Послание 30. К Никифору, патриарху 55

There is no need to state in a letter to the Angel of your beatitude what was expressed with our lips, although not from both of us, humble ones. But so that the Council of Bishops, which met yesterday at your command, and said something inconsistent with what we said there, would not disturb your sacred ears, we considered it appropriate to briefly present the entire essence of our justification. We, His Beatitude, are Orthodox in everything, reject all heresy and accept every recognized ecumenical and local Council, and also firmly adhere to the sacred and canonical decrees uttered by them. For he who is considered to have the right faith, and is not guided by divine rules, does not strictly observe the word of truth. In addition, we also accept the legal oikonomia, sometimes used by saints, for the real relationship of us, the humble, with your holiness regarding the eruption of the economy is the work of those who do not act exactly according to the rules, but adapt to circumstances and yield; and with the predecessor of your holiness, His Holiness the Patriarch, we communicated in the same way on the present matter, when we returned from exile and the adulterous marriage was dissolved, and the steward was excommunicated from the priesthood. “Let us have no part with you,” we said, “neither in this century nor in the future; because you, without distinction, allow an adulterer to have fellowship with your holiness.” When he said: “I acted according to the circumstances, yielding to him for the time being,” and then expressed himself this way: “Let my hands be cut off if they committed an adulterous wedding; did I get married? - then we began to have communication with him until his death. And we also accepted your holiness in the dignity of an archbishop, just as we commemorate you every day during sacred services, and we have no disagreements with you in anything, except that it concerns the steward, who was deposed by sacred rules for many reasons, especially because after a nine-year excommunication he again began to officiate, and not in some hidden place - that would have been bearable, since we would not have taken part in this matter - but in the very source of our shrine, i.e. is in clear communication with you and serves together constantly. Therefore, it is just, and righteous, and necessary for the people of God, and especially our rank, to avoid temptation, that anyone who intrudes unworthily should be excommunicated from priestly service, and we should continue to remember your holiness and have fellowship with every hierarch and priest who has not been openly condemned, according to the teachings of St. Gregory the Theologian. If this does not take place due to our sins, then let it not happen - we say not out of fear, but out of compassion for society - with our humility, something wrong and illegal is done by your holiness! For we, on our part, will endure by the power of God, no matter what happens by His will, but we testify to your holiness before the face of Christ and before the holy Angels that a great schism will occur in our Church. Although we are subject to authority as human beings, we are also governed and guided by the authority of sacred and divine rules, willy-nilly. However, we beg your holiness: incline your ear and hear our voice, like a knowledgeable doctor, like a good shepherd; separate one sheep from priestly service and deliver everyone from temptation... We are your friends and praisers, as well as our most pious and victorious rulers. If we are like that, then why the confusion? Why does something happen that is contrary to the commandments of God? Honor us with your sacred prayer. You might be interested in: