"The Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist at all." KARL RAHNER
"There are two churches, one that is man-made with man-made laws. It is corrupt, false and misleading. It denies the will of the living God who reveals Himself to the heart of man. It makes slaves and bond-servants of those who choose to obey it.
There is another Church, the only one for me, for it is the Church of Jesus Christ, imbued with His Spirit, attentive to the word and will of God. That is the Church I recognize.
ARCHBISHOP AFTEMIOS OFIESH
"There are two churches, one that is man-made with man-made laws. It is corrupt, false and misleading. It denies the will of the living God who reveals Himself to the heart of man. It makes slaves and bond-servants of those who choose to obey it.
There is another Church, the only one for me, for it is the Church of Jesus Christ, imbued with His Spirit, attentive to the word and will of God. That is the Church I recognize.
ARCHBISHOP AFTEMIOS OFIESH
The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God,the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried;he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and life everlasting. Amen. + The Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. + Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεόν, Πατέρα, Παντοκράτορα, ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὁρατῶν τε πάντων καὶ ἀοράτων. Καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς γεννηθέντα πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων· φῶς ἐκ φωτός, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί, δι οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο. Τὸν δι ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ σαρκωθέντα ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου καὶ Μαρίας τῆς Παρθένου καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα. Σταυρωθέντα τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, καὶ παθόντα καὶ ταφέντα. Καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρα κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς. Καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ καθεζόμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον μετὰ δόξης κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, οὗ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔσται τέλος. Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, τὸ κύριον, τὸ ζωοποιόν, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον, τὸ σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ συμπροσκυνούμενον καὶ συνδοξαζόμενον, τὸ λαλῆσαν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν. Εἰς μίαν, Ἁγίαν, Καθολικὴν καὶ Ἀποστολικὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Ὁμολογῶ ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Προσδοκῶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν. Καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. Ἀμήν. + The Athanasian Creed 1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith; 2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. 3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; 4. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. 5. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. 6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. 7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. 8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. 9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. 10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. 11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal. 12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible. 13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty. 14. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty. 15. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; 16. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. 17. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; 18. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord. 19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; 20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords. 21. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. 22. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten. 23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. 24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. 25. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another. 26. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal. 27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. 28. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. 29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 30. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. 31. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world. 32. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. 33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood. 34. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ. 35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God. 36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. 37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ; 38. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; 39. He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty; 40. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies; 42. and shall give account of their own works. 43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. 44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved. + Our Father Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and glory for ever and ever. Amen. +
Hail Mary Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death Amen. |
Mission
Perpetually strive towards our Lord Jesus Christ, and His Kingdom by means of personal and collective efforts, through the frequent celebration of the mystery of the Divine Liturgy and daily reflection upon the life, ministry, passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Provide a mystical and salvific Christian Orthodox avenue to our brothers and sisters in autocephalous Orthodoxy. Proclaim the social reign of Jesus Christ and put Him at the center of our lives and society. Be spiritual soldiers and athletes of Jesus Christ. The purpose of The Society of Jesus Christ Orthodox Church, is to respond the spiritual needs of souls which the larger Christian churches ignore or forget. It is so because some of these churches have become more preoccupied with petty dogmatism (like the Pharisees of the old), and political power games, endlessly perpetuating a soulless excessively institutionalized Christianity ("The Machine/Assembly Line Church"), which often treats human beings as automatons, thus dispossessing them of their