“False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you … And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:1-3).

On Saturday, October 19^th, the Greek Archdiocese of America together with the Archons, gave a “Human Rights” award to the pretender hierarch of Ukraine, Mr. Epiphany.

I commented on this action in my blog post entitled, “A Night of No Return.”

In this post I will be briefly examining the comments of Mr. Epiphany on that night of infamy, to which it must be said, “ANAXIOS, ANAXIOS, ANAXIOS!”

He opens his address with typical appeals to humility, claiming he is not worthy but he will receive it on behalf of the millions of Orthodox faithful in Ukraine. He is also honored to be in the ranks of eminent people who have been so honored with the award in years past. Such people, of late, include Joe Biden and Andrew Cuomo, both anything but Christian men. It does seem that he is in fitting company, at least.

He appeals to the suffering of the Ukrainian people, which is a very true reality. Yet, it would be well if he remembered that the many martyrs, which he references, who suffered from the militant atheists did so as Orthodox Christians of Rus’ (the reader must understand that Rus’ transcends the current borders of Russian and Ukraine, too bad Mr. Epi does not comprehend this). The issue at current is not a political one but a spiritual one. Mr. Epi conflates the political struggle of Ukraine with spiritual struggle.

Also, Mr. Epi is more an heir to the “living church” which collaborated with the Soviet authorities to persecute the Orthodox Faithful under Communism. It is of interest to note that the Ecumenical Patriarchate supported the “living church” too.

In some sense, Mr. Epi and his supporters are worse than the militant atheists, for at least they were forthright in their denial of Christ and His Church. And yet, these would use Christ as a means of political and worldly gain. This, I contend, is even eviler.

No speech in America would be complete without paying homage to “freedom and democracy.” My point is not to comment on the current state of “freedom” in America, which is being exploited to promote the complete “right” to indulge in sins of all kinds. Of course, Mr. Epi has indicated earlier that he is willing to update the traditions of the church to be more open to the sexual immorality of the times.

Yet, America for all its strengths and weaknesses is not a “light of democracy, an inspiration to enslaved people, and a defender of freedom in the world.” The only light is Christ, and He is the only defender of true freedom, which is from sin. Yet, I assume Mr. Epi must pay homage to his handlers. The struggle must be presented in the mass-produced context of bygone times, that of the light of democracy, America, fighting against the enemy of freedom, Soviet Russia. Most moderns are so historically illiterate that this narrative is still effective. I’m not defending or defaming either Russia or America, but the paradigm of “America vs. Russia” serves only the elites of the world. Mr. Epi seems to be willing to dance to the tune, as do the Archons, the GOA, and the EP.

Why, because their enemy is the Russian Orthodox and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches. Why? Because they threaten, in their perception, the prestige of the EP in the world. If the EP had Christian intentions, then it would not seek its own position and power but would rather count it all joy to suffer reproach for the Name of Christ. Then Christ the Lord would glorify the EP. Yet, as it is, the EP and the GOA and Mr. Epi and company look in major part to the “light” of America for their protection.

Mr. Epi’s call to “love your neighbor” rings hollow in light of the fact that the institution which he heads is using active violence and terror against their fellow neighbors in the Ukraine. Your words Mr. Epi are smooth and honey-soaked but nonetheless are those of a serpent and a hypocrite.

The bulk of his address is comprised of praise for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This is to be expected.

He first lauds Pat. Bartholomew. It is worthwhile to examine this statement –

I was deeply moved by his words, in which he quoted one verse, comparing the Ecumenical Patriarchate with a lamp. Winds from different directions, especially from the north, have often tried and do still try to extinguish this lamp, but it continues to burn and shine. These words the Patriarch spoke through tears, understanding as maybe none of the rest us is capable of seeing, how violent these winds are and how difficult, but essential, it is to preserve the fire and the glow of this lamp.

Of course, the “wind from the north” is the Church of Russia. Those dastardly Russians again!

