Why Did I Nearly Become an Old Calendarist

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[@al4381]

I think it was St Augustinus who wrote about the observation that the Donatists mainly kept to themselves in their own righteousness, isolated in their small area of Northern Africa refusing to interact with the "heretics". It was when I read this that I realized how universal this trait was to all these groups that separate themselves from their churches over what they consider ecumenism or heresy. Sedevacantists and Old-Calendarists seem to both do this.

[@seronymus]

It is a bad habit and dangerous game to react to the problems of the world with angry reclusion, totally understandable but Satan is eager to fill in any cracks to subvert us to a dark path. We need to remain vigilant against heresy but watch we do not embrace heresy ourselves, and remember the love and protection of God.

[@T_Wozna]

Wow. That sounds like what we read when we read the life of St Maximus the Confessor. 🤔

[@supertigerroadtrip5193]

Here in America, the Serbian Church and ROCOR both use the old calendar, never got why the Old Calendarists don't just join those churches.

[@BanterWithBojan]

To quote them, "it's not just the calendar."

[@patrickmartin8783]

Because it isn’t just about the calendar. This is a huge misunderstanding that people have who don’t have an actual understanding of true orthodoxy. The calendar change was a result of Constantinople’s ecumenism. Ecumenism is a heresy. And they say that mostly all bishops today(which I’d agree with to an extent) are ecumenists, which would lead to orthodox Christians being in communion with heretics. This is like orthodox Christians being in communion with the pope. The genuine orthodox would call themselves the only true orthodox Christians, because they denied ecumenism that the patriarchate have accepted, and said that they have deviated from the faith

[@karenbartlett1307]

@@patrickmartin8783 Thanks for this explanation!

[@user-me6te3cr7m]

@@patrickmartin8783 But is what they're claiming "true"? Are they the only True Orthodox that are left?

[@SILLY_BILLY_777]

​@@user-me6te3cr7mno, because the church isn't just a calendar

[@MauritianStruggle]

Sounds like Catholic Sedevacantists and some of the more radical SSPX people.

[@BanterWithBojan]

Yup

[@wes6363]

Well here's the thing: people switching to a newer calendar weren't changing fundamental doctrines like salvation, nor did it start an epidemic of pedophiliac orthodox priests bishops a s patriarchs. That all happened in Vatican II, and then some, such as replacing the liturgy, and using Lutheran and Methodist ministers to help craft the New order mass etc.

[@adamsmith2944]

@@wes6363 there's many reasons why a new calendar fundamentally alters Church and spiritual life though. It's very simply understood. Just look at the last 6 months

[@adamsmith2944]

If you're looking to deride people, you can liken them to anyone and find something that will work

[@BanterWithBojan]

How does the old calendar fundamentally alter the spiritual life?

[@P.Whitestrake]

Man, it's unbelievable for me but a priest I really respected in the church (I was baptized in Russian Orthodox Church, by the way) broke out of the church & recently I learned that he joined those Old Calendarists. He's a very well- respected priest & a senior one as well. It was quite a shock for me.

[@P.Whitestrake]

@Filaretos The Zealot "Saying no to heresy." Funny you said that. It was known recently that his motive was political comfort. You see, he was baptised in EP church & ordained as a priest there. Years later, he had problems with some EP bishops & he was defrocked. Then he moved to Russian Orthodox Church & also ordained as a priest, until early 2019 when his ambitious requests to open a diocese in the country where I live & became the bishop were denied, which resulted in him being suspended from priestly duties. Then he joined your Old Calendarist church. People from both EP churches & Russian Orthodox churches here already know his "game" & just ignoring him now. So much for saying no to heresy, eh? Who knows, one day if he ever has any problems with Old Calendarist bishops & he'd move to another church.

[@P.Whitestrake]

@Filaretos The Zealot For the sake of a small respect towards him that still remains in me, I can only tell you the initial. It's "D." Initially, he was offered by Russian Orthodox Church to move to any other canonic patriarchate/autochepaly Orthodox churches that is in communion with ROC & still uses Julian calendar like Serbia, Jerusalem, or Japanese. Or he could've just stay & accepted his suspension, but he declined because of his ambitions. He moved to Greek Old Calendarist church because that's the only church that still uses Julian calendar in the country that's not in communion with ROC or EP. He's also promised what ROC can't give to him. It's clear that his motive is political for himself.

[@KnoxEmDown]

@@P.Whitestrake Ah, the Indonesian Orthodox Church. Yes, I've read all about this fellow, Daniel Bambang Dwi Byantoro. According to what I've read, it seems he practically re-founded Orthodoxy in Indonesia. I wonder, is there any place where he states his reasons for joining the Old Calendarists of Greece? I've looked for them, but have not found them. I'd very much like to hear his own words on the situation. Considering he became a bishop for them in 2023, it seems he finally got what he wanted - but at what cost?

[@jacobborregaard2356]

You can’t go into schism, no matter what. The canons say that if a bishop preaches heresy, but hasn’t been convicted by a council, then we are by canons allowed to cease commeration. Those who chose not to end commeration, but preach orthodoxically, can not be reprehensible, and you are not allowed to break communion with them. This is what the old calendarists don’t get. They avoid communion with everyone who are in communion with unconvicted bishops who preach heresy, but by doing so they haven’t just broken the holy canons, but found themselves in schism.

[@BanterWithBojan]

Precisely! So well put!

[@jacobborregaard2356]

@@BanterWithBojan It is sad to see people fall into schism, due to them not wanting to be in communion with heretics. I think that is why the holy canons give us the permission to cease commemoration of heretical bishops, but not orthodox bishops still in communion with him, so that we will not fall into schism. It happened with Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, who fell into heresy. Most bishops disagreed with him, but still commemorated him out of providence, while praying for him to repent. Which actually might be the most efficient way of dealing with heresy. Saint Paisios himself stopped commemoration of the patriarch of Constantinople, in order to protest and show the faithful the dangers of heresy. Our beloved saint did however not cease commemoration of other bishops still in communion with the patriarch, for such would have caused schism. He still prayed for the Patriarch, as we should when someone falls into heresy.

[@patrickmartin8783]

Show me the canon where it says you cannot cut communion with all bishops, who do nothing and still hold communion with heretics

[@jacobborregaard2356]

Patrick Martin Show me the Canon that permits it. Schism is not allowed under any circumstance. Did st Athanasios and st Nicholas cease communion with all the other bishops, who, out of providence, remained in communion with heretics before a council could be called?

[@maxdl1034]

Jacob Borregaard It seems like St. Athanasios did. Also, I’m not sure you can call the GOC (Greek “Old Calendarists”) schismatic since they received their ordinations from ROCOR in the 60s. St. John Maximovitch and Archbishop Averky were among the bishops who ordained people for the GOC. St. Nikolai Velimirovich helped supply “Old Calendarists” with supplies like holy oil. Metropolitan Philaret of the ROCOR openly professed ROCOR’s declaration of communion with the GOC, and he is preserved incorrupt, you can venerate his relics in Jordanville.

[@carltonpoindexter2034]

I like the Old Calendar because of the secularization and appropriation of religious holidays turning them into National Get Drunk Day and shopping mall nightmares. Thus our sacred time is in a very marked contrast to secular time.

[@thefremddingeguy6058]

I also like the Old Calendar, but mainly because it keeps the Apostles' Fast every year, something that the New Calendar uncanonically doesn't do. However, I attend a New Calendar parish, so now I remember the words of Saint Nicholas of Athens: "By obedience, the New; by conviction, the Old"

[@vincenzorutigliano5435]

Holy week in Latin America is everything but holy.

[@carltonpoindexter2034]

@@vincenzorutigliano5435 Yes, and look at MadiGra in New Orleans

[@vincenzorutigliano5435]

@@carltonpoindexter2034 I hate government holidays bro...

[@nursefaithrn4321]

Have you ever considered making a coloring book for Orthodox children? My children would love that! I look everywhere for beautiful Orthodox coloring books and they're hard to find.

