Metropolitan Philip
358 Mountain Rd
Englewood, NJ

RE: The Double standard

We do not start with the Orthodox greeting as we view you and others as Schismatics which you likely are aware of since certain clergy who attack us do read our website.

We have previously contacted you regarding your clergy who attack the memory of the Martyr Abp. Aftimios Ofiesh of blessed memory and this Church in an unchristian manner. Our letters and emails have been ignored. We did receive an acknowledgement of receipt for one of our letters.

We are working on a webpage or two to publish your double standard where you allow your clergy to attack Abp. Ofiesh for his marriage supposedly contrary to the canons but more recently Patr. Ignatius IV allowed you to permit a priest to remarry and remain a priest. As I understand that canon the bishop is deposed. You and the Patriarch remain in your positions so I gather either the canons have no meaning to you any longer or you feel you were allowed to waive this canon - in the same or a similar manner that Abp. Ofiesh waived the canon by his public statement that "God told me to marry".

Please put a stop to your clergy attacking this Church and Abp. Ofiesh immediately. Or explain how you can allow someone to remarry after ordination contrary to the canons (possibly rewrote the intrepretation?) and still allow your clergy to attack us. It would be interesting reading.

When I was contacted years ago by someone claiming to be one of your priests I tried to contact you. That was ignored as our attempts since. We have had no choice but to declare you Schismatics for the unorthodox behavior of your clergy during the life of Abp. Ofiesh and today!

We were Canonically established. We are the same canonically established church. Our church did not end because Abp. Ofiesh married. If it had your church should also have ended by now and the others would have taken over your assets as they did ours in the 1930's.

+Victor
Archbishop