Opening of the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
November 29, 2017 – After the Divine Liturgy and a thanksgiving at the relics of St. Tikhon the Patriarch of Moscow, the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church has begun its first plenary session at the Church Councils Hall of the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. It is chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
The council is attended by archpastors of the Moscow Patriarchate from Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldavia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Latvia, Lithuania, Tajikistan, Turkmenia, Uzbekistan, Estonia and far-abroad countries in which there exist dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church.
According to the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Bishops’ Council is chaired by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
The Council presidium includes the permanent members of the Holy Synod: His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Metropolitan Vladimir and Kishinev and All Moldova, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Pavel of Zaslavsk, Patriarchal Exarch for All Belarus; and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations.
The membership of the presidium also includes the Most Reverend archpastors invited to participate in the winter session of the Holy Synod: Metropolitan Ioasaf of Kirovograd and Novomirgorod, Bishop Seraphim of Bobruisk and Bykhov; Bishop Feofan of Kyzyl and Tyva; Bishop Fеognost of Novorossijsk and Gelendzhik; Bishop Mitrofan of Severomorsk and Umba.
In addition, in keeping with the Holy Synod Decision of November 28, 2017 (Minutes No. 104), considering the importance of participation of the primates of autonomous and self-governed parts of the Moscow Patriarchate in guiding the work of the Bishops’ Council, the Holy Synod membership for the time of the Council’s work and the Council’s presidium includes Metropolitan Daniel of Tokyo and Japan, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, Metropolitan Alexander of Riga and All Latvia, and Metropolitan Cornelius of Tallinn and All Estonia.
Patriarch Kirill made some remarks on the Council’s rules of procedure items and announced the agenda of the Council.
The council members adopted the rules of procedure and agenda and approved the membership of the credentials, drafting and counting commissions.
Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga was elected as secretary of the Bishops’ Council. According to the statute, the secretary is ‘responsible for providing the Council with all the necessary working papers and for taking minutes’.
Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany has been elected as chairman of the credentials commission; Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavsk as chairman of the drafting commission; and Metropolitan Mitrofan of Gorlovka and Slavyansk as chairman of the counting commission.
Patriarch Kirill also introduced the group of assistants and advisers.
The chairman of the drafting commission, Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavsk, read out the messages of greetings sent to the Bishops’ Council by Russian President V. Putin, Byelorussian President A. Lukashenko, Moldavian President I. Dodon, and Kazakhstan President N. Nazarbayev.
The key report on the life and work of the Russian Church will be done by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
Patriarchal Press Service
DECR Communication Service
Other events
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02.12.2017 23:58Final session of the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church held with the participation of Primates and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches
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02.12.2017 16:50Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church adopts its final documents
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02.12.2017 14:00Resolutions of the Holy Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (29th November – 2nd December 2017)
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02.12.2017 13:58Message by the Holy Episcopal Council to the Clergy, Monks and Nuns and All Faithful Children of the Russian Orthodox Church
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01.12.2017 18:48Speech by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the Meeting of the President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin with the Participants of the Episcopal Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
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01.12.2017 18:38Speech by the President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin before the Participants of the Episcopal Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
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01.12.2017 16:30Briefing on situation around former Metropolitan Philaret of Kiev’s appeal
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01.12.2017 12:38Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church begins its third day
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30.11.2017 23:56Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk comments on spreading reports on the appeal of the former Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine
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30.11.2017 23:50Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church completes its second day work
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30.11.2017 23:45Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church adopts a Resolution ‘On the Appeal of the former Metropolitan Philaret of Kiev and All Ukraine’
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30.11.2017 23:30Former Metropolitan Philaret of Kiev and All Ukraine: ‘I ask for your forgiveness in everything in which I sinned by word, deed and all my feelings’
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30.11.2017 12:12Report by Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine to the Russian Orthodox Church Bishops’ Council (November 29-December 2, 2017)
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30.11.2017 12:08His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine gives an address at the Bishops’ Council
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30.11.2017 12:05Second day of the Bishops’ Council’s work
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29.11.2017 22:30METROPOLITAN HILARION OF VOLOKOLAMSK SPEAKS AT THE SESSION OF THE EPISCOPAL COUNCIL OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ON THE RESULTS OF STUDYING THE DOCUMENTS OF THE COUNCIL ON CRETE