[@seronymus]

This is a lovely idea!! I'm only asking too just in case but is it good or disrespectful to have pages in coloring books that are like icons of Christ and saints? Especially if the child colors outside the lines all over, children are innocent of course but is it proper? I don't know!

[@BanterWithBojan]

It would be very proper! :-)

[@jukesngambits]

@@BanterWithBojan Please don't forget about this!

[@aislingfahy5049]

@@BanterWithBojan would you ever make something like this? I would buy so many of them it's such a great opportunity to teach our children what we believe and bring it into their daily lives!

[@eduardovalentin9416]

4:52 is something I've had to learn, but it's quite freeing when the idol of the Church that I had in my mind was crushed by God, so that I could actually worship Him more fully. Thank you for saying this bojan.

[@BanterWithBojan]

Glad you liked it! :-)

[@user-me6te3cr7m]

Can you please elaborate more on this? What do you mean by " the idol of the Church"? Thank you and God bless you brother.

[@SILLY_BILLY_777]

​@@user-me6te3cr7mthe calendar is not a matter of theology or dogma, it is a development in culture and has nothing to do with ecumenism

[@mr.caretaker6086]

I love how here in the west our heresies our issues around if the The Holy communion is truly the body and blood of Jesus, Calvinism, penal substitution, moving away from scripture ect - you know, actual bad stuff and then over in the east in Orthodoxy your heresies are which calendar to use and how to cross your fingers when making the sign of the cross. Haha! You guys seem like your on a pretty good rock. ----- Makes this Methodist reflect on a few things. :)

[@KnoxEmDown]

What makes the whole old calendar/new calendar issue contentious for me is that the old calendarists were actively persecuted by their states for refusing to move to the new calendar. Outright imprisonment in some cases, from what I've read. I understand defrocking them for going into schism, but wielding the power of the state against them too is wild from my American perspective. Probably not so wild from an Old World perspective, though. I'm thankful there are old calendar jurisdictions that are part of the Church proper.

[@BanterWithBojan]

That happened in Russia too with Old Believers. I agree, that definitely shouldn't have happened.

[@halfthehill4910]

Fr Seraphim Rose wrote a great book about ecumenism. Orthodoxy and the religion of the future.

[@Cybercrapper28]

It’s too bad that that book was censored to remove any references to TO synods.

[@user-rh1jo1yy9e]

In Ukrainian Catholic Church, since we came into communion with Rome in the late 1500s, we still use the Julian Calendar for Religious Purposes, so I guess religiously speaking, I'm living in 21 December still. :)

[@troyspiller]

If Peter thought my church was a Greek pagan temple that would be bad. That means the Protestant meeting hall down the street would be more comforting to Peter than my temple?

[@pdstor]

IMO the Old Believers have a better case than the OC's. Nikon was a legitimately terrible human being, while Meletius was just worldly (probably less so than me) and as far as I can tell, just mean to St. Nektarios of Agena instead of the entirety of Russia. But we can't break from the Church because of mean Bishops, or even canon-breaking Bishops, unless they are consistently reticent to ecumenical reproach.

[@sjenner76]

Ecumenical humor. Truly, you are damned!

[@nickolaospappas4485]

I mean Mount Athos is old calendarist but why matters? Ive gone 3 times by now and i loved it. The liturgy and the landscape is astonishing!!

[@BanterWithBojan]

I define what I mean by 'Old Calendarist' in the video.

[@thefremddingeguy6058]

It is Old Calendarist in the sense that they use the Julian Calendar, unlike the rest of Greece, but the Old Calendarists Bojan was talking about in the video are the ones that split from the Church. I agree with you about Mount Athos. I really want to go there someday :)

[@carltonpoindexter2034]

To Mr. Pappas, lucky you. I never had the opportunity to go to Mt.Athos.

