Russian Orthodox Church (ROC, Moscow Patriarchate)– the largest religious organization Russia, the largest autocephalous local Orthodox Church in the world.
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His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' - (since February 2009).
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History of the Russian Orthodox Church
Historians associate the emergence of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Baptism of Rus' in 988, when Metropolitan Michael was installed Patriarch of Constantinople Nicholas II Chrysoverg to the metropolitanate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople created in Kyiv, the creation of which was recognized and supported by the Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich.
After the decline of the Kyiv land, after the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols in 1299, the metropolis moved to Moscow.
Since 1488, the Russian Orthodox Church received the status of autocephaly, when the Russian Metropolis was headed by Bishop Jonah without the consent of Constantinople.
In the middle of the 17th century, under Patriarch Nikon, the liturgical books were corrected and other measures were taken to unify Moscow liturgical practices with Greek ones. Some previously accepted rituals in the Moscow Church, starting with double-fingering, were declared heretical; those who would use them were anathematized at the council of 1656 and at the Great Moscow Council. As a result, a split occurred in the Russian Church; those who continued to use the old rituals began to be officially called “heretics”, later - “schismatics”, and later received the name “Old Believers”.
In 1686, the resubordination of the autonomous Kyiv Metropolis to Moscow, agreed with Constantinople, was carried out.
In 1700, Tsar Peter I prohibited the election of a new patriarch (after the death of the previous one), and 20 years later he established the Holy Governing Synod, which, being one of the state bodies, performed the functions of church-wide administration from 1721 to January 1918 - with the emperor (up to 2 March 1917) as “the last Judge of this Board.”
Patriarchate in the Orthodox Church Russian Church was restored only after the overthrow of the autocracy by the decision of the All-Russian Local Council on October 28 (November 10), 1917; The first patriarch in the Soviet period was St. Tikhon (Bellavin), Metropolitan of Moscow.
After the October Revolution of 1917, the Russian Orthodox Church was alienated from the state and subjected to persecution and decay. Funding for the clergy and church education from the treasury stopped. Then the Church experienced a series of government-inspired schisms and a period of persecution.
After the death of the Patriarch in 1925, the authorities themselves appointed a priest, who was soon expelled and tortured.
According to some reports, in the first five years after the Bolshevik Revolution, 28 bishops and 1,200 priests were executed.
The main target of the anti-religious party-state campaign of the 1920s and 1930s was the Patriarchal Church, which had greatest number followers. Almost its entire episcopate, a significant part of the priests and active laity were shot or exiled to concentration camps, theological schools and other forms of religious instruction, except private, were prohibited.
During the difficult years for the country, there was a noticeable change in the policy of the Soviet state towards the Patriarchal Church; the Moscow Patriarchate was recognized as the only legitimate Orthodox Church in the USSR, excluding Georgia.
In 1943, the Council of Bishops elected Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) to the Patriarchal throne.
During Khrushchev's reign, there was again a harsh attitude towards the Church, which continued into the 1980s. Then the Patriarchate was controlled by the secret services, at the same time the Church made compromises with the Soviet government.
By the end of the 80s, the number of churches in the USSR was no more than 7,000, and no more than 15 monasteries.
In the early 1990s, as part of M. Gorbachev's policy of glasnost and perestroika, a change in the state's attitude towards the Church began. The number of churches began to grow, the number of dioceses and parishes increased. This process continues in the 21st century.
In 2008, according to official statistics, the Moscow Patriarchate unites 156 dioceses, in which 196 bishops serve (of which 148 are diocesan and 48 are vicar). The number of parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate reached 29,141, the total number of clergy - 30,544; there are 769 monasteries (372 male and 392 female). As of December 2009, there were already 159 dioceses, 30,142 parishes, and 32,266 clergy.
The structure of the Moscow Patriarchate itself is also developing.
Management structure of the Russian Orthodox Church
According to the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, the highest bodies of church power and administration are the Local Council, the Council of Bishops and the Holy Synod headed by the Patriarch, possessing legislative, executive and judicial powers - each within its own competence.
