Moscow, January 18, 2024
Photo: ruskline.ru
Cyril Hovorun, formerly an archimandrite of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, has been defrocked by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
He was suspended Fr. Cyril (Hovorun), supporter of schismatics, suspended by Patriarch KirillThough formally a cleric of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, Fr. Cyril has long been known as a supporter of the Ukrainian schismatics and has concelebrated with them a number of times since the creation of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” in 2018.
“>in September after he concelebrated with the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s exarch-hierarch in Ukraine in August, given that the Russian Church broke communion with Constantinople in Holy Synod resolution: Moscow Patriarchate ceases Eucharistic communion for clergy and laity with the Constantinople PatriarchateToday at the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, convened in Minsk, Belarus, a resolution was passed by the Holy Synod concerning the Constantinople Patriarchate’s encroachment on the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church”>October 2018 for entering its canonical territory and entering into communion with Ukrainian schismatics.
Though he was formally a cleric of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, Hovorun has long been known as a supporter of those Ukrainian schismatics and concelebrated with them a number of times since the creation of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” in 2018. He was even considered a candidate for the primatial throne of the schismatic OCU.
The Moscow Diocesan Ecclesiastical Court then ruled on Fr. Cyril (Hovorun), supporter of schismatics, is subject to defrocking, ecclesiastical court rulesThe court’s ruling from October was published today on the site of the Moscow Diocese.
“>October 31 that Hovorun was subject to defrocking, citing Canon 25 of the Holy Apostles, which states: “If a bishop, presbyter, or deacon be found guilty of fornication, perjury, or theft, let him be deposed.” When the Patriarch initially suspended Hovorun, he wrote that he had repeatedly violated his written commitment to the Russian Church, expressed by, among other things, his concelebration with clergy of Constantinople.
And on December 29, Pat. Kirill confirmed the court’s decision.
Fr. Cyril is best known in the English-speaking world for his work in liberal academia and for his frequent statements to media outlets that present him as an expert on Church matters. He was formerly a cleric of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, even serving as the head of its Department for External Church Relations, though he was later transferred back to the Russian Church.
Interestingly, it was Pat. Kirill who ordained him to both the diaconate and the priesthood when he was Metropolitan of Kaliningrad and Smolensk. Since 2017, he has been a research fellow at the Catholic Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
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