individuality, basic dignity, and uniqueness as spiritual beings/children of God. Institutionalized Christianity way too often fails to address the basic spiritual needs of many people; it wounds and harms souls instead of providing the much wanted and needed healing of "the medicine of immortality"/The Holy Mysteries/Sacraments of Jesus Christ. Thus the souls which "fall trough the cracks" (of the Machine Church), often have nowhere else to turn except to autochephalous sister churches. The situation becomes especially critical when the spiritual lives of these sacramental Christians is essentially Orthodox. Therefore The Society desires to be a spiritual home for the forgotten Christians of Orthodoxy, Roman-Catholicism, Anglicanism etc. We as a Christian Church pledge that the forgotten souls of men and women will be forgotten no more! Dogmatic Position The Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed, summarize best our dogmatic/doctrinal position. The profession of the Christian Orthodox Catholic Nicene Creed is mandatory for all members of this Society. Same applies for anyone that wants to partake with us in the Eucharistic Mystery. Only baptized and christened Christians can partake in the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist. For more on the fundamental teachings of Orthodoxy, please check the online CATECHISM OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH following the link below: www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith THE ORTHODOX FAITH series indicated above, is intended to provide basic, comprehensive information on the faith and life of the Orthodox Church. It consists of four volumes. In addition to the Catechism of the Orthodox Church, the following principles serve as the common character which defines the fundamentally Christian Orthodox orientation and charisma of the Society of Jesus Christ: 1. That Christ is our head, and is the sole Judge to which we all must answer; therefore, we seek to honor Him in all that we do, knowing that it is in His Holy Name that we live, move, and have our being. 2. Our Holy Work is to celebrate His teachings and salvation through the frequent celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 3. Professing the teachings of the Nicene Creed and the Apostolic Creed, of the ancient and Undivided Church-One Holy Catholic/Universal and Apostolic. 4. Recognizing the Unity of Faith, we accept the first seven ecumenical councils of the undivided Church, as the Standard of Orthodox Doctrine. 5. We celebrate the Seven Sacraments/Holy Mysteries of the Christian Church: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick, Reconciliation (Confession of sins), and Holy Orders. 6. Concerning the Holy Orders, we organize ourselves according to the ancient and threefold ministry of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons as ordained and transmitted from Christ through the Apostolic Succession. We hold the Apostolic Succession, therefore, as fundamental. We do recognize the ancient office of deaconesses, since there is undeniable evidence that it was the practice of the early Christian Church. Priesthood candidates must follow a thorough basic ministry training and must present a Criminal background check, as well as must sign our Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy. We believe that the Holy Priesthood of Jesus Christ is conditioned upon responsibility and must not be conferred/bestowed upon people that see this most Holy Mystery as a spiritual commodity to be purchased. Thus, in order to safeguard the Apostolic Succession and the Holy Orders, there are several conditions for ordination: a. Candidate must be male b. Trinitarian Baptism c. Chrismation d. Criminal Background Check must be supplied by the candidate at his expense, in one week. e. Psychological and/or psychiatric Evaluation must be supplied by the candidate in 3 weeks. f. Candidate must not exhibit a sexual orientation contrary to the Natural Law and the Holy Bible. We believe what the Orthodox Chirch has always believed and professed, meaning that homosexuality is an intrinsic moral disorder and a consequence of the Fall of Man; thus we do not ordain passive or active homosexuals. We emphasize nevertheless the fundamental human dignity of homosexual people, condemning the sin and not the person. g. Sign the Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy. We do not ordain sexual criminals/predators. We do justly discern/discriminate since God the Creator of heaven and earth justly discerns; it is our Christian responsibility to discern while part of the Suffering Church. h. Provide a written exhaustive CV/Resume i. Fair theological training -(this training is mostly done using the Socratic Method). The length of this process depends exclusively on the bishop. The final decision on the matter resides exclusively and always with the bishop. j. Signed profession of the Nicene Creed k. Candidate must not be past or present member of secret/occult societies such as Freemasonry. l. Discernment process 7. We rely upon the canons of the apostolic and undivided Church for our common worship. 8. We believe that the primary purpose of the Liturgy is to worship God, who continues to sustain and sanctify the world through His Mysteries of Grace embodied -and given form- in the liturgical sacraments, transmitted to us from the Apostolic Tradition. 9. As members of the Body of Christ, we find unity in these principles of necessity, and allow in charity freedom in all else, that the glory of God may be made manifest wherever Jesus Christ’s Name is spoken and called upon. As a Christian Orthodox mystical Society, our common statement of faith is meant to provide a common ground for our fellow laborers in Christ to meet and work without compromising their history or distinctive traditions from which they are called and may still labor. Yet, we do not seek communion with others to the expense of sacrificing the basic doctrines /fundamental teachings of Apostolic Christianity. We clearly underline that, as a Society, we are not into an "anything goes" mindset. Therefore, Trinitarian Baptism and the clear profession of the Christian Creed are fundamental conditions for becoming a member of this Society. 10. As a Society whose focus is the celebration of valid sacraments, our membership consists of both ordained and non-ordained members. All who wish to partake in our sacred work are welcome to participate in the manner in which they are called. For those seeking ordination, our Society offers a place of discernment and training for the candidates; when, and only when, the bishops are satisfied as to the character of the seeker’s Christian faith, we will bestow ordinations as appropriate to the Catholic Orthodox Tradition. The final decision on whom to ordain, is without exception the apostolic privilege and responsibility of the bishops. 