The former Chicago bishop of the Orthodox Church in America who was asked to retire amid allegations of sexual misconduct two years ago has been serving as a parish priest in eastern Pennsylvania without permission from the national church.
Bishop Matthias, born David Lawrence Moriak, has been serving at the parish in Hermitage, Pa., at the request of another bishop, said a church official. He stepped down from his post as head of the Midwest diocese in April 2013 after the church deemed sexual misconduct what he described as "unwelcome written and spoken comments to a woman that she regarded as an inappropriate crossing of personal boundaries."
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At the time, Metropolitan Tikhon, leader of the denomination in North
America, said Matthias would not return to his leadership post in
Chicago. Whether he would be allowed to serve in a ministry role during
his retirement was unclear.
"The healing of the diocese and of the
complainant as well as Bishop Matthias' own healing would not be
possible should he be returned to the diocese as a ruling hierarch," the
Metropolitan said in a statement at the time. "The Holy Synod offered
him some time to reflect upon this action and to plan for his
transition."
But
victims advocates say allowing the bishop to return to any form of
active ministry violates the church's zero-tolerance policy.
Ousted Orthodox bishop serving in Pennsylvania parish - Chicago Tribune
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