What is Walling Off?
The Ancient Greek Term for Walling Off is “Apotihisi”. It means to set up a protective fence or to wall off an area and guard it from intrusion, attack or corruption within.
In Ecclesiastical terms, “Walling Off” means to completely distance yourself from ecumenist heretical bishops and the parish churches wherein they are being commemorated. It means to have no liturgical communion whatsoever with bishops or priests who teach, embrace or agree with any heresy, in this case, with the Pan-Heresy of Ecumenism, including those who have not yet been dealt with or condemned by a Council.
This distancing = separation, means to have NO liturgical, sacramental or dogmatic communion, nor to receive any blessing from these priest in any form. It also means to maintain no spiritual communication whatsoever with any heresy or any carriers of heresy, even if they are considered orthodox in their mentality and practice, in their teaching and worship, yet they commemorate a heretical Leader, who in turn commemorates a heretical Patriarch, who in turn commemorates the Pope. This chain of commemorations forms a Sacramental, Liturgical, Mystical and Dogmatic Union, uniting the Lay congregation and the serving priest with the commemorated heretical bishops.
In Orthodoxy, there is One and Only Exclusive Way, the Holy-Patristic Orthodox Way of dealing with Heresy. Estrangement, complete separation, seclusion, not co-existence, subjection and unification. Communion means union and indirect acceptance and promotion of heresy.
Our Holy Orthodox Church is experiencing her worst enemy ever, her most vicious temptation ever: the Pan-Heresy of Ecumenism. Walling Off is the Divine, Eternal Teaching of the God-Bearing and God-inspired Holy Fathers regarding the specific stance that we are obliged to take, towards the Pan-Heresy of Ecumenism.
At present, the Leadership of Orthodox Church, Patriarch Vartholomeos, openly preaches, the Heresy of Ecumenism. He publically trespasses a series of various fundamental Canons and performs serious breaches and betrayals of the Orthodox Faith. These trespasses, automatically make him self-condemned, defrocked and excommunicated (Titus 3, 11) even if no Synod or Council has yet condemned him so far. No Council which he would preside in, would ever gather to condemn the President of the Council as he would no longer be a judge but an accused. Ecumenist Bishops would never condemn their Leader. In today’s compromised standards and warped mentality, we experience a corrupt Ecclesiology. We all very well know that all Patriarchates and Archdioceses are members of this Modern, Evil, New Age World Council of “churches” (=a Blasphemous Plural…) and have been willingly subjected to the strict and cunning prerequisites of this secular council.
It is therefore impossible for a True, Genuine and Recognised “Ecumenical Council” or “Pan-Orthodox Council” to take place, because all its Representatives-Judges are accused Ecumenists, Heretics and like-minded guilty collaborators that are tragically pitifully subjected to the despotic slavery of their Leader-of-Heresies and President: Patriarch Vartholomeos! Therefore they will not ever convene to condemn their very own leader, who in turn, has them forcefully bound by subjection and “blind obedience”.
Patriarch Vartholomeos is a self-declared heretic as he proclaims that his far-fetched, over-extended futile and fruitless “dialogues of love” have already resolved and overcome our dogmatic differences, when in fact, no such resolution has ever taken place. Papism has to this day denied NO heresies and the Pope is not willing to even discuss if not negotiate his Supremacy and Infallibility.
Let us now see the actual 15th Canon itself, in a more accurate translation:
“Those (this indicates clergymen as well as lay-believers whom the priests represent and act on their behalf!)
who separate themselves from communion with their Archpriest President, due to any heresy
condemned by the Holy Councils or Fathers, that he currently preaches in public, openly to the Church,
these persons who Wall themselves Off from any Communion with such accused Bishop prior to any
official condemnation by Council, not only are not subject to any penalty of Canons but are also
worthy of the honour befitting the Orthodox, because they have condemned, not true “Bishops”,
but False-Bishops and Wolf-Shepherds. These Walled Off believers have not severed the unity
of the Church by schism, but they combat to protect the Church from schisms and divisions.”
