The «Pidhirtsi Fathers» are neither bishops nor monks

Priest Vasyl’ Shelepko  (monastic name Roman), a citizen of Ukraine, priest Jiří Špiřík (monastic name Cyril), a citizen of the Czech Republic, priest Richard Špiřík (monastic name Methodius), a citizen of the Czech Republic, priest Vasyl Hityuk (monastic name Markiyan), a citizen of Ukraine, and priest Antonin Dohnal (monastic name Elias), a citizen of the Czech Republic, no longer belong to the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat. This is discussed in the official communication of Fr. Vasyliy (Kovbych), proto-archimandrite of the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat. The proto-archimandrite issued his report on the basis of the decision of the Highest Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in relation to five celibate priests with lifelong vows in the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat, whom the proto-archimandrite with the council excluded from the order. His decrees were confirmed by the Holy See and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. On the basis of the decisions obtained from the Highest Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, all these priests, in accord with all consequences which follow from this conclusion, have no authority to wear the Basilian habit and to put near their first or last name the Basilian mark OSBM or OSBM-III. The official communication of Fr. Vasyliy (Kovbych) in .pdf format can be read in Ukrainian at: www.ugcc.org.ua/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/povidomlennya.pdf. Information On September 17, 2008, on Saint George’s Hill in Lviv, a press-conference at which the sentence of the court was officially promulgated in the case of the “Pidhirtsi Fathers” took place.  In the first days of June 2008 the Collegial Tribunal of the Sokal'-Zhovkva Eparchy in response to the criminal procedures of celibate priests of the OSBM Elias A. Dohnal, Methodius Špiřík, Markiyan V. Hityuk and the priest Robert Obergauzer imposed sentences on the first instance of the court, namely, that the noted priests must be punished with a great excommunication. It was noted in the sentence according to the law that «he who considers himself [unjustly] harmed by this sentence has a right during 15 useful days from the date of the announcement of the sentence to appeal to the Tribunal of the Major Archbishopric of the UGCC at the address: Saint George Square 5; city of Lviv, 79000; Ukraine.» The noted priests did this on June 12, 2008.  The Collegial Tribunal of the Major Archbishopric of the UGCC on the second degree of the court, considering the appeal of the celibate priests of the OSBM Elias A. Dohnal, Methodius Špiřík, Markiyan V. Hityuk and the priest Robert Obergauzer from the sentences at the session on August 29, 2008, caring for the good of the Church, and also for the spiritual good of the faithful in the name of the Holy Trinity, calling for the help of the Holy Spirit, acknowledged the legal and actual arguments of the sentences, passed in the first degree of the legal proceeding, confirmed these sentences with which the noted persons are acknowledged guilty of the crimes committed, namely:

- misappropriation of government and the illegal implementation of ministry (violation of can. 1462 CCEO);  - fostering rebellion and hatred against the local hierarch, Bishop Mikhail (Koltun), and Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych Lubomyr (Husar), and encouraging subordinates to disobedience in relation to them (violation of can. 1447 §1 CCEO); - causing injustice and serious harm to the good reputation of the above-mentioned persons and other hierarchs of the UGCC through slander (violation of can. 1452 CCEO); 

and has pronounced the punishment of great excommunication. The sentence judged by the Appeal Tribunal is the final one.

Information Department of the UGCC