Exarch for Africa: ROC rejects Patriarchate of Alexandria’s court decision

The Patriarchal Exarch of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa, Metropolitan Leonid of Klin, said that the Russian Orthodox Church considers the decision of the Church Court of the Alexandrian Patriarchate against two priests of the Russian Orthodox Church to be unlawful and will never recognize it, reports interfax-religion.ru.

Recall that Archpriest Andrey Novikov and Priest Georgy Maksimov were summoned to the church court of the Patriarchate of Alexandria on charges of non-canonical activities in Africa.

“This (the decision of the church court – Ed.) will have absolutely no consequences. This is an illegal decision that the Russian Orthodox Church will never recognize,” said Metropolitan Leonid.

“They have no right to summon our clerics to court. The Patriarch of Alexandria can address his clerics, his flock. If Patriarch Theodore has any questions, then he should turn directly to the fullness of the Russian Church, but not act as is customary in some seemingly serious organizations that speak in one person and absolutely don't want to hear anyone around. We hear such mantras now on the political platform, we hear them from the Patriarch of Constantinople, and, of course, the Patriarch of Alexandria echoes him,” added the Exarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and advised the head of the Alexandrian Church to carefully read the decision of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.

“The very creation of the Exarchate is extraordinary. I will say this: the Patriarch of Alexandria should not look for the guilty among the priests who are fulfilling their pastoral duty with the blessing of the hierarchy, but should carefully read the decision of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and the latest message of the DECR, where it is written in black and white that the Russian Orthodox Church calls on Patriarch Theodore to reconsider his anti-canonical decision on Ukraine and return to the rails of canonical Orthodoxy, and not to make a split in it,” summed up Metropolitan Leonid.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the Patriarchate of Alexandria summoned the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church to the church court.

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