Archbishop Kyrill: California's new laws "recall the era of godless persecutions in the USSR"

Open Letter to The Honourable Gavin Newsom, Governor of California

from His Eminence Kyrill Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America

in light of the decree issued by the Governor of California that forbids choral singing in churches

Your Excellency,

I hereby express my protest against the recent prohibition of liturgical singing in houses of worship, which is an infringement of the rights and religious freedoms of the clergy and faithful of the Western American Diocese of the Russian Diaspora, the other Local Orthodox Churches, performing their ministry in this state, as well as other religious bodies.

During the years of Soviet rule, when the Russian Orthodox Church was subjected to persecution, Russian émigrés and their descendants comprising the Russia Church Abroad, came to the United States of America and other countries overseas, in order to freely confess their Orthodox Faith, to freely perform Divine Services, to observe the feast days, fasts and all the customs established by the Orthodox Church. In this manner, they followed the example of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, who sought the possibility of freely confessing their faith.

From the very beginning of the current global outbreak of the coronavirus the clergy and faithful of our Diocese, desiring to preserve the health of the population and stop the spread of the coronavirus, and respecting those in power, rigorously strove to adhere to all the standard norms and restrictions introduced by local health authorities. Even though they were deprived of the reverent Divine Services of Great Lent and the joyous celebration of the Triumph of the Holy Resurrection, our parishioners were sympathetic to our directives, attending our churches “virtually.” However, we now observe a contradiction in that mass protests take place everywhere, at which absolutely all precautions are violated with impunity. Yet, liturgical singing performed during the Divine Services and while observing all of the rules, is forbidden. This is open discrimination, hypocrisy and the infringement of our religious rights, prompting us to recall the era of godless persecutions in the USSR.

Nonetheless, we will continue to pray with gratitude “for this land, its authorities and armed forces,” and “for this city, every city and country and all who in faith dwell therein.” Yet, at the same time, we will defend the rights of our clergy and our parishioners who possess full citizenship in the United States of America.

+KYRILL

Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America
Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad

July 2020

Friends, the stakes cannot be any higher. If Newsom does NOT answer, and revoke the unjust laws, then it means he concedes guilt. What we are seeing, under a false pretext of "saving lives" and "health" (remember these same people who claim to love life fanatically promote abortion) is really a sleight of hand undertaking to muzzle, drive into penury, and silence Christians. Pray for the Archbishop, pray for his faithful, pray for the repentance and conversion of the persecutors. Would that a Catholic bishop have the courage of Archbishop Kyrill. Alas, it is not to be. 

If your bishop or archbishop is under similar totalitarian orders and he has acquiesced, then pray for him to attain the courage to stand up and reclaim the rights of the Church and the faithful to worship God. 

Here in the Archdiocese of Toronto, a vicious persecution is underway (as in California singing has been "banned"). Readers from the United States and further afoot need to be aware that both the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church (perhaps because the Premier of Ontario is a personal friend of the Archbishop?) have been threatened and persecuted by Mayor John Tory (in America he would be a leftist Democrat Mayor, just so you know what we have here) and his hard-left dominated Council and the politicized, hard-left Toronto Board of Health (which controls Toronto Public Health). These entities operate under the control of City Council. 

It is interesting to note that Catholic school Trustee Ida Li Preti sits on this Board of Health, as recommended in a letter to John Tory (dated December 7, 2018) from the then Chairwoman Maria Rizzo of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Li Preti and Rizzo both are known to openly dissent against Catholic moral teachings, and could be described as politically belonging to the hard-left. Other hard-left extremists include Gord Perks, Joe Cressy, Mike Layton, and Kristyn Wong-Tam. Li Preti is perfect fit with these people. 

Li Preti's humble "bio" in which she not afraid to confess publicly her Catholic Faith 

These are the people that Cardinal Collins has surrendered to. But all is not lost, I am aware that other Christians, both those in full communion with the See of Peter, and those in Eastern Orthodox churches have had the courage NOT  to acquiesce to these ungodly demands. 

I am also aware that many separated brethren of  the protestant communities have also refused to bow to Caesar's unjust demands. May God bless them for their bravery and righteousness. 

I denounced the unjust and illegitimate actions when they were imposed here in Ontario and Toronto, and I hereby denounce them again. 

Silence is NO longer an option. 

I call upon ALL CATHOLICS to join with our Orthodox brothers and sisters in denouncing and rejecting this attack on the open confession and praise of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

If you remain silent you have united yourself in your treachery to Satan. 

In your ignorance, you have been played as a fool, and handed over your God-given right and DUTY to be in His PRESENCE and to WORSHIP the LIVING GOD. 

Repent if you were fooled and silent. Speak up! However if you continue to remain silent, you have either lost the faith or are well on the way to losing it. You no longer understand and realize that God is truly and substantially present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in our churches in the Blessed Sacrament awaiting our adoration. 

And our bishops: when the State shut our churches, when these same bishops fell over themselves boarding the churches up: did they bless the city with the Blessed Sacrament? Did they, in solemnity, take the Blessed Sacrament about our cities blessing us? 

Or were they in hiding, under their beds, being waited upon by underlings? Friends, God always draws good out of evil: He has exposed these men, He has shown us who the true friends of the faithful are. 

Wake up! Stop slumbering along in your delusions, stop thinking these men are standing up for the Faith before a godless generation. 

Don't be like them! Stop your foolishness, stop hiding under your bed. 

Live your life. Live like a freeman. 

Stop living like a slave. 

Be a Christian.