Metropolitan Siluoan Takes Firm Stance on the Reception of Heterodox

Antiochian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland releases a document about the reception of heterodox two weeks after deposing a priest for canonical infractions

On Tuesday (January 9, 2024) the Antiochian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland released an official document regarding the reception of heterodox into the Orthodox Church. In it, they warn of sacramental rigorism, stating that anyone who undergoes a “corrective baptism” will be excommunication – and the priest who preforms it will be deposed.¹ The document, promulgated by His Eminence, Metropolitan Silouan (Oner), was posted to the Archdiocese’s website two weeks after the deposition of Protopresbyter, Matei (Matthew) Vulcanescu as a result of “canonical infractions” motivated by this exact issue.² In a now public letter dated December 17, 2023, Vulcanescu makes his case to the Metropolitan for the reception of all heterodox by baptism;³ three days later he ceased commemorating +SILOUAN at the Divine Liturgy, claiming that “his Eminence is publicly preaching heresy…the acceptance of the ‘baptism; of heretics;”⁴ three days after that he was laicized.⁵

It would seem that Matei Vulcanescu was in the footsteps of another Protopresbyter. The only difference: Matei has a bishop – and one who actually preformed his duties as a Hierarch.

Sacramental Rigorism & the Antiochian Document

Sacramental rigorism has been around a long time – and despite being dealt with repeatedly throughout Church history – every so often it rears its head anew. Over the last decade, a subset of Orthodox Christians have taken to the internet to spread sacramental rigorism, resulting in a

a resurgence of pressure for a baptism only akribeia policy for all non-Orthodox from within a minority and often schismatic tendency in the Orthodox Church. Extremists in this group, often very active online, have taken up the same position as Greek Old Calendarist sects, denying the status of all Christians as Orthodox (including priests!) received by Chrismation only. This extreme position has never been endorsed by the canons of the Church in the time of the Fathers. It has frequently re-emerged when the Orthodox have felt embattled and then died down in more peaceful times.⁶

Readers of this publication know that I’ve written several times about the dangers of this theology, its use of the sectarian mindset, and the promotion of these erroneous views – and that due to the exhausting nature of dealing with such slippery characters involves, about six months ago, I decided to stop writing about rigorism and the like for a time. However, with +SILOUAN’s the publication of Canonical Resources and Policies for the Reception of the Heterodox, which no doubt is in part a response to the Uncut Mount Press book, On the Reception of Heterodox into the Orthodox Church (2023), I wanted to share a few thoughts.

THE DOCUMENT

The document begins by outline the roles of akribeia and economia in the life of the Church, noting that “these principles are often misquoted and misunderstood, sometimes in ways that are quite opposite to what they mean.”⁷ Without naming Fr. Peter Heers, the document proceeds to dismantle Heers’ interpretation of these two principles with a simple explanation:

economia means ‘house rules’ and akribeia means ‘the strictest house rule.’ Two common misconceptions are to think that economia means a dispensation and that akribeia is the norm. In fact, economia means ALL the possible rules of the household, akribeia being the strictest of those.⁸

Next, there is a brief discussion about Saints Cyprian, Augustine, and Nicodemus the Hagiorite, followed by a list of the relevant canons and decrees throughout Christian history. In sum, it is stated that

in the history of the Church only one Synod, that of Constantinople in 1756 called for the baptism of Roman Catholics and Protestants, always and everywhere…[but] this Synod has not stood the test of time because it overturned the consistent teaching and practice of the Church has received canonically from antiquity. This patristic and conciliar economy…was never seriously questioned until 1756 and then, only more recently, by some vocal Orthodox minorities of schismatic tendency.⁹

The document culminates in pastoral directives for how priests within the Antiochian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland: reception via Chrismation for Roman Catholics, Non-Chalcedonian Orthodox, and traditionally Trinitarian Protestants;¹⁰ and reception via baptism for modalists, nonChristians, et al. Priests who do not follow these directives will meet the same fate as Matei Vulcanescu; lay people who insist on a corrective baptism will be excommunicated and permanently barred from any future ordination.¹¹

Excommunication and Deposition: Too Harsh?

Amid the long history of the Orthodox Church, individuals who refuse to yield to the conciliar decisions of the Church, and the guidance of their bishops, are deposed and excommunicated. This is not done vindictively, but out of concern for the person in error and those he is leading astray. Vulcanescu’s case is no different. And other Orthodox Archdioceses and Bishops would do well to learn from Sayedna Silouan’s example.

The reason is simple: the “theology” being taught by these online characters, including Matei Vulcanescu, is not Orthodox theology. Not only has it been addressed over and over again by the Church writ large, it has torn asunder any semblance of Orthodox unity, online and off – and it’s leading its adherents to eventual schism.¹²

The question is: will any other Bishops take such protective measures for their flock?

1. See Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland. Canonical Resources and Policies for the Reception of the Heterodox, version 1.1., p. 6; A corrective baptism refers to the phenomena wherein an already-received-into-the-Church Orthodox Christian undergoes a second baptism. This is done to compensate for any “lack” he perceives in his original baptism. This, however, is against the conciliar teaching of the Orthodox Church. See Rebaptism: Patristic Consensus or Innovation?

2. See Fr. Gregory Hallam, The former priest, Matei Vulcanescu has been deposed (Antiochian-Orthodox.com).

3. See The Response Letter of Father Matei Vulcanescu to the Letter of Metropolitan Silouan Oner to Clergy (OrthodoxChurchLiverpool.co.uk).

4. See The Official Statement on the False Deposition of Father Matei Vulcanescu where his letter has been published. Vulcanescu also cites: “inter-communion with the Monophysites/Miaphysites, participation in the “World Council of Churches” (WCC) and the acceptance of the “baptism” of heretics.”

5. Hallam, op. cit.

6. Canonical Resources and Policies for the Reception of Heterodox, version 1.1., p. 2.

7. Canonical Resources and Policies for the Reception of Heterodox, version 1.1., p. 1.

8. Ibid, p. 1.

9. Ibid, p. 4.

10. Ibid, p. 8. “They might have a defective theology but continued with a recognizable form of Christian baptism and Christian belief and practice. In these cases, the Church did not baptise (i.e., re-baptise) those who had already been baptised; to do so was seen to be sacrilege by the holy Fathers.”

11. Ibid, p. 6.

12. Orthodox Ethos ex-staff member, former Dn. Nektarios, has allegedly apostatized to the Greek Old Calendarist schismatic group. In like manner, John Coffman of Orthodox Ethos has frequently glamorized the Older Calendarists.