On February 2 and 3 of this year, the next Russian Bishops' Council was held in Moscow. It was an important event in the religious life of the country. But before dwelling on the issues that were subject to its consideration, it makes sense to clarify what this body of church authority is and what its history is.
Successors of the holy apostles
The practice of convening church councils dates back to New Testament times, when in 49 (according to other sources, 51) a council was held in Jerusalem, at which the apostles discussed the most important question - whether circumcision is necessary for the attainment of eternal life. It was on it that a decree was issued, exempting all those who were baptized from the need to comply with most of the Jewish laws and the ritual rituals prescribed by them.
In subsequent years, church councils became widespread practice and were regularly convened. At the same time, they were divided into two categories - Local, that is, held within the framework of one local church, and Ecumenical, whose name alone suggests that representatives of churches from all over the Christian world took part in it.
Features of Local Cathedrals
They entered the history of past times mainly by the names of the cities in which they were held, the local churches that became their organizers, the states on whose territory they were convened, as well as the religious confessions that resolved their issues there.
Representatives of not only a wide range of clergy took part in the work of Local Councils - from bishops to clergy of lower levels, but also deputations of laity living in these territories. They discussed various issues related not only to doctrine, but also to the structure of church life, as well as to its management.
High Clergy Forums
In contrast, the participants in the Council of Bishops are exclusively bishops convened to make decisions on the most important internal church issues. It is important to note that the division of church councils into Local and Bishops was established only in the synodal period. Previously, all the main decisions related to the life of the church were made solely by its primate.
Today, the Council of Bishops is the supreme governing body of both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Church, which is part of the Moscow Patriarchate. Its status was determined by the decisions of the Local Council held in 1945. Then the term appeared, which became its designation.
Previous Cathedral of Archpastors
The meeting of archpastors, which took place in February this year in Moscow, was preceded by only one council (Bishops'), held in 1961 at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. An interesting detail - none of its participants was warned in advance that they were going to participate in such a representative forum. All then received only invitations to celebrate the memory of its founder, and upon arrival they learned about the true purpose of the call. This (Bishops') Council of 1961 took place in the midst of Khrushchev's anti-religious campaign, and such a conspiracy was by no means superfluous.
Recently completed cathedral
So, the current Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church is the second in a row. Its beginning was preceded by the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, performed by Archpriest Mikhail (Ryazantsev). Together with Patriarch Kirill, all the delegates who arrived at this largest church forum in recent years from all over the country and from abroad took part in it.
As can be seen from his published documents, as well as from the speeches of the participants in the press conference organized after the completion of the work, the main issue was preparation for the Pan-Orthodox (Ecumenical) Council scheduled for the near future, the venue of which was to be the island of Crete.
Members of the cathedral and its presidium
The composition of the Bishops' Council was very numerous. Suffice it to say that it included three hundred and fifty-four archpastors, representing the two hundred ninety-three currently existing dioceses, united around the Moscow Patriarchate. In accordance with the current church charter, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presided over it. On the first day of the cathedral's work, he made a report in which he highlighted the main issues of the life and work of the Russian church.
All permanent members of the Holy Synod were also included in the Presidium on the basis of the requirements of the Charter. Long before the consecrated Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church began work, in view of the importance of the issues submitted to it, some representatives of the autonomous parts of the Moscow Patriarchate also received invitations to participate in the work, including the metropolitans of New York, Eastern America, Latvia and a number of others.
Speech by the head of the Ukrainian Church
The report of the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Onuphriy, who told the audience about the situation in which the church headed by him is today, was heard with great interest. Particular attention to his speech was caused by the difficult political situation that has developed today in Ukraine, and the forced confrontation in relation to the self-proclaimed church existing there.
The head of the (MP) spoke about the peacemaking role that the church entrusted to him has assumed today. Its shepherds and archpastors are making every effort to end enmity in a country where sometimes members of the same parish turn out to be enemies and, being blind executors of someone else's political will, plunge the country into chaos and bloodshed.
The speaker also expressed deep gratitude to the ecclesiastical and secular authorities of Russia, who organized the delivery of humanitarian aid to the areas most affected by the internecine conflicts, and expressed the hope that the current (Bishops') Council will make a tangible contribution to the establishment of peace in Ukraine.
Problems related to preparation for the Ecumenical Council
One of the main topics of discussion that unfolded during the sessions was the upcoming Ecumenical Council, which is associated with a lot of problems of a very different nature, including those generated by groundless rumors that arose on the basis of low religious awareness of citizens and related superstitions.
