St Laurence of Chernigov. Photo: miloserdie.ru Foreword
There are those so deluded by secularism, the ways of the world, that they believe that to solve the present crisis in the Ukraine, caused by the love of power and money of Greek politicians in Istanbul, all we have to do is to come to a compromise. They present the crisis as a political disagreement between Constantinople and Moscow, or even an ethnic dispute between Greeks and Slavs, or that it was caused by Moscow’s refusal to attend the 2016 meeting in Crete (which, they forget to mention, was in fact caused by the refusal of three Non-Slav Churches to attend a dictatorial meeting).
These people, some Anglicans among them, see Church life as a continual compromise. Not really believing, because it is all an intellectual game for them, they forget that in dogmatic matters, that is, in matters of principle concerning the salvation of the soul, no compromise is possible. There can never be any compromise between Good and Evil, Truth and the Lie, White and Black, Light and Darkness, God and Satan. Today there is only one choice, the way of the Russian Church or else the Lie. All who have a conscience must decide.
St. Laurence’s Prophecies
St. Laurence of Chernigov (Feast: 11 January) said that during ‘the little freedom’ (which we now know to be the period since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and which continues to this day – Ed.), ‘churches and monasteries will open and be restored, but all manner of false teachings will appear, through demons and secret atheists (Catholics, Uniats, self-consecrated Ukrainian schismatics). These will join battle against the Russian Orthodox Church and her unity and catholicity in the Ukraine. The schismatics will be supported by an atheist government’ (Washington – Ed.).
He added that: ‘We must resist the invasion of ‘the civilized world’, that is, dark demonic forces, which will try and penetrate into spiritually undefended areas. They will seize church buildings from the Orthodox and beat up the faithful. Then the Metropolitan of Kiev (unworthy of his name) with his supporting clergy will shake the Russian Church to the foundations. The whole world will be astonished at his iniquity and stand in fear (just as we do today – Ed.). But he will go to eternal perdition like Judas. All these assaults of the evil one and false teachings will disappear in Russia and there will be One Orthodox Church of All Rus’.
St Laurence of Chernigov. Photo: wikipedia ‘To break away from the Church is the greatest and unforgiveable sin, for it is the sin against the Holy Spirit’. Towards the end of St. Laurence’s life the head priest of the Kiev Caves Lavra, Fr Kronid, said that self-consecrated schismatics and Uniats had disappeared. But St. Laurence answered: ‘The demon will enter them and they will attack the Orthodox Faith and Church with Satanic malice, but they will suffer a shameful end and their followers will bear a heavenly punishment from the Lord and King of Hosts’.
‘Then all heresies and schisms will vanish from Russia. The Church will not be persecuted. The Lord will have mercy on Holy Rus because it suffered the terrible period before Antichrist. A great host of Martyrs and Confessors shone forth there, beginning with the highest levels of the clergy and society, the Metropolitan and the Tsar, the priest and the monk, the child and the babe in arms and laypeople. They all beseech the Lord…’.
‘You must be quite clear that Russia is the portion of the Queen of Heaven, She cares for it and intercedes for it especially. The whole host of Russian saints with the Mother of God will ask that Russia be spared. The faith will prosper in Russia and there will be rejoicing as before (though only for a short time, as the Dread Judge will come to judge the living and the dead). Even Antichrist himself will fear the Tsar of Rus. But all the other countries will be under Antichrist’s control and suffer all the horrors and torments described in the Holy Scriptures’.
How about 'only one way, the way of +Christ's+ Church or else the lie.' Serbians aren't Russian, The Greek modern day elders and saints are not Russian, but they also following the way of Christ's church, even if there are areas where they differ from the approach to these problems from the Russian church. Rome's problem & modern day CP's problem is they think themselves self-sufficient and complete in their judgement and spirituality on their own. May the Russian church not suffer the same problem. "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."