11. Concerning the Sacraments, we freely offer the desired sacrament to all who ask for Baptism. As priests of Christ, ours is to offer the means to which those seeking Christ may find Him, and assist this effort through the offering of these sacraments. Policy on the Holy Eucharist /Moral Theology We do not practice "open communion" because the Orthodox Church never engaged in such practice; this means that non-Christians are not admitted to Holy Communion. This because since they have not underwent the Holy Sacrament of Baptism (the gate of entrance/initiation in the Christian Church-and therefore are not members of the Christ's Church), they cannot receive the Holy Eucharist. Only baptized Orthodox Christians can partake of the Holy Eucharist. We offer the Holy Communion (after proper penitence), to all those who are Baptized Orthodox or Catholic Christians, and have no mortal sin upon their souls. To clarify: in the opinion of the Church, someone which, for instance, is an abortion lobbyist (even and especially if Orthodox and when considering that abortion is the most abominable and heinous kind of murder!), does not qualify to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, as such a person is in open enmity (because of his/her anti-human murderous actions), towards the Orthodox Church, the Body of Christ. Such is, for instance, the matter with various politicians which on one hand proclaim to be Christian, yet on the other hand act antagonistically to the teachings of the Church on life and its sanctity. Concerning the Sacraments of the Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders, we are required by their very nature to exhibit thorough diligence in examining the circumstances of the request, and the priest must be assured that the circumstances will allow for the sacrament to be celebrated. In addition to examination of faith, the priest must conduct such legal inquiries as to ensure the Sacrament of Matrimony is both liturgically and legally valid. We stronly profess and encourage traditional family values as we as the "traditional marriage". The Mystery of Matrimony require various legal secular certifications; theologycally can only exist between a man and a woman. Above all, it is in our common Love/Agape, Calling and Foundation in Christ alone and His Truth, that unites us into a single body rather than in ordinances and excessive regulations which too often strains the freedom and responsibility given us by Christ. 12. Being made free in Christ, we can say with Saint Paul the Apostle that nothing is forbidden us, however not all things are expedient, collectively or individually. We are each called by the Holy Spirit in different things, and from different places in our lives. It is in Jesus Christ that we have been made free and have the security of our faith; therefore we cannot, as a Christian body, abrogate the mission given to an individual to seek or to bring the Light of Jesus Christ to all corners of the world. With the ancient Fathers of the Church, we can look upon the pagan world and see the pre-figurement of Jesus Christ; however, we do not suggest or affirm that Christ should be understood in terms of this pagan world whatsoever. To see the Light of Christ embedded in the Egyptian myths is not to say that the light of Osiris is found on the cross at Golgotha. To see the parallels of the Holy Table in the Mithraic Rites is not to diminish the firm understanding that the fullness of the light suggested by the latter is to be fully found in Christ, who is the realization and embodiment of the Revealed, Absolute and Ultimate Truth and Divinity sought after and obscurely mirrored in them. Or, as St. Columba underlines: "My Druid is Christ, the Son of God, Christ, Son of Mary, the Great Abbot, The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." 13. Finally, we must not interpret this freedom to suggest a gross relativism ( what the bishop of Rome Benedict XVI has denounced as "the dictatorship of relativism"), and destruction of the Ultimate and Eternal Truth-Jesus Christ. We affirm with the Apostolic Fathers that in its highest sense all truth is of God indeed, and therefore holy; however we seek to separate the dross of human falsity to reveal the golden light of Christian Truth hidden within it. As such, to recognize the truth partially encapsulated in another tradition/religion/faith, is not to affirm its equality in substance, degree or dignity with the Christian Apostolic Tradition/Orthodox Catholicism and the Church of Jesus Christ, the mankind's only Savior and Redeemer. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ proclaimed "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by trough Me!" (John 14:6). We proclaim and declare that Jesus Christ is the only Lord and Savior and that there is no salvation without Jesus Christ. 14. In practice, therefore, this Society does not necessarily prohibit its members from seeking or maintaining relationships with orders of Christian mystical thought that lend themselves to a true, sane and objective searching of the eternal Light of Christ. Nevertheless, this Society must necessarily separate itself from those organizations that openly or secretly perpetuate (for the purpose of deceiving souls and expanding the work of the gates of hell and dominions of Satan and his minions upon the face of the earth ), that which the Lord and Savior of mankind Jesus Christ Himself has called evil and damned. We disassociate ourselves therefore from all that Christ has denounced and fought to defeat through His Holy Cross and Resurrection, and is contrary to His Law. In this respect we separate ourselves clearly from any practices that are rooted into the culture of death and the dictatorship of relativism, practices bringing about an anthropological regression of the human species, and threaten the very soul of the post-modern world and our physical continuation on this planet. Some of the practices that fall under this category are the euthanasia of human beings, genetic engineering/manipulation of human embryos, homosexual "marriage", abortion, etc. Saint James the Brother of the Lord
Authorized Rites and Liturgical Texts
The following rites and liturgies are authorized for the use of parishes of The Society of Jesus Christ/Orthodox Church: EASTERN ORTHODOX RITES
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