With Whom Will Archbishop Theophan of Poltava Be Left?
4 min read
Thank you to Brother Michael
| Archbishop Theophan’s of Poltava meeting with a group of modernist clergy and liberal professors, who came to the Moscow All-Russian Church Council of 1917-1918, was a remarkable event. Vladika himself often liked to recall the conversation he had with those liberal churchmen who fought for modernization of the Church and for changes in keeping with the spirit of the times. These modernists approached Vladika very politely and reverently, obviously sensing his great spiritual authority. “We honour you, Vladika” they said. “We recognize your ecclesiastical wisdom… But the waves of time flow swiftly, changing everything, changing us. We must yield to these waves which overtake us…. Otherwise, with whom will you be left? You will be left alone.”With whom will I be left?” Vladika answered them humbly , ” I will be with left in the company of the Holy Prince Vladimir, enlightener of Russia. With the Venerable Fathers Antony and Theodosy the wonder-workers of the Kiev Caves, with the Holy Hierarchs and wonder-workers of Moscow, with Saints Sergius and Seraphim, with all the holy Martyrs, Saints, righteous pastors and wonder-workers who are glorified in the Russian land. And you, brothers, with whom will you be left, despite your majority, if you give yourselves over to the will of the waves of the times? These waves have already carried you off to the drabness of Kerenskyism (Democracy! ed.) and soon you will be engulfed by the yoke of the cruel Lenin (Communism, ed.) into the claws of the red beast (Antichrist, ed).”These modernists of the Church withdrew from Vladika in silence, having received the decisive answer.”Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32Elsewhere he writes: Honorable Brother in the Lord! You said that the ultimatum of Metropolitan Sergius of Nizhegorod has provoked great alarm in our Church family and in our Russian colony in general. What is at stake here and what should be our attitude toward it be? It is utterly impossible to accept Metropolitan Sergius’ epistle as binding. The Council of Bishops which recently adjourned rejected this epistle. This is the proper action, based on the Holy Father’s teaching that one is obliged to recognize only those legitimate authorities which Christians must obey.St. Isidore of Pelusium, in his exposition of the hierarchy established by God and omnipresent in the life of all speaking and non- speaking beings, concludes: “Therefore we are correct in stating that this matter includes the authorities, that is the leaders and royal authorities established by God. But if some villainous criminal seizes authority, then we do not profess that he was installed by God, rather we say that he has been allowed to spew out this evil, like Pharaoh and, in such an instance, to carry out extreme punishment or to chastise those for whom great cruelty is required, as when the King of Babylon chastised the Jews” (works, No. 2, letter 6). The Bolshevik authorities are in essence Antichhristian and there is no way that they can be recognized as being established by God. Note: “Bolshevik authorities” is one of the many names used by the worldwide tyranny of evil forerunners of the antichrist, who fight against Christ our God and Good Shepherd, Jesus. He said His sheep listen to His voice, and told us to fear not for He is with us, if we get lost, He runs to bring us back to into His flock, the Church. Jesus Christ is our King, our God, our Master, and The Lord, a true Christian will never abandon Him and accept the antichrist.”Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, don’t abandon Thy sheep, deliver us from the wolves in sheepskin, and do not allow the wolves in sheepskin to steal us from Thy flock, come and rescue the lost sheep, and grant us access to the Heavenly Kingdom, Help me Lord, nail my sins to Thy Cross, convert me a goat, into Thy sheep, may it not be Thy will that I remain a goat forever and fall into the eternal lake of fire, where instead of wolves, the never sleeping snake will eat me alive, chewing me until the last piece of my body fall on the floor, to be all reunited with each other, so that my suffering never ends and I have no peace, no respite, and I can no longer love Thee, contribute to Thy Glory, and become Thy torch for my salvation and the salvation of thousands round me for Thy sake. Be no long tarry My Lord and My God Jesus Christ, Thy will be done in me too! Let not the tyranny of the antichrist capture us” Amen |
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