EPISTLE OF HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN LAURUS

EPISTLE OF HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN LAURUS, FIRST HIERARCH OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OUTSIDE OF RUSSIA, ON THE REBURIAL OF THE REMAINS OF GENERAL ANTON I DENIKIN AND IVAN A ILYIN

Your Holiness Vladyko! Eminent Archpastors, Reverend Fathers, Brethren, Sisters and Children!

While making an archpastoral visit to monasteries and parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in Western Europe, I send this greeting to all the participants in the reburial in Moscow of the remains of General Anton I Denikin and Ivan A Ilyin, and join you in the prayers raised today for the repose of the souls of our national heroes who fought for Russia and our people: one who fought with arms, the other with the power of thought. Both later found themselves abroad, but neither forgot his motherland, their thoughts always directed towards Russia, and they lived for her, as did many Russian émigrés.

The reasons for the great exodus of one and a half million Russians after the Civil Warwere spiritual and moral: the desire to confess their faith and their ideals in freedom and openly, and also the desire to think and create freely, without submitting to the diktat of those who struggle against God. Russian Orthodox Christians who fled Russia always saw themselves as bearers of the wealthy Russian culture, which is infused with the spirit of Holy Rus. The preservation of our historical traditions had profound spiritual and moral foundations and aims. Russia Abroad never forgot its faith, its roots, never forgot the Russian language. During their existence apart from their homeland, Russian Orthodox Christians labored much, suffered much and built a great deal.

And now, praying today for the repose of the souls of General Denikin and Ivan Ilyin, I ask all to pray also for those who struggled with them, the builders of Russia Abroad, who fought for the freedom of their homeland while living there, and when scattered throughout the world, tried in every way possible to preserve Russia outside her borders, and pined for her rebirth. I hope that today's event will serve towards the healing of our people, that our common history will be rewritten, in all its truth, that the Soviet monopoly on historical thought would disappear and that we gradually return to the path trodden by our ancestors as they manifested our ideals of Holy Rus.

With love in the Lord, and asking your holy prayers,

+ Metropolitan Laurus,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

NOTE: Although in the Russian version, the form of address is "Vashe Svjatejshestvo, Svjatejshij Vladyko", with two phrases, the English text has only the one phrase "Your Holiness, Vladyko!"

The reason for that, is that the two Russian forms of address both equal the same thing in English: "Ego Svjatejshestvo, Patriarkh..." and "Svjatejshij Patriarkh" both mean "His Holiness, Patriarch..."

Quite often translators will render "Svjatejshij" as "the most holy", but this is not what it really means: not a personal holiness, but a title bestowed by the Church.

This Epistle was read at the Panikhida in Moscow, in the presence of the Patriarch and of clergy from both jurisdictions, by Archbishop Mark.

In Christ
Fr. John R. Shaw

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Remember, anything that is a HALF TRUTH is not truth but a lie! Many there are that you may know who fit those descriptions... pray for them. Pray that God will send his Spirit of Truth upon them and lead them to Salvation through tears of Repentance, conversion of their cold and calculating hearts toward seeking forgiveness from God and those whom they attempt to harm.

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We have learned that the organization we subscribe to, whose members come from various legal and law enforcement backgrounds amongst other areas of society, are committed to the faith even though they may hold different theologies. Yet, in their monitoring of electronic communications of various persons or people, they do not always make haste to bring perpetrators to justice until after enough evidence has been gained in order to build a solid case. We do not always know what information they have gained, but we do know the organization, whom we've been asked not to name, has had a 97% success rate in bringing to justice and obtaining a conviction against individuals, people, and sometimes even religious organizations of a persona that gives the appearance of both secular and religious bearing but who abuse and misuse technology. The organization views those who abuse and misuse the internet and other technologies as nothing more than a form of "domestic terrorism" - - - - and, it would seem to appear that the courts are in agreement!

Those kinds of people, organizations, etc. who misuse and abuse communication technologies are no different than those who attempt to use coercive measures, and in some instance, even blackmail for the same idea is involved... to cause havoc and wreckage, to destroy the spirit and activity of those who struggle in the faith out of pain of heart for the Orthodox Church which is TRUTH. The degree that some have been known to go to, as seen by other jurisdictions, is to take advantage of questionably mentally challenged or those who have a lack of education and understanding to get them to make statements, even outright lies, in writing, in order to destroy. Such persons or groups are spiritual terrorists for unholy and un-Orthodox causes, aims and goals.

Yes, our Metropolitan Archbishop, +Joseph Thaddeus, SSJt., Ph.D. strongly defends the Seals of the Confessional for such leads to true Repentance in thought, word and deed whereby the penitent is required to make amends, where possible, to seek forgiveness of those harmed by his actions whether real or imagined, and to give his forgiveness to those who have harmed him before taking the Holy Body and Blood in the Eucharist. The reality of this understanding is bound up in and with the findings for which cause he, himself, had been character assassinated by his detractors who claim the courts prevented him from breaking the Seals of the Confessional which is not the truth at all.... Click here to see what another bishop's findings are...

The workings of Holy Spirit will not be daunted by those who attempt to cause disruption! It is for these and other reasons that you are urged to read what true repentance and forgiveness means for real "Christians".

For further information about how spammers, hackers and those who are angry with you can or will attempt to do damage, we offer the following link as regards some of the computer - internet problems:

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