Session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church is taking place in Moscow

The session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church opened at the Synodal and Patriarchal resident at St. Daniel’s Monastery in Moscow on 23 January 2009 under chairmanship of the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.

Taking part in the session are permanent members of the Holy Synod: Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine; Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; and Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and All Moldova. Also invited are Metropolitan Valentin of Orenburg and Buzuluk, Archbishop Alexander of Kostroma and Galich, Archbishop Tikhon of Novosibirsk and Berdsk, Bishop Feofilakt of Bryansk and Sevsk, and Bishop Stefan of Tura and Mozyr.

‘Your Eminences and Graces, dear esteemed Vladykas! I cordially greet you at the last before the Bishops’ and Local Councils session of the Holy Synod,’ Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne said in his introductory address. Metropolitan Kirill noted that preparations that had begun by the Holy Synod and then entrusted to the Commission for Preparation of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church have been completed. The Commission held two plenary sessions, and its working groups held several meetings. The last plenary session, at which the working groups presented reports, took place on January 21.

‘The major point of today’s agenda is the preparation of the Bishops’ and Local Councils,’ the Patriarchal Locum Tenens underscored.

The minutes of the Holy Synod session will be published ion the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate after the session.