ROC on "online communion": "Sacraments" of OCU are not valid in principle

Head of the ROC Synodal Department for Relations of the Church with Society and the Media Vladimir Legoyda. Photo: rg.ru

On May 12, 2020, Vladimir Legoyda, head of the ROC Synodal Department for Relations of the Church with Society and the Media, commented on his Telegram channel on the “communion” via video conferencing conducted by an OCU representative.

“The OCU made a liturgical ‘breakthrough’, starting to ‘receive communion’ online,” writes Vladimir Legoyda.

He emphasizes: “The saddest thing is that this is not done by some homegrown self-ordained cleric but by a former archpriest of the canonical Church, who had previously graduated from the Orthodox St. Tikhon Humanitarian University and taught courses of the clergy of the Zaporozhye Eparchy of the UOC – in a word, a person who understands the whole theological absurdity of his undertaking. Not to mention that no “sacraments” in a schismatic community are valid in principle.”

Vladimir Legoyda recalled that "according to the Zaporozhye Eparchy, I. Savva, now banned from the priesthood, has always been distinguished by views opposing the general church positions on many issues. So, he was repeatedly seen as a participant in the Moscow catechism conferences of Fr. Georgy Kochetkov."

As reported earlier, the Zaporozhye cleric of the OCU said that under quarantine he holds “full” online liturgies and Communion for his parishioners via video conferencing.

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