Η ΙΕΡΑ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΑΠΑΝΤΑΧΟΥ ΓΝΗΣΙΑΣ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΥ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ (ΑΡΘΡΟ Π. ΜΑΡΚΟΥ)

WHY METROPOLITAN KIRIKOS’ SYNOD IS THE REAL GENUINE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF GREECE, AND WHY THE NICHOLAITANS ARE UNCANONICAL [Just to clear up this mistaken attitude against Metropolitan Kirikos that I see on this page [[a web-page elsewhere]], here is the history that explains why Metropolitan Kirikos' Synod is the ONLY, REAL, VALID Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece.] In 1970, the then Archimandrite Christodoulos Paraskevaidis (later "Archbishop" of Athens of the New Calendarists) prepared a dossier in which he devised "the solution of the Old Calendarist problem". He made it his special task of one day joining up all the old calendarist groups and submitting them to either the Patriarchate of Jerusalem or Moscow, or to the local Church of Greece, in order to place all Greek Old Calendarists within the realm of "canonical" Orthodoxy, which for us is nothing more than a Synagogue of Satan, the false "Orthodoxy" of the Contemporary NEW CALENDARIST ECUMENISM. This idea of submitting the Greek Old Calendarists to the power of "World Orthodoxy" is what we call OLD CALENDARIST ECUMENISM. For this specific task, "Archimandrite" Christodoulos employed the New Calendarist theologian, SAKARELLOS, as his mouth-piece and agent. For this reason, Bishop Galaction of Peristeri rightfully called Sakarellos "Satanellos." Since the Florinites trace their apostolic succession from a New Calendarist ("Bishop" Teofil Ionescu), and from the ROCOR, which during the time of the consecration (1960) was in full ecclesiastical communion with the New Calendarists and "World Orthodoxy", on this basis, the Florinite Synod could easily be reconciled with World Orthodoxy, since their own apostolic succession is of New Calendarist Ecumenist origin, and is therefore "canonical" in the eyes of the New Calendarists. The Matthewites, on the other hand, trace their Apostolic Succession from the three original hierarchs of the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece, who, in 1935, consecrated Bishop Matthew of Bresthena. In 1948, Bishop Matthew of Bresthena consecrated Bishop Spyridon of Trimythus, for the martyric Genuine Orthodox Church of Cyprus, which until then did not have any bishops since the schism of 1924. Together with Spyridon, Bishop Matthew then consecrated three other hierarchs. Several consecrations then led to the establishment of a 13-member Synod, which officially anathematised Freemasonry in 1949, anathematised New Calendarism and Ecumenism in 1954 and 1958, anathematised Chiliasm in 1963, and Ecumenism in 1968 [and later in 1985]. This Confession of Faith and Apostolic Succession of the Matthewite Synod was always pure and unwavering, and without compromise. This proved to be a STUMBLING BLOCK for the New Calendarists, and especially for "Archimandrite" Christodoulos Paraskevaidis and his assistant, Sakarellos, who could not by any means "reconcile" the Matthewites to "World Orthodoxy" for as long as the Matthewite Confession and Apostolic Succession remained intact. In order to bring this stronghold to destruction, the dark powers of OLD CALENDARIST ECUMENISM devised a plan to compromise the Confession and Apostolic Succession of the Matthewite Synod. In 1969, the up-until-then New Calendarist Archimandrite Kalliopios, created his own church entity, registered with the department of cults in the Greek Government, and called it the "Greek Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians." He then SECRETLY entered under the omophorion of the Matthewite Bishop Kallistos of Corinth, and began convincing Bishop Kallistos, Abbess Makaria, and Fr. Eugene Tombros to begin correspondence with Panteleimon of Boston and Holy Transfiguration Monastery, in order to establish communion with the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Archimandrite Kalliopios, being an agent of Archimandrite Christodoulos and the New Calendarist State Church, acted with the ultimate aim of submitting both the Matthewite Synod and the Florinite Synod to his newly-created, government-recognized business entity, which he could then submit directly to the hands of the New Calendarist State Church of Greece. Bishop Kallistos of Corinth then began correspondence with Panteleimon of Boston from 1969, and after two years, in 1971, Kallistos addressed the Matthewite Synod under the presidency of Bishop Andrew of Patras, as to whether he can travel to America to "enlighten the Russians Abroad, and join them with the Genuine Orthodox Church." The Holy Synod discussed the issue and decided to send Bishops Kallistos of Corinth, Epiphanios of Kition and Protopriest Eugene Tombros to America to meet with the Russian Bishops. However, Archimandrite Kalliopios, who was not even a member of the Synod, also travelled along with the Matthewite delegation, serving as a spy for the Florinites and New Calendarists. In the opinion of the ROCOR Synod, the Apostolic Succession of the Matthewite Synod was valid, as single-handed consecration had been practised in times of necessity in the history of the Church, and had even been employed in the consecration of various ROCOR hierarchs. For instance, Bishop Philaret of Brisbane was single-handedly consecrated by the ROCOR Archbishop of Australia, while a second bishop, the Greek Bishop of New Zealand, only attended the enthronement ceremony days later. After this single-handed consecration, the ROCOR Archbishop of Australia together with the newly-consecrated Bishop Philaret departed for New York, after which, Bishop Philaret was elected Metropolitan. No "cheirothesia" or even "prayer of absolution" was ever required. The ROCOR also performed single-handed consecrations in future events, such as the consecration of Lazar of Tambov by Barnabas of Cannes. Anyway, in 1971, the ROCOR Synod of Bishops heard the Matthewite Confession of Faith, accepted it as ORTHODOX and as their own, and immediately embraced the Matthewite bishops with a thrice-holy kiss, accompanied by several tears of joy by all the hierarchs and clergy present. However, when Archbishop Auxentius of the Florinite Synod was informed of the above event, he was angered and wrote an official Encyclical denouncing the ROCOR as uncanonically