Open Letter to St. Augustine's

My dear sons and daughters in the Holy Faith:  May the good God bless and encourage you all!  I regret the necessity for this letter, but at the same time I await with pleasure being with you in two weeks.  I regret not being able to write you in Créole, but perhaps, by God’s grace, that day will come.  Nevertheless, there are among you those capable of translating well.

As some of you already know, it was precisely in the same manner as the choice of the Apostle Matthias that, long ago, the name of our parish was chosen.  Often enough, it is in this manner that the Church makes a choice between two equal possibilities.  But not at all in questions of the holy Faith!  Less yet are such questions decided by the voice of the majority.  It is only Truth which matters.  As one of the saints said:  One man and the Truth, that constitutes the majority!

In the troubled days in the life of the Church which we undergo, we are constrained to choose between the true path and the false path.  Similar choices have too often been presented to the faithful in the history of the Church.  On most such occasions it was the bishops, assembled in council, who, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, made the decision.  But sometimes even the bishops (above all in a local Church, such as ours) made grave errors, and it remained to the Body of Christ, the whole Church, to correct the errors.

In the situation which we face, our bishops found themselves confronted by a grave temptation:  they were encouraged to unite themselves with (or more exactly to submit themselves to) a so-called Russian Chrch umch larger, seemingly much more majestic, the Moscow Patriarchate.

But therein lay a terrible trap.  This Patriarchate of Moscow was not and is not the true Russian Orthodox Church, that of the ancient saints, of the millions of martyrs under the Bolsheviks of the 20th century (not only in Russia; also many in other countries).  Rather, it is the creation of the atheist Soviet government (even though it has now fallen), created not for the salvation of men, but to confuse and corrupt those who wished to be faithful, for the dishonest political purposes of this satanic government.  It is, in effect, the creation of the father of lies.

This Patriarchate of Moscow (it is difficult for me to give it the title “church”), under the direction of the government, put itself upon the path of ecumenism, a heresy which pretends that, at base, all the Christian “churches” are just part of the “true Christan church”, each with its own particularities (that is to say, heresies).  With reason a modern saint, St. Justin Popovich of Serbia, called ecumenism “the heresy of heresies”.

Specifically, on the level of action, this Moscow Patriarchate holds communion in prayer with the Patriarchate of Antioch, which declares itself fully in communion with the Monophysite heretics (one of the most ancient heresies, condemned by the 4th Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in the year 451).  The Council condemned to excommunication everyone who communes with the heretics.  [Not to confuse: ecumenism, a heresy; and an ecumenical council, that is, one representing the entire Orthodox Church.]  Further, this Moscow Patriarchate holds communion in prayer with the so-called “Orthodox” Church of Finland, which dares to celebrate Pascha with the Roman Catholics in defiance of the condemnation of the Ecumenical Council of Nicea — that is to say, sometimes with, sometimes even in advance of the Jewish Passover.  Further, it is in communion with all the modernist and ecumenist “Orthodox” churches which follow, not the true calendar of the Church, but rather the “new” calendar introduced several centuries ago by the Pope of Rome — an innovation condemned, even as a heresy, by numerous Russian and Greek councils.

And it is to this ecumenist and heretical “church” of Moscow which they demand that we be joined.  Unfortunately, for reasons best known to themselves, most of our bishops (but not all, happily) have fallen into this trap, accompanied by many priests and parishes.  But also, many have refused.  Some have taken refuge in Old-Calendar Greek churches.  But there remains for us at least one faithful bishop, Vladyka Agafangel of Odessa (and another, Bishop Daniel of Erie, who has declared himself too old and in too poor health for any activity, but who nevertheless refuses to submit).  Around him, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia has regrouped; she continues (and the Haitian Orthodox Mission) always faithful to the historic teachings and traditions of our Church, thanks be to God!

Unfortunately, our two Haitian priests (also for reasons best known to themselves) have decided to turn their backs on the true ROCR and submit to the Moscow Patriarchate.  Thus, as Administrator of the Mission (an office ratified by Vladyka Agafangel, adding thereto as well responsibility for the world-wide non-Slavonic mision of our Church!), I have been obliged to make several difficult decisions.  I have sent just today letters of dismissal to Fr. Jean-Chénier Dumais and Fr. Grégoire Legouté.  Happily, neither the Deacon Amboise Noël, nor most of our ordained readers, have followed them — and, I hope, most of the faithful.

Among other things, I have been compelled to forbid [them] to represent themselves as priests of ROCOR, nor of the Haitian Orthodox Mission.  (Astonishingly, Fr. Grégoire has given himself the title “Director of the Mission ROCA, Vicar Administrator of the Haitian Orthodox Mission”, and Fr. Jean the title “Director of the Haitian Orthodox Mission”, in a letter to Bishop Gabriel.)

I have been compelled to forbid them to serve the Divine Liturgy, or any other service of the Church, except in the house-chapel of St. Moses at Fr. Grégoire’s hom and the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, which can no longer be considered a part of the Haitian Orthodox Mission of the true ROCOR.

I have been compelled to relieve them both of all appointments of the HOM, and specifically the appointment of Fr. Grégoire as pastor of St. Augustine’s

I have been compelled to close to them access to the Mission House at Croix-des-Missions, unless specifically invited, and equally to any temple of the Mission.

I have had to forbid any intervention in the internal affairs of any community of the Mission, and specifically of the Parish and School of St. Augustine.

Ncessarily, I must once again take upon myself my former responsibility as pastor of St. Augustine’s.  Although it is a heavy enough task (above all from a distance of some 2000km!), I accept it with joy and hope for the future of our Orthodox family at Cyvadier.  I will do my best to serve you well.  I expect to be with you about every six weeks, more or less, as we await the possibility of ordination of a Haitian priest (not very soon, I’m afraid!) to serve you.

I counsel you to avoid all communion in prayer with these priests who have submitted to Moscow — above all confession and communion, but even for ordinary prayers, awaiting (and praying for) their repentance.  If you find yourselves at Port-au-Prince, you should go to the Chapel of St. Dorothy at LaPlaine for divine services, even if they are not yet so well formed.

This will be a very difficult path for us all in the months and years to come, and I beg your prayers that I be equal to the task — for my bodily (and spiritual!) health and strength.

When I come, we will call a general assembly of the parish to discuss these matters, for explanations where they are needed, and for the naming of a parish council, which will be in charge of ordinary affairs during my absences, inculding a warden, who will be my closest contact with you.  This will be a little difficult…

I await with impatience our reunion, my children, my friends.  I hope it will be an occasion of joy for all of us, spared all division, all rancor, that we may be, in the words of one of the prayers of the Church, “united in body and soul, like the holy apostles, in the praise and service of God.”  May the Lord grant it!

In the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, begging your forgiveness for all my faults and inadequacies.