Orthodox growth in America challenged by historical latinization and ecumenism
The author warns that certain practices in American Orthodox parishes, such as dog collars, kneeling on Sundays, omitting "catechumens depart," using the Latin calendar, infrequent confession, no veiling, women giving homilies, and not baptizing normatively, are gateways to false unity with heterodox Christians and joint prayer.
He traces this latinization to historical events: the 1596 Union of Brest, when Orthodox bishops in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth entered communion with Rome under political pressure; the Kiev Theological Academy founded by Saint Peter Mogila in 1615, which adopted scholastic Western methods and Latin as the principal language of instruction because of intense missionary efforts; the influence of this Western education on Moscow, contributing to Peter the Great's abolition of the patriarchate and creation of the Holy Synod; the 1923 Constantinople council convened by Patriarch Meletios IV, a Freemason, which proposed reforms including married clergy after ordination, removal of vestments and beards, shortened services, and relaxed fasts, but only the calendar change to the Gregorian calendar passed, despite its prior anathematization three times in the 16th century; Patriarch Athenagoras, also a Freemason, pursued ecumenical dialogue with the Pope, leading the Holy Mountain to cease commemorating him; and Metropolitan Philaret of New York, who is incorrupt, presiding over the 1971 ROCOR Synod against ecumenism, warning against practices like kneeling on Sundays, dog collars, shortened liturgies, pushing people away from baptism, lacking an iconostasis, using the Catholic kiss of peace, treating the Eucharist without seriousness, and installing pews. The author argues that tradition in its entirety must be resisted against latinization.
Key moments
- 0:00 Orthodoxy is growing massively in the United States, but this growth is frightening because the root of religious compromise almost always stems from the goal of political power.
- 0:00 In 1589 the Moscow Patriarchate was granted autocephaly while Orthodox Ruthenians faced hardships under the Catholic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, with restricted political power for nobles and bishops and intense missionary efforts from papal Protestants.
- 0:34 The Polish king feared Moscow's political power, and through demonic temptation the Union of Brest in 1596 led many Orthodox bishops to enter communion with Rome while keeping their liturgical traditions and dogmas, a contradictory move that the opposition resisted under heavy persecution.
- 0:34 In 1615 Saint Peter Mogila established the Kiev Theological Academy, which used scholastic Western argumentation and Latin as the principal language of instruction because of the massive missionary efforts they faced.
- 1:04 This Western influence reached Moscow and led to Peter the Great taking control of the church, abolishing the Moscow Patriarchate, and establishing the Holy Synod, further Westernizing state-controlled institutions.
- 1:34 In 1923 a council in Constantinople convened by Patriarch Meletios IV, a Freemason, proposed allowing clergy to marry after ordination, removing vestments and beards, shortening services, and relaxing fasts; none passed except the calendar change from the Julian to the Western festival calendar, which had been anathematized three times in the 16th century.
- 2:04 Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, also a Freemason, described the Orthodox and Papist churches as sister churches and attempted to lift excommunications when meeting with the Pope, causing the Holy Mountain to cease commemorating him during the liturgy.
- 2:41 Metropolitan Philaret of New York, who is incorrupt, presided over the 1971 ROCOR Synod against Ecumenism and warned of practices such as kneeling on Sundays, dog collars, shortened liturgies, pushing people away from baptism, lacking an iconostasis, using the Catholic handshake kiss of peace, treating the Eucharist without seriousness, and installing pews, all fruits of ecumenism that must be addressed before Orthodoxy in America can truly grow.