I met my first Orthodox bishop exactly fifty years ago, in 1974. Since then I have met perhaps 100 more bishops, 10% of the current total. Although in 1974 I was naïve enough to think that all bishops were Christians and did not tell lies, I soon learned otherwise. Indeed, I have learned that there are two sorts of bishops: those who tell the truth and the liars.

For example, a young and inexperienced bishop told a pack of lies about his priests for two and a quarter years. He told these lies to all the bishops in this country and in his own country and was believed even in Moscow and Antioch. People believed him because naïve people believe a bishop, imagining that he is a Christian, and think that the priest is lieing. But, as Chaucer said, the truth will out. Now he has been found out. We were telling the truth. His schism has been found out. And he has shown himself to be a liar.