The church court decided to defrock Archpriest Alexei Uminsky - Novaya Gazeta

The diocesan court of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to defrock Archpriest Alexei Uminsky for “swearing.” about this . writes Novaya Gazeta

“Recognize that, on the basis of the Rule of the 25th Holy Apostles, Father Alexey Uminsky is subject to defrocking for violating the priestly Oath (oath-breaking) - refusing to fulfill the Patriarchal blessing to read the prayer for Holy Rus' at the Divine Liturgy,” the publication quotes the court decision.

Uminsky himself did not come to the diocesan court for the hearing of the case and did not comment on its decision in any way. As Novaya Gazeta notes, now the decision of the church court must be approved by Patriarch Kirill.

On January 5, it became known that Archpriest Alexei Uminsky, who opposed the war, was removed from his post as rector of the Trinity Church in Khokhly and banned from serving. Journalist Alexey Venediktov then suggested that the reason was the interview that the archpriest gave him. It was also reported that Uminsky refused to read Patriarch Kirill’s special prayer for the “victory of Holy Rus'.”

“Instead of Uminsky - and this is definitely a sophisticated revenge - [they appointed] Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, a fugitive from Ukraine, a supporter of the war, a famous preacher on the Spas TV channel,” religious scholar Ksenia Luchenko wrote then in her Telegram channel.

Uminsky acted as a witness for the defense in the process of liquidating the International Memorial, and also supported prisoners in the Moscow case, and in 2021 he recorded a video asking to allow a doctor to see Alexei Navalny.

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