For example, speculation is spread that regarding this, the eighth in a row, there allegedly exists a prophecy according to which he should become the Antichrist, and that union (union) with the Catholic Church will be concluded on it, fasting will be canceled, repeated marriages of the white clergy will be legalized and many more will be accepted. regulations that are detrimental to true Orthodoxy.
In this regard, the current chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, said that over the past months, his office received many letters from citizens urging the Moscow delegation to refuse to participate in this, in their opinion, disgusting event. And a few days before the current Council (Bishops') began its work, their number increased many times over.
The role of the cathedral in protecting the interests of the Russian church
But there were also more serious issues that needed to be resolved. One of them was the intention of the organizers of the Ecumenical Council to impose on all its participants the implementation of decisions adopted by a majority vote. This formulation of the question was fraught with obvious danger. If, for example, the majority of delegations voted for a general transition to a new church calendar, then everyone, including the Russian church, would have to submit to this.
However, thanks to the persistence and consistency of the representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate, it was possible to ensure that the decisions of the council will be valid only if all delegations, without exception, vote for them. If there is at least one vote against, then this decision will not be valid.
And there were many such questions. Those of them that had not yet found their solution, and, according to the speaker, there were quite a few of them, were subject to detailed discussion, to which the last Bishops' Council was dedicated. The photos presented in the article help to represent the business working environment in which his meetings took place.
Other issues considered during the council
Among other issues on the agenda of the work of the cathedral, was the canonization of Archbishop Seraphim, who had previously been canonized, widely revered in Russia and Bulgaria. All delegates voted unanimously for his glorification. In addition, (Poyarkov) read out a report dedicated to the events to perpetuate the memory of the new martyrs and confessors of Russia who became victims of the terror unfolded during the struggle against the church.
With special attention, the delegates of the cathedral listened to the report of V.R. Legoida, head of the Synodal Department for Relations with Society and the Media, on the tasks that the church faces today in connection with its presence on social networks. The speaker emphasized the importance of this path of communication with the widest circle of both believers and those who have not yet found their place in religious life. In particular, he dwelt in detail on individual projects that are being prepared for implementation in the near future.
The next convocation of the Council of Bishops, according to the Church Charter, must follow no later than 2020.
On November 29, 2017, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church began its work in the Hall of Church Cathedrals of the Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The program of the Council includes jubilee celebrations dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate - the enthronement of Patriarch Tikhon took place in the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral on December 4, 1917. About 400 bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church from 22 countries came to the Council.
The main report on the life and work of the Russian Orthodox Church before the Council was made by the Chairman of the Council of Bishops, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill (Gundyaev). The report contained statistical data on the church life and activities of the Patriarch during the inter-council period. So, today there are 303 dioceses in the ROC - since 2009, their number has grown by 144; 60 metropolises; more than 39 thousand full-time clerics. Taking into account the data on the far abroad, the ROC owns almost 37 thousand churches - their number increased by 1340 in a year, 462 monasteries are 7 more than a year earlier, and 482 nuns, that is, 11 more than last year. More than 900 parishes and monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church operate in the far abroad, including the parishes of the Russian Church Abroad.
In his report, Patriarch Kirill also pointed out that a special place in church life belongs to the Old Believer parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church, the number of which is gradually increasing, as is the frequency of hierarchical services in them in the ancient rite. He noted:
The development of the Patriarchal Center of the Old Russian liturgical tradition continues, contributing to the improvement of the training of clergy and clergymen of the Old Believer parishes: there are circles for the study of znamenny singing and the statute, clergy undergo training, with the participation of other large parishes, educational and scientific literature is published, as well as prayer books for practical use. ... The first diocesan center of the Old Russian liturgical tradition has already been created in Simbirsk. All this contributes to a better assimilation of the rich heritage of the centuries-old Russian church tradition.
The second day of the Council of Bishops opened with a report by the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Chairman of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk, in which he critically examined the acts of the Cretan Pan-Orthodox Council in 2016. In particular, he spoke about the document "Relations of the Orthodox Church with the rest of the Christian world", recalling that the ROC doubts the following formulations: the naming of heterodox communities in the document "churches", the expression "search" or "restoration" of the unity of Christians. He also noted that the document "The Sacrament of Marriage and Obstacles to It" contains a number of controversial formulations. In particular, the phrase of a previously published project: "The Church does not recognize it possible for its members to conclude same-sex unions" was modified at the Crete Council as follows: "The Church does not recognize it as possible for its members of civil unions - both same-sex and prisoners of the opposite sex." This wording introduces ambiguity into the text.
