REGULAR SESSION OF THE SUPREME CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CHAIRED BY HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH KIRILL TAKES PLACE

On 23 November 2015, a regular session of the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church began its work at the Hall of the Supreme Church Council at the Church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church opened the meeting and delivered an introductory address. The agenda includes issues pertaining to the fulfillment of the decisions taken by the Supreme Church Council and Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church and discussion of the working plans of the Synodal departments for 2016.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill greeted a new member of Council, Bishop Antony of Bogorodskoe, whom the Holy at its session on 22 October 2015 (minutes 62) appointed as head of the Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Institutions Abroad. His Holiness wished Bishop Antony God’s help in his work.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church awarded Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevo, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry with the Order of St. Seraphimn of Sarov, 2^nd class, in consideration of his zealous pastoral labours and in connection with his 65^th birthday.

The Supreme Church Council chaired by His Holiness the Patriarch consists of:

Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate;

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations;

Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk, chairman of the ROC Publishing Council;

Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol, chairman of the Synodal Department for Mission;

Metropolitan Merkury of Rostov and Novocherkassk, chairman of the Synodal Department for Education and Catechization;

Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Finance and Economic Administration;

Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations with the Cossacks;

Archbishop Yevgeny of Vereya, chairman of the Holy Synod’s Education Committee;

Archbishop Feognost of Sergiev Posad, chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism;

Bishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administrative Secretariat;

Bishop Irinarkh of Krasnogorsk, head of the Synodal Department for Prison Ministry;

Bishop Ignaty of Vyborg and Priozersk, chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs;

Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevo, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry;

Bishop Tikhon of Yegorievsk, executive secretary of the Patriarchal Council for Culture;

Bishop Antony of Bogorodskoe, head of the Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Institutions Abroad;

Archpriest Sergy Privalov, acting chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies;

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov, chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for Family and Protection of Motherhood and Childhood;

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations;

Mr. Vladimir Legoida, chairman of the Synodal Information Department.

Invited to attend the session were Metropolitan Arseny of Istra, the first Patriarchal vicar for Moscow; archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), deputy chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; archpriest Maxim Kozlov, first deputy chairman of the Education Committee; and hegumeness Ksenia (Chernega), head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Legal Service.

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