Subvert the true Church and replace it with a cheap copy, all dressed up pretty but dead on the inside, full of effeminate pansies who, for but a little silver, will sell out their Lord. Thus, they must lavish kisses on Jesus in the garden ("see how much we love Him!") — never mind the mobs with clubs, swords, and torches . . .
“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver Him up to you?’ And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.” Matthew 26:14-15.
Whatever the means by which Judas came to the point where his heart was ripe to betray His Lord, the endpoint remains, he loved money and the praise of men more than Christ. Christ became for him a means by which to acquire mammon; every time this happens throughout history, betrayal is inevitable. Our times not excluded.
As I write this piece the Robber Council 2.0 in Kiev is taking place under the direction of Istanbul, Turkey.
A few details bear repeating in brief, most of all because it seems the Western media is incapable of reporting the situation in a truthful manner. For instance, I just read another article that alleges there are three Orthodox factions in Ukraine and the Ecumenical Patriarchate (EP) from Turkey is seeking to unite them. False. There is one canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine headed by Metropolitan Onuphry. The other groups are schismatics, false brethren.
The canonical Church has not petitioned for anything from the EP. The EP has entered into communion with the schismatics (a grave canonical violation) and is dead set on declaring them the “legitimate” church in Ukraine.
It would be too laborious to counter all the misinformation propagandized by the media about this situation. I will simply note another constant false statement, which was also in the said article I read, that the EP is the “global spiritual leader of roughly 300 million Orthodox Christians.” False. Christ Jesus is the only global (and more!) leader of the Church. Why, we must ask, is the secular media intent upon promoting the EP as some sort of “Orthodox Pope?” It is a role the EP seems very happy about.
If the EP were the “Spiritual leader” then he would in no wise be so actively destroying true Orthodoxy in Ukraine. Shall we follow him into fellowship with schismatics? Shall we follow him into extreme ecumenism? Shall we follow him into radical environmentalism? Shall we follow him into a betrayal of Orthodoxy?
Even the glorious Apostle Paul says, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 1:11). St Theophan the Recluse speaking on the need to hold fast to the unchanging Faith and Teaching of Christ says, In this sacred office (Bishop) nobody should, nor even can, preach his own teaching. If I or someone else ever dare to do so, you can put us outside the Church.
“Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him” (Mat. 26:49).
Betrayal of Christ Jesus always comes with sweet kisses, in fact, it seems the more kisses the better. Judas hails Christ as Rabbi, teacher, for only one reason – to lead Him away to death (which cannot have victory over Christ!). Those of our day also sweetly hail Christ as Rabbi and kiss Him while gathering mobs to destroy and scatter His disciples (the Church). They desire to lead the True Christ away and kill Him so that they can have a christ of their own liking. Their profuse acts of adoration and lip service seem to have no end.
One such example is a Rev. Cyril Hovorun, an Orthodox priest in southern California. In this latest secular media article that I read from NBC news, he was the “Orthodox” cheerleader that they found to laud the establishment of an independent “Ukrainian Orthodox Church.” Oh, the “Kremlin has weaponized the Russian Orthodox Church for political purposes” (quote from the article)! Says the fellow who is acting director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute, a notoriously “progressive” group. Those dastardly Russians!
I’m sure they have no political agenda, of course not! (And this is not to say that I believe that the Kremlin is “weaponizing” the Church, I do not.) Oh, and he holds a chair at the liberal Jesuit Loyola Marymount University. I’m sure he has no ulterior motives!
He goes on to give the emotional plea that all leaders need to lay aside their ambitions and establish a “new church, which will contribute to the consolidation of Ukrainian society.” I see, get Ukraine out of the influence of Russia. No political motives here, just love and kisses. Lets all just hold hands and get along!
Soon Ukraine can enjoy the “freedoms” of Western society with men going into girls bathrooms, celebrations of sexual perversions, and mentally confused people who do not know what biological gender is, extreme violence plaguing society, families disintegrating at alarming rates, and so forth. But no worries Ukraine, you will have a “new” Libraldox church! Yes, come to the dark side, we have cookies.
The last thing that “progressives” (more accurately “regressives”) want is a strong traditional society. And for all of Russia’s faults (every country has them), they are promoting traditional Christianity as a valid base for society. Horror! For Mr. Hovorun traditional Orthodoxy is a form of “fundamentalism.” He writes similar things for Public Orthodoxy, a site that promotes heretical, anti-Christian propaganda. In an article for ”The Wheel” (another group with very questionable goals), he basically states that Orthodox who hold to the Tradition of the Church (the Fathers) are “Fundamentalists.”
Yes, us por’ ignoramuses need da enlighten’ akademics to insturct us. They will put the Fathers and Tradition in the proper “historical context” for us and they will tell us what teachings are backward and need to be revised. (This is Higher Criticism applied to the Church Fathers — this is heresy). So, do not read the Fathers and take them at their word, oh no! Make sure an enlightened academic at a Jesuit University who chairs a “progressive” institute filters them for you! Remember, you do not want to be a fundamentalist!
In this most ridiculous article of academic self-stimulation, Mr. Hovorun ties evil fundamentalism to Russia and its “meddling” in Ukraine. Wow, so glad that he has no political bias! Yes, do not read the Fathers yourself because then you will be like the bad Russians! Save us, elite academics! Deliver us from the horrible Traditionalists!
I would like to ask men like Mr. Hovorun, how much are you being paid to give false kisses in the name of Christ? What earthly reward are you reaping to betray the true Orthodox faithful in Ukraine? What silver has been given to you and those like you to rend the robe of Christ?
Like Judas, they use their status as “one of the twelve” to lead the mobs that seek the death of Christ and his faithful disciples. Sadly, Judas did not repent, and the silver did not save him. I hope such modern Judases find repentance before something worse comes upon them.
These men are false shepherds promoting a false gospel for earthly gain; they are thieves and robbers, hirelings who care not for the sheep. The sheep are only good for a fleecing so that these false ones can fill their pockets and coffers with worldly gain. I will not mince words about it. Call me a fundamentalist if you will. According to their own teachings (which seek to seductively subvert true Christianity), as St. Theophan has said, they are put outside the Church.
It’s time to call it as it is. As long as such ones can move in the shadows they will continue to do so. They desire not the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, unchanging and immovable as Christ Her head is but a “new” church. One that is fashioned after the image of the fallen world. One that proclaims the anti-gospel. A body that will be ready to receive a “new” head, which will not be the True Christ. This is the goal in Ukraine and throughout the Orthodox Church.
This must be understood — the subversion in Ukraine is a physical manifestation of their desire to undermine and “reconstruct” Orthodoxy on a global level. Subvert the true Church and replace it with a cheap copy, all dressed up pretty but dead on the inside, full of effeminate pansies who, for but a little silver, will sell out their Lord. Thus, they must lavish kisses on Jesus in the garden ("see how much we love Him!") — never mind the mobs with clubs, swords, and torches.
“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Lk. 22:48).
The True Church will stand, as it always has, through every storm. Will we stand faithful in Her, in Christ our Lord? Now is the time for courage.
Fr. Zechariah Lynch is an Orthodox priest in Pueblo, Colorado, at the Archangel Michael Orthodox Church. He blogs at The Inkless Pen, and is a regular contributor at Russian Faith.
