Be Prepared, The Coming Years will be Filled With Strife

[buzuxi02]

Aren't bishops monks? So how is it possible that people who devote their lives not being from the world allow these problems?

Most are not real monks. They are tonsured but never spend any real time in monasteries. They attend secularised theological schools even Jesuit schools. Since they can speak multiple languages and excelled in academics from attending secular schools they are the most likely to reach the highest levels of the church.

 

[Light of the East]

What is the "Melkite Schism?" I was told (possibly incorrectly) that the Melkite Church was in communion with Rome from the beginnings of the Church and didn't participate in any schism per se.

 

[ArmyMatt]

What is the "Melkite Schism?" I was told (possibly incorrectly) that the Melkite Church was in communion with Rome from the beginnings of the Church and didn't participate in any schism per se.

no, they joined Rome in the 1700s if memory serves. a good friend in college was a Melkite.

 

[GoingByzantine]

It is important to note that the term "Melkite" has historically been used to describe all Chalcedonian Greek/Arabic Christians in North Africa and the Levant.

It's connotation with the Melkite Catholic Church only began in the past few hundred years.

 

[buzuxi02]

What is the "Melkite Schism?" I was told (possibly incorrectly) that the Melkite Church was in communion with Rome from the beginnings of the Church and didn't participate in any schism per se.

Melkites mean emperors men (or something to that effect). It was used by the non-chalcedonians as a pejorative to describe the Chalcedonian Orthodox since we represented the imperial church of the empire .
The Melkite catholics of today were the Orthodox in the Levant who converted to the papacy officially in 1724 after Jesuit, and Franciscan monks began arriving in the area about a century earlier.

They started sending Orthodox clergy to Rome to be educated for free. After the 1724 union they officially took on the name Melkite to distinguish themselves from the Syriac catholics (non chalcedonian orientals) who joined the papacy a few decades earlier through similar means. In fact the vatican established the missionary group the propaganda for the promotion of the faith specifically to target Syrian and Lebanese christians:
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples - Wikipedia

Today this new Ukranian structure are kindred spirits to the "greek catholics" whom are in communion with the melkites.

 

[Not David]

Melkites mean emperors men (or something to that effect). It was used by the non-chalcedonians as a pejorative to describe the Chalcedonian Orthodox since we represented the imperial church of the empire .
The Melkite catholics of today were the Orthodox in the Levant who converted to the papacy officially in 1724 after Jesuit, and Franciscan monks began arriving in the area about a century earlier.

They started sending Orthodox clergy to Rome to be educated for free. After the 1724 union they officially took on the name Melkite to distinguish themselves from the Syriac catholics (non chalcedonian orientals) who joined the papacy a few decades earlier through similar means. In fact the vatican established the missionary group the propaganda for the promotion of the faith specifically to target Syrian and Lebanese christians:
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples - Wikipedia

Today this new Ukranian structure are kindred spirits to the "greek catholics" whom are in communion with the melkites.

Interesting, so Catholics used to evangelized Orthodox similar like Protestants?

 

[buzuxi02]

Interesting, so Catholics used to evangelized Orthodox similar like Protestants?

Oh yes. They embedded latin monks in Christian strongholds through out the Levant starting in the 1600's. The Maronites never resisted they just said, 'we never broke communion with you guys' so they quickly joined. Maronites were monothelete hold overs. Under the Ottomon empire christian education was poor and the liturgical books were falling apart as there were no scribes or printing press. The clergy in these areas had to know Greek and Arabic (and aramaic and some arabic for the syriac) but their education was handed down and poor. The Latins provided new books and sent them to be educated in Rome, they eventually became uniate. That's why there are both Melkite Catholics and also Syriac non-chalcedonians (western syriac rite) catholics and also maronites who were monotheletes.

 

[Euodius]

Aren't bishops monks? So how is it possible that people who devote their lives not being from the world allow these problems?

... Patriarch Meletios IV dying saying, "Alas, I have divided Orthodoxy" and his Masonic apron placed over his vestment as he is lowered to his grave."

... Patriarch Athenagoras, a high ranking Mason, being installed on behest of NATO, with Harry Truman flying him out to be Patriarch...

... Patriarch Bartholomew skipping the normal formation for a Bishop, going from academia onto his throne without a monastic formation...

