07-14-2008, 03:52 AM
Incredible letter written by Mr. Warda of Greensboro, S.C., addressed to the former bishop:
Quote:July, 2008
To: Ex-bishop Ashur Soro (<!-- e --><a href="mailto:feedback@marbawai.com">feedback@marbawai.com</a><!-- e -->),
cc: <!-- e --><a href="mailto:info@terrasanta.net">info@terrasanta.net</a><!-- e -->; <!-- e --><a href="mailto:news@catholicna.com">news@catholicna.com</a><!-- e -->; <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.betnahrain.org/bbs">http://www.betnahrain.org/bbs</a><!-- m --> (Bet-Nahrain Forum)
Subject: Perpetual Deception
It is with the greatest disappointment that I am writing this letter to you. Since you continue to make deceptive statements on various websites (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.kaldaya.net/2008/DailyNews/06/June06_08_E1_MARBAWAI.html">http://www.kaldaya.net/2008/DailyNews/0 ... BAWAI.html</a><!-- m --> , <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.theholylandreview.net/holyland/att_det.jsp?wi_number=940&wi_codseq">http://www.theholylandreview.net/holyla ... &wi_codseq</a><!-- m --> , and <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=12844">http://catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=12844</a><!-- m --> ) pertaining to the distraction that you had caused in The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, I find myself as an individual who is a devoted Christian and one who came to love his heritage as an Assyrian through knowledge of continually trying to understand the Holy Liturgy and other prayers that are part of the anthems in my Church, I am compelled to repudiate some of your statements. There are many individuals of various professions and organizations who love this Church and their Assyrian heritage that are on the frontlines to refute your work on an individual basis as well as corporately. This devotion along with prayers and fasting is what you failed to realize in The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East as a formidable force.
First of all, it is wrong for you to call the people who rally around their beloved Church as radicals. You fail to mention in your interviews how members from our Church as well as other Churches along with ordained and laypersons from Australia to India to Middle East to Europe and the Americas rallied around The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East to reject the fraudulent acts you conducted within the Church. I firmly believe, and I suspect many others may have similar thoughts, that by the nature of the distraction that you created would be characterized as antichrist. This was certainly evident by the strategy known as the Group Plan developed by you and, what would appear to be, under the auspices of other individuals who were funding this contemptible plan. I am reminded of the Watergate era and in an effort to reveal the various cover-ups, a statement was made to ???follow the money trail.??? Your activities warranted the question: When you were a Bishop, where would you have received the kind of money to potentially cover the ???stipend or salary??? of any ordained man, unless of course you were under the auspices of other individuals? The clear intention of your Group Plan, although you stated that the five Priests who disclosed your contemptible plan ???took out of context??? your intention (television interview February 7, 2006), was to have Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East succumb to Papal Primacy by way of subverting the hierarchy and thereby splitting the Church. It is my personal belief that you ???took out of context??? the intention of the Church of the East???s view of Full Communion. I could not fathom how a Bishop can bring such harm on the Bride that is well documented and recognized as an Apostolic Church and, through all its persecutions, has maintained the Christian orthodox teachings and the Holiness of God. I would truly be surprised if any good Roman Catholic would find your work righteous. Your ways are certainly not God???s ways and your thoughts are no where near God???s thoughts. You are wrong in calling devoted Christians radicals, yet not admitting your misleading ways.
As it is written in the book of Amos:
11 "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. 12 People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. 13 "In that day "the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst. (Amos 8:11-13)
At a day an age that we live in of various religions that deny the Holy Trinity, anti Christian movements, and distorted views of the Holy Bible, the true Christians and, without a doubt, every man that has been ordained should become an Apologist for Christianity. [But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 1Peter 3:15] However, you covertly became an Apologist for Papal Primacy, no more no less.
