This should be required reading. Archimandrite Konstatin is hard to understand anyway, but the Russian-to-English translations of his writings are even harder. I would appreciate any help proof-reading this text and also if you find the original Russian.
Archimandrite Konstantin and Fr. Seraphim Rose were alike in that they both discerned accurately the present times in which they lived, and so therefore could they "predict" the future, — see the direction in which the world is heading — but without being actual prophets. Fr. Seraphim was able to understand Archimandrite Konstantin original Russian writings with no difficulty. We, though, likely have difficulty understanding him. Everyone should try. Even non-Orthodox can benefit from trying to read this. Re-read and re-re-read this writing and please send your proof-reader corrections to me. Let our Church's children be raised for the Church according to the old ROCOR.
Personally I found interesting the Archimandrite's discussion of Our Lady of Fatima. Never has it made so much sense.
_________________________________________________ The Spiritual State of the World and the tasks of the ROCOR
Address to XV Diocese Assembly 1962
Archimandrite Constantine Ziatsev
Orthodox Life magazine 1962 (4)
see Joanna's Shared Library
"We, who are scattered abroad, are being subjected to a fiery test. Each one of us!
"It is the Orthodox fitness of each one of us that in the final account will determine the worth of Russia on the outside, as a Church. Modest is the phenomenon of Russia on the outside in the plan of earthly measurements, bit it takes on a different significance when weighed on other scales! So great is this significance that only a "churchified" conscience is capable of accepting it in humility. For Russia on the outside bears on her shoulders that greatness, braveness, and holiness which is the essence of Historical Russia; The Russian Orthodox Church, now voiceless in its homeland is capable of speaking with full voice only in the form of Russia on the outside, which preserves her Orthodox goodness."
"Hence we are compelled to direct an acute fixedness of our attention towards the processes which give evidence of the state of the spiritual health of Russia. And from here we are compelled to undertake yet another task: the labor over our Orthodox self-consciousness. Spiritually enlightened should our gazes be; it is in the light of the Church that our reception of reality should take place; acute should remain our Church consciousness. This does not come free of charge: it demands intense and persistent labour. The Orthodox way! One must want to tried it. One must be able for it. A spiritually enlightened compass is needed, a sensitive one. And concentrated should out attention be to the movement of its dial: woe unto us if we happen not to perceive its deflections! For we can turn out to be carried in that direction in which the favourable wind is bearing the whole world: — towards "Apostasy."
This I wrote 10 years ago, when the general trend of life of the whole world had already been entirely determined. But it was as if in dotted lines that the forms of that, in which the elements of Apostasy had incarnated themselves, was then designated. In the course of these 10 years Apostasy took on the character of a distinctly unfolded system of phenomena, not only in concept, but also in organization and encompassing the entire world. And so now the question is not that of being especially sensitive in the perception of maturing processes, but that of making a decision before facts. Face to face we are confronted with the question of which we spoke figuratively before; we here are asked individually and together as a whole, in our organized "churchness": with whom are you — with Christ or Antichrist? Earlier we cautiously groped within our church consciousness in the light of a possible question that we posed before ourselves. But now this question stands concretely before us. Of course, the Antichrist did not call himself Antichrist. This will not be so even when he appears personally. Otherwise he would not be the Antichrist. But the connection of the powers of the world in their movement against Christ has become so apparent to those who serve Him in the true Church, that no room remains for doubts and vacillation.
For Apostasy, in its concluding phase, in general is characteristic that the co-called "dark powers," existing immemorial, lose the appearance of separate organizations, each having its wn internal world, its external appearance and, most important — its power, inherent namely in this organization. The "dark" activity, from the movement of enthronement of Apostasy, ceases being a conglomerate of endeavours and attempts of influence upon the ruling order, but becomes a realization of a certain program that unifies everyone, and which determines the very "climate" of the world. We are concerned now not with some kind of underground activity directed against a prevalent system of rule in the world that is irradiated with Heavenly light, but with the liquidating settlement of accounts towards the remnants of this system which has been beaten down to the ground, and simultaneously with the apostatical universal mobilization of a humanity deprived of heavenly protection. This is carried out in the most varied forms, depending upon who was what in the period when the world yet rested upon its bright firmament. It is not at all necessary that everywhere and always all the active members of such organizations give clear account to themselves that they are serving the Antichrist. They may continue to function so-to-say as near-sighted separatists. But due to the force of the situation all such organizations become drawn towards one another an in this cooperation they continue to increasingly lose their quality as separate entities. Simultaneously their very membership on a universal scale is becoming more expansive, to a tremendous degree. Organizations in no way able to be related to the "dark ones," on the basis of their past now, with the rise of Apostasy, lose the former bright coloration of their countenance. Such organizations assume a special power of temptation for the defenseless man, for they present darkness garbed in vestments of light inherited from the past. It is in this sense that recently, in the course of a few years, a striking change has occurred.
With the emergence of the epoch of Apostasy, the central position in the world has been occupied by Communism, both by the sign of its power which rules, as well as by the sign of the demonstrated openness of the dark aims that it has set before itself. At the beginning no one understood communism as being a power that could claim a lengthy duration of existence, but with years they began with ever-increasing precision to recognize this power as having stably entered the world, and, further, as determining the very consistency of the world. The free world agreed to "co-exist" with communism, dismissing the very idea of a possibility of liberation of involuntarily subjected peoples beneath the yoke of communism. A further stage advanced to the fore: the free world confirmed itself in the thought of active cohabitation with communism, of cooperating with it. The task of a mutual permeation of the free and communist world has been set forth, and the task of finding a conceptual basis for mutual activity on a word wide scale. And, finally, — the latest one: the question has been posed of the organization of a world power that would eliminate all "historical" past, wholey adjusting to such a future when the determining significance cannot but be predestined for communism. In the year just elapsed the world has reached this stage!
