The following are excerpts from various Church Fathers, Councils, and Canons that state that the non-Orthodox do not have valid grace-filled Sacraments/Mysteries. I encourage you to read their texts in their entirety. These are just extracts. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Ignatius of Antioch: “For if I in this brief space of time, have enjoyed such fellowship with your bishop — I mean not of a mere human, but of a spiritual nature — how much more do I reckon you happy who are so joined to him as the Church is to Jesus Christ, and as Jesus Christ is to the Father, that so all things may agree in unity! Let no man deceive himself: if any one be not within the altar, he is deprived of the bread of God. For if the prayer of one or two possesses Matthew 18:19 such power, how much more that of the bishop and the whole Church! He, therefore, that does not assemble with the Church, has even by this manifested his pride, and condemned himself. For it is written, God resists the proud. Let us be careful, then, not to set ourselves in opposition to the bishop, in order that we may be subject to God.” See Ignatius of Antioch, “Letter to the ephesians,” newadvent.org , https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm St. Irenaeus of Lyons : “For where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church, and every kind of grace; but the Spirit is truth.” See St. Irenaeus of Lyons as cited in John Morris, “The Holy Tradition and the Veneration of Mary and Other Saints in the Orthodox Church,” antiochian.org , http://ww1.antiochian.org/node/17079 St. Firmilian: “Moreover, all other heretics, if they have separated themselves from the Church of God, can have nothing of power or of grace, since all power and grace are established in the Church where the elders preside, who possess the power both of baptizing, and of imposition of hands, and of ordaining. For as a heretic may not lawfully ordain nor lay on hands, so neither may he baptize, nor do any thing holily or spiritually, since he is an alien from spiritual and deifying sanctity... But neither must we pass over what has been necessarily remarked by you, that the Church, according to the Song of Songs, is a garden enclosed, and a fountain sealed, a paradise with the fruit of apples. [[Song of Songs 4:12-13]] They who have never entered into this garden, and have not seen the paradise planted by God the Creator, how shall they be able to afford to another the water of the saving lava from the fountain which is enclosed within, and sealed with a divine seal?” See St. Firmilian, “Epistle 74,” https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/050674.htm St. Ambrose of Milan: “How much where the Church is, and where His Mysteries are, does He vouchsafe to impart His presence!... Then one was healed, now all are made whole; or more exactly, the Christian people alone, for in some even the water is deceitful. Jeremiah 15:18 The baptism of unbelievers heals not but pollutes.” See St. Ambrose of Milan, “On the Mysteries,” newadvent.org , http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3405.htm St. Jerome of Stridon: “Since the East, shattered as it is by the long-standing feuds, subsisting between its peoples, is bit by bit tearing into shreds the seamless vest of the Lord, woven from the top throughout, John 19:23 since the foxes are destroying the vineyard of Christ, Song of Songs 2:15 and since among the broken cisterns that hold no water it is hard to discover the sealed fountain and the garden inclosed, Song of Songs 4:12 I think it my duty to consult the chair of Peter, and to turn to a church whose faith has been praised by Paul. I appeal for spiritual food to the church whence I have received the garb of Christ. The wide space of sea and land that lies between us cannot deter me from searching for the pearl of great price. Matthew 13:46 Wheresoever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Matthew 24:28 Evil children have squandered their patrimony; you alone keep your heritage intact. The fruitful soil of Rome, when it receives the pure seed of the Lord, bears fruit an hundredfold; but here the seed grain is choked in the furrows and nothing grows but darnel or oats. Matthew 13:22-23 In the West the Sun of righteousness Malachi 4:2 is even now rising; in the East, Lucifer, who fell from heaven, Luke 10:18 has once more set his throne above the stars. Isaiah 14:12 You are the light of the world, Matthew 5:14 you are the salt of the earth, Matthew 5:13 you are vessels of gold and of silver. Here are vessels of wood or of earth, 2 Timothy 2:20 which wait for the rod of iron, Revelation 2:27 and eternal fire. As I follow no leader save Christ, so I communicate with none but your blessedness, that is with the chair of Peter. For this, I know, is the rock on which the church is built! Matthew 16:18 This is the house where alone the paschal lamb can be rightly eaten. Exodus 12:22 This is the Ark of Noah, and he who is not