Protest Świętej Wspólnoty G. Atos skierowany do Patriarchy Bartłomieja z 2006

Pełen tekst: Mt. Athos Protest of Patriarch Batholomew, letter from all 20 Monasteries and Sketes

Holy Community, Holy Mountian Athos             Karyes, 30 December 2006

Protocol Number 2/7/2310

…

«We believe that our Holy Orthodox Church is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ, having the fullness of Grace and the Truth, and for this reason, an uninterrupted Apostolic Succession. On the contrary, the “churches” and the “confessions” of the West, having distorted the faith of the Gospel, the Apostles and the Fathers on many points, are deprived of the sanctifying Grace, the true Mysteries (Sacraments) and  Apostolic Succession…

Dialogues with the heterodox – if they are intended to inform them about the Orthodox Faith so that when they become receptive of divine enlightenment and their eyes are opened they might return to the Orthodox Faith – are not condemned.

In no way should a theological dialogue be accompanied by common prayers, participation in liturgical and worship assemblies, by either side and any other activities that might give the impression that our Orthodox Church acknowledges the Roman Catholics (or any Protestant confessions) as a complete Church and the Pope as a canonical (proper) Bishop of Rome.  Such acts mislead the Orthodox as well as the Roman Catholic (or Protestant) faithful, who are given a false impression of what Orthodoxy thinks of them….

With the Grace of God, the Holy Mountain remains faithful – as do the Orthodox people of the Lord – to the Faith of the Holy Apostles and the Holy Fathers, and also out of love for the heterodox, who are essentially helped, when the Orthodox with their steadfast Orthodox stance point out the extent of their spiritual ailment and the way they can be cured.

The failed attempts for union during the past teach us that for a permanent union, according to the will of God, within the Truth of the Church, the prerequisite is a different kind of preparation and course, than those which were followed in the past and appear to be followed to this day.»

By All the Representatives and Abbots of the common Assembly of the Twenty sacred monasteries of the Holy Mountain Athos

Monk Prodromos Gregoriates – Secretariat of the Sacred Community