The United Nations have experienced a striking change. Even earlier the mark of Apostasy was upon them, as far as the theory of "co-existence" with communism namely in them received ever-increasing practical application. There was also something worse: the U. N., in a manner becoming habitual, neutralized any individual activity directed towards active resistance to communism. With regard to the Congo, something new took place. For the first time, as a practical decision, corresponding to the desires of the U. N., a coalition was organized in which a communist element turned out to be participating on a basis of equality. Something yet worse took place: the utilization of punishment expeditions for the suppression of anti-communist tendencies. This change in the very nature of the U. N. did not evoke any reaction — the consciousness of free humanity has been made obtuse. . .
With regard tot he Church world, a change yet more outstanding was undergone by the World Counsel of Churches. The Assembly at New Delhi enthusiastically accepted the Moscow Patriarchy into its membership, styling it as the true Church and conceiving such an enlargement of its body as the desired and most promising envelopment of Orthodoxy by the Ecumenistic movement. And this also was accepted as something normal. Everyone maintained the appearance of everything yet continuing to elapse within the framework of the Church. Even the heated problem of the two Germanys turned out to be passed over lightly: those in the membership of ecumenism, who up until now yet dared to maintain their own point of view, fell with the faces into the mud . . . . Somewhat earlier there was Rhodes — a gathering even more shameful, for the primacy of the Soviets garbed in church vestments was recognized within a free Orthodox milieu. And through this a question mark arose over all of free Orthodoxy with great regard to its gracefulness, whether it yet remained in Christ or had not already gone over to the Antichrist.
Catholicism has not yet said its final word: the counsel is only in the process of gathering. But the stamp of apostasy has been denoted upon Catholicism with terrible clarity in the course of the past years. At the very moment of the rise of Apostasy the Lord reached out to the Catholics in a miraculous manner. There is no reason for not believing in the Fatima visitation of the Mother of God to the Portuguese children. Through them was made known to the world, and very soon thereafter, at beforehand exactly determined periods of time, numerous times with ever-increasing power and even miraculously repeated by the Mother of God before all the people the report of that astoundingly-terrible phenomenon that took place in our homeland. A stern warning was sounded to all non-Russian Christianity: if Russia does not revert, ruin would set in upon the whole world! The Mother of God called the whole world to repentance — i.e. establishing a general Christian solidarity of the whole world with Orthodox Russia: the restoration of Historical Russia is the condition necessary for the continuation of the world! And what came of this! The miraculous, oft repeatedly miraculous sign was left in silence by the Vatican — in order only later, with the passage of a lengthy period of time, then to be made the object of the whole world's attention, but now in the form of a new, officially confirmed version, radically changed. The miraculous sign, calling all to repentance and threatening ruin to all, if Russia does not return to Christ, was transformed into a sign having as its exclusive aim to exalt the pope, whose recognition by Russia was supposedly to have been declared by Heaven to be the condition necessary for the salvation of Russia and of the world! In such a manner Fatima took on the meaning of a heavenly sign affirming that new face, which was given to Catholicism by Apostasy: a miraculous sign which opened the way for the removal of Apostasy, instead became the very peak of its confirmation! Apostatic Catholicism manifests itself in a twofold manner: side by side with the original Latin Catholicism stands the new eastern one, which includes all forms of Orthodoxy, and from whom is demanded only that they recognize the pope. It is namely this ecumenistic Catholicism in its tow-fold significance that should draw up certain totals at the counsel. In contradistinction to the appeal of the Mother of God, the Vatican demands from Russia not a return to Christ, Who has been renounced by her, i.e. a return to Orthodoxy, but a subjugation to the pope. A struggle to the finish has been declared not upon communism, but upon Historical Russia.
The anticommunist conception of the world remains sufficiently firm in some influential Catholic circles, however the hatred towards Historical Russia cannot but fail to paralyze the frame of mind even in them. Therefore it is possible to await from the counsel further success of "ecumenistic consciousness," embracing with well-wishing, as is now well known, also the Soviet Church. As a result of this, the condolence towards the "Church in silence" will turn out to be nothing but rhetoric. . . .
In general, if one is to speak of Christianity as a whole, then one must with sorrow state that, from historically most indisputable Orthodoxy to sectarianism, Christian only by name, Christianity is becoming increasingly permeated by the consciousness of its "ecumenistic" unity. If earlier each, no matter on what step of Apostasy he may have stood, regarded himself as the possessor of the real Truth, being faithful to which made up the sense of his life, then now the consciousness of this has become extinguished even in the leaders of contemporary Orthodoxy. On the contrary, the idea-power, the moving idea has come to be the consciousness of a complete common unification: all must be together in everything. A feeling of insult arises if one is not allowed to participate in the Eucharistic meal: each "Christian" should be allowed to participate in "inter-communion." One cannot give theological support for this. A way out has been found. Is not the Holy Spirit capable of manifesting Its power at any moment and under any conditions? It was here that all met . . . . To the extent that the "ecumenistic consciousness" condolingly embraces also the Soviet Church, so communism turn out to be engulfed by blessed perspectives — chimerical loftiness annuls actual reality . . . .
