St. Paisios said to a theologian who felt he needed to ‘tell the truth’ to a woman and crushed her:

“Look, you may be tossing golden crowns studded with diamonds to other people, but the way you throw them can smash heads, not only the sensitive ones, but the sound ones also.

Let’s not stone our fellow-man in a so-called ‘Christian manner’. The person who—in the presence of others—checks someone for having sinned (or speaks in an impassioned manner about a certain person), is not moved by the Spirit of God; he is moved by another spirit.

The way of the Church is LOVE; it differs from the way of the legalists. The Church sees everything with tolerance and seeks to help each person, whatever he may have done, however sinful he may be.

A truly humble person never behaves like a teacher; he will listen, and, whenever his opinion is requested, he responds humbly. In other words, he replies like a student. He who believes that he is capable of correcting others is filled with egotism.”