BREAKING: ROCOR Rejects Reception of Bp. Emilianos, Rescinds Reception of Australian Deacon

Bp. Emilianos of Meloa. Photo: Markellos Petropoulos

MUNICH — According to UOJ sources, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) has rejected a petition to receive His Grace Bp. Emilianos of Meloa and rescinded the reception of His Grace's deacon, Christos Karafotias.

Both actions — the petition for Bp. Emilianos and the reception of his deacon — were taken by His Eminence Abp. Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, who has served as the locum tenens of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America since the repose of Abp. Peter of blessed memory.

The ROCOR Council is currently in session in Munich to honor the 100th anniversary of the German Diocese of ROCOR. Its position is that, in accordance with the Holy Canons, Bp. Emilianos and Dcn. Christos remain clerics of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia due to the lack of any canonical release. "ROCOR is committed to following the canons regarding the reception of clerics," UOJ's source said.

As previously reported by UOJ-America, Bp. Emilianos is currently suspended by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which defrocked Dcn. Christos Karafotias as part of the same decree in February. At that time, Dcn. Christos announced that he had been received by Abp. Gabriel back in December.

"He claims that, when seeking a blessing to study in the United States, he was told to find a new jurisdiction to be under," the previous reporting states. "According to Karafotias, multiple attempts at communication with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia to facilitate his transfer were ignored. Because of the 'constant disrespect' in ignoring communication, Karafotias stated, Abp. Gabriel moved ahead with accepting him."

Bp. Emilianos is currently living in Dallas while studying at Dallas Baptist University. While serving his liturgical suspension, he has remained active in ministry through spiritual talks and interviews, including a recent discussion with UOJ-America.

"All the (Ecumenical Patriarchate) managed to do is to take away — more or less — six Divine Liturgies I would have celebrated at the OCA Cathedral in the next six months," Bp. Emilianos told UOJ in February. "I can live with it. They cannot stop me from talking about God, even if they were to canonically and unethically defrock me in the way they just punished me."

More decisions from the Council — including a potential update on the commission to investigate the life and sanctity of Fr. Seraphim Rose — will be reported on by UOJ-America as they come to pass.

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