Open Rebuke of Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev

9/9/2018

Mikhaylov’s Hilarion at Work

I denounce the comments of Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev and invite you to do the same

How should an Orthodox hierarchy speak? With loving pearls of wisdom, quoting the inheritance of church fathers, or with prayers for unity? Not if you’re the mouthpiece for the Moscow Patriarchate. You employ threats, ad hominins, and base insults, desperately like Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.

Fear-mongering Soviet style propaganda oozes from the Russian hierarch during a September 9, 2018 four-minute video. An explosive castigation of the Ecumenical Patriarch entitled "Patriarch Bartholomew will answer before God and History." Jammed into this 4-minute scolding +Hilarion pronounces:

“Lawlessness of actions” Patriarch of Constantinople sending Exarchs to Ukraine
“we will be forced to push for counter measures”
“the status of the [Ukrainian] church is optimal”
“Constantinople wants to start the war” “… it is a war against Orthodox Unity”
“we will sever communion with Constantinople”
“Constantinople will lose right to be leader of Orthodox Church”
“Patriarch of Constantinople considers himself to be the leader of the Orthodox church”
“Patriarch of Constantinople wants to be Orthodox Pope”
“He likes to call himself spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians in the planet”
“Half [of Orthodoxy] will not consider him first bishop"

What does one glean from +Hilarion’s “image and essence” encoded in this statement? One concludes the spin-doctors of the Kremlin are operational but, rather illiterate in ecclesial matters. Intentionally misrepresenting and subverting longstanding ecclesiastically canonical understanding. One doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. +Hilarion profanes everything he mentions.

Though not a propagandists by profession, few can deny the power the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk wields as he repeatedly makes false claims. His accusations do much harm or destroy Orthodox unity. His lack of philotimo, particularly regarding inter-Orthodox dialogues like the Holy and Great Synod and his inability to produce evidence to back up his claims take the sheen off his reputation. +Hilarion’s name has become synonymous with the tactic of making reckless, unsubstantiated accusations against one’s contemporaries designed to challenge their character or faith for political gain.

Metropolitan Hilarion “since you still have a great deal of worldly pride, a great deal of vainglory, our Christ lets you make mistakes and fall, so that you perceive and come to know your weakness every day, so that you become patient with others who make mistakes, and so that you do not judge the brethren when they make mistakes, but rather put up with them.” – Elder Joseph the Hesychast

Having personal interactions with him I can say by all accounts, not a very nice guy, impetus, and insular.

Youtube Link to Video: https://youtu.be/fnhooRbXc58

Author

By the Grace of God Archon Elias Damianakis has ministered in the study of Holy Iconography since 1980. In his biography you can read about Elias' life and on his portfolio page you can see where he has rendered some of his hand painted iconography or visit the photo galleries to see some of his work. There is a complete list of featured articles, awards and testimonials which you can visit, as well as a list of notable achievements here below. Please contact Elias for more information or suggestions for this website, thank you and God Bless.

Deacon Richard Zogheb

9/9/2018 11:09:23 am

Metropolitan Hilarion is correct and exact in his comments. The Ecumenical Patriarch forgets his place as an Orthodox Patriarch (first among equals and no more) and instead thinks himself and his although respected (but sadly irrelevant) Patriarchate for its long outdated historical relevance ONLY. He regards himself as an Orthodox Pontiff equal to the Pope.creating a non-existent reality for himself and those under him. Stay out of geopolitics and concern yourself with your pastoral duties.

James Chater

9/10/2018 08:54:35 am

The elephant in the room is the fact that Russia and Ukraine are AT WAR. Whatever the canonical niceties, you can't separate politics from religion. Without the war this would problably not have happened.

James Valentino

9/10/2018 11:35:57 am

Metropolitan Hilarion is correct in his statements here. They are not slander in any sense but rather perfect analyses on what is occurring.

It is safe to say this article, here is propaganda on the other hand meant to skew the reader with emotional statements much like most left wing media.

Are we not supposed to support Church canons and oppose those who try to disfigure and pervert them? Shame.

Panayiotis

7/1/2021 07:17:02 am

No Hilarion Alfeyev is not correct, he’s completely in error and spiritual delusion.

Christopher

9/10/2018 09:05:31 pm

Get out of your stupid shell. The EP is abandoning the faith and Elias Damianakis...if you side with him just because you are an Archon you are just as guilty as he is and shame on you. The Church has canons everyone has to follow most of all the bishops. The EP has no right to grant autocephaly to a schismatic militant group that murders the parishioners and steals property from the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate. The EP is going against canon law, against a sister church over ego and power. He is not an eastern Pope we had a scisim over that 1000+ years ago. If he wants to be a papist let him join the Roman Catholic Church as a Cardinal. He will have to answer before Christ for these actions. The EP is a modern Judas.

7/1/2021 07:18:55 am

How dare you disrespect our Ecumenical Patriarch like this…..who do you think you are!!!

Pietros

7/1/2021 10:30:27 pm

I think you’re the one that’s stupid christopher, look at your beloved Moscow patriarchate……..it’s a hive full of iniquities, sins, corruption, immorality and filth!!!

Tymofiy Hawrysh

9/12/2018 12:29:32 am

In 1448 Mucovy uncanonically separated her dioceses from the Kyiv Metropolia, in a schism. Then Muscovy self-proclaimed autocephaly, remaining unrecognized by other Orthodox Churches for 150 years.
Moscow has no Tomos of Autocephaly.
(Moscow celebrated 500 years of autocephaly in 1948.)

In 1686, Musvovy's Russian emmisaries met with the Sultan, asking for the Kyiv Metropolia to be transferred to Moscow in a bid to prevent the Sultan from attacking Russia in 1687.

Muscovy emissaries gave 200 gold coins and 120 valuable furs to Patriarch Dionysius.

Patriarch Dionysius was summoned by the Sultan and commanded to do as he was told. Patriarch Dionysius refused but after continued pressure from the Sultan, gave the following temporary administrative authority to Muscovy.
1. The parishes were to commemorate the Patriarch of Constantinople first, then the local bishops.
2. Muscovy was given temporary authority to consecrate the Metropolitan of Kyiv.

The Sultan attacked Russia anyways in 1687.

After the Sultan lost influence and the Poles were repelled, the Patriarch of Constantinople requested the Kyiv Metropolia be returned. Muscovy's response was, "You have 200 coins for it."

Later the Moscow Patriarchate interpreted a Canon to say that those areas under a certain jurisdiction for 30 years remain under that authority.
The canon however refers only to a new parish or town that borders two dioceses. After that parish is under one diocese for 30 years, it remains under the omophorion of that bishop. The Canon does not refer at all to a diocese or a Metropolia.

Later under Catherine the Tsaritsa, Russian scholars were instructed to and spent 10 years rewriting Muscovy & Russian history. One fable among many they invented was that the EP wrote a Tomos giving Muscovy autocephaly.

Moscow has no canonical right over the Kyiv Metropolia. Military force kept the Kyiv Metropolia under Muscovy until and through the USSR.

The Patriarchate of Constantinople is the Mother Church of Ukraine since 988 when the Baptism of Kyvian Rus into Orthodoxy took place. When a Tomos of Autocephaly is bestowed upon Kyiv, canonical wrongs will be corrected by the Mother Church, the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

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