Lesbos call for ecumenical unity
Bartholomew (by Pvasiliadis) , Ieronymos II (Stylianidis) & Francis (Rosada)
A few days ago, I posted that Pope Francis and leaders of the Eastern Orthodox met on the Greek Island of Lesbos (see Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew, and Archbishop Ieronymos II meet on Lesbos). A reader sent me a transcript of a declaration that these three leaders signed. Here are some statements in that document:
April 16, 2016
We, Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, have met on the Greek island of Lesvos …For our part, in obedience to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, we firmly and wholeheartedly resolve to intensify our efforts to promote the full unity of all Christians. We reaffirm our conviction that reconciliation [among Christians] involves promoting social justice within and among all peoples …
Lesvos, 16 April 2016
Ieronymos II Francis Bartholomew
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/04/16/pope_francis_signs_joint_declaration/1223313
By referring to “all Christians,” this mean that they also want the Protestants.
Now it should be noted that all in Greece do not share the view of the Greek Orthodox Archbishop Ieronymos II. Most Greek Orthodox have been taught to disrespect the papacy.
Furthermore, notice the following sent to Pope Francis from two other Greek bishops a while back:
To His Excellency, Francis,
Head of State of the Vatican City
Vatican City, RomeYour Excellency,
With due respect and sincere love, we send you this Episcopal letter, the purpose of which doesn’t come from any selfish motive, but from pure, sincere and selfless Christian love, from Christian duty, from an essential commandment of our Savior Christ, Who “desires all men to be saved and to come to a full knowledge of the truth,” and finally from a warm and ardent desire for your salvation. Because of this we feel it to be our holy and mandatory duty, as the least of the members of the All-holy and All-pure Body of Christ, and especially as Orthodox Bishops, who belong as such to the Holy Synod of the Holy Autocephalous Church of Greece, which is our highest ecclesiastical authority, as to the whole and Undivided One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church, to endeavor with all our might to restore you to the Mother Orthodox Catholic Church, from which you left and from which you were cut off, a work which we hope, the Uncreated Divine Grace of the Lord cooperating, shall be achieved…
From the outset we must clarify that we Orthodox, not taking part in the politically correct spirit of western and especially ecumenist “Christianity,” do not refer to those religious communities who have, sadly, been separated from the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church as “Churches.” But, following the example of our Holy Fathers throughout the ages, refer to them as heretics, and you, Your Excellency, and your followers, we denominate as “Papists” and your heresy as “Papism.”…
We unceasingly pray that our Lord Jesus Christ gather together the deluded “Pope” and his followers, through repentance and the renunciation of your delusion and heresy, into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, Orthodox Church and to assume as an Orthodox Pope, according to seniority of honor of the Pentarchy and in agreement with the Divine and Holy Canons, the Chairmanship of honor of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches as “primus inter pares.”
An additional reason, which shows the timeliness and importance of our present Episcopal epistle, are the intrigues in the realm of the modern heretical Ecumenical Movement with its ecumenist theological dialogues between Orthodox and Papists, where the representatives from the Orthodox side, animated unfortunately by the panheretical spirit of inter-Christian and inter-religious syncretistic ecumenism, and employing the false ecumenist love, a “love” without true love and unity in the Orthodox faith, deceive you, Your Excellency, claiming that Papism is a so called “Church,” and moreover a “sister Church,” with valid Mysteries (Sacraments), Baptism, the Priesthood and Grace, that Papism and Orthodoxy make up the so-called, “two lungs,” with which the Church of Christ breaths, that you, the heretical “Pope,” are a canonical bishop, successor of the Apostle Peter and Vicar of Christ on earth, who possess the Apostolically, Scripturally and Patristically groundless and non-existent “Petrine” primacy of power over all the Church, and