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Orthodox Church in America Archbishop Removed for Hiding Alleged Rapist Priest

The presiding archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America has been dismissed for failing to remove from his post a priest who has been accused of raping a woman and arrested in relation to other alleged crimes.

"Metropolitan Jonah has repeatedly refused to act with prudence, in concert with his fellow bishops, in accordance with the Holy Synod's policies," the Orthodox Church in America said in a statement.

Metropolitan Jonah, 52, stepped down on Saturday from his position as archbishop of the 85,000-member church, which covers both the United States and Canada. He had served the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania, which comprises half the state, and about 2,000 members in the Philadelphia area.

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"In light of the recent widely publicized criminal cases involving sexual abuse at Penn State and in the Philadelphia Archdiocese and the Kansas City Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, the extent of the risk of liability to which Metropolitan Jonah has exposed the church cannot be overstated," the statement added.

So far, reports that the priest under Jonah's care raped a woman are only allegations, but church leaders said they would fully cooperate with the law to investigate the matter through. The man in question was not identified, but the synod shared further information of the link between the priest and Metropolitan Jonah.

"At some time after his enthronement as our primate, Metropolitan Jonah unilaterally accepted into the OCA a priest known to him and others to be . . . severely abusing alcohol, which more than once was coupled with episodes of violence and threats toward women," the church revealed. The priest allegedly raped the woman in 2010, and was arrested for incidents of discharging a firearm and brandishing a knife.

The Orthodox Church in America continued by outlining the various ways in which they feel Jonah has let down the church and his fellow bishops and all those who trusted in him – highlighting the fact that he was made aware of the accusations surrounding the priest, and not only did not act on them but concealed this information from everyone.

"We continue to pray for Metropolitan Jonah's spiritual needs even as his brother bishops have provided for his immediate material needs. He has no church assignment obligations, allowing him to focus on himself and his family," the lengthy statement concludes.

Metropolitan Jonah was ordained priest in 1994, before being named bishop in 2008.

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