Balamand, October 8, 2023
Further to the statement issued by the Antiochian Orthodox Media Center on 7-10-2023 regarding the case of Archimandrite Jean Mansour, the former patriarchal vicar in Sweden and Scandinavia, and in light of a decision by the Patriarchal See to defrock Archimandrite Mansour from the priesthood and laicize him, we give the following clarification:
The primitive clerical disciplinary court for patriarchal vicariates had issued a decision in the case of Archimandrite Jean Mansour on 5-10-2023, which embraced Archimandrite Jean Mansour with mercy by urging him to repent and giving him the opportunity to re-evaluate himself and return to the clerical discipline. Although the serious abuses committed by Archimandrite Jean Mansour require immediate defrocking from the priesthood in accordance with the provisions of the canonical law, the decision provided for the reduction of the maximum sentence, which is the defrocking from the priesthood, and its replacement by suspending Archimandrite Jean Mansour from the priestly service for two years and asking him to remain in the monastery of Our Lady of the Patriarchal Balamand in Lebanon, in order that he may have a period of spiritual retreat, return to oneself and have a period of sincere repentance.
However, the surprise was the appearance of Archimandrite Jean Mansour personally on social networking sites on 7 – 10 – 2023 in a video in which he declares his affiliation with an entity that is not recognized by the entire Orthodox Church, and it is mentioned that the recording of the aforementioned video took place earlier, that is, during the period when Archimandrite Jean Mansour was asking more time for him to appear before the Court and to come to the monastery of Our Lady of Balamand in commitment to his written pledge signed by him before His Beatitude.
In light of these developments, the Antiochian Church is keen to provide the following:
– The Antiochian Orthodox Church, through her decisions regarding the Archimandrite, Jean Mansour, whether from the patriarchal See or the clerical disciplinary court, has remained faithful to the ecclesiastical spirit, especially that when Archimandrite Jean Mansour was asked about the issue of remaining in the priesthood and continuing to belong to the Antiochian Orthodox Church, or that he has joined other affiliations, he made a written statement addressed to His Beatitude on 09- 06 -2023, as follows:
“In light of what Your Beatitude has heard that I left the Antiochian Church, and joined the so-called “church of the followers of the old calendar,” I confirm under the present letter that this accusation is not true.
Thus, I affirm that the Antiochian Orthodox Church is the church to which I belong, and that my church authority is Your Beatitude since I am administratively subordinate to your patriarchal See.“
In the same meeting with His Beatitude, Archimandrite Jean Mansour agreed in writing about the decision to suspend him from service and his obligation to remain in the monastery of Balamand for the duration of the investigation of his case.
The fact that Archimandrite Jean Mansour announced his formal defection from the Antiochian Orthodox Church reinforces the conviction of the disciplinary court and its decisions, since this defection in itself constitutes a violation that necessitates the defrocking from the priesthood according to the decision issued by the Patriarchal See.
– It was necessary to publish this statement to inform the parish and the flock of Christ, and to emphasize that the purity of the Church is from the purity of her Incarnate Lord for the salvation of man, stressing that the pitfalls have previously been found throughout history, and will be found later, because of the sins of human beings. However, the grace of God that formulated the honorable ecclesiastical laws will continue to purify man so that the Church of Christ remains His eternal Bride, and the gates of hell will not overcome her.
-saying we send our fervent prayers to all our children, especially the children of the parishes and the clergy in the vicariate of Sweden and Scandinavian countries, to preserve the unity that characterizes them as members of the Church of Christ to achieve the witness of the church and her mission in the world, affirming what we experience together on the morning of every Sunday and every time we celebrate the Divine Liturgy that we and you exist in a unity originating from the Holy Eucharistic Cup and the glorious history of our Antiochian Church, which still shines in the land of our beloved East and wherever her children are living abroad.
Antioch Patriarchate بطريركية أنطاكية وسائر المشرق للروم الأرثوذكس