Today, November 30, the arrival of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin. This is the first visit to the Church Council of such a distinguished statesman. Until that moment, the President of the country, where according to the Constitution, no religion can be a state, never participated in such meetings.
The Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church is the supreme body of church authority, which meets every 4 years. It will end on December 2.
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Orthodoxy(tracing paper from Greek ὀρθοδοξία - literally "correct judgment", "correct teaching" or "correct praise") is a trend in Christianity that took shape in the east of the Roman Empire during the first millennium AD. NS. under the leadership and with the main role of the See of the Bishop of Constantinople - New Rome. Orthodoxy professes the Niceo-Constantinople Creed and recognizes the decrees of the seven Ecumenical Councils. Includes a set of teachings and spiritual practices that the Orthodox Church contains, which is understood as a community of autocephalous local Churches that have Eucharistic communion with each other.According to the professor of the Imperial St. Petersburg Theological Academy N.N. Glubokovsky, “Orthodoxy is a“ right confession ”- because it reproduces in itself the entire perceived object, sees itself and shows it to others in a“ correct opinion ”on all subject wealth and with all features ".
In Russian, the terms "orthodoxy" or "orthodox" are almost never used as a synonym for "orthodoxy", although such word usage is sometimes found in secular literature, usually due to an erroneous translation of the word "by consonance" from European languages.
The earliest written use of the word "Orthodoxy" in the territory of Russia is recorded in the "Word of Law and Grace" (1037 - 1050):
To praise the praising voices of the Rimskaa country of Peter and Paul, imazhe vѣrovash in Jesus Christ, the Son of God; Asia and Ephesus, and Patm John the Theologian, India Thomas, Egypt Mark. The whole country and the grad, and the people to honor and glorify one of their teachers, who teach me the Orthodox faith. - A word about the law and grace of Metropolitan Hilarion (publication of the IRLI RAS)
In the official language of the church and state on the territory of Russia, the term "Orthodox" began to be used in the con. XIV - early. XV century, and most actively the terms "Orthodox" and "Orthodoxy" come into use in the XVI century.
Dogmatics
The main and only universally authoritative dogmatic document is the Niceo-Constantinople Creed, which states:
- Salvation through the confession of faith "in one God" (1st member of the Creed).
- Consubstantial Persons of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, the Holy Spirit.
- Confession of Jesus - Christ, Lord and Son of God (2nd member of the Symbol).
- Incarnation (3rd member of the Symbol).
- Belief in bodily resurrection, ascension and the upcoming second coming of Jesus Christ, general resurrection and "the life of the age to come" (5, 6, 7, 11, 12th members of the Symbol).
- Belief in the unity, holiness and catholicity of the Church (9th member of the Symbol); The head of the Church is Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:23).
In addition, based on Holy Tradition, Orthodoxy recognizes the prayerful intercession of canonized saints.
Canonical structure and norms
Basic canonical norms and institutions:
- Hierarchical priesthood, which has 3 degrees: bishop, presbyter, deacon. A necessary condition for the legitimacy of the hierarchy is direct canonically legal apostolic succession through a series of ordinations. Each bishop (regardless of the title he possesses) has full canonical authority within his jurisdiction (diocese). Only males are ordained.
Although the canons forbid persons of the priestly dignity "to go into the people's government" (the 81st and 6th Canon of the Holy Apostles, as well as the 11th Canon of the Double Council, etc.), in the history of Orthodox countries there were separate episodes when bishops stood at the head of states (the most famous is the President of Cyprus Macarius III) or possessed significant powers of civil authority (the Patriarchs of Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire in the role of milet-bashi, that is, the ethnarch-Orthodox subjects of the sultan).
- Institute of Monasticism. Includes the so-called black clergy, playing a leading role in all spheres of the life of the Church from the IV century. Members of the black clergy may be elected to special episcopal service in the Church.
- Established calendar fasts: Great (pre-Easter 40-day), Petrov, Assumption, Rozhdestvensky, which together with the holidays make up the liturgical year.
The history of the formulation of a creed
The modern Orthodox Church regards the entire history of the Church before the Great Schism as its own history.
Initially, the designation of religion by the Orthodox and emphasizing it as "right", not damaged by heresies and deviations from what was adopted from the apostles, was a forced measure.
The Orthodox faith dates back to the apostolic times (1st century). It was formulated by oros (literally - boundaries, doctrinal definitions) of the Ecumenical, as well as some Local Councils.
Orthodoxy began to take shape in the II-III centuries A.D. e., tracing its history to apostolic times. It was opposed to Gnosticism (which offered a differently interpreted New Testament and often rejected the Old Testament) and Arianism (which denied the consubstantiality of the Trinity).
