`Catholicism is in heresy`
We have the duty more than ever not to accept the union with the Catholics and not to call the Catholic Church `sister church` or the pope `canonic bishop of Rome`, or to call the Church of Rome `canonic`, `follower of the Apostles`, `having canonic sacraments, as long as they preach filioque, the papal infallibility, the created grace and the other heresies we will never consider as insignificant but as differences which change the incorrigible theanthropic character of the Church and represent a blasphemy.
(Excerpts from the epistle of the Athonite Community to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomeus, 8.12.1993)
There are many signs which create the impression that the Catholics prepare an uniate type of union. Have the Orthodox who are rushing in this dialogue noticed this thing?
The Holy Mountain stated that they do not accept such things and with the grace of God they remain loyal as the Orthodox people of the Lord to the faith of the Holy Apostles and Fathers from the love they have as well for those belonging to another faith who are very much helped when the Orthodox, by their steady attitude show how big is the spiritual disease of those people and how they could heal themselves.
The failed attempts of union which took place in the past should teach us that a definitive union in accordance with the will of God in the Truth of the Church implies a lot of preparation and a single path to follow, the one towards Orthodoxy.
Union in the Truth
As Athonite monks and Orthodox Christians we are affected by the fact that the Christians separated and we pray to the Lord to unite all the Christians in one holy, catholic Orthodox Church.
But we want a union made without compromises and concessions related to faith, without the hiding of the Truth, diplomatic schemes as they proceed in our days.
A union which will not be based on the Truth and Tradition of the Church will be ephemeral and will cause many schisms and pain in the Church of God.
We sincerely and painfully regret when we see that in their attempts of union, the Orthodox leaders don’t take into account seriously the Tradition of our Church and ignore our God bearing Fathers and the holy councils.
We confess with all the Holy Fathers that only the Orthodox Church is the true and unstraying Church of God, the only one holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
The theory of some Orthodox leaders that all the Christians (Orthodox, Catholic, Protestants) form one holy, catholic and apostolic Church is deluding and change the whole Orthodox theology, the entire teaching of our God Bearing Fathers and of the Holy Canons.
(`Saint Gregory` Review)