accepting the Matthewites in full rank. The Florinites refused to accept the validity of the Matthewite Apostolic Succession, and insisted upon "a plain cheirothesia in the form of a prayer of absolution." This is found in the Synodal Records of the Florinite Synod, in which the dossier of Fr. Victor Matthaiou, described this "plain cheirothesia" (apli cheirothesia) without consecration prayers, as being his solution to the "Matthewite problem." The Florinite Synod accepted this solution, and Archbishop Auxentius together with two of his Bishops officially travelled to New York and presented this dossier to the ROCOR Synod. The ROCOR Synod then placed Bishop Laurus of Manhattan in charge of studying the issue, and although the ROCOR Synod had already received the Matthewite Bishops in full rank, they needed to somehow please the Florinites. Therefore, the ROCOR Synod asked the Matthewite delegation to write a letter requesting that the ROCOR Synod examine and pass judgement on the validity or lack thereof of the single-handed consecration of 1948. The ROCOR Synod gave the task to Bishop Laurus of Manhattan, who studied the dossier provided by the Florinite Synod, and devised a plan that would please the Florinite Synod, while keeping the Matthewite Synod in the dark about who was responsible for the abovementioned decision. Thus it was decided that the Florinite Synod's request that a "plain cheirothesia" be read on the Matthewite Bishops Kallistos and Epiphanios, being in the form of a prayer of absolution, without consecration prayers. When the Matthewite delegation asked, "Is this a cheirothesia as upon schismatics? We are not schismatics!" the reply was that "No, this is only a prayer of absolution, like one read in confession, a plain cheirothesia without any consecration prayers." Only with this understanding, the Matthewite delegation, for reasons of extreme economy, and in utter humility, accepted this decision, in order to bring an end to the Florinite schism, and to remove the silly point/excuse the Florinites always used for their division from the Holy Synod, and their re-establishment of their own parasynagogue with the uncanonical consecration of the deposed former Matthewite Akakios Papas as first "Archbishop" of the Florinite faction in 1960. The concelebrations and prayers of absolution then occurred in Boston, and the Matthewite delegates returned to Greece. On the night Bishops Kallistos and Epiphanios, and Fathers Eugenios and Kalliopios returned to Greece, among those who received them were the Matthewite theologians Eleutherios Gkoutzidis and the then Menas Kontogiannis (now Bishop Kirikos). The delegates who returned from America clearly stated that they had neither compromised the Confession nor the Apostolic Succession, and that the ROCOR had embraced the Matthewite confession and was henceforth Orthodox, and that the prayers read in Boston were only prayers of absolution, such as read in confession, and not real cheirothesias. They were only in the outward form a plain cheirothesia in order for the ROCOR to please the Florinites. Thus the outward form appeared as a cheirothesia, but the prayers read were only prayers of absolution, so as not to blaspheme the Apostolic Succession of the Genuine Orthodox Church. Under this guise, the Matthewite delegation had accepted the prayers in Boston, and under this guise, the Matthewite Bishops in Greece had received the delegation into communion. Had the delegation stated that they compromised their faith and blasphemed their Apostolic Succession, they would have been deposed and excommunicated by the Matthewite Synod. It has been stated by various Matthewite hierarchs who claim to be witnesses to this event, that on October 15/28, 1971, the Matthewite Synod then met for a concelebration, and during the DOXOLOGY (end of Orthros, before beginning of Liturgy), with the Royal Doors being closed, Bishop Andrew of Patras (having previously received the prayer of absolution) read prayers of absolution on the remaining bishops of the Matthewite Synod. These were clearly not "cheirothesias", because: Firstly, Archbishop Andrew read these prayers of absolution alone, not with the assistance of other bishops. Secondly, the prayers were read on all bishops on the same day, whereas cheirothesias require separate days for each bishop. Thirdly, the prayer was read during the Great Doxology, before Liturgy, whereas cheirothesias are read during the Divine Liturgy. Fourthly, the prayer was read with the Royal Doors shut, whereas cheirothesias require the Royal Doors to be open. Fifthly, and most importantly, the content of the prayer that was read was one of absolution, and not a prayer of consecration. However, the two remaining bishops of the Matthewite Synod, Gregory of Messenia and John of Thebes, refused to accept even this "prayer of absolution", even if it wasn't a real cheirothesia, because they still viewed it as a betrayal, and some sort of scheme of the New Calendarists and Florinites, to compromise the Faith. Yet regardless, these two bishops still constituted full canonical members of the Synod, and were able to concelebrate with the remaining hierarchs without being considered "un-corrected." Basically, no cheirothesias whatsoever were read in Greece, but only prayers of absolution, and even these were only accepted by great economy and humility, for the sake of bringing the schismatic Florinites back to the fold of the Church. The Holy Synod was unaware that the New Calendarists, Christodoulos, Kalliopios and Sakarellos, and the betrayers within the Synod (Eugenios Tombros, Kallistos Makris, etc) had other plans, to fulfil the desires of Old Calendarist Ecumenism. In 1974, the Florinites revealed the text of the decision of the ROCOR Synod of 1971, regarding the so-called "cheirothesias." The Florinites were using this document to portray the cheirothesias as being something substantial and actual, with prayers of consecration, which was never the case. Rumours began to be spread that the ROCOR had supposedly "re-consecrated" the Matthewites. The New Calendarists and the inventors of "Old Calendarist Ecumenism" were pleased with this, as they could use the "cheirothesias" as a means to submit the Matthewites to World Orthodoxy. How? If the Matthewites now supposedly derive their apostolic succession from the ROCOR, which in turn is "recognized" by World Orthodoxy, then the Matthewites can be recognized