(15th Canon of the Holy First-Second Apostolic Council held in 861 by St Photius the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople).
One excellent, eye-opening example of the interpretation and implementation of the above Canon is a powerful, dominating historic declaration, admonition by a Great Saint of our Holy Orthodox Church, (who actually composed the Sacred Texts including the Anathemas of the Sunday of Orthodoxy!) which refers specifically to the Faithful:
“I command in oath all the Lay believers, who are genuine children of the Orthodox Catholic Church, to immediately flee from priests who have surrendered to the subjection of the Latins, not to attend their churches in worship and not to receive any sacraments or other blessing whatsoever from their hands. It is better for you to pray to God at your homes alone rather than gather together in Churches with those who have a papal mentality (a spirit of false Union) otherwise I warn you that you will suffer the same punishment of hell with them!” (St Yermanos II, Patriarch of Constantinople 1222-1240)
How and when someone is declared a heretic?
From the very moment they openly preaches heresy, in public (in Ancient Greek: “yimni ti kefali” = with an uncovered “naked” head, no shame, nor reservation, naked as in “stripped” and deprived from any fear of God!). If anyone, teaches anything that is different and contrary to the Teachings of the Holy Apostles and Holy Fathers, he then separates himself from the Truth, cuts off from Grace and instantly becomes a heretic in essence, in reality, in fullness.
There is no need for any Council to declare him a heretic. When Apostle Paul himself strictly warned us to “abandon heretics” (Titus 3, 10) (to separate from them and flee from them, to cut communion with them) he specifically referred to them as “heretics” without of course having to wait for any official Council to first declare them as heretics so he can then call them “heretics”.
It is the public preaching of heresy that automatically makes someone a heretic, not myself or any Council. If this person happens to be an Archpriest, then this heresy is passed on, to all those who liturgically and dogmatically commemorate him.
This Commemoration is severely critical! It consists of an instant, unconditional dogmatic acceptance and agreement of faith (Truth or Falseness, deception or heresy) of the person whom the priest declares as his leader. This faith is then instantly passed on to the Faithful, whom the serving priests represents. Both the Priest and the Congregation have a right to disagree and protest if they feel that the Archpriest that is currently being commemorated is teaching something against Orthodoxy, not only if this is proven, but Canon Law permits them to separate from them, is on grounds of suspicion.
This Commemoration means Union, Embodiment, Confession of Faith. Each and every other Patriarchate, all other Archdioceses that are in Communion with a Heretical Leader such as Patriarch Vartholomeos, are in full communion with his heresy and totally guilty of his heresy. They commune his acts of darkness, and partake in his blasphemy.
To simply disagree with Ecumenism, verbally or in writing, means nothing at all. It is only fruitless, ineffective theory. By writing mere articles or performing barren sermons against Ecumenism, this does not mean that we are actually cutting off communion or confessing the Unadulterated Orthodox Truth.
Holy Fathers demand actions from us. The Only Way to cut communion with heresy and heretical bishops who commemorate the Pope and pray with the Pope in hope of false, ungodly union, is defined by the Holy Fathers (and NOBODY else) in these two following ways:
Α) For all Priests irrespective of level,
it is the immediate Ceasing of the Commemoration (in Greek “Mnimonefsi” or “Mnimosyno”) carried out in every Divine Liturgy. This Commemoration of a Leader, is not honorary or customary, but constitutes direct liturgical and dogmatic union with the bishop mentioned. The Commemoration means to automatically embrace the faith of the bishop mentioned and essentially unite with him in faith or in heresy.
