ROC to introduce punishment for disclosure of internal church information

Members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. Photo: foto.patriarchia.ru

On August 25, 2020, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church established punishment for the clergy and monastics for disclosing confidential church information.

The journal of the synodal meeting says that for a cleric, such disclosure will entail a ban on ministry for up to a year, and if repeated, – up to three years. For monastics, the punishment will be suspension from communion for up to a year, if repeated, – up to three years.

It will be possible to disclose information within the church only with the blessing of the Patriarch or the eparchial bishop, reports Interfax-Religion.

The reason was the cases of disclosure of internal church secrets, explained in the ROC.

As reported, at a meeting on August 25, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted a number of decisions, including the appointment of Bishop Veniamin (Tupeko) of Borisov and Maryina Gorka as a new head of the Belarusian Exarchate.

Read also