ANNOUNCEMENT – To the visitors of our website.

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Dear friends,

As you may already know the Sacred Synod of the Church of the GOC of Greece under Archbishop k. k. Makarios has joined with an ecclesiastical jurisdiction from the United States named HOCNA (the “Holy Orthodox Church in North America”).

This union brought an unpleasant predicament to the membership of the Sacred Synod with the result of a bishop separating, Metropolitan Christophoros of Mesagaias and the Islands, and some number of clergy and Temples in Greece and abroad.

As the administrators of Omologitis we have discerned the just and canonical severance of Metropolitan Christoforos because it is known even to those with little knowledge concerning ecclesiastical matters that for a union of two diverging jurisdictions a written common statement of Orthodox Faith is demanded and a renunciation of any “deviations”.

Because of the above we have taken the decision to join the position of His Eminence Metropolitan k. Christoforos and to continue the objective struggle we have embarked upon.

The Team of Omologitis

 

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We have attached a photo copy of the Encyclical of Metropolitan Christophoros (also in pdf) and a translation of the encyclical below.

 

Encyclical

Click the photo to download it in pdf format.

The translation:

 

ENCYCLICAL

Salamina, October 15/28, 2013

Fathers and Brothers in Christ, Beloved Children in the Lord,

I find myself in the unpleasant position of informing you that from October 11/24 of the current year I have taken myself outside the Synodal arrangement under Archbishop Makarios of the G.O.C. of Greece, for reasons of conscience.

The main reason is that I am unable to accept the union of the above-mentioned Synod with the “Holy Orthodox Church of America” (HOCNA) because of them not supplying a written renunciation against all those known ecclesiological deviations and fallacies. From the beginning I supported this union and I expected a canonical type of union, according to the Orthodox tradition, namely a written common Confession of Faith and a renunciation on the part of HOCNA of everything that it is attributed to them concerning deviations from the Orthodox Faith and Tradition. During my oral and written protests I always received the promise of the expected God-pleasing written testimony and proof, nevertheless in vain.

Consequently, on the one hand of not being capable to accepting the ridicule of months and, secondly in denying a hypocritical participation of myself in this ecclesiastical body, I decided to sever myself from it, remembering the Sacred Vryennius saying: “There is a bad concord and a good disagreement. It can be good to be torn and bad to be in agreement. Among whom friendship becomes the ambassador of loss, to those, hate becomes a case of virtue. And better of the hateful union is the apathetic space between them.”

 

Wishing to all, as the Lord God enlightens all of you, the illumination of His True Light, I remain,

With best wishes and blessings,

 

THE METROPOLITAN

+ Christophoros of Mesogaias and the Islands

 

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A Statement from Metropolitan Christophoros

A Note of Clarification

Following a number of particularly garrulous comments concerning my position about an “ecclesiastical union” of our Sacred Synod with the Holy Orthodox Church in North America (HOCNA) I state the following:

1) I requested in written form from the members of HOCNA (by Protocol. # 126 of 14/27/6/2013) clarifications on various ecclesiological and ecclesiastical deviations which are alleged to them and of which there was no written renouncement received by our Sacred Synod. Of this brotherly epistle of mine I have never received any response. Therefore I remain in my prestated position of which I defer from the “union” and I will not willing participate in Eucharistic Communion with them until there will be a signed Orthodox Confession which precludes any deviations from the Holy Fathers and the Synodical decisions of our Predecessors in the Holy Orthodox Faith and of our Holy Struggle.

2) Because some – specialized in the art – have recently tried to write scenarios and conjectures, I hasten to mention that I remain in the hierarchy of the Church of the GOC of Greece under Archbishop Makarios, who himself has assured me that with his venerable intervention this case will be shortly resolved.

In Salamina, 11/24 – 9 – 2013

Your fervent intercessor before the Lord,

+ CHRISTOPHOROS
Metropolitan of Mesogaia and the Islands

 

 

 

 

 

To the Matthewites (of the Thebes fragment).

