Metropolitan Neophytos recounts an incredible dialogue between Elder Eumenios (Saridakis) and God. Can Muslims and people of different religions be saved? Can Judas be saved? “This is one of the most shocking things, I have ever heard from a man of God in my entire life.”
Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou:
Elder Eumenios (Saridakis) told me once:
I was praying and I said to our Christ, “My Lord, Jesus Christ I want You to save all Orthodox Christian people.” And God was glad.
Seeing that He was glad, I told Him: “Lord, why do not You save all the people of other Christian faiths? Catholics, Protestants, all who believe in Your Name but their religions have troubles. Why don’t you save all of them?” And God was glad.
After, I said: “My Jesus, what are we going to do with the Muslims, the Chinese, the people of Africa, those who do not know You or do not believe in You… Why do not You save them also my Christ… Please save them as well, the people of different religions….” And God was glad.
I gained courage and told Him: “Since You are so glad I am praying in this way, my Christ, save all people! The ancient idolaters and [all men] from Adam up until now all men You created on earth. All of them, please, my Christ save them!” And God was glad beyond comparison.
Then I gained even more courage and I told Him: “Since You are so glad, why do not You save Judas…? And why do not You save the devil so we can all rest, so he can rest who is tortured by his evil doings…” And God was saddened…
“He was saddened?”
“Yes, God was saddened…”
“Why was He saddened?”
“For Judas and for the devil. Because all the previous men I was begging Him for had a shred of will to be saved and to know Christ and love Him. But Judas and the devil do not have a shred of [such] will. And there is one thing God cannot do: He cannot violate anybody’s will!”
This is one of the most shocking things, I have ever heard from a man of God in my entire life.