Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) recalled the perniciousness of the sin of church schism

Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) spoke with a reflection on the sin of schism, which, according to him, is a cunning action of the enemy of the human race, aimed at distorting the truth, destroying the faith and destroying church unity. The words of the hierarch are reported by the website “Orthodox Life”.

According to the hierarch, all heresies and schisms are invented by the “evil one” to lead people astray from the true path. In confirmation of his words, he quoted the Holy Martyr Cyprian of Carthage: “Whom the evil one cannot keep on the old path through blindness, he leads astray and seduces by a new path. He takes people out of the Church itself and, when they were visibly approaching the light and getting rid of the night of this age, again spreads over them, unbeknownst to them, a new darkness, so that they, not adhering to the Gospel and not keeping the law, nevertheless call themselves Christians and, wandering in darkness, think that they are walking in the light”.

Metropolitan Anthony emphasized that today is the time when many, wandering in darkness, think that they are in the light. He recalled the recent schism, the bitter fruits of which are still being felt today: the fragmentation of the Body of the Lord, betrayal, lies and abuse of the sacred. “A schism always gives rise to a new schism. And no excuses can wash away this sin,” he said, adding that it is not only scary to fall into schism oneself, but even scarier to seduce and lead one’s neighbor into it.

In conclusion, the Vladyka once again referred to the words of the Holy Martyr Cyprian, describing the intrigues of the enemy: “Such are the flattering intrigues of the enemy, who, in the words of the Apostle, “is transformed into an angel of lightˮ (2 Cor.  11:14) and gives his ministers the appearance of ministers of truth, while they proclaim night instead of day, perdition instead of salvation, despair under the cover of hope, treachery under the pretext of faith, antichrist under the name of Christ, and, covering the lie with plausibility, destroy the truth with subtle cunning.”

Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkassy and Kanev appealed to the faithful to use the current difficult period to strengthen the spirit and save the soul. In his opinion, the times of persecution allowed by the Lord should be appreciated and used for a more intense spiritual life, seeing them as an opportunity to get closer to God.