This cannot delete the elemental instinct of self-preservation. So far has the spiritual disintegration of the world progressed, that it is now in this sentiment that one detects the entire relation of the free Christian world to communism. Something unimaginable is taking place before our eyes. Free Germany has left off its concern or the liberation of its brothers in blood and faith. In general nobody things of liberating their brother-Christians. The free Christian world confirmed itself upon the recognition of communism as a power which had irreversibly entered the world reality to stay. The right of citizenship has been granted to the theory of a new "post-Christian" era that now is entering upon the phase of activity. Christianity is prepared to view itself as being in a kind of 'ghetto" state.
Christianity is becoming one of the variations — of equal status with the other faiths — of religious consciousness of a humanity radically renovated in its spiritual content. . . .
A characteristic peculiarity of the "post-Christian" era is a negation of any absolute significance in back of religion. And though this, ecumenism, by virtue of the force of circumstances, extends beyond the bounds of Christianity, which was designated with special clarity at New Delhi. Logic leads even further, practically justifying a way that already has been entered upon. Why does man in his striving to clarify the purpose of life have to be limited to religious beliefs? Both atheism and materialism and evolutionism can claim an equal status with the other "faiths." Religion is receiving the significance of a certain quality of human consciousness — and no more. The world does not demand a God-Creator, and the less so a God-Provider. Characteristic is the success of a book of one French Jesuit, and which was let out into the world in a memorial edition with a forward by a contemporary propounder of Darwinism, most obviously a godless man. [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin ~jh] Characteristic also is that ecumenistic consciousness is prepared to populate the Cosmos now being possessed, with beings of a human form, with the degradation of the Book of Genesis to the level of a religious memorial of earthly "provincialism." The Kingdom of Heaven, if there is yet to arise any discussion of this, is relegated to a certain infinite future that would be of no interest to anybody. At the center of attention is something else: the transformation of the post-Christian era into an era of perfection of human nature in space embracing the Cosmos and unlimited in time. The Cosmos fuses with Man. [New-Age-ism ~jh] Inner religious experience finds itself a proper place in his transfigured psyche, but it is not man who sees himself in a God's world, but a God Who finds Himself in the human psyche.
In their earthly "provincialism" churches may also be preserved. But as far as these churches even at the present allow such a course of ideas — what can they say to their brothers who are wasting away beneath the yoke of communism? Only one thing: leave off any hope of salvation! First of all, do not depend upon our help! do not even hope that in general the period of rule by communism can pass. The question is of finding a way of living with communism. . . . .
"Russ" under the Tatars lived in the conviction that this yoke was not to be eternal: agreements that were made by the princes included in themselves the invariable reservation: "But, the Horde being passed . . . ." The contemporary free world does not regard in a similar manner the communist yoke that is weighing down heavily upon their brothers in servile subjugation. Communism hs entered the world to stay forever. If even it does not "pass," then this will be in a different sense. Here we approach that which is the most terrible of all.
Communism has entered the world to stay
The free Christian world does not want to confess that in its "coexisting" acceptance of communism, it is being impelled by a sentiment of self-loving cowardice. An ideology is thus born. Its designation is to become an ennobling coating of the act of selling out one's brothers to be over-run and plundered by the communists. But simultaneously it reveals an objective internal tie between the western world and communism. For communism was begotten by the western world and not by us! And now the west stylizes communism as being an extremity, something disfigured that originally had been good. One should return communism to that benign essence lying at it basis, towards which the free world also is striving! A rehabilitation of socialism arises in most different forms and variations. A particular kind of calling arises for the free world, which is imperatively dictated to it: to work over communism in the closest of connection with itself. In such a manner the disfiguring extremities of communism will be gotten rid of — and it will finally be enlightened with its original light, and this the more rapidly and completely the more close-knit the cultural association of the USSR with the free world. And this humanity will mature for a new form of existence, until after becoming increasingly permeated by the ecumenistic consciousness, it does not finally unfold itself in all its varied potentials, including also the comprehension of the Cosmos by Man. Such is conceived to be the start of blessed common post-Christian co-existence that is to grasp all of humanity . . . . .
This is spoken of with various nuances and in different variations. Only some speak of this. But they speak for all. Why is this so? For the reason that nobody renounces this. In this respect New Delhi was characteristic of that. There the most incredible things were said namely in this sense. In a tremendous gathering of various peoples — how can such a gathering answer for all that was said there! But important is that these absurdities were not renounced by anyone. And for that reason all that sounded not as irresponsible foolishness of casual prattlers, but as something which could not yet have been said outright in the person of the Assembly for various reasons, but which in itself foreshadows a certain future. These expressions have namely so been left hanging in the air . . . . .The future is with them!
One thing one may say with full certainty: into the makeup of the "ecumenical consciousness" does not enter the conviction that communism is a chastisement from God which with God's permission has seized control of the world, and has to disappear if it is fated for the world to continue its existence. Into the "ecumenical conscience" also does not enter the conviction that communism cannot be recognized by those who persist in being true Christians. For such, to liberate their brothers involuntarily captive to the godless-satanists, would be a religiously-imperative task. If this were in fact the impossible, then they would have had to tirelessly stigmatize the usurpers, calling upon them, satanists, the chastisement of God, and praying with all their heart for the liberation of their brothers from this foulness, which has been allowed buy God to set in upon us for our common sinfulness. Of this — there is nothing. And through this all has been said by the free world in the sense of its dechristianization — already confirmed.
