Official Synodal Statement on Freemasonry and Internet Slander (Milan Synod, 1999)

The Orthodox world is saturated with adventurers and mentally unstable people who take it as their calling to defame and attack canonical Orthodoxy. It is a substitute for a real relationship with Christ, and, truth be told, a substitute for a purpose and a true, rationally constituted identity. The internet is loaded with people who have no one to listen to them, no one who cares, so chat room polemics take the place of serious inquiry, education or any real functional knowledge. This is the way of things for the moment. Evidence to the contrary rarely dissuades these poor, self-condemned people, but this web journal, with the assistance of Sb. Joseph Suaiden, reprint the 1999 official synodal condemnation of Freemasonry, among other things. This is the evidence that should, in a rational world, stop the blog gossip and slander, but, since truth is not at the root of their rants and self-loathing, it will actually accomplish nothing. I do hope that the more intelligent phantoms of the chat rooms and useless blogs will a) get a job or a hobby of some kind, and b) stop their mindless attacks on the Milan Synod. Unlike the remainder of the GOC, we are not a schism from a schism from a schism from a schism, but are the direct creation of +Auxentios of Athens himself–MRJ

We deeply regret that in the context of the Internet international law does not permit one to sufficiently punish certain individuals, to satisfy their petty little revenge and attack people with impunity and even institutions using false documents, as in the case of an anonymous attack against our Church.

We await the day that these individuals have the courage to break their anonymity so that legal action can be taken.

Meanwhile we declare the following:

First, We have always fought the sad phenomenon of "vagante bishops" who, lacking any understanding of the church, do not belong to any church or a synod of bishops, but live in an isolated fashion with their "episcopate" for personal satisfaction with no ecclesial dimension.

Our Metropolia is a diverse Church which received its Tomos of autonomy from its Mother Church, the Church of True Orthodox Christians of Greece.

Second, We live in the pure and true Orthodox tradition in which the Head of the Church is our Lord and the Bishop is the icon of Christ in his Church. The Holy Spirit leads the Church.

As a result we do not receive orders from a "global freemasonic center" or anything like this and we do not accept reports from those estranged from the Church of Christ!

Third, Since 1997 we are separated from the ex-Patriarch Filaret Denisenko of Kiev and we have said this repeatedly. We had to separate for two reasons:

a) Filaret wanted to remove our autonomy that was given to us by our Mother Church of Greece (His Beatitude, Archbishop Auxentios) and has been confirmed and recognized by the holy Patriarch Volodymyr I, the predecessor of Filaret.

b) The condemnation of the "patriarch" Filaret. He was deposed because of immoral conduct and a schism. This severe punishment against him has been recognized by other Orthodox churches. When the Moscow Patriarchate has even uttered the anathema we could no longer remain in communion with a "patriarch" anathematized.

"Metropolitan" Michel Laroche has left our church, and it was because of his own interests with the deposed "patriarch". He has created a schism in our Metropolia and has been deposed by our Holy Synod.

Fourth, Our Church has always refused to deal with false orders of chivalry. We strictly observe the principles of international field studies in genealogy and heraldry. Under these principles we have ecclesiastical orders of merit, granted by international laws of heraldry to all sovereign states and to all Autocephalous and Autonomous churches.

If someone has no education in this area [Si quel'quun n'a pas la culture en cette matičre] it would be better to refrain from any false and ventured judgment.

Milan, December 6, 1999
The Orthodox Archdiocese of Milan

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