When a man is exalted to an excessive degree there is a deep problem. The Church is not about a man, nor founded upon a man, nor is a man the fountain of the church, even if he be a venerable Patriarch. It is important to note that the “glow of this lamp” to which Mr. Epi refers is the Ecumenical Patriarch. And all this time I thought we are, as Christians, called to guard the light of Christ, the lamp of the Faith. Do we not pray “preserve, O God, the Holy Orthodox Faith?” Or have we been wrong for almost two thousand years in that we should be saying “preserve, O God, the Ecumenical Patriarch!?” Please note, I wish no ill to anyone and I have no special ax to grind with the EP, the issue is this – the EP happens to be the one introducing a novel view of ecclesiology and supporting schismatics and false brethren.

It is very telling: the goal is to preserve the Ecumenical Patriarch at all costs, even if that cost is the Truth of Holy Orthodoxy. In their minds the Ecumenical Patriarch is Orthodoxy. Mr. Epi is totally on board, which is why he is being honored. Although one wonders if he is not more a puppet than an actual mover.

He then moves to praise Athenagoras, who was a high-ranking Mason and an ecumenist in all the pejorative fullness of the modern usage of the word. This information should suffice for any right-minded Orthodox person to know what sort of man Athenagoras was. Being a Mason is condemned by the Orthodox Church. He and President Truman (who was a 33rd-degree mason of the Scottish Rite) were friends, this is the man responsible for dropping two atomic bombs on the world (the only one to do so to this date) in which hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians – women and children included – in Japan died.

It is telling that he says, “the example of Pat. Athenagoras will especially inspire me from now on.” As if his intended path were not already clear, this “inspiration” makes manifest the goal of Mr. Epi. The same as Athenagoras the Mason: world orthodoxy which is only a tool of geopolitical powers.

In conclusion, he states –

I also have a dream:

-A dream of a day when all Local Churches – without exception – follow the canonical resolution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and recognize our Local Orthodox Church of Ukraine as their sister Church. 

-A dream that a  Pan-Orthodox Council will take place in Constantinople – New Rome, as conceived and worked for by Patriarch Athenagoras. 

-A dream that the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church initiated in Crete will be continued and that such Councils will become an integral part of church life.

Firstly: all Local Churches have already long recognized the legitimate and canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, under His Beatitude, Met. Onuphry, as a true sister Church. This is the Church Mr. Epi is in a schism with. He dreams that schism be recognized as “canonical”; that lawlessness is repackaged as lawful.

Dear reader, please understand – there is an already existing Local Church in Ukraine that was and is Universally recognized by all. The EP “recognized” a group of minority schismatics and now demands that all do likewise. And now the Orthodox world is being asked to “recognize” this coup d’etat.

Your dream is vain since all have always recognized the True suffering (at your hands Mr. Epi) Church in Ukraine.

To the second: obviously, his dreams are being programmed by the matrix of the “first without equals.” Why did the Mason Athenagoras want a council, one must ask? What would be the goal of such a council? Would it not be to restructure Orthodoxy, to, as if possible, direct it down the same road which the Papacy has traveled. Yes, the goal is Globaldoxy where the diversity of religions is the will of God, as pope Franky has said numerous times. And then with the Latins, globaldoxy will also be setting up idols in the very heart of the church.

The so-called “council of Crete”: The Grace of the Holy Spirit prevented this gathering from achieving fruition; God graciously spared us, at current, from a complete plunge into apostasy. The gathering on Crete promoted a heretical ecclesiology (among other things) that lauded the World Council of Churches, which is more aptly called the World Council of Demons.

All these dreams betray the agenda of Mr. Epi and the false church in Ukraine. This is the vision and dream supported by the Archons and Archbp. Elpidophoros and the GOA at large (I recognize that there are pious people and priests still in the GOA).

Yes, we should all be concerned that Mr. Epi pledges, as Primate of the Church of Ukraine, to work, and call all to work, to the realization of this dream.

It is time to pull your head out of the sand. It is time to stand in the Truth, “Let us stand aright, let us attend!”

Let us defend the Lamp of the Faith, which is founded only upon the God-Man, the Light of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Together with St. Paul let us renounce the false works of impiety, “We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (2. Cor. 4:2).

In closing, I would say to Mr. Epi, and those in communion with him, in the ever-memorable words of St. Maximos the Confessor, “Even though the whole world enters into communion with you, I alone will not.”