We Were Deceived by Backers of Convicted Archbishop

SNAP
March 3, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/canada_ministers_we_were_deceived_by_backers_of_convicted_archbishop

Ministers say they were "deceived"

Fundraiser for convicted predator won't happen in Ottawa

He was Orthodox Church’s highest ranking cleric in Canada

But in Jan a judge found archbishop guilty of sexually assaulting a boy

Victims’ group calls for investigation into "hurtful & disturbing situation"

SNAP: “Discipline church officials who participated in this callous effort”

Two ministers at an Ottawa parish say that they were “deceived” by a group planning to use their church to hold a fundraiser for a convicted child molesting cleric.

Late last week, leaders at Woodroffe United Church in Ottawa wrote to SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, saying that they did not know the scheduled March 5 event was to benefit Archbishop Seraphim Storheim, who was found guilty last month of molesting a boy. Storheim was the Orthodox Church in America’s (OCA) highest ranking cleric in Canada.

SNAP had written to Woodroffe pastors Rev. Matt Gallinger (613-722-9250 x223, matt@woodroffeunited.org) and Rev. Jan Lougheed (613-722-9250 x226, 613-799-6238, jlough@rogers.com) urging them to block the fundraiser.

Within hours of hearing from SNAP, the pastors cancelled the event and said that it would not be rescheduled in their parish.

(The complete text of the pastors' letter is pasted below.)

Now, SNAP is asking OCA officials to identify those who allegedly deceived the Woodroffe parish and who they say hurt victims by promoting a public benefit for a child predator. They are also asking that any church officials who participated be severely disciplined.

“Publicly rallying around a proven child predator is morally wrong and intimidates other child sex abuse victims into staying silent,” said Melanie Jula Sakoda of SNAP. “It's also wrong to lie to other churches. The OCA hierarchy should investigate both parts of this controversy and publicly discipline those responsible so it won't happen again.”

SNAP sent letters denouncing the proposed fundraiser to the OCA, the OCA's Archdiocese of Canada, the United Church of Canada, and the Woodroffe parish on the morning of February 27th. The victims’ group asked each to cancel or denounce the event. SNAP pointed out that a public event benefiting a convicted pedophile “hurt at least one child sex abuse victim and deterred other child sex abuse victims from speaking up.”

[snapnetwork.org]

The victims’ group is again writing to the OCA and the Archdiocese of Canada, pushing for an investigation:

Orthodox Church in America

Metropolitan Tikhon Mollard, Tel: 516-922-0550

Archdiocese of Canada

Bishop Irenee Rochon, Tel: 613-223-7780

(The complete texts of the letters are pasted below.)

The proposed fundraiser was advertized on a website called “Our Love and Support to Archbishop Seraphim (Storheim).” However, it's not clear who is responsible for this website, or who organized the proposed benefit and allegedly misled the Woodroffe parish.

[archbishopseraphim.org]

The site’s webmaster is Alexander Ovodov (604-904-9550, info@archbishopseraphim.org). Ovodo is a parishioner and webmaster at Sobor of the Holy Resurrection in Vancouver, British Columbia (Rector: Archpriest Mikhail Fourik 604-325-1922 work, 604-322-0024 home, mfourik@hotmail.com ).

[archbishopseraphim.org]

[archbishopseraphim.org]

[enom.com]

In addition, Ovodov was the webmaster of the Canadian archdiocese’s site from 2007 until at least 2010. He may very well still hold this position.

[archdiocese.ca]

[holyres.org/]

Melanie Sakoda of SNAP believes that it is inappropriate for the Church to allow a man who has an official position in his parish, and possibly the archdiocese, from taking such a visible role in supporting the convicted archbishop.

“I’m not sure why the OCA and the Archdiocese of Canada are tolerating this obvious conflict of interest. However, it certainly explains why the Holy Resurrection website had materials supportive of the archbishop back in 2011, and continues to have them today.”

[snapnetwork.org]

[holyres.org]

Cappy Larson, also of SNAP added, “The bishops need to take immediate action to get to the bottom of this deplorable situation. Victims were hurt and intimidated, and clergy in another faith community are saying the event organizers lied to them. If any OCA officials were involved, their heads should roll.”

Support from a couple of church officials can be found on the Archbishop Seraphim website.

[archbishopseraphim.org]

[archbishopseraphim.org]

[archbishopseraphim.org]

Archbishop Lazar is a retired OCA bishop. Scratch is a member of the Saint Tikhon Archdiocesan Stewards Committee.

[ca.org]

[archdiocese.ca]

[archdiocese.ca]

Storheim was suspended by the OCA following his arrest for child sexual abuse in November of 2010. The archbishop was accused of sexually abusing 11 year old twin boys. He was tried last year on those charges and was convicted of abusing one of the men last month. Storheim will be sentenced later this year. The archbishop is also awaiting the outcome of an internal church investigation.