Andrey Kozin

Open letter to Elder Rafail (Berestov)

Alarm bell or ringing brass?

UNITY OF THE Apostate SPIRIT:
"The Elder" Rafail Berestov in an embrace
with photo of “Metropolitan” Lavr Shkurla

“You who love the Lord, hate evil!” (Ps.96, 10)

In 2005, the publishing house “Father's House” published a brochure “Nabat” by the famous patriarchal elder Hieroschemamonk Rafail (Berestov). In this review, we intend to draw the attention of compatriots to evidence of the obvious delusion of the author of the brochure, and also, if possible, to urge them to a sober understanding of the events that have already occurred and are still occurring in Russia. I really want to believe that Father Raphael himself will think about it, since it is clear that, although he is mistaken in many ways, he seems to be motivated by good intentions and, unlike other “universally respected” “kind” and “humble” gray-haired liars, at least trying to change something in the reality around him.

In his work, Father Raphael quite colorfully describes the ambiguous situation that initially arose in the official Soviet church, and which over time not only did not change for the better, but degenerated into even more severe forms of apostasy. (Pages 2–4: “Official representatives of the Church have long fallen under the Masonic yoke; Many bishops and monastics had, and perhaps still have, officer ranks; “Bacteria” appeared in the Church; Warlock worms crawled into the bosom of the Church, psychic clerics appeared ; On a Komsomol ticket, “Cossack women” were sent into the fold of the Church. From them, many “wolves in sheep’s clothing” appeared in the Church; They were blessed to take an INN, a “Russian” passport with three sixes and Masonic symbols; Official representatives of the Church with their “academic council” flock Christ was led from Christ to Satan"). From what the elder cites as an illustration of his reasoning, an unbiased reader can draw an unambiguous conclusion (although there is no direct recognition of this fact in the brochure): the official church, the so-called “Moscow Patriarchate”, during the time of the Bolsheviks was created exclusively to fight the Church of Christ; this is a purely state institution and there can be no talk of the presence of grace either then, much less now, in this truly “church of the wicked.” (Page 2: “From then until perestroika, without a KGB filter and without a subscription, I think almost not a single bishop was consecrated; Bishops, priests and even monks signed up to cooperate with the Cheka, the KGB and betrayed their brothers, and had officer ranks and a career in the clergy").

From the very first page, Father Raphael admits that the Chekists, having failed with the renovationist schism, decided to approach the matter of destroying the Church more seriously. After searching through a large number of bishops, their choice fell on Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), who gained a reputation as an extremely liberal hierarch in all respects. (Page 1: “In the person of Metropolitan Sergius, they found a man who decided to compromise with his conscience, supposedly to save the Church”). The fruit of his collaboration with the NKVD was the “Declaration” of 1927, which actually proclaimed the God-established power of the God-fighting government and nullified the martyrdom and confessional feat of all those who initially fought against this power cursed by God.

Further, the author points out that such close cooperation with the worldly godless authorities, which led to the violation of the canons of the Church, is called the “Sergian heresy” and that Patriarchs Sergius (Stragorodsky), Alexy I (Simansky), Pimen led the Holy Church along the rails of the Sergian heresy (!?) (Izvekov) and the current “Holy” Alexy II (Ridiger) (page 2).

Strange and incomprehensible words. It is not clear how the Holy Church can be led by heretics and follow the path of heresy? (Nevertheless, the author writes, page 6: “Official representatives of the Church began to persecute and persecute the Holy Church of Christ”(!?) and page 20: “We cannot allow Orthodoxy to be used as an instrument of apostasy”(!!!?)). Church and heresy are absolutely incompatible concepts. The Church is holy, pure, immaculate, and the essence of any heresy is blasphemy. So what kind of union can there be between these two concepts?

Father Raphael admits that cooperation with the godless government led to a violation of the canons, and admits the fact of the emergence of heresy. (Page 4: “The path of Sergianism led from Christ God to the Antichrist Satan”). God save him at least for this; at least he is the only one of all the “universally revered” who openly admitted this. It’s just a pity that there are no corresponding conclusions. In theory, Father Raphael should continue his discussions on this topic, tell those who consider themselves Orthodox what heresy is, how one must live under the rule of heresy, tell how holy men lived in ancient and recent times and how they dealt with heretics. Alas, the author of the brochure replaced a comprehensive consideration of the Sergian heresy with only the fact of its recognition. It is bitter to see such “confession”. Most likely, Father Raphael understands that if he begins to analyze this matter as it should be, the mud will cover from head to toe not only the Sergian hierarchy of the MP, but himself as a cleric of the mentioned Patriarchate. And the conclusions that, whatever one may say, he will have to make, will be so bitter for himself that, as they say, there is nowhere more bitter.

However, it is possible that other reasons also played a role. For example, the “deep humility” of Father Raphael, a quality that in the MP is developed to unprecedented unprecedented levels and is inherent in all of its children without exception. Whatever you say, no matter how you convince, no matter what arguments and evidence you bring, it’s all useless, the reinforced concrete wall of Sergian “humility” will withstand any blows. We must pay tribute to the successful propaganda carried out in the MP, in particular, to that great (in terms of their number) host of Sergian “saints” who so skillfully and irrevocably for the majority of their flock, hammered into them the nonsense of “humility before heresy.” Father Raphael, who was initially brought up in this very spirit, gradually turned into one of the main apologists for this type of “humility.”

This “humility” has two main principles. First: “you cannot condemn the clergy”; second: “the sacraments are performed under any conditions, that is, automatically.” The first principle of “good priests” (somehow without particularly touching on the issue of condemnation-reasoning) was raised to such heights that the poor flock are afraid to even stutter, seeing any violation of the canons. Father Raphael himself shows examples of humility in the face of sin bordering on heresy in his brochure: “One academic student, hieromonk, future bishop, spoke to the brethren: “I hope that in the future in the Russian Orthodox Church there will be such a practice - to consecrate women.” As I was passing, I heard this and prayed - God forbid our Church from such apostasy. May God grant him to repent and correct himself; I remember a wonderful monk from the Lavra, an archimandrite, but when he became an archbishop, he became a fierce popularizer of globalism. What happened to the good monk? (page 6).

The second principle is even cooler. Its meaning is that it is absolutely unimportant which priest performs the sacrament: even if a fornicator, a heretic, a state security officer, an atheist, a globalist, a communist or a pederast stands before the altar - it makes no difference, for the faith of people the Lord sanctifies everything... God loves everyone and sees that ordinary people have nowhere to go, so, they say, he sends an angel to work for an unworthy clergyman. Don’t forget, children, the elders repeat, God is, first of all, Love. “Children” like it, the principle is very sweet. It’s just a pity that the “children” don’t understand that the lives of the saints are not given to us for touching tears and sighs. They forget St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with his famous slap in the face of Arius, St. Maximus the Confessor with his “even if the whole world communes with the patriarch, I will not,” they also forget St. Joseph of Volotsky, who has only epithets (like “wolves”) addressed to Metropolitan Zosima, heretics from the clergy and royal relatives, no less than half a page, at whose personal request those who deviated into the Jewish heresy were executed. What a great many other examples of such jealousy for Bose, regardless of rank, could be given! But no one needs this, everything is useless, nothing can convince the children of the MP. They have a different system of priorities. Why the Lord, why the saints, why the canons, dogmas, rules, traditions? All this is not necessary if there are “elders”. It’s good with the “elders”, they are “kind”, very “affectionate”, “humble”, “gracious”, “insightful”. Why anything else if there is such “holiness” nearby? There is no need to think, humble yourself - you will be saved. Father is always right, but if something is wrong, read from the beginning.

So Father Raphael, looking up to such outstanding co-workers of the Sergian hierarchy as Hieroschemamonk Jerome of Sanaksarsky, the “great elder” Nikolai Zalitsky, the now living “humble” Kirill (Pavlov), absorbing the “best qualities” of these celebrities, he himself gradually turned into “ daddy." This can be confirmed by everyone personally by talking with any of the “faithful children of the MP.” The principle of infallibility of “Father Kirill”, “Father Raphael”, and maybe some other “Elder Father” (of which there are now countless numbers throughout Rus'), will overcome the authority of any canons, dogmas, rules and lives. On top of that, you will almost certainly receive the mark of a demoniac (if you come across a “zealous child”), and if you come across a “humble child,” you will definitely catch a sympathetic glance: “Poor schismatic... Help him, Lord.”

Whether Father Raphael intentionally does not want to consider the issue of the heresy of Sergianism and ecumenism in the MP, or whether he resigns himself, is unknown. Perhaps his soul truly cares for Russia and for the Orthodox Russian people, but false humility before heresy and the preaching of this false humility darkens the mind and does not make it possible to correctly (in the light of Christ’s truth) evaluate the events taking place around us. Without this, it is impossible to come to a purity of confession of faith, and without purity of faith there is no point in even thinking that the people will ever rise up to fight against the atheists. Without Christ in the soul, the struggle is impossible; Satan does not cast out Satan.

It is a pity that the so-called “patriots” who seriously consider themselves “Orthodox” and “fighters against the Jewish yoke” still cannot understand this, but, nevertheless, the “brother” of Rabbi Berl Lazar is their “Great Master and Father” magnifying. Do they really not know the words of St. Apostle Paul about the unrighteous deception of those who are perishing because they did not accept the love of the truth for their salvation. “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, so that they will believe a lie, so that all who have not believed the truth but have loved unrighteousness will be condemned” (II Thess. 2:8-13). However, there is no time to think. Endless “councils”, “prayer stations”, “processions of the cross”, letters of protest to “His Holiness”, “their Eminences”, appeals to various “Vladimir Vladimirovichs” and other methods of “merciless struggle” against the Jewish yoke, leave no time for thoughts. And there’s no need to think too much, the “visionary elders” think for everyone.

Father Raphael would have swept away all the accumulated Sergian rubbish from his soul and taught and advised others, but, alas... - the “action of delusion” acts misleadingly, and the elder sinks deeper and deeper into the quagmire of false humility and compromise.

So, in fact, calling Ridiger a heretic (one who professes a heresy is a heretic, there is no debate here), the elder immediately, without any hesitation at the liturgy, already calls him “most holy,” and as if he does not know that this type, mired in lies and wickedness, this The title doesn't suit me at all. “The darkest”, “the dirtiest”, “the meanest” - that would be just right, but certainly not “the holiest”. At the liturgy, the elder lies right to the face of the Lord Himself: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who consider darkness to be light and light to be darkness, who consider bitter to be sweet and sweet to be bitter!” (Isa. 5:20).

In the brochure under review, Father Raphael, as if to justify Ridiger, cites his assessment of the “Declaration” of Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), made in 1991, in which he admitted that it (that is, the Declaration) was built on lies and stated that “we” (that is, they, the Moscow Patriarchate), they say, are not guided by it now. Riediger does not spoil the furrow of lies laid before him. Who today does not know from the published archival materials of the KGB of the Estonian SSR about the circumstances of his recruitment for nomination to the “bishop”? Who doesn’t know his agent nickname “Drozdov” from the “Private Determination” of the RSFSR Supreme Soviet Commission for the Investigation of the Causes and Circumstances of the State Emergency Committee? Undoubtedly, Father Raphael also knows about this, but for some reason there is not a word about it in his brochure.

And the people’s kisses with E.B.N. and V.V.P., participation in political performances with the aim of legitimizing the Jewish gang that has seized power in Russia - is this not loyalty to the spirit of that very “Declaration”?

If we also take into account that all this is heavily flavored with papism, ecumenism, witchcraft, extrasensory perception, globalism, complete moral decay, then what is the outcome? Sergianism, but only “improved”, modernized, a kind of neo-Sergianism. A religion of absolute unprincipledness and continuous compromises; a religion of perfected readiness to meet the “great king.” The Jews will give them a “king”, the “elders” will accordingly “bless” them, and this “king” will still be the same. (By the way, rumors about the “coronation of the Tsar” by the entourage of the “Great Elder” Peter (Kucher) are already spreading with might and main).

On page 16 we read: “... let neither heretics, nor globalist schismatic-Satanists think that they are in the Church of Christ.” Wonderful and true words. But for some reason, without names and surnames (a characteristic feature of the author of the brochure: on page 3 he calls Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk, for example, "one Russian metropolitan"), although Ridiger and Co fit perfectly into these definitions. And again, not a word in the brochure about that true patristic tradition, which forbids us not only canonical, but even everyday communication with heretics. Doesn't the author know about this?

In his brochure, Father Raphael focuses on issues of globalization and politics; the issue of purity of confession of faith is relegated to the background, or, better said, is not considered at all. In fact, it’s more correct the other way around: even a heretic with a number will go to hell, even without a number, he will go to hell, even an anti-Semite will not be saved, even a Judeophile will be guaranteed Gehenna. But, unfortunately, the author does not go beyond beautiful words about “purity of faith” and the “Church of Christ”.

What also attracts attention is how bizarrely between the lines the recognition of Sergianism as a heresy and the fight against globalism are correlated in Father Raphael’s brochure. The patriarch is subservient to the godless authorities, what to do, elder? Don't take passports! The hierarchy of the MP is fraternizing with heretics, what to do, elders? Do not accept TIN! Among the clergy there are a lot of Jews, homosexuals and non-believers, what should you do, elders? Refuse smart cards, tokens(?) and chips!

That is, “we must remain in the bosom (where, in the words of Father Raphael himself, worms, Cossacks and bacteria have crawled!) of the Holy Church and fight for Her purity, for the Christian soul of man, for the Motherland (p. 11); We will not leave the Church of Christ anywhere - it is the ship of salvation, the pillar and affirmation of the truth (p. 30); Be faithful to Christ and His Holy Church, and all the chaff that stuck to it will fly away (p. 29)". And so that your conscience doesn’t torment you too much for inaction: “Do not take electronic documents, do not take the mark of the beast” (p. 30).

It is absolutely incomprehensible why we should be told for the millionth time about the fact that Putin is a Freemason (p. 7), that you can’t take license plates and passports, about globalization, Freemasonry, the explosion of a shopping center in New York, chips, barcodes, cards and about everything else that we learned a long time ago, but additional “fresh” information about which they continue to impose on us? Why are they sucking up this dregs for the millionth time, without touching the purity of faith? Okay, one; okay, two, three, four, five; but this unbridled chatter has not stopped for many years now. Only the covers and article headings are changed, footnotes are added, and let’s start again: “there are Jews all around,” “don’t take numbers,” and so on and so forth. Even in Father Raphael’s brochure itself, a good quarter of the volume is occupied by extensive quotes from “The First and the Last” and similar sources. It's just a madhouse! But just try somewhere to say something to the “His Holiness” and the Moscow Patriarchate, to recall the patristic tradition, to remember the word “anathema” long forgotten by the “patriots,” when the flow of words from their lips immediately stops. The gift of “jealous” eloquence suddenly disappears and instead of answers there is an incomprehensible moo and an index finger directed towards the “elders”: they say, “all the questions go there, they are perspicacious, which means they are closer to God, they know better.”

Much, of course, could be speculated on from what Father Raphael mentions and does not mention in his brochure. It would be very interesting to talk about “believer Stalin” (p. 3), O "sun of Truth" And "pipes of the Holy Spirit" Metropolitan John (Snychev) (page 4), about the elders who are opponents of globalization: "Father Kirill and others." (page 5), O "the true pillar of Orthodoxy" Metropolitan Agafangel (page 16), through which “The Holy Spirit spoke at the Council of Bishops” (p. 20) And “whose words were tantamount to thunder, lightning and the enlightenment of the blue sky” (p. 21), about the no less zealous Vladyka Hippolyte (page 17), about other “fighting from within” patriots, and also about why Father Raphael so easily ignored the Catacomb Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in whose bosom, and by no means in the MP, were such great saints as the Venerable Nektarios of Optina, respectively and Theodosius of the Caucasus, who never crossed the threshold of the “red” churches, Archbishops of Syracuse Averky (Taushev) and Feofan (Bistrov) of Poltava. There’s a lot more that could be remembered, but that’s probably enough already. Those who are still predisposed to understand the essence of the issue will understand by studying Orthodoxy in books without the “blessing” and “filter” of the MP; Well, for those whose “elders” and “old women” are higher than the Lord, even the dead, if resurrected, will not help (Luke 16:31).

# # #

Father Raphael, to be honest, for some reason there is still a glimmer of hope for your admonition and, consequently, the admonition of a certain part of our poor dying people who respects your authority. Father, your opinion is waved like a flag, both you and many look up to you. Come to your senses, stop ruining the people. Throw away false humility, curse the false elders and all other scum in robes and mitres. After all, there are many, really many, still living hearts even in the MP; Sergianism has not yet been able to completely break all Russians. Many, thank God, still strive for the Truth, but, unfortunately, a barrier is being built between them and the Truth. This barrier is you, Father Raphael, the “elders” and other “shepherds”. Please understand this, father.

It is clear that the conclusions to which awareness of the heresy of Sergianism leads will be very unpleasant. It will be difficult, of course, to admit that one is not only not a hieroschemamonk, but perhaps even unbaptized, since there cannot be sacraments in a heretical church. You can also imagine the faces of all these brainless MP supporters, laughing at you and twirling their fingers at your temple. It will be hard, no doubt about it. But for the sake of the Truth, for the sake of saving your soul and the souls of thousands who look up to you, this is worth enduring. Let the false brothers spew out blasphemies and ridicule, but those who are truly Christ's will treat you with no less respect than any other legitimate priest. Because if the Lord Himself said: “He who comes to Me I will not cast out,” then all the more so we should not shy away from those who turn, but help them and have pity on their feelings. The hardest thing is to conquer yourself, and perhaps only for this the Lord will give you the glory of a hieroschemamonk in His Kingdom.

It is clear that, at first glance, there is nowhere to go now; the situation in the Russian Church is extremely difficult. It is very difficult today to understand the state of affairs both in the ROCOR and in the catacombs. But the fact that in some places we temporarily do not have proper canonical leadership does not mean that we can go to heretical churches and lull ourselves into thinking that “The Lord is, first of all, Love.”

As for your work, forgive me, Father Raphael, but I can’t call it “Alarm”. This is not the alarm sounded by St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. Maxim the Confessor and Joseph of Volotsky, other confessors and martyrs of our Church of Christ. Your “alarm” now looks more like a trezvon, and a pseudo-Orthodox one at that. Once again, please forgive me for the possible harshness of my judgments.

# # #

In conclusion, I would like to turn to the like-minded lay authors of Father Raphael: the numerous Filimonovs, Gordeevs, Manyagins, Simonovichs, Dushenovs and others, others, other leaders of the “Orthodox community of the Russian Orthodox Church MP”, always learning and never able to reach the knowledge of the truth (Tim. 3, 7).

Gentlemen! Answer to all those who do not participate in your “cathedrals”, how many more times does Riediger need to spit in your face in response to your petitions, how many rabbis does he still need to fraternize with and what other heretics should he kiss so that you finally stop calling him "holiness"? How many more petitions to “dear Vladimir Vladimirovich” need to be sent and how many more circles around the Duma will your “processions of the cross” need to be made before you finally understand that it is useless to demand anything from Satanists? How many more years do you need to “fight” the Jewish yoke in order to realize that it was the Jews who created the so-called “opposition” in which you are “fighting from within” the MP, and that your “pillars” - Agafangels and Hippolytes - are just pawns in one big Jewish game? How many more times do your “elders” need to “humble yourself” or “blissfully act like fools”, answering your difficult and perplexed (I say without irony) questions, so that you finally understand that in front of you are false elders who themselves do not enter and hinder others (Matt. 23:13)? How many more violations of dogmas, canons and rules must be found in the “lives” of your “saints” for you to understand that by definition there cannot be saints in a heretical community. Falling into delight at stories about the imaginary miracles of your “elders,” you, it seems, have not read the very instructive words of St. Paisius Velichkovsky that “the holiness of true holy men is known not simply from miracles (for both pagans and heretics can work miracles with with the help of the devil), but from the True Orthodox Faith, from the careful preservation of Divine dogmas and from observance of all the apostolic and conciliar rules and traditions of the Orthodox Church, and from immaculate living in accordance with all the Gospel and Fatherly commandments.” Where and when, gentlemen, in the “lives” of your “saints”, and in all epic books, magazines and newspapers in general, can one find at least a small discussion on this topic? Alas, “miracles” and “insight” are the main argument in favor of the “grace” of Judaism.

Will you ever understand all this? It seems that no longer, since more than once you have been called upon to come to your senses. Well, complete the measure of your “saints.” You yourself have chosen your path, but I feel sorry for the people whom you fool with pseudo-Orthodox articles, who sincerely participate in your useless and endless parties, the people who absolutely do not notice the emptiness of your “struggle.”

The Day of Judgment will come and many of your “elders” and you will then say: “Lord, was it not in Your name that we prophesied, was it not in Your name that we cast out demons, was it not in Your name that we performed many other miracles, was it not in Your name, O Lord, to “ His Holiness" and "Vladimir Vladimirovich" with letters, books, magazines and newspapers with publications, prayer meetings with gatherings, processions of the cross around the Duma with walks, prayer standing, darkness with signatures with gatherings and people rising up to fight? And then the Lord will answer all of you: “I never knew you; Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).

It seems that you will never wake up and understand what should lie at the basis of any struggle. “If My people had obeyed Me, if Israel had kept My ways, I would have immediately humbled their enemies and laid My hand on those who insulted them!” (Ps. 80, 14–15).

Have you, gentlemen, decided to push Christ into the background and fight the Jews? Well, try it! Patriarch Alexy (Ridiger) publicly addresses the chief rabbi of Russia (according to the FEOR), calling him “brother.” In this sense, the completely fair words of a staunch supporter of the Moscow Patriarchate A.A. Zaitsev addressed to another Raphael, Karelin, an archimandrite and famous anti-globalist, from the brochure “Ask your neighbor before threatening him” are worthy of attention.
“For Archimandrite Raphael, from the point of view of Orthodox ecclesiology, there are only two legal ways out of the impasse into which he put himself. Either Archimandrite Raphael publicly repents of perjury, renounces his accusations... or he must be consistent and principled and go to the end. Namely, by openly declaring, appealing to the legitimate church authority, the impossibility of one’s Eucharistic and canonical communion with a “heretic”, and raising the question of the necessary punishment in such cases: either he will correct himself, or “let him be anathema.” And if the church authorities do not react to this statement in any way and do not take decisive measures, Archimandrite Raphael will have to suspend his communication with the “patrons of the heretic” and raise the question of the “hereticism” of the church authorities themselves. Otherwise, Archimandrite Raphael himself becomes a victim of his own accusations, for he who communes with heretics inevitably participates in their heresy (we all partake from the same Chalice). Archimandrite Raphael has already acted as an “expert” on issues of Orthodox ecclesiology, but being a “fighter for the truth” in words, for some reason he does not follow his convictions and continues to commune with those whom he considers heretics.” Father Raphael in his brochure also mentions several times about some previously unheard-of “tokens” (for example, on pp. 11, 29), apparently especially dangerous for believers.

Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov): elder or seer?
[article from a series on the history of prophecies].

Who remembers, in October 2011, the weekly magazine “Zavtra” published an article “Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov) about the Eighth Ecumenical Council.”
Here are excerpts from the article:
“Question: – Father Raphael, last fall in Cyprus there was a meeting of the Mixed Commission on Theological Dialogue between Orthodox and Roman Catholics, dedicated to discussing the issue “On the role of the Bishop of Rome in the unity of the Church in the first millennium.” In fact, preparations are underway for the “renounced” Eighth Ecumenical Council, at which the dogma of the primacy of the Pope over the Orthodox churches will be adopted. What will happen to the Orthodox Church in Russia if such a Council takes place?
O. Raphael: – The Masons, the enemies of Russia, the enemies of Orthodoxy, have been preparing such a council for a long time. The island of Rhodes was chosen as the venue. These same forces are trying to impose ecumenism on Russia, this heresy of heresies. After all, every foolish child can understand that this is heresy. And many of our high-ranking bishops, such educated, such talented people - they all know very well that ecumenism is a heresy, but they walk with a cheerful step straight into its mouth, as if they are blind and deaf. I ask the Greek monks: “Why do you pray for a Freemason who served with the Pope, Patriarch Bartholomew?” And they answer me: “They say, we understand who Bartholomew is, we pray that, God forbid, he will repent...”
And if they succeed with the Council, then the dogmatic legality of ecumenism will be accepted, and our Patriarchs will begin to commemorate the Pope. Then Orthodox people will find themselves in a very difficult situation. Then the devoted children of Christ will need to assemble their own Council, and publicly condemn the Council of Rhodes, if one happens. And denounce all his legalized heresies. And it will be necessary to canonically anathematize all participants in the Council, thus purifying the Church. I think it will be so! And our Church, by the grace of God, will maintain itself in immaculate purity, even with two or three faithful bishops. If there are no such people, then we will have to look for one faithful bishop, and cleave to him, and be saved near him. As you know, before the Second Coming of Christ the church will be like a harlot sitting on a beast - it will already be the Antichrist church, and the Church of Christ will go into the catacombs.
The situation in the Russian Church is now very tense, very difficult. On the one hand, a split cannot be allowed. On the other hand, ecumenism is spreading, and through this there will be a great temptation for everyone. We cannot be with the ecumenists. If the head of the Orthodox Church begins to prayerfully commemorate the Pope of Rome, then that means he is a Catholic, not an Orthodox. This means that we cannot remember him either, we must not remember him. It is important, of course, not to take action ahead of time. React to something that doesn't exist yet.

Question: – Father Raphael, you are known and revered by many Orthodox people in Russia. Maybe you, father, will tell us something comforting?
O. Raphael: - The blessed elder Father Joseph of Vatopedi told me that terrible times were coming, but after certain terrible events many Slavic peoples would join Russia, and Greece would also enter into an alliance with Russia. Thus, a new Byzantium will be created. To which I objected to the elder: “Russia is disarmed, our military arsenal, our factories have been destroyed.” But he told me this: “Russia will win! The Heavenly Host will enter the battle on the side of Russia, and will shoot down enemy aircraft and cruise missiles. After such a miracle, the whole world will know that God has won and that He is with Russia!”
After this, the whole world will reach out to us. And in Russia... by the grace of God an Orthodox Tsar will be elected. And then church cleansing will take place in Russia. Now our Church is sick, very sick. There are many spies in it who work for the enemies of Christ. And we don’t have a national government yet. And our king will be a very bright, strong, talented person, ruling with love and wisdom. The holy fathers of the Church, including Father Nikolai Guryanov, testify to this. This is our hope, our consolation […].”
* * *
Subsequently, in March 2012, Hieromonk Abel’s article “An Instructive Conversation with Elder Rafail (Berestov)” was published. Holy Mountain. Athos (text is abbreviated):
“Abel: – Why is this necessary?
Rafail: – Necessary, because they simply want to destroy Russia. And this is already upon us. Therefore, we must not sleep now, but must all prepare for war, for the defense of our Motherland, for the defense of our Church. Or, conversely, to the defense of the Church and the defense of the Fatherland. Therefore, we all must not only swallow pills, but also strengthen our spirit, and train, be able to fight, be able to throw grenades, fight with a bayonet, even be able to shoot correctly. Anyone who has a spiritual weapon can learn to shoot very accurately. Therefore, people who know should train, especially young people. We need to prepare for war. Russia must defend itself, because the government is no longer ours, it is already serving to enslave Russia.

Abel: - How can we prepare ourselves for war when we live in a time of new technologies, when there are nuclear weapons, bacteriological weapons, climate weapons, HAARP and others, for which we also need to have physical training, with whom will we have to fight?
Rafail: - We will have to fight. Let’s say NATO-Americans come here and come with their equipment, and we can cross with faith, and their missiles will fall, their planes will fall, and go boldly into battle, and turn these special forces into the opposite direction. We, Orthodox Christians, must defend our Orthodox Motherland and our Orthodoxy. Therefore, we need to train all youth and men now.

Abel: – What is the reason that many Muscovites, many residents of St. Petersburg and other big cities are looking for houses in the outback and even buying houses in abandoned villages?
Rafail: – There is a twofold need for this. And from the globalization that corrupts youth, allows drugs, all sorts of unclean videos, movies... soldering. Therefore, they take their family to the outback. This is one goal. Another goal is that in the event of war, they, Masonic Satanists, misanthropes, want to destroy most of humanity, in large cities. If they strike all cities, they will immediately destroy many millions of people, because... most millions live in cities. Therefore, we need to disperse in order to have military strength for the defense of life and for the defense of the country. And so that we can live together, fight against globalization, which is preparation for the seal of the Antichrist. And, in general, the whole world is uniting in the name of the Antichrist, and we must unite in the name of Jesus Christ. This will already be a war with the Antichrist, with the Antichrist spirit, in fact. Because now all politics becomes theology: either with the Antichrist or with Christ. We are with Christ, and must die for Jesus Christ, as He died for us. Amen.

Abel: - Amen. It turns out that globalization is not just a worldwide process of unifying economics, politics, creating a single territorial space, unions such as the European Union, North American, African and others, but it is also a process with a spiritual component concerning our salvation in Christ. And can it really be that our fidelity to our Lord Jesus Christ may depend on our attitude towards globalization?
Rafail: - Exactly, if we don’t understand what it is, globalism, and if we are so relaxed, and we are so blind, as even our hierarchs tell us: “take it, it’s nothing, it has no power, whether you take these figures or not, all this is a deception.” It is the numbers that are the symbolism of either Satan or Christ. It is this digital symbolism that carries the spirit of the Antichrist.
If we take it, then we will be united with the Antichrist, with his name 666. Therefore, out of our faith for Jesus Christ, we will fight both for Orthodoxy and for Russia. Like this. And we will unite in monasteries, monasteries and communities in order to leave this depraved world. Go away and do not touch his uncleanness. We unite in the name of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, we want to gather in these united monasteries, monasteries, and communities.

Abel: – What is the Christian community in our time?
Raphael: – This is a unification in the name of Jesus Christ. The priest and his flock leave the world, which is full of temptations, to the village, and then maybe even to the forest, and there he educates his flock in spiritual teaching in silence, in solitude. They unite in the name of Jesus Christ. There they pray, there they teach children, there are doctors there, they treat sick people, there they have their own farm, and they save themselves and pray. So maybe even the monastic hermitages are close to them.