The dechristianization of the free world, manifesting itself negatively, simultaneously also receives positive expression: between the free Christians of the world there is increasingly developing a mutual sociableness in the name of bringing to full unity all humanity which, making use of the appellation Christian has strayed from Christ, and further of the whole world in general. We return to that "starting point," by which all now is brought into motion and to which all returns — to contemporary ecumenism. Universality, not having any concrete boundaries, since completely directed towards the coming future, and therefore completely denying in principle the entire past — such is the spiritual "climate" of our contemporary world, already having arrived at the point of making the idea of an imminent second Pentecost a truism
Hanging in the air, as a kind of dogma, denying the Christian past in the name of a post-Christian future, such a conception of reality does not merely remain theoretical. It gives rise to practical effects, namely a systematic annihilation of everything which bears the stamp of the traditional past. Each organic tie with the past is presently being mercilessly extirpated this transforming humanity into an impersonal mass knowing neither generation nor race.
When we view this in relation to Tibet, or to China in general, as well as to our unfortunate homeland — one may well not become astonished. But now the very same is taking place everywhere and in the most varied forms. Who, for instance, is right and wrong in that which is now taking place in France? This is a special problem. But under all the prevailing conditions: are we not witnesses of the fact that in its basic core, the French army is being destroyed, that is to say, the real pith of a belligerent nation, which in this respect is an authentic heir to ancient Rome? And what of the malevolence with which the free world views that improvisation in the form of a dictatorship, which for a time has restored the fallen traditions of the past in Spain and Portugal, thereby making these nations a bulwark against communism! And that hate with which the free world conceives of the Russian historical past! And the more tolerant the free world becomes towards communism, the more intolerant does it become towards the memory of Historical Russia. And more than that! That which now is being conceived by the free world as being valuable, which has been preserved up until now from our past, is being placed by the free world into the foundation of the acceptance of communism as a lawful heir to Russia, the Third Rome!
The hate for the past also is present in the free world, so to say, inwardly: in each form of mutuality it extends forth to all that which happened to arrive at stability in every "state of life" — in general towards all traditional coexistence, be it social, local-social, general-social, church-social, professional-social, national or political — in general towards all possible facets of an "order of life." Man wants to be reborn. Man does not want to know any durable ties that obligate him in some way. Man is becoming incapable of manifesting the most elementary properties of human behavior consciously manifested in the course of time. Man therefore shuns all responsibility in relation to one's surrounding, towards those "near" to one, towards all possible kind of "nearness."
This theme would demand a separate report — such is the mass of data offered by the press in relation to all the free nations of the free world. And it is not rarely now that one perceives signs of fright before an avalanche of facts repugnantly one-sided in meaning. But if one desires to sum up this social reaction, one may say one thing about it: a helpless waving of arms! Not attempting to grasp the process as a whole, I shall limit myself to several illustrations. I shall begin from a personal recollection, already having a ten year history.
A house was acquired. This house was received in a state which, under normal conditions, a dwelling may be if being vacated under threat of personal endangerment to life to such a degree, that all is abandoned as is not having a minute's time even to destroy what is intimate. A chest of drawers is here. I started to look through the contents. Books, albums, photographs, diaries, letters. . . . Vital life is seen here, extending over several decades. Other types of faces, other wearing apparel — as if one were reading a historical book that is diversely illustrated. Church books with ancient book marks — used constantly long ago. Letters — of a certain great grandmother . . . . . everyday notes of more immediate relatives . . . . What has become of the proprietors, having left all this to the new owners, even not taking the trouble to do away with all intimately related to the family? They moved into a new house right here nearby that had been built by them. . . . One can say that they demonstratively shook off the dust of the past, striking it from their consciousness . . . .
This is not something isolated, accidental, local. This is something general and omnipresent. The family past is being stricken from consciousness. The feeling of a tie with the place of family settledness — is dying away. The home — its holiness: do not look for this in the soul of contemporary man. People live for the present. The past, yet yesterday accepted as something valuable, giving a real meaning to life, in its sacerdotal succession — has lost significance, it has died. The family is being denied the remnant manifestations of patriarchalness. This is now a mechanical compatibility of living, which gives rise to certain manifestations of cooperation that are reduced to a minimum. The internal bonds are something that is more and more seldom felt in external cohabitation. The contemporary family emanates a frigidness, and the compatibility of living, not enlightened from within, not infrequently gives rise to the most terrible dramas, which not rarely already are not felt as dramas.
And what about the school! Does it not undermine the family, shaking the very foundations of family discipline? Some signs of recovery are observed. But this is only, so to say, partisan activity. The general front is drifting in the direction of progressive destruction — ultimately dreadful. War to the finish has been declared on whom? On God! The principle of separation of church and state in the USA is being interpreted in the sense of an exclusion from school of any tinge of religiousness. And this is not only in the sense of a non-admission of any manifestation of "churchness" in the school — no: the general trend of teaching according to this point of view, is to be liable to strict censure! God must not be anywhere! Let us present an example.
We are extracting the following article from one of the last numbers of a well known American edition "U.S. News and World Report."
"A Protestant attack on Catholic Textbooks" — so is it called. And here is its text:
"New York — A Protestant study of textbooks used in Catholic schools just published, concludes that some federal aid now going to church schools is unconstitutional.