by the rest of World Orthodoxy and forced to submit to one of the Patriarchates. The Matthewite Synod then met in an extraordinary council and questioned the Matthewite delegates as to why they did not reveal the ROCOR's "Decision" of 1971 which spoke of an actual cheirothesia. It was then officially confirmed that no cheirothesia ever took place in Greece, but only prayers of absolution, and even these were not read on all hierarchs. Also, the Matthewite delegates to Boston were questioned as to whether they betrayed the Confession of Faith or Apostolic Succession in September of 1971, but they all denied having done so, stating that they too only received prayers of absolution. The report of Bishops Kallistos and Nicholas was then read, after which it was decided that the Matthewite Synod would break communion with the ROCOR, since the ROCOR failed to confirm its Confession of Faith in writing (that the Ecumenists are schismatics with invalid mysteries). In 1976, at an extraordinary council, the Matthewite Synod officially declared its decision of 1974 to sever communion with the ROCOR. It sent official Encyclicals both to the ROCOR Synod itself, and also to the faithful clergy and laity of the Genuine Orthodox Church. In the late 1970s and earlier, "Archimandrite" Christodoulos Paraskevaidis (who in 1974 had become "Metropolitan" of Demetrias of the New Calendarist State Church) again published his dossier on the Solution of the Old Calendarist Problem. He stated that the Matthewites could be received into communion by the State Church of Greece based on the "cheirothesia of 1971", as if there ever was such a thing, and as if the Matthewite Synod's Apostolic Succession is based on the ROCOR, as opposed to the Succession of Bishop Matthew of Bresthena's consecrations of 1948. In 1977, Archimandrite Kalliopios convinced Bishop Kallistos to depart from the Matthewite Synod and join the Florinites. In 1979, Archimandrite Kalliopios again convinced Bishop Kallistos to depart the Florinites and create his own Synod, by secretly consecrating 10 bishops in the "dead of the night", one of these newly ordained bishops being Kallistos himself. Shortly after this, the Kallistite Synod deposed Auxentios and his bishops, and the Kallistites reorganized themselves as a new, separate Synod, with an official government-recognized business entity. Which entity? The one that Archimandrite Kalliopios had created as a New Calendarist back in 1969!!! Between 1980 and 1998, the Matthewite Archimandrite (now Metropolitan) Kirikos Kontogiannis was repeatedly visited by Sakarellos and various other New Calendarist and Florinite theologians, asking him to assist them in their task of uniting all the Old Calendarist groups into one Bloc, and subordinating it to the New Calendarist State Church, or one of the local Patriarchates, based on the idea that the Matthewites trace their Apostolic Succession from the ROCOR, which, in the eyes of World Orthodoxy, was "canonical." The then Archimandrite Kirikos CATEGORICALLY REFUSED, and regarded that any such assistance to this cause would be blasphemous. He refused to take part in the cause for Old Calendarist Ecumenism. In 1981, the Genuine Orthodox Churches of Greece and Cyprus, under the presidencies of Archbishops Andrew and Epiphanios, together with the entire hierarchy, officially again declared that no cheirothesias ever took place in Greece, but only prayers of absolution. Several of the bishops also chided Bishop Epiphanios of Kition for not being entirely honest about the betrayal that occurred in Boston in 1971, where the official "Decision" of the ROCOR Synod was not revealed, and the Matthewite Synod was kept in the dark about the existence of this document. In the early 1990s, Bishops Matthew of Attica and Chrysostom of Thessalonica of the Matthewite Synod, together with Archimandrite Efthymios Epiphaniou, began stating that the cheirothesia was supposedly real, and that the "sin of the cheirothesia" stained the Matthewite hierarchy. This perversion of historical truth, and blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, was aided by Sakarellos, and various other New Calendarist theologians, who were in correspondence with Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem, and were hoping to unite the Matthewite and Kiousis Synods into one united group, and then subordinate both to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The way in which the Matthewites would be "recognized" was based on the so-called "cheirothesias" of 1971. Thus Bishop Matthew of Attica desired to refer to a supposed "sin of the cheirothesia" in order to give it SUBSTANCE, as if it had actually occurred, thereby making the recognition possible. In order to hide this evil plan, the issue regarding iconography and so-called iconoclasm was used. This icon issue was actually brought up by Sakarellos himself, who was in continuous correspondence with Bishops Matthew and Chrysostom. It is even believed that Sakarellos is the author of the notorious "Second Encyclical" regarding the icon issue. It must be noted that Bishop Matthew of Attica was the nephew of Fr. Eugene Tombros, who was responsible for keeping the Holy Synod in the dark about the acts at Boston in 1971, and it seems as though the nephew followed the footsteps of his uncle in trying to subordinate the Church to "World Orthodoxy" either through the ROCOR or the Jerusalem Patriarchate. However, this evil plan was unsuccessful, although it caused great damage and eventually a schism. Unfortunately, the masses among the schismatics think that the schism was over icons. Little do they know that the icons are merely a cover-up created by Christodoulos and Sakarellos. In 1998, Christodoulos Paraskevaidis was elected Archbishop of Athens among the New Calendarists, and he announced that one of his most important tasks would be to "Solve the Old Calendarist Problem." It was at this time that Sakarellos took an even more public role among each of the Old Calendarist groups, attempting to compromise each of them and unite them, first with one-another, and then with World Orthodoxy. At one stage, "Archbishop" Christodoulos asked Sakarellos "How is the Old Calendarist issue going? Have we won them over to our plans?" To this, Sakarellos replied, "The Florinites are easy, they are willing to compromise. As for the Matthewites, it is more difficult because of two obstacles: Kirikos and