St. Cyril Lucaris - Dialogue against the Jesuits (1616)
St. Cyril Lucaris (+1638)
Dialogue against the Jesuits (1616)[1]
A short
dialogue, in which is shown in detail the danger that is going to cause great
harm and damage, with the passage of time, to the Church of Constantinople
because of the presence of the Jesuits in Galata[2].
Also includes a thought of how it may be possible to eliminate this great
danger. The persons of the dialogue are Zealot (Z) and Philalethes (P) [“lover
of truth”].
Z. Hello, Philalethes! I
have been looking for you for a long time to ask you and advise me whether it
is proper and just for someone to die for his true doctrines, which he has
received from his fathers. I have heard from my earliest days that it is better
for someone to die than to violate the truth. That is why I looked for you, and
I am asking you to tell me if I really should.
P. I admire, O Zealot, how
you come and meet me with so much haste and so much eagerness, and although you
did not even let me return the greeting, you ask me things about which I wonder
what compels you to ask me.
Z. I ask because I see that
the time has come to die, because for so long when we were under the Turkish
yoke, our doctrines and our Orthodoxy were preserved intact, while now recently
the so-called Jesuits have come and with much cunning and hypocrisy are trying
to overthrow and abolish them all. This is what I see, and I think that it is
better for someone to die than to live.
P. So this is what upsets
you and makes you so sad? If you were interested, I would tell you those things
which I noticed, how some wise men among them wrote concerning these Jesuits,
who, though at first sight they appear humble, are in reality wicked and
wolves; and, as those wise men said, they are capable of crushing even a
kingdom, let alone our own doctrines and our own Church! But I'm afraid it is
not good for me to talk more, and that's why I keep silent.
Z. No! Please do not hide
from me what you have heard from them, because I know that it is very
beneficial for me and for everyone else who hears these things. Everyone should
know what to decide in this situation.
P. It seems to me, as I
said, that it is not good, because it will look bad on many of our people. And
that's why I'm silent.
Ζ. Do not think that it
will seem bad to some, but that it will be beneficial to many, if indeed what
has been heard is certainly true.
P. These sages spoke so
truly that nothing is more truthful.
Z. Be alert, therefore,
lest you hide the truth, if you do not want to carry sin and a burden on your
soul.
P. With such words as you
speak to me, you compel me to obey your will, as indeed I consider that if
those things which I wish to tell you from the mouth of those wise men, others
learn from you, they will know better the meaning and the purpose of these
people, that is, the Jesuits, and in this matter to be careful towards them, as
far as this can be achieved.
Z. I beseech you, do not
delay in fulfilling my will, as you ought to do, you who are a friend and a
good Christian.
P. I met two wise people
yesterday, whose names you will know if I tell you. But for now, I will not
mention their names. As they were talking about many different topics, I was
very happy with what I was hearing. However, they reached the point where they
were talking about matters of faith and they both knew that the Eastern Church,
although it suffered many disturbances from heretics, always defended and was
grounded in Orthodoxy. But they said that this Church is now very unfortunate,
because it is not served by wise men, but ruled by ignorant men who do not know
their duty as regards its administration, and whose only care is avarice and
plunder and injustice and nothing good, to such an extent that he said (the
first wise man) "I no longer see in
what way God can help this Church because of this, or how Christians can see
any benefit from such a Church, where the word of God, holiness, justice and
absolutely no other virtue exists, as it should under Christianity".
