“New Milan Synod”: Official Letters of Renunciation Made Public

Just a week after an official announcement claiming the “return” of the Milan Synod, an anonymous source has sent NFTU copies of both the renunciations of Metropolitan Evloghios of Milan and Archbishop Abundius of Lecco as well as the official order of Metropolitan Evloghios authorizing Archbishop Abundius to enter into dialogue with Moscow a few months beforehand.

The embarrassing documents are incredibly detailed, with Metropolitan Evloghios giving a long personal request in Russian to the Patriarch, which will be given English translation here.  While it had been long suspected based on photo evidence and behavior that the two Bishops had renounced their episcopate, it was never openly stated.

The truth is now available.

The English translation of Metropolitan Evloghios’ renunciation of his episcopate and true Orthdoxy reads as follows: Your Holiness, Most Holy Master and merciful Father!

Crouching beneath your Primatial stole, (the Russian says “stolam”, which actually means “table”) we, the members of the so-called “Metropolis Milan and Aquileia”, sincerely repent of grievous sin of schism and humbly ask for your Svyateishetvo to take us to the fold of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Forgiveness is sought not only in the fact that at various times we did not avoid schism by creating an illegal gathering and noncanonical called “Metropolis Milan and Aquileia,” but also supported other dissenters, including on the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Your Holiness! We are deeply aware of the harmfulness of staying in schism, our sobest us for our neglect of the commandment of the unity of the Church (cf. Jn. 17:21). We no longer want to tear the tunic of Christ, we frighten the terrible words of the Savior: I am the vine, you are the branches … Anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and zasohnet, as well as branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned (John 15, 5 -6). Shrine cling to your petition with a plea for our grievous sin and tearfully asking to let an hour in the church wall as misguided, to take us to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate in the rank in which we came out of the canonical Church, and do not deprive us of the possibility of being partakers of the saving ordinances and the grace of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the true Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

With sincere repentance for our sins and assurance  in your mercy for our petition,

{Italian renunciation follows}