Abel: – Doesn’t the creation of such communities resemble how the conquerors once came and the Indians had to go to reservations? Doesn't this remind you that reservations are now being created for Russian people in our own state, in our own country?
Raphael: – It may even be beneficial for us to go to reservations from these conquerors. We left the conquerors and gather in the name of Jesus Christ into our spiritual societies, with our spiritual children, we pray, we are saved, we fulfill our charter, our worship, so we study, and work, and pray, and perform worship, and rejoice, and We arrange holidays.

Abel: - Well, if this happened with the Indians, it happened because it was a conquered continent. Does this mean that Russia has now been conquered?
Rafail: – That’s right, Russia has been conquered. And not only Russia, and Europe, but almost the entire world, is either conquered or is at war, just as the Americans are at war with the Arabs, uniting them together with Israel. Submitting to Israel.

Abel: - Father, the creation of such a community, leaving and living, isolated outside the occupied state - isn’t this, perhaps, cowardice and betrayal of Russia to its enemies?
Raphael: – This is courage, this is unification in the name of Christ. They may be persecuted, and very persecuted, but they left the world so that their children would not be harmed and would not become drug addicts, drunkards, homosexuals, bestialists, and so on. They created for themselves a society like in the first centuries - the society of Jesus Christ. Everyone sold, united, everything is common. These are our associations, they are close to the first century of Christianity. Poverty and humility, in common love, in common illness, in common suffering, in common joys, in common celebrations. Like this. So these are very necessary communities in Russia, so that there are more of them. This will just help in the guerrilla war to liberate Russia from the conquerors.

Abel: - Father, we are discussing all these problems, hoping that this is a good concern, according to Elder Paisius. There is an opinion that this is not necessary, that these are thoughts that darken life, that all this will not happen now, not today, but in many decades, many years. And that, as everyone is discussing, we are all escalating the situation. How to recognize the signs of the times about which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself warns us in the Holy Gospel?
Raphael: – Obey the holy people. Father Paisius, who warns us about this, is a holy man, reverend. He talked with Christ. In general, he is a holy man. And this is what liberals say. They tempt you in every possible way. Provocateurs. Liberals who tempt people in every possible way, seduce them, and lead them away from the truth. What is needed here is the spiritual reasoning of the correctly spiritually reasoning fathers. The person himself (needs) to constantly go to church, study everything, ask questions, listen to his conscience, especially the conscience of his confessor.

Abel: - And if confessors, spiritual shepherds, archpastors tell us that it’s okay, stop, they get annoyed when we approach them with such words?
Rafail: – It’s written well here. Read it, the answer will be here.

Abel (reading): “Perhaps someone will say irritably: “Well, why all this talk about the Antichrist?” Some even call them “the sermon of the Antichrist.” I will answer with the words of Archbishop Averky: “Brotherhood, if you hear that someone with mockery, with an ironic smile on his face, or with anger and irritation treats the sermon about the approach of the Antichrist, the second coming of Christ, the end of the age and the Last Judgment, know that you are dealing with a person who is already, in one way or another, involved by the servants of the Antichrist in preparing for his early arrival and reign on earth. Fear such people as destroyers of our holy faith and the Church.”
Raphael: – There are shepherds who are recruited, they work for some kind of special services. And they work to the detriment of the Church. This is how it was in Soviet times, they recruited on the Komsomol ticket. This is how Father Andrei Kuraev remained. This is what Father Georgy Tartishnikov told me, who himself was recruited but became a professional theologian.

Abel: - And so, how can an Orthodox Christian decide who to trust? After all, if on such fundamentally important issues as globalization, the numbering of people, the introduction of the seal of the Antichrist, the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church do not have a clear position: their position is not expressed in an ecclesiastical way, it is not clear, politically streamlined, and at the same time, when such a position presented at the Council of Bishops, at this time confessors, priests, monks, even ordinary laymen sound the alarm and say: “it is better to die than to accept these marks of the Antichrist.” How to figure out who to trust? This is the kind of confrontation going on.
Raphael: – Some are afraid of fear for the sake of the Jews. Others work for this to the detriment of the Church. They are difficult to recognize. Whoever, out of fear for the sake of the Jews, remains silent, is against his conscience, of course. Anyone who is an employee at all works for the Antichrist. We need to look at how the children of God, how God’s people, how jealous they are, how they sense danger. As the monks and confessors say, what, what are they talking about. Their concern expresses the concern of the children of God, the Church of Christ.

Abel: - Father, what is the most obvious sign of the proximity of the last times, namely the proximity of the introduction of printing? And the fact that people now accept marks, chips, take biometric passports, is all this somehow connected with printing?
Rafail: – This is directly related to the seal. At the very beginning, the Freemasons began to issue the so-called Russian passport, which is not Russian at all, but Masonic, and there is no Russian column there. Three sixes are placed there - 666. This is the digital name of the Antichrist, as the Apostle John the Theologian said about it. Therefore, this directly relates to the Antichrist seal. And a further digital name, like a name from the Antichrist, i.e. They take their names from the Antichrist’s servants, they are from demons, according to the type of baptism among the Orthodox, “they are baptized in the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen". And they plunge into the water. And here they mystically join us to the Antichrist through three sixes - 666 and give the digital name of one of the demons to a person in addition to his desire, whether he wants it or not. People who don’t understand are like blind people, they go to the slaughter and don’t know that they want to slaughter them. And those who are reasonable people, who understand what this is all about, and thank God, the majority of people have now begun to understand, who used to argue and say what you are doing, that this is generally madness, but how can you do this without a passport? live, now they say: “Yes, this is indeed preparing for the seal of the Antichrist.” Because this is the strongest sign of this approach of the Antichrist. This is globalization, the unification of all nations and war with all rebellious people who do not want to submit to the Antichrist and the world order. They fight with everyone, try to subdue them, exhaust them with war. What is the politician, such is the law of the Antichrist. This is all clear evidence of the end of the world, of the approach of the kingdom of Antichrist and its seal.

Abel: – And father, maybe the last question, many people are now confused, because... bishops do not always express the position that Orthodox Christians would like to hear. And because of this, many go to the extreme that they leave the church, begin to pray only at home, and stop participating in church sacraments. Do you agree with this position or is your position different? Is it possible and necessary to go to the churches of God now, even where there are shepherds who say the opposite?
Raphael: – The Church of Christ is a pillar and affirmation of the Truth. To whom the Church is not a mother, God is not a father. Through the Church we must enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, let no one leave the Church. If there are many provocateurs here, why are you listening to these provocateurs? You listen to the Church of Christ. Listen to spiritual people who will speak to you for your salvation and good. Why should you be tempted by provocateurs? There must always be provocateurs and temptations, but they are meant to always be overcome. This is how it was in the Church, and this is how it was before. And now it is, and it will be.

