“A Holy Father is, first, a member of the Orthodox Church and a saint–that is, a baptized believer, known for the holiness and great virtue of his life, who is now in heaven with Christ. Secondly, a Holy Father is one who teaches the Faith and is an explainer of Holy Scripture. He gives witness to it by both his life and writings, enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit…he is chosen by God and revealed to the consciousness of the whole Body of Christ as one who has spoken truthfully about divine things. Finally, his words must reflect the teachings of Holy Scripture and the Apostles; he may not teach things contrary to what has always been believed and taught in the Church; he must faithfully hand down what he has received.”
(Fr. Alexey Young, Orthodox Word Vol 1 #4)

Processed by: Helicon Filter;