We have received the following letter in Greek and English concerning Metropolitan Ephraim of Boston which we publish below:
To the publisher of Confessor 8/21 January 2015
Seeing that comments were posted on your website regarding the article “Awake Sleeper” by Metropolitan Ephraim of Boston that refute the repentance of the non-Orthodox in Hades, I would like for you to post my personal experience on this matter for your visitors to be informed.
Metropolitan Ephraim with whom I had correspondence, recommended that I read the work of Mr. John N. Karmiris “THE DESCENT OF CHRIST INTO HADES FROM AN ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVE” (which I am sending you) indicating that in this work I will find all that is necessary to support his teaching; that the non-Orthodox will become acquainted with Orthodoxy in Hades and if they accept it they will be saved.
Βy studying this work I did not ascertain what Metropolitan Ephraim had been telling me, and for this reason I wanted a further opinion in order for me to be completely sure of my conclusions. Therefore, I contacted Metropolitan Christophoros and asked for his opinion on the conclusions of the referring book. His reply dispelled every doubt I had about Metropolitan Ephraim’s teaching and I ascertained that indeed it is not correct. Considering it my duty to inform Metropolitan Ephraim for his erroneous teachings I contacted him again.
His reply was that both I and Metropolitan Christophoros did not read Karmiri and the many church fathers that he suggested. To support his teaching, he recommended that I read the article “Position Paper on the Awake Sleeper Series” by Metropolitan Makarios of Toronto; that is, to read a work by a bishop of his who has the same ecclesiological beliefs.
In his attempt to convince me that his unorthodox teaching is correct, Metropolitan Ephraim stated that if I or Metropolitan Christophoros understood the sources he indicated to me we would both have realised that what Karmiris states in his work and Metropolitan Ephraim in his article, do not exclude one another. How is it possible for one to not exclude the other, since they are opposite of each other!
In my last contact with him, he asked to cease our communication since we do not accept what one another says, emphasizing that he and his people accept the teaching of the work Shepherd of Hermas. In case you are not aware of it, this work does not belong to the Canonical books of the Church; it was rejected, it did not become accepted by the Church because amid others things it gives amnesty to the fleshly desire and presents God with two faces equating the Holy Spirit with the Son. Metropolitan Ephraim wrote that he and his people know that the work Shepherd of Hermas does not belong to the Canonical books of the Church, but believe that it is a God-inspired text!!!
Since he remains on his fallacious teachings and lures others into them, I felt it my duty to help those who have accepted his teaching to see the truth. For this reason I kindly ask for you to post my epistle on CONFESSOR, the epistle by Metropolitan of Mesogaia and Islands Mr. Christophoros to me, and the work of John Karmiris which proves the truth.
I thank you for your hospitality.
Sincerely,
Elleny Papas
Link: KarmiriesJohn.DescentHades.pdf (Missing pages 44-45 here)
The letter of Metr. Chistoforos in Greek (in pdf format here).
