COURT TAKES SIDE OF UPTs IN CONFLICT WITH FORMER VINNYTSIA METROPOLITAN WHO TRANSFERRED TO NEW CHURCH
Interfax-Religiia, 6 Februry 2019
A Vinnytsia appeals court did not permit Metropolitan Simeon, who departed into the new church, to be restored to the office of ruling bishop of Vinnytsia diocese.
As the website Judicial Power of Ukraine reports, on Tuesday the appeals by representatives of the Kiev metropolia of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were granted.
In mid-December, Metropolitan Simeon was one of two bishops of the canonical UPTs who participated in the unification council, where, with the support of Constantinople and Ukrainian authorities, the new church was founded. Inasmuch as earlier the Bishops' Council of the UPTs forbade its bishops to participate in this forum, Metropolitan Simeon was removed from the position of ruling bishop of the Vinnytsia diocese and inhibited from ministry.
He tried to challenge this decision of the synod in secular court, but he did not succeed: the appellate court removed the prohibition on state registration of Archbishop Varsonofy as the new ruling bishop of Vinnytsia diocese.
"The Vinnytsia diocese welcomes the just decision of the court, which restored legality with regard to its leader and archpastor," the diocese stated in this regard. (tr. by PDS, posted 6 February 2019)
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