Bishop Cozma signing the Epistle of 2000 |
This year (2000), the Romanian Bishop Cozma (Lostun) petitioned to enter into communion with the True Orthodox Churches of Greece and Cyprus. (See Bishop Cozma's Epistle of 2000.) Bishop Cozma's flock is very small at present. Most Romanians are New Calendarists, and most Romanian Old Calendarists are under the Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie. The True Orthodox Church of Romania has traditionally preserved a strict ecclesiology identical to that of our synod, and was persuaded to enter into communion with the Akakian Synod of Metropolitan Kallistos of Corinth. Metropolitan Kallistos, a defrocked bishop of our synod, adhered to a strict ecclesiology, but he unwisely consecrated bishops who -- unbeknownst to him -- held divergent views. One of these bishops was Metropolitan Cyprianos of Oropos and Fili, who became the founder of the Synod in Resistance. Metropolitan Cyprianos was able to persuade the Romanian Old Calendarists to be in full communion with his Synod in Resistance. The Cyprianite synod, unfortunately, embraces a false ecclesiology. |
At present, the vast majority of Romanian Old Calendarists are under the Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie. That synod, in turn, is in communion with the Greek Resisters under Cyprian, with the Bulgarian Old Calendarists under Bishop Photios, and with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The present situation is something of an anomaly, since the majority of the Romanian Old Calendarists continue to preserve a strict ecclesiology. In 1992, Bishop Cozma severed all communion with the Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie. However, Bishop Cozma has been in poor health for some time, and until recently had only a few families (three, as of July 2000) under his omophorion. Already, since the Romanian faithful have begun to learn of Bishop Cozma's stand and his petition to enter into communion with the True Orthodox Churches of Greece and Cyprus, more of them have placed themselves under the omophorion of Bishop Cozma. It is hoped that the true confession of Bishop Cozma may be a beacon to the Romanians, encouraging more of them to take a stand for the ecclesiology they already hold, and to reject communion with the Resisters. |
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