This is what the first sage said, to which the other answered saying that
"this is a good and prudent theory
and I wish there was a way to correct it. Since the conquest of Constantinople
by the Turks, after a few years this disorder began in this Church, and
continues until today. And if the Easterners always stand and maintain that
they have the Church and they are supported by the hope that God will send,
perhaps at the right moment, someone will clean it up, and this constant
waiting comforts the poor that they have the Church, but now it is in danger of
being wiped out, so that the Easterners now won’t have the Church. If you ask
what the reason is, I answer you that the Jesuits secretly use all the cunning
devices of their own hypocrisy, with the view of spreading the authority of the
Pope everywhere. And finding the ease with which they can act in Turkey, since
the Turks are a people who do not particularly concern themselves with the
affairs of Christians - unless someone enlightens them, but still they easily
fall into blindness - they considered this the easiest approach to the East. At
first they lived in Chios, where they established a school and converted half
the priests and laymen to their views and their religion, despising our
[canonical] order and doctrines and advocating papal theories. From there they
came to Constantinople and settled in Galata. First they approached the
children, so that through them they could convert their parents. Then, with
secret advice and with financial support, they recommend in every way and
promote to the episcopacy the Latin-minded and other impostors educated in
Rome, who pretended to be obedient to the Pope. Thus, with their prompting and
assistance, a disgraceful man, with all kinds of misdemeanors, who had been
expelled from Naples, and who to this day in Galata and Constantinople everyone
knows very well who he is, became metropolitan of Paros and Naxos[3]. In the same way again,
at the instigation of the Jesuits and their assistance, a certain Father
Nikolaos, a man of great imprudence, unworthy to shepherd not only men, but
also pigs, became metropolitan of Christianoupolis[4].
I leave out his other misdeeds, because they are not relevant to mention. But,
because they spread openly and without a trace of shame that they are papists
and that the Pope is the first and the head of the Church, for this very reason
the Jesuits support them and promote them to these degrees. But they are not
responsible as much as the one who ordains them, i.e., the patriarch of
Constantinople[5]. Indeed, he is mainly
responsible. But what do you know? Have they swayed him into their views as
well? With false promises they made to him, and as they deceived the patriarch
Neophytos[6] with strings of beads
and with some images printed on paper, and as they deceive with such things and
lead the world astray, so they may deceive the present patriarch with their
lies. But I am not certain of this, because whatever the errors and
illegalities of the patriarch, as regards the ordinations of such unworthy and
indeed Latin-minded ones, he knows who they are. But let it be. Now we are not
only talking about the Jesuits, but how they are planning to completely enslave
us and are conducting ordinations of their own people and making them members
of our Church. But now you will see that in a short time even one of these Latin-minded
intends to be ordained patriarch, because the Patriarchate stands by the
payment of the special tax to the Turkish state. The Jesuits can therefore
succeed, because they have more money than the patriarchate and his dioceses.
They just don't unwisely fund the changing of the Patriarchate. So, when the
right moment comes for them, they will install a Latin-minded patriarch of
their choice. And then all those hieromonks who roam the streets of
Constantinople and Galata with the common sole purpose of having churches in their
own jurisdiction (where only seemingly they will not be Jesuits) under the Latin-minded
patriarch, will have the spiritual guidance, they will teach lessons and
doctrine to such an extent that the complete annihilation of the Orthodoxy of
the Eastern Church would follow. And don't be in a hurry to say that "this
hasn't happened yet", because it is certain that it will happen. This is
what I think, and I think it is the worst of all calamities, since the
officials of Constantinople are not worried, but only care about themselves. On
the other hand, the opinion of the people will not matter. In addition, the cunning
Jesuits have some unlearned people as disciples, whom (with the wickedness that
characterizes them) with so much hypocrisy they deceive them and make them look
like monkeys, knowing the weakness of their minds that comes from the lack of
natural qualifications. But they take care of them in order to gain their
favor, to roam the markets and churches, to proclaim the wisdom and sanctity of
the Jesuits, luring the burnt-out lads to gather every Sunday in the Jesuit
church, as the blind deliver the sheep to the wolves. All this, if someone
reflects on it and thinks about it carefully, he will find that the
annihilation and dissolution of the Eastern Church is caused by the
Jesuits". These were, O Zealot, the words of those wise men, which are
indeed true, since they said them with great awareness and the facts themselves
clearly prove that they are so accurate and not otherwise. And I revealed it to
you because I was pressured by you, you know.
Z. Thank you, Philalethes,
for revealing those details that I myself could not have known in detail. All I
see is that our doctrines have begun to be trampled upon. I was contemplating
this wickedness that surrounds our Church and our souls. Therefore, please tell
me, advise me: Is it worth someone dying or even risking his life fighting for them,
in order to stop the encroachment of our doctrines and our Church?