Gkoutzidis!" This is referring to Metropolitan Kirikos and the lay theologian Mr. Eleutherios Gkoutzidis. Therefore, Sakarellos needed to make use of his new agents within the Matthewite Synod, namely, the lay theologian Katsouras, and the notorious mafia Tsakkiroglou family (3 brothers and 3 sisters, all of which occupy important roles in the Matthewite Synod, and possess a heavy, somewhat demonic, psychological impact on their subordinates, and one of which was adviser to Archbishop Andrew of Athens as well as Bishop Andrew of Diavlia), and also the rather weak Hieromonk Panteleimon, who was adviser to Bishop Nicholas of Piraeus. In addition to these agents within the Matthewite Synod, Sakarellos also continued to use his external agents, such as the Florinite "Bishops" Kalliopios of Pentapolis and Kallinikos of Achaia, both of which still belonged to the blasphemous business entity created in 1969 for the purpose of subordinating the Old Calendarists, and all their Churches and funds, to the State Church of Greece. Therefore, one of the above agents, Kalliopios of Pentapolis, published a book revealing that Bishop Nicholas of Piraeus had secretly blasphemed his Apostolic Succession in the court magistrates of Piraeus in 1974, and that he had blasphemously stated that Bishop Matthew of Bresthena "created a second Church in 1937" and that the Apostolic Succession of the Matthewites is canonical because it is supposedly based on "the cheirothesia it received from the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in 1971." Kalliopios, Sakarellos, and the likeminded Florinites and New Calendarists, then stated that the Matthewite Synod should enter into communion with the Kiousis Synod based on this blasphemous declaration made by Bishop Nicholas of Piraeus, that the Matthewites supposedly "entered into schism" in 1937 and "returned from schism" in 1971. BLASPHEMY!!! Metropolitans Kirikos, Panaretos, Tarasios, Gorgonios and Galaction protested against this abomination. However, the Matthewite members in charge of the "theological dialogue" with the Kiousis Synod were all agents of Sakarellos, namely Bishop Andrew of Diavlia and the Tsakkiroglou brothers, and of course Nicholas of Piraeus himself. These blasphemers then compromised at the sessions of the theological dialogue and "admitted" (falsely and blasphemously) that "Bishop Matthew of Bresthena was too quick to break with Former Bishop Chrysostom of Florina" and that "Bishop Matthew created a SECOND CHURCH", and that the cheirothesias of 1971 were supposedly REAL, and a basis for entering into communion with the Florinite Synod, and that therefore the theological dialogue should only begin with addressing issues "from 1971 onwards, when both Synods had by then received their common source in the ROCOR." BLASPHEMY!!! When Metropolitan Kirikos and theologian Eleutherios Gkoutzidis began sharply protesting against the above actions, Sakarellos sent out another agent, Kallinikos of Achaia. However, in this case, Kallinikos of Achaia merely signed the document. The text is clearly written by Sakarellos himself. In this magazine article, a speech written by Gkoutzidis in 1978 is used to convict Gkoutzidis of "heresy" based on a statement referring to the Holy Trinity as an archetype of the Church, and the members of the Church as an icon of the Holy Trinity. This theologoumenon is based on several Orthodox writings (Gospel of St. John the Theologian, Epistles of St. Paul, Second Epistle of St. Clement of Rome to the Corinthians, Writings of St. Clement of Alexandria, Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great, Panarion of St. Epiphanios of Salamis, Writings of St. Maximus the Confessor, St. Theodore the Studite, St. Photius the Great, St. Gregory Palamas, St. Symeon of Thessalonica, St. Nectarios of Pentapolis, and is even found in several official documents of the Holy Synod from the 1960s onwards). Yet, the demonic forces of "Old Calendarist Ecumenism" chose to dig up this speech from 1978 and use it as a means of convicting Gkoutzidis of heresy. Is it not amazing how in 1998, the same year Christodoulos Paraskevaidis became the New Calendarist Archbishop and declared his desire to solve the Old Calendarist problem, that in this very year, the Florinite agents decided to dig up two very old issues and bring them to the surface, in order to cause a schism in the Matthewite Synod? The two issues being the Court Magistrate Declaration by Bishop Nicholas of Piraeus as far back as 1974 (!!!) and the speech by Eleutherios Gkoutzidis as far back as 1978 (!!!). Can people not see the CLEAR purpose of these issues being brought to the surface by the evil forces of Old Calendarist Ecumenism? Is it not OBVIOUS that these are traps of the devil and his servants in their attempts to destroy the Church? But behold, the gates of hell shall not prevail against Her. In 2007, the Nicholaitan Synod then caused a greater mess when they began consecrating bishops of ill repute, namely, Panteleimon of Piraeus, Ignatios of Larissa and Sevastianos of Kition. Panteleimon of Piraeus was well-known even while a priest for his rather "romantic" (almost "erotic") emails he would send to the four corners of the world, showing off his different vacations to Greek islands, mountains and zoological gardens. Ignatius of Larissa was forbidden from serving priestly duties by his own spiritual father due to a sin that we don't know about, but rather only God, Ignatios and his spiritual father know. Refusing to accept this epitimia, Ignatios left his spiritual father and joined the Nicholaitans, who made him into a bishop. Finally, Sevastianos, who was said to have performed a homosexual act and was unworthy of the priesthood, and the truth about this matter was confessed to us by ACCIDENT by Metropolitan Epiphanios of Cyprus! And yet, Sevastianos, despite the fact he is ineligible for even the priesthood, has now become a "bishop" in the Nicholaitan Synod. Are these the acts of a valid canonical Synod? Far from it!!! For this reason, among other countless reasons, 85% of the Genuine Orthodox Church of Cyprus departed from "Archbishop" Nicholas in 2007 and rejected "Bishop" Sevastianos of Kition. This 85% of the population of the Cypriot Old Calendarists entered into communion with Metropolitan Kirikos, and have asked him and his fellow bishops to consecrate the bishop they have elected for their martyric homeland. In 2007, the Nicholaitan