The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has excommunicated Bishop Adrian (Kulik) of Shepetivka, banning him from public sermons, for assaulting a woman.
“The Synod heard the Report of the Primate, His Beatitude Epifaniy, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, in the case accusing the titular bishop of Shepetivka, Adrian (Kulik), of a violation subject to a severe canonical punishment (Apostolic Rule 27, Rule 9 of Constantinople Double Council),” reads a statement the OCU press service released on Tuesday, November 23.
After hearing reports regarding the case and personal explanations delivered by Adrian (Kulik), the titular bishop of Shepetivka, in which he partially pleaded guilty to the charges, the Holy Synod concluded that His Eminence Bishop Adrian (Kulik) had indeed committed violations of law, for which canonical rules (Apostolic Rule 27, Rule 9 of the Double Council of Constantinople) envisage severe punishment.
Apostolic rule 27 prosecutes bishops, presbyters, or deacons who beat the faithful sinners or the unfaithful victims. For the Lord did not teach us either of this: on the contrary, being himself beaten, he did not strike back, being rebuked, he did not rebuke others, and while suffering, he did not threaten anyone.
In early November, reports appeared in Ukrainian media claiming Bishop Adrian (Kulik) of Shepetivka, an OCU hierarch, had assaulted a woman amid an altercation over a neighbor’s dog, which allegedly disturbed the priest and his family with its barking.
“In this regard, titular bishop Adrian of Shepetivka has been released from duties with a ban on public worship. In a year from the time of the adoption of this Resolution, the Holy Synod will take a decision on his further service,” the statement reads.
