In 1971 there were only two Greek Old Calendar Synods, one under Abp Auxentius of Athens who had been consecrated by ROCOR, and the other under Abp Andrew of the “Matthewites”. ROCOR attempted to unite the two Greek Old Calendarist Synods by entering into communion with both, hoping to form one large united Synod that stood up for traditional Orthodoxy and was opposed to syncretistic Ecumenism (this was when Patriarch Athenagoras was still the Ecumenical Patriarch, a bishop who has probably been unmatched in terms of ecumenical excess and Branch Theory advocacy). I indicated that ROCOR’s unwillingness to accept the cacadox and false ecclesiology of the Old Calendarists (which they adopted in 1935 when the three bishops left the Church of Greece and condemned the Church of Greece as schismatic and without grace because of the New Calendar) was the main reason why this attempted union failed. This cacadox ecclesiology was what caused the divisions among the Old Calendarists in the first place. In 1971, when the Matthewites entered into communion with ROCOR with the assumption that ROCOR agreed with their cacadox ecclesiology, the Matthewite Synod tried without success to persuade ROCOR to submit to them a signed letter stating that New Calendar churches are without grace. ROCOR refused to make such a statement, and finally in 1974 the ROCOR Synod wrote the following to the Matthewite hierarchy:
“Concerning the matter relative to the presence or the non-existence of God’s Grace among the followers of the New Calendar, the Russian Church Outside of Russia does not consider themselves or any other local Church having the authority to take final decision, as a final settlement of this matter can only be effected through a properly convened competent Ecumenical Council, with the indispensable participation of a free Church of Russia.” (Sept 22, 1974).
ROCOR clearly stated here that neither the Old Calendarists in Greece, nor ROCOR, nor any other local Church, had the authority to declare a local church to be without grace. Only and Ecumenical (or Pan-Orthodox) Council had the authority to make such a declaration about a local church.
Communion between ROCOR and the “Matthewites” was formally established in 1971, but both sides agreed to this union with certain conditions, conditions which neither side fulfilled. It is hard to determine to what extent there ever was real communion between the two Synods.
Regarding communion between ROCOR and the other Greek Old Calendar Synod under Abp Auxentius, this fell apart quickly too, but mostly over canonical issues and the instability and inexplicability of Abp Auxentius’ actions (for which he was eventually deposed by his own Synod). When Abp Auxentius received a ROCOR priest without a canonical release, baptized him, ordained him again, and consecrated him as a bishop in 1976, this event shocked ROCOR and is usually cited as the date when a final break occurred between the two Synods, though I’m not sure to what extent the two Synods ever really were in communion (I’m not denying that there was intercommunion, concelebrations, etc., I just honestly do not have a good handle on the extent of communion beyond a letter stating formal recognition).
Since Abp Auxentius was consecrated by ROCOR, and ROCOR didn’t hold to the false ecclesiology that the New Calendar deprives one of sacramental grace, Abp Auxentius’ Synod didn’t push this false ecclesiology on ROCOR. Somewhat ironically, Metropolitan Petros (the granduncle of your Metropolitan Pavlos and the founder of St. Markella’s in Astoria) was kicked out of the Old Calendarist Synod of Abp Auxentius in 1974 specifically because Met Petros refused to accept the false ecclesiology that claimed churches lose sacramental grace by adopting the New Calendar. The reason why Met Petros refused to adopt this false ecclesiology is because he was originally made a bishop in America by ROCOR, and since ROCOR stated in 1974 that they could not declare anyone to be without grace for adopting the New Calendar, Met Petros insisted on remaining obedient to ROCOR’s decision on this matter. In his own words, Met Petros wrote the following to the ROCOR Synod on August 29, 1976:
“I’m astonished, because as a result of my following the instructions in that paragraph of my ordination letter-document, that I received from your Holy Synod, in which you were good enough to say, “In your questions and doubts it is your obligation that you seek consultation from his Eminence Metropolitan Philaret,” which I proceeded to do, because of the problem aroused from the senseless theme which was created on the part of His Beatitude President Auxentios, and from some of the High-Priests of the Old Calendarist Synod of Greece.
“What was the theme? “New Calendarists do not have grace of Holy Spirit, simply because they follow the New Calendar.” The question of this matter was placed on my behalf in front of the Great Sobor of the Russian Church under the presidency of Metropolitan Philaret in September of 1974. The Holy Synod kindly answered on the matter (attached to this letter you will find copies of all the documents relating to this matter, which I humbly present and piously ask that you study carefully).