P. Your question is not inappropriate at all, Zealot, since it comes from the zealousness of your heart. But to die and put yourself in danger, as you say, you render little benefit to
your other brothers. So by your words and deeds, strive, if you can, to awaken
the Christians, where they are sleeping, so that they realize the error and the
evil that is in danger of being done. And in this way it is easy, if indeed God
speaks to the hearts of the faithful, as he spoke to the hearts of the masters
of Venice and droving the Jesuits from their places. So in the same exact way
they too, if they don't drive them out of Constantinople, at least get them out
of their hearts. This is what is appropriate at this moment and nothing else.
Z. You say well, but I
don't know what words to use to awaken the hearts of people who don't
understand what is going on. Therefore, I invoke all your goodness, teach me to
say what I should.
P. You are asking me to do
something for which I am not really qualified to do, that is, to indicate to
you what it is appropriate to say to them. But in your speech do not use so
many rhetorical figures, but simply tell them the truth, in the following way:
“Greek men and genuine children of the
Eastern Church, although we have found ourselves without a kingdom (either
because of our own faults, or by the will of God, which the human mind cannot comprehend)
and without riches and comforts of this world, we must at least never betray
the nobility of our souls, which in no other way is betrayed, except when we
yield to the words of wicked and hypocritical men and deny the doctrines of our
fathers, following foreign doctrines, which neither our fathers nor we knew.
And these are nothing more than what the so-called Jesuits project to us,
people who can, with words and deeds, deceive and mock and lead astray
according to their plan, our entire people, in our simplicity and ignorance.
Well, we must not be foolish and betray our decency by trusting such people.
Remember, Greek men, what happened in the past and realize well that the Latins
were never friends of our nation. The Pope and his defenders have always been
enemies of our race, always desiring the loss of our kingdom, since they have
proved their ill-will towards us on various occasions. And in order not to go
on too long, I be silent on the rest, except one thing that I want to remind
you, from which you will understand their dispositions. At the time when Sultan
Mehmet II was at war with Constantinople and had blockaded it, making every
trick to take Constantinople, he also did the following: He passed four ships
(from where Neokastro is) by land and dragged them to the other place, where
Arsanas is, with much trouble and suffering, because the chain would not let
them pass through the sea. And when the people of Constantinople saw them, they
decided to burn the ships at night. And forty young princes agreed to go and carry
out this operation in the name of God. And they got into the boat at night and
set out. And the Latins, who were in control of Galata, saw them and betrayed
them to Sultan Mehmet. And those burnt noblemen, without considering how the
Latins are traitors, went bravely and fell into a ready trap. And from this the
hope of the Romans[7] was lost and there was
no longer any possibility that Constantinople would be spared. From this you
can understand the feelings of the Latins toward our own race. For so many
years, we have seen no sign of kindness from them, and now in the last years do
you think they want to do something good for us? In no case! For no other
reason do they do it, Greek men, than to deceive us and make us subjects of the
Pope. And if they do not seduce the prudent, they succeed with the frivolous
who are deceived in a moment. They first seduce our children and gradually
everyone. That's how clever the Jesuits are at mocking us. When they speak to
us with sweet words, they hide their poison. When they honor us on the outside,
then they mock us on the inside. When they are teaching us, then we are tested.
When they give us paper icons or strings of beads, in this way they trap us.
When they organize comedies or other theatrical performances, and invite us to
go, they playfully accuse us of being uneducated and crazy and worthless. With
all this I find, Greek men, that there are many who associate with them,
ignoring these things. That is what burns my heart, how such ignorance has
taken over us, so that we are not worthy to discern the evil that pursues us.
And I do not mean all Greeks, but only those who associate with such
hypocritical people and instruments of the Antichrist. You will say to me
"but they provide our children with a free education, and they also teach
us the Holy Gospel, and for this we see their willingness and we like it".
You know so much, you judge so much and you say so much! But you don't know how
much deceit hides all this willingness. The lesson, which is without payment,
is itself a payment, since with it they buy the soul and conscience of our
children. The teaching they give you is the trap they set for you. And you
ought, Greek men, leaving the rest, not to be excited because they are teaching
you, but to investigate whether the object of their teaching benefits you. In
order to distinguish this easily, one should perhaps consider three things:
firstly, what they teach, secondly, what intention they have when they teach,
and thirdly, what is their final aim. In the first you will see whether they
teach truth or falsehood. For I know that they mix both together. When, for
example, they tell you that Christ took flesh and suffered and was crucified
and rose and ascended for our salvation, they are telling you the truth. But
when you are told that he had twelve Apostles and first of all Saint Peter, at
this point the truth is confused. When you are told that Peter has the Pope as
his successor and therefore the Pope is master of the Church, this is a lie.
Likewise for the rest. Because of this you must be careful about what they
teach you. In the second you have to consider their intention. Therefore, when
they tell you "the church of Rome and Constantinople is one, and there is
no difference between us", they say it to you in a bad intention. This is
due to the fact that all of them, and the Jesuits and the rest of the Latins,
in the books they write about teaching, denounce us Greeks as schismatics and
heretics, apostates, liars and every abusive description, and that we don't
have the Church, but synagogue, like the Jews. This is how they present us in
Italy and in their own places, and now here they tell us that our Church and
their church are one? This, then, they say with a bad and wicked intention,
precisely because they claim that the Church must receive into its bosom the
elect and sinners. So, it is possible for them to think that we are the rejected
and they are the chosen ones. That's how they maliciously say it. Judge their
reasoning to understand that what they say is nonsense. In the third, examine
the purpose, what is the purpose of their design. Their purpose is than to lead
us under the tyranny of the Pope, so that he dominates us, to recognize him as
the First and Head, reviling our Christ and scorning our Church. You must think
about this, Greek men, and then draw a conclusion about the goodness of
hypocrites. Those whom you consider so humble, upset kingdoms, burned nations,
caused bloodshed, did not do a single good thing and we still expect them to
benefit us while they hate us so much? Since they are pretending, is it
possible that they intend to help us? And are you so stupid, Greek men, that
you do not think this? So many examples can be found, and you have heard about
their cunning. Is it possible to leave unchecked the enemies of you and your
children, the enemies of your salvation, your people, your country and your
faith and your Eastern Church? Is it possible to let this sewage spread its
wickedness and cunning tricks? May this never happen, my dear ones, please. Do
you see the dogs? Avoid them so they don't bite you! Do you see the evil
workers? Get away before the vines break from your vineyard! Do you see the
division that threatens to destroy your Church, your doctrines, your race? Away
from them, away from such interactions, from their teachings, if you do not
want unexpected harm to happen to you, if you want to remain firm in the
traditions without turmoil and confusion, with the only hope that God will have
mercy on us and comfort us, when He decides”. This, O Zealot, is what I
think you should say to them at present. But you can refine, removing and
adding, as the scholar that you are, the most useful and the most necessary, so
that those who are going to listen to you will be informed with more attentive.
Z. I thank you for your so important
teaching, which I intend to save in my memory intact, as much as I can, without
additions. And if I succeed in this way, I will say it exactly as I heard it
from you, with the hope of benefiting many. Time to leave, then, with God's
help.
P. I wish you success in your efforts.
[1] The original work (in Greek)
was published in Α.
Παπαδοπούλου-Κεραμέως, Ανάλεκτα ιεροσολυμιτικής σταχυολογίας, τόμος Α΄,
Πετρούπολη, 1891, σ. 220-230.
[2] A neighborhood of
Constantinople.
[3] This is Latin-minded
Nikephoros Mellissenos Comnenos.
[4] This is Latin-minded Nikolaos
Gorgogyris, also a student of the Hellenic College of Rome.
[5] At that time Patriarch of
Constantinople was the Latin-minded Timotheus II (patriarch from 1612 to 1620).
[6] Patriarch Neophytos II
(patriarch from 1602 to 1603 and 1607 to 1612) was also Latin-minded.
[7] The Greeks until the 19th
century described themselves as Romans.
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