Parish in Norway Breaks Ties with the Russian Orthodox Church

The Epiphany Parish in the city of Bergen (Norway) has officially announced its departure from the Russian Orthodox Church. The decision was supported by a large majority of parish members: 135 voted in favor, and only 16 were against. This marks the first such case in Northern Europe. The results of the vote were shared by the parish priest, Archpriest Dmytro Ostanin, on his Facebook page.

The parish priest, originally from Ukraine, explained that the decision had been long in the making and that he personally initiated the vote after collecting the necessary number of signatures. The parish is predominantly composed of people from Ukraine.

“I hope the parish members understand how important this is. Right now, we stand on the brink of war in Europe. We must be prepared. Support for Moscow is currently harmful to the people, to Norway, and to our security,” the priest said.

Earlier, we reported that Estonia’s Ministry of the Interior adviser on religious affairs, Ringo Ringvee, stated that the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate poses a threat to national security. He described the ministry’s interest in the jurisdiction as a “reaction to the messages of the Russian Orthodox Church” and the behavior of its leaders.