Victims’ Group Outraged That Synod Again Delays Defrocking Convicted Archbishop

SNAP
March 23, 2015

http://www.snapnetwork.org/canada_ny

At their recent meeting in Syosset, New York, the bishops of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) again delayed defrocking Canadian Archbishop Seraphim Storheim.

[oca.org]

Members of an abuse survivors' group are outraged that the synod still has not removed the archbishop from the ranks of clergy. He was the OCA’s highest ranking clergyman in Canada, but was convicted of sexually assaulting an 11 year old altar boy in January of 2014 and is currently in jail.

[winnipegfreepress.com]

[ctvnews.ca]

[winnipegsun.com]

The OCA’s synod instead “reviewed” the report of the Synodal Commission, as well as procedures and a date for the spiritual court. They also appointed a committee of three bishops to “develop appropriate procedures.”

[oca.org]

Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, say that the denomination has publicly acknowledged that their sex abuse policy requires that clergy who have been convicted of child sexual abuse be laicized.

[oca.org]

[snapnetwork.org]

[snapnetwork.org]

“This ‘spiritual court’ seems to me to be little more than a time-wasting formality,” said Cappy Larson of SNAP. “Both Archbishop Seraphim's guilt and church policy are crystal clear.”

“At least Archbishop Seraphim can’t use his religious title to hurt children from behind bars,” added Melanie Jula Sakoda, also of SNAP, “But what happens when he completes his sentence?”

“The OCA can’t afford to have the archbishop’s die-hard supporters expose kids to danger to prove to him that they trust him completely,” concluded Larson.