[@nickolaospappas4485]

@@carltonpoindexter2034 Well you should go there in my opinion. It is very beautiful and calm and all the monasteries are awsome . What i like the most is the landscape and the iconography . The drawings of Jesus are what can i say heavenly inspired . The landscape is so earthly . You can even take small paths inside the woods to go to another monastery. Hope you go there sometime:)

[@thefremddingeguy6058]

Hi Bojan, what is your opinion on the fact that the Holy Cloud that descends on Mount Tabor every year descends on the Julian date for the Transfiguration rather than the Gregorian one? If it’s because the Patriarchate of Jerusalem uses the Julian Calendar, then would the date of the miracle change to the Gregorian one if it ever switches to the Revised Julian Calendar?

[@seronymus]

Very interesting question, I don't believe I want to see this experimented though

[@thefremddingeguy6058]

@@seronymus Of course not. We should never test God. But if they switched for other legitimate reasons.

[@biljoe209]

Best synopsis I got on what calendar to follow was by an Archbishop who said (paraphrasing) we should use the one that is true (i.e. whichever calendar is more accurate and more closely describes the rotation of the Earth around the Sun and such). This makes the most sense to me as Christ is the truth we should use the true calendar. I am not an astrologist or anything and I would not be surprised if a revised version came along in the future that was even more accurate than the "new" one we use now. Hope this makes sense. May God bless you and your family Bojan.

[@com.gordon4280]

‘Old Calendarism’ isn’t just about a calendar. It’s about ecumenism and all that.

[@BanterWithBojan]

Yes, I know. In Serbia we call them 'old calendarists' (despite the Serbian Orthodox Church using the old calendar).

[@immanuellth6071]

@@BanterWithBojan yes in Serbia it's unnecessary to be an old calendarist but in Greece, romania, Bulgaria it's important

[@Imitatinghim]

@@immanuellth6071Calendar is not worth schism

[@carissstewart3211]

How do Old Calendarists feel about Quartodecimanism? Could that be referred to as Older Calendarism? Bonus: you get to dump on the Roman Church for celebrating Easter on a Sunday every year.

[@BanterWithBojan]

How do you mean 'celebrating Eastern on a Sunday every year'?

[@carissstewart3211]

@@BanterWithBojan one early controversy in the Church was when to celebrate Easter/Pascha 🥚. The churches in Asia Minor held the feast on the 14th of Nisan (Passover) which could fall on any day of the week. Roman churches, on the other hand, celebrated the feast on Sundays (as we do now.) At first both communities agreed to disagree, Asia appealing to St. John for their tradition and Rome appealing to Sts. Peter and Paul for theirs. Sadly things broke down. Pope Victor even attempted to excommunicate the Asian churches over this.

[@eldermillennial8330]

Cariss Stewart This was also why the Gregorian reform of 1592 was so important. The mathematical genius behind it cannot be understated. The Pope had human computers in his employ.

[@hectordanielsanchezcobo1773]

@Filaretos The Zealot pascha is still celebrated in the same day by all orthodox

[@KnoxEmDown]

This sort of thing is why it's not the calendars themselves I care so much about, but what the proponents and opponents thereof represent. There aren't very many old calendar ecumenists for example lol

[@bluewolf5895]

what is your opinion on the Catholic channel Church Militant?

[@user-we5sp1yt1q]

Œcumenique Chanel. Follow the saints and the canons.

[@BanterWithBojan]

Which saints?

[@greekhuman8706]

​@@BanterWithBojanNot Oc just to be fair though, I'm pretty sure our side officially considered the martyrs under the soviets and the ROCOR saints schismatics and they in turn, were in communion with the OC groups.

[@tharos]

Hey Bojan, since you brought it up, what is generally believed about Orthodox participation in the worship of other Christian denominations? Should we pray along with them, as they do, or should we just be respectful and pray internally? Would it be "more" okay to participate (obviously not partake in Communion or recite their Creed) in a Catholic Mass than a Protestant one (for those that do it)?

[@stuntman083]

there are Canons against praying and assembling with heretics, the Fathers condemn it. If you participate with them you are excommunicating yourself from the Lord

[@sophiaschier-hanson4163]

I don’t know about Bojan but even my crazier hyperdox friends went to Catholic masses sometimes. And every Orthodox Christian I’ve met who has ever lived in a remote/ rural area other than Alaska pre-Zoom has told me about attending Lutheran or Episcopal services rather than driving 3 hours to church every week. My parents are Lutheran pastors (le gasp!) and our whole household keeps an Orthodox prayer and fasting rule and fasting rule together. I’d be lying if I said I never ever went to one of their churches either. NBD for me or any of the regular average Orthodox people I’ve met.

