Cairo, February 19, 2024
Pat. Theodoros of Alexandria. Photo: Romfea The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria ruled on Friday, February 16, to defrock the Russian Orthodox Church’s second African Exarch.
After an extensive discussion on “the issue of the Russian Church’s encroachment on the spiritual and pastoral jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria on the African continent,” the Holy Synod resolved to defrock His Grace Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk, according to the Synodal report published by Romfea.
The report states that Bp. Konstantin, who was appointed acting Patriarchal Exarch of Africa by the Russian Holy Synod on Head of Russian Church’s African Exarchate released from his positionMetropolitan Leonid of Klin, who was the head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s African Exarchate from the time it was established in December 2021, was released from this position yesterday by the Russian Holy Synod.
“>October 11, had settled for some time in Cairo, on the territory of the Archdiocese of Alexandria, where he committed a series of canonical offenses, including “encroachment on the jurisdiction of an ancient throne, distribution of antimensia, buying off native clergy, even defrocked clergy, factionalism, ethno-phyletism, etc.”
Bp. Konstantin commented simply: “The fact of the matter is that I am a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church. I am subordinate to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia as his vicar and to the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church as any of its bishops.”
Recall that the Alexandrian Synod ruled to defrock the first African Exarch, Metropolitan Leonid of Klin, in Patriarch Theodoros stops commemorating Patriarch Kirill, Russian Exarch declared defrocked by AlexandriaToday’s decision from Alexandria marks the first time another primate has ceased commemorating Pat. Kirill.
“>November 2022 for the same offenses, though the Russian Church formally Russian Synod rejects Alexandria’s defrocking of Russian hierarch and clergyDue to Pat. Theodoros’ communion with schismatics and “proceeding from the universally recognized principle rooted in the canons and Tradition of the non-jurisdiction of the clergy of one autocephalous Church to the court of another autocephalous Church,” the Russian Holy Synod ruled yesterday to consider the defrocking of Met. Leonid and the other Russian clergy “as having no canonical force and invalid.””>rejects this decision. However, he was recently released from all his positions by the Russian Synod and awaits ecclesiastical trial for irregularities connected with his release from the All Saints Church in Moscow that serves as the headquarters for the Exarchate and the handing over of control to his successor.
Patriarchate of Alexandria rules to defrock two Russian priestsThe priests were tried in absentia. Fr. Andrei has already returned to Russia, while Fr. George remains in Africa but did not appear at the trial.
“>In February 2022, the Alexandrian Synod also ruled to defrock Archpriests George Maximov and Andrei Novikov, the two most active priests of the Russian Exarchate in Africa.
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