Print This Post


On 28 January 2011, a plenary session of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church began its work under chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at the Hall of Church Council in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The first session was preceded by prayers for the beginning of every good deed, press office of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia reports.

His Holiness addressed the audience, saying that the Inter-Council Presence was a new body of church management with ecclesiologically correct form of work, in which “clergymen and laymen work together with bishops.”

Summing up the first year of work, His Holiness said that all thirteen commission submitted to the presidium at least one document, including the drafts of the Council’s or Synodal resolutions, conception to be considered by the Council or the Holy Synod, and themes for public discussion. Eight drafts were passed in a first reading at the Presidium’s session in December 2010, sent to diocese for review and published in the Internet for public discussion.

“We have received fifty-four replies from the diocese and over five hundred in the Internet. It shows a genuine interest of many people to the development of church life. I am happy to say that both clergymen and laymen made unequivocal comments,” the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said.

He noted in particular the contribution to the discussion made by the diocese, naming the more active among them.

“I sometimes hear that Moscow lives by itself and invents orders and instructions that do not bring any good to the regions, but rather complicate their life, but replies and comments from the dioceses refute this opinion. The Inter-Council Presence allows in include all, without exception, to the work of the Council and even those “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), His Holiness added.

As there have been many comments received, but not much time after that and the plenary session, it was necessary to set up a special drafting committee chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The committee has studied all comments and made certain alterations in the documents submitted to the plenary session for consideration.

__

The Regulation for the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church was adopted at the session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The session took place in Kiev on 27 July 2009 (Minutes 55).

The Inter-Council presence consists of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and 144 members.