Seznam Zprávy: Prague Orthodox Diocese to fire 40 percent of its employees

The Prague Orthodox Diocese, the chief Orthodox diocese for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, has announced in an internal email that 40 percent of its employees, including all 52 members of its lower clergy, will be made redundant, news site Seznam Zprávy reported on Friday. The Church’s Moravian branch considers the move to be illegal, according to the outlet, which points out that the Church is set to receive more than a billion crowns in restitution money over the next 30 years.

The email states that the move is necessary in view of the overall reduction of costs and a decrease in income. The conflict in the Ukraine is also stated as a reason, but without further explanation, Seznam Zprávy writes. The Church received CZK 280 million from the state in restitution money just two years ago.

The vicar of the Orthodox Church’s Olomouc-Brno Diocese, Bishop Isaiah, condemned the decision as “outrageous, illegal and immoral” in a statement to Seznam Zprávy, accusing the head of the Prague Diocese, Michal Dandár, of acting without the approval of the council of the diocese. According to an unnamed source quoted by the news site, the Orthodox Church is the only church in the Czech Republic that has no approved economic strategy or internal legislature. The source, a former member of the Church who was active in its management of funds, told Seznam Zprávy that he fears further firings will come in the future.

Archbishop Michal Dandár has been the leader of the Prague Diocese since 2014. A former Communist State Security agent, he has come under criticism from members of the Orthodox clergy in recent weeks for his alleged pro-Russian orientation.