In Nikolaevka a group of impostors wants to dig up the body of the deceased priest

The editorial board of the UOJ receives numerous appeals from believers asking them to find out what strange literature about the "holy" archimandrite Raphael has been distributed recently. The brochures say that on August 10, 2017, the supporters of father Raphael are preparing to dig out his remains, which guarantees numerous miracles.

In the town of Nikolaevka, Petrykovskyi district of Dnepropetrovsk region, there has formed a group of people who call themselves followers of Archimandrite Raphael, deceased in 2016. He was the rector of the local church. Supporters publish and disseminate lots of literature about his life and teachings. It is often indicated that the publication was blessed by Archbishop of Kamensk and Tsarichansk Vladimir, which is not true.

The followers of Archimandrite Raphael arbitrarily call the late clergyman as a holy confessor and a venerable martyr and wrote prayers and troparia in his honor.

On August 10, they announced the exhumation of the remains of the deceased. As the UOJ found out, there is no blessing for this act from the hierarchy.

In Nikolaevka there are believers who fear that the admirers of Raphael will dig up together with him the remains of monk John, who also served in the church in Nikolaevka. Supporters of Raphael on self-made icons often depict him with monk John.

The UOJ follows developments.