Alexandria brings canonical charges against Russian priests, summoning them to ecclesiastical court

Alexandria, Egypt, February 18, 2022

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Making good on a warning voiced by Patriarch Theodoros over the weekend, the Synodal Court of First Instance of the Patriarchate of Alexandria has summoned the two Russian priests who are currently visiting and serving in Africa to ecclesiastical court.

Archpriest George Maximov and Archpriest Andrei Novikov are expected to appear at the court at 10 AM on February 24 for charges of non-canonical activities in Africa, the Patriarchate reports.

If they don’t appear, they’ll be tried in absentia.

Frs. George and Andrei have celebrated several Liturgies and other services in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda since late last month, and have been actively recruiting Alexandrian clergy for the Russian Church’s new African Exarchate.

There are four charges against them:

  1. Celebrating the Liturgy and other services on the territory of the Patriarchate of Alexandria without the permission of Pat. Theodoros and the relevant local bishops
  2. Concelebrating with defrocked clergy
  3. The crime of conspiracy or faction (see Canon 18 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council)
  4. Causing a scandal to the Church

OrthoChristian also reported earlier today that the bishops in Kenya suspended their clerics who joined the Russian Exarchate.

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2/18/2022

See also
Kenya: Alexandria bishops confront ROC Exarchate priests in church, suspend them from serving Kenya: Alexandria bishops confront ROC Exarchate priests in church, suspend them from serving Kenya: Alexandria bishops confront ROC Exarchate priests in church, suspend them from serving Kenya: Alexandria bishops confront ROC Exarchate priests in church, suspend them from serving
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. Dozens of African priests serve first Liturgy of Russian Exarchate (+VIDEO) Dozens of African priests serve first Liturgy of Russian Exarchate (+VIDEO) Dozens of African priests serve first Liturgy of Russian Exarchate (+VIDEO) Dozens of African priests serve first Liturgy of Russian Exarchate (+VIDEO)
The Liturgy was celebrated at the Church of the Great Martyr Panteleimon in the village of Ebuyangu, with priests from the surrounding districts. African priests issue open letter about Patriarch’s recognition of OCU African priests issue open letter about Patriarch’s recognition of OCU African priests issue open letter about Patriarch’s recognition of OCU African priests issue open letter about Patriarch’s recognition of OCU
The letter is signed by 27 priests from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia who are saddened by the decision of their Patriarch and pray that it will be reconsidered.
Comments
Antiochene Son2/21/2022 5:35 pm
A wise man once said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Antiochene Son2/21/2022 5:35 pm
@Alexander - Please. The Russian Exarch of Africa said Alexandria's sacraments are valid and they are in the Church. To declare otherwise is a conciliar decision. No canon is self-applying; it must be applied by a synod with authority to do so. Your inflammatory rhetoric is unhelpful and incorrect.
Katherine2/21/2022 11:08 am
@giorgos - interestingly, you chose to interpret that statement politically. I'm referring to the spirituality of African Orthodoxy, not its administration. Say what you will, but what has been happening in Africa is yet to be truly revealed by Orthodox publications. Believe me when I tell you that Russia has thrown a lifeline to those churches (I say that as someone who won't be joining any exarchate parish). The hierarchy in the AP is guilty of a number of atrocities towards the natives. It seems like God's judgement is upon them, and they know that the writing is on the wall (judging by the swift reaction to the current crisis). More Priests are going to leave (fact).
Alexander Leitner2/20/2022 6:31 pm
@James: "... If our Russian Church wants to treat Alexandria as a canonical non-entity, we have to declare them definitively and totally outside the Church." The Church can not be outside the Church. Since the Russian Orthodox Church is a true orthodox Church and she can not be outside herself! On the contrary Alexandria = in COMMUNION WITH SCHISMATICS. WITH DEPOSED APOSTATES. NON ORDAINED PSEUDO HIERARCHS = OUTSIDE THE ORTHODOX CHURCH! This is not a game we are playing. This is ETERNAL DAMNATION or ETERNAL SALVATION. If you are in communion with apostates, schismatics, modernists, liberalists, than you are condemned. And this has nothing to do with nationality. Alexandria is only the beginning. Next is Constantinople and later Athens.
giorgos2/19/2022 5:35 pm
'' I can assure you that African Orthodoxy will be Russian'' Then it won't be african...as simple as that... Phyletism caused the schism in ukraine, and now phyletism causes the replacement of the ancient orthodox churches with russian affirmed exarchates that MP is trying to acomplish.
Katherine2/19/2022 11:22 am
Someone please! make it make sense. So the AP can employ this mechanism, but chose not to when the EP created a schismatic church in Ukraine? Yes, he could, as the place he occupies in the diptychs testifies to the fact. Africa being the AP's sole jurisdiction is a new development, a sentiment that echoes what they claim for Ukraine (irony!). The only person who's going to lose here is the AP, no matter how much they try to strong-arm these Priests. When the dust settles, I can assure you that African Orthodoxy will be Russian. Let's pray that it doesn't go there (but the AP hierarchy is pushing for it, it seems). This is not the first time in history that clergy and laity flee what they perceive to be an unfaithful hierarch. I gather the AP would feel better with them outside the Church altogether (us Africans are unparalleled when it comes to starting new sects, afterall).
Michael 2/19/2022 4:59 am
New chalice - $500. New vestments - $1,000 New church - $10,000 Watching Theodoros whine about the same thing the Patriarch of Constantinople is doing in Ukraine - Priceless!!
James2/19/2022 2:03 am
As they should be. They are on the canonical territory of the Church of Alexandria. If our Russian Church wants to treat Alexandria as a canonical non-entity, we have to declare them definitively and totally outside the Church. You can't have it both ways. (None of which is to condone Alexandria's recognition of the parallel pseudo-church in Ukraine, but we have to be consistent.)
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