MP “Honours” Memory of Metropoltian Anthony (Khrapovitsky)
November 20, 2014 (Source: http://www.spc.rs/eng)
Originally reported on November 18
Within the irenic visit of His Holiness Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to the Serbian Orthodox Church, the memorial plaque in honour of 150th anniversary of the birth of Metropolitan Anthony (Hrapovitsky) was consecrated in Sremski Karlovci on Saturday, 15 November 2014.
This memorial plaque was placed at the door of the Patriarchate Palace in Sremski Karlovci, which had been given at the disposal of Russian bishops in exile by the Serbian Orthodox Church after the First World War, and until 1946 it was the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. Upon the blessing of Patriarch Kirill, the consecration of the memorial plaque was performed by chairman of the Department of External Church Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.
Archbishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe, Serbian Bishops Hrizostom of Zvornik-Tuzla and Vasilije of Srem as well as the principal of the Representation (Podvorye) of the Moscow Patriarchate in Belgrade protopresbyter Vitaly Tarasyev and Secretary for Inter-Orthodox Relations at the DECR protopresbyter Igor Jakimchuk participated in the solemn ceremony.
NFTU: What did Metropolitan Anthony think of the Sergianist Church?
“It is noteworthy that several hierarchs and their flocks, for the most part Russians, have already fallen away from the Ecumenical unity, and to the question: ‘What dost thou believe?’ reply with references to self-proclaimed heads of all sorts of schisms in Moscow, America and Western Europe. It is clear that they have ceased to believe in the unity of the Church …
“Those who have cut themselves off from her deprive themselves of the hope of salvation, as the Fathers of the Sixth Ecumenical Council teach concerning this, having recognized the renegades as being totally devoid of grace …
“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.” — 1934 Paschal Encyclical of Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), in Reference to the Sergianist Church (“Moscow Patriarchate”), Metropolia (future OCA), and Parisian Exarchate
