The Lithuanian Orthodox Church does not recognize the decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to restore its clerians in the dignity. This was reported by the official website of the Lithuanian Church.
“The eruption from the sacred dignity is not a disciplinary, but a mystical act, it is final and irrevocable. According to church canons, clergy erupted from the sacred dignity are not subject to restoration and ordination. Thus, former priests Vladimir Selyavko, Vitaliy Motzkus, Vitaly Dauparas, Gintaras Sungail and George Ananyev are laity and will remain such even if they dare to put on church robes and “sacred”. The sacrament deprived of the priest cannot be committed, ”the report said.
“One gets the impression that the information that came in the name of His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew is neither full, nor reliability or objectivity. Otherwise, to explain the statement contained in the communique that “the reasons why these sentences were issued were based not on church criteria, but on fair disagreement of the aforementioned clergy with the war in Ukraine.” This statement does not correspond to the truth, ”the publication notes.
According to the press service, the Lithuanian Orthodox Archbishopia has repeatedly emphasized that the church court considered the acts of the aforementioned clerics exclusively in the plane of church-canon law. Their anti -war position did not affect the decision. Moreover, the attitude to the war in Ukraine of former priests is no different from the position of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church. “Former clerics are well aware that the Lithuanian Orthodox Church condemned aggression and war against Ukraine the very next day after its beginning – February 25, 2022,” it was reported.
It is noted that “former clerics were erupted from the Holy San for committing a number of serious church crimes. Their activity was examined in detail by the church court, which confirmed the facts of the violating of the priestly oath and oath-crime (25 rule of the Holy Apostles), disobedience to the ruling bishop and conducting public activities without the blessing of his bishop (39 rule of holy apostles), conspiracy against his bishop and brothers-leders, as well as the destruction of the church world (18 Rule of the IV Ecumenical Council and 34 Rule of the V-VI Trull Cathedral), schismatic activity, intention and organizing the transition to another church jurisdiction without the blessing of his bishop (16 Rule of the Ecumenical Council), as well as their participation in the campaign in the campaign On the discrediting of the church and its bishops (55 rule of holy apostles), as well as brothers-leders. Each of the points of this list is confirmed by specific actions and public statements of former clergy, as well as witness testimony. ”
“The Lithuanian Orthodox Church daily offers prayers for the termination of the war in Ukraine, as well as for our country, its Lithuanian, its people, power and army,” the message said.
