Category: Relevant News

23rd April / 6th May 2026:

Following the conclusion of sessions of the Council of Bishops of the ROCOR, His Grace Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe was interviewed on the web site of the Diocese of Great Britain and Western Europe, regarding the Church’s progress in the question of the glorification of Father Seraphim (Rose) of blessed memory.

In his interview, the Bishop addresses the question of how the Church approaches the canonisation of saints and its fervent intention to progress in this process with regards to Hieromonk Seraphim, since, in the words of Vladyka, ‘the Council of Bishops recognises even now, at this point in the process, the righteous way of life of Fr Seraphim.’

The full text of Bishop Irenei’s interview can be read here.

12 December 2025

During its regular winter session, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR established a commission to study the life, legacy, and veneration of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose). The commission is to be headed by His Grace Bishop James of Sonora, Vicar of the Western American Diocese.

The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia has issued a statement warning about dangerous trends in contemporary Russia, relating to the rise of God-opposing ideologies reminiscent of those prominent in the Soviet period of the twentieth century.

The statement can be read in full on the Synod’s web site, here in ENGLISH:

https://www.synod.com/synod/eng2025/20250605_ensynodstatement.html

And here in RUSSIAN: «Заявление Архиерейского Синода касательно возвращения идеологических подходов ХХ века в России»:

https://www.synod.com/synod/2025/20250605_synodstatement.html

As reported on the website of the Holy Synod:

At its regular Paschal session, held this year in London, the Holy Synod of the ROCOR addressed issues relating to the former nun Vassa Larin and to the Archpriest Peter Heers.

Relating to Dr Larin, the Synod reported:

“The archpastors reviewed the correspondence of His Grace Bishop Luke of Syracuse with Varvara Georgievna Larina, formerly Nun Vassa, in which His Grace informs her of the removal of her cassock and veil for disobedience. The Synod confirmed Bishop Luke’s decision prohibiting the former Nun Vassa from wearing monastic clothing (thus removing her from the ranks of the monastics) and using the name given at her tonsure, as well as from representing herself as a nun of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in her statements.”

Further, the Synod reported:

“Regarding the case of Archpriest Peter Heers, the Synod resolved to remind the clergy and faithful that he is not blessed to serve, preach, or give lectures in parishes, monasteries or other institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia until his canonical status is clarified.”

15 January 2025: The First Hierarch of the Church Abroad, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, has issued a statement regarding the on-line activities of Nathanael Kapner, relating to the latter’s personal postings on the Internet outside of any blessing from the Church. The statement notes that: ‘postings and comments on social media platforms by Brother Nathanael do not reflect the position or thoughts of the Synod of Bishops and ROCOR in general.’

The full statement from Metropolitan Nicholas can be viewed in the attached PDF file, below.

9 JANUARY 2025: As the small group of defrocked former clergymen in Colchester England continues to perpetuate the falsehood that they remain Orthodox clergymen and that the building on Military Road in Colchester remains an Orthodox Church, it is hereby reiterated that these individuals were defrocked from the ranks of the clergy by the Holy Synod of Bishops in February 2022, having been suspended during the year previous; and that neither they, nor any of the ‘sacraments’ that they purport to celebrate, are canonically Orthodox. Such false sacraments do not bear the grace of the Church; any faithful who, being misled, have had their children or themselves baptised in this context should swiftly find an actual Orthodox parish where a true baptism can be performed by an actual priest.

The group persists in its claims that the clergy and parish were received into the Romanian Orthodox Church. These claims are false, since the group was never released to the Romanian Church — as was confirmed in writing to the Primate by the local Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and no subsequent claims, alterations of opinion or other actions change this simple fact. Claims that they had previously been canonically released by the Paris Archdiocese are also false: the machinations involved in the attempt at the same, which never had canonical status, were in due course formally and publicly rescinded by that Archdiocese, to whom these clerics never canonically belonged. Claims that the Paris Archdiocese had authority to release them to anyone else are similarly false, since these men were never in the canonical jurisdiction of that Archdiocese.

Orthodox ecclesiology has functioned since the earliest days of the Ecumenical Councils on a simple premise, that a clergyman may only be received into another Diocese or jurisdiction one he has been granted canonical release by his current Bishop. The group in Colchester was never released, and therefore no claims of reception by another — whatever documents or arguments may be put forward — carry any canonical weight whatever. If by deception or other means members of this group convince other Church entities that they have some canonical status (and we have seen photographs of at least one of these non-priests receiving communion in a different jurisdiction, as if he were a priest), then the sin is upon both them and any who intercommune with defrocked clerics; but this does not change their defrocked status — it only adds to the sin of the sorrowful matter.

