First Day of the IV All-Diaspora Council

SAN FRANCISCO: May 8th, 2006

The first day of the Council began with Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral, performed by Hieromonk Euthemiy (Logvinov), Prior of St Job Monastery in Munich, along with Deacon Dimitri Temidis of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY. The young and talented PA Fekula, choir director of the Synodal Choir, led the singing.

Eleven ROCOR bishops, headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, were in attendance, as was the honored guest from the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilohije, and 127 delegates representing the clergy and laity.

Of particular interest are the words of Protopriest Pimen Simon, Rector of the Old Believers' parish of ROCOR in Erie:

My reason for requesting the opportunity to address this conference is because I have constantly noted the ironic parallel between the attempt to accomplish reconciliation between ROCOR and the MP to the attempts to reconcile Old Believers to, how shall I say, 'Niconians.' Every argument I have heard sounds the same as the diatribes between Old Believers and New Ritualists that have gone on now for several centuries. First of all the charges-depending on what side you find yourself:

Old Believers
1. You are heretics
2. You want to absorb and destroy us
3. The Patriarch has no right to claim legitimacy
4. We have retained purity and truth

'New Ritualists'
1. You are schismatics
2. You look for excuses to remain apart
3. Apostolic Succession is intact and personal sin does not destroy Apostolic Succession
4. You have become Pharisaical in your exalted opinion of yourselves