DOCSLIB.ORG

Everyone, Let Us Prepare the Council Together

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Everyone, Let Us Prepare the Council Together FROM THE ARCHIVES Everyone, Let us Prepare the Council Together Olivier Clément Translated by Gregory Tucker Translator’s Note “Tous, préparons ensemble le Concile” appeared first in Contacts 76.4 (1971) and was reprinted in the first volume of Synodika (1976), the official publication of the Secretariat for the Preparation of the Holy and Great Council of the Or- thodox Church. The latter publication is available online (http://www.aposto- 1 Aristoklēs Mat- liki-diakonia.gr/gr_main/dialogos/SYNODHIKA_1.pdf) but is corrupt; several thaiou Spyrou clauses have been transposed between different sections of the paper, leaving (1886–1973) was incomplete and incomprehensible sentences. The present translation has been Patriarch of Constan- made from the text in Contacts. At points, the essay reads more like the tran- tinople from 1948 to 1972. His meeting script of a speech than a polished publication; the translator has attempted to with Pope Paul VI reflect this. Furthermore, Clément sometimes takes on, without notification, the in Jerusalem in 1964 voice of those he is criticizing. It is necessary for the reader to infer the tone of led to the rescinding sarcasm and irony in what he writes. All notes are added by the translator. of the excommunica- tions of 1054, a sym- bolic step towards Orthodox-Catholic I. A New Situation: Ebb and Tensions sions concerning the organization reunification. His of the Diaspora (American auto- efforts were opposed In the Orthodox Church, the unify- cephaly) and ecumenical relations by anti-ecumenists, including Metropol- ing dynamism sparked by Athenag- (openness, according to oikonomia, itan Philaret (Vozne- oras I reached its peak at the Cham- and under certain conditions, to Eu- sensky) of ROCOR. bésy conference in June 1968.1 Since charistic communion with Roman then, we have witnessed the ebb of Catholics).2 Here is not the place to 2 Oikonomia is a term this dynamism and the reappear- judge the intrinsic value of these used to describe the application of ance—indeed, the aggravation—of actions. But it must be recognized canons according to fault lines which he had temporarily that they showed a certain indiffer- circumstances with covered or sought to heal. Two fault ence toward the preconciliar situa- a view to effecting a lines must be mentioned especially: tion in which the Church has found specific end result, itself since 1968. Thus, the notion rather than strictly according to the let- a) The Tension Between the Second and that Orthodoxy is merely a feder- ter. Judgments “ac- Third Romes ation of sister churches with total cording to oikonomia” independence has been confirmed. may be perceived This tension raises the problem of the The recent Council of Zagorsk [to- as either lenient or universal structure of the Church. day Sergiyev Posad] marked the stringent, but are always directed culmination of this “absolute auto- towards ultimate In 1969 and 1970, the Patriarchate cephalism,” since Orthodox guests healing. of Moscow made importance deci- attended but did not participate in 52 the debates, even in those that were Patriarch Athenag- pan-Orthodox in scope: for example, oras I of Constanti- when the anathemas against the Old nople, 1967. Photo: Pieter Jongerhuis / Believers instituted by the Coun- Anefo, CC BY-SA cil of Moscow of 1666–67, in which 3.0 nl. the Patriarchates of Alexandria and Antioch had taken a full part, were lifted. On the other hand, one might won- der whether, for Moscow, in this confederation of sister churches, the © 2020 The Wheel. problem of primacy does not arise in May be distributed for terms of historical number, power, noncommercial use. and initiative of these churches. www.wheeljournal.com From these perspectives, the conflict with Constantinople is deep. Constan- tinople regards its traditional preroga- tives of presidency, initiative, and be- ing the universal center of communion as being challenged; it sees its mystery denied—this mystery of a charismat- Moscow to insist that the churches it ic geography which, after the great regards as autocephalous (Poland, invasions, preserved the primacy of Czechoslovakia, and especially Amer- an almost-deserted Rome; it senses ica) be invited as such. the ascendency of the negation of its very existence, having already been so b) Towards a New Schism