Послание 25. К Никифору, патриарху

Using our humble letter as a kind of veil, out of reverence for the Angel of your blessedness, we, humble ones, appear before your most holy head as necessary. For John, our co-servant and disciple, has already informed us that, having been honored to bow to you most respectfully, he heard something strange and unbearable from your blessedness. “You,” said your beatitude, “are renegades from the Church.” Your Beatitude! What sorrow should our soul rightly indulge in at these words? How not to express an excuse before your holiness, so as not to confirm the accusations by silence? But before acquitting, I respectfully report that one should not open one’s ears to anyone who wants to say something against someone and speak out against the accused person without a trial. “Does our law,” says the Scripture, “judge a man, unless they first hear him and know what he does” (John 7:51)? This should have been done even when your blessedness heard something difficult and regrettable about our humility. Truly, what evil is greater than separation from the Church and for a sheep to lose its archpastor or co-shepherd? For to us sinners, although unworthily, belongs the anointing from God and the name of the shepherd, so that - I dare say - we can endure, reason, instill, both in private and in front of others, according to the teaching transmitted from the Lord: “between you and him alone” or “with two or three”; and whoever persists after this, as He says, “will be like a pagan and a publican to you” (Matthew 18:15-17). Until now, we have not heard anything like this from your holy soul, either through a messenger or personally, and have not received any suggestion; and pronounce such a sentence! Let your perfection judge whether this sorrow was justly inflicted on your children? Let us move on to justification itself, giving an account to the Omnipresent God and to your holiness. We are not renegades, holy head, from the Church of God; May this never happen to us! Although we are guilty of many other sins, we are Orthodox and children of the Catholic Church, rejecting all heresy and accepting all recognized ecumenical and local Councils, as well as the canonical decrees uttered by them. For he is not fully, but half Orthodox, who believes that he contains the right faith, but is not guided by divine rules. And we accepted your blessedness, when you were elevated, just as we confessed it openly before you. And from that time until now, we, as befits, remember your blessedness during the sacred rite; and – God is the Witness! - if on that day you wanted to enter into communication with us, then we would have communication with you, without any doubt: because you have been kind to us from the very beginning. But this excitement is because of him, because of the steward, whom the truth itself has deposed as guilty of violating many rules. For even before open adultery, he not only performed divine services for this emperor, who had committed adultery with different persons, gave him communion and feasted with him, but also “had a portion” with him (John 13:8), from which he became ready for open outrage, despising God and the Divine statutes. And to make what has been said clearer - not for teaching, no, but for reminding - if you wish, pay attention to the sacred sequence of the wedding and see what offense to the Holy Spirit occurs in such contradictions 44. For what the priest says, God also correctly affirms, according to the words of the great Dionysius. Therefore, we ask your excellence to prohibit the priesthood of the one who was deposed by the rules and the predecessor of your holiness was excommunicated for nine whole years, and invaded illegally. We have opened our humble lips now that we are forced to do so. For when that small meeting took place (I don’t know what to call it), then I was returning from prison and, seeing those gathered who had previously approved of adultery and accepted the one who combined adulterers, I remembered the prophetic words: “The wise will remain silent until the time,” for the time is evil (Sir. 20:7). But since the prophet says: “I have been silent for a long time, will I really always remain silent?” (Isa.42:14), - then I, having been subjected to slander, at the opportune time expressed what was proposed. As far as it depended on me, I was in every possible way in the last two years that this matter would come to light, reasoning within myself: since I, not having episcopal dignity, cannot denounce, then for me it is enough to protect myself and not enter into communication with him and with those who obviously serve with him until the temptation ceases. So, we ask and implore that your holy soul will be inclined to curb this man, so that your immaculate holiness will not be reproached and the divine altar will not be desecrated by the service of the deposed one and there will be no valid reasons for schisms. May your blessedness know truly and clearly that if this is not done at the behest of both your God-loving soul and our most pious and victorious Emperors (for they are zealots), then God alone knows what will happen to us who come out to defend the commandment; and in our Church - God the Witness and His chosen Angels - a great schism will occur. Have pity, good shepherd, help, knowledgeable physician, your flock, your sheep, your churches, the measures of your wisdom, the words of your prudence, the means of your healing - separate one sheep from priestly service alone, and you will achieve everything. Let not the Church, “which our Lord and God purchased with His Blood” (Acts 20:28), become infected with the scab of one! Those. between the prayer of the marriage ceremony and the actions of the steward. You might be interested in: