New cases of church trials of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church

The research presented in the article continues the study of the topic related to church proceedings, which was developed earlier. In 2024, there were new cases of church trials of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church: at the beginning of the year, an attempt was made to convict Metropolitan Leonid (Gorbachev), the former Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, which ended with his dismissal from the staff; and in July, Bishop Ignatius (Punin) was defrocked, who had previously headed Minusinsk diocese. Since these processes have not yet been studied in view of church law, their consideration is relevant and may be of important practical significance for generalizing law enforcement practice and improving the church regulatory framework. The following conclusions are made. Both defendants faced moral charges. Generally consistent with the violations committed, the canons applied in the case of Bishop Ignatius included some procedural violations: the formally expired term of office of most judges, the lack of information about the composition of the court and the appearance of the accused at the court session, etc. It is also pointed out that there are gaps in the Regulations on the Ecclesiastical Court, which in some cases make it impossible to appeal against court decisions. The article is based on the report presented at the VIII Barsov Readings (St. Petersburg Theological Academy, 06.12.2024).