the blasphemous “Papal Infallibility,” instead of the true primacy of honor (διά τό εἶναι τήν Ρώμην πρωτεύουσα) as is commanded by the Holy Canons of the undivided Church of the first millennium to which the Orthodox Pope of Rome and Patriarch of the West is entitled, doctrines that are totally unknown and without foundation or witness in the general Tradition of the Catholic Orthodox Church of the first ten centuries and of the eight Holy Ecumenical Councils, doctrines which are a clear blasphemy against the All-Holy Spirit and which show your theological departure and the satanic pride of which you are possessed. Clear proof of the absurdity of the Orthodox Ecumenists is that, while they attribute to you ecclesiastical titles, you who are obviously heretical and erroneous in belief, they do not dare, even though it would be in keeping with their declarations, to come into sacramental communion with you, because they know from that moment they will immediately lose their own ecclesiastical identity. Does this not make up the most blatant proof of the false doctrines of Ecumenism?…
In communicating with you through this present Episcopal letter, we desire that it be made known to you that, according to the diachronic Holy Scriptural, Canonical and Patristic Tradition and according to the infallible conscience of the fullness of the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church, Papism, of which you are the leader, Your Excellency, is not a “Church,” but a religious community, a parasynagogue, a heresy, an alteration, a demolishing and a total perversion of the Truth, namely, of the very God-man, Christ. Hosts of Orthodox Councils have condemned Papism as a heresy…
Papism is not a “Church” but a State – the Vatican, a worldly organization, with a government, with you, the “Pope,” as leader, with the Cardinals as Ministers and Secretaries and with the “Bank of the Holy Spirit.” Neither is Papism a “Roman Catholic Church,” because it is neither Roman, nor Catholic, nor a Church. It has no relation with Romiosini or with Romania. It isn’t Catholic since it separated of its own will from the Catholic Orthodox Church in 1054 A.D. and since then it doesn’t possess the fullness of the Orthodox Faith of our Holy Fathers, which you have distorted. You are not a Church, since you became a State, falling, instead, to the third temptation of Christ.7 You accepted the Devil’s proposal to make you almighty earthly rulers in return for your allegiance to him. We Orthodox are the true Roman Catholic Church. We Orthodox are the Romans: to us belong Romania, Romiosini. Orthodoxy is the One Holy, CATHOLIC, and Apostolic Church, the true Roman Catholic Church, as we confess in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Symbol of Faith.
The fact that Papism is a heresy is revealed by the appalling false doctrines which you confess. These are: I) the political existence and structure of the Vatican with ministries, bureaucracies and banks; II) the Filioque (the alleged procession of the Holy Spirit also from the Son); III) created Grace; IV) the primacy of power; V) the possession of worldly and spiritual power by the Pope; VI) Papal infallibility; VII) the theories that the Pope is the ultimate judge and Archpriest, the supreme authority and monarch of the Church; VIII) Baptism by sprinkling and the separation of it from the mystery of Chrismation; IX) the use of unleavened bread (Host); X) the transforming of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ with the words of institution rather than at the invocation of the Holy Spirit as well as the doctrine of transubstantiation; XI) the depriving of the Blood of Christ to the laity; XII) the depriving of Holy Communion to children; XIII) Maryworship; XIV) the dogma of the “immaculate conception” and the “bodily assumption” of the Mother of God; XV) purgatory; XVI) indulgences; XVII) the so-called “superabundant merits” of Christ; XVIII) the “superabundant merits” of the Saints; XIX) the merits of the works of man; XX) statuary and the secularization of religious art instead of Orthodox iconography; XXI) the mandatory celibacy of the clergy; XXII) the recognition of murderers (Stepinac) as “saints”; XXIII) the doctrine of the satisfaction of divine justice (the result of confusion regarding original sin and the legalism which is prevalent in Papism); XXIV) the rejection of Holy Tradition and the taking advantage of it as a tool for Papal claims (the Pope is Tradition); XXV) the belief that the “infallible Pope” is the only guardian, judge and interpreter of Divine Revelation; XXVI) the socalled “Church Suffering,” which is allegedly made up of the faithful who are presently in purgatory; XXVII) the rejection of the equality of bishops; XXVIII) the Vatican’s centralized and despotic administrative system where the “Pope” is absolute monarch, which introduced Caesaropapism; XXIX) the social/humanitarian character of the monastic orders; XXX) the impersonal and juridical character of the mystery of confession; XXXI) and, finally, the accursed Uniate, the Trojan horse of Papism…
Your election, Your Excellency, was not a chance event, for the World-Wide Centers of decision-making, seeing the financial rise of many of the countries of Latin America decided to promote your election as leader of the Vatican, in order to use your interventions for their own interests. That is the conclusion of an analysis of special scientists who are involved in the science of geo-politics and geo-strategy (chiefly the former). The analysts maintain that the “World-Wide Centers of Decision Making” designated your new role specifically to “renounce” the basic title of Leader of Vatican State, which bothers the faithful of other “Christian confessions,” and to accept the title of Bishop or of Patriarch of the West, even though you are outside of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church (Orthodoxy) and to behave more as a spiritual father and less as the leader of the Vatican State. Nor was it happenstance that the General Secretary of the U.N., Ban Ki-moon, greeted you as “a world spiritual leader (23rd April).” This happened at your meeting with him during which Your Excellency was asked by your country to do philanthropic work and to “approach people of different religions and non believers.” This means that at the Vatican you will be working out a parallel scheme of communication and propaganda in order to carry out proselytization in the countries you will target…
The term “Jesuit,” which according to the Greek Professor of linguistics, G. Babiniotis, is synonymous with “hypocrite and tartuffe,” for the members of the undivided and unchanged Orthodox Catholic Church, concerns the Papist monastic order which was founded in 1543 by the Spaniard, Ignatius of Loyola, and the Basque, Francis Xavier, for the countering of the Reformation and the uprising of the people of Europe against the departures of papocesarism. In fact, this order is guilty of the savage polemics and insidious actions towards the martyric and Holy Patriarch of Constantinople, Cyril Lucaris, who was murdered in a horrific manner in 1638…
In 2006 the Argentinean reporter Horacio Verbitsky, in his book, The Silence, accused you, Jorge Mario Bergoglio and now Francis I, as a direct collaborator of the Junta of Videla, relying on the personal accounts of five Papist “clergy,” from whom you removed, as the then “bishop” Bergoglio of Buenos Aires and the Argentinean “eparch” of the “Society of Jesus,” the permission to perform missionary work in the Shanty towns of Buenos Aires, thus providing the opportunity for Videla’s Junta to arrest them. The prominent human rights lawyer, Myriam Bregman, basing her work on the testimonies of the Jesuits Yorio and Jalics, supplies the significant information that, after torture sessions in the Junta’s prisons, the two Jesuits were thrown from a helicopter. They, however, lived to tell of the “accomplishments” and “charity” of the seemingly humanitarian, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Francis I…
We ask Your Excellency: At what point in time did the Church become grateful for the fact that the heterodox Jews preserved a faith that vehemently denies the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ? You also said many other similar things. We believe, however, that even this small sampling of your own words clearly shows the complete absence of an ecclesiastical conscience on your part. You who are presented as the “Vicar of Christ on Earth” and “First of the Church”!
Can it really be possible, we ask, that you are also not aware as the “Christian Pope” that the hideous Global Zionism,54 which was condemned as extremely racist by the U.N. (when the U.N. was truly free) changed the theism of the Old Testament and the Prophets into shameful Satanism, with the demonic Kabbalah and the vulgar Talmud, work of the demonized Rabbis of fallen Judaism and of their ideals regarding world wide government and domination, through the still awaited false messiah, namely Antichrist?..
