Metropolitan Hilarion, always a realist, offers congratulations and some strong words on where the Church believes the Anglicans have gone and are taking themselves with their deviations from Tradition.
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(mospat.ru) - To the Right Rev. Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham,
Dear Brother and Lord Bishop,
I would like to extend to you wholehearted congratulations on your election as Head of one of the oldest episcopal chairs founded by St. Augustine of Canterbury in the 7th century.
You have been entrusted with the spiritual guidance of the entire Anglican Communion, a unique union of like-minded people, which, however diverse the forms of its existence in the world may be, needs one ‘steward of God’ (Tit. 1:7) the guardian of the faith and witness to the Truth (cf. Jn. 18:37).
The Russian Orthodox Church and the Churches of the Anglican Communion are bonded by age-old friendly relations initiated in the 15th century. For centuries, our Churches would preserve good and truly brotherly relations encouraged both by frequent mutual visits and established theological dialogue and certainly by a spirit of respect and love which used to accompany the meetings of our hierarchs, clergy and ordinary believers.
Regrettably, the late 20th century and the beginning of the third millennium have brought tangible difficulties in relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Churches of the Anglican Communion. The introduction female priesthood and now episcopate, the blessing of same-sex ‘unions’ and ‘marriages’, the ordination of homosexuals as pastors and bishops – all these innovations are seen by the Orthodox as deviations from the tradition of the Early Church, which increasingly estrange Anglicanism from the Orthodox Church and contribute to a further division of Christendom as a whole.
We hope that the voice of the Orthodox Church will be heard by the Church of England and Churches of the Anglican Communion, and good fraternal relationships between us will revive.
I wish you God’s help in your important work.
‘May the God of love and peace be with you’ (2 Cor. 13:11).
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk
Posts
Axios!
ReplyDeleteAny relationship with the Church of England is pointless and a waste of time. They will more than likely allow so called "Women Bishops". And continue to promote secular ideologies. If we all hope that tomorrow they will do away with women clergy and gay clergy. Think again!. They are set in their ways and will not change. You can take all the Patriarchs and Pope to advise them, and it will fall on deaf ears. Any relationship will have to be with the Continuing Anglican Movement, like ACNA, etcc. We all just need to plain ignore the mainstream. They will never change!. It's also ironic that Justin Webly says he has a Roman Catholic Monk to give him spiritual direction. What a waste of time for that Monk. Obviously the Monk is giving poor Catechesis or is just plain speaking to a brick wall. My Rant!.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the members of the Church of England who believe as we do will find their home in Orthodoxy.
DeleteI did . . . in 1976.
DeleteModern Anglicanism: a form of "spirituality" that is subservient to the monarch or the social mores of the day; not to be confused with Christianity.
ReplyDeleteps. He is not occupying the chair of St Augustine that seat has a "vacant" sign on it :-)
A well stated irenic statement that is truth, whether it makes a difference or not.
ReplyDeleteRelationship with ACNA??? They have women 'priests' and are just now seriously looking at the theological foundation for/against this practice. It will take them a couple of years to come to the same Orthodox conclusion, we pray, on the matter.
ReplyDelete