Synod, in an official "Encyclical" declared that the cheirothesias had actually taken place in both Boston and Greece, as REAL cheirothesias!!! What a perversion of the truth and a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit! And to give these cheirothesias even further substance, the Encyclical then "condemns" them as being a "mistake". By condemning them as being a mistake, the Nicholaitans have given substance to something unsubstantial, they have given basis to something baseless, and they have given reality to something fake and having never occurred at all. The above-mentioned "Encyclical" also exists in two "versions." One version does not contain the signatures of Bishops Galaction and Tarasios, as these two bishops had stormed out of the Synod meeting, considering it uncanonical and blasphemous. The other version contains no signatures at all, but instead has the names of each of the Synod's bishops typed out at the bottom, including Bishops Galaction and Tarasios, even though they never signed or agreed with the document. The second "version" of the Encyclical is also changed in over 50 places, so that it is substantially different from the original "version." Additionally, although the Encyclical was signed in November 2007, it was not released until April 2008! And only the second "version" (the fake version that wasn't used at the actual Synod meeting, and which was changed 50 times and not signed by ANY bishop) was released to the public. Whereas the real "version" with signatures of only 8 out of the 10 bishops, is not being released to the public (although we managed to get a copy of it from former Nicholaitan officials who joined Metropolitan Kirikos recently). Are these the acts of a canonical Synod, guided by the Holy Spirit? Do honest, canonical Synods create several "versions" of their Encyclicals? Do canonical Synods sign one version of an encyclical but publish another version? Do canonical Synods pretend their entire Synod signed an encyclical, when in reality two bishops actually did not sign? Is it not fraud to falsely sign a document with a person's name, who is clearly in opposition to the said document? Is the Nicholaitan Synod therefore not guilty of fraud against the persons of Bishops Galaction and Tarasios? From a spiritual point of view, are they not also guilty before God for being liars and false prophets before the people of God? Can a canonical Synod blaspheme its own Apostolic Succession, as the Nicholaitans have just officially done? The Nicholaitans are clearly NOT a canonical Synod, but a pack of liars, wolves in sheep’s clothing. Like salt that has lost its savour, they are bishops who have lost their grace. After preparing this blasphemous "Encyclical", the Nicholaitan "Synod" then decided to "depose" Metropolitan Kirikos. Metropolitans Galaction and Tarasios also refused to sign this document, although it was immediately published including their names in the introduction, and signed "The Holy Synod" as if all bishops had signed. Again, another graceless act. Furthermore, this document does not contain any signatures. Just "The Holy Synod." Without signatures, it is an invalid document, and since the Nicholaitans have failed to provide a signed document, although Metropolitan Kirikos has asked for it repeatedly, the Nicholaitans prove to be a false Synod that cannot even do anything properly, not even a "deposition," not even an "Encyclical", without it being invalid in and of itself!!! Again, the acts of a graceless false Synod with no signs of either spiritual or even material organization. But what was the purpose of this false "deposition?" This was the purpose: Archbishop Christodoulos was about to die. He wanted to die knowing that he had completed his task of compromising each of the Old Calendarist groups, and that they were all on their way to enter the realms of Old Calendarist Ecumenism. Archbishop Christodoulos feared that only the Florinites were won over, while the Matthewites were being prevented from falling, due to the protests of Metropolitan Kirikos. So what was the solution to this problem? One that can be understood from the message from the "Matthewite" traitors, Florinites and dark forces of Papo-Ecumenism and Judeo-Masonry within the realms of New Calendarism: "Do not fear, Archbishop Christodoulos! Do not fear that your plans have been sundered. The Matthewites are now on our side. They have officially given substance to the cheirothesia of 1971, and they have deposed Kirikos, so now he cannot stop them from uniting with the Florinites, and in turn with the State Church. Die in peace, Master, your plans will be accomplished." Metropolitan Kirikos, and his fellow hierarchs, on the other hand, fought the good fight, in the name of God and his Truth, in the name of the Holy Church for which Christ was crucified and shed his Blood. Metropolitan Kirikos and his fellow hierarchs never denied the Holy Confession of the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece, as contained in the Historic Encyclicals of 1935, 1944, 1954, 1958, 1976, 1981 and 1985, and repeated this same Holy Confession through the Encyclicals of 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008. Additionally, Metropolitan Kirikos and his fellow bishops never compromised or blasphemed his Apostolic Succession, as perfectly transferred by the Historic Consecrations of 1935, 1948, 1995 and 2008. The Holy Confessor-Hierarchs Panaretos of Larissa and Gorgonios of Katerini reposed in the Lord in 2003. On the other hand, two living hierarchs, Galaction of Peristeri and Tarasios of Berea, are in agreement with Metropolitan Kirikos on all issues, but hesitate to sever communion with the Nicholaitan Synod, because they fear they will lose their church buildings, in a similar way that the Nicholaitans stole a very large Church building and a seven-floor apartment which Metropolitan Kirikos and his father had built with their own labours, and at which Kirikos’ father, Protopriest Thomas Kontogiannis, had been parish priest for 30 years. All of this hard work was STOLEN by the Nicholaitans, who then liked this Church so much that they transformed it into their "Archdiocese" and it is now the residence of "Archbishop" Nicholas. Hence, fearing that this theft of property using police and state courts, will also befall them, Bishops Galaction and Tarasios continue to commune with the Nicholaitan Synod, although