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You and your sister ask for confirmation of the truth of our religion. I cannot write to her, but I ask you to convey to her my respects and apologies for not writing to her, having my own reasons for this: lack of time and weakness. The truth of our Orthodox Eastern Church is confirmed by the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, St. His Apostle, St. teachers of the Church, seven Ecumenical Councils and many local ones. In our Church the foundation and head is Christ. Until the tenth century, the Eastern and Western Churches were of one faith and agreement, and they still professed Church dogmas; and when the Roman Church began to introduce new dogmas against councils and decrees and teachings of the Church, and by itself granted primacy to the pope, then it thereby separated from the Orthodox Church; and our Church to this day consists in the purity of the teachings and dogmas of justice, as it was established. The head of our Church is Christ Himself. Every member of the Church must know and be firmly confident in the truth of our Church; That’s why it bears the name: Orthodox, conciliar, apostolic. There are many books in which the purity and correctness of the teaching and confession of our Church is explained and preached; in the first - the symbol of faith, set out at the first and second Ecumenical Councils and approved by the other five Ecumenical Councils, and excommunication from the Church was imposed for wrong confession; but the Roman Church has changed the teaching of this symbol and professes the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son, spontaneously, in opposition to the teaching of the conciliar Orthodox Church. This detailed teaching of our Church is depicted in catechisms, in the Orthodox Confession of the Eastern Church, in patriarchal letters to the Anglican Church, and in many others, which I do not mention. And the evidence and affirmations of the truth of our Church are clearly explained in the district letter of the Eastern patriarchs to all Orthodox Christians, printed this year in the September book of Christian Reading, on page 133, and in the response of the Orthodox Church to the district letter of the Pope, Pius IX, to the Orthodox in the East, printed in the addition to the Creation of St. fathers, this year, in the 1st book, on page 31. Also, in the various writings of our pastors and teachers of the Church, one can find much evidence for those who seek the truth with a right heart; I am silent about many, but I will mention some: in the Christian Reading of 1843, in the 1st part, on page 454, an article was published: The Head of the Church, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The same year, a special book was published: about the Orthodox Church of Christ, 1844; also a special book: about the Orthodoxy of the Russian Church; these are also placed in Christian Reading. A critical review of the teaching of the Roman Church about the visible head of the Church was published in 1841 in Kyiv. – The Truth of the Universal Church, published in 1841 in St. Petersburg. One of the clergy there must have all these books; and if not, then Fr. certainly has them. A... S... and it’s best to ask for his advice, or even more so, guidance, in this important matter. He is quite knowledgeable in this teaching. I can’t write anything more to you, as, having wished you and your sister and your husband peace, health and salvation, I remain the unworthy hieromonk Macarius. September 24. You might be interested in: