Epistle by Metropolitan Philaret

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EPISTLE BY METR. PHILARET CONCERNING GRACE IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS 

(pg. 9-18)
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http://www.roacusa.org/2.ChurchNews/1997/CN19970258.PDF

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“To such a degree do I not believe in the grace of the schismatics “manipulations,” that in the event that I were dying and it was necessary to give me Communion, I would receive it neither from the “Parisians” nor from the American False-Autocephalites, lest in place of the Holy Mysteries I should swallow a piece of bread and some wine.”
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“I am accused of excessive strictness and of “fanaticism.” But I have sufficient basis for holding my point of view, for behind me stand great authorities, both ancient and contemporary.”
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Quoting St. John Chrysostom:
“What do these clear and categorical words of this Holy Father signify? They indicate nothing other than that schism is graceless! Christ was not divided, and His grace is one. If one is to believe in the “state of grace” of schism, then one must either admit that we do not have grace—those who broke away having taken it with them; or else admit that there are two graces and obviously two true Churches, for grace is given only in the true Church.”
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Expressing disagreement with the reposed Bishop John Maximovitch for his actions in France:
“And I cannot understand the position taken on this issue by the late Vladyka John (Maximovitch ) —a true minister of God and a man of God. Why didn't he “dot the i” from the very beginning and explain to the Evlogians the total falsehood of their path and position? For it is precisely because of this, because it was not stated at once and clearly where the truth is and where falsehood (for two truths there cannot be), where is white and where black, where light and where darkness, which path is correct and which incorrect—there would not now exist this “inter-jurisdictional hodgepodge” and the position would be clear.”
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Quoting his fellow-labourer, Archbishop Nectary of Seattle:
“How correct Vladyka Nectary is when he always affirms: there is no such thing as “different jurisdictions;” but there is only the Orthodox Church Abroad, and outside of her are schisms and heresies.”
Archbishop Nectary obviously referred only to the ecumenistic jurisdictions and not to the Genuine Orthodox Church, which had received the ROCOR into communion in 1971 on the very basis of this Holy Confession.
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Quoting Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky):
“Unfortunately, some Orthodox laymen, even, alas, many priests (and hierarchs) have subjected themselves to this state of gracelessness, although still retaining the outward appearance of the church services and the apparent performance of the Mysteries.”
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Finally, Met. Philaret ends his letter with the following comment on the aforesaid quote:
“Ponder those last words of the great Abba: the apparent performance of the Mysteries... What horror! But these his words concur totally with my own conviction regarding the gracelessness and inefficacy of schismatic Mysteries. When at the Sobor I cited these words of Vladyka Anthony in support of my conviction, the hierarchs received them in silence—Vladyka Anthony [of Geneva] likewise held his peace. While Vladyka Filothei [of Hamburg] thanked me on behalf of the entire Sobor for such an exceptionally important explanation.”
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