The Kelowna
October 5, 2010
http://www.kelowna.com/2010/10/05/archbishop-steps-down-amid-abuse-claims/
 |
A high-ranking Canadian archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America, who was a priest in Winnipeg nearly 30 years ago, has stepped down amid allegations of sexual abuse.
In a statement released on the website of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), church officials said Archbishop Seraphim Storheim, 66, of Ottawa is on a leave of absence as police in Canada investigate abuse claims.
The OCA's statement indicates the church is co-operating with investigators and that an internal probe is underway.
Winnipeg police could not be immediately reached for comment, but media outlets are reporting that local sex-crimes investigators have opened an investigation.
Storheim's leave as head of the archdiocese began Oct. 1, the OCA's statement said.
Storheim was the rector of Holy Trinity Sobor [parish] in Winnipeg's North End from December 1984 to June 1987, according to an online biography on the church's website.
The Canadian diocese of the OCA was established in 1903.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.