Session of the Holy Synod on 26-27th December 2001, press-release

SESSION OF THE HOLY SYNOD

A regular session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia was held in Moscow on December 26-27.

The Holy Synod discussed the applications which continue to come in to the Church authorities from the part of Orthodox believers in the Russian Federation concerning their unwillingness to accept the Identification Taxpayer’s Number (INN) as a number which can be perceived as an alternative to a Christian name, especially because of misgivings that the number may be assigned to them forcefully.

Regarding this problem the Holy Synod re-affirmed the position of the Church authority expressed in the Statement of the Holy Synod of 7 March 2000, in the Final document of the enlarged plenary session of the Synodal Theological Commission of 19-20 February 2001, which was later approved by the Holy Synod, and in the Message of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia of 4 March 2001. On the basis of these documents the Holy Synod reminds the whole Church that any technological action as such cannot change the innermost depths of human souls causing them to forget Christ. The opposite is a superstition which defies the Tradition of the Church and the teaching of the Holy Fathers, as ‘the mark of the beast’ is on those who conscientiously believe in antichrist ‘for the sake of his false miracles only’, as St.John Chrysostom put it. No external sign can disturb spiritual health of men, if it is not a consequence of deliberate betrayal of Christ and the desecration of faith.

At the same time the Holy Synod understands the attitude of those who would not accept the INN as a number which may be perceived as an alternative to a Christian name, especially when this number is assigned under compulsion thus violating civil rights of a person.

Taking note of the fact that the Russian Federation Ministry on Taxes and the Savings Bank of Russia have given clarifications, which at the moment remove the danger of forced assignment of the INN, it was considered extremely important to take a quick and final decision on this matter on the level of legislation. For this objective the Holy Synod resolved to invigorate consultations with the appropriate agencies of legislative and executive power so that all citizens who do not want to accept the INN could be granted an opportunity not to do it. The Church has persistently proposed that the numbering should be assigned to a personal account or any other document, which records the instalments of taxpayers, rather than to a person.

Having considered the report by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, on the 6th World Russian People’s Council held on 13-14 December 2001, the Holy Synod expressed profound appreciation with the event held with participation of the WRPC head, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, President Vladimir V.Putin of the Russian Federation, state leaders, hierarchs and clergymen of the Russian Orthodox Church, spiritual leaders of Russian Islam and other traditional religions, members of Parliament, leaders of public associations, military commanders, scholars, businessmen, publicists, and renowned representatives of artistic intelligentsia. The final document, ‘The Word of the Council’, was approved and the development of the WRPC activities was considered useful as the Council is an acting union of public organizations working with active participation and under spiritual leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Having considered the report of Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Chairman of the Synodal Commission on Canonization, the Holy Synod resolved to include the names of the saints proposed by the Astrakhan, Voronezh, Moscow, St.Petersburg, Syktyvkar, Tver, Tula and Yaroslavl dioceses into the Assembly of the New Russian Martyrs and Confessors of the 20th century.

Having considered the report by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad on the invention of the relics of St.Gerasim of Boldino, the Holy Synod gave thanks to the Lord for his mercy and resolved to introduce the feast of the invention of the venerable relics of the saint into Russian Orthodox Church calendar and celebrate it on July 20 (New style)/July 7 (Old style).

Having heard the report by Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Byelarus, Chairman of the Synodal Theological Commission, on the results of the Theological Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church on ‘The Teaching of the Church on Man’ held on 5-8 November 2001, the Holy Synod expressed its appreciation with the conference and with the revived tradition of regular church theological conferences, which objective is to discuss topical problems of Church witness and ministry at present. The Synodal Theological Commission was charged to continue its work of coordinating scholarly and theological activities in the field of Orthodox anthropology. It was considered useful to establish and develop working contacts between the Commission and secular scientific institutions. The next church theological conference on ‘Orthodox Teaching on the Church’ will be held in 2003. It was considered necessary to acquaint Orthodox public with the results of church theological work coordinated by the Synodal Theological Commission and to open the Commission’s site in the Internet.

