Two Greek Metropolitans, Andrew of Dryinoupolis, Pogoniani and Konitsa and Seraphim of Piraeus and Faliro have written a harsh 89-page letter to the “Head of State of the Vatican City”, asking Rome to renounce its “satanic pride”
One of the signatories is new to these kinds of actions but this time the mile-long letter (89 whole pages of it) sent to Pope Francis by two Metropolitans of the Greek Orthodox Church - Andrew of Dryinoupolis, Pogoniani and Konitsa and Seraphim of Piraeus and Faliro.
The two Greek Metropolitans address the Pope as “His Excellency, Francis, Head of State of the Vatican City”, making no mention of his Bishop status. In the opening line of their missive they state that their letter is addressed to him with “sincere love” and motivated by the need to remind “heretics” of their “holy obligation to return to the Orthodox Church” which the “Pope” (whose title appears in quotation marks throughout the text) decided to detach himself from. The authors of the letter separate themselves (though they really need not have, it is obvious) from “western and especially ecumenist “Christianity””, branding Rome’s “heresy” and “spiritual and ecclesiastical delusion” as “Papism”. The two Greek bishops say they “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.”
The pages about ecumenism which they describe as “syncretistic” are especially harsh: The letter’s authors do not recognize the Catholic Church as a Church, neither do they see its sacramental celebrations as valid or recognize the Pope’s status as Bishop. They define the “Petrine” primacy of power over all the Church” as “blasphemous” as well as “Scripturally and Patristically groundless and non-existent”. The doctrine of “Papal Infallibility”, meanwhile, is described as “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” which shows “the satanic pride of which” the Pope is “possessed”. “Papism” is not a “Church” but a religious community, a parasynagogue, a heresy … a total perversion of the Truth,” the two Orthodox Metropolitans write in their long letter.
The letter also gives a detailed description of what the two Metropolitans see as the most grave sins of the Catholic Church, including “accept[ing] the Devil’s proposal to make you almighty earthly rulers in return for your allegiance to him.” They then bring up the age-long issue of the “Filioque” in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, infallibility, jurisdiction, Baptism by sprinkling and the separation of it from the mystery of Chrismation, the method of Eucharistic consecration, the depriving of the Blood of Christ to the laity and of Holy Communion to children, the dogma of the “immaculate conception” and the “bodily assumption” of the Mother of God, purgatory, indulgences, the mandatory celibacy of the clergy and the recognition so-called Uniate communities.
More accusation-packed pages follow, with references from websites and newspapers, to try to prove that the Vatican is a breeding ground for sin and obscenities. The letter mentions some “romantic” and pornographic films were allegedly downloaded onto Vatican PCs and it recalls how Vladimir Luxuria was given Communion during the funeral held for Don Gallo.
Francis is accused of everything under the sun, from blessing Harley Davidson motorbikes to the style of the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro and the indulgences the Pope apparently gives on Twitter. The Metropolitans mention Ernst von Freyberg’s nomination as President of the IOR following Benedict XVI’s resignation and the ousting of the Institute’s former chief, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi. They even dredge up old allegations made against Francis’ collaboration with Argentina’s military regime.
Many pages are also dedicated to the destruction of the Second Vatican Council and the openness towards interreligious dialogue. A violent attack was launched against Judaism and the line taken by Benedict XVI, who is accused of “exonerate[ing] the Jewish people for the crucifixion of Christ”, while Judaism now and throughout time with the satanic Kabbalah and the demonic Talmud crucify daily the Savior of the world!”
Neither is Francis forgiven for washing the feet of the young offenders at the Casal del Marmo prison in Rome last Holy Thursday or for the upcoming canonizations of John XXIII and John Paul II.
The Orthodox Metropolitans also dedicate some pages to the issues of same-sex unions, Vatican finances and the Scarano case. They conclude by saying that as ““Pope” of the Jews, of the Rabbis, of the masons, of the dictators, of America, of Ecumenism, of Pan-religion, of the “New Age of Aquarius,” and of the “New World Order””, Francis has nothing to offer the Orthodox Church. “There can exist no form of compromise between Orthodoxy and Papism”. They go on to say that Orthodox Christians can “in no way take part in mixed marriages” or “enter into “relations with those who are heretics and unbelievers.”
Some of the beliefs expressed in the letter can be found on extreme right-wing Catholic websites and publications. What is clear from this immense letter written by Andrew and Seraphim, is that the target is not so much Francis, but rather the entire history of the Catholic Church and the Papacy after the schism with the Eastern Orthodox Church, especially the developments which occurred after the Council.
Metropolitan Seraphim made a series of condemning statements, including one direct one against Benedict XVI. The following month, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew, sent a stern letter to Archbishop Ieronimos of Greece, denouncing the actions of some hierarchs of the Greek Orthodox Church as unacceptable as they opposed a decision taken by all Orthodox Churches to engage in dialogue with other Churches. The Orthodox world is well aware of the unacceptable attitudes of these two bishops and they are not shared. In fact their attitude is seen as rather Taleban-like. It is quite surprising therefore, that their comments are tolerated by the Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church.
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