of “Old Believers” maltreated by history. And certainly, the historical sins of Constantinople Another fault line appears today in Orthodoxy, which manifests itself are great, through the frequent con- 3 in particular in the growing role of Evgraf Evgrafovich fusion of spiritual Hellenism and na- Kovalevsky (1905– tional Hellenism. It is all the more re- the “Russian Church Abroad” or the 70) was ordained as grettable that they were denounced at “Synodal Church” [the Russian Or- a priest of the Patri- the moment when Athenagoras I had thodox Church Outside of Russia]. archate of Moscow. largely overcome them to promote a This Church seeks herself to consti- For much of his life, tute a universal Orthodox Church: he was involved in selfless gathering of Orthodoxy. the leadership of Be that as it may, the conflict between she has received in her bosom Serbs, various “Western the two churches and the two eccle- Romanians, and French (and the para- Rite” Orthodox siologies is hardly conducive to the doxical logic which drives the French groups. These were meeting of a council. Certain officials community founded by Bishop John sometimes under Kovalesky toward her is easily de- the care of canonical of the Patriarchate of Moscow seem to Orthodox bishops have decided to delay this meeting, bunked); she has just given a bishop to and at other times without doubt fearing that the coun- the Greek partisans of the “Old Calen- independent and cil, if it meets during the lifetime of dar”; and she enjoys great support in uncanonical. The Athenagoras I, its true promoter, will the Balkans, notably from the Serbian active successor to confirm the prerogatives of Constan- Church and Mount Athos. 3 these groups is the “Catholic Orthodox tinople. The means of slowing down Church of France,” the conciliar process, when necessary, The rise of the phenomenon of the which has been un- have all been found: it is enough for “Synod” and the parallel or con- canonical since 1992. The Wheel 20 | Winter 2020 53 vergent phenomena of “Old Belief” • by the more general fact that, in (the version of the twentieth century the crisis of civilization in which awakening while the version of the we find ourselves (and which has seventeenth century fades away) may provoked spectacular convul- be explained: sions in Western Christianity), many Orthodox are trying to pro- • by the stagnating effect of most tect themselves by constituting of the European Communist re- Orthodoxy as a tradition-trans- gimes and the resulting impres- mission cemented by rites, by a sion of a slow asphyxiation of literal reading of doctrine and the the churches, which promotes, in fathers, and by an anti-intellectu- the “opposition” to these church- al pietism. This phenomenon is es among certain factions of the reminiscent of the fate of Judaism emigration, corresponding psy- at the time of its dispersion into a chological reactions of apocalyp- hostile world. ticism and quasi-Manichaeism; Here also we encounter the refusal • by the lack of cooperation be- of the council, in a double opposition tween the episcopate and the to the broadly “demonized” contem- faithful, especially, but not only, porary world and to ecumenical dia- in certain churches of the East, logue (the truth, objectified and pos- which explains why the main ini- sessed, does not enter into dialogue; it tiatives of the episcopate in the is here, so it is no longer there). Most of ecumenical domain, as well as the the bishops of the countries of the East inter-Orthodox domain, have not are charged with complicity with the been received by the people; atheism of the State—and it is quite Metropolitan Pimen (Izvekov) pres- ents the Tomos of Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America to Bishop Theodosius (Lazor), 1970. Photo: Orthodox Church in America. 54 true that if a council were to meet, ed in the 1960s: between a Russian © 2020 The Wheel. the theological and spiritual forces of Church, strong in its own bonds, ma- May be distributed for these churches would be perhaps only tured by the sorrowful patience of its noncommercial use. www.wheeljournal.com partially represented. The Ecumenical people and bishops, not just a unique Patriarch himself is charged with “Pa- womb of the universal Church but a pism” and with doctrinal and ecclesi- servant of Orthodox unity, a great na- ological relativism. tional church inseparably linked with the tragic—even Christlike—destiny In order to understand the impor- of Russia; and an Ecumenical Throne tance of this movement, it is necessary transfiguring its historical weakness to know that it extends far beyond in the humble and tenacious creation the “Synodal” jurisdiction alone, of an authentic “presidency of love,” which is content to use it on occasion always exercised after consultation and to amplify it through its publi- with the sister churches, to ensure cations. The anathemas which the their cohesion and common witness. Patriarchate of Moscow is preparing One could cry bitterly and make pen- to launch against the “Synod” will ance for having failed to appreciate no doubt strengthen it: will they not this kairos, this time of grace offered come first and foremost from persons by God to his people, and having al- denounced as “uniates” and “cryp- lowed both the demons to appear and to-communists”? The “Old Belief,” one’s brothers to become wolves, so which is presently found everywhere that each sees only the worst in the in Orthodoxy, is made up of all those other.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Church Notes and Jottings
    “Joy of All Who Sorrow” No 49 December 2012 BEGINNING THE NATIVITY FAST Dear brothers and sisters! e have entered the days of the Nativity Fast, that period of preparation for one of the greatest feasts of the Orthodox Church: the radiant and joyful day of the Nativity of Christ. W In his daily life, modern man is immersed in his usual earthly deeds, cares, and concerns. It can be difficult for him to put aside all earthly things and turn to the heavenly, eternal, and Divine. The law of the Gospel is known and accessible to all, but man in his weakness often stumbles and commits sin. The more his soul is burdened, clinging to the earth, the more difficult it becomes for him to perceive the spiritual. The Church, therefore, has wisely established a time of fasting for Christians: a time of penitential introspection, of work on oneself, and of conforming oneself to the traditions, foundations, and rules of the Church, including the ecclesiastical canons. In this regard, modern society’s attitude towards the fast is no exception: one hears questions about whether it is necessary, about whether one can forego, mitigate, or shorten it. But it is characteristic of the true Christian to be completely obedient to the Mother Church, accepting that which She has established and which has been observed by its faithful children for centuries. People with an inadequate conception of church life often perceive the fasts as being concerned exclusively with limitation in food, in both quantity and quality. But fasting is primarily a spiritual matter.
    [Show full text]
  • Dositheos Notaras, the Patriarch of Jerusalem (1669-1707), Confronts the Challenges of Modernity
    IN SEARCH OF A CONFESSIONAL IDENTITY: DOSITHEOS NOTARAS, THE PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM (1669-1707), CONFRONTS THE CHALLENGES OF MODERNITY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY Christopher George Rene IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Adviser Theofanis G. Stavrou SEPTEMBER 2020 © Christopher G Rene, September 2020 i Acknowledgements Without the steadfast support of my teachers, family and friends this dissertation would not have been possible, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to express my deep debt of gratitude and thank them all. I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee, who together guided me through to the completion of this dissertation. My adviser Professor Theofanis G. Stavrou provided a resourceful outlet by helping me navigate through administrative channels and stay on course academically. Moreover, he fostered an inviting space for parrhesia with vigorous dialogue and intellectual tenacity on the ideas of identity, modernity, and the role of Patriarch Dositheos. It was in fact Professor Stavrou who many years ago at a Slavic conference broached the idea of an Orthodox Commonwealth that inspired other academics and myself to pursue the topic. Professor Carla Phillips impressed upon me the significance of daily life among the people of Europe during the early modern period (1450-1800). As Professor Phillips’ teaching assistant for a number of years, I witnessed lectures that animated the historical narrative and inspired students to question their own unique sense of historical continuity and discontinuities. Thank you, Professor Phillips, for such a pedagogical example.
