The Moscow Church Court ruled to deprive priest John Koval of the holy dignity of the cleric of the Church of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called in Lublin for unauthorized change in the text of the prayer for Holy Rus’. This was reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the Deputy Chairman of the Diocesan Court of Moscow, Archpriest Vladislav Tsypin.
He pointed out that this decision will come into force after approval by the ruling bishop, and then “there remains the opportunity to appeal to the general church court.”
The agency recalls that earlier, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ banned Koval from serving until the end of his case.
Information appeared in the media that the priest was banned from serving, allegedly because he replaced the word “victory” with the word “peace” in prayer. Commenting on these reports, Vakhtang Kipshidze, Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department of the Russian Orthodox Church for Church Relations with Society and the Media, explained that Koval was suspended from services for changing the text of the prayer as such, and not directly for replacing these words.
According to him, the court’s decision was motivated by Koval’s disobedience to the clergy with reference to the 25th Apostolic Canon, which mentions perjury among other serious sins. Tsypin added that it is understood that the ordained takes an oath in which he promises to strictly follow the instructions of the hierarchy.
He added that Koval, reading the prayer “On Holy Rus’” in the temple, made adjustments to it.
“The rector, the dean, then the vicar bishop pointed out to him that it was necessary to read the prayer in the edition in which it was established. He refused to do it, ”the agency’s interlocutor explained. Also, RIA Novosti notes, the motives for Koval’s decision to replace the word “victory” with “peace” in this prayer remained unclear.
Source: Rosbalt
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