The Resolution of the Sobor of Bishops Concerning Archbishop Varnava

47/04/М

6/19 November 2004
St. Paul, Archbishop of Constantinople

We heard: The report regarding the matter of Archbishop Varnava, wherein mention is made, again, of the last conciliar Act, passed at the 25 June/8 July 2004 session of the Synod, concerning his being prohibited from  performing sacred duties; and wherein mention is also made of his refusal to recognize the Sobor's decisions, the majority of which he himself signed, as well as of his spreading-about of false information concerning the conducting of affairs by the Synod of Bishops.

Specifically:

1) His refusal to recognize the conciliar decision of  8/21 August 2002 concerning the grouping of Archbishop Lazar and the corresponding Ukaz of  1/14 November 2003, as well as all sorts of support for the Lazarite grouping, up to and including the publication of his declarations and Epistles on their official web-site.

2) His refusal to recognize the 16-20 May 2003 decisions of the Sobor, which were resolved upon and signed by Vl. Metropolitan and by Bishops Sergii, Vladimir and Varfolomey, and some of which were signed by himself; in part contradicting the hierotonia of Fr. Viktor Pivovarov, which he himself had proposed, and at the same time calumniating Fr. Victor concerning his family situation and his ordination.

3) His refusal to recognize the Synod of 15/28 November 2003, labelling this Synod of Bishops (in which he himself participated and all the decisions of which he bound with his signature) «a Conference of Protopriests» and its conducting of affairs «an outrageous disgrace» (Letter dated 14/27 December 2003). In past, concerning the question of hieromonk Serafim (Baranchikov), Archbishop Varnava, having himself signed the decision to defrock him, subsequently permitted him to celebrate sacrilegious «divine services».

4) Contrary to the conciliar decision of 1998 concerning the release of the Rumanian eparchy from submission to ROCA, Archbishop Varnava arbitrarily took it under his omofor on 2 February 2002, in violation of general ecclesiastical canons.

5) His false assertion that the directives ostensibly touching upon his retirement bore forged signatures, thus changing the subject of the conciliar decision to a supposed interference into another's eparchy.

6) His refusal to recognize the synodal decision concerning the removal of the prohibitions imposed upon mitred protopriest Veniamin Joukoff.

«In view of the aforementioned violations, which clearly testify to Archbishop Varnava's refusal to submit to the decisions of the Supreme Church Authority in a host of essential issues of ecclesiastical  organization and the moral structure of church life, and taking into account the written comments and opinions of all the Hierarchs:

To prohibit Archbishop Varnava from performing sacred rites, until such time as he repents.

To remind Archbishop Varnava that one who ventures to officiate at Divine Services while under ban is deprived of his ecclesiastical state».

At the aforementioned session of the Synod, Bp. Antonii of Los Angeles and South America was charged with conveying this Resolution into Archbishop Varnava's hands, which was done at Cannes on Saturday 25 July 2004.  Archbishop Varnava read the document and said: «I will reply in writing».

As a result, Archbishop Varnava:

- has not ceased to serve, and the defrocked monk Serafim Baranchikov also continues to serve.

- four days later he published a «Declaration» on the Lazarite web-site, which he signed «of Cannes and Western Europe».

This «Declaration» attempts to shake-up trust in our Church, making Her Hierarchs of no account; at the same time, he calls upon all [Her] faithful sons and daughters to find the age-old spirit of the Church Abroad, presupposing thereby an imitation of himself.

In October of this year, Archbishop Varnava travelled to Russia and served in Podol'sk with the defrocked Aleksii Averyanov.  He likewise served in Petersburg in the house church of Fr. Aleksii Makrinov.

Recently, a web-site, called an official organ of the Western European eparchy, was set up with his blessing, as the Archbishop of Cannes and Western Europe.

Archbishop Varnava is definitely acting to destroy our Church, being motivated by an alien will.

On the basis of the aforementioned - and in accordance with the following Canons: Canon 1 of St. Basil the Great¹⁾, as well as Canon 18 of the IVth Oecumenical Council; Canon 6 of the II-nd Oecumenical Council,  Canon 34 of the VI-th Oecumenical Council, Canon 6 of the Council of Gangra; Canon 14 of the Council of Sardica; and Canons 14 and 15 of the First-Second Council of Constantinople - Archbishop Varnava is deprived of his episcopal rank.

+Metropolitan Vitaly
+Bishop Sergii
+Bishop Vladimir
+Bishop Varfolomey
+Bishop Antonii
+Bishop Viktor

Mitred Protopriest Veniamin Joukoff,
Secretary of the ROCA Synod of Bishops

49/04/M

6/19 November 2004
St. Paul, Archbishop of Constantinople

To Protodeacon German Ivanov-Trinadzaty
To Protopriest Christo Petkov
Lyons (France)

+Metropolitan Vitaly
+Bishop Sergii
+Bishop Vladimir
+Bishop Varfolomey
+Bishop Antonii
+Bishop Viktor

Mitred Protopriest Veniamin Joukoff, Secretary of the ROCA Synod of Bishops

¹⁾ «...arbitrary gatherings, assemblies, composed of unsubmissive presbyters or bishops, and uneducated folk.  For example, in the event that one who has been convicted of a sin and been removed from performing sacred rites, has nevetheless refused to submit to the canons, but has retained to himself seniority and sacred service, and some others, having left the catholic Church, have departed together with him, such comprise an arbitrary assembly».