Sunday, December 05, 2004

ROCOR (V) Removes Archbishop Varnava (Prokofiev) From the Episcopate

(Portal -.Credo.Ru - Vertograd, Mansonville)

According to the Resolution of the Archihierarchical Sobor of the ROCOR (V), which gathered in Mansonville
under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov), First-Hierarch of ROCOR (V), Archbishop Varnava (Prokofiev), the former Deputy of the First Hierarch, was deposed from the Episcopate.

The resolution of the Sobor says: "in accordance with the canons, notably the 1st Canonical Epistle of Basil the Great; 4th Ec. Canon 18; 2nd Ec. Canon 6; 6th Ec. Canon 34; Gangra, Canon 6;Sardica, Canon 14; First-Second Council Canons 14 and 15, Archbishop Varnava is deprived of the episcopal dignity ".

The resolutuion bears the signature of Metropolitan Vitaly, Bishop Sergius (Kidyakov), Bishop Vladimir, Bishop Bartholomew, Bishop Antony, Bishop Victor, and also Protopresbyter Benjamin Joukoff, the secretary Of Archihierarchal Synod of the ROCOR (V).

The resolution, most likely, will not be acknowledged canonically by Archbishop Varnava, who threatens to create another division in the ROCOR (V).