Subdeacon Nektarios, M.A.
In yet another unsurprising act of heretical ecumenism among the World "Orthodox" primates of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the Orthodox Church in America, and the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America, the respective first hierarchs—Elpidophoros, Tikhon, and Irinej—prayerfully participated in the heretical Papist Mass during the installation of Roman Catholic Cardinal Robert McElroy as the 8th Archbishop of Washington, D.C.
As reported by the Orthodox Observer—the media arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America—in a tagged post with the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical, and Interfaith Relations:
On March 11, 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America attended the installation Mass of the eighth Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, His Eminence Cardinal Robert McElroy. He personally congratulated the newly-installed Archbishop. The ceremony, held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., included a service and procession of local and visiting Cardinals, Bishops and Clergy. Cardinal McElroy was installed by His Eminence Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.
In early January, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal McElroy, then Bishop of San Diego, as Archbishop of Washington, and accepted the retirement of his predecessor Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington since 2019. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington includes Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s [1].
All of these pseudo-bishops from the three major World "Orthodox" jurisdictions remained throughout the entirety of the hierarchal Novus Ordo Mass. Each of them can be seen on the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s YouTube channel participating in the blasphemous Creed of the Latins, the recitation of the Our Father, the polluted consecration of the Latin pseudo-mysteries, and, finally, giving the Kiss of Peace to the Papist clergy serving at their altar [2].
As all True Orthodox Christians know, this heretical ecumenist activity is absolutely contrary to the canons of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Yet without impunity, these false teachers and pseudo-bishops violate Apostolic Canon 45, Canon 64, and Canon 33 of the Council of Laodicea, which state, respectively:
Canon XLV: Let a bishop, presbyter, or deacon, who has only prayed with heretics, be excommunicated: but if he has permitted them to perform any clerical office, let him be deposed [3].
Canon LXIV: If any clergyman or layman shall enter into a synagogue of Jews or heretics to pray, let the former be deposed and let the latter be excommunicated [4].
Canon XXXIII: No one shall join in prayers with heretics or schismatics [5].
Also in attendance at this Mass, standing alongside Bishops Elpidophoros, Tikhon, and Irinej throughout these liturgical events, were representatives of the ecumenically condemned Monophysite jurisdiction, as well as other non-Christian figures—including a female Jewish rabbi and a Muslim imam.
The Lord Himself has warned us of these false teachers in Scripture, saying: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits" (St. Matthew 7:15, KJV). Is this not proof enough that one cannot remain in communion with these unrepentant pseudo-bishops who not only preach another gospel but live by another gospel, another ethos, and another faith—one that is not truly Orthodox?
Saint Paul, in the Holy Scriptures, commands us: "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us" (2 Thessalonians 3:6, KJV).
Is praying inside a house of heresy, alongside Latin Papists, Monophysite Copts, Jews, and Muslims, walking orderly and according to tradition? God forbid! You must follow the example of the Holy Apostles and flee from these heretical bishops, as Saint Paul has commanded us to do.
In the very liturgical text of the Orthodox Church, in commemoration of the Holy New Hieromartyr Maximus Sandovich, we pray during Great Vespers:
Spurning the heresy of the Latins, thou didst flee to Mount Pochaev, the bastion of pure Orthodoxy; and with the holy hierarch Anthony as thy teacher, thou didst study the doctrines of piety and the dogmas of truth. And after thine ordination to the priesthood, thou didst return to thy native land, where thou didst nurture thy pious flock in the pastures of righteousness. Pray thou, that we all be saved [6].
How can these pseudo-bishops, in one breath, pray alongside Latin heretics, and in the next, stand at an Orthodox altar and recite prayers that condemn the very heresy of the Latins while praising the saints who fled from it?
