THE GENUINE ORTHODOX CHURCH
WHY "GENUINE" ORTHODOX CHURCH?
For those who are wondering why the word "Genuine", was added to the title "Orthodox Church", this is because of the fact that there is so much confusion, as to who are actually the true practicing Orthodox bishops of today, or to be more specific, which of the many so-called “Orthodox Churches” we see today, is actually the One True Church which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ established for our salvation. We are speaking here of course about the very Church that we profess each and every day in the Holy Creed, as being, the "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church."
Unfortunately, the many groups and "official" or "State Churches", who all claim to be THE Orthodox Church, base their belief on the fact that they are recognised by the world as the "Official Orthodox Churches", and/or for the fact that they are generally an overwhelming majority of people compared to those people who actually stand fast in the Faith; people whom they like to label as "Old Calendarists". It must also be noted however, that sadly enough even within the "Old Calendar world", a second more subtle evil exists, which is worse than the first, a phenomenon which has come to be known as "Old Calendar Ecumenism". Just like the more blatant Ecumenism which exists within all the mainstream "Orthodox Patriarchates", Old Calendar Ecumenism promotes a disunited or a divided "Church", a notion which of course is blasphemous before God, because the Church is the Body of Christ, and as we know, the Body of Christ, even though It is shared or distributed among the Faithful, can never be divided when it comes to spiritual unity of course. Sadly enough though, all of the Old Calendar groups, who all portray themselves as being THE "Church", pretty much all acknowledge validity in one another's "Mysteries", even though in most cases they are not even in Spiritual Communion with each other, and the problem with that is, that this suggests that the True Church is divided into several "Churches".
The criteria for understanding which is the True Church, is never based on majorities or minorities of people, neither is it based on worldly authority, of who is in possession of the Holy Places etc..., nor is it ever based on miracles, like for example, incorrupt relics, exorcising demons, prophecies etc...., because we know form the Gospel that Christ will dismiss the workers of iniquity before His Face on Judgment Day, even though they did work miracles. The criteria for understanding where the True Church is found, is through the following things: a) An unbroken line of Apostolic Succession, b) An Orthodox Confession of Faith which proclaims and defends the Dogmas of our Faith, as it has been revealed to us by the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures, c) Remaining steadfast in the Holy Canons and Traditions of the church, whether they are written or unwritten, just as the holy Apostle Paul instructs us in 2 Thessalonians 2:15: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” Failure to do so causes an unavoidable falling away from a true Orthodox Confession, which means an apostasy from the True Faith. It is for this very reason why the Genuine Orthodox Church only recognises One Church, and that there are no Mysteries outside the One Church. The Genuine Orthodox Church strongly opposes the Ecumenical Movement and regards this as the Heresy of all Heresies!