Abel: – Father, here is another contradiction that confuses the souls of believers. There is a prophecy about the coming Orthodox Tsar, there are those praying for the coming of the Orthodox Tsar, for the granting of repentance to our people. And there are shepherds who claim: “Don’t even pray, everything is so hopeless that there is no point in praying for the King. Only the coming of the Antichrist will happen. Russia will not rise again. Nothing will happen". What could you say on this issue? How should we live: with faith and hope or...?
Raphael: “I heard that some very spiritual fathers said that “I,” he says, “do not see repentance in our people, therefore I do not see the possibility of resurrection, so that there would be an Orthodox Tsar.” So one very good old man was embarrassed, he reasoned. But a very perspicacious old man, Father Nikolai (Guryanov), he correctly said: “The Tsar is coming! The king is coming! So I accepted his opinion. He said so clearly and definitely that the Tsar would come, so I believed it, because Fr. Kirill also said that the Tsar would come, although he had doubts lately.
Perhaps the Tsar will come to Russia if he (the people) fully accepts the cup of reproach, the cup of humiliation, insult, reproach... (accepts). There will still be many sorrows in Rus'. And they will want to tear it apart, and tear it up and destroy it. And generally destroy the Russian people. Here. And because the Russian people will still have to experience a lot. And people will repent, And then, when there is a war, and everyone will see that Heaven will be for the Orthodox. What is God with us? And God will stand for Orthodoxy. And the strength of the Orthodox people will defeat the wicked. When the wicked themselves arrive, many will repent and accept Orthodoxy.
And then the Lord will allow the Russian people to elect an Orthodox Tsar. People will accept him, crown him with the Kingdom, and he, firstly, will restore order in the Church, where all sorts of wolves and tigers, and all sorts of spies of all denominations have entered. And he will bring order and peace to the Russian people, to Russia. Russia will blossom like a Phoenix. Then Orthodoxy will flourish. From Russia in Europe, in America, in Australia, in Africa, in all countries they will be baptized and receive the priesthood. From Russia, from Greece, from Orthodox countries. It will be so. The head of the serpent will be mortally wounded. Antichrist. Freemasonry. Then, when the head of the serpent heals again, Freemasonry comes into force, then the Church will again fall away from Orthodoxy. But Orthodoxy, Russia will be strengthened with the Tsar. Then there will be a strong Russian state, and Orthodoxy will be preached throughout the world. This is my vision. Sorry".
* * *
Then, on April 29, 2013, an article was posted on Russian-language Orthodox websites: “Towards a monarchy through war. Elder Raphael (Berestov)", Athos.
The preface said:
“The famous elder Hieroschemamonk Rafail (Berestov) talks about what awaits Rus' and the whole world in the very near future. The Russian people will have to endure the most difficult tests of loyalty to our Lord Jesus Christ. The prayer book for the whole world speaks about the revival of the monarchy in Rus' and the coming tsar, who will have to save our people and the Fatherland, as well as about the Russian Old Believers. The elder wants everyone to take note and understand that days are coming in which either we are with God or without Him. And that without the Lord no one will be able to withstand the Wrath of God.”
The editor-in-chief of ArtPolitInfo, Yuri Gorsky, spoke with Hieroschemamonk Rafail (Berestov).
Here's an excerpt from the conversation:
“[...] Yu.G.: They say the war will start before the end of the year?
O. Raphael: The period from next month until the war depends on our prayer. It may be shortened, and the beginning of the war for most of us will be as painless as possible, or it may be extended over time, that is, it will drag on. The war will be cleansing. All sinners will perish. Therefore, no sin is allowed, neither wine drinking, nor drug addiction, nor cheating on one’s wife, etc., should under any circumstances be allowed, otherwise the Lord will simply cleanse such people. Therefore, we will take care of ourselves in everything. Let's go to church.

Yu.G.: Will there be a war under the leadership of the king?
O. Rafail: No, the war will happen now, they are preparing... The war in Syria, however, is unsuccessful. They got it there. The Syrians dealt with American special forces. But they still have enormous forces, they are preparing... to destroy Syria, then Iran. Huge Turkish forces have approached our border, Iran, and now they want to provoke a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. And then Turkey will attack Armenia, Russia will intercede... well, in general, the scenario of a future war gradually began to emerge and acquire clear outlines.

[Historical reference.
Hieroschemamonk Raphael (in the world - Mikhail Ivanovich Berestov, born 1932) began his ministry in 1954 at the Holy Trinity Lavra. His autobiography was written and published on the Internet by monk Vsevolod (Filipyev) from Jordanville in the USA in 2006:
“Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov) is 73 years old; he entered monasticism at the age of 22 and labored in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra for about 20 years. From the beginning of his monastic path to this day, he has been the spiritual son of Elder Kirill (Pavlov). During the Soviet years, Father Raphael and like-minded people, with the secret blessing of Elder Kirill, opposed ecumenism, Latinophilism, Freemasonry, modernism, cooperation between the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate and the KGB, etc. For this struggle, some were arrested, and Father Rafail was punished several times by the Lavra administration, but then received the blessing to move to the Abkhaz desert in 1974 […]
In those years, the hermits were cared for by Elder Vitaly of Tbilisi. While still at the Lavra, Father Raphael contributed to the dissemination of the first translations of the works of Father Seraphim (Rose) […]
With the beginning of the Georgian-Abkhazian war in 1992, Father Raphael moved to Valaam, where he revived the tradition of clergy, instilling in the brethren a love of unceasing prayer, teaching loyalty to Orthodoxy in all its purity. For some time he was the confessor of the brethren of the monastery of All Saints, and later of the Solokhaul metochion of the Valaam monastery […]
On December 31, 2000, he went to Holy Mount Athos, where for three years he labored, first in the abandoned skete of New Thebaid, belonging to the Panteleimon Monastery, and later in the cell of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian.
In 2003, he returned from Athos to Russia, where he settled in the courtyard of the Valaam Monastery in the village of Ermolovka, in the mountains, on the border of Russia and Abkhazia. Currently lives in the village of Tsabal (Tsebelda) in Abkhazia.”
In 2010, there was information that Elder Raphael had again moved to Athos].

Until 2004, Hieroschemamonk Rafail (Berestov) was known only to a narrow circle of people; the fame of the “elder” came to him when his essay entitled “Alarm” was published. After reading the book, the book leaves a double impression, since today in the Russian Federation life itself is very similar to the pre-war years. However, in the book itself, apart from the search for “historical realities” against the background of which future events will “unfold” in Russia and in the Orthodox Church, there are no prophecies about the Orthodox Tsar or about victorious wars, but there is an attempt to understand our historical past by linking it with the present.

So who is Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov): an elder or a seer?

Priest Anthony (Skrynnikov) believes:
“I am often asked the question: How to relate to the “prophetic” activity of Elder Raphael (Berestov)?
To this I always answer: Treat with regret, as if you were treating a person seriously ill with his mind. Eldership is a special gift that manifests itself in selected elders, and who receive the blessing of the hierarchy for the spiritual care of people. Not every elderly clergyman is an elder. Father Rafail Berestov has been engaged in schismatic activities for many years, leading people away from the Church.”

Protodeacon Andrey Kuraev, commenting on the book “Alarm,” wrote:
“I can say one thing about Father Raphael: unfortunately, he has been a mentally ill person since his youth. The trouble is that he simply became a tool in the wrong hands. During the Soviet years, he was simply a hierodeacon in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, then he was quiet, neither seen nor heard by anyone. Just a quiet nun who led a humble life and followed the path of salvation despite all his mental illnesses […]
Later, after he left the Valaam monastery, there were people who began to support him in every possible way and elevate him to the throne of an all-Russian and even international preacher and elder […]
How can one imagine a schema monk, a schema monk, who rushes around the world, jumping from conference to conference with video and audio recordings?
This is a rather unique escape from the bustle of the world. And at these conferences he sows hatred and discord. Moreover, he lacks, excuse me, the intelligence to understand that this is exactly what he is doing. It seems to him that if someone’s voice whispers to him, to kill someone, and if he calls for this, then this is good, this is good […]
This is a person who is absolutely not responsible for his words. Whoever whispers something to him, he will tell him the next day. At first they will shout that everyone around in the government is traitors to Orthodoxy, Judas and enemies. In a month he can say: “Let us rally around our double-headed eagle together with Putin and our Patriarch.”
I am convinced that certain people who benefit from inciting hatred were specifically looking for someone like him. And he was perfect for the role chosen for him, they deliberately pulled him out […].”
* * *
Perhaps the opinions of the above-mentioned priests are very, very biased; let us remember the many years of stubborn and cruel struggle that the Kaluga bishops waged with the Optina elders, however, in his “prophetic” activities, Elder Raphael (Berestov) began to assert: “Pray. Pray, your prayer can change a lot. If we remain in collective prayer, events will go a little differently. Already today, the history of mankind is following a new version, which was not foreseen by the prophecies of past seers,” etc., and this is not acceptable.
Making his modern statements of “prophetic” content, Elder Raphael (Berestov) loses sight of the fact that “Divine Providence” cannot be changed by prayers. Deeds are possible, but prayers are not, for prayers without deeds are dead.
He forgot that:
“For the mystery of iniquity is already at work, but it will not be completed until He who now restrains is taken out of the way” (2nd Epistle of Paul (Saul) to the Thessalonians (Thessalonians), 2.7).
“And the Angel said to me:
Why were you surprised? I will tell you the secret of the woman and the Scarlet Beast who carries her, having seven heads and ten horns.
The Beast that you saw was, and is not, and he must rise from the Abyss and go to destruction” (“Revelation” John the Theologian 17, 7-8).
This means that Elder Raphael (Berestov) is not a seer, and his “patriotic” statements have nothing to do with the Russian history of prophecies, since they deny the existence of a sequence of prophecies.
* * *

I am a sinful man, I love you all, I hug and kiss you. I'm glad to welcome you. Christ is Risen!

