By the grace of the God of our Fathers, we have been deemed worthy to bring to
fruition the publication of the present and apropos spiritual tome. The
author of this book is Bishop Paul de Ballester, a former Roman Catholic
monk of Spanish descent. This is the narrative of his personal experiences,
his own road to Damascus that ultimately led him to discover Orthodox
Christianity. His acquaintance with Orthodoxy led him to the Truth, which is
none other than Christ Himself. By coming to know Christ -or rather, through
being known by Christ- he recognized the shortcomings of Roman Catholicism
and its departure from God. This is precisely what made him turn to the
Orthodoxy of the East- the Orthodoxy of Byzantium and Tradition. Initially
published in 1954, the book describes the spiritual struggle that led to his
conversion.
In a time of
feverish ecumenical dialogues, the book's contemporary value prompted us to
re-publish it, hoping that it will provide much-needed wisdom in our new age
of globalization and inter-ecclesiastical pursuit of union. The testimony of
a former Roman Catholic monk who converted to Orthodoxy can only offer -to
both sides of the spectrum- tremendously valuable information and life
principles. On one hand, it demonstrates the deviation and severance of the
Roman Catholic Church from the body of the Church of Christ, and on the
other, it attests to the preservation and continuation of the inherited
Truth by the Orthodox Church. Moreover, because of his life principles and
stance on this matter, the author spells out the methodology needed to guide
the union of the Roman Catholic with the Orthodox Church. Consequently, it
is our prayer that this book may serve as a most informative guidepost in
the inter-ecclesiastical dialogue.
>On the occasion of
the fifty-fifth anniversary of the original edition of the book and the
twenty-fifth anniversary of the martyrical death of the author, we
re-publish it this year to honor the memory of His Grace Bishop of Nazianzus,
Paul de Ballester. We express our gratitude to the Abbot of the Holy Trinity
Monastery in Mexico, Most Reverend Archimandrite Nectarios, who provided us
with the pictures of Bishop Paul. We pray that the readers benefit greatly
from this book, to the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and to
the honor of our most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin
Mary of Macheras.
The Abbot of the
Holy Royal and Stavropegial Monastery of Macheras.
Bishop of Lidra,
Epiphanios, along with my brotherhood in Christ
Holy Monastery of
Macheras March 25, 2009.
