Only hieromonk of Phanar in Philippines along with the parish joins ROC

Fr Philemon (Castro) moved from the Patriarchate of Constantinople to the ROC. Photo: the clergyman's Facebook page

Fr. Philemon (Castro) was one of five priests serving under Constantinople. One of the three parishes under his care also moved with him to the Russian Church, reports orthochristian.com.

“The Holy Cross Orthodox Church is now The Orthodox Church of “The Exaltation of the Precious and Life-creating Cross of the Lord” with the pastoral administration of Fr. Philemon Castro with the *Decree from Metropolitan Pavel of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Manila-Hanoi, and Metropolitan Sergiy of the Metropolitanate of Singapore and Southeast Asia, and with the blessing of HIS HOLINESS KIRILL Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Glory to Jesus Christ,” wrote Fr. Philemon on his Facebook page on December 23, 2020.

The day before, on December 22, Metropolitan Nektarios of Hong Kong and Southeast (Patriarchate of Constantinople) published a communiqué in which he stated that Fr. Philemon is suspended from service and "has no right to act as a priest of the Orthodox Church".

In this regard, the Phanar hierarch warned the flock living in the Philippines about the danger of "non-canonical Orthodox Churches".

In the same communiqué, the Metropolitan of the Patriarchate of Constantinople declared that yet another clergyman, hieromonk Felipe (Balingit), who is a member of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, is “non-canonical”.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the first temple of the Russian Orthodox Church was consecrated in the Philippines.

As reported, Fr Ioannis Fortomas, a priest of the Greek Orthodox Church, has joined the ROC. 

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