Finally, in confirmation of the Gospel premise that a tree is known by its fruits, it has recently once again been observed that members of this group, intent on schismatic self-legitimisation, are engaged in scandalous, defamatory and libellous attacks on various members of the hierarchy and clergy, especially via social media. This excessive vitriol is a sure sign of the non-Church nature of the group and their activities, who choose to spread obvious lies and otherwise denigrate those who will not substantiate their false claims, rather than seek repentance.

We call upon the former clergymen in question to at long last cease with their falsehoods and self-willed, anti-church actions, and find repentance and peace; and for all pious Orthodox Christians to avoid the scandalous circumstances of that former Orthodox parish with diligence.

Those who wish additional information may review various announcements previously made on this matter on this site:

• A reiteration of the group’s defrocked status, 19 March 2023
• Clarification on the status of the defrocked group’s attempts to claim reception by the Romanian Patriarchate, 30 May 2022
• Statement on the defrocking of the group in Colchester, 6 March 2022
• Communication regarding the group’s machinations relation to the Paris Archdiocese, 11 February 2022
• Update of 2 September 2024
• Diocesan Communication of 24 August 2021

30 May 2022:

The official web site of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia has published multiple reports on the funeral and burial services of the newly-reposed First Hierarch of the Church Abroad, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, who departed to the Lord on 16th May 2022.

Funeral Service at the Synodal Cathedral, New York:

RUSSIAN: https://www.synod.com/synod/2022/20220523_mhfuneral.html

ENGLISH: https://www.synod.com/synod/eng2022/20220523_enmhfuneral.html

Burial Service at Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville:

RUSSIAN: https://www.synod.com/synod/2022/20220526_mhburial.html

ENGLISH: https://www.synod.com/synod/eng2022/20220526_enmhburial.html

30 MAY 2022:

In light of the falsehoods continuing to be circulated by the small group of defrocked former-clergymen headed by Mr Andrew Phillips in Colchester, England, communications between the canonical hierarchy of the Local Orthodox Churches in the region were concluded earlier this month, to ensure all Orthodox Churches correctly understand the reality of the situation.

In brief summary, claims continuing to be made by the group, to have been received into the Metropolitanate of Western and Southern Europe of the Patriarchate of Romania, headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif, are categorically untrue. None of these individuals has any canonical connection to the Romanian Patriarchate, nor do any of them remain clergymen. That none of these individuals were canonically released to the Romanian Patriarchate or Metropolitan Iosif’s archdiocese, nor been canonically received by him, has been confirmed directly by Metropolitan Iosif to the Secretary of Inter-Orthodox Relations of the ROCOR on 26 February 2022; reconfirmed by His Eminence’s secretary on 6th March 2022; and reaffirmed in written correspondence from His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif to the now newly-reposed First Hierarch of the Church Abroad, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, on 20th March 2022. The letter being circulated by the individuals in question, dated 18th February 2022 and written by a priest in the Romanian Church, falsely claiming their reception, has been rebutted by Metropolitan Iosif himself; it was rashly issued by the priest when the Metropolitan had been open to the potential of receiving these individuals, before he had been duly informed of their uncanonical situation, but for obvious reasons never constituted a canonical reception (Metropolitan Iosif’s explanation of this has been duly communicated to all Orthodox bishops of the region).

The actual situation regarding these individuals has already been communicated and has not changed: they were found guilty of canonical violations by an Ecclesiastical Court on 21st October 2021 and their defrocking was confirmed by the Holy Synod on 28 February 2022. In continuing to pretend to be clergyman and impiously feigning to celebrate the sacraments, they have gone beyond their defrocking and excommunicated themselves, in accordance with Apostolic Canon 28. It is essential to stress to all Orthodox Christians that no ‘sacraments’ performed by these defrocked individuals bear the grace of the Church: any ‘baptisms’, ‘marriages’ or other rites performed by them are not Orthodox Sacraments, and faithful caught up in their deception should at once seek an Orthodox Church where these Sacraments can be authentically performed for them — most urgently, the actual baptism of any children or adults who may have been falsely ‘baptised’ by these defrocked individuals. Moreover, faithful Orthodox Christians who attended ‘services’ at the hands of defrocked individuals thereby themselves enter into schism and excommunicate themselves (cf. Canons 2, 4 of Antioch), and must repent of such actions through Holy Confession before they can again receive the Sacraments in an Orthodox Church; and any clergy who concelebrate with such defrocked persons are themselves subject to defrocking (Apostolic Canon 11; cf. Canon 6 of Gangra). For the sake of the souls of the faithful, we continue our fervent prayer that these individuals will cease in their falsehoods and non-Orthodox actions.

Read / download Bishop Irenei’s letter in PDF format here: