​Priest Visarion Alexa, accused of sexually abusing a woman, admitted to the crime he was accused of during a confession, but refused to provide detailed information and cited that his lawyer advised him to be discreet in his statements, a spokesman said Thursday evening. Vasile Benescu Patriarchate.

According to the quoted source, the disciplinary commission of the Archdiocese of Bucharest recently asked the priest Visarion Alexa to provide a statement regarding the facts of which he is accused.

The Patriarchate said that the priest “admitted to the incriminated crime according to the protocols and the published protocols, but refused to give detailed details and cited that his lawyer advised him to be discreet in his statements.”

The Patriarchate says that “the only possible and legally prescribed” measures of the Archdiocese before the court pronounces the verdict are as follows:

• suspension from service (complete cessation of the performance of holy deeds, i.e. prohibition of conducting any religious service)
• dismissal from the post of parish priest (he no longer has the right to sign any documents of the parish to which he belongs and participate in any administrative actions)
• the obligation to constantly, quickly and sincerely inform the diocesan Center (Archdiocese) about the development of judicial investigations regarding the charges brought against him.

• “After the announcement of the court verdict at the end of the period of judicial review, strictly taking into account the motivation of the verdict and its seriousness, the Archdiocese of Bucharest, through its Disciplinary Commission, will, in turn, notify the sanctions against the church of the lineage that will be applied to the priest Visarion Alexa, sanctions directly proportional to the facts proven from a judicial point of view.
• The position of the Church, the Christian position, is always, naturally and implicitly, sympathetic to the vulnerable and to any person who becomes a victim of any kind of violence.
• The church is at the same time a moral and therapeutic space for correction and healing through sincere repentance of absolutely any person.
• May God strengthen and comfort all those affected by this deeply troubling situation!”, added Patriarchate spokesman Vasile Benescu.

Priest Visarion Aleksa, pastor of the “Sending of the Holy Spirit” metropolitan church, is under judicial control for 60 days. The decision to take him under judicial control was made by the 6th district court, which was appealed by prosecutors who requested the priest’s preventive arrest. The Bucharest court will hear the appeal next week.

“Don’t worry, the whole universe is holy, it was created by God”

A 37-year-old woman accused the priest of sexual violence during confession.

After filing the statement, the woman met with the priest again, and her microphone recorded the conversation that later led to his arrest, Antena 3 reports.

The source published part of the transcript of the prosecutors with a link:

• “Priest: Were you sick?
• Victim: What do you mean?
• Priest: Well, I sensed you relaxed a bit. You were very intense with your story.
• Victim: Well, do you think I need that too? Especially since you touched me in the intimate area. You touched my vagina. It causes relaxation.
• Priest: Do you mind if I touch you?
• Victim: Did you touch me as a priest or as a friend?
• Priest: As a friend…
• Victim: But what happened in the holy place?
• Priest: Don’t worry, the whole universe is holy, it was created by God.”

It follows from the discussion that the sexual aggression took place during confession in the “Pogorârea Sfântului Duh” church in the capital.

• “Victim: I want to know about the dictionary… And an explanation. My body was like an inventory. Your hands on the skin of my buttocks, on my stomach, on my breasts, in my private part…
• Priest: This is a gesture of affection, not a description.
• Victim: It’s a gesture of affection on your part that you enjoyed the touch more, especially since I tried to stop you and told you it was not acceptable. My body is inert, especially since you are a priest and everything happened in a holy place. And you shared me too.
• Priest: Do not succumb to the temptation of revenge. Revenge hurts others, but especially you.”

“The victim’s t-shirt rose, then he touched her skin in the waist area, caressed her back, under the t-shirt, showed that he felt her breasts, pressed on her and does not remember whether he kissed her. in my ear because I was too focused on her breasts,” prosecutors said in the report.