Court sentences priest who called the PCU Synod's decision 'heresy'
The Sviatoshyn District Court of Kyiv sentenced a priest who had denounced the PCU's departure from biblical dogmas.
A trial concluded in Kyiv against a clergyman who was accused of "justifying armed aggression" because of his theological posts on the social network Facebook. According to the verdict of June 10, the priest was found guilty and sentenced to one year of imprisonment. At the same time, the court released the cleric from serving his sentence, establishing a probationary period of three years. This was reported by «Sudovy Reporter».
The main grounds for criminal prosecution were publications posted by him in 2022 and 2024. In his texts, the cleric, who holds a higher theological education, criticized the decision of the PCU Synod claiming that killing occupiers is allegedly not a sin and does not require repentance.
The clergyman called such a position of Dumenko's structure "heresy," "blasphemy," and "false teaching" that directly contradicts biblical commandments and dogmas. In his conviction, war is a consequence of the spiritual state of society, and for it to end, sincere repentance by all parties is necessary, rather than justifying violations of Divine law.
During the court hearings, the priest did not admit guilt, insisting that his activities were aimed exclusively at defending the faith and combating heresies in the information space. "In the informational religious space, a heresy has recently appeared, to which I had to respond," he emphasized in court.
The cleric also reported that he initially tried to reach the leadership of the PCU through personal letters, but, being ignored, decided to address a wide internet audience in order to protect people from "spiritual destruction." Theological experts spoke in defense of the accused, among whom was an active chaplain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who confirmed that the posts were reflections on faith and not political propaganda.
The defense of the defendant pointed out that the investigation and experts had taken quotes out of context, completely ignoring their homiletic genre and theological orientation. In those same publications, the clergyman called military actions "genocide" and Russia a "terrorist country," which indicates the absence of any intention on his part to justify aggression.
Nevertheless, the court sided with the prosecution, trusting the conclusions of the SBU experts, who found the elements of a crime in the calls to repentance. The court motivated its decision by the fact that the publications were posted on an open page rather than in a specialized group for professional theologians, and could be "misunderstood" by ordinary people.
As the SPJ reported, a UOC priest in Odessa was given five years in prison "for justifying RF aggression."
