Recently someone told me that ROCOR didn’t actually split from the ROC. Supposedly, after the revolution, the church just ceased to exist, making the current ROCOR the only church for a short period of time before orthodoxy was picked up again after the start of the revolution. There’s so much info out there, written by clergy but it’s all so different. First I hear ROCOR will be self-governing, then not, etc… How do we know what to believe? Both can’t be right. They also gave me this article by archbishop Tikhon but I haven’t finished it yet:
http://www.karlovtchanin.com/index.php?module=pages&act=print_page&pid=178 Here are the things that stood out to me:
Two or three years will pass and they will send professional intelligence agents from the RF to replace You, and there will be no mercy shown by the FSB and MP toward those who worked for the unification. They will confiscate churches and property, they will “retire” those who disagree, and not a trace will remain of the autonomy bought at the price of betrayal and capitulation. You will be treated as “enemies of the people”, just as the deceived repatriates after WWII, who believed the tender words and “brotherly” embraces of the hierarchs of the Soviet Church. Remember where and how the ROCOR hierarchs and clergy of China who “reunited” with the MP ended their lives
[I know nothing about this but it sounds interesting. Can anyone explain this some more to me??].
But You and we see that the MP has no intention of repenting, and as before, it decisively defends the trueness of sergianism, considering ROCOR to be in schism. The MP did not make concessions to the Church Abroad, but ROCOR recognized the “course of Metropolitan Sergii” as worthy and correct, and Metropolitan Laurus and Archbishop Mark repented before the MP on ROCOR's behalf for the “sin of schism”
[this seems a little excessive and unnecessary].
Don't believe the stories that the MP has changed for the better; changes in the MP occurred only on paper - in the “Social Concept” and in the documents of the union commissions, but inside, everything remains the same. Now the sergianism world view has become even stronger and more entrenched than in the days of Met. Sergii, and has afflicted the entire MP church organism from the episcopacy and clergy to the ordinary faithful.
Remember, that You are dealing with professional CHEKA agents, experienced psychologists and directors. At the Sobor, an attempt will be made to lead You into delusion, to lull Your vigilance, to distract You from the primary issues and focus on secondary ones. Remember this and do not permit Yourself to be deceived.