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29.11.2017 22:15HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH KIRILL: “THE MEETING ON CUBA WAS AN IMPORTANT STEP ON THE WAY TO RESOLVING THE MORE RELEVANT ISSUES OF THE MODERN-DAY WORLD BY THE JOINT EFFORTS OF THE TWO LARGEST CHURCHES OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD”
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29.11.2017 21:28His Holiness notes positive dynamics in Church-state cooperation in Uzbekistan
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29.11.2017 21:25His Holiness Patriarch Kirill expresses hope that the dialogue between the Church and Turkmenistan’s leadership will help resolve current difficulties
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29.11.2017 21:22His Holiness specifies pressing problems of the Orthodox Church in Tajikistan
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29.11.2017 21:20Primate of the Russian Church expresses satisfaction with the level of Church-state cooperation in Kyrgyzstan
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29.11.2017 21:18His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: Republic of Kazakhstan has been giving an example of constructive Church-state relations for many years
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29.11.2017 21:17His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: Dialogue of Azerbaijani authorities with Diocese of Baku offers ample opportunities for solving problems of the Orthodox
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29.11.2017 21:16His Holiness Patriarch Kirill notes a high level dialogue between the Church and the state in Belarus
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29.11.2017 21:14Positive tendencies in church-state relations in Moldova are noted in the report of His Holiness the Patriarch at the Bishops’ Council
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29.11.2017 21:10His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: Peacemaking heroic deeds of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church show its true patriotism
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29.11.2017 19:35HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH KIRILL: “SIN OUGHT TO BE EXPOSED, BUT WE SHOULD NEVER HUMILIATE ANYONE”
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29.11.2017 18:51HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH KIRILL: “COMMUNICATING WITH THE MEDIA IS A CHANCE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE GOSPEL IN AN ACCESIBLE LANGUAGE ON ISSUES WHICH AFFECT TODAY’S PEOPLE”
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29.11.2017 17:38His Holiness Patriarch Kirill told members of the Bishops’ Council about the preparation of the Catechesis of the Russian Orthodox Church
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29.11.2017 17:34Primate of Russian Church calls to adopt more systematic approach in opposing sectarianism and neo-paganism
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29.11.2017 17:27His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: What is sometimes forgotten in pursuit of different technologies is that mission is not a collection of methods, but practical work
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29.11.2017 17:24His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: The main task of the Church is not to fill children’s mind with vast knowledge, but to help them enter into its life
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29.11.2017 17:18Primate of Russian Orthodox Church: Theology should be regarded not only as a set of subjects taught at seminaries, but also as a serious science
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29.11.2017 17:08Reorganization of the system of theological education remains priority for supreme church authorities
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29.11.2017 17:06His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: While inviting young people to dialogue and using their language, the Church must not lose its integrity
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29.11.2017 16:59Patriarch Kirill: For the youth it is important that Christianity is a religion of freedom, not a religion of bans
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29.11.2017 14:33Patriarch Kirill: Signing the Act of Canonical Communion has given us joy over the unity of the faithful of the one Russian Orthodox Church
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29.11.2017 14:32Patriarch Kirill announces statistical data on the life of the Russian Orthodox Church
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29.11.2017 14:28Bishops’ Council given information on Patriarch ministry in inter-council period
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29.11.2017 14:19Patriarch Kirill: Continued attempts are made to impose on the Church a life according to the rules of this world
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29.11.2017 14:10THE FIRST HIERARCH OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH : THE MINISTRY OF THE BISHOP IS INEXTRIABLY LINKED TO THE ORTHODOX UNDERSTANDING OF CONCILIARITY
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29.11.2017 14:07HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH KIRILL: THE LOCAL COUNCIL OF 1917-1918 WAS TRULY AN EXTRAORDINARY PEHNOMENON IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
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29.11.2017 14:04HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH KIRILL: THE MAIN HERITAGE OF THE NEW MARTYRS IS THEIR LOVE OF CHRIST AND NEIGHBOUR, FOR WHOM THEY LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES
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29.11.2017 14:01Opening of the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
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29.11.2017 13:56President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev sends greetings to participants in Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
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29.11.2017 13:55President of Moldova Igor Dodon sends greetings to participants in Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
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29.11.2017 13:53President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko sends greetings to participants in the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
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29.11.2017 13:50President Putin’s message of greetings to the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church