The point of Union in Orthodox is not a person, a bishop or even a Sacrament, for example “the Holy Eucharist”. The Point of Union is the God-Man Christ, His Person, His Hypostasis as THE One and Only TRUTH. It is the Orthodox, proper worship, proper glory and incorrupt Truth that united believers, irrespective of ethnicity and traditions. Holy Tradition is MOST important, along with the Bible, which is the written face of Holy Tradition. Holy Tradition is expressed by the Holy Fathers who cannot be cancelled or made invalid by recent elders or Abbotts or illuminated and gifted spiritual fathers.
Β) For all Lay-believers,
it is Walling Off = in Greek “Αποτείχιση” (Apotihisi), the immediate ceasing of any spiritual communication with Ecumenists. It is the authoritarian refusal to receive any sacraments or blessings from Ecumenists, to refuse to pray with them or join with them in any Commemoration and thus ungodly Union. All believers are officially, essentially and dogmatically represented by the serving priest and spiritually unite with him, embracing the faith that he embraces through the Commemoration of a Bishop. If this Bishop commemorates an Archpriest who in turn commemorates the Patriarch, who in turn commemorates the Pope, then all worshipers, believers and priests, as One Body, all worship in heresy, unite in heresy and join in blasphemy. THIS IS the actual Contamination of Sacraments (in Greek = “Molysmos Mystirion”) which is channelled right through to the believers.
For the believers who have a sound knowledge and awareness of the Faith, the Sacraments are VOID and instead of gaining spiritual blessing, they gain guilt, fire, condemnation and the wrath of God as they co-exist with heresy, they extend this public preaching of heresy and indirectly promote Ecumenism, even if they themselves condemn it in their various sermons.
The Holy Fathers did not command us to make sermons, write articles, share out pamphlets and sign petitions. They commanded us to: cease Communion immediately, to distance ourselves instantly and flee speedily from heretics “exactly as we flee from snakes” (St Photius the Great).
We should not dare to provoke God and play with fire by arrogantly handling “snakes”, associating with evil serpents (heretics) and join with them in prayer and drink their poison as a supposed “blessing”.
If we happen to confront a deadly snake in our path, we automatically flee from it as fast as we can, we do not fondle it, embrace it and hand it over to our children to play with, by saying “it’s ok, it’s safe, since no Council has yet convened to condemn this to be a real snake…” We do not need to wait for a Council to declare these snakes and wolves as heretics. They instantly, consciously become HERETICS from the very second they openly preach Ecumenism.
It is not I who says this! God Himself, the Ruler Of All and His Holy Fathers firmly order us to flee from them, “excommunicate” ourselves amongst them and having nothing to do with them! It is God the Holy Spirit, through HUNDREDS of Holy Fathers who reached great levels of Holiness and even reached THEOSIS = Deification, divinely, totally illuminated body, mind, heart and soul, it is THEY who condemn throughout the ages these bishops who preach heresy and break their Laws, while aiming to warn, prevent and protect the faithful, rightfully “name them, tag them and bag them” as FALSE-bishops and WOLVE-shepherds! It is God the Holy Spirit who instructs us to flee from them and have NO communion with them.
This distancing is the One and Only way given to us through Holy Scripture, by the Apostles and Holy Fathers. This distancing does not mean that we leave the Church of Christ but actually, in fact, comprise it and maintain it unadulterated from blasphemy and the contamination of heresy. It is not a matter of “personal choice!” Although we all have been given free will, and have been gifted with a capability to refuse and deny God’s will, yet for those who love Him, believe in Him, trust in Him, then they feel an internal, natural obligation to follow Canon Law, inspired by God the Holy Spirit.
This distancing does not mean that we create schisms. Rather, we prevent them and deliver the Church from “heresies of destruction” which not only destroy the soul but also destroy the mind-mentality of the believers, the healthy proper Ecclesiology of Theology. The word mentioned and underlined above, “deliver” or “save” does not imply that we consider ourselves “Saviours” of the Church. We are not called to save the Church, the Church saves us! Christ was crucified for His Church, not we.
