Nyeri and Zimmerman, Kenya, February 7, 2022
Photo: Facebook In two separate incidents over the weekend, hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Alexandria confronted clerics of the new Russian Exarchate in Africa in churches in Kenya, informing them that they weren’t blessed to serve in their diocesan churches.
Frs. George Maximov and Andrei Novikov arrived in Africa late last month from Moscow. Since then, they have celebrated several Liturgies with clerics throughout Kenya and Tanzania, distributed antimens signed by Metropolitan Leonid, the Russian Church’s Exarch of Africa, opened local administrative offices, and held a number of spiritual talks and administrative discussions.
But whereas they initially met no active resistance, Fr. George and the priests serving with him, who consider that they have transferred to the African Exarchate, were personally confronted by two hierarchs serving in Kenya.
On Saturday morning, Bishop Neofitos of Nyeri and Mt. Kenya went to St. Moses the Black Church in Nyeri, where Fr. George was scheduled to serve with other African priests, and prevented them from serving.
Bp. Neofitos writes:
It is a spiritual insult and ignorance of the highest order for the clergy from the Moscow Patriarchate to invade an altar in our diocese for liturgical service knowing very well that there is a canonical spiritual authority overseeing the church in the region where that church is established. It is sad that I had to stop him with his disciples from celebrating liturgy today in Nyeri (our diocese) and asked them to leave in peace. That was an invasion which was well coordinated by the priest in charge which I have discharged him from serving the parish with immediate effect.
“They can establish their own and nobody will interfere with their mission,” the bishop continues.
As Bp. Neofitos writes, Fr. George “said that he was very sorry about it because he was not told the truth by the priest(s).” “Is it true? Only God knows!” he continues.
All of the Russian Church’s talk about “schism and canonicity… is a deliberate attack on the Alexandrian Patriarchate because of their politics up there and this will paralyze, maim, and mutilate all that we have labored for,” Bp. Neofitos stresses.
“I am deeply in pain and my heart is bleeding having witnessed what happened today. I pray that our esteemed Spiritual hierarchy will sit down soon and find an amicable solution to this madness,” he writes.
Another Alexandrian hierarch, Metropolitan Seraphim of Zimbabwe, commented on Bp. Neofitos’ post:
I would like to propose our Bishops in Kenya, if they organize an appeal to collect funds and donations to support properly our clergy and their families for their survival, nobody is going away from his local Bishop, and even the ones are with their Bishop, they will come back, when you see your kids suffering or when you can see your kids thirsty without water, how one father will react to somebody who give him a glass of water. Let’s help our Bishops there to get donations to give proper salaries to our clergy and then our beloved brothers Russians will realize that in Africa they will be like tourists for safari to see the elephants and the lions…
We should tell the people the true, for many years we failed to find ways to give proper salaries to our clergy for their survival and to support properly their families, many of them received nothing, and the ones who received something , it was so little, just to cover their expenses for one week. No safe water, no food, no medical care, no support for education of their kids, to be a clergyman is a choice of way of suffering, we should understand this situation and to find ways to support our clergy for their survival to be able to protect their families properly.
The Metropolitan encourages all to continue praying for unity and peace, and also adds that the Ecumenical Councils stipulate that the pastoral care of the Orthodox in Africa is entrusted to Alexandria, and that it’s impossible to be Orthodox without following the Councils.
In his reply, Fr. George states that he was simply responding to the invitation of African priests. If the local priests didn’t understand the situation of the St. Moses the Black Church, then Bp. Neofitos should have taught them better, he says, adding that the Russian Church neither intends to seize property from the Greek Metropolis nor preaches a “Gospel of schism.”
“All this stems from the sole sinful decision of Patriarch Theodor[os],” he responds.
The next day, Sunday morning, Archbishop Makarios of Nairobi went to the Church of St. Catherine in the Zimmerman neighborhood of Nairobi to confront the clergy of the Russian Exarchate.
According to Russian Exarch Met. Leonid, Abp. Makarios first called the rector the day before and demanded that they not serve the Liturgy, to which the priest responded that the decision to join the Russian Church was “conscious and final.”
As Abp. Makarios writes, he then went to the church in the morning, where he didn’t find Fr. George, but a group of African priests. When they saw him, everyone left but the rector, who, Abp. Makarios writes, was very rude and insulting.
The other priests later returned, with Fr. George, and celebrated the Divine Liturgy, Abp. Makarios states.
According to Met. Leonid, Abp. Makarios intended to serve Liturgy at St. Catherine’s but all the priests refused him.
In conclusion, Abp. Makarios announces that, “All priests who celebrated with [Fr. George] today and any other who is planning to join that group stands suspended indefinitely. Letters to this effect will be circulated to all our Churches for our Christians to disassociate with them.”
He also emphasizes that ROC clerics are barred from entering and serving in the churches of his diocese.
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