Elder Gabriel of Athos: OCU “priests” are blasphemers
The Athonite Elder Gabriel believes that the schismatics and all who pray with them will not be saved.
On April 3, 2021, Elder Gabriel from the cell of the Holy Christodoulos of Patmos, belonging to the Kutlumush Monastery of Athos, stated that the Ukrainian schismatic “priests” are blasphemers.
In an interview posted on the YouTube channel Aikaterini Anagnostopoulou, Elder Gabriel said that "many hierarchs pray and concelebrate with heretics".
“Ukrainian schismatics are not priests, they are blasphemers. These are heretics and schismatics, non-ordained and "self-ordained". If they do not repent, they will not be saved, and those who have eucharistic communion with them and concelebrate with them will also not be able to inherit salvation,” the elder emphasized.
According to him, the Church itself speaks about it. As an example, the elder cited the 45th Apostolic Canon, which says that “Let a bishop, presbyter, or deacon, who has only prayed with heretics, be excommunicated: but if he has permitted them to perform any clerical office, let him be deposed", and the 2nd Canon of the Council of Antioch: "if any one of the bishops, presbyters, or deacons, or anyone in the Canon shall be found communicating with excommunicated persons, let him also be excommunicated, as one who brings confusion on the order of the Church."
“In the language of the Church, the words ακοινώνητος and αφορισμένος (excommunicated) have a similar meaning. This is a person who is outside the Church and who will not be saved,” Elder Gabriel noted.
In his opinion, “one of the reasons why the Greek people suffer is that we do not keep the Orthodox faith in purity, and our bishops, who pray and concelebrate with heretics and schismatics, behave like traitors. This will lead the Greek people to a catastrophe."
According to Elder Gabriel, the schismatics of Ukraine and the monasteries that host them, including those on Mount Athos, will not be saved and will go to hell.
