If you think evil of people, it means you have an evil spirit in you whispering evil thoughts about others. And if a man dies without repenting, without having forgiven his brother, his soul will go to the place where lives the evil spirit which possessed his soul. This is the law we have: if you forgive others, it is a sign that the Lord has forgiven you,; but if you refuse to forgive, then your own sin remains with you.
St Silouan the Athonite
"And yet the just judgment of God does not spare those either who did not hear him. For whoever have sinned without the law will perish without the law (Rom 2:12). And although they think that they have an excuse, he does not accept this excuse..."
~ St. Augustine, Letter 194.27
Schiarchimandrite Iona (Ignatenko) (1925–2012)
Schiarchimandrite Iona (Ignatenko) was one of the most famous Odessa elders of the 20th century and a long-time priest of the Holy Dormition Odessa Monastery. From his youth, he endured the difficult trials of an atheistic era, combining monastic labours with unceasing prayer and spiritual mentorship. He was known for his humble life, his ascetic feats of fasting, and his zeal for spiritual devotion. He left behind the memory of a holy elder from whom many sought solace and spiritual counsel. Below is a brief excerpt from a recorded spiritual talk by this God-fearing elder, in which he speaks about prayer, labour, modern distractions, and the salvation of the soul.
Archimandrite Gabriel (Bunge)on the Western Rite: The Western liturgy is acceptable to Orthodox monasticism if, in form and content, it is faithful to the common Apostolic Tradition. We know full well that this was the case in the first millennium. My limited personal experience+
Sanctus Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis, Episcopus Hipponensis, Confessor, Sacrae Theologiae Doctor, Ecclesiae Catholicae Doctor, Doctor Gratiae, Pater et Magister Ecclesiae, Praeclarissimus Ecclesiae Occidentalis Pater, Defensor Fidei, etc.
Has no error.
“And here is one rule for you, the rule of the 6th Ecumenical Council. There is a phrase in the Bible that says: no man should put on women's clothes, and no woman should wear men's clothes, for whoever so does this is an abomination before God”
- Metropolitan Philaret of NY
That time an advisor told Saint Justinian to hire a black magician called Masedes in order to defeat the Persians and he replied victory would be obtained by the aid of Jesus Christ, not Satan. He then had Masedes burnt at the stake. 💪🏻☦️
“…It is not becoming, even in married women, to uncover their hair, since the apostle commands women to keep their heads covered.”
Source : St. Augustine of Hippo. “Epistula CCXLV (Letter 245) to Bishop Possidius”
‘What was the tragedy of the Old Testament? However a man might live, he would inevitably end up in Hades, that is, he would inevitably be cut off from God. His communion with God was limited to earthly life alone, and whoever he might be—righteous or sinful, Pagan or Jew—a portion in hades awaited him. Hades, according to this conception, was threefold: Abraham’s bosom, where the righteous were; Sheol, a place deprived of light; and Gehenna, of fire, where the most hardened sinners were.
Abraham’s bosom, of course, was better than nothing, but even there, speaking conditionally, there was only a Sabbath meal, and that was all. God was not there. In that place there was a gulf, as we read in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
And this gulf was overcome by Christ’s Resurrection. He came there, and from that time forth there is no place where the Lord has not been present. Therefore there gradually takes shape an understanding of death as a passage. Linguists may dispute this with me, but “Pascha” itself may be interpreted as “passage.” At the boundary between earthly life and eternal life there is Pascha, which becomes an altogether new life for Man.’
–Archpriest Andre (Bityukov)
Patriarchal reaction in Bulgaria to “Pride parades”
The need for the Orthodox Church to support the family is emphasised to the faithful. The Churches of Greece and Cyprus remain silent.
The Bulgarian Patriarchate, in an official statement, expressed its disagreement with and opposition to the holding of “Sofia Pride 2026”, which took place on 13 June in the Bulgarian capital.
Patriarchate of Bulgaria: “With pastoral love, we address both the organisers and the participants of this event, as well as all our compatriots. The Church rejects no one and never ceases to pray for every human being, but it is obliged to bear clear witness to the truth of the Gospel and to protect its faithful children from spiritual delusion.
True freedom does not consist in the affirmation of every desire or pursuit, but in following the truth which sets man free and leads him to the fullness of life in God.
We call upon all state institutions, public organisations and our entire society to cooperate in promoting marriage and the family, strengthening the moral foundations of the people, and preserving the spiritual and cultural values upon which Bulgarian statehood is based.
No nation can have a healthy future if it weakens respect for the family, parenthood and the moral foundations which generations of Bulgarians have preserved and passed on as their invaluable heritage.”
@blessedmikko A degree of skepticism regarding St. Augustine is also present among figures within ROCOR such as Metropolitan Philaret or Father Seraphin Rose!
While I do, of course, want you back, what you are identifying is nevertheless a real and glaring problem. One that we must overcome, & one that remains a massive roadblock to any serious possibility of success for the Church and Western society generally speaking.
It should be noted, however, that anti-Augustinism is now in vogue across the board. This is not confined to Anglophone Orthodox communities, nor is it limited to disputes over original sin & salvation.
It extends also to Augustine’s mostly correct teaching on sexual ethics and moral theology—teaching which modernists sought to overthrow in the 20th century, and which, in many respects, they effectively succeeded in overthrowing. And we have seen, and continue to see, the consequences.