    [Show full text]
  • Pages 141 to 145 of the Rcumenical Synods of the Orthodox Church By
    Father James Thornton 141 Calendar.... This calendar, in fact, corresponds to the Gregorian Calendar until the year 2800, when a difference of one day will oc- cur in leap years, which, nonetheless, will even out in the year 2900. What an amazing discovery! Thus, it becomes possible to “celebrate the major Christian Feast Days” simultaneously with the hetero- dox; at the same time, tradition-minded Orthodox can be assured that they have not adopted the Papist Calendar.43 The Synod of 1593 is also noteworthy for confirming the -el evation of the See of Moscow to the rank of Patriarchate (which Patriarch Jeremiah had effected in 1589) and for placing it in fifth position of honor after the ancient Patriarchates of Constantino- ple, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, respectively. Saint Job of Moscow was the first to serve the Russian Church as Patriarch. The Synod of Iași of 1642 andthe Synod of Jerusalem of 1672 n their methods and goals, the Synod of Iași (Jassy) of 1642 and Ithe Synod of Jerusalem of 1672 were closely related and thus be- long together conceptually. These Synods sought to defend East- ern Orthodoxy vis-à-vis Western Christianity, and, to do so, both adopted the tactic of “fighting fire with fire,” viz., of counteract- ing the doctrinal errors of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism by presenting Orthodoxy in the theological language of the West. Unfortunately, the subtleties, nuances, and paradoxes of Patristic thought cannot be fully captured in the theological language of the West, so that, while recognizing their valuable contribution to the defense of the Faith, Orthodox generally view these Syn- ods with much less enthusiasm than Western Christians do.
    [Show full text]
  • The Concept of “Sister Churches” in Catholic-Orthodox Relations Since
    THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA The Concept of “Sister Churches” In Catholic-Orthodox Relations since Vatican II A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology and Religious Studies Of The Catholic University of America In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree Doctor of Philosophy © Copyright All Rights Reserved By Will T. Cohen Washington, D.C. 2010 The Concept of “Sister Churches” In Catholic-Orthodox Relations since Vatican II Will T. Cohen, Ph.D. Director: Paul McPartlan, D.Phil. Closely associated with Catholic-Orthodox rapprochement in the latter half of the 20 th century was the emergence of the expression “sister churches” used in various ways across the confessional division. Patriarch Athenagoras first employed it in this context in a letter in 1962 to Cardinal Bea of the Vatican Secretariat for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and soon it had become standard currency in the bilateral dialogue. Yet today the expression is rarely invoked by Catholic or Orthodox officials in their ecclesial communications. As the Polish Catholic theologian Waclaw Hryniewicz was led to say in 2002, “This term…has now fallen into disgrace.” This dissertation traces the rise and fall of the expression “sister churches” in modern Catholic-Orthodox relations and argues for its rehabilitation as a means by which both Catholic West and Orthodox East may avoid certain ecclesiological imbalances toward which each respectively tends in its separation from the other. Catholics who oppose saying that the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church are sisters, or that the church of Rome is one among several patriarchal sister churches, generally fear that if either of those things were true, the unicity of the Church would be compromised and the Roman primacy rendered ineffective.
    [Show full text]
  • Manifestations of “Orthodox” Ecclesiology
    Manifestations of “Orthodox” Ecclesiology I. Introduction If there is a positive side to the protracted crisis rattling the Orthodox Church in America it is the opportunity afforded us to re-examine the current life and work of our local Church. The task is enormous and not without inherent difficulties. Beneath virtually every facet of our crisis, there emerge questions related to ecclesiology. Until it became apparent that the infrastructure of the OCA was in desperate need of reform, a serious assessment of our ecclesiology and the way it manifests itself in America was either ignored or hidden beneath a false sense of security in the knowledge that the Church was being faithful to the Gospel of the Lord. This is not to say that fundamental issues relative to Orthodox ecclesiology and, by extension, the missionary vision and work of the Church in America were not discussed, debated and even implemented. The articles by Father Alexander Schmemann on the spiritual, canonical and liturgical problems of Orthodoxy in America – articles predating autocephaly – are still relevant.[1] These probing and prophetic articles are joined by the cautionary and historically grounded works of Father John Meyendorff who saw the Church as a living reality that was not immune or resistant to developments that affected the external contours of ecclesial life and administration. These developments often veiled the very nature and purpose of the Church in and for the life of the world.[2] Unfortunately, the ecclesiological insights offered by Fathers Schmemann and Meyendorff as well as others, not the least being Father Georges Florovsky, were absorbed into a movement that created another ecclesial dynamic.
