OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OUTSIDE OF RUSSIA
Great is the mystery of
godliness: God was manifest in the flesh (I Tim. 3:16).
The
radiant festal days have arrived.. . A long while ago, already on the eve of
the Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Mother of God, the
Church, in its solemn evening services, proclaimed the pre-festal song: “Christ
is born! - Glorify Him!; Christ from the heavens - Meet Him!“, inviting its
faithful children to prepare to meet the great Feastday of the Nativity of
Christ. And behold, this feastday has arrived, and the Christian world rejoices
and triumphs, glorifying the God-Child, Christ the Savior, Who came onto the
earth for us
men and for our salvation.
The
Holy Gospel brings to us the good news of how, on the blessed nativity night,
above the fields of Bethlehem the holy angels announced to the shepherds that
Christ the Lord had come into the world - and brought onto the earth peace,
God’s benevolence.
Fear
not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people. . .
But we
also know from the Gospel that this great joy was soon obscured and replaced by
great sorrow; in Bethlehem and its surrounding areas the angelic singing was replaced by the wailing of the
slain infants and the weeping of the orphaned mothers, and the fields of
Bethlehem were covered with the blood of innocent children .
Thus
it was in ancient times; thus was the “great joy” obscured by great sorrow. But
do we not see also in our own stormy and extremely seditious days how our
festal joy is also obscured by sorrow?
Is it
not of great sorrow to us, the children of the Russian Orthodox Church,
to see what is now taking place in the emigration, when before our very eyes,
Orthodox hierarchs, who instead of guarding themselves and their flock from.
the dominion of the red beast, are entering into close contacts and intercourse
with hierarchs who are in the service of atheists and haters of God, and are
striving to drag their flock along this fatal path?
One
Orthodox Russian characterized the actions of the “American Metropolia”
concisely and clearly: the Metropolia is receiving its “autocephaly from the
red Patriarchate. But the latter is in full subordination to the Soviet regime
and besides, without it, without its approval, cannot make one move.
Consequently, the Metropolis is receiving its ‘autocephaly’ from the atheistic
regime –from he M.V.D.*” What in essence can be said against this simple and
irresistible logic?
We
know under what, unprecedented in history, super-humanly distressing and
tormenting conditions the church authority in the Soviet Union finds itself,
under the yoke of the atheistic satanic regime. We know and pity those
unfortunate hierarchs who fulfill the will of their evil masters, and who, not
being free, cannot in any way be the true bearers of the voice of our suffering
Mother Church. However, pitying them, we categorically refuse to have any kind
of relationship with them. But if these unfortunate ones, who find themselves
under a heavy yoke, undoubtedly deserve compassion and leniency, what can one
say about those in the free world,
who without oppression and compulsion, are freely and voluntarily extending a
hand of intercourse to them, and through them, to the regime which dictates to
them and orders them around?. . What a frightening temptation! What a
frightening act is taking place before our eyes.. .
Russian
Orthodox people! Let us remember the ancient apostolic call: See then that ye walk circumspectly -
beware, act prudently (Eph. 5:15). Take heed for yourselves, and again take
heed !
And in
these radiant festal days, joyously and with thanks-giving glorifying the One
Who “came down to the earth, that He might lead us up into the heavens”, let us
not forget in our prayers our brothers by blood and by faith, who are suffering
for the faith throughout all the vast expanse of the gigantic concentration
camp, called the “U.S.S.R.” Let us also pray that the Lord, Who enlightens
every man who comes into the world, will enlighten our spiritual eyes as well,
will teach us to see His holy Truth and to serve it, and to be faithful
children of His holy Church. With what seductive and luring delusions is life
now filled! May the Lord help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us from
them by His grace, and may He grant His peace and comfort to every faithful
soul, devoted to Him, during the days of the Great and Radiant Feast !
+ Metropolitan Philaret