The "Slavic-Vicariate"

14 views

Skip to first unread message

Seraphim Holland

unread,

Feb 16, 2024, 11:51:33 AM2/16/24

to OCB DFW

Dear Fathers:

This is a letter to tell you that I’ve warned my flock about the Slavic Vicariate. I understand we have different understandings of the war in Ukraine, and other politics of the day. I don’t really care about the politics of the day, but I do care about wolves in the sheepfold. When we found out about the Slavic Vicariate in our city, we wrote a letter to distribute to our faithful, which was blessed by Archbishop Peter, and even amplified by him. I want to distribute this to you (attachment, and below) because I am quite sure that there are some of you who recognize these people to be what they are: schismatics. There is no grace in schismatics.

I fully understand that we have tangible differences on some subjects, but now, in our midst, there are schismatics who are capitalizing on barely churched people who want to hear the liturgy in their language and don’t understand the politics of the Slavic Vicariate.

One of my parishioners, a very pious woman, was overjoyed to hear about the liturgy in Slavonic and went and spoke afterward to the priest because something seemed off to her. She’s a very intelligent woman. She asked who his bishop was and he was “Metropolitan Unuphry”. Later on, he admitted that, indeed, he was not under Metropolitan Unuphry.

This entire enterprise is founded on schism, nationalism, and lies. It will fall eventually, but it may make many people lose their way. I am asking you to warn your faithful about it.

I understand that this little pet project is being championed by the Patriarch of Constantinople and of course, Archbishop Elpidophoros. And therefore there is great pressure on the Greek churches in our area to be silent about it. An out-of-the-box idea that would take some courage is that all of us speak up against this in a letter and refuse to give them a place to worship within our churches. He can’t suspend everybody.

On a personal level I was planning to trying to be a little bit less invisible to all of you by coming to the Lenten Vespers services. We always serve Lenten Vespers on Sunday in our church because I don’t want to deprive my faithful, and it is a bit of a grind due to services Sunday afternoon/evening. Because of the Slavic Vicariate and the harboring of them by a local Greek church, it is quite impossible for me to be present in the Greek churches because silent presence, I think, is complicity. I’m sorry for this, and I’m think some of you will be angry with me but my intentions are pure. As for the other Vespers, I’m not sure right now. I don’t know this priest personally, but certainly if I meet him, I will not greet him as a priest and I don’t want to cause a scene.

In Christ, Archpriest Seraphim Holland St Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney TX

Jan 9/22 2024 Saint Philip, Metropolitan Of Moscow And All Russia (+1569).

Concerning the Slavic Vicarate

http://www.orthodox.net/news/2024-01-22-letter-concerning-the-slavic-vicarate.doc

http://www.orthodox.net/news/2024-01-22-letter-concerning-the-slavic-vicarate.pdf

Dear brothers and sisters,

Recently, a parish dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God has opened in Dallas under the auspices of the Slavic Vicariate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, with plans to open a second in the future. According to official communication, this is the 8^th parish of the Slavic Vicariate in the US.

Under normal conditions, every Orthodox Christian would rejoice at the opening of a new parish community, seeing the opportunity to guide more faithful souls to salvation and reach more people in the broader community. Ordinarily, priests would focus on proclaiming the message of salvation in Christ and not speak about things that are negative.

There are times, however, when a shepherd of souls must speak out to guard the flock It is in this spirit that we are compelled to provide some background on the Slavic Vicariate for those who have not followed the history of its founding and further growth over the last 5 years.

As many are aware, in 2018, the Patriarch of Constantinople took unilateral action, without consulting with the other Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, to form a new body, the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” by uniting several existing schismatic bodies in the country. Most of the clergy of this new church were previously defrocked or suspended, and many were originally ordained or baptized by defrocked or suspended clergy, thus calling into question their baptism and ordination. Patriarch Bartholomew received them all into his new church by written declaration, without even the sacrament of confession, against the strong disagreement of most other Orthodox Churches. Only over time and under political pressure did a few of the other Patriarchates begin to accept this new church. Most do not, even today.

In the wake of this action, the Russian Orthodox Church, seeing the persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which at the time was one of its autonomous daughter churches, protested to no avail. When it was clear that the Church of Constantinople was going to insist on serving with schismatic bishops, the Church of Russia cut off communion with Constantinople so as to not risk participating in this sin against the canons of the Holy Church.

It was at about this time that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the largest branch of the Church of Constantinople, created its Slavic Vicariate, ostensibly to unite all Orthodox Christians of Slavic heritage in America. This is not an expansion of the Church of Christ. Rather, it is an attempt to bring Slavic Orthodox Christians attending other Orthodox Churches under the Omophorion of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which increasingly views its role in a Papal way.