Local cathedral decides all issues relating to the internal and external activities of the Church, and elects the Patriarch. Convened at a time determined by the Council of Bishops or, in exceptional cases, by the Patriarch and Holy Synod, composed of bishops, clergy, monastics and laity. The last council was convened in January 2009.
Bishops' Council- a local council in which only bishops participate. It is the highest body of hierarchical governance of the Russian Orthodox Church. It includes all the ruling bishops of the Church, as well as suffragan bishops who head synodal institutions and theological academies; According to the Charter, it is convened at least once every four years.
Holy Synod, according to the current charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, is the highest “governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church in the period between the Councils of Bishops.” It consists of a chairman - the Patriarch, nine permanent and five temporary members - diocesan bishops. Meetings of the Holy Synod are held at least four times a year.
Patriarch- Primate of the Church, has the title “His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.” He holds the “primacy of honor” among the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The name of the Patriarch is exalted during services in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Supreme Church Council- a new permanent executive body operating since March 2011 under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is headed by the Patriarch and consists of the leaders of the synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The executive bodies of the Patriarch and the Holy Synod are the Synodal institutions. The Synodal institutions include the Department for External Church Relations, the Publishing Council, the Educational Committee, the Department of Catechesis and religious education, Department of Charity and Social Service, Missionary Department, Department for Interaction with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies and Department of Youth Affairs. The Moscow Patriarchate, as a Synodal institution, includes the Administration of Affairs. Each of the Synodal institutions is in charge of a range of church-wide affairs within the scope of its competence.
Educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church
- Church-wide postgraduate and doctoral studies named after. St. Cyril and Methodius
- Moscow Theological Academy
- St. Petersburg Theological Academy
- Kyiv Theological Academy
- St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Academy
- Orthodox St. Tikhon's Humanitarian University
- Russian Orthodox University
- Russian Orthodox Institute Saint John the Evangelist
- Ryazan Theological Seminary
- St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute
- Volga Orthodox Institute
- St. Petersburg Orthodox Institute of Religious Studies and Church Arts
- Tsaritsyn Orthodox University St. Sergius Radonezh
The authorities in the Orthodox Church are councils of bishops - persons of the highest church hierarchy who receive their powers upon initiation. In the exercise of their power, they are guided by the sacred canons and church rules (church laws), the oath of allegiance to which each bishop takes upon his ordination. The sworn person has no right to change, cancel or violate church laws, which is considered the main condition for maintaining cleanliness Orthodox faith.
Thus, conciliarity is an important principle of church government. This is a religious and theological concept (“one in multitude”, “all-one”), which means the unity and integrity of the church body. By declaring itself conciliar, the church strives to be one and only in the ecumen in the universe, which means it strives to become universal.
Canonical conciliarity is carried out in the form of annual local councils of bishops of the metropolitan district. The church of such a district is called local. Only those councils that consist of bishops and metropolitans of the entire Christian world (all local churches) are considered ecumenical.
To manage church affairs, the metropolitan and bishops have assistants - clergy and secular persons. Clergy serve in cathedrals and make up the choir - the body of diocesan government (gr. eparchia - church-administrative territorial unit). The dioceses are headed by metropolitans, archbishops and bishops. Dioceses include dean districts, which are divided into parishes, which are the primary church organizations.
The Orthodox Church, unlike the Catholic Church, has never had a single center of government like the Vatican. Formally, as a result of what arose at the beginning of the 20th century. movement for the unification of all Christian churches, the Patriarch of Constantinople bears the title of ecumenical (universal) patriarch, but no one among the Orthodox clergy takes this seriously.
Today there are 15 officially recognized autocephalous (independent) Orthodox churches: Constantinople (Turkey), Alexandria (Egypt), Antioch (Syria, Lebanon), Jerusalem, Russian (under its jurisdiction is the Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church), Cyprus, Georgian, Serbian , Bulgarian, Hellenic (Greece), Romanian, Polish, Czechoslovakian, American, Finnish. In addition, there are many unofficially recognized autocephalous national churches.
The degree of independence of autocephalous churches is determined by an agreement with the autocephalous church that granted it autonomy. The heads of autonomous churches are elected by local councils with subsequent approval by the patriarch autocephalous church. Administratively, autocephalous churches are divided into exarchates, dioceses, vicariates, deaneries and parishes. Thus, the Russian Orthodox Church has 5 exarchates (Belarusian, Ukrainian, Western Europe, Central Europe, Central and South America).
Without a doubt, the most powerful and influential among the Orthodox churches today is the Russian Orthodox Church, which considered and considers itself the legal successor of the Byzantine Orthodox Church. The ROC is headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', who is elected for life by the Local Council. Under the patriarch, a Synod is established, consisting of 6 permanent and 2 temporary members.
Under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate there are many Orthodox parishes abroad: in France, the USA, Germany, England, Argentina, Canada, etc.
The training of Orthodox clergy is carried out in religious educational institutions - academies and seminaries.
The Orthodox clergy is divided into white (parish priests) and black (monasticism). Among whites, only representatives of the highest clergy - hieromonks - take a vow of celibacy. Monks live and serve in monasteries, the most famous of which are the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Alexander Nevsky, Pochaevsko-Uspensky, Zhirovitsky.
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is the largest religious association within the Russian Orthodox tradition, one of 16 local Orthodox churches. From the 10th to the 15th centuries it existed as metropolis(ecclesiastical region) of the Patriarchate of Constantinople; since 1448 actually independent(as a result of refusal to support the union of Constantinople with Roman Catholic Church); in 1589 autocephaly The Russian Orthodox Church is officially recognized by the Eastern Patriarchates and established Moscow Patriarchate, which takes fifth place in a diptych of local Orthodox churches.
In 1721, the patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church was abolished and a state body was established Russian Empire for church administration affairs - Holy Governing Synod, the formal head of which was the Emperor. The Patriarchate was restored in 1917, when the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church elected Tikhon (Belavin) Patriarch. After his death in 1925, the authorities prevented the convening of a new Council for the election of the Patriarch, allowing them to be held only in 1943 at the Council of Bishops, consisting of 19 people. Currently, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church is Patriarch Alexy II, elected at the Local Council on June 10, 1990. He is the 15th Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The Patriarch has three residences- official (in the St. Daniel Monastery), work (in Chisty Lane in the center of Moscow) and suburban (in Peredelkino). Chairs of the Patriarch located in three capital cathedrals - the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin, the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhov and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The Russian Orthodox Church has 128 dioceses in Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan (these countries are considered the “canonical territory” of the Russian Orthodox Church), as well as in the diaspora - Austria, Argentina, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, USA and Canada. There are parishes, representative offices and other canonical divisions of the Russian Orthodox Church in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico. The Russian Orthodox Church nominally includes Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church, which is governed by an independent Metropolitan of All Japan, elected at the Council of this Church, and Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church, which currently does not have its own hierarchy. The highest doctrinal, legislative, executive and judicial power in the Russian Orthodox Church belongs to To the local council, which includes all ruling (diocesan) bishops, as well as representatives from the clergy and laity of each diocese. According to the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, which was in force from 1988 to 2000, the Local Council was to be convened every five years, but in practice this requirement was not fulfilled: from 1990 to the present there has not been a single Local Council. In August 2000, the Council of Bishops adopted a new Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church , which does not stipulate the frequency of convening the Local Council, the exclusive competence of which only includes the election of the new Patriarch. The real fullness of ecclesiastical authority has been transferred Bishop'scathedral, which includes permanent members of the Holy Synod and ruling bishops. According to the Charter, in force since August 2000, the Council of Bishops is convened by the Synod at least onceevery four years(the previous Charter required its convening at least once every two years). The list of powers of the Council of Bishops is very wide. Even during the work of the Local Council, which theoretically can cancel the decisions of the bishop, all full church power belongs to Bishops' Conference, consisting of bishops - members of the Council. If a majority of the members of the Local Council votes for a particular decision, but this decision does not receive a majority of votes of the members of the Bishops' Conference, it is considered adopted.
