OCU bans a "priest" for joining Filaret’s structure

Taras Mahora. Photo: Suspilne

"Metropolitan" Nestor of Ternopil and Kremenets of the OCU has banned Taras Mahora from "priesthood" for "gross violations of canonical order, disobedience, and participation in actions aimed at dividing the OCU", according to a post on the Facebook page of the Ternopil Eparchy of the Dumenko organisation.

However, Taras Mahora, who joined the jurisdiction of the UOC-KP, does not recognise the decree, as he stated in his comment under the post.

He claims that the decree "cannot have ecclesiastical legal force" as he has no relation to "Metropolitan" Nestor. "I am currently in the jurisdiction of the UOC-KP as an abbot of a monastery and secretary of the eparchy. Therefore, Nestor Pysyk's actions do not affect me," Mahora stated.

He also explained that the reason for his transition was the incompetent behaviour of "Bishop" Nestor: "I was dismissed without any consideration of the case, just like that. Moreover, I am a war veteran, and the bishop humiliated my dignity as a defender of the Homeland," the "priest" emphasised.

Mahora noted that when he was ordained in 2003, he swore allegiance to the UOC-KP and Filaret, and violating this oath is "unacceptable, because it leads to the loss of God's grace". He is confident that Metropolitan Nestor's actions will provoke a further mass shift of clerics to the UOC-KP: "Soon, with such incompetent actions, you will spark a mass migration of the clergy to the bosom of the Mother Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate," Mahora added.

As reported by the UOJ, Priest Andriy Shymanovych from the OCU decided to return to the UOC.

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