found in it shall perish when the flood prevails. Genesis 7:23”. See St. Jerome of Stridon, “Letter 15,” newadvent.org , https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3001015.htm St. Cyprian and the Church of Carthage: (Many of St. Cyprian of Carthage's writings (see his Kontakion too below) expound on this issue exhaustively. There were a few councils in Carthage that dealt with it too. Here are some excerpts from his writings): - “For if the Church is not with heretics, therefore, because it is one, and cannot be divided; and if thus the Holy Spirit is not there, because He is one, and cannot be among profane persons, and those who are without; certainly also baptism, which consists in the same unity, cannot be among heretics, because it can neither be separated from the Church nor from the Holy Spirit... But if regeneration is in the washing, that is, in baptism, how can heresy, which is not the spouse of Christ, generate sons to God by Christ? For it is the Church alone which, conjoined and united with Christ, spiritually bears sons... If, then, she is the beloved and spouse who alone is sanctified by Christ, and alone is cleansed by His washing, it is manifest that heresy, which is not the spouse of Christ, nor can be cleansed nor sanctified by His washing, cannot bear sons to God.” See “Epistle 73 ” - “Although there can be no other baptism but one, they think that they can baptize; although they forsake the fountain of life, they promise the grace of living and saving water. Men are not washed among them, but rather are made foul; nor are sins purged away, but are even accumulated. Such a nativity does not generate sons to God, but to the devil. By a falsehood they are born, and they do not receive the promises of truth. Begotten of perfidy, they lose the grace of faith. They cannot attain to the reward of peace, since they have broken the Lord's peace with the madness of discord.” See “Treatise 1 On the Unity of the Church” - “For if they shall see that it is determined and decreed by our judgment and sentence, that the baptism wherewith they are there baptized is considered just and legitimate, they will think that they are justly and legitimately in possession of the Church also, and the other gifts of the Church; nor will there be any reason for their coming to us, when, as they have baptism, they seem also to have the rest. But further, when they know that there is no baptism without, and that no remission of sins can be given outside the Church, they more eagerly and readily hasten to us, and implore the gifts and benefits of the Church our Mother, assured that they can in no wise attain to the true promise of divine grace unless they first come to the truth of the Church... Therefore we ought to consider their faith who believe without, whether in respect of the same faith they can obtain any grace. For if we and heretics have one faith, we may also have one grace... [if we say heretics] confess the same Father, the same Son, the same Holy Ghost, [it follows that they are] the same Church with us, [and therefore this implies that] they may also have one baptism if they have also one faith... Wherefore baptism cannot be common to us and to heretics, to whom neither God the Father, nor Christ the Son, nor the Holy Ghost, nor the faith, nor the Church itself, is common. And therefore it behooves those to be baptized who come from heresy to the Church.” See "Letter 72 To Jubaianus" - “For if the Church is not with heretics, therefore, because it is one, and cannot be divided; and if thus the Holy Spirit is not there, because He is one, and cannot be among profane persons, and those who are without; certainly also baptism, which consists in the same unity, cannot be among heretics, because it can neither be separated from the Church nor from the Holy Spirit... But if regeneration is in the washing, that is, in baptism, how can heresy, which is not the spouse of Christ, generate sons to God by Christ? For it is the Church alone which, conjoined and united with Christ, spiritually bears sons... If, then, she is the beloved and spouse who alone is sanctified by Christ, and alone is cleansed by His washing, it is manifest that heresy, which is not the spouse of Christ, nor can be cleansed nor sanctified by His washing, cannot bear sons to God.” See Letter 73 to Pompey - “In reference, however, to the character of Novatian, dearest brother, of whom you desired that intelligence should be written you what heresy he had introduced; know that, in the first place, we ought not even to be inquisitive as to what he teaches, so long as he teaches out of the pale of unity . Whoever he may be, and whatever he may be, he who is not in the Church of Christ is not a Christian. Although he may boast himself, and announce his philosophy or eloquence with lofty words, yet he who has not maintained brotherly love or ecclesiastical unity has lost even what he previously had been. Unless he seems to you to be a bishop, who — when a bishop has been made in the Church by sixteen co-bishops — strives by bribery to be made an adulterous and extraneous bishop by the hands of deserters; and although there is one Church, divided by Christ throughout the whole world into many members, and also one episcopate diffused through a harmonious multitude of many bishops; in spite of God's tradition, in spite of the combined and everywhere compacted unity of the Catholic Church, is endeavouring to make a human church, and is sending his new apostles through very many cities, that he may establish some new foundations of his own appointment. And although there have already been ordained in each city, and through all the provinces, bishops old in years, sound in faith, proved in trial, proscribed in persecution, (this one) dares to create over these other and false bishops: as if he could either wander over the whole world with the persistence of his new endeavour, or break asunder the structure of the ecclesiastical body, by the propagation of his own discord, not knowing that schismatics are always fervid at the beginning, but that they cannot increase nor add to what they have unlawfully begun, but that they immediately fail together with their evil emulation. But he could not hold the episcopate, even if he had before been made bishop, since he has cut himself off from the body of his fellow bishops, and from the unity of the Church; since the apostle admonishes that we should mutually sustain one another, and not withdraw from the unity which God has appointed, and says, Bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3 He then who neither maintains the unity of the Spirit nor the bond of peace, and separates himself from the band of the Church, and from the assembly of priests, can neither have the power nor the honour of a bishop, since he has refused to maintain either the unity or the peace of the episcopate.” See Letter 51 to Antonianus about Cornelius and Novatian. - Kontakion of St. Cyprian: We honour you, O Cyprian, / as a true shepherd who with your sacred words and divinely-wise doctrines / has shown us the boundary-stones marking out the one Church of Christ. / Even unto death you bore witness with courage; / wherefore, we extol you as a hierarch and martyr. / Entreat Christ that we all be saved. - See the Council of 220 a.d. under Bishop Agrippinus, the council in 255 a.d., and the two councils in 258 a.d.) - See also Canon 1 of the Regional Council of Carthage which reads: “... No one can be baptized outside of the catholic Church, there being but one baptism, and this being existent only in the catholic Church... Among heretics ... there is no Church... There being but one baptism, and there being but one Holy Spirit, there is also but one Church... and for this reason whatever they [i.e. the heretics] do is false and empty and vain, everything be counterfeit and unauthorized. For nothing that they do can be acceptable and desirable with God. In fact, the Lord calls them His foes and adversaries in the Gospels: “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Mt. 12:30).”” See also The Rudder (Pedalion) of the Metaphorical Ship of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of the Orthodox Christians, or All the Sacred and Divine Canons , 483–488 and See Emmanuel Hatzidakis, “There Is No ‘Valid’ Baptism Outside the Church — Part 2 of 2,” orthodoxwitness.org , December 1, 2018, http://www.orthodoxwitness.org/there-is-no-valid-baptism-outside-the-church-2-of-2/ - The 87 Bishops in Carthage: (Herein are a few quotes of the clergy at the time I believe explain this issue best, but I highly recommend reading all of them): - Successus of Abbir Germaniciana: “Heretics can either do nothing, or they can do all. If they can baptize, they can also bestow the Holy Spirit. But if they cannot give the Holy Spirit, because they have not the Holy Spirit, neither can they spiritually baptize. Therefore we judge that heretics must be baptized.” - Fortunatus of Tuccaboris: “Jesus Christ our Lord and God, Son of God the Father and Creator, built His Church upon a rock, not upon heresy; and gave the power of baptizing to bishops, not to heretics. Wherefore they who are without the Church, and, standing in opposition to Christ, disperse His sheep and flock, cannot baptize, being without.” - Victoricus of Thabraca: “If heretics are allowed to baptize and to give remission of sins, wherefore do we brand them with infamy and call them heretics?” - Sattius of Sicilibba: “If to heretics in baptism their sins are remitted, they come to the Church without reason. For since, in the day of judgment, they are sins which are punished, there is nothing which the heretics can fear from Christ's judgment, if they have already obtained remission of their sins.”) St. Gregory the Great: “VIII. 17... heretical sacrifices cannot be acceptable to God unless they are offered by the hands of the whole church, so that they may find the remedy of salvation by the merits of Her whom they attacked and wounded with the spears of their words. That is why seven sacrifices are mentioned to have been offered, for they put their trust in the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and receive Him, as they are cleansed by seven offerings. That is why the whole Church is symbolized in the Apocalypse of Saint John by the number of seven churches. Solomon also says of Wisdom, ‘Wisdom built herself a house; she cut down seven columns.’ Heretics, therefore, are reconciled by the same number of sacrifices (i.e., seven); their reconciliation tells us that they were formerly heretics and that only by returning to communion did they reach the perfection of the seven gifts.” See St. Gregory the Great, Moral Reflections on the Book of Job, Volume 1 , trans. Brian Kerns (Athens, OH: Cistercian Publications, 2014), 73. St. Leo the Great: The baptism of heretics is “without the power of sanctification” which “no one can receive from heretics” but rather “may be obtained from Catholic priests.” See St. Leo the Great, “Letter 159,” newadvent.org , http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3604159.htm St. Dionysius the Great: (Note: The heretics mentioned herein were formerly Orthodox who had been given a baptism in the Orthodox Church. Therefore, when they became heretics and then wanted to come back, they were not baptized again because they had already received the true baptism within the Church before they became heretics.) “I received this rule and ordinance from our blessed father, Heraclas. For those who came over from heresies, although they had apostatized from the Church — or rather had not apostatized, but seemed to meet with them, yet were charged with resorting to some false teacher — when he had expelled them from the Church he did not receive them back, though they entreated for it, until they had publicly reported all things which they had heard from their adversaries; but then he received them without requiring of them another baptism. For they had formerly received the Holy Spirit from him... See St. Dionysius the Great as cited in Eusebius, “Church History Book 7 Chapter 7.” St. Basil the Great: “... those who had apostatized from the Church had no longer on them the grace of the Holy Spirit , for it ceased to be imparted when the continuity was broken. The first separatists had received their ordination from the Fathers, and possessed the spiritual gift by the laying on of their hands. But they who were broken off had become laymen , and, because they are no longer able to confer on others that grace of the Holy Spirit from which they themselves are fallen away, they had no authority either to baptize or to ordain. And therefore those who were from time to time baptized by them, were ordered, as though baptized by laymen , to come to the church to be purified by the Church's true baptism . N evertheless, since it has seemed to some of those of Asia that, for the sake of management of the majority, their baptism should be accepted, let it be accepted. ” See St. Basil the Great, Canon 1 of “Letter 188,” newadvent.org , CHURCH FATHERS: Letter 188 (St. Basil) (newadvent.org) 1 1 Acceptance does not entail recognizing grace in heretical so-called Mysteries because there is no grace to recognize. “The canon speaks of accepting, not recognizing, the baptism of the schismatic. There is a significant difference. The first, acceptance, is used in the context of the return of particular persons in repentance, that is, with respect to pastoral management of their salvation. The second, recognition, as employed by Metropolitan Chrysostom and Professor Tsompanides, is used in relation to schismatic and heretical groups as such, that is, with respect to ecclesiology.42 In the first instance, the context is the acceptance of a returning heretic, whereas in the second instance the context is the recognition of the baptism of the heterodox group per se. Hence, the phrase “‘kat’oikonomian’ recognition of the ‘reality’ and ‘validity’ of baptism” is an unacceptable and misleading mixture of pastoral theology with ecclesiology. There is no such thing as “‘kat’oikonomian’ recognition” of baptism, only “‘kat’oikonomian’ acceptance. The phrase is also shown to be foreign to the patristic mind insomuch as it refers to St. Athanasius the Great : “For not he who simply says, 'O Lord,' gives Baptism; but he who with the Name has also the right Faith. On this account therefore our Saviour also did not simply command to baptize, but first says, 'Teach;' then thus: 'Baptize into the Name of Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost;' that the right Faith might follow upon learning, and together with faith might come the consecration of Baptism... There are many other heresies too, which use the words only, but not in a right sense, as I have said, nor with sound faith, and in consequence the water which they administer is unprofitable...” See St. Athanasius the Great, “Discourse II Against the Arians,” newadvent.org , http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/28162.htm Augustine of Hippo: See “On Baptism, Against the Donatists (Book IV),” newadvent.org , http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/14084.htm St. Cyril of Jerusalem: “The washing (of baptism) is not received two or three times. In such a case it might be said, 'Failing once, I will do it successfully a second time.' But if you fail the first time, there is no making it right. 