Return To Lay Status
Early in 2010, Osborne petitioned the Patriarchate of Constantinople for a return to lay status "to enable him to have a family home with the possibility of marrying again". This petiton was granted, although the precise terms of the decree of the Holy Synod bringing about the return to lay status have not been published. According to a report of the Moscow Patriarchate, Osborne was also defrocked.
Osborne's approach to the Ecumenical Patriarch was effected, at his request, by his ruling archbishop, Gabriel of Comana. On 20 February 2010 Archbishop Gabriel informed members of his archdiocese that the decision to "return Bishop Basil to lay status" had been made the previous week. The archbishop's letter to members of the deanery gives all the information from any Ecumenical Patriarchate source which is in the public domain about the matter.
Read more about this topic: Basil Osborne
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“The censorship method ... is that of handing the job over to some frail and erring mortal man, and making him omnipotent on the assumption that his official status will make him infallible and omniscient.”
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