Skip to Navigation

Announcement On Vassula Ryden By The Ecumenical Patriarchate

Fr. Thomas Zain, Dean of St. Nicholas Antiochian Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY, writes:

"The following is a decision taken by the Ecumenical Patriarchate regarding Vassula Ryden and her organization 'True Life in God (TLIG).' As she has spoken in various cities around the North America (and all over the world) over the years and may have adversely influenced either some of our clergy or laity, we want it to be known that the Archdiocese endorses the following decision taken by the Church regarding her heretical teachings as well as the teachings of those who follow her. None of our clergy or laity should be involved with Vassula Ryden or her organization 'True Life in God.'"

The Orthodox Church, following strictly the shining example and teaching of the Holy Apostles, the teaching of the Fathers of the Church who have their succession, and the divinely-inspired decisions of the Ecumenical Synods, safeguards as a pearl of great price the faith of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church which the Christian plenitude experiences through their participation in the Sacraments and entire spiritual life of the divinely-founded ecclesiastical body.

Hence, whatever movement and improvised tension, personal or collective, in contempt or in breach of the dogmas of the Orthodox Christian faith and life in Christ within the Church as the only path for the salvation of our souls, all the more the self-proclaimed “supposedly charismatic” personality, is rejected always as an unacceptable innovation.

In this spirit, and for the beneficial protection of our pious Orthodox plenitude from dangerous spiritual confusion, who do not know well matters underlying the risk of delusion, rejects from the Mother Church Vasiliki Paraskevis Pentaki – Ryden, widely known as a “Vassula”, and her organization founded under the title “True Life In God” which rashly and frivolously proposes teachings based on the supposed “direct dialogue between her and the Founder of the Church Jesus Christ our Lord”, and those conquered by her and the supporters of “True Life In God”, which deviate arbitrarily from the God-given teaching of the Church, but also scandalize the Orthodox phronema of pious believers.

Hence, we call upon the proponents of these unacceptable innovations and the supporters who maintain them, who henceforth are not admitted to ecclesiastical communion, not only to not be involved in the pastoral work of the local Holy Metropolis, but also to not preach their novel teachings, to prevent the appropriate sanctions under the Holy Canons.

We express, lastly, the profound sorrow of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the acts of nine – fortunately few – clergy of the the Orthodox Church to be found at talks of the said “Vassula” and give to her a “certificate of Orthodoxy.”

At the Patriarchate, the 16th of March 2011

Of the Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod

Translated by John Sanidopoulos

Source

Translation