Thursday, October 17, 2019

Another chapter in the Archimandrite Alexander (Belya) story

You may remember this name from earlier posts about the false nomination of this man to the episcopate.


(ROCOR-EAD) - To the Orthodox Hierarchs, Clergy & Faithful of the Eastern Seaboard of the USA

OPEN INFORMATIONAL BULLETIN
OF THE EASTERN AMERICAN DIOCESE
OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OUTSIDE RUSSIA

With this open letter, we respectfully inform the hierarchs of the Canonical Churches of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, their clergymen and faithful, of the following painful situation taking place in Dania Beach, FL, and North Fort Myers, FL.

A clergyman of the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Archimandrite Alexander (Belya), betraying the trust and love of his archpastors, led the Cathedral of Blessed Matrona of Moscow in Dania Beach, FL, and St. Nicholas Monastery in North Fort Myers, FL, out of the structure of the canonical authority of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Having been suspended from performing his priestly functions, Archimandrite Alexander has not submitted to the decrees of his Ruling Bishop, and is not responding to summonses to be questioned by a special diocesan investigative committee appointed to examine his activities and those of his younger brother, Ivan Alexandrovich Belya.

Representatives of the special diocesan investigative committee in clerical rank, having been granted by the blessing of the Ruling Bishop with special authorities, were not permitted into the Cathedral of Blessed Matrona of Moscow, blocked by armed guards, which is an unheard-of occurrence in the Orthodox community of the United States.

It became known to us that the suspended Archimandrite Alexander, on Sunday, October 13 (n.s.) 2019, ignoring his suspension from priestly duties imposed by his Ruling Bishop, brazenly performed Divine Liturgy, commemorating His All-Holiness the Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, Archbishop of America, Exarch of the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans.

All the clergymen of the Cathedral of Blessed Matrona of Moscow and St. Nicholas Monastery maintained their fealty to the Russian Orthodox Church and refused to participate in the dubious church services. The resident clerics of St. Nicholas Monastery, Archimandrites Stefan (Khilchuk) and Siluan (Lembai) were expelled from the monastery with brute force by suspended Archimandrite Alexander and his younger brother Ivan, the latter prohibited from the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Mitred Archpriest Serge Prisacaru, as he was being removed from the Cathedral of Blessed Matrona, was not even allowed to bid farewell to the flock to whom he ministered for many years. For the time being, the clerics have been reassigned to St. Vladimir Church in Miami.

We can only surmise, unfortunately, that the hierarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate, against the background of her complicated and unfortunate relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church, either fell victim to deception, or consciously received the suspended cleric. The bishops of the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Church Abroad express their hope and lift up their prayers to Christ our Savior that these difficulties between Local Churches are temporary and do not lead to the trampling of the most basic Church canons and the complete collapse of discipline on the American continents.

The bishops of the Eastern American Diocese caution their flock of the spiritual perils they face. From the point of the view of the Russian Church Abroad, Archimandrite Alexander remains suspended from his priestly functions, burdened by additional canonical violations – performing church services while under suspension. The attempt to flee his canonical obediences and hide his actions through an illicit escape to another ecclesiastical jurisdiction only opens up new dangers for the salvation of both Fr. Archimandrite himself and all those who follow him.

All the devoted children of the Russian Church Abroad are given blessing to depart from the Cathedral of Blessed Matrona and St. Nicholas Monastery, and cease prayerful communion with the suspended Archimandrite Alexander and those with him. From the point of view of the Russian Church Abroad, the Sacraments and prayers performed there do not lead to salvation into Eternal Life.

To those of our flock who wish to preserve dedication to the Russian Orthodox Church, but through some circumstances ignore our blessings, we still express our love, but be aware that responsibility for their spiritual future lie upon them and the hierarchs who take this responsibility upon themselves!

May the peace and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all!

14 comments:

  1. Let's see if the EP makes an uproar of this like they do the Rue Daru...

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  2. Wow. I live in N. Ft Myers and generally attend Holy Cross (OCA). In the past I have been to the local Greek parish of the Annunciation though not since the recent unpleasantness over Ukraine. I'd always wanted to visit the monastery but never got around to it. My options are getting pretty thin here.

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    1. Heavy, heavy stuff going on here. Panagia Theotokos, soson imas kai olos O Kosmos Amin

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    2. John (Ad Orientem) Fr. Alexander Belya is the found of "Orthodox Florida" published in Russia-have you ever read it?

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  4. I pray that they are not received by the EP. Not that way.

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  6. I hope this hasn't happened. That being said, the ROCOR can receive people from Constantinople without a release, but now Constantinople can't do the same in return? The righteous indignation in the comments is a bit much...

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    1. While you're right, the Russian side shouldn't make too big a deal about him switching without a release, the issue is that receiving without a release is at least consistent with the Moscow Patriarchate's position of having ceased communion with Constantionple.

      However, Constantinople loves to make a big show of how they didn't reciprocate in breaking communion, of how they don't use the Eucharist as a weapong like that, how Russia is the aggressor, etc.

      Thus to recieve without a release is inconsistent with their public position.

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    2. The EP constantly receives people without a release in most of the world. They consider it their prerogative to be able to.

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    3. The ROCOR has a verifiable track record of receiving many priests without a release.

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  7. As a friend mentioned earlier today, this guy sounds like a "little Philaret" (Denisenko, head of the "Kiev Patriarchate"), playing jurisdictional musical chairs after being suspended.

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    1. There has to be more to this story and I will wait and see before casting aspersions on Fr. Alexander's head or spreading rumors. I mean Fr. Alexander had a flawless record and reputation until now. He built up that parish of reportedly 2,000 adherents and according to the parish web site it is a flourishing parish. The fact that the parish sided with Fr. Alexander shows how much they love their priest. I am going to see what is on the Russian language sites.

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  8. Sad to say sometimes we priests are worst enemies of Christ. God be merciful unto us.

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