Moscow Patriarchate Releases Statement Regarding Situation in Latvian Orthodox Church Following Bishop Consecration Contrary to Church Statues

OCP News Service – 16/08/2023

Moscow – Russia: the Moscow Patriarchate’s Office for Dioceses of the Near Abroad on August 15, 2023, issued a statement on the state of affairs in the Latvian Orthodox Church. The statement was published after the news of the consecration of the bishop against the church statutes by the Latvian Orthodox Church (self-governing) under the Russian Orthodox Church.

Archimandrite John (Lipšāns) was consecrated as Bishop of Valmiera by His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander of Riga, His Eminence Archbishop Alexander of Daugavpils, and His Grace Bishop John of Jelgava on August 13, 2023.

The Moscow Patriarchate statement reads as follows:

“It is known that on August 13 in the Riga Cathedral, in violation of the statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, the consecration of Archimandrite John (Lipsans) as Bishop of Valmiera was performed.

We understand the difficult political circumstances in which the Latvian Orthodox Church finds itself today, but this is not a reason to violate church unity.

The Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, which will take place in good time, will have to give a canonical assessment of everything that is happening today in the Latvian Orthodox Church.

We call on all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church to intensify their holy prayers, to unswervingly preserve the unity of Holy Orthodoxy, and under the omophorion of our Primate, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, to continue their life path without succumbing to the pressure and temptations of external destructive forces”.

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Source:
OCP News Service