«Bearing the name of heretics should be those, who accept our sacrament (μυστήριον), — it is said in the Synthagmum of Athens, — but in some parts of dogmas sin and do not accord with the orthodox (διαφερομένους τοίς όρθόδοξοις)»43.
«Papism is a heresy, which having enveloped the West, — St. Ignatius wrote, — like a tree to branches gave rise to different protestant teachings»44. If Catholicism is a heresy connected with adding to the truth, i.e. papism, which, having added to the Symbol of Faith «and from Son» (filioque) and a heretic dogma about godlike nature of their pope, and a new style of Easter dates, and the teaching about the purgatory and indulgence, and lots of other innovations, was led aside from the truth; then Protestantism is a heresy connected with belittling of truth. For instance, the founder of this heresy, a catholic monk Martin Luther, having decided to reform papism, once noticed modestly: «We ought to be hercules and atlants, for we carry the world on our shoulders... We'll do everything to reform the Church» But reforming Catholicism, Luther ran into another extreme: he denied the Holy Tradition of Church, abandoned the reverence of the Mother of God and the saints, eliminated the canons and the Sacraments of Church. Being obsessed with the spirit of struggle with papism, he resulted in madness, being a monk and getting married in 1525. «I got married, — he wrote, — and married a nun. Though there was no need in that and I could have refrained, I did it to tease the devil...»46
Catholic reforms could not but touch England as well. If in Germany and in France they were introduced from the grass-root level, in England they were carried out due to the political needs of the nobility. The English king Henry VIII (1509-1547) — the founder of heretic Anglican Church — proclaimed himself «head of the Church». At first, being a true admirer of papism, then he failed to find understanding on the part of Pope Clement VII in the matter of his dissolution of marriage with Catherine of Aragon, the former wife of his brother. Having fallen in love with the maid of honor of his wife Anna Bolein, he began to insist on his 17 years long marriage with Katherine being illegal. Pope denied him of the dissolution of marriage, but Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Kranmer annulled it and acknowledged legal his marriage with Anna. Henry VIII had no intention of reforming Catholic rules, he was only preoccupied with establishing his power. The basics of Anglican dogmas were thoroughly expounded in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the XVI century. In the sphere of dogmas Anglicanism separated into two domains: High Church, in its teaching close to Catholicism, and Low Church, confessing Protestantism. Later the Anglicans introduced an innovation accountable for in common sense — women were allowed to be ordained priests.
In the interview to the Anglican newspaper «Church Times»47 The Most Reverend Anthony was asked: «Your Eminence, as a result of communicating with us, what can you say about the spirituality of our [Anglican] Church?» 48
And the Orthodox metropolitan answers: «If to define spirituality as breathing, as the effect of Holy Spirit in people, in the communities, large or small, then I can say that in the Anglican denomination (in Roman Catholicism, as well as in nonconformist communities) I was deeply impressed by strong desire of people to be closer to God, to listen to Him, to try to understand His ways without distorting them according to their own ideas». But this is evident lie. Aren't those the Catholics who distorted Christ's teaching, stating their pope being sinless? Aren't those the dissenters 49 who denied the Sacraments established in Church by Christ?
His Eminence Anthony does not stop at the cited heretics, in search for «praying» he turns to Islam. Thus, reproducing an extract from a story by Al Absyh about a Muslim, His Eminence admires the ability of the man to pray. The Muslim prayed in such a way, «that he even was not distracted by the fire in his house», there were his small children50. Really, all the symptoms of insanity are clearly displayed.
At the same time a Christian should remember that if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel51. In the Ancient Patristic there is a story about abba Typhoe who when praying alone had his mind go up in the Skies. But when he prayed with the brothers, he immediately put down his hands for his mind not to go up and himself not to seem some special prayer in front of the brothers52. What a perfect example of humbleness to please God.
Throughout their existence the Muslims are preoccupied with the search of proofs that the Bible supposedly foretold about Mahomet. For instance, they assure that when Christ told His disciples to wait for the Helper, He meant Mahomet, but everyone who has read the Gospel knows that those words are said about Holy Spirit.
Professor of history of Islam in the leading in the world the University of Islam Al-Ahzar in Cairo Mark Gabriel, sincerely looking for the proofs of Mahomet in the Bible, failed to do it. But when studying the Gospel, he discovered Christ for himself53. Thus anyone who is truly looking for God will find out that none, neither Allah, nor Krishna, nor Buda, nor anyone suchlike appear to be Divine. I am the way, the truth and the life; — says Jesus Christ, — no man comes unto the Father but by Me54.
The Patristic: St. John of Damascus, St. Cosmas of Majum, St. Maximos the Greek 55 and many others more than once warned about the blasphemous contain of Islam. In the canons of Oktoikh duly read during the Small Vespers you can often meet a prayer to the Holy Theotokos: «protect us from the children of Agarian».
«And those saving, will save their souls, who live in the Orthodox Denomination, — St. Theodosius of Kiev and Pechers teaches, — for there is no belief better than ours since pure and holy our Orthodox belief is. Those living in this belief will get rid of sins and will avoid eternal tortures, but will receive communion of eternal life and will rejoice with the saints. And those who live in another belief, either Latin, or Saracen, or Armenian, will never achieve eternal life. So do not, child, praise, a foreign belief...»56
But The Most Reverend Anthony says: «From Indian religions I learned a lot of precious things and was interested in yoga being a doctor» 57. So he wouldn't miss the buddhist wisdom as well. Thus, telling about a salt-doll which wanted to cognize the sea and gradually entering it, itself became the sea, His Eminence writes: «Not drawing absolute parallels with the buddhist doll a Christian cognition of God, we may still find much truth in this story». It is rather strange for an Orthodox metropolitan to seek for truth in a heathen religion, instead of exposing its delusion. For this «much truth», offered by the author of «The School» in this story is a transparent lie and a contrivance of the sly snake. It is enough to consider this story attentively so as to understand its meaning. The buddhist salt doll, a man, desiring to cognize the sea, god, entered the sea to dissolve in it. Here from we derive a conclusion that a man should be involved into a sophisticated mental process to become one of the heathen gods.