Barbara Larin Visits Abp. Elpidophoros in New York

Barbara Larin and Abp. Elpidophoros. Photo: Vassa Larin/Facebook

NEW YORK CITY — Barbara Larin, formerly the nun Vassa, visited His Eminence Abp. Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America on Monday.

For this meeting, she elected to wear monastic garb despite consistently being seen in public in street clothes and even making statements that she doesn't need to "consult a bishop" about wearing monastic clothing "because I am not mentally impaired." 

In a post on her Facebook page, in which she still uses the name "Vassa" Larin, she said:

It was good to see Archbishop Elpidophoros today at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in New York City. He has kind eyes and I’m grateful to him for inviting me today. The staff at the Archdiocese was also helpful and welcoming.

In response to someone commenting to ask Abp. Elpidophoros if he really thinks U.S. President Donald Trump is like Emperor Constantine, and if so, in what ways, Larin replied, "In the usual negative ways, is what he told me." When that same person replied saying they're not sure that is how Trump and his followers perceived the comment, she said, "It’s hard to predict how the uneducated will take references to complicated historical figures that many of them never even heard of."

She attempted to provide even more of an explanation even further down in the comment section, saying:

The part about being reminded of Constantine was only about Constantine being a city-builder. It’s true that Trump is into building stuff.

This past May, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCOR) moved to laicize then-Vassa Larin after a controversial visit to Ukraine in which she was declared "a friend" of the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine's (OCU) autocephaly. Shortly thereafter, Larin announced that she would not accept the discipline and joined the OCU.

Larin is in New York for a presentation at St. Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Shrine Church called "Becoming Disciples of Christ in the Modern Day," which took place Monday evening, and another presentation on Wednesday evening at Fordham University. Sponsored by the school's Orthodox Christian Studies Center, the lecture is titled, "Reclaiming 'Orthodoxy': Clarifying Our Ecclesial Vocabulary." 

The lecture is being advertised in this way:

Presented by Sr. Vassa Larin, professor of practical theology at the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy and host of the "Coffee with Sister Vassa" online catechetical programs.

Fordham and Public Orthodoxy have built a reputation for platforming voices that attempt to subvert Orthodoxy from the inside.

Previously, UOJ published an editorial in response to the Fordham piece linked above.

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