both of them still do not recognize Nicholas to be the lawful "Archbishop", and they protest every action, such as their refusal to sign the blasphemous "Encyclical" regarding the cheirothesias and the uncanonical and inexistent "deposition" of Metropolitan Kirikos. Metropolitan Kirikos, on the other hand, was not afraid to lose everything earthly, for the sake of preserving the Truth. "Let them keep the buildings, we will keep the Faith!" (St Athanasios the Great). Metropolitan Kirikos’ Synod is the only Synod that continues to hold to the Historic Matthewite Encyclical of 1954, which clearly states that Bishop Matthew of Bresthena continued within the canonical Church from 1937 onwards, while the former Bishop Chrysostom of Florina had created a schism, praised Stalin, fallen into heresy, blasphemed the Holy Spirit, and had died without ordaining any bishops; while Bishop Matthew of Bresthena always kept the Holy Confession without fail, and passed the Apostolic Succession to the next generation. The Nicholaitans deny this Holy Encyclical of 1954, and believe Bishop Matthew created a "Second Church" in 1937, and that all of the bishops then received a REAL cheirothesia in 1971, which they "condemn", yet in "condemning" it, they have given it substance, believing it actually occurred, perverting historical truth and blaspheming the Holy Spirit! Also, Metropolitan Kirikos still holds to the Matthewite Synod's official positions, as outlined in the open Epistles of Archbishop Andrew in 1974, and as officially declared in the Synodal Meeting of 1981, that what occurred in 1971 was clearly a PRAYER OF ABSOLUTION, and not a real cheirothesia, and that prayers of consecration were not read in Greece whatsoever. The Nicholaitans, on the other hand, have denied this Council of 1981, and have now declared officially that cheirothesias supposedly did occur, and that they now "condemn" them in order to exonerate themselves, when in reality, they only did this to give the cheirothesias the substance of reality - something they never had. Metropolitan Kirikos was left alone in his pure confession without compromise. Yet, where there is Truth, one is never alone, for God is there with him. A similar episode had occurred in the recent past, during the time of St. Matthew the New Confessor and Myrrhstreamer and Wonderworker, Bishop of Bresthena. He was left alone. Chrysostomos of Florina had fallen into the heresy of Florinism since 1937, and had declared the New Calendarist, Ecumenist (with Anglicans back then, now with Papists and even Buddhists) State Church of Greece to be his "mother church" from which he received "grace." Chrysostom thus declared the Whore of Babylon, who had drunk the blood of the martyrs to be his very own "mother." What blasphemy! Furthermore, Chrysostom of Florina was a RETIRED bishop, who did not even have a diocese, being only the FORMER bishop of Florina and current bishop of NOTHING. Chrysostom of Florina was NEVER the President of the Synod. The President was Germanos of Demetrias, who fell into Florinism in 1937 and petitioned to join the New Calendarists in 1944, and when he died, he was buried by New Calendarists, as was his desire. Chrysostom of Florina then declared himself "president" of his own faction, although a retired bishop, with no current diocese whatsoever, cannot be "president" of anything. Furthermore, he was joined by two bishops, Christopher and Polycarp, who in 1935 had denied their own Apostolic Succession, and had stated, "We are not bishops, having been ordained by schismatics, we are only archimandrites." Chrysostom received them back in full rank, while the canons demand that bishops who deny their Faith and grace should be deposed without a doubt. Germanos of the Cyclades was in prison for two years for ordaining criminals to the priesthood, and for his very close ties with a Communist/Socialist Party, which threatened the Greek Government. Additionally, Chrysostom of Florina had also openly praised Stalin as "God's faithful servant and vessel." SERGIANISM!!! Bishop Matthew was clearly the only Bishop left in Greece who had not fallen into New Calendarism, Ecumenism, Florinism, or Sergianism. However, the Genuine Orthodox Church of Cyprus was requesting a bishop. The local dioceses within Greece were also requesting bishops. The clergy were requesting a governing Synod of Bishops. Seeing the necessity to perform consecrations, and seeing that none of the Bishops in Greece were willing to denounce their heresies and return to the True Faith, Bishop Matthew sought assistance from bishops abroad. He sent epistles and telegrams to a certain Bishop Bartholomew who lived in Palestine and had broken from the Jerusalem Patriarchate due to the uncanonical acceptance of New Calendarist pilgrims to communion. However, Bishop Bartholomew could not assist him due to the harsh conditions in Palestine at the time, since they were in the midst of a war between the Palestinians and the Jews, who eventually created the illegal state of "Israel." But Bishop Bartholomew did approve of the decision to consecrate bishops, although he could not take part in the act due to the war. Bishop Matthew of Bresthena also corresponded with Bishop Theophanes of Poltava, who was in France, and although he approved the cause, he could not take part. Finally, Bishop Matthew sent letters to a Belarusian Bishop who had fled Poland in the aftermath of World War II and was living in Austria. This could not be anyone other than Bishop Stephan Sevbo, who had actually been IMPRISONED in Poland for a time because he refused to serve according to the New Calendar. However, due to the harsh climate in the aftermath of World War II, Bishop Stephan of Sevbo could not assist Bishop Matthew in the consecration of bishops. Therefore, Bishop Matthew progressed to the use of ecclesiastical economy, which is permitted in times of persecution, for a new bishop to be consecrated by a single bishop. Now, according to the local canon law of the Church of Cyprus, if the episcopate of the Church of Cyprus is extinguished such as what happened during the Uniate Captivity in the 13th Century, and again after the Ottomans had murdered all the Cypriot Episcopate in 1821, according to the local canon charter of the Cypriot Church, it is then up to the clergy and laymen of Cyprus to elect their own hierarchs, without the aid of bishops, and that the elected bishops are to then be ordained