases of strict necessary. This is the first case where a canonical Local Orthodox Church officially revoked the Catholic calendar, returning formally to the Julian calendar. The editors of Holy Fire commented on this event, “In view of this positive precedent, it’d be most reasonable and beneficial for universal Orthodoxy at the upcoming 2016 all-Orthodox Sobor if the Moscow Patriarchate, as the largest Local Church, would call all those Orthodox following the Catholic calendar to return to the Julian calendar, so that we have no division in prayer”.
Commentary from Deacon Vladimir Vasilik (Kandidat of Philological Science, instructor at the Faculty of History St Petersburg State University (SPBGU)):
It’s symbolic that this historic event coincided with the return of the Crimea to Russia. I experienced it, as I was present as this event entered history at the meeting at the Great Kremlin Palace. I can say that this event had great grace behind it. It was the feastday of St Luka Voino-Yasenetsky the Confessor. I’d say that St Luka prays not only for Russia, but also for the entire Orthodox world. His prayers came true… that’s a wonderful event for our Polish brothers in Christ, which is welcome. With this step, the Polish Church showed its spiritual character, despite all the difficulties of being in a heterodox country; it witnessed its loyalty to Orthodoxy and to the sacred Julian calendar. The Polish Church witnessed its deep connection with Russia, with Russian Orthodoxy, especially, as many of its believers consider themselves a part of the Russian world. It helps to restore all-Slavic unity, as Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Serbs all use the traditional calendar. The Church of Bulgaria has the same intention. This is a sign of all-Slavic accord.
Of course, at any future all-Orthodox Sobor, the MP should invite all other churches to go back to the traditional calendar, in order for us to have unity in all things, including unanimity about our feastdays. That liquidation of our unity was a sad legacy of the questionable Patriarch Meletios Metaxakis, who hobnobbed with Renovationists, promoted Masonic projects, engaged in poaching on the canonical territory of the MP, and tore away the Polish and Finnish Churches. He left the Catholic calendar as a legacy; it’s become a cause of disagreement. I hope that we can eliminate this sad legacy eventually.
28 March 2014
Russkaya Narodnaya Liniya
Editor:
There’s NOTHING on this on oca.org… one wonders why. I wonder what the loquacious Michał Kalina thinks about this! His ship sinks, and no one mourns it. THIS could torpedo the whole “all-Orthodox Sobor”… and the Centre knows it! It could lead to TWO “all-Orthodox Sobors”… one at the Phanar, one at Novy Ierusalime, after the common meeting dissolves in acrimonious disagreement. The Phanar won’t budge on the Catholic calendar, not with a papist-trained and Western-subservient First Hierarch. The Centre won’t budge on the traditional calendar, not with this event in hand. Yes… there’d be TWO Sobors… there’s a chance of a rupture in communion as well (I’m not wishing for such… I’m reporting what I’m seeing).
What does this portend for the OCA, seeing that it’s an effectual dependent metropolia of the MP? We’ll have to see, but my thought is that the body would split… with some going to the EP to preserve the Catholic calendar, and others cleaving to Moscow and traditional Orthodoxy. It does bid fair to be INTERESTING.
BMD
Voices from Russia 
6 September 2014. Tonight in Gorlice… Vespers at the Relics of St Maksim Sandovich
Tags: Catholic Church, Christian, Christianity, Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Orthodox Church, Gorlice, John Chrysostom, Maxim Sandovich, Maxim Sandowycz, Moscow Patriarchate, OCA, Orthodox, Orthodox Church in America, Orthodox Church of Poland, Orthodoxy, Poland, political commentary, politics, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, ROCOR, Roman Curia, Russia, Russian, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, Sandovich, Ukraine, Uniate, United States, USA
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The Uniates constantly scream, “We’re Orthodox in union with Rome”… that’s hooey in the First Degree. To be “Orthodox in Union with Rome” they’d have to have icons of St Mark of Ephesus, St Germogen of Moscow, St Maksim Sandovich, and St Aleksei Kabalyuk in their churches set out for veneration… they don’t and they won’t, as they kiss the naked bum of the Roman Curia. Keep your distance especially from Galician Uniates, the UGKTs (“Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church”)… they’re the worst of the lot for they bless the murders of the junta as they blessed the murders of the Nazis, as they blessed the oppressions of the Poles and Habsburgs. The Uniates do NOT honour St Maksim’s podvig for Church UNITY. The Uniates honour the memory of his oppressors. I CALL THAT UNMITIGATED EVIL.
In these evil days when Orthodox in the “Ukraine” hang on the cross, mainly through the efforts of Galician Uniates, for us to have anything at all to do with the UGKTs, its institutions, or its clergy and hierarchy is nothing short of crackbrained and mad. Notice who does so… especially notice those like Vassa Larina who’re traitors for filthy lucre’s sake (she sold out to Bob Taft, and he got her a job in Vienna). Note well that the official websites of the OCA and the ROCOR didn’t mark the anniversary of St Maksim’s martyrdom, nor did they note the fact that OCA and ROCOR clergy went to Poland to take part in the commemoration. Is kissing the ass of the Uniates so important to the OCA/ROCOR First Families (SVS is the worst of the lot)? Our co-religionists hang on the cross… all that they can talk about is Bart’s bootless statement on environmentalism or a molieben to mark the beginning of the school year. I’d call that culpable and without excuse. In times of peril for the Church… indeed, our days are such… those who willingly seek out and initiate contact with the enemies of Christ’s Church are without defence. I’d say, “Look at the good trees… look at the bad trees. There are more of them than simply Potapov, Paffhausen, and Webster… note well who schmoozes up to Uniates and who defends them”. Yes, do have a care… the times are evil and some of the most evil actors on the stage are Orthodox clergy. As St John Chrysostom put it, “Bad priests are the lampstands of Hell”.
Have a care… there be cowpats in that there field…
BMD