Our Struggle - Class 10
Is the Grace of God Present in the Soviet Church?

Session 4

Prefatory, November of 2023: If you really think that the Moscow Patriarchate of today has renounced Sergianism, see the post of November 7, 2023, by Subdeacon Nektarios, on the “Orthodox Traditionalist” blog, here: https://www.orthodoxtraditionalist.com/post/revisionist-history-the-moscow-patriarchate-s-rejection-of-the-catacomb-church-synod-abroad. Now the MP is moving on from the lying compromise of 2007, when they persuaded (?) their ROCOR prey to accept the idea that there were “two paths” of confession: confession (i.e., anti-Sergianism) and, well, non-confession (i.e. Sergianism). Now, however, they are moving on: As it turns out, those who opposed Sergius were the “enemies of the Church”! There is only one path, that of Sergius! Of course, we who did not join the “union” knew this would happen. No doubt, however, our former brethren who joined the “union” would say that not only is Sergianism the “true historical path of ROCOR” but also that “we have always thought this way!”

D. The Soviet “church” denies the basic dogma of “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. - pp. 31 - 32
1. Her words are her deeds - lying words!
2. No oneness, no holiness, no catholicity, no Apostolic spirit.

E. Not an organism, only an organization - p. 32, first full paragraph
1. Not a unity but a “conglomerate.”
2. A formal, dead organization without zeal for purity and truth.

F. The Soviet “church” betrayed the Holy Spirit - p. 32, second full paragraph
1. Lying before the whole world.
2. Stalin is the “chosen one of the Lord”.

G. Chief evil is moral disintegration, not the physical persecution - Met. Anastassy- pp. 32 - 33
1. Calling Stalin the “chosen of the Lord” slanders God by making Him responsible for all the evil of the Soviet regime.
2. The corruption of mind and heart created by Soviet “Orthodoxy” entails spiritual death of the nation, after which there is no Resurrection.

H. The deep meaning of the canons - the freedom of the Church - pp. 33 - 34.
Booklet of S.P. - “Concerning the Church in the U.S.S.R. :
1. Soviet church cannot freely judge, pray, or administer confession. 2. Its canonicity is purely legalistic - There is no freedom in the Holy Spirit, and therefore there is no action according to the Holy Spirit.

I. What motivated Sergius to perform his betrayal? - p. 34, first full paragraph

1. Vain hope for relaxation of persecution.
2 . Prevent a deal with the Vatican. - See article by Protodeacon German: orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/vatican_russia.aspx.

J. The future of Orthodoxy is in heroic stance and confession - pp. 34 - 35.
1. The example of Holy Hieromartyr Philip of Moscow.

Postscript - We’ve found out recently that Is the Grace of God Present in the Soviet Church is out of print! But Fr. Andrew Kencis of Monastery Press intends the reprint the booklet as soon as possible. Please keep checking monasterypress.org , and , we hope, this great essay will again be available soon.