Informed by friends, we read the critical comments posted on the web site “Church of GOC of Greece”

(http://churchgoc.blogspot.gr/2013/05/blog-post_27.html)

criticizing the contacts of our Sacred Synod with the Bostonites. We are familiar with past Matthewite tactics and behavior so  when they say “He lies!” we return the compliment to them.

Regarding this matter, the “CONFESSOR,” as we have stated, is not the official web site of the Sacred Synod and therefore only publishes general information regarding Church events. Our position concerning the heresy of Onomatolatreia is clear from the title. Two Patriarchal Epistles [i.e., of Patriarch Germanos V] are published in English and one in Greek (the latter original epistle is admittedly somewhat illegible due to the difficulty of copying it) which plainly condemn Onomatolatreia.

So what else do you want Messrs. Matthewites?

We found  this and published it. If you have other clear and convincing information to send us we will gladly post them and declare our thanks to you.

Now, regarding your thorn’s “on the icon of the Holy Trinity” answer: You once lit a big fire in the Orthodox world from which not only were you scorched but cremated, trying to kindle this same fire in others as well. Fortunately, because the origin of this controversy emanated from the Matthewites, everyone simply crossed themselves and ignored it.

Finally, kindly do not bother us. If you continue it will only force us to review our firm policy of avoiding any confrontation with the GOC.

Apostasy of Priest

  • We have to announce with sorrow the deposition from our Church of the Bishop of Gardikiou Mr. Athanasios. The ex-priest was self-deposed and now he is a lyaman. We wish that God enlighten and bless him.

Concerning the Heresy of Onomatolatreia.

  • Concerning the Heresy of  Onomatolatreia we have published a letter and an epistle of Patriarch Germanos V in our Library section.
  • UPDATE– We have published one more letter of Patriarch Germanos V concerning the Name-Worshippers (in Greek only).

His Beatitude Archbishop Makarios is visiting the U.S.A. and Canada.

His Beatitudine Archbishop Makarios

His Beatitude Archbishop Makarios.

  • Following an invitation by the bishops of HOCNA, His Beatitude Archbishop k.k. Makarios is visiting the United States and Canada. The purpose of his visit is for discussions concerning the intercommunion of our Sacred Synod with all the bishops of HOCNA in a God-pleasing manner. 
  • Official Statements concerning the final outcome of these meetings will be released in the future by our Sacred Synod.

Sentences (Synodical Court of first instance).

  • During their last meeting the Synodal Court of First Instance passed judgements of deposition from the priesthood for canonical misconduct in the cases of the hieromonks a) Kallinikos Giannakopoulos (H. Metropolis of Thessaloniki), b) Ioustinos Haralampopoulos (H. Metropolis of Acharnai) and c) Kallinikos Kelepouris (H. M. of Mesogaias).

Metropolitan of Acharnai and N. Ionia Athanasios departed to the Lord.

His Eminence Metropolitan of Acharnai and N. Ionia Athanasios

  • We announce with sadness the passing of His Eminence, Metropolitan k. Athanasios (Charalambides) of Acharnon and New Ionia. The late hierarch was born in 1933 in Grevena in Western Macedonia. He was consecrated bishop of Grevena in 1979 and elected Metropolitan of Archanon and New Ionia in 1980.
  • In recent years he petitioned and was received back into the Sacred Synod having multiple health problems and fell asleep in the Lord on March 12/25, 2013.

Eternal be his memory!

Photos from Theophany 2013.

  • We have published photos from the Holy Theophany of our Church. The photos are from Pireaus, Cyprus, Nemea and Thessalonika. You may find them here.

The official Calendar (Imerodiktis) 2013 of our Church.

  • The calendar of our Holy Synod (Ημεροδείκτης) in Greek only. This booklet is published every year by our Holy Synod and it contains not only the calendar of the year but a lot of other information concerning our Church. You may download it in this page of our site.