How do I know who is a schismatic?

ArmyMatt

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Could you explain further Father? What do you mean by fixation?

like the ethnicity of the schismatic Ukrainians, the Old Rite, or the Old Calendar.

so instead of staying within the Body and purifying from within, they leave completely.
 
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archer75

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I just discovered that an Orthodox church back in my native country is a schismatic group. How can I recognize schismatics and avoid associating myself with them?
I mean, very few will self-identify as schismatics. But you can often check on the website or just ask them if they're in communion with Constantinople. The Russian Church now is not, but generally, that's a good question.
 
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In the US at least there is the site listing canonical bishops. And you could always verify the bishop, and lineage elsewhere.

Our parish's website lists all that info pretty close to the front, easy to find. Not harping on it, but who is our bishop and what the line of jurisdiction (?) is. If someone doesn't want to share that info, I'd say it's a red flag. But often schismatics do, and then it's a matter of tracking down whether their hierarchs are canonical.

Sometimes the language is a giveaway. The Real True Honest to Goodness Only Orthodox Church on the Planet More Orthodox than Anybody Else (joking - but only partially) ... or comments about how their bishop has been "persecuted" by the Church (likewise even personal comments alleging bad treatment from the hierarchs ... I've met a few schismatics who spoke very frequently of being supposedly mistreated).

I suppose it depends on the reason they schismed. But I see those particular things often and at least in the most dangerous schismatics.

(I think a lady who goes to our parish might be actually from and prefer a particular schismatic group, but it's only a fairly minor disagreement in her point of view - the calendar - and both calendars are legitimately Orthodox anyway - and she's very pious and seems to be nothing wrong with her theology or practice.)
 
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archer75

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In the US at least there is the site listing canonical bishops. And you could always verify the bishop, and lineage elsewhere.

Our parish's website lists all that info pretty close to the front, easy to find. Not harping on it, but who is our bishop and what the line of jurisdiction (?) is. If someone doesn't want to share that info, I'd say it's a red flag. But often schismatics do, and then it's a matter of tracking down whether their hierarchs are canonical.

Sometimes the language is a giveaway. The Real True Honest to Goodness Only Orthodox Church on the Planet More Orthodox than Anybody Else (joking - but only partially) ... or comments about how their bishop has been "persecuted" by the Church (likewise even personal comments alleging bad treatment from the hierarchs ... I've met a few schismatics who spoke very frequently of being supposedly mistreated).

I suppose it depends on the reason they schismed. But I see those particular things often and at least in the most dangerous schismatics.

(I think a lady who goes to our parish might be actually from and prefer a particular schismatic group, but it's only a fairly minor disagreement in her point of view - the calendar - and both calendars are legitimately Orthodox anyway - and she's very pious and seems to be nothing wrong with her theology or practice.)
Can I ask, does she commune with you?
 
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rusmeister

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I mean, very few will self-identify as schismatics. But you can often check on the website or just ask them if they're in communion with Constantinople. The Russian Church now is not, but generally, that's a good question.
I think using communion with Constantinople as a toeline is REALLY problematic, especially now, and it’s a Roman Catholic attitude to boot - the idea that one jurisdiction/local Church can’t go wrong.
 
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Those keto non-denominational heretics can go suck a bug!:D

The low-fat extra-virgin biodynamic schismatic parishes frown on your syncretistic compromises. ;)
 
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rusmeister

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I just discovered that an Orthodox church back in my native country is a schismatic group. How can I recognize schismatics and avoid associating myself with them?
What Fr Matt said. Also, if they know better than the fathers and saints, if they believe in a “living Tradition” but actually mean a changing one, they are well on their way to causing schisms.
 
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archer75

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I think using communion with Constantinople as a toeline is REALLY problematic, especially now, and it’s a Roman Catholic attitude to boot - the idea that one jurisdiction/local Church can’t go wrong.
I didn't mean that as a dig. Just as a reference jurisdiction that (usually) works. Maybe better to pick the Church of Georgia or something, although relatively few parishioners are likely to be able to answer that off the top of their head.

And I didn't intend the idea that a given jurisdiction can't go wrong, but also, if a given jurisdiction goes wrong in some way, that doesn't automatically make them schismatics.
 
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Aren't they the people who also say their church hasn't compromised to Zionist-papist alliance and that their priests aren't modernist homosexuals?

I haven't heard that on person (but Internet), however, is it possible that that can happen?
 
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archer75

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Aren't they the people who also say their church hasn't compromised to Zionist-papist alliance and that their priests aren't modernist homosexuals?

I haven't heard that on person (but Internet), however, is it possible that that can happen?
Who?
 
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TheLostCoin

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Aren't they the people who also say their church hasn't compromised to Zionist-papist alliance and that their priests aren't modernist homosexuals?

Can I use this as one of my quotes?
 
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