'For there is one Lord, and one faith, and one baptism' (Eph 4.5). For only heretics are re-baptized, since their former baptism was not really baptism.” See St. Cyril of Jerusalem, “ On the One Baptism and the Baptism of Heretics, from the Procatechesis,” The Patristic View of the Baptism of Heretics | Orthodox Ethos St. John Chrysostom: “Shall it be said, ‘Their faith is the same, they are orthodox as well as we’? If so, why then are they not with us? There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism . If their cause is right, then is ours wrong; if ours is right, then theirs is wrong. “ Children,” says he, “ tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind.” Tell me, do you think this is enough, to say that they are orthodox? Is then the ordination of clergy past and done away? And what is the advantage of other things, if this be not strictly observed? For as we must needs contend for the faith; so must we for this also. For if it is lawful for any one, according to the phrase of them of old, to fill his hands, and to become a priest, let all approach to minister. In vain has this altar recognition of the “reality” and “validity” of heretical baptism, that is, recognition per se. In the canons of the Church you will not find heretical baptism referred to in this manner. For example, in his 47th canon,43 Saint Basil attributes the practice of Rome in accepting certain heretics without baptism to some need for oikonomia (ο ἰ κονομίας τιν ὸ ς ἕ νεκα), but nonetheless insists on baptism, despite the fact that they baptised in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. By at once allowing for oikonomia and yet calling for baptism the Saint excludes the possibility of recognizing the baptism of schismatics and heretics per se. When, in later synodical decisions or patristic texts, during the second millennium, Latin baptisms are referred to as valid this – properly speaking - is referring to whether or not the form or τύπος of baptism, namely three-fold immersion, had been retained.44 The purpose of recognizing a baptism as “valid,” that is, in the case of the Latins, as done by immersion, was to determine if the presuppositions for oikonomia existed, not to recognize it per se.45 In exercising economy the Church does not recognize the “reality” of heretical ministrations,46 but only examines its validity in the sense of retaining the apostolic form.47 Therefore, there is no basis, and it is once again misleading and a departure from the Orthodox phronema, to speak of recognition of the “reality” and “validity” of heretical baptism. If there is talk of “recognition” of the ministrations of heretics it is only in the sense of it being validly, i.e. properly, carried out in the apostolic manner. This is for the purpose of determining the possibility – not the necessity – of reception by oikonomia, as is clear in St. Basil’s 1st and 47th canons...Oikonomia does not equal recognition of mysteries per se.” See Fr. Peter Heers, “The Recognition of the Baptism of the Heterodox as the Basis for a New Ecclesiology,” academia.edu , 11-13, (5) (PDF) The Recognition of the Baptism of the Heterodox as the Basis for a New Ecclesiology (In Step with Vatican II) | Fr. Peter Heers D.Th. - Academia.edu been raised, in vain the fullness of the Church, in vain the number of the priests. Let us take them away and destroy them. God forbid! you will say. You are doing these things, and do ye say, “ God forbid” ? How say ye, “ God forbid,” when the very things are taking place? I speak and testify, not looking to my own interest, but to your salvation. But if any one be indifferent, he must see to it himself: if these things are a care to no one else, yet are they a care to me. I planted, says he, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6 How shall we bear the ridicule of the Greeks? For if they reproach us on account of our heresies, what will they not say of these things? If they have the same doctrines, if the same mysteries, wherefore does a ruler in one Church invade another? See ye, say they, how all things among the Christians are full of vainglory? And there is an ambition among them, and hypocrisy. Strip them, say they, of their numbers, and they are nothing. Cut out the disease, the corrupt multitude. Would you have me tell what they say of our city, how they accuse us on the score of our easy compliances? Any one , say they, t hat chooses may find followers, and would never be at a loss for