The leading role in the work of the first four Ecumenical Councils was played by the bishops of Alexandria and Rome. All Councils were convened by the Roman (Byzantine) emperors and were usually held under their administrative chairmanship.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
The ROC has 128 dioceses in Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan (these countries are considered the "canonical territory" of the ROC), as well as in the diaspora - Austria, Argentina, Belgium, France, Netherlands, UK, Germany, Hungary, USA and Canada. Parishes, representations and other canonical subdivisions of the ROC are located in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico. The ROC nominally includes the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church, which is governed by an independent Metropolitan of All Japan, elected at the Council of this Church, and the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church, which currently does not have its own hierarchy.
The highest doctrinal, legislative, executive and judicial power in the ROC belongs to the Local Council, which includes all the ruling (diocesan) bishops, as well as representatives from the clergy and laity of each diocese. According to the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, which was in effect from 1988 to 2000, the Local Council was to be convened every five years. In August 2000, the Council of Bishops adopted a new Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, which does not stipulate the frequency of convening the Local Council, the exclusive competence of which includes only the election of a new Patriarch.
The real fullness of ecclesiastical authority has been transferred to the Council of Bishops, which includes permanent members of the Holy Synod and ruling bishops. According to the Charter, in force since August 2000, the Synod of Bishops convenes at least once every four years (the previous Charter required its convocation at least once every two years). The list of powers of the Council of Bishops is very wide. Even during the work of the Local Council, which theoretically can overturn the decisions of the bishop, the entirety of church power belongs to the Council of Bishops, consisting of bishops - members of the Council. In the event that a majority of votes of the members of the Local Council are given for a particular decision, but this decision does not gain the majority of votes of the members of the Bishops' Conference, it is considered adopted.
In the period between the Councils of Bishops, the Church is governed by the Patriarch and the Holy Synod, which is considered an advisory body under the Patriarch. In practice, the Patriarch makes the most important administrative decisions only with the consent of the Synod. The Holy Synod includes, in addition to the Patriarch, seven permanent members (Metropolitans of Krutitsky and Kolomna, St. Petersburg and Ladoga, Kiev and All Ukraine, Minsk and Slutsk, Chisinau and All Moldova, as well as the manager of the Moscow Patriarchate and the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations - DECR MP) and six temporary ones, summoned by the Synod itself to participate in meetings during only one synodal session.
The sessions of the Synod are divided into two sessions - spring and autumn, each of which consists of two or three sessions, usually lasting two days. As a rule, the Holy Synod hears reports on the most important events in church life that took place between its sessions (such events include the visits of the Patriarch, visits to the ROC by the heads of other local Churches, the participation of official representatives of the ROC in major events of an all-Russian or international scale), as well as establishes new dioceses, appoints and displaces bishops, approves the opening of new monasteries and the appointment of their governors and abbess, opens and reorganizes theological educational institutions, opens new canonical structures of the Russian Orthodox Church in the far abroad and appoints their clerics. In exceptional cases, the Synod issues Epistles reflecting the point of view of the church hierarchy on certain significant social problems. The hierarchy of the Orthodox Church is called “threefold,” because it consists of three main stages: the diaconate, the priesthood, and the bishopric.
Male monasteries in the modern Russian Orthodox Church are governed by an abbot in the rank of archimandrite (less often in the rank of hegumen or hieromonk; the abbot of one monastery has the rank of bishop), who "represents" in it the abbot - the diocesan bishop. The largest and most famous monasteries, as well as the monasteries of the capital, are "stavropegic" - their abbot is the Patriarch himself, represented in the monastery by the abbot.
Women's monasteries are run by an abbess who has the honorary title of abbess (less often the abbess is a simple nun). In large monasteries, the governor has an advisory body - the Spiritual Council. Monasteries can have their homesteads (representations) in cities or villages, as well as hermitages and deserts, located at some distance from the main monastery. For example, the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra has the Gethsemane and Bethany sketes, courtyards in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
At the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, there are a number of "branch departments" - Synodal departments, the most important of which is the DECR MP. The DECR MP itself defines its range of tasks as follows: “Implementation of hierarchical, administrative, financial and economic management of dioceses, monasteries, parishes and other institutions of our Church in the far abroad; the adoption by the hierarchy of decisions concerning church-state and church-public relations; the implementation of relations of the ROC with local Orthodox churches, heterodox churches and religious associations, non-Christian religions, religious and secular international organizations, state, political, public, cultural, scientific, economic, financial and other similar institutions and organizations, the media. " The chairman of the DECR MP is considered the most influential hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In most cases, future clergymen receive a "professional" education in theological educational institutions, the network of which is led by the Educational Committee of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Currently, there are 5 theological academies in the ROC (before 1917 there were only 4), 26 theological seminaries, 29 theological schools, 2 Orthodox universities and the Theological Institute, a women's religious school, 28 icon-painting schools. The total number of students in theological schools reaches 6,000.
The Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechesis runs a network of educational institutions for the laity. This network includes Sunday schools at churches, circles for adults, groups for preparing adults for baptism, Orthodox kindergartens, Orthodox groups in public kindergartens, Orthodox gymnasiums, schools and lyceums, and Orthodox catechism courses.
Patriarchal cross
Orthodox cross
Metropolitans
Metropolitans of Kiev:, .
Vladimir period: , .
Moscow period:, Mikhail (Mityai), Cyprian, Pimen, Photius, Gerasim, Isidor of Kiev,.
Metropolitans of Moscow:
, Job.
PATRIARCHS of All Russia
Prelate Job is the First Patriarch of Moscow. January 23, 1589 - June 1605IGNATIUS - not included in the list of legitimate patriarchs. He was installed by False Dmitry I with the living Patriarch Job. June 30, 1605 - May 1606
- June 3, 1606 - February 17, 1612
- June 24, 1619 - October 1, 1633
IOASAF I- February 6, 1634 - November 28, 1640
JOSEPH- May 27, 1642 - April 15, 1652
NIKON- July 25, 1652 - December 12, 1666
IOASAF II- February 10, 1667 - February 17, 1672
PETIRIM- July 7, 1672 - April 19, 1673
IOAKIM- July 26, 1674 - March 17, 1690
ADRIAN- August 24, 1690 - October 16, 1700
After the death of Adrian, no successor was elected. Metropolitan of Yaroslavl STEFAN in 1700-1721 was the guardian of the Patriarchal throne.
In 1721, the institution of patriarchy was liquidated by Peter I. Only the Holy Synod functioned. The institute was restored at the cathedral of the Russian Church in 1917-1918.
Saint TICHON - November 5, 1917 - March 25, 1925 After his death in 1925, the authorities prevented the convening of a new Council for the election of the Patriarch, allowing them to be held only in 1943 at the Council of Bishops, which consisted of 19 people.
SERGY- September 8, 1943-May 15, 1944
ALEXIUS I- February 2, 1945 - April 17, 1970
PIMEN- June 2, 1971 - May 3, 1990
ALEXY II- June 10, 1990 - December 5, 2008
KIRILL- from February 1, 2009
- The Ideal Cathedral Soul of the Russian nation.
Unusual Orthodox churches.
Kiev Sophia Cathedral.
Saint Isaac's Cathedral.
Kizhi.
Stone hipped temples.
Stone hipped bell towers.
Sofia belfry.
Sacraments
.Icon
.The sessions of the Consecrated Bishops' Council were chaired by Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) of Moscow and All Russia in the hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. 280 bishops took part in the work of the Council. Church hierarchs from 247 dioceses of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Estonia, as well as dioceses in the far abroad arrived at the Council.
On the first day of the meetings of the Council, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill read out a report on various aspects of internal church life, church-state and church-social relations throughout the canonical space of the ROC. The report touched upon, in particular, issues related to the formation of new dioceses and the creation of metropolises.
The Patriarch noted that in order to fulfill the task set at the 2011 Bishops' Council of opening new parishes, Priest. The Synod in May 2011 initiated the historical process of the formation of several dioceses within the republics and regions of the Russian Federation. Previously, this took place in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and in the Belarusian Exarchate. However, the speaker emphasized, in Russia these transformations should be more ambitious. Over the past 2 years, 64 new dioceses have been established on the territory of the same constituent entities of the Russian Federation. In total, 82 dioceses were formed during this time. Since the 2009 Local Council, 88 new dioceses have been formed. There are currently 247 dioceses in total. In addition, by the decision of Sacred. Synod of July 27, 2011, a new metropolitan district was formed - Central Asian. In oct. 2011 Priest. The Synod made an important adjustment to the process of disaggregating dioceses: dioceses located within one subject of the Russian Federation began to unite into metropolises. During the inter-council period, 33 metropolises were created.
The Primate said that in order to simplify and reduce the cost of the construction of new churches, the Cathedral instructed the Financial and Economic Department to develop projects for pre-fabricated and low-cost churches. In the present. Since then, 7 standard designs have been developed for churches with a capacity of 200 to 500 parishioners. After the acquisition of ownership of the developed design and estimate documentation, it can be used in all dioceses with revision where necessary.
