Synodal Theological Commission meeting

The Synodal Theological Commission met for a plenary session on December 5 at the Moscow Theological Academy. The session was held with a blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and chaired by Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch for All Belarus. It is to continue its work on December 25 and 26.

The Commission is to sum up the 5^th International Theological Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church, which was held last November in Moscow, to evaluate the report of the joint Orthodox-Lutheran commission for theological dialogue on ‘The Mystery of the Church: The Holy Eucharist in the Life of the Church’ and to elaborate the Moscow Patriarchate’s stand on primacy in the Universal Church.

In discussing the results of the November conference, the Commission stressed the positive contributions made to it by regional seminars which had been held throughout the year in preparation for it. These seminars organized by various educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church did not only served as a good preparation for the conference but also gave an impetus to theological thinking in regions and became essentially conferences in themselves.

An opinion was voiced that the future international theological conferences, while preserving and even developing their high academic level, could lead to practical conclusions and recommendations. The Commission agreed on the need to elaborate practical recommendations to be submitted to the Holy Synod. It approved the list of practical matters presented by Archpriest Maxim Kozlov and resolved that it should be presented to the Holy Synod to be developed further together with synodal bodies, theological schools and Russian Orthodox church centers.

Considering the report of the joint Orthodox-Lutheran commission on the Mystery of the Church, the Commission continued the work it carried out in its plenary session last October to systematize the conclusions presented by the Moscow and St. Petersburg Theological Academies, St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University, the ROC Publishing Council and the Orthodox Encyclopedia research center. Now the Commission is to elaborate a comprehensive response to the Orthodox-Lutheran report on the Mystery of the Church.

DECR Communication Service