“The significance of the Catacomb Church does not lie in its correctness; it lies in its preservation of the true spirit of Orthodoxy, the spirit of freedom in Christ. Sergianism was not merely wrong in its choice of church policy, it was something far worse: it was a betrayal of Christ based on agreement with the spirit of this world. It is the inevitable result when church policy is guided by earthly logic and not by the mind of Christ.” -Fr. Seraphim Rose

This Introduction briefly summarizes the struggles and triumphs of the true Orthodox Christians of 20th century Russia under the Soviet yoke. Quoting at length the words of I. M. Andreyev, a professor of theology and confessor who was actively part of the events of 1927 in Russia and suffered in the Solovki concentration camp, Fr. Seraphim Rose brings to the English-speaking world original accounts of the lives of the New Martyrs, as well as analysis on the spiritual dynamics of Sergianism and true obedience to Christ. The blood of the Catacomb Martyrs, though spilt years ago, remains an eternal testimony for us who seek freedom from lies and deception, and struggle for life in Christ. There is still much to learn from the New Martyrs and Confessors, much that helps us remain faithful to Christ in a world that increasingly seeks to subvert the Orthodox Faith.

Russia's Catacomb Saints is not currently in print, and it's unknown if it will be in print again. The entire book is available as a PDF here: [ Ссылка ]

For a contemporary analysis of the Church of 20th century Russia, and what we can learn from their witness for our times, see Fr. Peter Heers’ 10-week course beginning May 25, 2021; Lecture on Tuesdays / Q&A on Thursdays (via Patreon):
youtube.com/OrthodoxEthos
patreon.com/frpeterheers

This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

свернуть