The other hierarchs of the Assembly of Bishops, for their part, wrote a letter to Archbishop Elpidiphorus of the Greek Archdiocese, protesting the formation of the Vicariate. Later, when the head of the Vicariate was set forth to be ordained bishop, they protested this action as well. They even threatening to leave the Assembly if the ordination proceeded, citing the fact that the former Archimandrite was received into the new vicariate after having been first suspended and then defrocked by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

No Orthodox Christians should participate in the Slavic Vicariate services or activities, as this group is not Orthodox, but schismatic, and St. John Chrysostom writes that schism is equal to heresy in its evil.

With love in Christ,

Archpriest Seraphim Holland

Priest Nicholas Park

For further reading:

· https://orthochristian.com/129182.html

· https://orthochristian.com/146933.html

· https://www.monomakhos.com/the-assembly-stands-firm/

· https://slavonic.org/en/new-slavic-vicariate-parish-dedicated-to-the-nativity-of-the-mother-of-god-opened-in-dallas-texas/

9/22 января 2024 Святитель Филипп, митрополит Московский и всея Руси (+1569).

Относительно Славянского викариатства

http://www.orthodox.net/news/2024-01-22-letter-concerning-the-slavic-vicarate.doc

http://www.orthodox.net/news/2024-01-22-letter-concerning-the-slavic-vicarate.pdf

Дорогие братья и сестры,

Недавно в Далласе под эгидой Славянского викариатства Греческой православной архиепископии открылся приход, посвященный Рождеству Богородицы, и в будущем планируется открытие второго прихода. Согласно официальному сообщению, это уже 8-й приход Славянского викариатства в США.

В обычных условиях каждый православный христианин радуется открытию новой приходской общины, видя возможность привести к спасению больше верующих душ и охватить больше людей в широком сообществе. Как правило, священники фокусируются на провозглашении вести о спасении во Христе и не говорят о негативных вещах.

Однако бывают моменты, когда пастырь душ должен высказаться, чтобы защитить паству. Именно в этом духе мы вынуждены предоставить некоторую информацию о Славянском викариатстве для тех, кто не следил за историей его основания и дальнейшего роста за последние 5 лет.

Как многим известно, в 2018 году Константинопольский патриарх в одностороннем порядке, без консультаций с другими автокефальными православными церквями, принял решение о создании новой структуры, "Православной церкви Украины", путем объединения нескольких существующих в стране раскольнических структур. Большинство священнослужителей этой новой церкви были ранее лишены сана или запрещены в служении, также многие из них были рукоположены или крещены лишенными сана священнослужителями, что ставит под сомнение их крещение и рукоположение. Патриарх Варфоломей принял их всех в свою новую церковь по письменному заявлению, даже без таинства исповеди, вопреки решительному несогласию большинства других православных церквей. Только со временем и под политическим давлением некоторые другие патриархаты начали принимать эту новую церковь. Большинство же не признают ее даже сегодня.

Вслед за этим Русская православная церковь, видя гонения на каноническую Украинскую православную церковь, которая в то время была одной из ее автономных дочерних церквей, безрезультатно протестовала. Когда стало ясно, что Константинопольская церковь будет настаивать на сослужении с епископами-раскольниками, Русская церковь разорвала общение с Константинополем, чтобы не рисковать участием в этом грехе против канонов Святой Церкви.

Примерно в это же время Греческая православная архиепископия, крупнейшая ветвь Константинопольской церкви, создала свой Славянский викариат, якобы для объединения всех православных христиан славянского происхождения в Америке. Это не расширение Церкви Христовой. Скорее, это попытка привести православных славян, посещающих другие православные церкви, под омофор Константинопольского патриархата, который все больше рассматривает свою роль как папскую.

Другие иерархи Собора епископов, со своей стороны, написали письмо архиепископу греческой архиепископии Елпидифору, протестуя против образования викариатства. Позже, когда глава викариатства был назначен епископом, они протестовали и против этого. Они даже угрожали покинуть Собор, если рукоположение состоится, ссылаясь на то, что бывший архимандрит был принят в новое викариатство после того, как был сначала запрещён в служении, а затем извержен из священного сана Русской Православной Церковью Заграницей.

Ни один православный христианин не должен участвовать в богослужениях и мероприятиях Славянского викариатства, поскольку эта группа не православная, а раскольническая, а святитель Иоанн Златоуст пишет, что раскол по своему злу равен ереси.

С любовью во Христе,

Протоиерей Серафим Голланд

Священник Николай Парк

Для дополнительного чтения:

https://orthochristian.com/129182.html

https://orthochristian.com/146933.html

https://www.monomakhos.com/the-assembly-stands-firm/

https://slavonic.org/en/new-slavic-vicariate-parish-dedicated-to-the-nativity-of-the-mother-of-god-opened-in-dallas-texas/

Priest Seraphim Holland