Vladika Averki of Jordanville, the author of the above-mentioned article, reposed in 1976 - some time before the lamentable schism you cite as reason to dismiss his sermon.
Although you may not agree with the stand against ecumenism and modernization that the ROCiE has taken, it is indeed the position that was held by the historical Russian Orthodox Church Abroad - as evinced by such documents as the one linked to above, and by the living connections the ROCiE has in their current leader, Metropolitan Vitaly, who was the first and senior hierarch of the Synod Abroad before being ousted by the current Metropolitan Laurus.
But we don't have to delve into politics and history - why should we care about the historical context of this sermon at all? sinjinsmythe found it compelling enough to post it here when he first read it - can anyone present some actual arguments against the sermon, or is this message board only for ad-hominem attacks?
I hope that I haven't introduced myself too harshly - I mean the above as a challenge to deeper thinking and not at all as an assault or flame-bait of some sort.
- Joshua Fraese
Webmaster, St. Vladimir's Russian Orthodox Cathedral
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
http://www.stvladimirs.ca
