Hierarch of Constantinople structure spotted at Epiphany-led service
Bishop Isaiah (Slaninka) of Sumperk at the divine service of the OCU. Photo: Facebook
On November 20, 2019, Isaiah (Slaninka), Bishop of Sumperk of the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, who comes from the structure of Costantinople in the Czech Republic, participated in the worship in St. Michael’s Monastery of Kiev alongside Epiphany Dumenko and the “hierarchy” of the OCU.
A photo from the service was posted on Facebook by Orthodox blogger Alexander Voznesensky. As the UOJ learned from its sources, Bishop Isaiah is actually staying in Kiev and it is he who is captured in the photo.
Isaiah (Slaninka) was ordained bishop in 2015 at the initiative of the hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Metropolitan Emmanuel (Adamakis) of Gaul and Arseny (Kardamakis) of Austria with the goal of creating an “alternative synod” of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. His consecration was not recognized by the head of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, Metropolitan Rostislav (Gont).
In 2016, Phanar and the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia reached a compromise on the recognition of the consecration of Isaiah (Slavinka).
In August 2019, Phanar initiated the creation of a parallel structure in the Czech Republic. At the constituent assembly, the legal entity “Association: Holy Patriarchal Stavropegial Monastery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary” was created and adopted its statute. Among the founders are Metropolitan of Austria Arseny (Kardamakis) (Patriarchate of Constantinople) and Bishop of Sumperk Isaiah (Slaninka).
According to the statute, the Association is subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople and extends its activities to all Orthodox citizens living in the Czech Republic.
Recall that in Latvia, in the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church, on October 24, 2019, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Latvia registered the “Latvian Orthodox Autonomous Church under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople”.
Earlier, Bojan Bojović, a member of the Montenegrin schismatic structure, served with the OCU in St. Michael's Cathedral.
Read also
"Parishioners" brought to Lavra by buses on Epifaniy's name day, media
People from different regions were brought in an organized manner to the "service" of the head of the OCU at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Yermak consults fortune teller before important appointments, prosecutor says
Private correspondence with a fortune teller was found with the former head of the President's Office, in which he coordinated personnel decisions.
SBU searches home of Metropolitan Longin’s daughter
Law enforcement officers detained the hierarch's son-in-law, who has many children, and refused to allow a lawyer to participate in investigative actions at the family's private home.
Vienna hosts regional congress of Ukrainian Orthodox youth
Youth from seven European countries discussed the spiritual foundations of democracy and prayed for peace in Ukraine before a particle of the Life-Giving Cross.
Persecuted UOC community in Zadubrivka celebrates patronal feast
The faithful celebrated the Liturgy in a house church and held a water-blessing service at the site where a new church in honor of Venerable Amphilochius of Pochaiv is being built.
Thousands of faithful gather at Pochaiv Lavra for feast of St Amphilochius
The pilgrimage to the relics of Venerable Amphilochius of Pochaiv on his feast day is a long-standing tradition of the UOC.