Zoria: The priest distributing the Communion online is not a member of OCU
Igor Savva together with the “hierarch” of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Alexander (Drabinko) at the “liturgy” in the Transfiguration Cathedral. Photo: Savva's Facebook page
On May 12, 2020, the OCU spokesman Eustraty Zoria announced that the “priest” Igor Savva, who performed the “online communion,” does not actually belong to his religious organization.
“The priest Igor Savva from Zaporizhia, who for some reason single-handedly decided to conduct such experiments, does not belong either to the Zaporizhia Diocese of the OCU (at the place of residence) or to the Pereyaslav Diocese of the OCU, the borders of which when it was created by the Holy Synod are marked so that they do not go beyond the borders of Kyiv and the Kyiv Region,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
However, in January 2019, on his Facebook page, Savva published a respective “Temporary Decree” signed by the OCU “hierarch” of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky and Vyshneve Alexander Drabinko.
Savva also published a photo that clearly shows him standing near the throne next to Drabinko during the “worship”:
At the same time Drabinko provided the cleric, whom Zoria does not consider the “clergyman” of the OCU, with an antimension.
A photo of this antimension is also available on Igor Savva's Facebook page, and the signature of the “hierarch” of the OCU as well as the city of Zaporizhia is clearly visible on it.
Eustraty Zoria noted in the comments: before writing this post, he made sure Savva does not belong to the “jurisdiction of the OCU hierarchs”.
In turn, on May 11, 2020, "priest" Igor Savva, in his comment under his post on "online liturgy" clarified that "so far no one in the OCU has deprived him of authority or banned him from ministry."
On the same day, under another post on Facebook that he “officially serves and is not going to give up on his ministry,” Savva announced his membership in the Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky Diocese of the OCU:
On May 12, 2020, the “ruling bishop” of the above diocese, Alexander Drabinko, in his comments below Zoria’s arguments that “online communion” is unacceptable made it clear that he supported the position of the OCU spokesman. When asked whether Savva is a clergyman of the church structure led by Epiphany Dumenko, Drabinko replied, "According to him, yes."
On May 12, 2020, Dmitry Vaysburd, another cleric who participated in the “online communion,” was expelled from the OCU.
Read also
TRC abducts rector of community in Sutkivtsi, Khmelnytskyi region
Archpriest Volodymyr Stefanyshyn has already been taken to a military training ground.
Church celebrates feast of Holy Foremost Apostles Peter and Paul
On July 12, the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Apostles' Fast (Peter's Fast) comes to an end for Orthodox Christians.
UGCC cleric criticizes OCU head for awarding Greek Catholic officials
Hieromonk Yustyn Boiko of the Lviv Archeparchy called the awarding of church honors to officials a profanation and cited the example of an OCU order presented to a Greek Catholic official.
Expert who found no defamation in Dumenko’s remarks to face disciplinary action
An Interior Ministry research center has confirmed disciplinary measures against the expert whose findings supported what the Metropolitan’s representatives described as unfounded accusations by the OCU head against Metropolitan Theodosiy.
European Parliament condemns forced Islamization of children in Pakistan
The European Parliament has called on Pakistan to establish a mechanism to protect Christian families.
Church of the Presentation damaged by shelling in Russia’s Kursk Region
The newly built church in the village of Kulbaki, Glushkovo District, was completely gutted by fire after being struck by a projectile.