[@sophiaschier-hanson4163]

PS: just skip “and the Son”. Nobody will even notice in a room where everybody is reciting the Creed at the same time. I’ve also blurted out that bit by mistake when I was a wee Orthodox-ling or just insanely tired at the Pascha midnight service. Nobody noticed or cared. :)

[@chuckliquor3663]

I want to get on that Enochian calendar 😏

[@nickolaospappas4485]

Also boyan can you make a video about the new generation. As a 17 year old ive seen many friends and people of my age i know falling to just basically sinful life. I mean people are always sinful because its our nature but people nowdays are hunting what is a "trend" even though its wrong either morally or whatever

[@seronymus]

I just turned 21 and totally relate it's okay, please pray for them and us and try to be a good model of behavior for them and advise them towards a better life!

[@thedreadtyger]

pray! i have seen two young atheists become Christians (one Lutheran, because of his family; the other an Orthodox catechumen) by means of the prayers of their friends and of the saints. pray!

[@seronymus]

@thedreadtyger this is true :) Holy Theotokos pray for us, Lord have mercy

[@eldermillennial8330]

I recommend reading G.K. Chesterton and what he said about Fads and Fashions and how the Church transcends such things. He approached philosophy from a very High Middle Ages psychology, and thus was far more orthodox for a Westerner even by Orthodox standards. I also honestly think that if Lambeth 1930, which he saw coming by 8 years, was the last straw for for so many Anglo-Catholics like his wife, so also he likely would have made a similar decision as I have over this current pope who is the rotten cherry on the mud pie of Vatican 2. If Western Orthodoxy had been available to him, I’m sure he would have at least enjoyed the liturgical services.

[@seronymus]

@Elder Millennial I have yet to read him in depth but admire him a lot, you're right! I'm sure he is honored in Paradise right now among the great thinkers of Christendom.

[@richardbenitez7803]

I’m going to look up who this Patriach Paul was. The resonance of one’s life attests to one’s holiness. Like John xxIII. If patriarch Paul had that kind of followers I want to check it out.

[@bsdnfraje]

Who is JohnPaul xxxiii?

[@richardbenitez7803]

bsdnfraje - fixed it

[@bsdnfraje]

Who is John xxxiii?

[@richardbenitez7803]

bsdnfraje - okay, okay

[@bsdnfraje]

Ok, J23, gotcha. I was honestly wondering though, not being a suchandso. You should check out Patriarch Pavle for sure though. He even has a talk or two on YT, since he only passed on about 10 years ago.

[@adamsmith2944]

I thought there would be a good argument or two here but I didn't hear any, and tragically, I did hear a lot of judgment of people... And hypocritical speech. With the utmost respect I say this to you

[@BanterWithBojan]

Well, I'd disagree. Had a lot of experience with Old Calendarists and I won't let them mock baptisms and relics.

[@adamsmith2944]

@@BanterWithBojan sounds like they had some issues apart from a concern relating to the calendar.

[@BanterWithBojan]

They did, I said that in the video

[@adamsmith2944]

@@BanterWithBojan and im saying that not being in favour of a compromised and unnecessarily worldly calendar has nothing to do with questioning saints and relics and peoples holiness. anyway, in the church i try my best to be a decent part of, judging others motivations is a grave sin. it goes the same for derisive judgment as it goes for aggrandizing judgment, too. but maybe i have that wrong.

[@adamsmith2944]

@@BanterWithBojan btw, if one were to throw stones in the other direction as you do in this video, they could hit a lot more grave indictments of character and conduct than you have concerning "the old calendarists" (who knows if all old calendarists are like you found on this ONE forum, anyway... but whatever)

[@dogmaticaempirica5670]

Boyan, can you set, please, an option for the Romanian language as a translation subtitles? I would like to use your videos for my Orthodox Religion classes. Hi from Bucharest!