In the period between Councils of Bishops, the Church is governed by the Patriarchs Holy Synod, which is considered an advisory body under the Patriarch. In practice, the Patriarch makes the most important administrative decisions only with the consent of the Synod. The Holy Synod includes, in addition to the Patriarch, seven permanent members(Metropolitans of Krutitsky and Kolomna, St. Petersburg and Ladoga, Kiev and All Ukraine, Minsk and Slutsk, Chisinau and All Moldova, as well as the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate and Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations - DECR MP) and six temporary summoned by the Synod itself to participate in meetings during only one synodal session. The meetings of the Synod are divided into two sessions - spring and autumn, each of which consists of two or three meetings, usually lasting two days. As a rule, the Holy Synod hears reports on the most important events in church life that took place between its meetings (such events include visits of the Patriarch, visits to the Russian Orthodox Church by the heads of other local Churches, participation official representatives ROC in major events of an all-Russian or international scale), and also establishes new dioceses, appoints and moves bishops, approves the opening of new monasteries and the appointment of their abbots and abbess, opens and reorganizes theological educational institutions, opens new canonical structures of the ROC in foreign countries and appoints their clergy. In exceptional cases, the Synod issues Messages that reflect the point of view of the church leadership on certain significant social problems (the last such Message was devoted to the problem of Taxpayer Identification Number and, more broadly, digital identification of citizens).
Over the past 10 years, the number of dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church has doubled, and parishes almost tripled. According to information announced by Patriarch Alexy II at the Jubilee Council of Bishops in August 2000, the Russian Orthodox Church includes more than 19,000 parishes And about 480 monasteries.Pastoral service in the Russian Orthodox Church is carried out by more than 150 bishops,17,500 priests, 2,300 deacons. The dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by the diocesan bishop, are directly subordinate to the Patriarch and the Holy Synod (the Patriarch has his own diocese on the territory of Moscow, which is actually governed by his vicar). In the management of dioceses, bishops are assisted by the diocesan council and deans(priests who head church districts, usually uniting churches of one or more neighboring districts of a large city or region). For example, the territory of Moscow (more than 400 churches) is divided into 11 deaneries. Some large dioceses have vicars- auxiliary bishops, on whom the ruling bishop entrusts part of his responsibilities. There is a slight difference in the titles of diocesan and suffragan bishops - the diocesan bishop has a “double” title (for example: “Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga”), and the suffragan has a “single” title (for example: “Archbishop of Istra”). The Moscow diocese has the most vicars – about 10. This is due to the fact that some of them are titular bishops holding administrative positions in the central church apparatus (for example, heads of Synodal departments).
The hierarchy of the Orthodox Church is called “three-order” because it consists of three main levels: diaconate, priesthoodand bishops. Depending on their attitude towards marriage and lifestyle, the clergy is divided into two categories - "white"(married) And "black" (monastic). Deacons and priests can be either married (but only in their first marriage) or monastics, and bishops can only be monastics. Deacons They are assistants to bishops and priests during divine services, but they themselves cannot perform any of the seven main church sacraments. Priests only by the authority of their bishops and on their “instructions” can they perform all the sacraments, except for the priesthood - that is, ordination to the priesthood (this is performed only by the bishop). The bishop himself is ordained by several bishops, according to the decision of the Holy Synod. Bishops possess full sacramental and administrative-canonical power in the Church, therefore their persons are surrounded with special honor, and their divine services are performed according to a special, solemn rite (it is customary for bishops to address "lord", and to deacons and priests, as well as to monastics who do not have a hierarchical rank - "father"). Representatives of the “white” and “black” clergy have their own structures of honorary titles, which are awarded for “length of service” or for special services to the Church. These structures can be represented in the form of a table.
|
Hierarchical degree |
"White" (married) clergy |
"Black" (monastic) clergy |
|
Deacon |
Hierodeacon |
|
|
2. Priesthood |
Priest (=priest) |
Hieromonk |
|
3. Bishopric |
Bishop |
Monasticism has its own internal hierarchy, consisting of three degrees (belonging to them usually does not depend on belonging to one or another hierarchical degree itself): monasticism(Rassophore), monasticism(small schema, small angelic image) And schema(great schema, great angelic image). The majority of modern monastics belong to the second degree - to monasticism proper, or the small schema. Only those monastics who have this particular degree can receive ordination to the rank of bishop. To the name of the rank of monastics who have accepted the great schema, the particle “schema” is added (for example, “schema-abbot” or “schema-metropolitan”). Belonging to one degree or another of monasticism implies a difference in the level of strictness of monastic life and is expressed through differences in monastic clothing. During monastic tonsure, three main vows are made - celibacy, obedience and non-covetousness, and a new name is assigned as a sign of the beginning of a new life.
