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LETTER OF SAINT ATHANASIUS
TO THE CHURCH IN RESISTANCE

LETTER OF SAINT ATHANASIUS
TO THE CHURCH IN RESISTANCE

HOW IS IT THAT THE CHURCH IN RESISTANCE (BETTER KNOWN AS THE
TRADITIONAL ORTHODOX CHURCH) USUALLY OPERATES FROM A STORE
FRONT OR CONVERTED SINGLE FAMILY HOME INSTEAD OF A ‘NORMAL’
CHURCH BUILDING? WHY IS IT THERE ARE SO FEW PEOPLE WHO EMBRACE
THE CHURCH IN RESISTANCE?

THE UNPLEASANT REALITY IS PEOPLE ARE BLINDED BY LARGE
MONASTERIES AND LARGE CHURCH BUILDINGS. THIS LETTER FROM SAINT
ATHANASIUS WAS WRITTEN TO THE CHURCH IN RESISTANCE OF HIS TIME.
WHAT SAINT PAUL CALLED “THE SUPER APOSTLES” WE CALL
“OFFICIALDOM”. THE GROUPS WITH THE MONEY, THE BUILDINGS AND THE
ACCEPTANCE OF THE WORLD AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS, HAVE
REJECTED ANY GROUP THAT RETAINS THE FAITH AS ONCE DELIVERED.
THEY USE THEIR TEMPORAL RESOURCES TO BLIND MANY TO THE TRUTHS
OF THE ANCIENT FAITH.

PEOPLE ARE CONDITIONED TO BELIEVE A ‘REAL CHURCH’ IS A LARGE
BUILDING THAT LOOKS LIKE A CHURCH (WHAT EVER THAT IS) IN ADDITION
TO THIS THE WORLD REJECTS A FAITH PRAXIS THAT REQUIRES THEM TO
DO MORE THAN JUST SIT IN A PEW ON A SUNDAY MORNING. LIKE THE
EARLY CHURCH, THE MODERN DAY CHURCH IN RESISTANCE REQUIRES A
REAL FAITH COMMITMENT FROM PEOPLE.

THE TRADITIONAL ORTHODOX CHURCH WHICH IS ALWAYS IN RESISTANCE
TO THE HERESY OF ECUMENISM, INTERFAITH WORSHIP AND INTERFAITH
SYNCRETISM IS NOT ALWAYS AN EASY CHURCH TO LIVE BY BUT IT IS
ALWAYS AN EASY CHURCH TO DIE BY. ATHANASIUS WAS REJECTED BY THE
OFFICIAL CHURCH OF HIS DAY. HE WAS SAID TO BE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH
AND NOT ORTHODOX WHEN HE WAS ALIVE ONLY TO BE CANONIZED BY
THAT SAME CHURCH AFTER HIS DEATH.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL ORTHODOX
CHURCH AND THE MEGA CHURCHES IN UNION WITH THE OLD WORLD
PATRIARCHS?

WE ARE WHAT THEY ONCE WERE BY THE GRACE OF GOD MAY WE NEVER BECOME WHAT THEY
ARE NOW.”
- Bishop Brian Kennedy, O.S.B.

“THE TRADITIONAL ORTHODOX CHURCH IS NOT ALWAYS AN EASY CHURCH TO LIVE BY, BUT IS
ALWAYS AN EASY CHURCH TO DIE BY”
- Bishop Brian Kennedy, O.S.B.

St. Athanasius lived in the 4th century and was the Orthodox Bishop of Alexandria
Egypt for 46 years. Banned form his diocese at least 5 times, he spent a total of 17
years in exile. Often referred to as the Champion of Orthodoxy, Saint Athanasius, was
undoubtedly one of the most courageous defenders of the orthodox and catholic Faith in
the entire history of the Church. If anyone can be singled out as a Saint for our times,
surely it is Saint Athanasius.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The following letter of his could, almost word for word, have been written yesterday.

Letter to the faithful regarding the Neo Orthodox who were called the "official" Church.
St. Athanasius is the Patron Saint of the Catacomb Church or Church in Resistance.

May God console you! What saddens you? Is the fact that others have occupied the
churches by violence, while during this time you are on the outside? It is a fact that
they have the premises... But you have the APOSTOLIC FAITH.

They can occupy our churches, but they are outside the TRUE FAITH. You remain
outside the places of worship, but the Faith dwells within you. Let us consider: What is
more important? The place or the Faith? The True Faith obviously. Who has lost and
who has won in this struggle? The one who keeps the premises or the one who keeps
the Faith?

True, the premises are good when the Apostolic Faith is preached there. They are holy
if everything takes place there in a Holy Way. You are the ones who are happy. You
who remain within the True Church by your Faith, who hold firmly to the Foundations
of the Faith which has come down to you from Apostolic Tradition and if an execrable
jealousy has tried to shake it on a number of occasions, It has not succeeded.

They are the ones who have broken from it in the present crisis. No one, ever, will
prevail against your Faith, beloved brothers. We believe that God will give us our
Churches back some day. Thus, the more violently, they try to occupy the places of
worship, the more they separate themselves from the Church.

They claim that they represent the Church but in reality they are the ones who are
expelling themselves from It and going astray.

Even if those faithful to Tradition are reduced to a handful, they are the ones who are
the True Church of Jesus Christ.

Holy Family American Orthodox Church/UOCC