them . Oh, what a sneer is that, what a disgrace are these things!... Therefore I assert and protest, that to make a schism in the Church is no less an evil than to fall into heresy. Tell me, suppose a subject of some king, though he did not join himself to another king, nor give himself to any other, yet should take and keep hold of his king's royal purple, and should tear it all from its clasp, and rend it into many shreds; would he suffer less punishment than those who join themselves to the service of another? And what, if withal he were to seize the king himself by the throat and slay him, and tear his body limb from limb, what punishment could he undergo, that should be equal to his deserts? Now if in doing this toward a king, his fellow-servant, he would be committing an act too great for any punishment to reach; of what hell shall not he be worthy who slays Christ, and plucks Him limb from limb? Of that one which is threatened? No, I think not, but of another far more dreadful.” See St. John Chrysostom, “Homily 11 on Ephesians,” newadvent.org , http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/230111.htm Ibid., Homily 85 on Gospel of John: “With this too an ineffable mystery was accomplished. For ‘ there came forth water and blood ’ [Jn. 19:35]. Not without a purpose, or by chance, did those founts come forth, but because by means of these two together the Church consists. And the initiated know it, being by water indeed regenerate, and nourished by the Blood and the Flesh. Hence the Mysteries take their beginning; that when you approach to that awful cup, you may so approach, as drinking from the very side.” See St. John Chrysostom, “Homily 85 on the Gospel of John,” newadvent.org , CHURCH FATHERS: Homily 85 on the Gospel of John (Chrysostom) (newadvent.org) St. Maximos the Confessor: (Speaking of the Monothelite heretics who initially were Orthodox Christians): “They have repeatedly excommunicated themselves from the Church and are completely unstable in the faith. Additionally, they have been cut off and stripped of priesthood by the local council held at Rome. What Mysteries, then, can they perform? And what spirit descends on those whom they ordain?” See “The Life of Our Holy Monastic Father Maximus the Confessor and Martyr,” in The Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints January, February vol. 3, 380. St. Theodore the Studite: “To receive Communion from a heretic or one who evidently corrupts it before a strange god makes one familiar with the Devil.” (Moreover, the saint says that the bread used for the Eucharist by heretics “is not the Body of Christ”, and rather than granting remission of sins and eternal life it “darkens the body and soul of those who partake.”) See St. Theodore the Studite as cited in St. Justin Popovich, Orthodox Faith & Life in Christ , trans. Asterios Gerostergios, 1st edition (Belmont, Mass: Inst for Byzantine & Modern Greek, 1994), 173–176. St. Theophan the Recluse: “Learn then, and believe deeply that Divine Grace is offered and received in no other way than through the Divine Mysteries that are performed by the Apostles and their successors, as the Lord Himself ordained in the Church.” See Preaching Another Christ: An Orthodox View of Evangelicalism (pp. 26-28) as cited in “St. Theophan on the Holy Mysteries,” classicalchristianity.com , https://classicalchristianity.com/category/bysaint/sttheophantherecluse18151894/?__cf_chl_jschl _tk__=2c8703aa534d04c6feacebaae55ab88737751678-1599423978-0-AZ_Pw3ZbsWx89y5ek5 Dz87sIT9z28Nv0JNpYZgx977EZSDZVuUOsd7wmlj-_vIjze6e6JfPc6OFjaOvbBNzvbF7yBtr1c AGO4WUn0zF72rP8Cce2_pxK_A2hJPVVRZewMsNN2fSsR_L5BkEko_kX8sY32NnKw4RCJ v7A1DXPDfTj1rP7AWolW7M_6YWpOeAW3tJQRA0zKY8VA4JU5K28V2OM_nEGoRldWx Ac0KC7-8tdl3LOn5mEUW9xi5FhYFJPSxP98ntTzqZeIXhTcmdxFQ5x3_yNo78bFBK0a--RRjz -ZydlFg6LtCFgryuHlfqi2jRr5_h5poqif7V0IdQqvDo St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite : See his commentaries in The Rudder (Pedalion) of the Metaphorical Ship of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of the Orthodox Christians, or All the Sacred and Divine Canons , 67-76. St. Justin Popovich: “The Church, the Body of the God-man Christ... she is the only source and the content of all divine Sacraments. Outside of this theanthropic and inclusive Mystery of the Church, the Pan Mystery itself, there are no and cannot be any “mysteries”; therefore, there can be no inter-communion of Mysteries. Consequently, we can only speak about Mysteries within the context of this unique Pan-Mystery which is the Church. This is because he Orthodox Church, as the Body of Christ, is the source and the foundation of the Sacraments and not the other way around. The Mysteries, or Sacraments, cannot be elevated above the Church, or examined outside the Body of the Church. Because of this... the Orthodox Church does not recognize the existence of other mysteries or sacraments outside of itself, neither does it recognize them as mysteries, and one cannot receive the