It’s Not Funny Anymore

I’m going to pass along to you this blog posting written by Abbot Tryphon, and then I am going to comment on it. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t find the good abbot’s words so disturbing. But, what is more disturbing than his words is the fact that Facebook removed them after the abbot posted them on his page. Here it is:

“I have chosen not to bless my monks, nor my spiritual children, to take the vaccine. I do not think any vaccine will prevent anyone from getting Covid, and I have read with increased horror as the evidence has become increasingly clear within the scientific community that this vaccine is in reality causing the spread of this virus within the human community, while preventing natural immunity.

The evidence is clear that those doctors and scientists who see the vaccines as unproven, and even dangerous long term, are being silenced by their colleagues within the scientific community. For those who understand science, we know that science is not like history, for it is ever changing as more is discovered. Yet we have certain individuals within the scientific community suppressing dissidence, crushing anyone who would disagree with their take on the pandemic.

We Orthodox know that God sometimes visits upon us wars and plagues as a way of calling us out of our darkness and sin. We know that God arranges such things as a way of waking us up to that which is of eternal value.

It seems clear to me that this world-wide pandemic comes from the Evil One. Nothing in my lifetime has caused such fear among the masses of people, world wide. This season that normally leads to gatherings of family and friends around the table in celebration of the Nativity of Our Salvation, has instead seen the closure of churches, and families banning their unvaccinated members from joining them in celebration. It has seen clergy closing their churches out of fear, not remembering that it is the gathering within our churches that has alway brought about the healing that is so needed during times of trial.

Saint Luke the Surgeon, Archbishop of Simferopol, a bishop that the Soviets chose not to execute because he was considered one of the finest surgeons in Russia, and was therefore needed by the Soviet State, recommended Holy Water as the cure for what ails us.

“Drink Holy Water, the more often, the better. It is the best and most effective medicine. I’m not saying this as a priest, I’m saying it as a doctor, from my medical experience.”

At seventy-six years of age, I am no spring chicken, as they say. Yet I have chosen to trust God to keep me safe during this pandemic. I therefore add holy water to every glass of water I drink during the day, and I anoint myself with the miraculous myrrh of the holy icon of the Theotokos of Hawaii, every day.

Additionally, I consume the Holy Body and Blood of my Saviour during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, with the full knowledge that in doing so I am receiving healing of body and soul. If I should die from a virus that was intentionally introduced by the godless leaders of China, with the intention of conquering the West, and creating a one world government, so be it.

In my weakness, I pray on a daily basis that the Lord will never let me deny Him, even unto my last breath. I put my trust in God, and not in the “scientific and medical” authorities who are hell bent on controlling everyone, including church leaders. I trust only in the mercy of my Lord.

We monks are grateful that we have an opportunity to serve the Divine Liturgy and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, yet we also realize that many others are not so fortunate. Many churches have closed their doors to the faithful, fearful that the Corona virus will infect their people if they should gather before the Throne of God, in worship. In truth, we should only fear God.

I would conclude by pointing out that the mandatory and dictatorial push for the vaccine by governments and companies around the world is clear evidence that this vaccine is of the devil. Let us stand strong in our resistance to the goddess authorities, and let us renew our commitment to Jesus Christ, and to the eternal truth that resides within the Life of the Church.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon”

I dare say that few people can read what the abbot has written and blithely go about their business. Those who have a robust faith in the miraculous potions of Orthodoxy will agree with the abbot. I worship in the very temple where the myrrh-streaming icon of the Holy Theotokos of Iveron is kept, and I have heard the testimonies of many people who have been healed by its effectuality.

Others who have faith in Christ, but pride themselves on their rationality may admit that God can heal the sick, or prevent sickness, but they wouldn’t consider the refusal of vaccines to be a normal course of action. They wouldn’t recommend the daily regimen that Abbot Tryphon speaks of when he talks about mixing holy water and anointing himself with myrrh.

Of course, the great masses who make up the rest of mankind will consider the abbot to be some sort of nut to refuse to take the vaccine and to substitute holy potions in its place. They will think him thoroughly irresponsible to refuse permission for his close followers to do the same. I have to scoff at that. I spent several days late this summer with Abbot Tryphon and his four monks. Trust me when I say that he and they are all very down-to-earth men. The abbot is elderly and a bit frail, but his mental faculties are still very sharp. He wouldn’t be withholding his blessing if he didn’t have a good reason to do so.

I’m a bit younger than the abbot, but it resonates with me when he says, “It seems clear to me that this world-wide pandemic comes from the Evil One. Nothing in my lifetime has caused such fear among the masses of people, world wide.” He can say that again. I’m sure that he and I are not alone when we say that nothing has caused so many people to cower in such fear as this pandemic has. What is the cause of that fear? I dare say that a disease from which almost everyone recovers, unless he is old or chronically ill, could not possibly cause the panic that we have seen in the last two years if it weren’t for the propaganda to which we have been subjected.

Those who have positions of public trust, like our sorry excuse for a president, like his medical bureaucrats, like the pharmaceutical executives who have profited so handsomely, and others who have made a fortune and use that influence to manipulate the flow of information – they are the ones who have caused the panic, the like of which neither Abbot Tryphon nor I have ever witnessed before in our long lives.

Yes, a lot of people have died from contracting the virus, but a lot of other people have died for need of medical treatment refused them for unrelated conditions because of the hospitals’ reaction to the pandemic. What about those who have cancer or diabetes but were not able to get an appointment? Have we considered the curse of mental disease caused by the irrational fear of this sickness and the inability to fraternize? How many children have suffered from depression and even committed suicide partly because the teachers’ unions refused to allow them into class? How many thousands of mom-and-pop business owners have suffered the devastating loss of their livelihoods because the government would not allow customers to enter their shops? How many Orthodox Christians have learned to stay home from church on Sundays and disregard the need of their souls for the healing powers of the holy mysteries?

Forgive me when I say that I have had a knot in my stomach over this irrational groupthink. And, I’ve had it for nigh on two years. Grown men have been emasculated; women are nervous wrecks. Over what? The pandemic is mostly over. Omicron isn’t much worse than a cold. But don’t tell that to the replacement governor of New York. And, don’t tell Facebook; otherwise they may shut you down the way that they have done to Abbot Tryphon. The manipulation and censorship aren’t funny anymore.

This is what we have lost during this pandemic: our trust in a government that constricts our freedom to do and say whatever we used to be able to say or do; our trust in large institutions outside of government, like the media, that act as though they were the fourth branch of government; our trust even in some of our hierarchs who so gullibly complied with the agenda and restricted our access to the institution which was more essential than anything else during this godawful time.

“I would conclude by pointing out that the mandatory and dictatorial push for the vaccine by governments and companies around the world is clear evidence that this vaccine is of the devil.” So says the abbot.

The pandemic may, for all intents and purposes be over, even if these institutions disagree. But now that they know that it doesn’t take much to strike fear into the hearts of Americans, even Orthodox Christians, then they will continue to cajole us, and if possible, force us to take the inoculation. And the booster. The more they do that, the less inclined we should be to comply, regardless of the purported benefit of the vaccine. We should avoid them as much as we can simply because they have done everything that they can do to force it on us. From such an ugly despotism, all Christians of good conscience should flee. Once this is over, don’t think for a moment that they won’t grasp the next opportunity to steal our sanity and our faith again, if they are able.

But, let’s not give up hope. God is with us now more than ever and we can expect him to bestow extraordinary blessings on those who are faithful throughout this time. In the end, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And the despots shall have their comeuppance.