[@emmabarbu7548]

Hi! How old are your students? They might understand English better than you think.

[@dwilenggategarzebua4125]

Damn, Really funny 🤣 i am from "Indonesia Old Calendarist Orthodox Church", we use Old Calendarist because we know that in 1583 A.D, The Council of Pan-Sigillion was held to "Reject" new calendar system from Roman Papacy. I agree that Church is "opened" to "Reform" in some attributes (Not Dogma), but,,if The New Calendar "broke" The Attributes of "When our Christ born" and other Church Feast System, Did we must "Accept" the New Calendar for Our Church?

[@BanterWithBojan]

I definitely think it is a bad thing that we did not accept (or reject) New Calendar en masse, so I think that Old Calendar should have been retained. I have a video on that on my main channel, kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWWwgmxnpNOehLM

[@itwasagoodaccountmate1497]

wih mantap ada yg dari indonesia juga

[@FTWbiology]

I'm not 100% sure what you mean by 'old calendarists' ... Serbia, Russia, Mt. Athos, Georgia and sections of the OCA (mostly Alaska) are all old calendar so you must be referring to something else. So what exactly is an 'old calendarist' ?

[@BanterWithBojan]

I meant non-canonical churches that serparated themselves from the canonical churches, accusing them of ecumenism and heresy.

[@FTWbiology]

@@BanterWithBojan Gotcha, Russian old believers would be the most well know. Luckily there are a few canonical ones now.

[@danube466]

No Guts No Glory!

[@consideringorthodoxy5495]

Ok, I’m confused, I’ve been looking around online and I’m seeing that there is universal recognition that sprinkling is invalid, I’m seeing that pouring is debated, and that dunking is the only universally excepted form. I’m really confused on this. I’m also seeing this on orthodox wiki with doesn’t sound like it’s old calendarist

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

Yeah, it's more common for immersion in general, maybe it's different in Serbia? Dunno.

[@Filip-jo3gd]

You have been fooled

[@gillianc6514]

Now you are really confusing me. The Serbian Church is on the Julian Calendar is it not? It is certainly 13 days out from the calendar used here in Romania by the Orthodox. It makes travelling between these countries difficult because fasting and feasting are not happening at the same time (except for Great Lent, Pascha, etc). I did a double St Parascheva this year, first on the Romanian calendar and then over the border in Serbia. Nobody in Serbia celebrates Christmas on 25 Dec, everyone in Romania does. Also find me one shred of evidnce that Patriach Irinej is ecumenical. Most clips of him on KZbin have him berating ecumenicism and he is highly critical of Catholicism (one of the reasons I like him so much ;-) ). Have I missed something?

[@gillianc6514]

@@evangelosdiamantopoulos8608 Cheers, ED!! That makes sense. I thought all of this had nothing to do with the calendar per se, and you have clarified that I was correct in my thinking.

[@Chadjr2009]

Hmm, I nice for once an Eastern Orthodox KZbinr, mentioned Independent/Noncanonical sects e.x. True/Genuine Orthodoxy denominational movement.

[@triumphonyoutube3659]

IS that spirit and mindset normal or orthodox or it is just the left hand sign that is supposed to suggest something to the rest of the orthodox, because many churches just decide to follow what they believe fits them as calendar without any newly invented things. which are imprecise and unorthodox too ?

[@Thetruthisnoteasy]