The study says that parochial-school courses in mathematics, science and foreign languages are permeated with religious indoctrination.
Under the National Defense Education Act, church schools are getting loans for equipent to be used in teaching "secular" subjects such as math, science and language. During the hearings on this Act, Protestant spokesmen say, Congress was assured that no religion is taught by Church-sponsored schools in such courses.
To test this theory, the study was made for the National Council of Churches, which represents 34 Protestant and Eastern Orthodox communions. The study's author: George R. La Noue, a doctoral candidate at Yale.
Mr. La Noure cites various examples of religious themes used in secular texts. From a science text: "The Church is opposed ot mercy killing because mercy killing is contrary to Divine Law." From an arithmetic text: "Ann brought 3 flowers and Jerome brought 2 flowers to put in front of Mother Mary's statue. . . "
The recommendation of Mr. La Noue's 1000-page report: Church schools should get no federal aid of any kind.
This is the voice not of sporadic free-thinkers or organizations of an anti-church nature. This is the voice of Protestantism which is church-organized. From all which is not an official teaching of the Law of God — God should be driven out! The very mention of anything connected with Christianity, the very reference to the Law of God — all this, even in church schools, is anti-constitutional: all this, under the threat of being denied any material aid, must be driven out . . . . This point of view is now receiving predominating weight in judicial consciousness, opening the possibility of establishing namely siuch practice through judicial decisions, obligatory for all. Such a point of view threatens to become the will of the law-makers, even to the extent of becoming formally proclaimed. The broadest of perspectives for cultural association with communistic nations in matters of education are being opened.
Let us present yet one more quotation fro characterization of the contemporary school. Here is what one was able to read in a Russian paper under the heading "Poughkeepsie, May 8":
"The director of a well known women's college, Vassar, Mrs. Sarah Gibson Blanding, appealed to an audience consisting of 1450 pupils with a speech in which she warned her listeners of the introduction of new rules regarding their behavior.
"Mrs. Blanding elucidated that 'unallowable sexual relations of the students with their boy-friends,' and likewise 'inordinate use of drinks' in the future would serve as cause for exclusion of such guilty students from the college.
"Mrs. Blanding added that she recommends such students to voluntarily leave this institution of learning, not awaiting the undertaking of measures on the part of its administration.
"The speech evoked a turbulent reaction on the part of its listeners, during which 52 percent of the audience favorably greeted the new stand of the college, 40 percent expressed intense protest, and the rest remained neutral.
"On the part of the opposition, one student spoke who counselled the director to 'officially make known in the catalogue of the college that this institution of learning has been transformed into an institution of Victorian times for the rearing of innocent virgins.'
"The orator added that in such a manner 'the college will rid itself of a growth in undesirable elements, and youth with contemporary views on life will not be misled and will be able to choose a much more suitable institution of learning.' "
ever-increasing cases of mental illness caused by demons
The problem of "sex" in general is now being freed of idealistic veils. In this something is being manifested which can not be called otherwise than — a "bestialization" of humanity — which is the more repugnant the more it garbs itself in subtle forms. But man cannot become "animal." For that reason the result of this turns out merely to give an opportunity for the demons to become fully roused in free activity. Only a spiritually-graced gaze would be capable of determining the percent of possession by evil in each case of psychic deterioration. But the most intimate connection of the ever-increasing cases of mental illness with possession by demons is not to be doubted. Likewise not to be doubted is that if, as a consequence of treatment, there is a weakening in the external manifestations of mental illness, then it not infrequently is accompanied by a deepening in the deterioration process from a spiritual aspect. The horrible problem of disfigurement of human nature is opening before us, as evidence of apostatic maturation of humanity. Clearly pathological manifestations are to be seen in the background of the common alteration of the human psyche.
The human being is losing the capacity for remaining alone with oneself.
The human being is losing the capacity for remaining alone with oneself. Here it is impossible not to note the exclusive harmfulness of television and radio. The home, in its closeness, giving place to such life activity that remains daily elevated and daily comes nearer to God, is being undermined. Ten years ago someone sent me a collection of leaflets, edited by one Protestant centre, with the aim of forewarning the faithful of the ruinous role of television in the like of the human. I recall that one of these appeals started approximately in this manner:
— Well, I am passing, writes one pastor, through New York and observe — where the mark of the Antichrist is above the houses, the television receptor? Almost everywhere. When the Antichrist comes, — it is namely this instrument that he will utilize to rule over humanity . . . . In these leaflets it was described, incidentally, also to what degree the possibility of "at home" seeing and hearing the church service was breaking the living tie with the place of worship, the pastor, the Church. In general it is difficult to evaluate the harmfulness of the very possibility of make church prayer an object of widespread external common use. I recall how in Harbin one whom I happened ot meet said to me: "Can you imagine what I have just experienced? In a Chinese barbershop I was shaved amidst the sound of a Liturgy that was being performed. . . ." Yet more terrible is the approach to prayer as a a phenomenon capable of being protocoled for later practical utilization. This already is an endeavor upon the spiritual effectiveness of prayer, that is to say upon its very essence.
