Russian Orthodox Church Holy Synod elects Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad as Patriarchal Locum Tenens

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, which took place on December 6, 2008, at the patriarchal residence at Peredelkino near Moscow, has elected the Patriarchal Locum Tenens.

The Most Reverend Kirill, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, has been elected Patriarchal Locum Tenens.

The decision of the Synod has been signed by:

KIRILL, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations;

VLADIMIR, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, – chairman of the session;

VLADIMIR, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine;

FILARET, Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch for All Belarus;

JUVENALY, Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna;

VLADIMIR, Metropolitan of Kishinev and All Moldova;

VALENTIN, Metropolitan of Orenburg and Buzuluk;

ALEXANDER, Archbishop of Kostroma and Galich:

TIKHON, Archbishop of Novosibirsk and Berdsk;

FEOFILAKT, Bishop of Bryansk and Sevsk;

STEFAN, Bishop of Tura and Mozyr;

CLEMENT, Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate

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