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September 4, 2019 – the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church began its session at the Supreme Church Council Hall of the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour. The session is chaired by His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed himself to the meeting with introductory remarks which presented the agenda. One of its items provides for a discussion concerning a draft document on Organization of Social Service in a Diocese.

After that Patriarch Kirill presented church awards to the following persons:

Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk – a Patriarch Honorary Diploma, in acknowledgement of his zealous archpastoral work and on the occasion of his 70th birthday;

Archpriest Dimity Smirnov, chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for the Family, and Protection of Motherhood and Childhood – a Patriarchal Honorary Diploma, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his ministry as presbyter.

The membership of the Supreme Church Council chaired by the Patriarch is as follows:

  • Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate;
  • Metropolitan Savva of Tver and Kashin, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate;
  • Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk; chairman of the ROC Publishing Council;
  • Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stariy Oskol, head of the Synod Mission Department;
  • Metropolitan Merkuriy of Rostov and Novocherkassk, head of the Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechism;
  • Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, chairman of the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks;
  • Metropolitan Ignaty of Vologda and Kirillovsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate financial and economic department;
  • Metropolitan Mitrofan, chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for Physical Culture and Sports;
  • Metropolitan Tikhon of Pskov and Porkhov, chairman of the Patriarchal Council for Culture;
  • Metropolitan Anthony of Chersonese and Western Europe, director of the Moscow Patriarchate office for institutions abroad;
  • Archbishop Feognost of Kashira, head of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monkhood;
  • Bishop Irinarkh of Krasnogorsk, head of the Synodal Department for Service in Prisons;
  • Bishop Panteleimon of Orekhovo-Zuevo, head of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service;
  • Bishop Dionisy of Voskresensk, patriarchal first vicar for Moscow;
  • Bishop Thomas of Pavlov-Posad, head of the Moscow Patriarchate administrative secretariat;
  • Bishop Serafim of Istra, head of the Synodal Department for Youth;
  • Bishop Stephen of Klin, head of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement;
  • Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, chairman of the ROC Education Committee;
  • Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov, chairman of the Patriarchal commission for the family, motherhood and childhood;
  • Legoida, head of the Synodal Department for the Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media

Taking part in the session were also Bishop Nikolay of Balashikha, head and editor-in-chief of the Moscow Patriarchate Publishers; Bishop Thomas of Bronnitsa, first vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Financial and Economic Administration; Bishop Savva of Zelenograd, deputy chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Rev. Alexander Volkov, director of the Patriarchal Press Service; Sister Xenia (Chernega), head of the Moscow Patriarchal legal department; A. Schipkov, first vice-chairman of the Synodal Department for the Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media.

Among those who were invited to the session were Archpriest Gennady Yegorov, director of the St. Tikhon Orthodox University of the Humanities’ distance education department; and Rev. Alexander Starodubtsev, expert, ROC committee for distance education technologies.

 

Patriarchal Press Service

DECR Communication Service