Then Patriarch Kirill dwelled on issues related to the life of dioceses and parishes in countries outside the canonical territories of the existing Local Orthodox Churches, as well as on the representations of the Moscow Patriarchate on the territory of other Autocephalous Churches. According to rough estimates, the total number of Russian-speaking Orthodox Christians. Diaspora in the world today is about 30 million people, and a significant part of it is the flock of the Russian Orthodox Church. In the present. Since then, there are 829 parishes and 52 monasteries of the Moscow Patriarchate in 57 non-CIS countries, including 409 parishes and 39 monasteries within the Russian Church Abroad. The Primate stressed that in 2011-2012. New temples were built and consecrated in Thailand, the community in Singapore was strengthened, and parishes were opened in Malaysia and Cambodia. There is an acute issue of the construction of Orthodox Christianity. temple in India. Several large projects are being successfully implemented: the restoration of the temple and the premises of the Pilgrim's House of the ROC courtyard in Bari, near the relics of St. Nicholas of Mirlikisky, the construction of the first Russian Orthodox Church is almost completed. temple on the Arabian Peninsula in the United Arab Emirates, the construction of a temple in Madrid is in full swing, in France, Russia has returned a temple in Nice, where priest now serves. Korsun diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Preparations are underway for the construction of a Russian spiritual and cultural center in Paris on the Quai Branly. An important event was the receipt by the Vienna diocese of the ROC of the official. status in Austria.
Five years have passed since the signing of the "Act on Canonical Communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia." Over the past period, trust between people has strengthened, mutual assistance has been established between communities. However, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill noted with regret that the problem of the existence of parishes that did not accept the canonical unification of the ROC, in particular in Lat. America.
Then the Primate touched upon issues related to the financial and economic activities of the Church.
Patriarch Kirill also said that during the inter-conciliar period the bishop brotherhood increased by 75 bishops, and today 290 diocesan and vicar bishops serve in the ROC, of which 225 are ruling. Since the Local Council in 2009, 108 consecrations have been performed, of which 88 with the participation of the Patriarch.
The speaker dwelt in some detail on the analysis of various topics related to spiritual education. An assessment was made of the missionary, youth and social ministry of Rus. Churches in recent years. In addition, the Patriarch touched upon the issues of information activities of the Church, its dialogue with society and the state, and also shared his vision of intergovernmental. and interchrist. relations, interaction with representatives of other religions.
The members of the Council heard a report by Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine Volodymyr (Sabodan), in which he gave an assessment of the current state of canonical Orthodoxy within Ukraine.
In the following days, the members of the Bishops' Council adopted a number of documents proposed for consideration by the Inter-Council Presence: "Regulations on the election of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia", "Regulations on the composition of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church", "The position of the Church in connection with the development of technologies for recording and processing personal data ”,“ The position of the Russian Orthodox Church on the reform of family law and problems of juvenile justice ”,“ The position of the Russian Orthodox Church on topical environmental problems ”. A new version of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church was approved, taking into account the amendments made to it. The Council of Bishops also adopted a decision on the general church glorification of St. Dalmat (Mokrinsky), previously ranked among the locally revered saints of the Kurgan diocese. One of the important documents adopted by the Council was the Regulation on material and social support for clergymen, clergymen and workers of religious organizations of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as members of their families. The Council adopted the Regulations on the ROC Awards, which streamlines the system of general church and liturgical awards Rus. Churches established at different times. The members of the Council unanimously approved the current composition of the All-Church Court for a new term. In conclusion, the Council of Bishops adopted resolutions and addressed a message to the clergy, monastics and laity of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Lit .: Kirill (Gundyaev), Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Report at the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on February 2. 2013 // ZhMP. 2013. No. 3. S. 12-45; The Cathedral Mind of the Church // ZhMP. 2013. No. 3. P. 10; Resolutions of the Consecrated Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church 2-5 Feb. 2013 // ZhMP. 2013. No. 4. P. 8–18; The position of the Russian Orthodox Church on the reform of family law and problems of juvenile justice // ZhMP. 2013. No. 5. P. 8–11; Barsanuphius (Sudakov), Met. What has changed in the Charter: From the report on the draft amendments and additions to the Charter of the ROC "On the adoption of a new edition of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church" // ZhMP. 2013. No. 6. P. 7; The Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church as amended in 2013 // ZhMP. 2013. No. 6. P. 38–49.
The document was adopted at the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on November 29 - December 2, 2017.