From a young age I went to the monastery of the Trotse-Sergius Lavra, spent my youth there and there I began to receive spiritual insight, and I read about the church situation from the holy fathers. They advise not to communicate with heretics. And our hierarchy accepts heretics, brings them into the temple, opens the throne for the cardinals - they enter straight into the altar. They are brought to the relics, they come to the brethren in the Lavra, and even at the meal it was wild for me to listen to their terrible speeches.

I know that the Lord created the Church, saying: “I will create the Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” And then one Protestant, professor, German tells us: “Brothers, the Church must be created by unifying with various confessions.” I wondered why no one reacts to this obvious heresy? I was surprised, but since I am an uneducated, backward person, and seeing this silence in the brothers, and the fact that they did not react to such obvious heresy, I could not understand why.

I started asking those who understand this. Some say: “Raphael, what do you care? There are bishops, they will sort this out. Your business is to remain silent!” And the bishops lead these heretics to the altar.

Then I asked one archimandrite. He said: “Raphael, read the council of 1948.” It was not a cathedral, but a meeting of Orthodox Christians with the blessing of Stalin. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy and many high representatives participated in this meeting. And there they understood what ecumenism is. And it was condemned as heresy. The heresy of ecumenism was also condemned by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.

I was surprised why there was no reaction from even the monks. They are all educated, graduated from seminary and academy. I contacted many people, but I saw their somewhat indifferent attitude towards this. I was indignant and surprised.

Then I decided that I needed to fight this, as it is said in the Gospel: “When the apostles are silent, the stones will cry out.” I decided that I was a stone that should cry out, testifying to the truth. And he wrote a poster that ecumenism is a heresy of heresies, that is, a collection of many different heresies, not only Christian believers in Christ, but also Muslim, Jewish, and all sorts of satanic ones. And the Masons created it. All sorts of sorcerers and other Satanists, even to the point of blasphemy, participate in this gathering.

And I asked some students who were in solidarity with me and understood me, to write a book against ecumenism. Yes, the students began to write and created a triptych: against Catholicism, against the ecumen and against Freemasonry. I didn’t keep the book, because I had to be in the South, then in the North, now in the Caucasus, now on Mount Athos - fate abandoned me all the time. Some elders reproached me: “Why doesn’t Raphael sit in one place?” Every six months I am expelled, so I don’t know what will happen to me in six months. Therefore, I ask for your holy prayers.

So, we wrote this triptych book. All my life I have been zealous for God as best I could and fought for the purity of Orthodoxy as best I could. I even wanted to act like a fool while living in the Lavra. I'm talking about. Kirill, I was a deacon then: “Avochka, bless me, when the heretics come, I will open the royal doors and ask: “Ivan, Nikolai, Vasily, come, kiss the throne!” If they bring heretics there, why shouldn’t they, the Orthodox laity, not kiss the throne of God?

Yes, this, of course, was my foolishness, but I wanted to show the bishops that they were committing lawlessness. But oh. Kirill did not bless me for such foolishness. But I have always, to the best of my ability, professed the purity of Orthodoxy.

Now we live on Athos. We were already expelled there once, and appeared there again. We live for one hour. And so we heard that there was a confession of the purity of Orthodoxy by Greek theologians, elders and some monks and abbots of monasteries. We immediately supported them.

And when we arrived in the Caucasus to visit our brethren who remained in the Caucasus, the hermits, we were asked to stay in Crimea, since my brother Fr. Anatoly. But he did not come for health reasons. There we learned about the confession of faith of our Moldavian fathers. And we immediately supported them. We were in solidarity with them. Standing for the truth is sacred. Dying for the truth of the Church is a holy thing...

God forbid you get scared. The worst thing is cowardice. In our time, cowardice is a great evil. It is said in the Apocalypse that the cowardly will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Confession of Christ and apologetics for the purity of Orthodoxy is a holy cause. It is necessary. Therefore, fathers, not only monks, hieromonks, priests, all Orthodox Christians must defend Orthodoxy.

At present, Orthodoxy is in great danger. I just recently learned about this - about the VIII Council, which is being prepared not by Christians, but by Masons. And in general, our bishops, the vast majority of them, are Masonic novices.

What can I tell you? His Holiness Alexy II is a good person. But when the Masons told him, he went against his conscience. And his beloved friends, people who loved him, will condemn him - he went against his conscience. Everyone knows that His Holiness the Patriarch hindered the destruction of the Church. And for this they killed him. One bishop told us this, but we cannot say who. And they killed him so that he would not interfere. And they installed Kirill as Patriarch.

I also want to say: many people think that there were elections of the Patriarch. Oh, how holy everything is, fathers! Modern elections of presidents and patriarchs are all a game! Performance of choice!

Once, a long time ago, I lived in the Lavra and, when His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I of Simansky died, the Council and the election of the Patriarch were coming up. I was sitting in the workshop, working with icons, and I heard the brethren outside the door discussing who they would choose. And I write a large poster in gold paints: “Congratulations on the patriarchal election of Metropolitan Pimen.” Then he was still a metropolitan. I have nothing against Pimen, I sympathize with him and I sympathized with Alexy. Just not Cyril and not Bartholomew. We know what they are doing.

I went out to the brethren: “Fathers, what are you talking about here, who will be chosen. They won’t be chosen, but they have already been appointed a long time ago. Nowadays this is what they do - they appoint.” - “Raphael, go to your workshop, paint your icons, what do you understand!?” I left, but then I solemnly bring out this poster, where I congratulate Metropolitan Pimen on his patriarchate. It was a silent scene. The brothers understood everything, and I solemnly brought it into the workshop.

So, the mystery of lawlessness is at work! They signed documents, Balamand and others, hiding it from the people, from the servants of God, hiding it from the Church of Christ. Many heretical documents were signed. But I think this will be talked about. Igor and Fr. Anatoly.

I want to tell you, I have always talked about this and I say it now: dear fathers, dear brothers and sisters! Don’t leave the Church of Christ anywhere! The Church of Christ is you, you are the people of God, the Holy Spirit lives in you! And we - your faithful priests - we are with you! There are also Orthodox bishops with you. Don’t leave the Church of Christ anywhere! Stay in the Church of Christ in any adversity...

Therefore, let us not be discouraged. We will fight for the purity of Orthodoxy, remaining within the bosom of the Church.

The Church is not the Patriarch, not the Metropolitan and not the Bishop. They listen to the Masons. Many of them were recruited from the Mossad or the CIA and other Jewish organizations. These are all the forces of evil, they are trying to destroy our Church.

We are not shaking - as Bishop Theognostos reproached us yesterday, that we are shaking our Church - but strengthening, so that we remain faithful to Jesus Christ, faithful to the Church. And we will not go anywhere, not to any schism, not to the catacombs, not to Lord Diomede, not to any zealots.