For so many years when you were a Bishop, you had the opportunity to develop the Church, it was yours to loose and you lost it. You should meditate on Jesus??? parable in Luke 19:16-27. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back. (Luke 19:13). The ???money??? that you had were the blessing and authority bestowed upon you by the Church of the East. Should Our Lord and Savior return today, I wonder how He would perceive your work? Since you were looking to build up the net worth of the Roman Catholic Church (not necessarily by just adding more members or assets), you had no regard to the temptation and subsequent sin that you brought upon some members of the Church that belong to Christ Jesus. Your tactics of using the concept of Chaldean/Assyrian unity and the Iraq War was a red herring, as evident by your own words that you will not make them Roman Catholic. Concerning your deceptive tactics, it behooves the Roman Catholic community to search the internet and to:
** Listen through translators your own speeches of what you told your flock and compare that with what the legal documents revealed;
** Understand how you attempted to blocked the majority of the faithful from worshiping at certain parishes around Christmas time the birth of this world???s Savior by your attorney posting a ???keep out??? notice and the need for subsequent court intervention on behalf of the faithful to temporally rectify your grave mistake;
** Read how you fraudulently manipulated and took control of the Church properties and subsequently took equity loans that are unbecoming the character of any good citizen, not to mention an ordained man;
** Read your deposition during the law suit that you lost (and were forced to return the properties), in which you attempt to subvert the hierarchy of The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East;
** Read the Summary Judgment (enough evidence against you that a trial was not warranted) by a Superior Court Judge in Santa Clara, CA, whereby, the Judge attest to the hierarchy of The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, that is to say you were properly terminated by our beloved Patriarch and Holy Synod. All your authority as a Bishop was revoked.
I am sure no true brother Christian would want an Administrator or Spiritual Leader to have this kind of a background. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. (Proverbs 3:5). In your pre-consecration oath as Bishop, which was supposed to be symbolic of your faith, you stated that you would ???labor in all faithfulness, obedience and humility for the success of the Holy Church of the East.??? Furthermore, you said ???I will endeavor to be a vigilant and cautious pastor, overseeing the faithful sons and daughters of the diocese which is entrusted to me.??? What truly revealed to me your contempt for our Holy Church of the East is when I read excerpts from your deposition given on July 10, 2007. When asked by our Church???s attorney the question:
???Did you at any time from 2003, when you did the bylaws of St. George or 2004 when you changed the bylaws of Western California - - did you tell the Synod or - - and/or the Patriarch that those properties were - - that the properties held by those corporations were being put beyond the reach of either the Synod or the Patriarch????
Your response was: ???Since I was under no obligation to tell them, I don???t think I did.???
No obligation? The bylaws being changed, ownership of the assets belonging to the Church of the East being changed, et cetera, and you feel you have ???no obligation??? to tell the hierarchy? Truly I ask you, how can you be considered by anybody anymore an Administrator or Spiritual Leader? I dare say that the love that you had for the Christians within your diocese was questionable and you certainly were not faithful to the hierarchy. Indeed, based on your sworn statement during your ordination as Bishop and of what you subsequently did to the Church, you would be considered a traitor (definition: One who betrays one's country, a cause, or a trust, especially one who commits treason).
Holy Order (ordination - Darkha):
It is said that darkha are bestowed upon a person throughout their life even if they are expelled from the college of bishops. Biblically, I do not know the basis of this kind of statement. Based on the Holy Bible however, I do believe that you no longer have darkha. I base my statement on at least three examples:
1st) In the Old Testament, Samson, a Jewish ruler, who was dedicated to God from the womb and even having Parents that saw an Angle of the Lord ascending to heaven, unfortunately became cultural and forgot about God. Delilah was paid by the rulers of the Philistines to deceive Samson. You know the story, but one of the saddest statements in the Bible is at the end of this verse:
20 Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him. (Judges 16:20).
2nd) In the Old Testament, the Prophet Samuel anointed Saul as Israel???s first King. However, Saul was disobedient to God.
1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? (1Samuel 16:1).
3rd) In the New Testament, when our Lord and Savior said to Peter in Matt16:19:
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Also, our Lord stated it to the disciples in Matt 18:18. If we believe in Apostolic Succession, the authority (His Holiness Mar Dinkha and members Holy Synod) that ordained you as a Bishop has also removed you as a Bishop. This is analogous to a couple when they are married; all rights and privileges as a married couple are theirs, on earth and heaven. Once divorced, for the right reasons of course, all rights and privileges as a married couple are revoked, on earth and heaven.
After you were terminated as Bishop, some of your supporters had touted in 2005 that your vision and motive was not to push for any alternative agenda and this was to be conveyed through the internet. At that time, the supporters that you had did not at all believe that your intention was to make them succumb to the authority of the Pope. Publicly, you emphatically denied any such move. Privately however, it is obvious that there was a huge disconnect in motives between you and your followers. The data indicated that they were wrong. Recently, you stated that this endeavor you were on was going for twenty years. [Incidentally, was this 20 year quest originally righteous and then became corrupted? Perhaps the turning point was 1997.] Furthermore, on the one hand you placate the people???s concerns by telling them the liturgy and sacraments will not change, but the only thing that would change is to be under the authority of the Pope. Elsewhere, you are talking about liturgical reform. This is deceptive.
