The abbot of the Moscow church of Elijah the Prophet, Father Superior Timofei, was deprived of the right to perform church services by a decision of the highest clergy of the Moscow city diocese. This is a strict disciplinary sanction, equivalent, for example, to the fact that if a government official were removed from his post.
In late July, Abbot Timofei, who was driving a two-seater sports car BMW, had an accident. His car, moving at high speed, crashed alternately into the Volkswagen Touareg and Toyota Corolla. Only miraculously did without victims. Significant material damage was inflicted. According to preliminary data, the clergyman was in a state of intoxication.
This incident led to a new outbreak of discussion about the moral character and lifestyle of some priests, who by no means are an example of humility and modesty, as commanded by Christ, thereby casting a shadow over the whole church. Especially when it became known that the ill-fated foreign car, managed by Abbot Timofei, had diplomatic numbers. In order to avoid the scandal and accusations of indulgence, the leadership of the Moscow city diocese considered it necessary to remove the guilty clergyman from conducting church services until the end of the investigation.
But soon a new emergency happened, even more scandalous and sad. In mid-August, the Mersedes-Benz Gelendwagen SUV, driving at night at high speed along Kutuzovsky Prospekt Moscow, ran into a group of workers involved in the repair of the road surface. From a terrible blow, two unfortunates died on the spot, another received serious injuries. The driver of the SUV tried to escape from the scene, thereby only exacerbating his guilt. When he was detained, it turned out that hieromonk Elijah was at the wheel (Semin in the world). He was also drunk. The news of this emergency has stirred society, again giving rise to harsh criticism of the misbehavior of some members of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The leadership of the Moscow city diocese forbade this priest to conduct church services until the end of the investigation. In addition, realizing that such incidents hurt the authority of the whole church, she hastened to make a statement condemning the conduct of the aforementioned priests. This statement also made it clear that those responsible for criminal offenses should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and their clergy should in no way be considered a mitigating circumstance.