Psychiatry kills the soul of man as far as it proceed from the conception that the psyche of man consists of nothing but mental phenomena, with the denial of spiritual life in man. But how is one to term the practical effect of mechanized prayer upon the soul of man? This is not a diverting denial of spirit, but a most apparent profanation of it . . . . A human being hurries in the morning or evening — why not set a phonograph or turn on a radio — with the "morning and evening prayers," and to carry out domestic tasks under it accompaniment. Is it not horrible to imagine that? But this possibility is not to be excluded. I had occasion to hear from one venerated priest how once in a home a deceased person was being serviced by a "pannikhida" that was repeated on a record that was continually replayed. . . . .
Let such shocking perversions be merely cases of exception. How then is one to explain that now the carrying out of morning (especially) and even prayers remains a relative rarity for people, even for regular church members? Is this not linked with the reduction to nil of intimate home life? Leisure! How is it being occupied? It is not only for prayer, but for reading to any degree serious that presently there is no time to be found. And how much of it is wasted upon television? But the most frightful part of it is not so much that time is being wasted. How is it being wasted? Who controls it. What is the consciousness of people being occupied by? Thus the comparison made above by the quoted pastor is not at all wild. The power of darkness is climbing into the soul of man with it entire crude paws, and then starts to dispose of matters as a master. Just try to extricate yourself from it now! For attraction by television turns out to be the very same type of possession as narcotic addiction. Especial mercy of God is necessary in order to become capable of liberating oneself from the filthy paws that have become accustomed to operate over our receiving antennae. Theoretically at the present time many understand the harmfulness of television, but do the calls for its renunciation have any effect? I think not . . . . And, incidentally, this is imperatively being dictated by the feeling of self-preservation both in relation to oneself and especially in respect to children. If the movement for the benefit of an actual "churchification" of our church people were to be actually realized — its first action ought to be the exclusion of television from use at home . . . .
for churchification" of our people, the first action ought to be to exclude television from our homes.
Many other methods of mass influence upon the psychology of the individual are being utilized — the movies, the daily press which give us reason to propose — have they posed before themselves the specific aim of bemiring the mind of the human; numerous and various types of diversions and methods of occupying one's leisure. Everything is functioning in the very same direction. The very tempo of life leads up to such a condition that usually a person gets "home" in such a state of exhaustion that, in essence, home life is transformed into a short let up from the converyor for the fulfillment of most necessary needs — in order them again to be included in this conveyor . . . . .
One of the most outstanding manifestations of a radical alteration in human nature is the incapacity of modern man to conceive that which was a source of peace and consolation for his most immediate ancestors. The question of simplification and facilitation of the church service is presently being acutely posed — in the direction of a removal of its excessive "heavenliness." It is not only the "heavenly" sermon, i.e. satiated with the word of God, that wearies and bores — new hymns are being demanded in place of the old ones! And not considered as a disorder by accepted as an actual necessity is the wild idea concerning the modernization of church services to the extent of allowing a jazz orchestra to become a part of the church service.
I am far from the idea of identifying all of humanity with those on whom so apparently is manifested the dread process of the transformation of the human being into an animal undergoing technological perfection. This is a fore-scene, be that it is a broadly inclusive one. It is difficult to conceive of this process as to often attaining irreversible control in the souls of even those people who have become its victims. On the other hand, there is humanity which has not yet been touched by this disease. This part of humanity does not parade before us — on the contrary, it conceals itself, shut off from sight by he terrible show that is occupying the fore-scene. But this part of humanity lives. It namely is that part of humanity whose presence justifies the existence of the world. To determine the specific weight of this part of of humanity does not appear possible. Here probably consoling surprises are in waiting for us. But one thing may be said with certainty: humanity that in secret is yet preserved is incapable of overthrowing the fore-scene with its own powers. And yet it is namely this fore-scene that is making history, producing its ruinous effects upon humanity yet preserved.
Our gazes are naturally turned to the East — will no the Light come from there toward a salvation of the world? This is the hope in Christ! Providentially-understandable is the hopelessness in all other directions. Does not the Lord want to reveal His power in conditions of unavoidable frailty of humanity, and reveal it namely in those who trust only in Him? And this not in the sense of an ecstatic demand for a turn of live for the better, for in this there would be a certain "covetousness," but in humble faithfulness to Him, with complete surrender of oneself to His providential will.
A Light for the East! We have come to rely upon that cry in our evaluation of the free world. There is yet life. It is difficult to say what the resonating effect would be if the Light of Christ were to shine forth. Would not scenes arise similar to the elemental rise of "churchness" in those localities that were freed of bolshevism? For even in the "free" world a milieu remote from true Christ is ruling tyrannically, and this is taking place with especial power — namely within the church framework, within traditionally-lawful forms, with the maintenance of an appearance of Church truthfulness. Paradoxical as it may sound, yet spiritual freedom now in the free world is felt to be present in the lay society with greater power than the church world . . . . Therefore, few have the courage or strength of spirit in order to assert themselves in the Church, having gone against the general trend . . . . . And so it is like this that the "last Christians" are germinating even withing the free world, submerging into a form of catacomb.
A light from the East is needed! Such is the deduction . But such also is the presumption! What has evoked the present state of the world? Through the disappearance of ὁ κατέχων ("he that hinders, checks, sc. the advent of Antichrist, denotes the one in whom the the power is lodged, the Roman Emperor"*). And how can Satan again be bound if not by the return of ὁ κατέχων. And is it not understandable for the Evil spreading in the world to strive as if towards its center, towards satanocracy, which now has enthroned itself in Russia? Only restoration of the Orthodox Tsardom is capable of altering towards salvation the present status of the world: this is the meaning of "Light from the East"!