But we “save” as in “protect” redeem from danger and destruction those believers who are totally unaware of this worst heresy of all heresies: Ecumenism. Most believers do not even know anything about our sacred obligation from God to separate ourselves, to cut away, to severe and distance ourselves from heretical church leaders. From the moment they openly preach heresy, they are NO LONGER the Orthodox Church and place themselves OUTSIDE the Orthodox Church. We do not LEAVE our place ourselves “outside the Church” when we Wall ourselves Off. The Church of Christ can be found as stated by Christ Himself, even amongst 2 or 3 believers whom Christ stands among them. These 2 or 3 believers are not necessarily Hierarchs. They may be simple, lay believers.
Most believers are not even aware that, when the priest at the Parish which they attend, mentions = commemorates the name of a certain bishop, he does this in direct dogmatic representation of the faithful, and thus unites the congregation with that heretical bishop through his own union. Then, the WHOLE body of believers is poisoned and endangered. We cannot say that we are safe if we stand by one of the bishops who in theory only, happens to be against Ecumenism, a theoretic Anti-ecumenist.
The One and Only True, Ontological, Apostolic, Holy-Patristic Antic-Ecumenist is he who courageously, boldly confesses the Holy Orthodox Truth and follows the pre-eternal, perpetual command of the Holy Fathers; is he who immediately ceases, refuses to commemorate his leader, who commemorates an Ecumenist Archpriest. These “bishops” are false bishops and we falsify the Faith, we make the Crucifixion of Christ Void when we embrace this falseness, follow this falseness and corrupt the Divine Truth with the darkness and heresy.
“WHAT communion can there be with light and darkness? What participation with Christ and Belial? What partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?” (2 Corinthians 6, 14). And also: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the Blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1, 5-7).
If we practice fellowship with heretics, ecumenists, then we contaminate and cancel the Blood Of Jesus, and instead of purification we receive condemnation. We must be extremely cautious when claiming “to have the truth” yet pollute this Truth with heresies and blasphemies. I will give you two examples:
God the Holy Spirit, through the Saintly presence of 318 Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council in 325Ad held in Nicaea, has forever defined, declared, RULED and revealed that there is ONLY ONE Church. When the Ecumenist Patriarch declares TWO Sister Churches and preaches the anti-orthodox “baptismal theology” and the condemned “branch theory”, then he breaches and trespasses this Eternal Dogma, he overthrows Canon Law, blasphemes the Holy Spirit and disrespectfully cancels the Holy Fathers by literally, in writing condemning them to be “deceived by the devil and guilty in the hands of God for inheriting us with divisions”. He then acts in evil boast and satanic pride by elevating himself, presenting and promoting himself and his followers as “Metapateres” “Past-Fathers” who are wiser than the former “fathers” and are now called to complete their failures and bring about the so long desired union with the Papists.
God the Holy Trinity declares that there is ONLY ONE WAY to Salvation, through Jesus Christ and His ONE AND ONLY TRUE CHURCH. In sad and tragic contrast, in direct and deceived opposition, Patriarch Vartholomeos preaches that all other denominations equally save and joins a severely blasphemous Union, a Satanic Council of Heresies called “World Council of Churches”. Just this plural alone is highly evidently BLASPHEMOUS because once again it overthrows the Dogma of the Symbol Of Faith, the Creed, declaring ONE Church, NOT many in plural, in union, communion. The WCC declares that all members are equal, of equal salvation and grace, of the same honour and value, of the same respect and strict prohibition that no member is allowed to proselytise, to make them member of their own. Therefore, the silly excuse of the orthodox representatives that “we attend to evangelise them” is to the least arrogant, diplomatic, illicit and very offensive.
The Pope himself has studied Church History and Canon Law and knows very, very well where the Truth is and who has the Truth. The Pope has officially and firmly declared that he is open to any negotiations for the sake of Unity but is NOT prepared to ever contemplate of compromising TWO Specific NON-Negotiable aspects: His Supremacy and His Infallibility. This Statement alone, overthrows any intention of ecumenists and falsifies any of their reasons to participate. Just the fact that there are so many heresies and blasphemies present at the WCC, this should have initially restricted and forbidden the Orthodox from ever joining in such monstrosity of Lucifer’s Worship.
