Session of the Holy Synod on 17th July 1998,  press-release

THE MEETING OF THE HOLY SYNOD

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church met for its regular session on July 17 at St. Sergius’ Lavra of the Trinity. It was chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia.

The Holy Synod made some changes in the membership of the Russian Orthodox Church Commission for the 2000th Anniversary of the Nativity of Christ. Archbishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, was appointed as its secretary.

The Holy Synod resolved to establish the new diocese Kagul and Kaushany in the territory of the Republic of Moldova. It was decided to appoint Archpriest George Botnariu, rector of St. Michael’s church at the village of Abaklia, as its ruling bishop after his tonsure and elevation to the rank of archimandrite. Hegumen Joseph (Makedonov) of the Monastery of St. John the Theologian near Ryazan was elected Bishop of Shatsk, vicar of The Ryazan diocese.

After the report by Bishop Yevgeny of Vereya on the work carried out by the Education Committee in the period from 1997 and 1998, the Holy Synod expressed satisfaction with the increase in the number of theological schools training clergy and church workers and appointed Bishop Yevgeny, who had been acting chairman of the Education Committee, as its full-fledged chairman. The pre-seminary in Kazan was transformed into a seminary, and Bishop Anastasy of Kazan and Tatarstan was appointed as its rector.

Blessing was given upon the opening of two monasteries in the dioceses of Yaroslavl and Orenburg and a convent in the diocese of Yaroslavl.

The Holy Synod appointed members to the co-ordinating committee for conferences held annually during the Days of Slavonic Literature and Culture and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Belarussian Exarchate’s Synod. A group of pilgrims was appointed to go to Holy Mount Athos. Hegumen Tovy (Glazyrin), diocese of Belgorod, and Rev. Gennady Moroz, diocese of Yaroslavl, were sent the diocese of Argentina for pastoral service. Hegumen Tovy will serve as pastor in Panama and attend to the Russian-speaking flock in Mexico, Columbia and Peru.