OCCLS takes no action against the bishop seizing parishes

Bishop Isaiah of Šumperk at the "divine service" of the OCU. Photo: pomisna.info

The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia did not give its assessment of the actions of the vicar of the Olomouc-Brno diocese, Bishop Isaiah (Slaninka) of Šumperk, who attempted to seize the church of the Holy Martyr Wenceslas in the city of Brno, a source in the OCCLS told the UOJ.

The Synod took place on October 7, 2021 in Prague, chaired by the Primate of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, His Beatitude Metropolitan Rostislav. In addition to the Primate, Archbishop Mikhail of Prague, Archbishop George of Michalovce and Kosice, and the vicar of the Brno-Olomouc Diocese, Bishop Isaiah of Šumperk, took part in it. The ruling bishop of the Brno-Olomouc Diocese, 95-year-old Archbishop Simeon, is in the hospital and cannot walk on his own.

The decision of the Synod, which was made available to the UOJ, says that "in addition to other topical issues of the internal life of our Church, appeals of some clergymen against the canonical decisions of their diocesan bishops were also considered" at the meeting. Assumably, it was about the appeal of the head of the community in Brno, Archpriest Joseph Feisak, who did not allow Slaninka to seize his church, in the hope that the Synod would make a fair decision regarding the odious bishop. However, the Synod practically withdrew from resolving the conflict, deciding that all disputable situations should be resolved in dioceses by the ruling bishops: "As for some procedural violations, the cases under consideration return to the established investigation and decisions of the respective diocesan bishops."

However, due to the age and illness of 95-year-old Archbishop Simeon, he is currently unable to resolve conflict situations in his diocese. Therefore, the conflict around the community in Brno persists.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Bishop Isaiah, together with the hierarch of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Arseny (Kardamakis), established a certain Association of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ostrava, which was regarded by the hierarchs of the OCCLS as an attempt to create a parallel jurisdiction in their canonical territory.

Recall that on November 20, 2019, Bishop Isaiah (Slaninka), who became a deputy governor of the Phanar-established monastery in the Czech Republic, concelebrated with the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko and “hierarchy” of this church structure in the St. Michael Monastery of Kyiv.

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