 

[Phronema]

... Patriarch Bartholomew skipping the normal formation for a Bishop, going from academia onto his throne without a monastic formation...

I wasn't aware of that. Interesting.

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

... Patriarch Meletios IV dying saying, "Alas, I have divided Orthodoxy" and his Masonic apron placed over his vestment as he is lowered to his grave."
... Patriarch Athenagoras, a high ranking Mason, being installed on behest of NATO, with Harry Truman flying him out to be Patriarch...
... Patriarch Bartholomew skipping the normal formation for a Bishop, going from academia onto his throne without a monastic formation...

There are some Masons that go to my Greek Orthodox parish. They always make the Masonic Hand Signs. It's challenging to know how to respond. I just try to be kind and loving.

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[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

We have a handful of people in our parish that just don't seem legit (I know, focus on your own salvation, don't judge yada yada yada ) But I'm telling you guys there is just something not right about these people.

• Some of them run into you from behind while on the way to receive The Eucharist.

• They talk and joke around on the way to receive The Eucharist like it's no big deal.

• They make noise, laugh and talk during the most Holy parts of The Liturgy


It's pretty challenging to deal with when you are trying to prepare yourself to partake of the Eucharist and asking God to forgive you for your sins when you have people like this distracting you.

So, you are asking God to forgive you for judging right before receiving The Eucharist. *Sigh*


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[AMM]

There are some Masons that go to my Greek Orthodox parish. They always make the Masonic Hand Signs. It's challenging to know how to respond. I just try to be kind and loving.

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Is that masonic or simply someone holding their hands together? I’ve done that myself before and I’m not a member of the Masons

We have a handful of people in our parish that just don't seem legit (I know, focus on your own salvation, don't judge yada yada yada ) But I'm telling you guys there is just something not right about these people.

• Some of them run into you from behind while on the way to receive The Eucharist.

• They talk and joke around on the way to receive The Eucharist like it's no big deal.

• They make noise, laugh and talk during the most Holy parts of The Liturgy



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I think you yourself mentioned what I’m about to say - best to focus on our own salvation. In the Philokalia we read: “the nature of things is betrayed by the inner disposition of the soul, that is, people reach conclusions about others based on what they themselves are.” (Nikitas Stithatos, “on the practice of the virtues”, no. 52, cited in The Way of the Pilgrim)

Lord have mercy on them and on us!

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

Is that masonic or simply someone holding their hands together? I’ve done that myself before and I’m not a member of the Masons

I've asked him and he is a Mason.


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[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

There are probably other specifically Greek secret societies also. College Sororities use Greek letters / names etc.

I wonder if Antiochian Parishes have these same problems.


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[Not David]

We have a handful of people in our parish that just don't seem legit (I know, focus on your own salvation, don't judge yada yada yada ) But I'm telling you guys there is just something not right about these people.

• Some of them run into you from behind while on the way to receive The Eucharist.

• They talk and joke around on the way to receive The Eucharist like it's no big deal.

• They make noise, laugh and talk during the most Holy parts of The Liturgy


It's pretty challenging to deal with when you are trying to prepare yourself to partake of the Eucharist and asking God to forgive you for your sins when you have people like this distracting you.

So, you are asking God to forgive you for judging right before receiving The Eucharist. *Sigh*


.

Can you try move somewhere else to avoid getting distracted?

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

Can you try move somewhere else to avoid getting distracted?

I've moved all around. I try to just ignore it.


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[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

Here's some stuff that I found about official Orthodox synods / councils / statements condemning freemasonry and other secret societies :


I found this from the OCA website :
Masonic Fraternity - Questions & Answers

Question
Is it forbidden for a member of the Orthodox Church in America to be a member of the Masonic Fraternity, and if so why?

Answer
"It Is Forbidden for an Orthodox Christian to be a member of the Masonic Fraternity because many of its teachings stand in direct conflict with those of Orthodox Christianity".



Also This From :
Freemasonry in American Orthodox history - Orthodox History

"Have any Orthodox Churches formally condemned Freemasonry? Yes, they have. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) condemned it in 1932. The Church of Greece followed suit the next year, issuing a rather lengthy statement. The Holy Synod of Greece had appointed a commission of four bishops to study Freemasonry, and on October 12, 1933, the commission presented its initial findings. The Holy Synod also heard reports from the Theological Faculty of the University of Athens. After this, the Synod unanimously adopted several conclusions."

1. “Freemasonry is not simply a philanthropic union or a philosophical school, but constitutes a mystagogical system which reminds us of the ancient heathen mystery-religions and cults—from which it descends and is their continuation and regeneration.”
2. “Such a link between Freemasonry and the ancient idolatrous mysteries is also manifested by all that is enacted and performed at the initiations.”
3. “Thus Freemasonry is, as granted, a mystery-religion, quite different, separate, and alien to the Christian faith.”
4. “It is true that it may seem at first that Freemasonry can be reconciled with every other religion, because it is not interested directly in the religion to which its initiates belong. This is, however, explained by its syncretistic character and proves that in this point also it is an offspring and a continuation of ancient idolatrous mysteries which accepted for initiation worshippers of all gods. […] This means that by masonic initiation, a Christian becomes a brother of the Muslim, the Buddhist, or any kind of rationalist, while the Christian not initiated in Freemasonry becomes to him an outsider.”
5. “On the other hand, Freemasonry […] shows itself in this sense to be in sharp contradiction with the Christian religion.”
6. “Thus, the incompatible contradiction between Christianity and Freemasonry is quite clear. […] The Orthodox Catholic Church, maintaining in its integrity the treasure of Christian faith has proclaimed against it every time that the question of Freemasonry has been raised. Recently, the Inter-Orthodox Commission which met on Mount Athos and in which the representatives of all the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches took part, has characterized Freemasonry as a ‘false and anti-Christian system.'”

I’ve truncated all of those conclusions; click on the above link to read the full statement. The Holy Synod of Greece concluded:

"Freemasonry cannot be at all compatible with Christianity as far as it is a secret organization, acting and teaching in mystery and secret and deifying rationalism. Freemasonry accepts as its members not only Christians, but also Jews and Muslims. Consequently clergymen cannot be permitted to take part in this association. I consider as worthy of degradation every clergyman who does so. It is necessary to urge upon all who entered it without due thought and without examining what Freemasonry is, to sever all connections with it, for Christianity alone is the religion which teaches absolute truth and fulfills the religious and moral needs of men. Unanimously and with one voice all the Bishops of the Church of Greece Have Approved What Was Said, And We Declare That All The Faithful Children Of The Church Must Stand Apart From Freemasonry…"



Also From : What is Freemasonry?

"Nowadays…secret societies of the various degrees of freemasonry are multiplying. They are striving to a greater or lesser degree to Annihilate the Christian Faith and replace it with first with a natural faith and then with no faith at all."

• Prince Sergei Shirinsky-Shikhmatov (later Hieromonk Anikita), 30 May 1818


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[rusmeister]

It was things like that, and the general worldliness in the Greek church near my mother’s home (as well as focus on ethnic festivals rather than on evangelism, etc) where she was “trying out” Orthodoxy, that, along with doctrinal issues, convinced my mother that the Greeks didn't have the truth, whereas her Muslim chiropractor and his crowd seemed a lot more pious and legitimate, leading her where she is now.

How we behave in church matters.

 

[rusmeister]

Here's some stuff that I found about official Orthodox synods / councils / statements condemning freemasonry and other secret societies :

This is part of the larger issue that “churched” people walk around all the time with their own ideas, convinced that their ideas are Orthodox when they are demonstrably in conflict with Tradition.

Some think Masonry is OK, some think divorce and remarriage or homosexuality fine, some think only strict adherence to monastic fasting rules tolerable, others that fasting is purely personal and can be dispensed with altogether, etc etc

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

This is part of the larger issue that “churched” people walk around all the time with their own ideas, convinced that their ideas are Orthodox when they are demonstrably in conflict with Tradition.

Some think Masonry is OK, some think divorce and remarriage or homosexuality fine, some think only strict adherence to monastic fasting rules tolerable, others that fasting is purely personal and can be dispensed with altogether, etc etc

One time at my church there was a person who was receiving the Eucharist the Sunday after their Chrismation / Baptism and the candle that they were holding had an "evil eye" pendant / decoration hanging from it. Maybe it's a Greek thing I don't know.

I didn't even see this (Thank God). Someone else told me about it.

It's sad that people care more about money, being in "the illuminati" and "secret societies" than they do about Jesus' Church and being a true Orthodox Christian

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