by bishops of a neighbouring local Church. Therefore, since the Genuine Orthodox Church of Cyprus had remained without canonical hierarchs since 1928, when the new calendar was introduced there, it was up to the local clergy and laymen of Cyprus to elect a candidate and present him for consecration. The Local Church of Cyprus elected the renowned Fr. Gideon, Igumen of Xenophontos Monastery on Mt. Athos. Bishop Matthew then called an extraordinary council in the presence of 12 Archimandrites and several other clergy from throughout Greece, representatives from Cyprus, Central Europe and elsewhere. The Holy Synod then decided to elect and consecrate Fr. Gideon, Igumen of Xenophontos, as Bishop of Trimythus in Cyprus. As the official decision states, the Holy Synod advised that the consecration be performed by His Eminence, Bishop Matthew of Bresthena, assisted by 12 Archimandrites serving as witnesses to the consecration. Bishop Matthew then performed the consecration and renamed Fr. Gideon as "Spyridon." He therefore became "Spyridon of Trimythus", carrying the exact name and title of that Glorious Hierarch of Cyprus who Confessed Christ boldly at the First Ecumenical Council. Bishops Matthew and Spyridon then elected and consecrated Bishops Andrew of Patras, Demetrios of Thessalonica and Kallistos of Corinth. These bishops later consecrated more bishops, and so on and so forth until today's Metropolitan Kirikos of Mesogaias and Lavreotikis. Now, Metropolitan Kirikos was in a similar position, being the only canonical and right-believing Orthodox Bishop in Greece. He begged the Nicholaitans to repent, but instead they perpetuated their blasphemy through their "Encyclical" of 2007 regarding the "cheirothesias." Since Metropolitans Galaction and Tarasios did not sign this blasphemous "Encyclical", Metropolitan Kirikos asked them to finally take a stance against the Nicholaitans instead of sitting on the fence. But Galaction and Tarasios chose to continue their communion with the Nicholaitans and "protesting from within." Therefore, Metropolitan Kirikos began questioning whether canonical, right-confessing bishops existed in the rest of the world. He had tried to get into contact with Metropolitan Vitaly in 2005, to find out whether Metropolitan Vitaly's repentance of 2002 was genuine, and if he really renounced Kyprianism. But Metropolitan Kirikos was not able to get into contact with him. Metropolitan Kirikos began asking about other bishops, but none of them held a true Confession of Faith. However, out of nowhere, five bishops arrived from Russia, right to his doorstep in Koropi, asking him if he was interested in uniting with them, because they had examined all the Old Calendarists in Greece and only found Metropolitan Kirikos to be a true Confessor. Discussions began, but things were somewhat complicated, so the Russian delegates returned home for the time being, although correspondence still exists. Three months later, three other Russian bishops, from another Synod arrived at Metropolitan Kirikos’ doorstep, stating that they have studied all the Greek Old Calendar groups and find only Metropolitan Kirikos to be canonical and a true Confessor, and want to establish ecclesiastical communion. These bishops discussed a few issues, then returned to Russia. Three months after this, a priest arrived from Romania, with this same message, that they seek communion with Metropolitan Kirikos. The difference in this case is that Metropolitan Kirikos had known about these Romanians from as early as 1998. At the same time Cozma of Romania was seeking communion with the Matthewites, it was also discovered that there is a certain "Catacomb Church of Romania" that no one knows much about. By the year 2003, several layman in the Matthewite Synod, including myself, had begun continuous correspondence with various laymen of this Catacomb Romanian group. During this year, 2003, we prayed that one day we would be in communion, and that the Romanian's spiritual fathers, Cassian and Gherontie, together with my spiritual father, Bishop Kirikos, would commune from the same cup of Communion in our Lord Jesus Christ. However, other Synods were also interested in the Romanian Bishops Cassian and Gherontie. Thus, while correspondence between this group and myself was open, no decisions were made on either side. In the meantime, the "Macarians" had sent one of their bishops, Christopher of Mesogaias, to Romania, to meet with the Romanian Bishops Cassian and Gherontie. However, Cassian and Gherontie were displeased with his half-twisted two-timing "confession of faith" which was a cross between Matthewite and Florinite, being neither one, nor the other. Also, when the Macarians found out that Cassian and Gherontie BAPTIZE new calendarists, they were shocked and could not reconcile this canonical practise with their own false Florino-Akakian ideology. Then Bishop Anthony of Moldova, of the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile, visited them. He recognized them as valid and desired communion but needed approval from his Synod. The Romanian Bishops Cassian and Gherontie were not pleased with the ROCOR's history of not holding a true Confession. Bishops Cassian and Gherontie then decided only the Matthewite Synod really confessed the Truth. However, being misled by false articles on the internet by the Nicholaitans, the Florinites, Vladimir Moss, and other agents of Old Calendarist Ecumenism, who had perverted the Truth and written articles against Metropolitan Kirikos, the Bishops Cassian and Gherontie were unaware of the issues at hand, and sent a letter to the Nicholaitans, thinking them to represent the Matthewites. However, since the Nicholaitans are spiritually and physically unorganised, and do not compromise a real Synod with valid decision-makers and valid decisions, but rather a den of wolves who cannot make even one canonical decision, the Nicholaitans lost this opportunity. Since the Nicholaitans have no canonical concept of "SYNOD", they did not even address this issue. Bishops Cassian and Gherontie sent their letter, and waited for 6 months and did not receive a reply. When they again asked for a reply, they received a letter signed only by one bishop, which stated, "come to Greece and we will read you a cheirothesia." AGAIN... this schizophrenic preoccupation with "cheirothesias" among the Nicholaitans!!! Bishops Galaction and Tarasios confirmed that the very