Are those who Wall Off performing schism?
Just as the 15th Canon, warns, clarifies and underlines: The Walled Off Orthodox believers “have NOT severed the unity of the Church by schism”. This is not a claim of the Website Owner but is heavily stressed out by Saint Photius the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople along with a multitude of illuminated Holy Fathers (St Mark of Ephesus, St Theodoros Stouditis, St Gregorios Palamas) who are guided and inspired by God the Holy Spirit to reveal to us and pass on to us the God-given and God-pleasing one and only standpoint of distancing, separating ourselves, WALLING OFF our Holy Faith from such Wolves in Sheep’s clothing. If the Walled Off believers performed schism, then God the Holy Spirit would never be instructing these Great Holy Fathers to Canonise such command.
A schism is made when someone cuts away from the bishop and creates his own new Holy Synod, new ordinations and new “church”, a “genuine” church based on calendar differences, not on trespasses of dogmas. The Ecumenists of today, these “Pseudo-bishops” tresspass and trample all over Holy Canons in order to prove that they themselves are supposedly wiser than the Holy Fathers. These Post-Patristic False-Bishops promote themselves as more enlightened and more successful who can certainly achieve what the alleged “fanatical” True Holy Fathers “failed” to achieve: FALSE UNION with the Papists. Yet, ill-minded individuals who blindly subject their pitiful selves to the sickened obedience of these Heretical Archpriests, dare to accuse us of “leaving the church” and “placing our selves outside the Ark”…
Thus, they make up their own perverted “Theology” and twisted “Ecclesiology”. They blindly reject the Divine, Eternal Teachings of the God-Bearing, God-inspired Minds who reached great levels of holiness and were elevated to heavenly realms of deification. It is THEY who ASSURE us believers that we DO NOT perform “schism” when we DEPART from these Antichrist Ecumenists.
Listen to Saint Photius the Great: “The Walled-Off Believers are NOT Schismatics and have not placed themselves outside the Church but have distanced themselves from Heretical Pseudo-bishops and Wolfe-Shepherds who by preaching openly the Pan-heresy of Ecumenism, have placed their own selves outside the Church!”
EVERY Orthodox Priest, if he is truly Orthodox, he has SACRED DUTY to whole-heartedly and fearlessly OBEY this DIVINE Command and without any fear, hesitation or cowardice, immediately CEASE the Commemoration of their Bishop and Archbishop, who commemorates the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, who commemorates the Heresy-Leader Pope, thus uniting with him in dogmatic, liturgical and Sacramental Union.
EVERY lay believer is instructed by God to distance themselves and CUT any communion with their Parish Priest who co-exists with Ecumenists and has compromised his conscience and betrayed his Faith based on prejudiced, pre-conceived favouritism. Today’s priests do not proceed in ceasing the commemoration and will not ever do so. They are afraid of the serious consequences. They sinfully aim to maintain a peaceful, loving relationship with their superior and achieve personal benefit and gain, even at the expense of denying Christ.
Cowardice is a deadly sin and is mentioned FIRST in Scripture as the criterion of those eternally damned in hell:
“As for the cowards and the unbelieving, the murderers and adulterous and the practitioners of magic and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth – HERESY – by word or deed) shall all have their part in the blazing lake that blazes with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8).
Let us hope and pray that God awakens the conscience of our priest and brings forth New St Marks, St Photius’s, St Gregory’s who will victoriously combat Ecumenism and confess our Holy Orthodox Faith AT ANY COST of any punishment or persecution which will be the greatest ever blessing in disguise and divine reward for the love and glory of Christ!
Nick Pandazis,
Walled-Off theologian
