Just what exactly is this "royal path"?
2023: In a nutshell, "moderation" is the royal path. It is applied to all levels, physical, mental, spiritual. I will only talk about what is a "royal path" jurisdiction. Moderation by itself is not a black & white definition, because there is no "moderation" in consuming arsenic, for example. Royal Path is the sober applying of moderation in all things.
The Orthodoxy Church has JURISDICTIONS: Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, etc. From the beginning of Christianity it was so. St. Paul wrote letters to the Church in Corinth, the Church in Ephesus, Galacia, etc.
When St. Paul wrote to the "Church" a certain area, that area could have more than one place where the Christians gathered for prayer. The "Church" in Corinth was a place, but there could have been many homes where Christians gathered for prayer and each home would be a part of the Church in Corinth.
It was not long before "wolves" came in and divided the Church into political "jurisdictions" also. A heretic bishop could go off and claim to be still part of the Church, taking part of the flock with him. These kinds of "schisms" have been going on since the beginning. Satan continues this through out the centuries up to today because that tactic WORKS to separate believers from the Church.
So, today there are political jurisdictions. In a given area we could see the Church divided into LEFT WING and RIGHT WING with each division operating as a separate "JURISDICTION" and calling itself "the Church." So in Greece we have not one Greek Church, but many. Still, only one of them is the real Church.
In the Russian Church also, there are several break-off groups, each calling themselves "the Church" and each becomes their own "jurisdiction" -- except for the one real one. They all claim to be real, but only one (if any) really is real.
The royal path jurisdiction is the real one. There is a real Greek Church, there is a real Russian Church. Trick is to find it, or figure out which one is the real one.
To find the real Church, you have to pray. You have to ask God and heaven to show you. There is no way I know to figure it out intellectually.
Not even the experience of grace can indicate the real one, because grace can be manifest anywhere, even in a Protestant church (although it is not usual, or likely).
I found the true Church by trusting Fr. Seraphim Rose who trusts St. John Maximovitch. 35 years later, I'm only more certain these people are in the true Church.
To be exact: The royal path has 4 Churches:
1. the Russian Church Abroad under Metropolitan Agafangel,
2. the Church of the Old Calendar Greeks under Kallinikos,
3. the Church of the Old Calendar Romanians,
4. the Church of the Old Calendar Bulgarians.
In America there is no presence of the Romanian Church or the Bulgarian Church. There is very little left of the Russian Church. https://holyascension.us/index.html There is a fair presence of the Greek Church in America. http://www.hotca.org/directory
Most countries have no royal path Orthodox Church at all. So we Americanscan consider ourselves very fortunate.
Every time I answer this question I answer in a different way. Here is part of what I answered in 2010. Regarding political divisions in the Church:
In the left wing the newcomers are told to "Stay out of politics". In the right wing they are steeped in politics. In the royal path, though, we ask our newcomers just to be aware these divisions sadly exist and to expect to develop, in time, a spiritual discernment of the royal path. In reading lives of saints (full spectrum – all types of saints) things have a way of falling into place.
Orthodox who are raised strictly in either the left wing or the right wing, usually fail to develop the ability to recognize the royal path. The left sees us as right wing, and the right sees us as left wing. lf a newcomer keeps in mind that the royal path does exist and keeps an eye out for it, eventually he will start discerning it. There is no rush. Orthodoxy is a wonderful journey. The discoveries are never-ending. Savor each delightful step. Things come in God's time.
See:
The Church Seems Divided? Yet, is it?
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