Boyan, I understand why you have done this video but I believe you have been exposed to a caricature of the Old Calendar or traditionalist movement in the Orthodox Church. There are many shrieky voices of a loud minority which represent an ill-informed and self-righteous position, as you say - to “save” the Church. This is not why the moderate and sensible traditionalists have walled themselves off, not “split” from the Church. There is a great distinction in this - splitting and walling off. The latter is fully founded on Patristic instruction. The great Saint Mark of Ephesus is a prime example of this but there are so many others Mothers and Father of the Church who have done the same. Let us not forget that the Church is in its fullness under a Bishop who presides over the eucharistic gathering of the faithful. Christ himself says that in the latter times, the flock will be small. This is very sad but unfortunately a direct consequence of the ruling of the powers of darkness over this world. The Apostles also talk a lot about it in their epistles. The walling off is not based on some holier-than-thou perception but on the humble understanding that we have a duty to correctly profess and practice the Faith, at all times being aware of our own unworthiness and ability to lead other people into temptation. I would strongly recommend the writings of the late Metropolitan Chysostomos of Etna California on the ecclesiology of walling off and resistance of error; the entire Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies in Etna actually has a lot of excellent writings in that regard. The works of Bishop (now Metropolitan) Photii of Triaditsa are also comprehensive; both archpastors are amongst the most eminent theologians of the 21century. In terms of ecumenism, this is a complex matter and no laughing stock. The now Saint Seraphim of Boguchar (Sofia) and miracle worker, whose miracles are attested by thousands of people, devoted a large part of his life to elucidating why ecumenism, as it is widely practiced, is a deviation from the straight and narrow path and thus a heresy (innovation). It is not an easy thing to say but the Fathers have always been direct and clear especially when the confession of the faith is concerned. The old calendar movement is a very useful counterbalance in the creeping unnecessary innovation across many Orthodox churches which are gorging on sugary snacks of sentimentality and inclusivity. Like sugar, it is mostly empty calories. I believe you have a fine mind, a great sense of humour, a good heart and are such a gifted narrator and drawer. Please use your clearly innate intuition to understand that the humble walling off of the traditionalist (for lack of a better etiquette, Orthodox Christians) is done to keep the Church as bequeathed by the Fathers ; not a museum in the least, but very alive, burning with the Divine fire of the Holy Spirit. Finally, do see the video on youtube called Pascha in Etna 2021 by Saint Photios Orthodox Theological Seminary and see if any of this looks to you isolationist, fanatical or sectarian. Who knows - you may decide to become a worthy student there one day and with your inquisitive and quick mind benefit all of us. Christ is Risen!

[@reaperanon979]

I think re-baptizing people is quite proper and I'd say required as realistically speaking a sacrament is made as such by being done within the church, but I've genuinely seen people being told that they would be "blind in heaven" because they only got chrismated or that they wouldn't have a guardian angel and other such insanity. I also know some priests (not local) that do "corrective baptisms", which I found rather extreme as well. I understand what they are saying and I do agree that baptism should be done by immersion (if possible) and fully (unless the person in question was afraid of committing sacrilege even though they understand the theology or whatever else, it's up to their spiritual father), but you can't partially be part of Christ's Body. You're either in it or not, so if someone is partaking in the sacraments and living the life of the church then there is nothing to "correct". It's horrifying as well when they foist this upon catechumens who are scared to death about being unbaptized or of being "blind in heaven". May God correct and have mercy on the people spreading such fear in the hearts of new converts.

[@carltonpoindexter2034]

PS, Bojan, do you know where relics are found in the Old Testament? 2Kings 13: 21.

[@eldermillennial8330]

We had Jonah’s bones, but now you need a forensic explosives investigator to find them. Wahhabism is a disease.

[@carltonpoindexter2034]

@@eldermillennial8330 Yes it is and perhaps a bit demonic as well.

[@eldermillennial8330]

Carlton Poindexter They swell in sapphire smoke out of the blue cracks of the ground,-- They gather and they wonder and give worship to Mahound. And he saith, "Break up the mountains where the hermit-folk can hide, And sift the red and silver sands lest bone of saint abide, www.gkc.org.uk/gkc/books/lepanto.html

[@here_we_go_again2571]

@@eldermillennial8330 Islam itself is a cancer! The Wahhabi/Salafi/ISIS do exactly as Mohammad did (albeit with modern technology).