issue of the Romanian Synod's letter was not even addressed or discussed by any Synod meeting of the Nicholaitans! They didn't even bother to discuss it Synodically. The majority of the Nicholaitan bishops were probably even unaware of the issue. This lukewarm, demonic lack of enthusiasm (which in this case is nothing more than a lack of GRACE) within the Nicholaitan Synod, is another reason why that Synod will have no future, in addition to its denial of its own apostolic succession and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The letter by Bishops Cassian and Gherontie was probably only read by the rather "romantic" (if you dare read some of his writings you would cringe) "Bishop" Panteleimon of Piraeus, otherwise it was perhaps only read by Maximos Tsakkiroglou, after which the "Reply" signed by only one bishop was sent out 6 months after the letter was received!! So much for "Holy Synod." Neither is it Holy, nor is it a Synod. It is NOTHING. Bishops Cassian and Gherontie therefore sent one of their priests to Greece, and he arrived in Koropi. He asked Metropolitan Kirikos for his confession of faith, and once the priest heard it he was very impressed. It clearly matched their own Confession. The priest returned to Romania and gave a good report. The next thing we heard was that Bishops Cassian and Gherontie said they await Bishop Kirikos to meet them in Romania. After six months of discussion, and after signing joint declarations of Confession of the Faith, and after anathematising all the heresies in these joint declarations, Bishops Kirikos, Cassian and Gherontie entered into communion based on the Confession of Faith. The Apostolic Succession of the Romanian bishops was also discussed, and from all the documents and witnesses it was proven that the Apostolic Succession of the Romanian Synod was valid and that the Romanians constituted a real church based on the correctness of their Apostolic Succession. Archbishop Victor Leu definitely had a correct confession of Faith. One of his consecrators, Archbishop Stephan Sevbo was also a confessor, and even went to prison for observing the Old Calendar. But the problem is with the other consecrator, Metropolitan Seraphim Lade. He was received into communion from Russia as a canonical member of the ROCOR Synod, and was received by confession of faith against Renovationism, Modernism and Sergianism. He then travelled to Bessarabia where he assisted the Old Calendarists who refused to submit to the New Calendarist Romanian "Patriarch" Miron Cristea. In a letter to Archbishop Andrew of Athens in 1972, the then Metropolitan Vitaly Ustinov of Montreal commemorates Metropolitan Seraphim Lade for his Confession and works in Bessarabia for the sake of preserving the Old Calendar. He was even expelled from Romania at the demands of "Patriarch" Miron Cristea. It is unknown what confession Seraphim Lade had in 1949 when he consecrated Bishop Victor Leu, however, according to the testimony of several Romanian clergy who knew Bishop Victor Leu, he had told them "Had the bishops who consecrated me not been Confessors of Orthodoxy against Innovation of Modernism, Ecumenism and Communism, I would not have accepted ordination from them. If I was to accept ordination from just anyone, I would have been ordained by my own father who was a New Calendarist bishop." However, in such cases, the Holy Canons and writings of the Holy Fathers must be employed. Thus, according to the writings of St. Theodore the Studite, whose canon is quoted in the Synodal Decision, the bishops of the Romanian Catacomb Church were accepted based on their Confession of Faith, and their Apostolic Succession was sealed by the Act itself, which Metropolitan Kirikos read out aloud during the Divine Liturgy, just prior to entering into communion with them. The Decision states "By this act we RECOGNIZE, SEAL AND APPROVE your Apostolic Succession, asking the Holy Spirit to fill anything that may be lacking, and known only to God." (I have this canon of St. Theodore the Studite, which is referred to in the Synodal Act, but I only have it in Greek. I am unaware if St. Theodore the Studite's works are available in English, or if there is anyone willing and capable to make a good translation of it.) Metropolitans Kirikos, Cassian and Gherontie, together with the clergy of the Local Churches, proceeded with the election and consecration of new bishops. So far the Synod consists of: Metropolitan Kirikos of Mesogaias (Greece) Metropolitan Cassian of Moldavia (Romania) Metropolitan Gherontie of Vrancea (Romania) Metropolitan Matthew of Nairobi (Kenya) Metropolitan Seraphim of Kiev (Russia) It is planned that a bishop will soon be consecrated for Cyprus, two more bishops will be consecrated for Romania, and another bishop will be consecrated for Greece. The Synod of Metropolitan Kirikos currently has the following statistics: GREECE: 1 cathedral in Athens (with 3,000 parishioners) 8 parishes throughout Greece (each with 50 to 100 parishioners) 2 monasteries 1 convent 6 chapels throughout Attica CYPRUS: 1 cathedral in Limasol (with 3,000 parishioners) 10 parishes throughout Cyprus (each with 80 to 100 parishioners) 1 monastery 2 convents ROMANIA: 1 cathedral in Bachau (with 5,000 parishioners) 1 cathedral in Vrancea (with 5,000 parishioners) 10 parishes throughout Romania (each with 100 to 200 parishioners) 2 monasteries 2 convents KENYA: 1 cathedral in Nairobi (with 5,000 parishioners) 10 parishes throughout Kenya (each with 1,000 parishioners) 1 monastery FORMER USSR: 1 cathedral in Kiev, Ukraine (with 100 parishioners) 8 parishes throughout former USSR 1 monastery in Galicia, Ukraine 1 hermitage in Barnaul, Russia UNITED KINGDOM: 1 parish in Birmingham CANADA: 1 parish in Vancouver 1 parish in Montreal AUSTRALIA: 1 parish in Sydney CROATIA: 1 parish in Zagreb Therefore the Synod of Metropolitan Kirikos currently consists of approximately 76 communities scattered throughout the world, with an inflow of new priests and communities petitioning to join the Synod. Additionally, 3 other Synods are interested in entering into communion with us, and the issues are still being discussed. So the Synod of Metropolitan Kirikos is a very significant one, apart from being the REAL Genuine Orthodox Church, it is also of global span, and may possibly soon also be the largest existing Traditionalist Synod. In Christ, GENUINE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN