Sunday of the Prodigal Son, 2008

 

Beloved Children in Christ,

 

    Rumors are being circulated by those unfriendly to this parish, and to our Hierarchs, which state, among other things, that I have returned to the jurisdiction of the Russian Church Abroad and have accepted the Union with Moscow. Other rumors state that this parish of the Holy Trinity has been closed, or that it has already relinquished this property by order of the courts.

    Since I am standing here among you and have just completed the Divine Liturgy in which Metropolitan Cyprian, Archbishop Chrysostomos, and Bishop Auxentios were commemorated, it is obvious that all of these rumors are false. I have not rejoined the Russian Church Abroad under Metropolitan Laurus. Moreover, let me emphasize that this is not going to happen. I have been associated with the Synod in Resistance since the mid-1980s, took degrees in their seminary program, and served Archbishop Chrysostomos as his chancellor for more than a decade. Even during the dozen years that I served as a Priest in the Russian Church Abroad, at Protection parish in Los Angeles and at this parish in 2000 and 2001, I maintained close ties with the Synod in Resistance. They have always been the publishers of my books, for example. With the union last year of the Russian Church Abroad with the Moscow Patriarchate, I chose to return to the Synod in Resistance, since I perceived that this union is contrary to what the Hierarchs of the Russian Church Abroad had taught for seven decades—Hierarchs such as Metropolitans Anthony and Anastasy, Blessed Metropolitan Philaret who denounced the very sort of ecumenism in which the Moscow Patriarchate has long been involved, and St. John of San Francisco. I remain firm in my stand against this reunion.

    Furthermore, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church is not closing and will, with the support of its parishioners, remain firm in its resistance. As for the question of this property, the courts will ultimately decide this matter. Based on thirty years of court decisions in California, our chances for victory in the courts are excellent.

    Saying this, I emphasize that we must be careful not to judge people who have taken a position different from ours. We do not judge them, we do not lie about them, we do not engage in slander. Our stand is forthright, open, and honest. Whatever others may say or do, we must be upright and honorable in what we say and do. God will ultimately judge us and He will judge them. In shouldering the substantial burdens we have taken on by our stand of resistance, we have followed our consciences. Let us do nothing to tarnish this stand; let us do nothing that will trouble our consciences.