Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew issues message for the End of Ramadan
Istanbul, Turkey
9/21/2009
It is with feelings of love and respect that we convey to all Muslims around the world our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes upon the occasion of the end of Ramadan.
After this extended period of fasting, which has also been a time of reflection, prayer and almsgiving, the time has come for each to celebrate their labor and receive their just reward from above.
In the spirit of peace, love and understanding we wish you once again a blessed celebration, praying that God Almighty grant you every spiritual blessing from above in the hopes that the world may live as one.
At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, 7th of September 2009
Your fervent supplicant before God,
+ BARTHOLOMEW
Archbishop of Constantinople,
New Rome and Ecumenical PatriarchIstanbul, Turkey
Ask your priest this Sunday if
1. he thinks it is fine to offer best wishes to a heretical Christ-hating religion...
2. he encourages heretics to celebrate their actions and expect to receive "just rewards from above"...
3. he also prays that God will grant heretics "every spiritual blessing from above"...
If your priest does not think, encourage or pray in this way, ask him why he or your church is in communion with the Patriarch of Constantinople who does. While you are at it, you might ask him why there were representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church concelebrating with the Pope at his mass recently. But, it doesn't really matter. According to all SCOBA members, by their participation in the World Council of Churches and the UN religious unity movement, all religions are equal paths to God. So just pick one.Read: Why We Left...Where We Went...
Why don't you go to church this Sunday and ask your priest those questions, or do you even go to church anymore because it seems like no one is good enough for you.
ReplyDeleteAnon, I have asked my priest these questions. I do go to church every Sunday, and according to the standard of the scriptures, "There is no one good, no, not one", including me. What about you? Have you asked your priest these questions?
ReplyDeleteI have been learning about the answers to those questions all my life. You clearly don't have a good (if any) understanding of the hierarchy of the Church. Yes we have our religious leader, bishops, metropolitans, patriarchs. However, if they say something that is not in teaching with church doctrine or scripture, that does not mean that everyone in communion with him believes it too or just follows. Yes there are our leaders and we should always respect that and hold them in high regard, but they are still people and still make mistakes. While we believe that we are all making our way to heaven together and that we can help and hurt each other along the way, we also have our personal relationship with Christ, which is what we need to turn to when we feel like our bishops are beginning to lead us astray. If we moved onto a new church every time our bishops did something we didn't like, then there would be nowhere else to go. The way to keep this "heresy" as you say from continuing is not to condemn the whole Archdiocese or everyone in communion with SCOBA. Even if I don't agree with everything that my religious leaders do or say, I do not go out looking for a fight or condemn my brothers and sisters in Christ. The Church has given me too much for me to repay her in such a way. Of course if I was approached by my bishop about my thoughts on the matter, I would certainly give my opinion, whether I agreed with him or not. I have had my fair share of upsetting news coming from the archdiocese. That doesn't mean I leave the Church, though. I'm not some blind follower and I resent the fact that you condemn an archdiocese that welcomed my family so graciously when so many others turned us down.
ReplyDeleteThe Church is a two-armed man. The left arm is church doctrine and scriptures which we must keep and follow, but the right arm is mercy, and the Church rules with both.
And there will always be corruption in this world as long as we have sin. There's nothing to be done about it until everyone realizes their own infirmities and works to rid themselves of it. The Beatitudes explain this very clearly.
I guess what I'm saying is you have every right to disagree with our church leaders, I certainly do. But I don't understand why you've decided that everyone in communion with them automatically believe everything that they say. You have condemned a large amount of Orthodox Christians, which is very rocky ground to be standing on.
Anon, Rather than push back on every false conclusion to which you have come regarding what I am doing, I encourage you and all JTO readers to re-read Why We Left...Where We Went. The concept of condemnation is nowhere in my heart or my writings. That I advocate removing yourself from communion with heretics is in keeping with the teachings of the Apostles, the Early Church Fathers, Tradition, and the Canons. I would suggest to you that your concept of staying with them is the novelty and outside of the Orthodox faith.
ReplyDelete