Is this not a fantasy? But the history of humanity — is it not a fantasy? The enthronement of Christianity — is it not a fantasy? Why go far? The enthronement of Lenin in place of Emperor Nicholas II — is this not a fantasy? In 1917 the "rightists" not rarely voted for Bolshevism in the conviction that their ascendance to power would only hasten their downfall — to such a degree fantastic seemed the idea of their lasting rule over Russia. And the fall itself of Russia — is this not a fantasy? Never before had Russia been so powerful as in the moment of her downfall — and further being militarily mobilized for self defense to the utmost degree. And who was against her? Nobody! But it also tuned out that nobody was with the Czar. Whom had the Providence of God been preserving in Russian? Not simply a monarch, of which there are many on earth. The Lord was preserving ὁ κατέχων (the withholding power). And if the Czar had ceased being so for his government, his bureaucracy, his army, for his people? Even the Russian Church! For the Czar had become abandoned by all. And he fell. But how did he fall? He fell as a sacrifice, with his family, with his Heir — having blessed the vacant throne with martyr blood. Through this He opened to us the way towards restoration of the Russian Tsardom. Did he not transform the Czar throne into an altar. Russian people, in prostrate repentance before this Altar — will not imperial martyrs succeed through prayer in atoning for their pardon? Only in such a manner can be returned to Russia Her significance of a sovereign power, serving as the footstool of ὁ κατέχων (the withholding power), in her providential mission for being guardian of the true Church — and through this same also of the whole world.
* Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: copy 1886, Harper
This is the Light from the East . . . . All the rest — are misguiding fires, diverting us away from the true Light. Communism is now ready to tinge itself with any colors and to garb itself in any vestments — only to be resonance with the various currents of the free world that is being unified under various standards for meeting the imminent Antichrist. No forms of government, no social ideal — be it monarchy or republic, socialism or capitalism — by themselves have any meaning in the struggle with bolshevism. All these are chimeras for the support of which bolsheviks eagerly will offer, in any direction, suitable points of departure: do style the future as it becomes you, only in the present don't touch us, statanists! And before what could those satanists, who have possessed Russia, be made to trepidate? Only before the sacerdotal pair — the Czar and the Church. And by the mercy of God before us is standing, by the very Providence of God set before us, the living incarnation of the Tsardom and the Church, as if waiting for us, in order to lead us on the path towards salvation — the Czar-martyr and our great prophet and miracle worker, tirelessly tutoring us in the spaces of the world, father John of Kronstadt.
The world is ripening for the Last Judgment. Whence shall we be led by the Heavenly leaders? To meet Christ-the-Remunerator, or is the return of Russia into her paternal domicile yet possible?
Is Historical Russia yet capable or spiritual rebirth? This only the Omniscient Lord knows. But one thing we may say, guiding ourselves with our human understanding. If Russia is able to arise towards the salvation of herself an of the world — then it has to be now; time now is feverishly working against this possibility.
In times of old, Russia, beneath the burden of the Tatars, underwent spiritual transfiguration. To consider the epoch of the Tartar yoke as an epoch of sheer darkness, from which Russia came out into the light of God, having there been submerged almost to the level of complete wildness, — only mole-eyed historians, looking at our past through western spectacles, can do. Holy Russia was born in Kiev and Novgorod, but she was strengthened and took form beneath the yoke of the Tartars, taking on spiritual wings in poverty, sorrows, humiliations, in being layed waste and in ruins. Here was then our total manner of living became completely permeated through with the Light of the Church of Christ under the leadership of the monasteries — in the everyday "podvig"* of living. Hardly does this "podvig" yield to the early Christian "podvigs." But there is a distinction: then there was a dispersed professing of faith, here it was conjoint, embracing all the people, and in such a way creating that indestructible tissue of our religious-national and political, as it were, soldering, which was the strength of Holy Russia for all future times. It was in such a manner that our Russian "byt"** was created, penetrated by churchness. Thus Russia became resemblant to a monastery! So became Russian in its entirety,, as a whole, a nest that nurtured its fledglings in a system of "worlds," potentially unlimited and extending to the very limits of the universe, but retaining the fullness of its "sobor" consciousness on any bit of soil carried away on the souls of its feet, when the Russian man left her . . . . . even when betraying her in his human frailty.
* An ascetic exploit, undertaken voluntarily or involuntarily imposed, which results in spiritual rise.