    [Show full text]
  • Essays in Orthodox Ecclesiology
    ESSAYS IN ORTHODOX ECCLESIOLOGY Vladimir Moss © Copyright: Vladimir Moss, 2014. All Rights Reserved. 1 INTRODUCTION 4 1. THE CHURCH AS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST 5 2. DO HERETICS HAVE THE GRACE OF SACRAMENTS? 20 3. THE BRANCH AND MONOLITH THEORIES OF THE CHURCH 42 4. THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER 52 5. THE CYPRIANITES, THE TIKHONITES AND BISHOP AGATHANGELUS 58 6. WHAT IS THE LOCAL CHURCH? 62 7. THE HERESY OF ECCLESIASTICAL ELITISM 76 8. ON THE CONDEMNATION OF HERETICS 80 9. THE CESSATION OF DIALOGUE 94 10. THE LIMITS OF THE CHURCH: A REVIEW OF THE ARGUMENT 97 11. “THERE IS NONE THAT WATCHETH OUT FOR MY SOUL” 106 12. PATRISTIC TESTIMONIES ON THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST 112 13. SCRIPTURAL AND PATRISTIC TESTIMONIES ON THE NECESSITY OF HAVING NO COMMUNION WITH HERETICS AND SCHISMATICS 122 14. KHOMIAKOV ON SOBORNOST’ 125 15. THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT 130 16. THE UNITY OF THE TRUE ORTHODOX CHURCH 145 17. ON NOT ROCKING THE BOAT 160 18. ORTHODOXY, UNIVERSALISM AND NATIONALISM 169 19. IN DEFENCE OF THE TRUE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF GREECE 187 20. THE POWER OF ANATHEMA 193 21. THE APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION OF THE ROMANIAN OLD CALENDARIST CHURCHES 210 22. IS THE SERBIAN TRUE ORTHODOX CHURCH SCHISMATIC? 219 23. TOWARDS THE EIGHTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL 243 24. THE KALLINIKITE UNIA 250 25. TOWARDS THE “MAJOR SYNOD” OF THE TRUE ORTHODOX CHURCH 262 2 26. THE KALLINIKITE UNIA – CONTINUED 271 3 INTRODUCTION This book collects into one place various articles on ecclesiological themes that I have written in the last fifteen years or so.
    [Show full text]
  • The Revival of Political Hesychasm in Greek Orthodox Thought: a Study of the Hesychast Basis of the Thought of John S
    ABSTRACT The Revival of Political Hesychasm in Greek Orthodox Thought: A Study of the Hesychast Basis of the Thought of John S. Romanides and Christos Yannaras Daniel Paul Payne, B.A., M.Div. Mentor: Derek H. Davis, Ph.D. In the 1940s Russian émigré theologians rediscovered the ascetic-theology of St. Gregory Palamas. Palamas’s theology became the basis for an articulation of an Orthodox theological identity apart from Roman Catholic and Protestant influences. In particular the “Neo-Patristic Synthesis” of Fr. Georges Florovsky and the appropriation of Palamas’s theology by Vladimir Lossky set the course for future Orthodox theology in the twentieth century. Their thought had a direct influence upon the thought of Greek theologians John S. Romanides and Christos Yannaras in the late twentieth century. Each of these theologians formulated a political theology using the ascetic-theology of Palamas combined with the Roman identity of the Greek Orthodox people. Both of these thinkers called for a return to the ecclesial-communal life of the late Byzantine period as an alternative to the secular vision of the modern West. The resulting paradigm developed by their thought has led to the formation of what has been called the “Neo- Orthodox Movement.” Essentially, what the intellectual and populist thinkers of the movement have expressed in their writings is “political hesychasm.” Romanides and Yannaras desire to establish an Orthodox identity that separates the Roman aspect from the Hellenic element of Greek identity. The Roman identity of the Greek people is the Orthodox Christian element removed from the pagan Hellenism, which, as they argue, the Western powers imposed on the Greek people in the establishment of the modern nation-state of Greece in 1821.
