RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS
Ukrainian websites show video of Orthodox
priest blessing rebels
LUHANSK METROPOLITAN DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM
CONSECRATION OF BATTLE BANNER OF "SO-CALLED LPR"
Religiia
v Ukraine, 28 November 2014
In
connection with the publication of video footage of another
consecration and ceremonial presentation on 22 November of a
battle banner for pro-Russian rebels "of the armed forces of the
Luhansk People's republic," during which a local priest declared
that he was acting in accordance with the blessing of two bishops
of UPTsMP—Bishop of Rovenki Panteleimon and Metropolitan of
Luhansk Mitrofan—the latter published a commentary tonight in
which he distanced himself from this action and he did not even
recognize in the consecration the face of the minister whom two
years ago he tonsured a monk, a correspondent of the portal
Religii v Ukraine reports.
"That I supposedly blessed the
consecration of the banner of armed formations of the LPR, I
learned from the Internet with surprise," the chairman of the
Department of External Church Relations (OVTsS) of UPTs,
Metropolitan of Luhansk and Alchevsk Mitrofan, commented on the
news of the distribution of video footage in which, as the OVTsS
website writes, "a person, looking like a priest, is performing a
ritual of consecration of banners of an armed formation of the
so-called LPR in the city of Krasnodon of Luhansk province,
referring to the blessing of Metropolitan of Luhansk and Alchevsk
Mitrofan and Bishop of Rovenki and Sverdlovsk Panteleimon."
In his commentary, the chairman of
OVTsS UPTs declared:
"After looking at video material in
which a person in clerical garb performs the consecration and
cites my blessing, I want to say the following:
1. I am not personally
acquainted with the person performing the consecration. This
person is not a cleric of the Luhansk diocese.
2. Neither this person nor anybody else has
appealed to me for a blessing to perform such actions.
3. Moreover, it should be noted that the city
of Krasnodon is not a member of the Luhansk diocese but of the
Rovenki diocese. According to church canons, I do not at all have
the right to give any blessings to clerics of other dioceses.
4. On the very day when this happened, namely
the day of the memory of the Mother of God and her "Quick to
Harken" icon, I was in Kiev where I performed the liturgy in the
Kiev caves lavra.
5. I regret that persons unknown to me hid
behind my name and blessing, deceiving believers.
6. I doubt that Bishop of Rovenki Panteleimon
could have given such a blessing, as at the present time, as far
as I know, he is in the Holy Land on a pilgrimage."
It should be noted that the person
performing the consecration of the battle banner of armed rebels
of the "Luhansk People's republic," whom Metropolitan Mitrofan did
not recognize as a priest, actually was a cleric of Luhansk
diocese of UPTs before its division into two dioceses,
specifically the Luhansk and Rovenki dioceses. In December 2012,
Metropolitan Mitrofan performed a monastic tonsure of four
clergymen, among whom was the aforementioned priest, which is
attested by its photograph from the scene of the event on the
official website of the Luhansk diocese. In the group photo, the
newly tonsured person is standing two persons to the left of
Metropolitan Mitrofan. Now this hieromonk is listed as the
incumbent rector of one of the churches of the Krasnodon deanery
of the Rovenki diocese of UPTs.
The Rovenki diocese has still not
issued a denial of the blessing for the consecration of the battle
banner "of armed forces of the Luhansk People's republic." (tr. by
PDS, posted 1 December 2014)
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