sacraments until one comes away from the heretical “Churches”, that is to say the pseudo-Churches, through repentance to the Orthodox Church of Christ. Until then one remains outside the Church... [and] a heretic and consequently outside of the saving communion.” See Popovich, Orthodox Faith & Life in Christ , 173–76. St. Nikolai Velimirovich : See https://frted.wordpress.com/2014/11/02/the-church-as-the-ark-of-salvation/ St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia: “The Church is without beginning, without end and eternal, just as the Triune God, Her founder, is without beginning, without end and eternal. She is uncreated just as God is uncreated. She existed before the ages, before the angels, before the creation of the world - before the foundation of the world as the Apostle Paul says. She is a divine institution and in her dwells the whole fullness of divinity . She is an expression of the richly varied wisdom of God. She is the mystery of mysteries. She was concealed and was revealed in the last times . The Church remains unshaken because She is rooted in the love and wise providence of God. The three Persons of the Holy Trinity constitute the eternal Church. The angels and human beings existed in the thought and love of the Triune God from the beginning. We human beings were not born now, we existed before the ages in God’s omniscience... The love of God created us in His image and likeness... [but] we made poor use of our freedom and lost our original beauty, our original righteousness and cut ourselves off from the Church. Outside the Church, far from the Holy Trinity, we lost Paradise, everything. But outside the Church there is no salvation, there is no life...When we live in the Church we live in Christ... The head of the Church is Christ and we humans, we Christians, are the body... The Church and Christ are one... Without Christ the Church does not exist. Christ is the Bridegroom; each individual soul is the Bride... In the Church which possesses the saving sacraments there is no despair... We need to take care also to observe the formal aspects: to participate in the sacraments, especially the sacrament of Holy Communion. It is in these things that Orthodoxy is to be found. Christ offers Himself to the Church in the sacraments and above all in Holy Communion... Our religion is the religion of religions. It is from revelation, the authentic and true religion. The other religions are human, hollow.” See St. Porphyrios, Wounded by Love: The Life and the Wisdom of Saint Porphyrios , trans. John Raffan, ed. The Sisters of the Holy Convent of Chrysopigi (Limini, Evia, Greece: Denise Harvey, 2018), 87-94. St. Paisios the Athonite: “ The baptism that the heretics perform only passes over their skin.” See St. Paisios quoted in “Introduction to Apostle of Zaire,” orthodoxinfo.com , Introduction to Apostle to Zaire: The Life and Legacy of Blessed Father Cosmas of Grigoriou (orthodoxinfo.com) About St. Paisios’ stance on Heterodox “mysteries” and Ecumenism: “He particularly respected the Ecumenical throne. He recognized its pan-orthodox mission and understood the difficult position it was in. He prayed a lot and publicly defended it during many instances. As a mouthpiece we witnessed the Elder to be a strong fighter against the heretics. On matters of faith he was precise and uncompromising. He had a great Orthodox sensitivity and for this he would not accept common prayers and communion with non Orthodox persons. He would stress: "For us to pray together with somebody, we must agree on the faith". He would break his relationship or avoid meeting clerics who participated in common prayers with the heterodox. The "mysteries" of the heterodox he would not recognize and he would advise that those who were coming over to the Orthodox Church be properly catechized before baptism . He fought intensely against ecumenism and would talk about the greatness and uniqueness of Orthodoxy, information which derived from his heart that was full of divine grace. His life indicated the superiority of Orthodoxy. For a period he stopped, together with almost the rest of the Holy Mountain, to commemorate the patriarch Athenagoras for his dangerous openings to the Roman Catholics. But he would do so with anguish. "I pray" he would say to someone, "so that God cut some days off my life and give them to the patriarch Athenagoras to complete his repentance". About the Anti-chalcedonians (monophysites) he would say: "They do not say that they did not understand the Holy Fathers but that the Holy Fathers did not understand them. Namely, as if they are right and were misunderstood". He characterized as blasphemy against the Holy Fathers the proposed cleansing of the Liturical books from the characterizations of the heretics Dioscorus and Sevirus. He said "So many Holy Fathers who had divine illumination and were their contemporaries, did not understand them but misunderstood them, and here we come so many centuries later to