RTOC Chancellory Issues Additional Statement Concerning GOC(K)-SiR Union

September 29, 2015  (Source)

NFTU: On September 26, 2015, the RTOC Chancellory issued the following statement:

26.09.2015

In addition to the earlier published announcement from the Chancellery of the Synod of the RTOC, it needs to be noted that Bishop Stefan, of Trenton and North America participated in the Bishops’ Conference only on the first day – June 06/19, 2015, and left that very same day. Therefore, he was not present at the Bishops’ Conference on June 07/20, 2015, and did not participate in the decision regarding the 3 Greek clergymen. Also, Bishop Stefan did not participate in the concelebration of the Divine Liturgy on June 08/21, 2015.

Furthermore, by announcing that, “…the Synod of the RTOC has made a step in the restoration of the True Orthodox Church of Greece, of which the current hierarchy has departed from the unadulterated confession of Faith following its union with the Greek Synod in Resistance on March 10/23, 2014,” the Synod of the Russian True Orthodox Church underscores the serious canonical and ecclesiastical errors committed by the Synod of the TGOC, under the omophor of Archbishop Kallinikos, in uniting with the Greek Synod in Resistance, or Cyprianites, which confused our clergy and flock. After renouncing the Synod in Resistance and its heretical ecclesiology at least twice over several decades, the TGOC entered into a union with the SiR, without demanding any prerequisite conditions for this union, namely – the correction of the past canonical foundation of the SiR (a schism), and renouncing the ecclesiological false teachings of Met. Cyprian of the SiR. Instead of offering repentance for their schism and heretical teachings, the SiR bishops continue to insist that the union between the TGOC and the SiR needs to be viewed as a union between “two canonical synods” of Greece. In his announcement, the SiR Bishop Auxentios of Aetna and Portland said, “No prayer of any kind was ever read over either of us, nor did we submit any sort of confession for our supposed past heresy. Nor would we ever have accepted such provisions. I think that this fact speaks for itself.”

It is specifically these serious mistakes, committed through this union, which the Synod of the RTOC draws to the attention of the bishops and flock of the TOC of Greece.

Protopresbyter Victor Melehov, Secretary
Synod of Bishops
Russian True Orthodox Church