Vinnytsia Eparchy cleric suspended from ministry for spiritist practices
Archpriest Mykola Hryshchenko, suspended from ministry. Photo: Vinnytsia Eparchy
Archpriest Mykola Hryshchenko, a retired cleric of the Vinnytsia Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has been suspended from ministry, reports the press service of the eparchy.
The suspension was imposed for performing sacred rites on his own initiative without the blessing of the Church leadership. In addition, the eparchy pointed to the cleric's actions bearing signs of divination and spiritist practices, as well as to uncanonical actions in performing the Sacrament of Baptism with the participation of people of other faiths.
The premises on Barvysta Street in Vinnytsia, which the archpriest equipped and calls the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, operate without the blessing of the ruling bishop. They do not belong to the canonical parishes of the Vinnytsia Eparchy.
Due to the suspension, the priest has no right to perform any divine services. Therefore, Orthodox believers of the eparchy are not blessed to visit this place or to take part in the services and other rites he performs until his canonical status is resolved. The clergy and laity are asked to treat this notice responsibly and to observe the established church order.
As the UOJ reported, earlier a cleric of the Izium Eparchy of the UOC was suspended from ministry for falling into schism.
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