Do you hear this, Antony Bulatovich?.. Or will you call these lines of mine hypocrisy and "be horrified with great horror", as it was – if only – when reading my "kind word to the Imeslavites"?..

I dare to think that all the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church will subscribe to these lines of mine, at least – their very meaning, the very essence of my desires, will undoubtedly be shared by all to a single one! The simple people of Kiev feel in their hearts the immutable truth that salvation is possible only in unity with the Church; they are only unable to make sense of the confusion of concepts which the leaders of the heretical movement have brought into their souls, and they are afraid lest they betray the imaginary truth. In any case, one can think that if you, Fr. Anthony Bulatovich, who, as they say, is building some kind of shelter for his like-minded people on his estate, offer them to settle in this shelter in order to "legalize themselves" as a special sect, then they will reject your proposal, as they rejected the proposal of the eminent count: in this respect, these simpletons stand much higher than you. although you think you are more enlightened than they are! And we hope that they will sooner reconcile themselves with matter, the Church, and reject your false teaching, which she has condemned...

ARE WE ALIVE?

(My kind word to the believing intellectuals)

I often hear from believers, and I myself repeat: it is a difficult time! Faith is extinguished in hearts, evil is approaching from everywhere, but there is no rebuff to it, life is hard!

All this is an indisputable truth. But, after all, it is necessary to look for the cause of this difficult situation. In fact, is it really so hopeless that one can only fold one's hands in despair and await common destruction?

One of the many reasons, although perhaps not the main one, I would like to point out... I only ask you to listen to me without any prejudice: after all, I will talk to people who believe, and whoever does not believe in God, do not read these lines.

After my return from Athos, I was bombarded with questions from all sides: what? how? why?..

I answer: wait a little, do not be in a hurry: I will publish my report to the Holy Synod and you will find out what is going on; only, for God's sake, do not believe the newspapers: there are so many lies, slander, distortions of facts and the whole affair in them that it is difficult for you to understand.

My report appeared. Whoever read it calmed down, if only he believed me, did not consider me a liar. Others, it is true, still expressed perplexities, but they did not concern the essence of the matter, but the attitude of our press to it. But that's another question...

But the majority of the intelligentsia (again, I am speaking only of believers) do not yet know about the existence of my report and continue, relying on old newspaper gossip, to interrogate me: what were you doing there? What does our embassy do?..

"Have you read my report?"

"Where?" What report?

— The "Church. Ved.", "Mosk. Ved.", "The Bell", in my "Trinity Word", in all 60 "Diocesan Bulletins", in some patriotic newspapers that honestly relate to questions of church life.