You are the Church of Christ. And your faithful priests.

For now I want to end this. Forgive me, dear ones.

http://portal-credo.ru/site/?act=news&id=79752&topic=719
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COMMENT BY V. VOROBYOV:

There is a hierarchy and subordination in the Church. There is a procedure and rules in the Church for appealing to higher authorities and their representatives, there is a procedure for complaints, accusations and condemnations... If a person goes against all the rules and procedures without exception, this is nonsense for the Church! Why? Because the Church must be unshakable in any political and social processes, in any excesses and misunderstandings, including with our hierarchs, because the Church is HIGHER and MORE VALUABLE than any individuals included in it, it cannot be disgraced, blamed and reduced to some kind of an earthly office in which people play dogs, intrigue, make opportunists, fight to the death...

Revolutionaries in the Church are destroyers, just like revolutionaries in politics, economics and finance, and the Church, which is a voluntary union of believers in Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and not individual “prophets”, “righteous men” or “fools”, must be protected from them. who do not have the blessing, permission, or calling of God to do this. Imposture in the Church is simply unacceptable if it is our home, our mother and not our stepmother...

No one appointed Rafail Berestov as an elder, just as no one blessed him to be an accuser of the Patriarch, hierarchs and the entire Church, and no one blessed him to be a holy fool, so there is no need to pray for him, but to call him to reason - under the threat of excommunication.

OPINION OF BERESTOV-DIOMID PEOPLE:

Dear Vladimir, don’t you think that those who crucified Christ carried out the will of the hierarchs, which, following your words, is “higher and more valuable than any individuals”? In addition, the Church knows many examples when one was against everyone, and was right - for he was with God. This and Rev. Mark of Ephesus, and St. Nicholas of Myra, and St. Luka Krymsky... We can continue the list.

The main thing is to stop labeling everyone who disagrees with the “rock preachers” as schismatics and impostors. If you want to object to Elder Raphael, please object to the substance of the theses he put forward.

Protodeacon Andrey Kuraev, commenting on the speeches of Hieromonk Rafail (Berestov), ​​said: “I can say one thing about Father Rafail: unfortunately, he has been a mentally ill person since his youth. The trouble is that he simply became a tool in the wrong hands.”

“In the Soviet years, he was simply a hierodeacon in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, who was quiet, not seen or heard by anyone. Just a quiet nun who led a humble life and followed the path of salvation despite all his mental illnesses,” recalls Father Andrei. Even then, according to him, Father Rafail was accumulating bad rumors and was afraid of supposedly surrounding enemies. Later, Father Andrei said, there were people who began to support him in every possible way and “raise him to the throne as an all-Russian and even international preacher and elder.”

“How can you even imagine a schema monk, a schema monk, who rushes around the world jumping from conference to conference with video and audio recordings? – Father Andrey asks a rhetorical question. – This is a rather unique escape from the bustle of the world. And at these conferences he sows hatred and discord. Moreover, he lacks, excuse me, the intelligence to understand that this is exactly what he is doing. It seems to him that if someone’s voice whispers to him to kill someone, and if he calls for this, then this is good, this is good.”

Father Andrei definitely calls those who use Father Rafail scoundrels. He actually removes responsibility from Father Raphael himself: “This is a man who is absolutely not responsible for his words. Whoever whispers something to him, he will tell him the next day. At first they will shout that everyone around in the government is traitors to Orthodoxy, Judas and enemies. In a month he can say: “Let us rally around our double-headed eagle together with Putin and our Patriarch.” I am convinced that certain people who benefit from inciting hatred were specifically looking for someone like him. And he was perfect for the role chosen for him, they deliberately pulled him out.”

Father Andrey spoke about the situation in the Bogolyubov Monastery as follows: “Of course, what these children tell and experience is extremely alarming, and I have no reason not to trust the children’s stories. I watch the statements of people who support Father Peter and see: these are people who live by hatred. Here is an option: like attract others like themselves. These people, in essence, create an atmosphere of division.
Now in Russia conditions are being created so that the introduction of a number of social programs can be implemented through extra-budgetary organizations, including religious ones. Under these conditions, it becomes possible to develop a considerable number of non-state schools, shelters, and boarding schools. Here we need to understand that if we want the state to cooperate with spiritual shelters, for this the shelters must be transparent to public and government control. Public attention to what is happening inside Bogolyubov is, by and large, necessary for the development of a system of such control. It is very important that the Church investigation be politically unbiased, fair and convincing.”

Speech by Schema-Archimandrite Rafail (Berestov) at a meeting of the Orthodox community in Moscow on September 5, 2010.
Hello, dear fathers, brothers and sisters!
Now we live on Athos. We were already expelled there once, and appeared there again. We live for one hour. And so we heard that there was a confession of the purity of Orthodoxy by Greek theologians, elders and some monks and abbots of monasteries. We immediately supported them.
At present, Orthodoxy is in great danger. I just recently learned about this - about the VIII Council, which is being prepared not by Christians, but by Masons. And in general, our bishops, the vast majority of them, are Masonic novices.
What can I tell you? His Holiness Alexy II is a good person. But when the Masons told him, he went against his conscience. And his beloved friends, people who loved him, will condemn him - he went against his conscience. Everyone knows that His Holiness the Patriarch hindered the destruction of the Church. And for this they killed him. One bishop told us this, but we cannot say who. And they killed him so that he would not interfere. And they installed Kirill as Patriarch.
I also want to say: many people think that there were elections of the Patriarch. Oh, how holy everything is, fathers! Modern elections of presidents and patriarchs are all a game! Performance of choice!
So, the mystery of lawlessness is at work! They signed documents, Balamand and others, hiding it from the people, from the servants of God, hiding it from the Church of Christ. Many heretical documents were signed. But I think this will be talked about. Igor and Fr. Anatoly.
I want to tell you, I have always talked about this and I say it now: dear fathers, dear brothers and sisters! Don’t leave the Church of Christ anywhere! The Church of Christ is you, you are the people of God, the Holy Spirit lives in you! And we - your faithful priests - we are with you! There are also Orthodox bishops with you. Don’t leave the Church of Christ anywhere! Stay in the Church of Christ in any adversity...
Therefore, let us not be discouraged. We will fight for the purity of Orthodoxy, remaining within the bosom of the Church.
The Church is not the Patriarch, not the Metropolitan and not the Bishop. They listen to the Masons. Many of them were recruited from the Mossad or the CIA and other Jewish organizations. These are all the forces of evil, they are trying to destroy our Church.
We are not shaking - as Bishop Theognostos reproached us yesterday, that we are shaking our Church - but strengthening, so that we remain faithful to Jesus Christ, faithful to the Church. And we will not go anywhere, not to any schism, not to the catacombs, not to Lord Diomede, not to any zealots.
You are the Church of Christ. And your faithful priests.
For now I want to end this. Forgive me dears

There is no need to forgive, but to heal.

But so dearly beloved Fr. Rafail Kishinevsky Fr. Anatoly:

preotul Anatol Cibric
Metropolitan Vladimir bought this visit of Kuraev with the help of Pasat. They need Jewish-Masonic support from Moscow. Kuraev is a Satanist and the one who sent him to us is a heretic, his name is Patriarch Kirill! Orthodoxy is in danger! Holy Mother Matrona, pray to God for our salvation!

The mentioned Pasat is a Moldovan politician who came up with the idea of ​​​​introducing lessons in the “fundamentals of Orthodoxy” in schools and, naturally, received the support of the Synod of the Moldavian Orthodox Church.

By the way: “Don’t feed Russians bread, just give them predictions.”
(Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky). Poisoned candy // Church Gazette. Sremski Karlovtsy, 1922, July).