    [Show full text]
  • ASTRA Salvensis, Supplement No. 1, 2020 25 THEOLOGICAL
    ASTRA Salvensis, Supplement no. 1, 2020 THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: OPEN QUESTIONS OF THE GREEK SPIRITUAL TRADITION Olexandr V. HORBAN1, Tetiana V. HAVRYLIUK2, Ruslana V. MARTYCH1, Taras S. TYMOSHENKO3, Anatolii A. SHAPOVAL3 1Department of Philosophy; Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Kyiv, Ukraine 2Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences and Humanities; National Academy of Statistics, Accounting and Audit, Kyiv, Ukraine 3Department of Philosophy and History, V.I. Vernadsky Taurida National University, Kyiv, Ukraine Abstract: The article examines the features of the formation and development of theological anthropology, as a special direction of philosophical thought presented by the teachings of the leaders of Christian denominations, theologians and religious scholars, based on the Holy Scripture and the heritage of the holy fathers. Modern theological anthropology again seeks to understand the essence of man from the point of view of the challenges of the 21st century, seeing his divine principle. However, modern anthropological discourse is impossible without referring to the origins of the doctrine of the human person, rooted in the early Christian church, which was strongly influenced by Greek thought. An important source for the study of basic concepts of Christian anthropology is the legacy of the Greek theological thought of the New Age. The need for a new understanding of the mutual influence of Orthodox and Catholic thought in Greece during the struggle for independence is revealed. It is emphasized that the discussion that has unfolded in the Greek theological thought of the New Age requires a comprehensive critical analysis that will help solve the fundamental problems of modern religion and a proper understanding of the place and role of Greek theological tradition in shaping modern European ideas about the place and role of man in the world.
    [Show full text]
  • The Kollyvades Movement and the Advocacy of Frequent Communion
    1 The Kollyvades Movement and the Advocacy of Frequent Communion The following essay constitutes Section 2 of Part I, the introductory remarks to the first annotated translation into the English language of the treatise on Holy Com- munion, Concerning Frequent Communion, by St. Makarios of Corinth and St. Ni- kodemos of the Holy Mountain, contained in a recent book by Hieromonk Patapios and Archbishop Chrysostomos, Manna from Athos: The Issue of Frequent Com- munion on the Holy Mountain in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries, Vol. II in the series Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies, edited by the Reverend Professor Andrew Louth and Professor David Ricks (Oxford: Peter Lang, 2006). Reprinted by permission of the publisher. Mount Athos, or the Holy Mountain (Hagion Oros), as most Greeks call it, has been the subject of literally hundreds of books in many different languages in modern times and has captured the attention of writers and travellers for many centuries, beginning only a few years after its founding more than a thousand years ago. For the contemporary English reader, there are two interesting volumes that capture the spiritual character and history of this semi-autono- mous monastic republic in northern Greece: that of Constantine Ca- varnos, Anchored in God,2 a kind of “spiritual travelogue” of the au- 1 We should, for those readers not conversant with Greek, note that the word “Kollyvades” is variously spelled, in the relevant literature, sometimes with a double lambda, sometimes with a single. With regard to transliteration, ex- cept in the case of titles, quotations, and encyclopedic entries, we have also retained the contemporary use of “v” for beta – hence, “Kollyvades” instead of “Kollybades.” We might also note the variant transliterations of the Greek letter kappa and our use of both “Macarios” and “Makarios” and “Nicode- mos” and “Nikodemos.” 2 Constantine Cavarnos, Anchored in God, 2nd ed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Spiritual Movement of the Kollyvades
    THE SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT OF THE KOLLYVADES Asceticism has always been the backbone of the Orthodox Faith and the guardian of the Tradition of the Church. Ascetics are the carriers par excellence of the Cross of Christ. The glory of all true Christians through the Christian ages, according to the Apostle Paul, is the Cross of Christ! The Cross is the symbol of the highest form of love: sacrificial love - the symbol of victory, the symbol of Christianity. After the Fall of man, the energies of the soul were twisted and misdirected. The lives of people became earthly, carnal, fleshly, and demonic. Much as they are today, the fleshly desires of the fallen nature were in constant rebellion against the heavenly desires of the soul. From the beginning of mankind, men exercised their free will in order to serve either one of two masters: God, through the mystery of piety or Godliness; or the mystery of lawlessness and, through this service, the enemy of mankind. The mystery of lawlessness was served by Cain and his civilization, which quickly turned mankind into flesh. The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took wives for themselves from those who were pleasing to them. The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were externally attractive, and they made marriage choices according to their lower instincts and desires. The result was chaos, much as it appears today; for the absence of the Spirit of God invites chaos, disharmony and disorder. People became flesh-worshipers, idolaters and demon-worshipers.
    [Show full text]
  • The Century of St Kallistos and St Ignatios Xanthopoulos
    CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF BALKAN STUDIES A FOURTEENTH-CENTURY MANUAL OF HESYCHAST PRAYER: THE CENTURY OF ST KALLISTOS AND ST IGNATIOS XANTHOPOULOS KALLISTOS WARE BISHOP OF DIOKLEIA This publication was sponsored by the Foundation for Hellenic Culture Toronto 1995 In charge of the publication: Helen Saradi, Deparunent of Languages and Literature, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, NIG 2Wl Canada ISBN 1-896566-02-2 A Fourteenth-Century Manual of Hesychast Prayer: The Century Of St Kallistos And St Ignatios Xanthopoulos KALLISTOS WARE Bishop of Diokleia "A work of rare spiritual beauty": the Century and its authors In that classic of Russian nineteenth-century spirituality, The Way of a Pilgrim, the starets, now dead, appears to the Pilgrim in a dream and provides him with a reading list of texts from The Philokalia. Those instructed in theology, the starets explains, may read the writings in The Philokalia in the order in which they are printed, but anyone lacking such instruction needs to follow a particular sequence. He then proceeds to mention four authors with whom the beginner should commence: first of all Nikephoros the Hesychast, then Gregory of Sinai, Symeon the New Theologian, and finally Kallistos and Ignatios Xanthopoulos. 1 The programme outlined here in The Way of a Pilgrim has parallels elsewhere. When, for example, in the late 1940s a Russian hermit, Fr Nikon of Karoulia (1875-1963), gave his blessing for an English edition of The Philokalia, he instructed the translators, Evgeniya Kadloubovsky and Gerald Palmer, to commence with precisely the same four authors, in exactly the 1 The Way of a Pilgrim, tr.
    [Show full text]
  • Synechộs Or the Eucharistic Permanence in the Paschal Ethos of the Church – the 18 Th Century and the Philocalic Renaissance
    International Journal of Orthodox Theology 10:2 (2019) 169 urn:nbn:de:0276-2019-2067 Ovidiu Panaite Synechộs or the Eucharistic Permanence in the Paschal Ethos of the Church – the 18 th Century and the Philocalic Renaissance Abstract Synechộs or the Eucharistic perma- nence in the Paschal ethos of the Church proposes a journey back to the 18 th century amidst the debates caused by the need for a rediscovery. The Philokalic renaissance, intrinsi- cally and obligatorily accompanied by the rediscovery of the Eucharistic foundation of spiritual life, was the center of that discovery. By involving both great dogmatists, such as Atha- nasios of Paros, and well-known fa- Assistant Professor Ph.D. Ovidiu Panaite, Faculty of thers of ascetic life, such as Nicode- Orthodox Theology at “1 mus the Hagiorite, and by complying Decembrie 1918” Univer- to the cultural exigencies of its time in sity, Alba Iulia, Romania 170 Ovidiu Panaite a continuous fidelity to the Tradition, the phenomenon of the Philokalic renaissance built a few topoi of the subsequent dis- course of the Church. Romania actively joined that approach mainly through the work and activity of personalities such as Saint Anthim the Iberian, Paisius Velichkovsky. This paper aims to synthetically present several moments in the 18 th century in the context of the Philokalic renaissance, highlighting the Eu- charistic dimension in the spiritual life. Keywords Philokalic Renaissance, the Kollyvades’ dispute, Eucharist, Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite, Athanasios of Paros “I saw in the Thebaid, within the borders of Hermopolis, another ho- ly man, named Apollo (…) He had monasteries under the mountain and was the elder to 500 monks… For the brethren who lived with him would never taste any food before partaking of Christ’s Eucha- rist… Many of them would come down from the mountain only at the ninth hour, commune with the Eucharist and climb back again, being content with only that spiritual food till the next ninth hour.
    [Show full text]