** An untranslatable word which mean a traditional all-embracing order of life.
The Tartar yoke was an idyl, a plaything, in comparison with the communist yoke. But if the Tartar yoke, closing us off from the West, created an atmosphere of isolation, saving in the sense of offering a possibility of becoming concentrated in the rearing of an independent spiritual culture, that very same positive role in the same sense was also played by the terrible Communist yoke. The spiritual decomposition of which we spoke earlier, as being the "climate" of the free world — did not touch Russia. She suffered material losses — enormous. She endured losses in people — innumerable. She endured suffering — exceeding the bounds of human imagination! She became the victim of moral decomposition, whose degree, in relation to separate individualities, numbered in tremendous figures, of course does not have likeness in the free world. But — the massive of the Russian people has not been spiritually decomposed by the bolsheviks. Russian lives beneath their rule, but not with them incomparably greater degree is characteristic of the Soviet world. This is not necessarily "the catacombs," in the sense of a hidden true Church distinct from the open church which has fallen under the rule of the bolsheviks. Such "catacombs" do exist. These "catacombs" justify Russia in the eyes of God. This is that holy thread from which Russia is hanging, not falling into infernal darkness. But each contemporary Russian man in his state of subjugation can lead a double life. The mysteries of this twofold life are impenetrable. Once I was told by a priest who was able not only to enter Russia, but even to return from her, having lived there many years, — that it happened for him to be conveyed at night blindfolded, — somewhere, in order to hear contrite repentances of communists before death, who later wee buried beneath red flags. Communist Russia from the start was a box with a double bottom. But now this must be said in a somewhat different sense from which the just presented example gave evidence of. Then Russia was directed by communists — real communists. And now? Is it possible to say with certainty that such communists do exist as a ruling minority in Russia? They are in the past. They have fulfilled their task. This form of communism has been spent. Presently Russia is being ruled by mercenaries and slaves. They are doing their job — they will continue to do it. But these are not convinced communist who carried out the Revolution, but mercenaries and slaves. They can be all the more wicked and cruel. But one cannot expect from them faithfulness to the concept of communism. If they are penetrated by anything, then it is namely by that cloudiness of consciousness, which in its impious neutrality, in its spiritual vacuity, in its cynicism, devours everything living in the free world, opening to it broad ways for cooperation with the communist world. A certain common language is being put together between contemporary communists who rule Russia, and the free world, which freely is going out to meet Antichrist. And in this atmosphere a certain new regime is being formed in the USSR, in which together with the official communist doctrinaireship that rules formally, all possible forms of self satisfaction is receiving right of citizenship, not only permitted, but even encouraged by the leaders — self satisfaction, especially captivating in the USSR due to its novelty, and therefore able to buy people so cheaply, which to the free world is even little comprehensible. Here is that "climate," which promises to unite the whole world, both the free and the communist worlds, and which, in different variations, is being subjected to a test in different satellites. The universal bestialization of being implanted namely in such a manner. And initial communism is preserving its meaning only as a dirty instrument of espionage and terror — and as a determining supreme power.
At the present Russia is yet alive. The evidence of foreigners, not so much tourists as prisoners, having lived for many years in Russia not artificially shown by really existing, convinces us of this. Otherwise how is one able to explain their bowing before the moral image of the contemporary Russian man subjugated to the Soviets? The Russian people preserved moral attraction, disarming anyone who comes into prolonged association with them. This is a box with a double bottom. But this already is in a somewhat of a different sense. Not only is the soul of man split. It is possible to observe the process of stratification in this mass of humanity as a whole. There exists a ruling class, neutralized and to a certain degree already anticommunist (including also the Soviet army). And then there is the nation, not having experienced that process of "dehumanization" observed in the free world. Under these conditions the fragility of Soviet despotism reaches its limit: it now trembles over an abyss. And the free world not only supports it, by also is threatening the Russian people at the same time with spiritual death, as far as fusing with it in its own spiritual devastation . . . .
the power which overthrew the Russian Tsardom, is a satanic power
What does our task consist of, while this has not yet come on? The utilization of all possibilities opened by the regime of freedom for the confession of our faith, as the Russian Orthodox Church, spiritually at one with the internal catacomb Church, and at the same time being spiritually inseparable from the Russian Orthodox Tsardom. The free world is unable to understand this. But its pure souls are capable of understanding something else, and namely, that the power which overthrew the Russian Tsardom, is a satanic power. And this is the primary fact that we must assert with thundering. The stamp of Anathema is upon the Soviet government and upon all who are with it. This we must state not ony as a fact of the past, of which we tirelessly remind. But we are the Church, which is called not only to remind of this, but even to proclaim Anathema with full authority during the week of Orthodoxy towards all the the four corners of the world, and this in a manner such that it become clear to all that the Anathema falls on all, no matter who, if only he freely extends his hand to the Soviet government. Here is the first thing that our life in Christ should evince. As concerns the positive content of our life in Christ outside of Russia, then as far as it received political colouring, at the present moment it can be revealed only in the from of prayer. It is in our prayerful consciousness that the 'Tsardom is now being incarnated in the image of the Czar-Martyr. Our civil-faithfulness is now expressed in prayerful glorification, simultaneously contrite and grateful, of the remembrance of the last Czar and his family. And the louder sounds this our prayerful voice towards all the four corners of the world in its appeal to the subjugated Russian people, the better shall we fulfill our obligation of civil-faithfulness.
Real help? From where are we to expect it — if only not from Heaven.
the Russian Heaven, so profusely inhabited by our new intermediaries for the last decades — here is where our prayerful gaze has to be directed. The are with us — if we are with them. Who — "we"? The entire Russian nation. It is to it that our voices have to be directed. And whose name is capable of being a spark enflaming the fire of prayer of the entire nation, together with the name of the last Czar? This is our all-Russian Priest, father John of Kronstadt.
Now you will not raise Russia with political watch words and political names. A leader is needed for the struggle with whom? With Satan! And here next to the anathema, with all the power of its might falling upon the Soviet satanocracy are these tow names, the Tsar-Martyr and Fr. John, which sounding in our mouths ought to penetrate into the consciousness of the Russian nation. It is by this at the given moment that our life in Christ is fulfilled, in so far as it is turned to the outer world. Here is our faithfulness to Russia in her faithfulness to Christ. And where God will lead us, each one of us and all of us together, only God knows.
Archimandrite Konstantin. 
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