[@malizarkovac7038]

SPC keeps the Old Calendar . Singling out Patriarch Pavle as an exceptional Holy Man among Serbs , though he certainly lived a Holy life and was and is beloved by the Serbian faithful is disrespectful to the memory of recent other Serbian Holy Men who are actually canonized Saints of the Church St Nikolaj Velimirovic St Ava Justin Celinski St John of Shanghai and St Makarije , all Canonized in the 20th As a Serbian Orthodox Christian baptized in the Church built by St Makarije in Libertyville Il USA I am sad that you belittle and make fun of your Brothers and Sisters in the the faith who believe in the importance of keeping the Old Calendar and are very concerned with the Ecumenical movement which according to St Justin is the Heresy of all Heresies , indeed a Pan Heresy . Most of what you arrogantly have said regarding Old Calendar , Baptism , Ecumenism are incomplete , not entirely accurate , half true and out right insulting to Orthodoxy. Voli te Brat I molim te Brate Bojane radi Hrista pokaj se , ni je lepo I mlogo gresis

[@robertwaguespack9414]

If the priest prayed with heretics could it help bring them closer to the truth?

[@ekosunartochanel]

what you said is very true

[@TheGreekOrthodox]

Bojas, let me ask you a question. Why dd St. Justin Popovich stopped commemorating the Serbian Patriarch up to the time of his death? While St. Justin was alive he was considered a Zealot. The Serbian church knew fairly well this fact, and in despite of this it proclaimed him a Saint. This is an ambiguity. Thanks.

[@Calciu_83]

Lies about St Justin, all his disciples deny that he ceased commemoration.

[@zeloraz8101]

This sounds very much like the sedevacatist/SSPX in catholic circles lol. God bless

[@AlexanderBenedict1]

The modernist church is awful, why spit on those who resist?

[@bobmcbob9856]

Wasn’t Stefan Nemanja rebaptized before his coronation because he was baptized a Catholic at birth? I understand that would be more of a political move but still, fact checking it with Bojan the Serbian Orthodoxy expert

[@reaperanon979]

It's just a precedent in that it's possible but according to St. Basil any and all heretics (or heterodox if you prefer) should be fully baptized. I was to be received via chrismation but asked for a full baptism (politely, inquiring if it was possible and saying I read about it further) and I was granted it no problem.

[@irreadings]

Why do you sometimes say (not in this video though) "Welcome to another episode of Bible Illustrated Hands... hands"?

[@robertwaguespack9414]

What can we learn from Patriarch Paul?

[@lonepilgrim83]

The relics ARE incorrupt, if you can't see the flesh, you are an ecumenist heretic! Anathema! :P jkjk

[@BanterWithBojan]

LOL :D

[@crbgo9854]

and people think I'm an extremist lol

[@ButSeriouslyThough]

You were baptized by sprinkling? Don't you mean pouring? Every source I know off that mentions sprinkling considers it an invalid form of baptism. Even the so-called "ecumenist" Met Kallistos Ware goes as far as to say that baptism by sprinkling isn't baptism at all. If you really did mean "sprinkling" and not "pouring", is this common practice in Serbia? I genuinely had no idea.

[@BanterWithBojan]

I literally mean sprinkling. I'd say that baptism by pouring or sprinkling is very common in Serbia, but the sprinkling is slowly dying out. While there are immersion baptisms, they are very rare.

[@ButSeriouslyThough]

@@BanterWithBojan Interesting... I wonder how that can be reconciled with the claim I've seen several times that sprinkling does not constitute baptism at all, or even if the sources I've seen who wrote this (a French deacon from ROCOR, and Met Kallistos, again) are aware that sprinkling is very common in at least Serbia. If they do, it kind of implies that they accuse tons of Serbian Orthodox of not being baptized...

[@BanterWithBojan]

Sometimes claims, as well meaning as they are, aren't true :-)

[@seronymus]

I do not remember it well, I'm Antiochian American but I was baptized standing in a tub as a Toddler, I was poured with a very fragrant sweet peach oil I think all over my naked body in the middle of a circular room with my family round the edges. What was that ?

[@karenbartlett1307]

@@BanterWithBojan I was baptized by immersion, but by Baptists. Would the Orthodox Church accept this baptism?

[@justincassablanca5479]

Are old calendarists like old believers in Russia?

[@BanterWithBojan]

No, those are different, tho the sorta same mentality is present in both communities.

[@justincassablanca5479]

@@BanterWithBojan Ok, Thanks!