Your Drive For Papal Primacy:
As there is ample biblical evidence to refute the concept of Papal Primacy, I will not dwell too much on that in this letter. I would direct you for starters to read Father Emmanuel Clapsis??? discussion on Papal Primacy (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/apologetics/">http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/apologetics/</a><!-- m -->). I can say from my own investigation and with an open heart to pursue the truth, I do believe that this submission to Papal Primacy is founded more on tradition and differing interpretations of the Holy Scripture rather than on true biblical evidence. The Holy Bible is clear on the leadership role that the Apostle Peter has among the other Apostles, but concerning the primacy of authority of Peter and his successors, Pope Boniface VIII issued his Bull Unam Sanctum (November 8, 1302), in which he discussed the doctrine of the necessity of the Church for salvation and with it the need to submit to the Pope. The Pope stated:
???But this authority, although it is given to man and is exercised by man, is not human, but rather divine, and has been given by the divine Word to Peter himself and to his successors in him, whom the Lord acknowledged an established rock, when he said to Peter himself: Whatsoever you shall bind etc. [Matt. 16:19]. Therefore, whosoever resists this power so ordained by God, resists the order of God [cf. Rom. 13:2] ... Furthermore, we declare, say, define, and proclaim to every human creature that they by necessity for salvation are entirely subject to the Roman Pontiff.??? (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/papal_primacy.htm">http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/papal_primacy.htm</a><!-- m -->)
- First, just like the Church of the East, I do believe that the Roman Catholic Church is also Apostolic. There have been and continue to be true men and women of God within the Roman Catholic Church.
- Second, it is however hard for me to comprehend the audacity of the last sentence in the quotation. There are numerous versus in the Holy Scripture that could refute that statement. For example, in Moses??? discussion with God Almighty on the Glory of the Lord, Exodus 33:19 states:
???And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.???
Ostensibly, we see this in the book of Jonah, ???Salvation comes from the Lord??? (Jonah 2:9). People of Nineveh (who are your ancestors) were gentiles and yet heeded the words that came from a Jewish Prophet and through their prayers and fasting salvation came upon them. Obviously the Assyrians had worshiped God before Judah came about and long before any Pope. Also, in the book of Acts, note the context and think of the analogy of needing to be Roman Catholic, read how the Apostle Peter responds, (Acts 15:5-11):
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses." 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
In other words, Christians do not have to be ???subject to the Roman Pontiff.??? Allow me also to say this on ???Who will be the Greatest.??? An argument ensued among the Disciples on who is the greatest among them; you can read this in the Gospel of Luke 9:46 - 50.
49 "Master," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." 50 "Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
Notice that the Apostle John is saying ???us??? yet our Lord replies ???you.??? In one commentary it is stated that maybe the man had a relationship with Jesus that the Disciples were not aware of. You know full well that the Church of the East is Apostolic and it does not need to be ???subject to the Roman Pontiff.???
As you well know from the Hymn before the Gospel (Turgama d???qam Ewan???ga???leyon), ??????The Apostles planted the garden of spirit throughout the city of Orhai (Edessa); and the sons of Assyria flocked to receive baptism?????? This is part of the Apostolic foundation that occurred well before any Roman Pontiff. The lyrics of this hymn are very much biblical, that is to say, ???The Apostles planted the garden.??? As the Apostle Paul stated:
???I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.??? (1Cor3:6).
In fact, it would behoove you to reread 1Cor 3:1-15. The Apostle Paul discusses the division within the Church, whereby he reprimands the worldly Christians for choosing either Paul or Apollos. You as former Bishop had the opportunity to bring ???infant Christians??? to have a closer relationship through the Holy Spirit to their heavenly Father in order to better understand the mystery of reconciliation to Him through our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. As the Apostle Paul stated:
???9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.??? (Eph3:9-12).
We need faith in Christ Jesus for salvation and no need to be ???subject to the Roman Pontiff.??? It is in fact a staggering thought that this mystery is being made to known through the Church to the Cherubim, Seraphim, Archangels, and others in heavenly realm, as stated in verse 10. As you well know the hymn during The Signation and Fraction (The Breaking and Signation of the Consecration Bread and Wine):
???Bless the Lord, you His Angels. The Cherubim and Seraphim and Archangels in fear and trembling stand before the altar and they look at the Priest breaking and dividing the Body of Christ for the Pardon of debts.???
Before you were terminated as Bishop, many times you stood in the Holy of Holies breaking the Body of Christ as the heavenly realm observed, yet you continued with the Group Plan and thereby deceived your flock, your Brothers in the Holy Synod, and your Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV. Above all, I do believe with all my heart that your actions also grieved the Holy Spirit. How dare you?
