DIOCESAN
COURT
UNFROCKS ASSOCIATES OF URALS SCHEHEGUMEN SERGIUS
Interfax-Religiia,
7
September 2020
A court
of the
Ekaterinburg diocese on Monday made a decision to unfrock
clerics who have continued
to concelebrate with Schehegumen Sergius, who has already been
stripped of
clerical status and does not have the right to perform
liturgies, the chairman
of the court, Archpriest Nikolai Maleta, told journalists.
"The
decision
was made about clerics who are continuing to perform liturgies
in the cloister
with the former Schehegumen Sergius. Unfortunately, quite a long
time has
passed, but they remain with their own convictions. According to
the canons
they also are subject to expulsion from clerical rank. This
decision of the
court has been made," Maleta said.
He said
now this
decision must be confirmed by Metropolitan [of Ekaterinburg]
Kirill. "Most
likely the vladyka will give some time so that somebody,
perhaps, will
reconsider," the priest thinks.
In the
press service
of the Ekaterinburg diocese, it was clarified for Interfax that
clerical ranks
were stripped from eight clerics, six priests and two deacons.
As
reported, on
Monday a session of the diocesan court was held. Schehegumen
Sergius, who has
been unfrocked, was summoned to the court as a defendant in
violation of the 28th canon of the holy apostles, which
threatens him with expulsion from the church.
He did not appear in court and the next session was scheduled
for 9 September,
since his personal participation is necessary for making a
decision.
Also a
number of
clerics, who have continued to concelebrate with Sergius, were
summoned to the
court.
Earlier
a video
recording was circulated showing statements by Father Sergius in
which he
called the coronavirus pandemic a myth and urged disobedience to
church
leadership and to authorities. Among other things, he cursed
those who close
churches during a pandemic and he warned about the creation of
an
"electronic camp of satan."
On 3
July, the diocesan
court found him to be guilty of violation of monastic vows and
the clerical
oath and unfrocked him. On 24 July, the patriarch confirmed the
decision of the
diocese stripping Romanov of his clerical status.
UNFROCKED
SCHEMA MONK
SERGIUS DECLARES HE WILL NOT COME TO CHURCH COURT, WHICH MAY
EXPEL HIM FROM
CHURCH
Interfax-Religiia,
7
September 2020
The
schema monk
Sergius, who has been stripped of clerical status, will not
come to the session
of the diocesan trial of his own case, scheduled for Monday,
according to his
letter to Metropolitan [of Ekaterinburg] Kirill.
"I
will report
to the church court in writing, since I will not be able to
appear personally
at the court session of 7 September 2020 at 12:00, because of
my incapacity
caused by the continuing spiritual upheaval, sorrow, and pain
which has been
produced in me by news published on the official website of
the Ekaterinburg
diocese: 'His Holiness the patriarch has approved the
instructions responding
to the threat of the spread of the coronavirus infection,'"
the letter
says. (Interfax possesses the text.)
The
instructions were
published on the website of the diocese back on 17 March.
Father
Sergius
requests that his case be considered "strictly in accordance
with the
canons of the church."
His
associate
Vsevolod Moguchev told Interfax that the schehegumen's letter
was sent to the
metropolitan.
As
reported, on
Monday there will be a session of the court of the
Ekaterinburg diocese in the
case of Father Sergius, who has been inhibited from ministry.
He was summoned
to the court in the capacity of a defendant for violation of
the 28th canon of
the holy apostles, which threatens him with expulsion from the
church. It is
clarified that Romanov continues to perform liturgies, which
is a violation of
the 28th canon of the holy apostles.
The
accused is also
required to reply to a number of questions before the court so
that he will not
be expelled from the church. The questions are connected with
accusations on
the part of schema monk Sergius that the ruling bishop is
guilty of heresy,
ecumenism, satanism, and the closing of churches, which have
been voiced
numerous times by him in public statements.
"In
the event
that you fail to present evidence of the accusations advanced
against the
ruling bishop, you will be convicted not only as a violator of
the 28th canon
of the holy apostles but also as a slanderer," the report
notes. . . .
(tr. by PDS, posted 7 September 2020)
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