Prayer standing to be held in Vinnitsa on court day of Met. Simeon vs UOC
Vinnitsa eparchy called upon believers to prayerfully support the UOC due to the court hearing on January 30 of the suit of former Metropolitan Simeon (Shostatsky).
On January 30, Vinnitsa eparchy announced a standing in prayer near Vinnitsa City Court, where the trial of Metropolitan Simeon (Shostatsky), banned in the ministry, against the Kiev Metropolitanate of the UOC will take place. It is reported by the press service of Vinnitsa eparchy.
“On January 30, at 11 am, in the Vinnitsa City Court, there will be a meeting on the case of the former Metropolitan Simeon,” the report says. “We call upon the clergy and believers of Vinnitsa eparchy to express their support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, as well as reject the actions of Metropolitan Simeon by having gathered at the prayerful standing at Vinnitsa City Court at 17 Grushevskogo Str. The get-together starts at 10.30.
On December 28, Metropolitan Simeon turned to the Vinnitsa city court of Vinnitsa region. In his lawsuit, the hierarch asks the court to cancel the Decree of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine dated December 17, 2018, whereby he was released from the administration of Vinnitsa eparchy of the UOC and banned in priesthood.
This lawsuit was regarded by the UOC as an attempt to return to the bosom of the canonical Church, since it is impossible to be reinstated as a chancellor of the Vinnitsa eparchy without being a bishop of the UOC. As the UOJ reported, on December 17, 2018, the Holy Synod of the UOC dismissed Metropolitan Simeon (Shostatsky) of Vinnitsa and Bar from the administration of Vinnitsa eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and banned him in the ministry for backsliding into schism.
