We should define Ecumenism and what it means to be an Ecumenist.
Ecumenism is a new heresy which has appeared in our days, and Ecumenists are the followers and expounders of this movement. Ecumenism is a fearful and dangerous heresy from which we Orthodox must stand far apart. Indeed, we ought to fight against it by enlightening those Orthodox who are ignorant of Ecumenism and what it entails.
Ecumenism maintains that: the truth and Grace of Christ is not to be found in any one single Church, but partially in all Churches. A little bit of it is to be found in the Orthodox Church, a little bit in the Papal, and a little bit in the Protestant Churches. Now if we put all these Churches together and create an Ecumenical Church we also unite all the pieces of the faith and the truth, and come up with the whole truth of Christ. The Ecumenical Church, the Ecumenists claim, is a tree with many branches. (This is the so-called "Branch Theory"). In this way they try to deceive the simple-minded. Each branch is a Church. Orthodoxy is one branch, Papalism another, Protestantism yet another, and so on. Put all the branches together as composing one tree and you come up with the Church of Christ-which of course is a "Church" of all the heresies and false teachings.But if this is so, then one ask, where is the one Church which Lord Jesus Christ established? Where is the one and only truth, the one body, the one Spirit, the one Lord, the one faith, the one baptism of which St. Paul speaks (Eph. 4, 4-6)? How can Orthodoxy stand side by side with heresy, faith with unbelief, truth with error? It is impossible.
Ecumenism was invented supposedly to do away with division and unite divided Christianity. But that which is divided cannot be joined, and the Ecumenists shall never achieve the "union of the Churches" because there are not many Churches but only one Church of Christ: The Orthodox Catholic Church which all may join by repenting of their errors and by renouncing their false doctrines.
Then shall we have the wondrous union of all in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ. This is the universality and ecumenicity of the Church. This, and not Ecumenism.
Ecumenism is a new heresy which has appeared in our days, and Ecumenists are the followers and expounders of this movement. Ecumenism is a fearful and dangerous heresy from which we Orthodox must stand far apart. Indeed, we ought to fight against it by enlightening those Orthodox who are ignorant of Ecumenism and what it entails.
Ecumenism maintains that: the truth and Grace of Christ is not to be found in any one single Church, but partially in all Churches. A little bit of it is to be found in the Orthodox Church, a little bit in the Papal, and a little bit in the Protestant Churches. Now if we put all these Churches together and create an Ecumenical Church we also unite all the pieces of the faith and the truth, and come up with the whole truth of Christ. The Ecumenical Church, the Ecumenists claim, is a tree with many branches. (This is the so-called "Branch Theory"). In this way they try to deceive the simple-minded. Each branch is a Church. Orthodoxy is one branch, Papalism another, Protestantism yet another, and so on. Put all the branches together as composing one tree and you come up with the Church of Christ-which of course is a "Church" of all the heresies and false teachings.But if this is so, then one ask, where is the one Church which Lord Jesus Christ established? Where is the one and only truth, the one body, the one Spirit, the one Lord, the one faith, the one baptism of which St. Paul speaks (Eph. 4, 4-6)? How can Orthodoxy stand side by side with heresy, faith with unbelief, truth with error? It is impossible.
Ecumenism was invented supposedly to do away with division and unite divided Christianity. But that which is divided cannot be joined, and the Ecumenists shall never achieve the "union of the Churches" because there are not many Churches but only one Church of Christ: The Orthodox Catholic Church which all may join by repenting of their errors and by renouncing their false doctrines.
Then shall we have the wondrous union of all in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ. This is the universality and ecumenicity of the Church. This, and not Ecumenism.
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