print this page

Trial of “Pidhirtsi Fathers” Finished

30.09.2008, [18:04] // UGCC //

A press conference on St. Yur’s Hill in Lviv on September 17th announced a guilty verdict in the “Pidhirtsi Fathers” trial.
In the beginning of June, the court opened the criminal trial of hieromonachs from the Order of St. Basil the Great: Illia A. Dohnal, Metodii R. Shpirzhik, Markiian V. Hitiuk and priest Robert Oberhauser. The Collective Tribunal of Sokal and Zhovkva Eparchies excommunicated the priests in trial. According to law, the sentence specified that “whoever consider themselves wronged by this sentence has a right to appeal within 15 days of the announcement of the sentence to the Tribunal of the Supreme Archbishop of UGCC at the address: Saint George Square, 5; city of Lviv, 79000; Ukraine." The accused priests appealed the sentence on June 12, 2008.

In the second court hearing, the Tribunal considered the appeal of accused priests concerning the sentences passed on August 29th. For the good of the Church, spiritual good of the faithful, and in the name of the Holy Trinity, the court recognized the legal arguments of the sentences but found the accused guilty. The priests were convicted of illegal assumption of authority and illegal administration of ministry (violation of can. 1462 CCEC), inciting rebellion against the local hierarchy, including Bishop Mykhail Koltun Major Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych Lubomyr Husar (violation of can. 1447 §1 CCEC), and causing injustice and serious harm to the good reputation of the above-mentioned persons and to other hierarchs of the UGCC through slander (violation of can. 1452 CCEC). The final sentence was excommunication.

"In consideration of other persons, spiritual and lay, who cooperated with and supported the mentioned priests, the Tribunal of the Major Archbishopric of the UGCC warns that their canonical status in the Catholic Church is under threat in view of the danger of joining to a group of persons who commit grave crimes. Therefore this Tribunal calls them to submit to the decision of the Bishop of the Sokal' and Zhovkva Eparchy of the Greek-Catholic Church and the hierarchy of this eparchy,” said the September 10th decree of Bishop Mikhail (Koltun).

"The sentence of the Church’s tribunal of the first and second instances demonstrates a painful fact for the Church, namely that, through ambitions, words, and behavior, the priests Illia A. Dohnal, A. Metodii R. Shpirzhik, Markiyan V. Hitiuk and Robert Oberhauzer put themselves beyond the church community, outside the limits of the Catholic Church. They said that they wish to reform the Church, to do good for it. However, through the methods of their acts they inflicted only harm and suffering on the Church’s body through confusion which was sown in the hearts of faithful by their statements. I sincerely hope that the judicial sentence will be an opportunity for them to consider and give a critical glance at their actions which led to such a sad result," said Patriarch Lubomyr to the Information Department of the UGCC.