correct the Holy Fathers? Why don't they even consider the miracle of Saint Euphimia? Is it possible that even she had misunderstood the book of the heretics?" Without seeking to appear as confessor, with his ways, he would react, talk and write to ecclesiastic people. "The church" he would say "is not a boat of every bishop to do what he pleases". His reactions were followed by a lot of prayer and love for the Church but also for those who deviated and by assumed apathy, distinction and greater elightenment.” See Hieromonk Isaac, Life of Elder Paisios the Agiorite, Holy Mountain 2004, p. 690-691 as cited here: Elder Paisios the Agiorite on Ecumenism (impantokratoros.gr) St. Hilarion Troitsky: “Christ gave a sign by which it is possible to recognize His disciples. This sign is not Christian teaching, not even the sacraments, but only love. Thus, He told His followers, "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). The Mysteries will not save if the one receiving them has no love. The Apostle says: "If I know all the mysteries (sacraments) and do not possess love, I am nothing." Even Caiaphas prophesied, but he was condemned. The act of separation from the Church is itself the greatest sin, which proves that schismatics do not have love. One who is reborn in baptism, but does not unite with the Church receives no benefit from baptism because he possesses no love; baptism can be beneficial for him only when he unites with the Church. The Grace of baptism cannot cleanse from sin one who does not belong to the Church; its actions are as if paralyzed by the obstinacy of a schismatic heart in the evil of schism. Since one who is baptized outside the Church displays his sinfulness and the absence of love in him immediately after baptism by entering into the darkness of schism, the sins quickly return upon him. The fact that forgiven sins return if there is no brotherly love is clearly pointed out by the Lord when He spoke of the servant whom the master forgave ten thousand talents. When this same servant did not take pity upon his fellow who owed him only one hundred dinars, the master demanded the payment of all that was owed him. Just as this servant had received forgiveness of the debt for a time, so one who is baptized outside the Church is also freed from his sins for a time. Since, however, he remains outside the Church even after baptism, all the sins through love, unites with the Church. Schismatics are deprived of the hope of salvation not only because their baptism is invalid, but also because they are outside the Church and in enmity with it. The Grace of the Holy Spirit can be received and preserved only by one who is united in love with the Church. He who has separated from the Church does not have love. He who does not love the unity of the Church does not have God's love, it is in vain that he declares that he has the love of Christ. Love can be preserved only in the refusal to separate from the Church; he who separates from the Church does not possess the Holy Spirit, just as a severed member of the body does not possess the spirit of life, even though it preserves its former identity for some time. Thus, while all those who have separated from the Church oppose it, they cannot be good; although their behavior might appear to be praiseworthy - the very fact of their separation from the Church makes them evil... Outside the Church it is impossible to preserve love, because it is impossible to receive the Holy Spirit.” See Hilarion Troitsky, “Christianity or the Church?.” Apostolic Canons (‘AC’) 46 : “We ordain that a bishop, or presbyter who has admitted the baptism or sacrifice of heretics, be deposed. For what concord hath Christ with Beliar, or what part hath a believer with an infidel?” AC 47: “Let a bishop or presbyter who shall baptize again one who has rightly received Baptism, or who shall not baptize one who has been polluted by the ungodly, be deposed, as despising the Cross and death of the Lord, and not making a distinction between the true priests and the false.” AC 68: “If any bishop, presbyter, or deacon shall receive from anyone a second ordination, let both the ordained and the ordainer be deposed, unless indeed it be proved that he had his ordination from heretics; for those who have been baptized or ordained by such persons cannot be either of the faithful or of the clergy.” Apostolic Constitutions: “Be likewise contented with one baptism alone, that which is into the death of the Lord; not that which is conferred by wicked heretics , but that which is conferred by unblameable priests , in the name of the Father , and of the Son , and of the Holy Ghost : Matthew 28:19 and let not that which comes from the ungodly be received by you, nor let that which is done by the godly be disannulled by a second. For as there is one God , one Christ, and one Comforter, and one death of the Lord in the body, so let that baptism which is unto Him be but one. But those that receive polluted baptism from