The news that The Patriarch of Alexandria has commemorated Epiphany of Apostasy and the schismatic group in Ukraine brings great sadness.  Contrary to the stated intent, such an action will only further the flames of schism which the Ecumenical Patriarch is fanning throughout the Orthodox world. No matter how one dresses it up, the betrayal of the Met. Onuphry and the faithful in Ukraine is sinfully demonic. Yet, I believe a great reward will await Met. Onuphry and the Faithful in Ukraine. Christ Himself was betrayed by His own people, even one of His Apostles, the very ones upon whom He showed forth so much mercy and grace.

Rather than comment on this at length myself, I thought it more beneficial to translate Met. Luke of Zaporozhye’s words on the matter. Met. Luke is a Hierarch in western Ukraine. There the fruits of the EP’s false orthodoxy are most visible – the destruction of Churches, the beating of clergy and faithful, the desecration of holy things, and on the list could go. He speaks from a very real and deep first-hand experience of the EP’s version of “unity.” Let us not kid ourselves in America, the vision of “unity” which the EP has manifested in Ukraine is identical to the one it has for America. I image the fruit will be much the same, worthy only of being gathered in a heap and burned.

Begin translation –

Christ is in our midst, my dear readers.

The Alexandrian Judas.

That which transpired today within the Alexandrian Patriarchate is already part of the next act in the play which is being written behind the scenes by the composers of this world.

Paraphrasing Shakespeare, one may say, “The dollar has done its work.” Mammon has strangled the Alexandrian Patriarch; like in the case of Desdemona (translator’s note: a character from the Shakespeare play “Othello”), it did not take much effort.

Today, when the Church celebrates the memory of the great-martyr Dimity of Thessaloniki, in this time we remember that courage with which Christians confessed Christ. What torture, deprivation, and terrible sufferings they had to endure for the love of the Truth!

The ages have passed and horrible hierarchs have replaced the love of Truth with the love of gain. When I read about the “unprecedented” pressure of the USA on the thrones of Local Churches or the Igumens of Athonite Monasteries, I don’t know what I should do – cry or laugh? What does this pressure consist of? They must have been tortured, had their flesh flayed, or been denied food and drink?

No, only a finger on which there was a golden ring was wagged at them. The fear of losing their profit – this is the reason for which some hierarchs are ready to betray the holiest things that they have.

They are ready to be separated from Christ only so that they will not be separated from their money bags, thrones, and ambitions. Today it turns out, this is like being tortured for the faith! These people, oldest in the canons of the Church, will tell about the martyrs, about their courageous feats and faith … It is possible that in hell Judas remembers Christ, only he does not become better for it.

The Alexandrian Patriarch reminds me of Judas. After all, you could say that just the other day he was with us in Odessa; he embraced and kissed our clergy, posed for cameras, and encouraged the whole Ukrainian flock to hold fast to His Beatitude, Met. Onuphry, and not to have fellowship with the schismatics (there are recordings of this).

Upon returning home, the Alexandrian Patriarch influenced by clowns recognizes the schismatic clergy as the only ones.*

Judas showed the same hypocrisy at the Mystical Supper.

I think that this change, of course, began neither today nor yesterday. For a while, now the souls of these hierarchs were gradually being reforged from spirit-bearers into dollar-bearers. Now the time has come for this interior metamorphose to be revealed externally. And glory to God!

Even if the whole world will be against us, we will all the same stand with Christ! There is no need to be confounded by the events that are taking place in the Orthodox world. We have long been warned of them.

The words of the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov regarding the state of the clergy in the last times come to my mind. To Batushka the future was opened, and he fervently prayed to God that He would pardon them. The Lord refused the Venerable Seraphim because of the extreme apostasy of these clergy. One cannot serve both God and mammon.

One cannot be both with Christ and the State Department of the USA. The Patriarch of Alexandria has made his choice.

Brothers and sisters, we must learn this last blessed commandment, which is not written in the Gospels but is recorded by the apostle John the Theologian in his book of Revelation, “Blessed are the dead who died in the Lord” (Rev. 14:13).

Apparently, in the last times such ones will not be many. Yet, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s goodwill to give you the kingdom” (Lk. 12:32). I want to remind you of the word of the Apostle Paul which are written to Timothy and to all of us, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3).

My dear warriors for Christ! We will hold the line; the leader of which is our Lord Jesus Christ, the conqueror of death!

Met. Luke of Zaporozhye

Nov. 8^th

 

* I tried to summarize the general meaning of this paragraph, the original Russian reads-

А возвратившись домой, Александрийский Патриарх ряженых мужиков, которые обзывали его «Александрийской джинсой», признает за единосущное себе духовенство.