Bishop Diomid Dzyuban of Anadyr and Chukotka (1961- ), renegade bishop deposed and interdicted by the MP Archpastoral Council and Holy Synod
Vladivostok, 30 June 2008 (RIA-Novosti):
A Russian Orthodox bishop, who was deposed from Holy Orders on Friday and interdicted for provoking a schism, appealed the decision with a church court, a church official said on Monday. The dispute could evolve into the first major schism in the Russian Orthodox Church, which saw a major resurgence after decades of atheism under Soviet rule. Bishop Diomid, the head of the diocese covering the sparsely-populated Chukotka Peninsula in Russia’s extreme northeast, refused to repent, which was a condition laid down by the Moscow Patriarchate to suspend his deposition, and served liturgy on Sunday. “Bishop Diomid does not agree with the decision made by the Church’s Archpastoral Council, he has lodged a complaint with a church court”, a church official in Chukotka said. “The bishop intends to address [a court session] himself”.
Diomid criticised the Church for backing the current government’s “anti-national” policies and contacts with other faiths. In a letter published in a leading newspaper, he also slammed the Group of Eight major industrialised nations as a body of global Masonry designed to pave the way for the arrival of a single global leader, or antichrist. The bishop also called for an end to taxpayer identification numbers, modern passports, and cell phones.
In a resolution, the MP Archpastorl Council denied the accusations, saying the Church has always expressed its concerns about negative social trends, adding that Diomid’s calls for rejecting contacts with other religious groups were a display of sectarian ideology and schism. Diomid found support among a small group of Russian Orthodox laity and clergymen. His clerical supporters were also interdicted. His supporters rallied in Moscow last week, demanding the resignation of Patriarch Aleksei II. They beat up several journalists with icons and clashed with Kremlin-backed youth group activists, who condemned Diomid.
“This is an outrageous defiance of the integrity of the Russian Church”, Fr Vladimir Vigilynsky, an MP spokesman, told the newspaper Kommersant on Sunday, commenting on Diomid’s moves. But, he said the bishop still had time to repent before the Holy Synod gathers in mid-July. Speaking at liturgy in Anadyr, the capital of Chukotka, on Sunday, Bishop Diomid said he would not repent, as he did not believe he was guilty of anything.
RIA-Novosti
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080630/112556618.html (in English)
Editor’s Note:
There is much less to this than meets the eye. Not one bishop at the Archpastoral Council spoke in favour of this renegade and schismatic. He is isolated and alone in his vapourings amongst the episcopate. No doubt, he shall carry some clerics and laity into schism with him, and, no surprise here, he shall probably join Agafangel’s group of ROCOR rebels. Look for the loony-right to make tremendous noise concerning this, and to predict the imminent downfall of the MP.
The Church shall go on, as it always has, and we shouldn’t pay much mind to schismatics such as Diomid after they leave. Of course, it is our obligation as Orthodox Christians to pray for those misled by the likes of Diomid, Agafangel, Valentin, and Yakunin. However, we should not argue with such sorts. It is pointless, solves nothing, and is no good for either party. Satan laughs.
God help us all.