Taking into account the special status of the broad autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the ruling center of which is located in Kiev, the Holy Synod submitted to the Council of Bishops a proposal from His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphriy of Kiev and All Ukraine to separate into an independent chapter the provisions of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church (hereinafter - the Charter) concerning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the headquarters of which is in Kiev.
In addition, during the inter-conciliar period, the Holy Synod approved a number of changes in the order of canonization of devotees of piety in the face of locally revered saints and in the order of their further church-wide glorification (journal No. 66 of July 15, 2016), which requires reflection in the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Holy Synod formed new structures of the Russian Orthodox Church in Abroad (magazine No. 99 of October 21, 2016 and magazine No. 116 of December 27, 2016). It is necessary to provide for their representation at Local Councils.
Taking into account the regulations described in the Regulations on monasteries and monasticism approved by the Council of Bishops, adjustments should be made to the management procedure for monastic farmsteads mentioned in the Statutes.
In addition, it is proposed to clarify the Charter, excluding the transfer to the Patriarchal Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal prerogative to award bishops with awards of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Finally, in connection with the appeal received from the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus and the Synod of the Belarusian Exarchate, the Holy Synod presented to the Bishops' Council proposals for amending the Regulations on the Court of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Taking into account the foregoing, the Consecrated Council of Bishops decides:
I. Introduce the following changes to the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church:
1. Include in the Charter after chapter IX a new chapter of the following content, with the re-numbering of subsequent chapters:
"Chapter X. Ukrainian Orthodox Church
1. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is self-governing with the rights of broad autonomy.
2. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church was granted independence and independence in its governance in accordance with the Definition of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 25-27, 1990 "On the Ukrainian Orthodox Church."
3. In its life and work, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is guided by the Definition of the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church of 1990 "On the Ukrainian Orthodox Church", the Diploma of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia 1990 and the Charter of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is approved by its Primate and approved by the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus.
4. The organs of ecclesiastical authority and administration of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are its Council and Synod, headed by its Primate, who bears the title of "His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine." The control center of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is located in the city of Kiev.
5. The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is elected by the episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and blessed by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
6. The name of the Primate is commemorated in all churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church after the name of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
7. Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are elected by its Synod.
8. The decision on the formation or abolition of dioceses that are part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and on the determination of their territorial boundaries are taken by its Synod with subsequent approval by the Council of Bishops.
9. Bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are members of the Local and Bishops' Councils and participate in their work in accordance with Sections II and III of this Statute and in meetings of the Holy Synod.
10. The decisions of the Local and Bishops' Councils are binding on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
11. The decisions of the Holy Synod are valid in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, taking into account the peculiarities determined by the independent nature of its governance.
12. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has its own highest ecclesiastical court. At the same time, the court of the Council of Bishops is the ecclesiastical court of the highest instance for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, such canonical prohibitions as a lifelong ban in the priesthood, ejection from dignity, excommunication from the Church, are imposed by the diocesan bishop with subsequent approval by the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine and the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
13. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church receives holy myrrh from the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. "
2. To delete from Chapter XI of the Charter Article 18.
3. State point e) of Article 5 of Chapter III ("Council of Bishops") of the Charter in the following wording: "e) canonization of saints and general church glorification of locally venerated saints";
4. Introduce into Article 25 of Chapter V of the Charter (“Holy Synod”) the following clause: “f) canonization of locally venerated saints and submitting the issue of their general church glorification for consideration by the Bishops' Council”;
5. State clause c) of Article 15 of Chapter IV of the Charter in the following wording: "c) The Locum Tenens shall perform the duties of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia as set forth in Article 7 of Chapter IV of this Charter, except for items c, h and e".
6. Supplement Article 4 of Chapter IX (“Church Court”), retelling it as follows:
“The court in the Russian Orthodox Church is carried out by the ecclesiastical courts of the following instances:
a) diocesan courts having jurisdiction within their dioceses;
b) the highest ecclesiastical courts of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Autonomous and Self-governing Churches, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Exarchates and Metropolitan districts (if there are higher ecclesiastical courts in the indicated parts of the Russian Orthodox Church) - with jurisdiction within the respective parts of the Russian Orthodox Church ;
c) the highest general church court, with jurisdiction within the Russian Orthodox Church, with the exception of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church;
d) by the court of the Council of Bishops, with jurisdiction within the entire Russian Orthodox Church. "
7. In all articles of the Charter, which mentions the "General Church Court", change its name to "Supreme Church General Court".
