You Will Know Them by Their Fruits: The Rancid & Ecumenist Fruit of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

The Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Titanic of all the world's Orthodox Patriarchates, exhibited another proud public display of heretical ecumenism which took place in Naples, Italy, where Bartholomew participated in a joint prayer service with the Papist Cardinal Domenico Battaglia. According to the Chiesa di Napoli (Church of Naples) website, “His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and His Excellency Mons. Domenico Battaglia, Metropolitan Archbishop of Naples, Grand Chancellor of PFTIM, will preside over the Ecumenical Prayer, Wednesday 22 November 2023, at 6 pm, at the Basilica Incoronata Madre del Buon Consiglio” [1].

Patriarch Bartholomew with Papist Archbishop Domenico Battaglia and other heretics after an ecumenical prayer service.

The heresiarch Bartholomew has lately been ramping up his heretical ecumenist activity for what seems to be part of the plan for his false union with the Latin Papists in 2025. During this visit, as with many of his past visits, he has blatantly discarded the apostolic canons to pursue his heretical ecumenist agenda. As we can see from the official website of the Church of Naples, this ecumenical prayer service between Bartholomew and Battaglia was held within a papist church in which the cardinal was presiding. According to the Canons of the Holy and Altogether August Apostles, Canon LXIV states that, “If any clergyman or layman shall enter into a synagogue of Jews or heretics (i.e. Latins) to pray, let the former be deposed and let the latter be excommunicated” [2].

During the service with his episcopal staff in hand and dressed in his Orthodox episcopal Mantiya, which is worn by Orthodox bishops when formally entering what is supposed to be an Orthodox Church and presiding over what are supposed to be the services of the Eastern Orthodox, not those of condemned heretics, we can see Bartholomew also in blatant violation of another Canon of the Holy and Altogether August Apostles, Canon XLV which states, “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].

In addition to these very public heretical activities of the arch-heresiarch of Istanbul, upon his return to the Phanar, “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the Great Vespers at the Patriarchal Church on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, to commemorate the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the Founder of the Church of Constantinople” [4]. What greater insult can this Arch-Heresiarch give to our Holy Saint Andrew the First-Called than to violate the Holy Apostolic Canons and then dare to celebrate his memory? To add insult to injury, Bartholomew, in welcoming his guests, honors an official delegation from the Vatican stating unequivocally his intended purposes of his heretical ecumenism which is journeying towards “unity in the Divine Eucharist” [5]. During this welcoming of his papist guests he states,

We extend a gracious welcome to the esteemed delegation from the sister Church of Rome, led by Cardinal Kurt Koch. The presence of such Delegations during the Thronal Feast symbolizes and embodies the spirit of ecumenism that has prevailed in our relations since the 1960s, marking a significant chapter in our journey towards unity in the Divine Eucharist. Our steps toward this blessed goal remain steadfast, driven by a mutual trust and an unwavering determination to fulfill our divine calling. We are confident that the convergence of our Churches contributes to the dialogue and peace at large. Christianity and the religious traditions hold principles not only for nurturing inner spiritual peace but also for striving to establish peace in human relationships and society [6].

For all of those clergy and laity who fall under the putrid omophorion of this heretical and graceless pseudo-bishop; we have to wonder how much of this heretical ecumenism and utter disregard for the scriptures, saints, church fathers, canons, ecumenical councils, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself is going to be tolerated. Is this what our saintly forbearers taught us? To remain with those clergymen who are in league with the demons? 'Oh, how harsh' some will say! But is it? Where, in fact, does heresy come from if not from the author of lies and his satanical minions? What have the holy apostles who wrote the holy epistles taught us concerning these false teachers? In the Holy Epistle to the Galatians, Saint Paul writes concerning those teaching another gospel saying,

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:6-9, NKJV) [7].

In the 2nd Epistle to the Thessalonians, Saint Paul gives his command concerning those brethren who are departing from the tradition which was delivered stating, “We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6, NKJV) [8]. Was this a recommendation of Saint Paul? As can be clearly seen, this was an apostolic command — not a recommendation as some would like it to be. “Lastly, in the Epistle of Saint Jude, the final epistle in the New Testament before the Apocalypse of Saint John, Saint Jude warns us that even in his time “certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ […] they are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 4; 12-13, NKJV)” [9], [10].

The holy apostles and what they have taught concerning false teachers and preachers of heresy is abundantly clear. In every reference the apostles command us to depart and to flee from these false teachers and preachers of heresies. As an apostolic command, faithful Orthodox Christians do not walk behind these heretics and follow them to their own severe judgment; but flee to the faithful shepherds of the flock who remain untainted by heresy and hold to the traditions as they were delivered to us. Lastly, we must always keep in mind what our Lord, God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ has said concerning these false teachers, who in our present day, are wolves not in sheep’s clothing but in the vestments and miter of an Orthodox bishop. In the Holy Gospel of Saint Matthew, Christ warns us about these false teachers saying,

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? ’And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:15-23, NKJV).

Let us heed the words of our Saviour, let us heed the apostolic warnings and commandments of those holy apostles who taught us in the scriptures what we are to do when these wolves make their way into the Church. Christ our Lord tells us that we will know them by their fruit, and the fruit from the Phanar in Istanbul is nothing but sulfuric and rancid.

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References

[1]. “Preghiera Ecumenica Con Don Mimmo Battaglia E S.S. Bartolomeo I,” Chiesa di Napolia, accessed November 30th, 2023, https://www.chiesadinapoli.it/preghiera-ecumenica/

[2]. Holy Apostles, “The Canons of the Holy and Altogether August Apostles, Canon LXIV,” in Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers, ed. Philip Schaff & Henry Wace (Peabody: Hendrickson Publications, 1999), 598.

[3]. Ibid., 597.

[4]. “Ecumenical Patriarch: The convergence of our Churches contributes to the dialogue and peace,” Orthodox Times, accessed November 30th, 2023, https://orthodoxtimes.com/ecumenical-patriarch-the-convergence-of-our-churches-contributes-to-the-dialogue-and-peace-at-large/

[5]. Ibid.

[6]. Ibid.

[7]. Epistle to the Galatians 1:6-9, NKJV.

[8]. 2nd Epistle to the Thessalonians 3:6, NKJV.

[9]. Epistle of Jude 4; 12-13, NKJV.

[10]. “Heresy & Heretics: According to the Holy Apostles in the New Testament,” Orthodox Traditionalist Publications — Blog, accessed November 30th, 2023, https://www.orthodoxtraditionalist.com/post/heresy-heretics-according-to-the-holy-apostles-in-the-new-testament