Some attempt to interpret these words by attempting to join all vaguely orthodox confessions. Some attempt a “mega-synagogue." Some of our past and even present brethren claim that by these words we need to unite, but by this they contradict themselves, for if Christ is undivided then the Church as well is undivided, and had it been divided it would not not have been the Church.
It is critical to know that there was apostasy from the Church, so what is needed is not joining, but rather return. The Church of Christ knows no joining. All such talk is worldly and a denial of repentance. The Church has several methods of receiving back those who have apostatized, not the least of which is repentance. But joining is foreign to us. It categorically cannot occur.
In 2013, our Sobor of Bishops answered the question "do you actually believe you are so correct as to deny all others communion with the Church?" by quoting Vladika Averky of Jordanville (ROCOR).
"We do not extol ourselves but our Holy Faith. The pure undefiled Orthodox Faith and her unwavering uncompromised path. Not ourselves do we extol but this idea on which exists our Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. This clear, pure and bright path is our treasure."
Each of us is a sinner, but to confess that the Church is divided into several "true hierarchies" is to sin against the Holy Spirit and by doing so we lose our hope in salvation.
Why is it so difficult to comprehend this? Remember Enoch, Noah, Abraham and the others who comprised in their families the Old Testament Church while the rest of the world remained outside the Church even though they had gods. We do not rejoice in our righteousness, but rejoice in the truth of Christ.
This commentary is being written on Holy and Great Tuesday, in a day we will celebrate the Mystical Supper, the first Liturgy which Christ served with 12 persons in a private home. Among the apostles there were none without sin.
There were righteous ones not present, and Saul who at one time was a persecutor - all equally praised the name of Christ and the true Church.
Why are contemporary faithful not concerned over the exclusivity of the Old Testament and first apostolic Churches?
We offer that it is difficult to logically accept the current state of the Church. Yet the alternative is less acceptable: division of the Church cannot be. So we are faced with choice, a choice which is difficult but possible, possible in the light of the Gospel truth. It is precisely this relation to the truth that must dictate our choice.
Why is the position of an exclusionary and one Church so difficult for today's world to accept? The holy fathers answered this question: pride darkens ones wisdom." This is conveyed in the words of our Savior, "blessed is he who thirsts and hungers for righteousness.” Those who falsely believe they are on the path of salvation cannot be filled. From this comes a lack of understanding: The Church is indivisible. To claim that there are many true hierarchies - is heresy.
Of course it is difficult to admit one has himself, and others have apostatized. Especially if one also does not accept the Moscow Patriarchate. This is complicated more for clerics receiving their ordination from the MP. The evil one places these temptations. Yet pride needs to be overcome.
In the turbulent years of 2000-2007, few people realized what was transpiring and few went to the support of Met. Vitaly of blessed memory. As the gap widened and the path of ROCOR became more clear, more people began to turn away, but did they return with repentance to the Church or did they find other paths which led to being entangled in other nets?
We suspect that many think along the lines: We saw that the Church was nearing union with the hated MP so we averted this by leaving their ranks, it is not important when we left, but that we left, and as we left we remained in the Church.
Satan is not so naïve and we are not so strong and wily as pride would have us think. There are always a multitude of snares set against us. So many who were not ensnared by the union with the MP were trapped by joining a group in apostasy. It seems that the thought is also that one can return to the true Church without a due course of repentance. Some others conveniently felt that if they could not live in harmony with their brethren that they could simply begin their own jurisdiction.
Not joining the MP cannot be the basis of one’s faith. Repentance is for all people and without it there is no salvation. While the evil one endures many of the virtues he cannot bear repentance. He offers all manner of lies to tempt us from the path; such as suggesting to us that among our leaders are ones who were unworthy of our trust. Yes this was so, but it has always been so.
We are all sinners and require repentance, but those within the Church have individual sins, while those who have splintered from the Church must further repent of this leaving of the Church. While we will pray that God grant us forbearance, humility and love. The others may be righteous and good persons but it is not enough without repentance of having left the Church.
We emphasize again that we are not judging anyone. We don’t examine why God allowed others of our brethren to stray from the Church while we remained. Each must strive for his individual relationship to Christ and understand.
Is it possible that a completely worthy and educated person has found himself among the apostates? For this let us examine Church history, for example the Arian heresy. Were all the clergy with Arius dedicated heretics? No, yet while they served and communed among the apostates they were outside the Church. This is found in many similar situations, so the choice is an individual one.
Why is the mere thought of falling away from the Church, whether voluntary or not, whether knowingly or not, so unfathomable? The very apostle Peter denied Christ and returned with tearful repentance. To think this great apostle could deny Christ and we cannot is simply a machination of the devil.
When we speak of pride, of course we in no way desire to judge our fallen brethren. To the contrary we would prefer to rely only on our Lord and remain in total silence. Yet we are bound by our hearts to reach out and attempt to ask our brethren to examine and seek the truth. We to not have the great love of the apostle Paul, yet nevertheless we wish with our hearts to reach out to our brothers and sisters who have gone astray, showing our example of zeal and piety.
Likewise we appeal to the faithful to not seek the truth outside of the Church. God will not leave one of his servants without a path to salvation. Our duty is to protect the true Church of Christ, and to repent of our own sins and not wish for more. More is not appointed for us, to think otherwise is to be a servant of the evil one.
We will pray the all merciful Lord to grant each person to seek the truth and to come, even at the last hour to the great feast. May the Paschal sermon of our great father John Chrysostom enlighten hope and strength in each of us.
I. Smirnoff
Holy Tuesday, Pascha 2014
(Publication with the blessing of Archbishop Vladimir)
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