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Moscow-run Ukrainian Orthodox Church expels "renegade" priests

The Synod dismissed Symeon and Oleksandr.

Moscow-run Ukrainian Orthodox Church expels "renegade" priests
Photo: news.church.ua

The Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) has dismissed two senior clergymen who took part in the unification congress of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church despite the ban.

These are Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy Metropolitan Oleksandr (Drabynko) and Vinnytsya Metropolitan Symeon (Shostatskyy).

Lower-rank clergy who took part in the unification congress were also dismissed from their posts and banned from holding services.

The Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy eparchy will now be headed by Dyonisiy (Pylypchuk) while Borodyanka archbishop Varsonofiy (Stolyar) will head the Vinnytsya eparchy.

Earlier, Symeon announced his decision to join the newly-created Ukrainian Orthodox Church. His parish supported him. This is the first transfer from the UOC MP.

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