Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church meets in Moscow

On 3 February 2016, a session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church took place at the Patriarchal Chambers of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

The list of permanent members of the Holy Synod includes Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine; Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and All Moldova; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, head of the metropolitan area in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the metropolitan area of Central Asia; Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavsk, Patriarchal Exarch for All Belarus; and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.

Invited to take part in the winter session (September-February) are Metopolitan Isidor of Smolensk and Roslavl; Archbishop Ioann of Magadan and Sinegorye; Bishop Markell of Beltsy and Felesht; and Bishop Varlaam of Makhachkala and Grozny.

The Holy Synod approved the texts of the troparions, kontakion and prayers to St Seraphim the Archbishop of Boguchary who had been canonized by the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church that day. The texts drafted by the Synodal Liturgical Commission are to be used at the divine services.

Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia/

DECR Communication Service