Appreciation was expressed with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia held on 8 December 2001, in which a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church with Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna at the head took part. The Holy Synod stated that the celebration testified to the traditionally strong and deep spiritual relations between the two Local Orthodox Churches.

The Holy Synod gave thanks to the Lord for fraternal contacts between the Primates of the two Local Orthodox Churches – His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius of All America and Canada during the latter’s visit to the Russian Orthodox Church from December 3 to 10, 2001. Further development of relations between the two Churches was considered important for the consolidation of inter-Orthodox unity and fraternal cooperation.

Having considered the report by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, on his visit to several countries of the South-East Asia, the Holy Synod thanked the state and religious leaders of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Kingdom of Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for meetings and interesting dialogue about the development of relations with the Russian Orthodox Church. It was considered expedient to open a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in the city of Vungtau, Vietnam. The St.Nicholas’ parish in Bangkok was reorganized into the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand. Hegumen Oleg (Cherepanin) was appointed representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Kingdom of Thailand. He was also charged with pastoral care for Orthodox believers in Cambodia and Laos.

The position of the Moscow Patriarchate delegation at the working meeting with representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople held on 29-30 October 2001 was approved. Appreciation was expressed with the results of Metropolitan Kirill’s visit to the Great Britain and Ireland held on 28 November – 2 December, 2001. The report of the DECR Chairman on his trip to Finland on 19-20 December 2001, where he took part in the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes there was acknowledged.

The experience of the International church scholarly conference on the problems of Christianity in China was considered useful. The Conference was arranged by the Department for External Church Relations and the Institute of the Far East Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and held on 22-24 November 2001. The DECR was recommended to develop cooperation between the Church and secular representatives of the church and foreign sinology in studying of the problems of Christianity in China.

Bishop Alexey of Orekhovo-Zuevo, Chairman of the Synodal Liturgical Commission, presented texts of the divine and prayer services to the Holy Imperial Passion-Bearers and to some newly canonized Moscow saints. The Holy Synod approved the texts.

Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Byelarus, Chairman of the Synodal Theological Commission, was appointed chairman of the editorial board of ‘Theological Transactions’.

Hegumen Maxim (Dmitriev), instructor of the Tobolsk Theological Seminary, was appointed Bishop of Barnaul and Altai. Archbishop Anatoly of Kerch, a vicar bishop of the Surozh diocese, was retired on health reasons in compliance with his petition and was blessed to continue his work for construction of a Russian Orthodox church in Manchester, Great Britain, and take pastoral care for the parish. Hegumen Hilarion (Alfeyev), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations, was appointed Bishop of Kerch, a vicar bishop of the Surozh diocese.

A plan of external activities of the Russian Orthodox Church for 2002 was approved.

The work of the Synodal Liturgical Commission was approved. The Holy Synod drew attention of the diocesan bishops to the necessity of thorough preparation of the drafts liturgical texts by the diocesan liturgical commissions.

The Holy Synod blessed the opening of the Rostov missionary theological college, of 3 new monasteries in the Kursk, Maikop and Smolensk dioceses and 1 convent in the Vladimir diocese.

The Holy Synod blessed the opening of Ss Peter and Paul parish in Dublin, Ireland. Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh was charged with archpastoral care for the parish. The parish of the Nativity of Christ was established in Palma de Majorca, Spain. Archimandrite Macarius (Rozello) was appointed Rector of the parish. Archimadrite Tobias (Glazyrin) was relived of his duties of rector of the parish of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in Panama and replaced by Priest Alexander Gorbunov. Archimandrite Tikhon (Bondarenko) was recalled from the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia and placed at the disposal of His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine. Priest Nikolay Lischeniuk was appointed rector of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr George at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Prague.

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, DECR secretary for Church-State Relations was appointed deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations.