Outspoken Canadian Priest: True Science Must Be Enlightened by Faith, Otherwise It's False Knowledge

Elder Aimilanos of Simonopetra mentions Saint Spyridon of Trymithous, who we commemorate today on the Old calendar, in a sermon he delivered in the church of Our Lady Katholike, Limassol, Cyprus, on the feast of the Holy Apostle James according to the New calendar in 1988. This sermon is published in the book The Church at Prayer. Regarding Saint Spyridon, Elder Aimilanos says: ‘When St. Spyridon was celebrating the Liturgy, and said, “Peace be with you”, the angles themselves responded and said, “And with your spirit”. The Fathers of the Church always experienced such revelations and visions, which continue to occur up to the present day.’

A spiritual son of Elder Aimilanos, who knew both Saint Paisios of Mount Athos and Saint Porphyrios the Kapsokalyvite, wrote: “Wounded by Love contains spiritual reminiscences by Elder Porphyrios, who had the gift of clairvoyance in power. Elder Paisios of Mount Athos is quoted as remarking about his own gift of clairvoyance in relation to Elder Porphyrios’ gift: ‘I have a black and white television set, but Elder Porphyrios has a colour television set.’”

This same spiritual son of Elder Aimilanos once mentioned in private: “All orthodox bishops have the gift of clairvoyance to some degree.”

The context of this assertion regarding orthodox bishops having the gift of clairvoyance is important. The subject of this conversation concerned whether a bishop was the “real deal” and the problems that have arisen due to Orthodox clergy making decisions based upon worldly knowledge, implying that they are not the “real deal.”

While the world may assume the basis of Christianity is blind faith, this assumption comes from a perspective of noetic blindness, which has never been able to logically justify any assertion regarding objective reality. Thus, it is the worldly who really placed their trust in blind faith. This was the problem with ancient Greek philosophy, though it did provide the intellectual language Christians later used to bear witness to the Faith, though the noetically blind do not comprehend it (cf. John 1:5). As well, the sinful tenancy to rely upon human reasoning rather than Divine revelation remains a threat to the faithful and their shepherds. For this reason Saint Paul says to Timothy, “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.” (1 Timothy 6:20-21).

Commenting on this passage, Saint John Chrysostom says: “Where there is no faith, there is no knowledge; when anything springs from our reasonings, it is not knowledge. Or perhaps he says this because some then assumed the name of Gnostics, as knowing more than others.”

Saint Paul’s words and Saint John Chrysostom’s commentary on them become even more relevant when one acknowledges that the word science comes from the Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge,” and is the root word of conscience, literally meaning “with knowledge.” Unfortunately, what is referred to as “science” nowadays is, more often than not, without a conscience and motivated by financial or political power. This is the reality of the academic peer review process, including the field of medicine, with even peer review published papers admitting as much. It is often complete pseudo-science aside from the so-called “science” of social control and manipulation, which is entirely conscienceless, especially when it capitalizes on the fear of death.

Behind all of this corrupted “science,” there is even a Gnostic ideology controlling and manipulating those driven merely by financial and/or political power. Father Deacon Ananias Sorem, PhD, explores this subject in the paper Gnostic Scientism and Technocratic Totalitarianism.

The religious totalitarianism that developed from the 6^th century compromise with Gothic Arianism and Semi-Arianism, which eventually encompassed the entire jurisdiction of the Roman See by the end of the 12^th century, was based upon blind faith. Likewise, its atheistic successor (a logical succession according to Saint Gregory Palamas) is also based upon blind faith, which has now encompassed the entire world politically. The words of Saint Jerome of Stridonium have just as much meaning now as they did in the 4^th century: “The whole world groaned, and was astonished to find itself Arian.”

In contrast, Orthodoxy is not based upon blind faith. Why are the enlightened elders and saints who specifically warned of the coming pseudo-medical totalitarianism being ignored by those who are supposed to have the gift of clairvoyance, at least to some degree? Even those who have not received the holy mysteries, but have truly applied the principles of empirical science, have shown more discernment and judiciousness. What did Saint Spyridon say to those leading Christ’s flock astray?

“Listen, philosopher, to what I tell you. There is one God Who created man from dust. He has ordered all things, both visible and invisible, by His Word and His Spirit. The Word is the Son of God, Who came down upon the earth on account of our sins. He was born of a Virgin, He lived among men, and suffered and died for our salvation, and then He arose from the dead, and He has resurrected the human race with Him. We believe that He is one in essence with the Father, and equal to Him in authority and honour. We believe this without any sly rationalizations, for it is impossible to grasp this mystery by human reason.”

The above mentioned spiritual son of Elder Aimilanos spent a great deal of time with Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, telling others more about Saint Paisios than anybody else on the Holy Mountain. Although a number of holy elders and saints foresaw and described this current pseudo-medical totalitarianism, Saint Paisios is of particular relevance today. In addition to the feast of Saint Spyridon, or Christmas on the civil calendar, this is the fifth anniversary of this spiritual son of Elder Aimilanos passing from this world to the next. Please go to page 204 in the book Spiritual Awakening (click the link, the whole book is online) and begin reading.

The mercies of God are beyond human comprehension. Even when Saint John Chrysostom comments on the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in his commentary on the 12^th chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, he says: “And how can this be right? For even this was forgiven upon repentance…