Along with the Jews, Your Excellency is a favorite of the Freemasons, who, according to their own publications, were anxiously awaiting your election and rejoiced when you were chosen! In a statement by the “Grand Master,” G. Raffi, he stresses that, “With Pope Francis, nothing will be as it was before. It is a clear choice of fraternity for a Church of dialogue, which is not contaminated by the logic and temptations of temporal power. He is a man of the poor, far away from the Curia. Fraternity and the desire to dialogue were his first concrete words. Perhaps nothing in the Church will be as it was before. The simple cross he wore on his white cassock lets us hope that a Church of the people will re-discover its capacity to dialogue with all men of good will and with Freemasonry, which, as the experience of Latin America teaches us, works for the good and progress of humanity!” So here is the heart of the matter: “dialogue with all men of good will,” which means an intensifying of ecumenism! Are you not aware, Your Excellency, that Freemasonry promotes, through Ecumenism, the universal religion of Lucifer, as well as the fact that the source and womb of Freemasonry is the hideous International Zionism?…
Freemasonry is “pagan cult worship, an adversary of the pure Orthodox Catholic Church.” That is to say, it is clearly an antichristian and pagan religion. The Masons are “Satan worshipers and luciferists, followers of the religion of Antichrist.”…
You, Your Excellency, have not ceased from the moment of your election to speak in glowing terms about all the religions of the world, and to call them to collaborate for “the good of mankind”…
It is obvious why you decided to lead the effort in uniting the religions of the world, believing that you can become their leader! The “Holy See” is leading the way in the creation of a one-world religion, supposedly for the good of the world. In essence, however, it will be for its devastation…
Ecumenism adopts and legitimizes all heresies as “churches,” and it insults the dogma of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church…
The Ecumenical Council is the highest criteria of ecclesiality. For us Orthodox the highest form of ecclesiastical government is the Ecumenical Council, not a man, a “Pope”. Here is our essential difference with Papism…
We, the Orthodox, desire union and pray unceasingly “for the unity of all (people)” – a unity in our Holy Church in truth. We do not pray for the unity of false churches who will not forsake their various heresies, of some “God-sent” unity in the diversity of false doctrines. You, the Papists, in essence, hinder this unity. We Orthodox are unifiers par excellence, whereas you, the Papists, are separators. If you do not repent here in this present life, you will repent in Hades, where, however, there “is no repentance”!…
There can exist no form of compromise between Orthodoxy and Papism, neither with its older nor its modern spirit, nor with its idolatry…
With respect,
+ Andrew of Dryinoupolis, Pogoniani and Konitsa
+ Seraphim of Piraeus and Faliro
(Letter to Francis. HOLY AUTOCEPHALOUS ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH OF GREECE. April 10, 2014. http://cdn.romfea.gr/images/stories/photos/2014/4/romfea1/spiti/Epistle%20to%20Pope%20Francis%20I.pdf viewed 04/20/2014)
Notice that these Greek bishops want Pope Francis to change and accept the Orthodox faith–this is something that Eastern Orthodox prophecies call for (see Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox?). They also claim that the Church of Rome is not a valid church. Anti-Roman feelings run deep among many of the Orthodox. I edited the above done for space, but it contained many other charges against Pope Francis and his church. The signers basically take the stance that the Orthodox must oppose Francis and Rome.
It took guts for the Greek Archbishop to take a different stance. But in the long run, it is the stance of the Greek Archbishop that will prevail as we will see ecumenical unity between the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox.
Roman Catholics who think that this is a good thing need to understand that Rome has repeatedly told the Eastern Orthodox that it will compromise on doctrine for this unity to occur (see Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox?). Perhaps I should add that this was told to me personally when I visited the offices of Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople (Istanbul) several years ago.
We continue to see steps leading to ecumenical unity–and even many Protestant leaders have already agreed to support this.
Some items of related interest may include:
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! and World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Certain Catholic writings indicate this, while others take a different view, but what does the Bible show? A related sermon is Will Jesus Christ be called the Antichrist?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist? According to some interpretations of the prophecies of the popes by the Catholic saint and Bishop Malachy, Pope Francis I is in the position of “Peter the Roman,” the pontiff who reigns during tribulations until around the time of the destruction of Rome. Do biblical prophecies warn of someone that sounds like Peter the Roman? Could Francis I be the heretical antipope of Catholic private prophecies and the final Antichrist of Bible prophecy? This is a YouTube video.
Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? Though he is known for his public sola Scriptura teaching, did Martin Luther’s writings about the Bible suggest he felt that prima Luther was his ultimate authority? Statements from him changing and/or discounting 18 books of the Bible are included. Do you really want to know the truth?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
The Malachy Prophecies and “Peter the Roman” An Irish bishop allegedly predicted something about 112 popes in the 12th century. Pope Benedict XVI was number 111. Francis would seem to be number 112–if he is that one–and if so, he is to reign until Rome is destroyed. May he be an antipope/final Antichrist?
The Last Pope Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Why might Pope Francis be the last pope? What happens if he is? Biblical and other prophecies help explain what to expect.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Amazon Book What does the Bible say about a pope near this time? Is the final pope to be an antipope and antichrist? Does Catholic prophecy point to Pope Francis as being the dreaded “Peter the Roman”? This 186 page book provides information and answers.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle This electronic version of the printed book which is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle.
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