“Brothers in Christ, it is due to your Holy Decision that I did not sign the in all-ways faulty, uncanonical, and dangerous encyclical of the Old Calendarist Church of Greece, which proclaimed New Calendar Mysteries as invalid. This encyclical was deplored by all the well-minded clergymen and laymen of the Church. Lastly the Russian Orthodox Synod answered in good faith to the problem. I adhered to the Synod's answer, and because of this adherence, I was rejected from the Hellenic Synod, and would not be accepted again until I did sign this spiritually ill document.
“…Let it be also known that all Hellenic Orthodox Churches, including the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Archdiocese of Mount Sinai (who follow the Old Style), have condemned the decision of Archbishop Auxentios, who proclaimed New Calendarist Mys¬teries as void of Grace.”
Metropolitan Petros protested the cacadox ecclesiology of today’s Old Calendarists because Met Chrysostom of Florina also rejected this ecclesiology as cacadox, uncanonical, and both Protestantizing and Latinizing. Metropolitan Petros was ordained in 1944 by Met Chryostom of Florina, when Met Chrysostom was claiming to still be part of the Church of Greece and was protesting far and wide against the false ecclesiology which today’s Old Calendarists have all officially adopted (except for the “Synod in Resistance”, but they have other issues and were not in existence in the early 1970s when ROCOR was trying to unite the other Greek Old Calendar Synods). In any case, this false ecclesiology, which Met Chrysostom of Florina, the whole ROCOR Synod, and Met Petros of Astoria rejected, is the cause of all of the problems among the Old Calendarists, and it is the reason why the return of the Church of Greece to the Old Calendar, or any reconciliation between the Old Calendarists and the rest of the Orthodox Church, has been impossible.
You said:
also you can talk to just about any older person at St Markella's that relations between ROCOR and the GOC did not end in the 1970s.
St. Markella’s and Metropolitan Petros are special cases. Met Petros established St. Markella’s, but the Cathedral and Met Petros spent time with the Greek Old Calendarists as well as the Metropolia (today the OCA), the Moscow Patriarchate, and ROCOR. It was ROCOR that consecrated Met Petros a bishop in 1962 and Met Petros remained close to ROCOR, and sought to be obedient to ROCOR, since that time despite his questionable and rather fluid Synodal affiliations over the years. Only recently under Met Petros’ grandnephew and successor, Met. Pavlos, did St. Markella’s attempt to put a stop to communing “New Calendarists”, and only recently did Met. Pavlos and St. Markella’s adopt the false ecclesiological principle of “New Calendar = no grace”. I bring this up only to say that St. Markella’s, because of its unusual history, its long historical connection with ROCOR, and its various allegiances over the years, is probably not the best place to go seeking anecdotal information from long-time members about intercommunion between the Old Calendarists and ROCOR. Long-time members of St. Markella’s may have many memories of concelebration and intercommunion between Met Petros and ROCOR hierarchs and clergy, but it could be a challenge to determine what Met Petros’ actual affiliation was at the time of such events, or to what extent these relations are indicative of ROCOR’s relations with the Old Calendarists in general.
You said:
But you go ahead and keep telling yourself that membership of the WCC represents ROCOR's "uncompromising" stance in upholding the tradition of the Church.
ROCOR is an autonomous church under the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and does not participate in the World Council of Churches (WCC). Membership in the WCC was a major issue that was discussed in the reconciliation process between the MP and ROCOR. The MP expressed that they do not believe it would be wise for them to withdraw from the WCC at this time because the Ecumenical Patriarchate would then be left unchecked. Understandably, the MP is not comfortable with the EP representing Orthodoxy to the non-Orthodox. Since almost all of the ecumenical excesses and scandalous ecumenical gestures over the years have come from the EP, I’m sure you can understand the MP’s concern. While ROCOR was pushing the MP to withdraw completely from the WCC, they did come to see the “necessary evil” of the MP’s current involvement. For ROCOR, the clear rejection of the Branch Theory by the MP in 2000, and the MPs subsequent ban on joint prayers with the non-Orthodox, has convinced them that the MP shares the same essential ecclesiology.
http://www.genuineorthodoxchurch.com/GOC_ROCOR_feb1976.htm