Inter-Council Presence’s commission for opposing and overcoming church schisms holds its first meeting at Kiev Monastery of the Caves

The Inter-Council Presence’s commission for opposing and overcoming church schisms has assembled for its first meeting on 25 March 2010 at the Kiev Monastery of the Caves. It is chaired by His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine, primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, acts as its vice-chairman.

Under discussion are such issues as theological and canonical analysis of today’s schisms, elaboration of practical recommendations for preventing and healing schisms and accepting clergy and laity coming to the Orthodox Church from schisms.

In consistence with the decision made by the first plenary session of the Inter-Council Presence’s presidium on 29 January 2010, the membership of this commission includes Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine – chairman; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk – vice-chairman, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov – secretary, Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail, Metropolitan Alexander of Riga and All Latvia, Archbishop Tikhon of Novosibirsk and Berdsk, Archbishop Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol, Archbishop Mitrofan of Belaya Tserkov and Boguslavsk, Bishop Markell of Beltsy and Felesht, Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslavl-Khmelnitsky, Archimandrite Kirill Govorun, Hegumen Serapion Mitko, Archpriest Alexander Lebedev, Archpriest Andrey Novikov, Rev. Ioann Mirolubov, Deacon Maxim Plyakin, Mr. V. Kipshidze, Mr. V. Legoida, M. Yu. Maximov, Ms. Ye. Orlova, Mr. A. Svetozarsky.

DECR Communication Service