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Russian True Orthodox Church (RTOC Tikhonites)

The Synod of the "Tikhonites" is another offshoot of the Russian Church Abroad, which was produced as a consequence of Metropolitan Vitaly's fateful union with the so-called Synod of Resistors under the leadership of the cunning heretic Metropolitan Cyprian, who introduced the concept of Ecumenism into the ecclesiology of the Greek Old Calendarists. Nearly all of Metropolitan Vitaly's hierarchy ignored this union of apostasy and remained part of Vitaly's synod, except for a few who understood that this union was against the doctrines and canons of the Church, and therefore meant spiritual death.

Among those bishops in Russia who accepted Metropolitan Vitaly's union with Metropolitan Cyprian was Bishop Lazaros. This showed Bishop Lazaros' deliberate disregard for the holy canons which forbid any bishop to be in communion with heretics. Despite the fact that Vitaly's union with Cyprian lasted for seven long years, during which time numerous catastrophic events occurred through divine providence to awaken Vitaly to repentance, yet Bishop Lazaros remained callous to this betrayal of Orthodoxy.

Eventually Lazaros succeeded in separating from Vitaly's synod by forming a new synod in Russia. "Bishop" Tikhon was one of the first men to be consecrated to the episcopacy by this new heresy-tainted group, which labelled itself the "Russian True Orthodox Church" (RTOC). Metropolitan Vitaly and his synod responded to these events in Russia by deposing Bishop Lazaros and those bishops with him. All this was meaningless, though, seeing that both Vitaly and Lazaros were no longer bishops or part of the Orthodox Church after they joined in communion with heresy.

Those who say that the Tikhonites are a valid synod, even though they remained in communion with heretics for seven years, must overcome another obstacle, namely, that if they were a valid synod under Metropolitan Vitaly then it would follow that his deposition of Bishop Lazaros and the RTOC was also valid.

When Bishop Lazaros died in 2003, Bishop Tikhon was elected to take his place as first hierarch.

The RTOC has admitted that it was a mistake to go into communion with Heresiarch Cyprian of Fili, yet they still have not repented of their apostasy. They must repent to those who did not corrupt the Faith and refused to be in communion with Cyprian. Judas Iscariot repented to himself. The Apostle Peter repented to the Church. Returning the thirty pieces of silver to the high priests did not benefit Judas. You must repent to the Church.


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