8. State Article 9 of Chapter XVII ("Monasteries") of the Charter as follows:
“Monasteries can have courtyards. A compound is a community of Orthodox Christians run by the monastery and outside of it. The activities of the courtyard are regulated by the charter of the monastery to which this courtyard belongs, and by its own civil charter. The courtyard in the church-hierarchical (canonical) order is subordinated to the diocesan bishop of the diocese on whose territory it is located, and in the economic one - to the same bishop as the monastery. If the courtyard is located on the territory of another diocese, then both the name of the diocesan bishop and the name of the bishop, on the territory of the diocese of which the courtyard is located, are ascended during the service in the church of the courtyard. "
II. Introduce the following changes to the Regulations on the Church Court of the Russian Orthodox Church:
1. In all articles of the Regulations on the Church Court, where the “Church-wide court” is mentioned, change its name to “High Church-wide court”.
2. To supplement the third paragraph of clause 2 of Article 1 of the Regulations on the Church Court, stating it as follows:
“2. The judicial system of the Russian Orthodox Church includes the following ecclesiastical courts:
- diocesan courts with jurisdiction within the respective dioceses;
- the highest ecclesiastical courts of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Autonomous and Self-governing Churches, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Exarchates and Metropolitan districts (if there are higher ecclesiastical courts in the indicated parts of the Russian Orthodox Church) - with jurisdiction within the respective parts of the Russian Orthodox Church;
- The Supreme Church-wide Court - with jurisdiction within the Russian Orthodox Church, with the exception of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church;
- The Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church - with jurisdiction within the entire Russian Orthodox Church. "
3. To supplement paragraph 2 of Article 31 of the Regulations on the Church Court, stating it as follows:
“2. The Council of Bishops considers, as an ecclesiastical court of second instance, cases against bishops:
- considered by the General Church Court of First Instance and sent by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia or the Holy Synod for consideration by the Council of Bishops for a final decision;
- on the appeals of bishops against the decisions of the Supreme Church-wide Court of First Instance and the highest ecclesiastical courts of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Autonomous and Self-governing Churches that have entered into legal force.
The Holy Synod or the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia has the right to send for consideration to the Council of Bishops other cases that fall within the jurisdiction of lower church courts, if these cases require an authoritative judicial-conciliar decision. "
4. State paragraph 2 of Article 28 of the Regulations on the Church Court in the following wording:
“The Supreme Church-wide Court considers as an appellate instance, in the manner prescribed by Chapter 6 of these Regulations, cases:
- reviewed by diocesan courts and sent by diocesan bishops to the Supreme Church-wide Court for final resolution;
- on appeals of the parties against decisions of diocesan courts;
- considered by the highest ecclesiastical courts of the Autonomous and Self-Governing Churches, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the Exarchates and Metropolitan Districts (if there are higher ecclesiastical courts in the indicated parts of the Russian Orthodox Church) and transferred by the heads of the respective parts of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Supreme Church-wide Court;
- on appeals of the parties against decisions of the higher ecclesiastical courts of the Autonomous and Self-Governing Churches, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Exarchates and Metropolitan Districts (if there are higher ecclesiastical courts in the indicated parts of the Russian Orthodox Church).
This article does not apply to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. "
5. To exclude clause 6 of Article 50 of the Regulations on the Church Court.
6. Supplement Chapter 6 of the Regulations on the Church Court with a new article of the following content with a shift in the numbering of the following articles:
“Consideration of cases in individual higher ecclesiastical courts.
1. Appeals against decisions of the diocesan courts of the dioceses of Autonomous and Self-Governing Churches, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Exarchates and Metropolitan Districts are sent to the higher ecclesiastical courts of the indicated parts of the Russian Orthodox Church (if there are higher ecclesiastical courts in those).
2. The Supreme Church-wide Court considers appeals against decisions taken both in the first consideration and on appeal by the highest ecclesiastical courts of the Autonomous and Self-Governing Churches, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the Exarchates and Metropolitan Districts.
3. This article does not apply to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. "
III. State clause 15 of article 2 of the Regulations on the composition of the Local Council in the following wording:
“Two delegates - one cleric and one layman:
- from the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States,
- from the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada,
- from the Patriarchal Parishes in Italy,
- from the Patriarchal Parishes in Finland,
- from the Patriarchal Parishes in Turkmenistan,
- from the Patriarchal Parishes in the Republic of Armenia,
- from the Patriarchal parishes in the Kingdom of Thailand and the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Southeast and East Asia.
Elected delegates are approved by the Patriarch (during the period of local tenure - by the Holy Synod).
Church institutions in the far abroad that are not part of the dioceses or parish associations listed in this article are represented at the Local Council by the head of the Office for Institutions Abroad ”.