The Moscow diocesan court defrocked the former rector of the Moscow Trinity Church in Khokhly, Alexei Uminsky. This decision was made at a meeting of the church court on Saturday, January 13. About it reports “New Newspaper”.
Now this decision must be approved by Patriarch Kirill.
Court secretary Alexander Mironov told Novaya Gazeta that “the trial has not yet been completed.” The publication suggests that this means that the decision has not yet been approved by the patriarch.
The court hearing was held without the participation of Alexey Uminsky. Uminsky also did not come to the previous two meetings.
“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 newspaper quotes the decision of the church court.
“My principled position is not to give any comments,” Uminsky told Meduza in response to a request to comment on the court’s decision.
On January 5, it became known that Alexei Uminsky was removed from the rectorship of the Moscow Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhly and banned from serving. The Dozhd TV channel claimed that Uminsky was removed from his post because of his statements in interview to the former editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy Alexey Venediktov. In it, Uminsky, in particular, advises believers who do not want to go to church where they pray for victory in the war with Ukraine to look for priests who “pray more for peace than for victory.”
From the document in which Uminsky is summoned to the church court, it follows that he is being brought to trial as an “accused” because he refused to read the prayer “For Holy Rus’.”
The prayer contains the following phrases: “Arise, O God, to help Your people and grant us victory through Your power” and “For You are the intercession, and the victory, and the salvation of those who trust in You, and we send glory to You.” Priest John Koval, a cleric of the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called, was banned from serving after he replaced the word “victory” with “peace” in this prayer. The church court deprived him of his rank.
Alexey Uminsky has been rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhly since 1993. In February 2022, Alexey Uminsky said that he had an “unequivocal” attitude towards the war in Ukraine and he “cannot support these military actions.” In April 2021, Uminsky called on the authorities to show Christian mercy and allow the doctor to see Alexei Navalny, who was on a hunger strike at that moment.
2024-01-13 11:57:00
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