A Statement Concerning Savvas Ross
William Kent Ross (Father Savvas Ross) was a clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. He was tonsured a Reader by Bishop Hilarion of Manhattan on September 21, 1987. He left the Russian Church Abroad in 1999 when he understood the errors that the Russian Church Abroad had fallen into with their union with the heretic Cyprian of Fili. In leaving the Russian Church, he joined the Greek Old Calendarists through our (Dormition Skete’s) recommendation. At that time he presented us with a letter from Bishop Hilarion, dated May 6th, 1992, stating that he was a Reader in good standing.
In 2000 he was ordained a priest in Detroit by Metropolitan Niphon of Piraeos. When we and our clergy were released by the Greek Old Calendarists to join the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church under Metropolitan Valentine, Father Savvas and his Matushka followed us. Three years later we were informed that Father Savvas had a police record. This information was withheld from us by Fr. Savvas until it became know to us by others.
This state of affairs was presented to Metropolitan Valentine at the next Diocesan Council meeting to be decided by the Synod. Metropolitan Valentine decided that since Fr. Savvas had no incidents after he was made a clergyman, no punishment should be applied. When the schism occurred between Metropolitan Valentine and Archbishop Gregory, Father Savvas correctly chose to remain in union with his ruling hierarch, Archbishop Gregory, who had kept the holy canons with respect to this schism.
In 2003, documentation was presented to Archbishop Gregory which had been deliberately withheld by Fr. Savvas, namely that he had a police record after he became a lower clergyman, a Reader, that is to say, he committed a felony after Bishop Hilarion had asserted that he was a clergyman in good standing.
The Holy Canons stipulate that if information is deliberately withheld and it becomes known after someone is ordained, the appropriate punishment should be applied. Father Savvas had no valid excuse for what he had done, and therefore he asked that his resignation from the priesthood be accepted. Therefore, on November 30, 2005, Archbishop Gregory issued Ukase #113005, certifying that Fr. Savvas Ross had resigned from the priesthood, and forfeited any right to exercise the clerical office and had returned to the status of a layman. After his resignation, tragically, he left the Orthodox Church.