- Third, concerning Pope Boniface VIII???s quote ??????Therefore, whosoever resists this power so ordained by God, resists the order of God [cf. Rom. 13:2]?????? The topic in Romans chapter 13:2 should be stated in context. The discussion here is more about civil authority than on being ???subject to the Roman Pontiff.??? In fact Father Emmanuel Clapsis quotes the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) statement of Venice (1976):
???The theological interpretation of this primacy and the administrative structures through which it has been exercised have varied considerably through the centuries. Neither theory nor practice, however, has ever fully reflected these ideals. Sometimes functions assumed by the see of Rome were not necessarily linked to the primacy. Sometimes the conduct of the occupants of this see has been unworthy of his office??????
Due to my Parents, my salvation has come from my baptism in The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East and nurturing me in this Church to develop my faith and love in my Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, not by ???subject to the Roman Pontiff.???
- Fourth, Concerning Pope Boniface VIII???s quote ??????has been given by the divine Word to Peter himself and to his successors in him, whom the Lord acknowledged an established rock, when he said to Peter himself: Whatsoever you shall bind etc. [Matt. 16:19]?????? This is also open to interpretation and not necessarily ???subject to the Roman Pontiff.??? As you well know the verse in 1Peter 5:13:
???She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.???
It is recognized that 1Peter was written during the time of the Emperor Nero, as evident by the persecutions in chapter four and five. Also, using the term Babylon figuratively for Rome would not occur until Revelation was written (A.D.95). Therefore, it is widely accepted since a Babylon existed on the Euphrates, Peter was in Mesopotamia and helped to establish a Church. This is also part of the apostolic foundation for the Church of the East and long before being ???subject to the Roman Pontiff.??? You should ask yourself, how many times you referred to His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV as Peter of our era ( Shimon d???zownan) in your letters and speeches?
Concerning our beloved Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV:
The Church of the East at one time had more members than the Latin and Greek Churches combined. It brought the Gospel to remote areas of Asia. Although its Patriarchs were predominantly Assyrian, they also included Jews, Chinese, Arab, and others. This is indicative of trying to make disciples of all the nations. Unfortunately, over the millennium, the Church of the East has been severely persecuted. Church splits have occurred, but not due to the orthodox teaching. Since His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV became the Patriarch in 1976, I do believe in my heart that he saw that The Church of the East was scattered and hurting. I am reminded of Nehemiah 3:11-17:
11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. 13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. 17 Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace."
Like Nehemiah, I do believe that God placed on the heart of His Holiness to rebuild the wall of the Assyrian Church of the East. The Church of the East was in a new phase. With the Blessing of His Holiness, once again the sons of Assyria flocked wherever they may be to rebuild The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East. Besides going East, The Church of the East is teaching orthodox Christianity at various parts of the globe.
Addison H. Hart, a Roman Catholic Priest , wrote an article in Touchstone Magazine entitled Eastern Lights & Shadows Reflections on Orientale Lumen IV (October 2000). In his article, Father Addison H. Hart reported on your three presentations: First, ???The Ministry of Reconciliation;??? Second, ???The Fire that Unites;??? Third, ???A Bride Seeking Comfort from Her Bridegroom.??? Although your cause intrigued him, he states however:
???I have little expectation that Mar Bawai Soro???s proposal will be taken with the seriousness it merits. The cynical part of my nature wants to say that it is just too sensible. Practically speaking, Catholic and Orthodox history has more than a millennium???s worth of abuses and grievances??????
If Father Addison had seen what you were doing inside your own Church, I would suspect he would find your dubious ways contemptible and just adding to the ???abuses and grievances.???
You and I communicated in the early summer of 2005 and you knew full well my high regard for you at the time. However, I did not know that you were working in the dark on a contemptible plan that I believe is not the will of God. I will add my voice to the many people who have asked you to PLEASE stop these deceptive tactics of your version of ???unification??? and repent. Look at the purification cycle of the earth (rained for forty days and forty nights), of the Jews in the wilderness for 40 years, et cetera. You should contemplate doing the same. At this point and time, you are no longer trusted in any capacity by many Christians within the Assyrian Church of the East. In the true sense of the word, I would not consider you a teacher. Stop the distractions and focus on returning the money that you illegally took from our Church. There are true Christians within our Church who are doing their jobs in nurturing the faithful and to pursue a unity that is not based on the criteria of being ???subject to the Roman Pontiff.???
May the Grace of God be upon all of us.
Edward Warda
Greensboro, NC