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the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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Church administration here in Russia is not canonical and <strong>the</strong>y do not want to<br />

stand for <strong>the</strong> purity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Apostolic Church.'<br />

"And I began to weep and sob, and immediately woke up.<br />

"Two weeks later, on January 17th, 1923, on <strong>the</strong> feast <strong>of</strong> St. Anthony <strong>the</strong><br />

Great, I had served <strong>the</strong> all-night vigil, gone into my cell and had only lain<br />

down to sleep a little when I had <strong>the</strong> following vision: I was going into <strong>the</strong><br />

ca<strong>the</strong>dral church <strong>of</strong> Odessa to <strong>the</strong> right-hand doors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> right-hand chapel. I<br />

went - and saw no one. On <strong>the</strong> right-hand iconostasis <strong>the</strong>re were no icons -<br />

<strong>the</strong>y had all been broken. I went into <strong>the</strong> sanctuary and kissed <strong>the</strong> altar-table.<br />

The altar-table was in its usual place. I made three prostrations and began to<br />

kiss <strong>the</strong> altar-table. At that moment <strong>the</strong> Prophet Malachi appeared between<br />

<strong>the</strong> altar and <strong>the</strong> high place and said to me:<br />

"'Look what's happening in <strong>the</strong> Church now.'<br />

"I went into <strong>the</strong> central chapel to kiss <strong>the</strong> altar-table, went up to <strong>the</strong> altar<br />

and saw that <strong>the</strong> whole sanctuary was full <strong>of</strong> men and women crowding<br />

round <strong>the</strong> altar-table. When I was moving across to <strong>the</strong> central chapel where<br />

<strong>the</strong> people were, a Jew was reading on <strong>the</strong> altar - I don't know what he was<br />

reading. I asked him:<br />

"'What have you done with <strong>the</strong> church?'<br />

"'It's according to <strong>the</strong> <strong>new</strong> style,' he said.<br />

"At that moment I saw a vested protodeacon standing on <strong>the</strong> ambon, while<br />

in <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> church on <strong>the</strong> ca<strong>the</strong>dra stood a bishop and many people.<br />

At that moment <strong>the</strong> protodeacon intoned: "Blessed be <strong>the</strong> Kingdom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Fa<strong>the</strong>r and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Son and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Holy Spirit." The chanters chanted: "Amen."<br />

All those who were in <strong>the</strong> sanctuary, men and women, were praying. Then<br />

<strong>the</strong>y lay down and in <strong>the</strong> lying position sang with a laugh: "Lord, have<br />

mercy." Then I woke up, shaking all over.<br />

"In March, 1923, Metropolitan Eudocimus, <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> renovationist<br />

church, himself came to Odessa to convince me to accept renovationism. I<br />

remained alone. In Odessa <strong>the</strong> people had stopped going to church, <strong>the</strong>y went<br />

instead to our podvorye. During <strong>the</strong> Great Fast up to 3000 people came to us<br />

every day to receive communion. Then Bishop Alexis wrote to Eudocimus in<br />

Moscow that in Odessa Archimandrite Pitirim had not accepted<br />

renovationism and did not commemorate <strong>the</strong> HCA, and that all <strong>the</strong> people<br />

were going to him. Then Eudocimus himself came to me. He invited me to<br />

come to him without fail. I came, but did not take his blessing. He invited me<br />

to sit down. They, Eudocimus and Alexis, were sitting on <strong>the</strong> s<strong>of</strong>a. In <strong>the</strong><br />

bishop's residence Eudocimus addressed me as follows:<br />

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