In the modern Russian Orthodox Church, monasteries are managed by viceroy in the rank of archimandrite (less often in the rank of abbot or hieromonk; the vicar of one monastery has the rank of bishop), who “represents” in it rector- diocesan bishop. The largest and most famous monasteries, as well as monasteries of the capital, are "stauropygial"- their abbot is the Patriarch himself, represented in the monastery by the viceroy. Convents run by abbess having an honorary title abbess(less often the abbess is a simple nun). In large monasteries, there is an advisory body under the governor - Spiritual Cathedral. Monasteries may have their own farmstead(representative offices) in cities or villages, as well as monasteries and monasteries, located at some distance from the main monastery. For example, the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius has Gethsemane and Bethany monasteries, and metochions in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
In addition to the clergy who belong to one of the three levels of the church hierarchy, the Russian Orthodox Church also has clergy, or lower clergy, - subdeacons and readers. The former almost exclusively serve the bishop, while the latter read in the choir or perform sexton functions in the altar.
Under the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church there are a number of “branch departments” - Synodal departments, the most important of which is DECR MP(Chairman: Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kirill (Gundyaev)). The DECR MP itself defines the range of its tasks as follows: “Carrying out the hierarchical, administrative and financial management of dioceses, monasteries, parishes and other institutions of our Church in the far abroad; making decisions by the clergy concerning church-state and church-public relations; maintaining relations with the Russian Orthodox Church with local Orthodox churches, heterodox churches and religious associations, non-Christian religions, religious and secular international organizations, state, political, public, cultural, scientific, economic, financial and other similar institutions and organizations, means mass media"The Chairman of the DECR MP, Metropolitan Kirill, is considered the most influential hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In most cases, future clergy receive a “professional” education in theological educational institutions, a network of which is led by Educational Committee Moscow Patriarchate (chairman - Archbishop of Vereisky Evgeniy (Reshetnikov)). Currently, the Russian Orthodox Church operates 5 spiritual academies(before 1917 there were only 4), 26 theological seminaries, 29 theological schools, 2 Orthodox universities And Theological Institute, women's religious school, 28 icon painting schools. The total number of students in theological schools reaches 6000 people. Patriarch Alexy II and diocesan bishops began to increasingly pay attention to a new alarming trend that has appeared in the system of theological education of the Russian Orthodox Church: only a small percentage of graduates of theological educational institutions continue their service to the Church in the priesthood.
Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechesis(Chairman - Hegumen John (Ekonomtsev)) runs a network of educational institutions intended for the laity. This network includes Sunday schools at churches, circles for adults, groups preparing adults for baptism, Orthodox kindergartens, Orthodox groups in state kindergartens, Orthodox gymnasiums, schools and lyceums, Orthodox courses catechists.
Under the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church there are also Department of Church Charity and Social Service(acting chairman - Metropolitan of Solnechnogorsk Sergius (Fomin)), Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies(acting chairman - Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov), Missionary department(chairman - Archbishop of Belgorod and Stary Oskol John (Popov)); Youth Affairs Department(chairman - Archbishop of Kostroma and Galich Alexander (Mogilev)); Publishing Council(chairman - Archpriest Vladimir Silovyov; he is also the editor-in-chief Publishing houses of the Moscow Patriarchate, issued by the official organ of the Russian Orthodox Church - "Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate"), a number of temporary councils and commissions. Current administrative affairs are handled Case management(headed by Metropolitan Sergius (Fomin) of Solnechnogorsk) and office(headed by Archpriest Vladimir Divakov) of the Moscow Patriarchate. The Patriarchate is under direct control (and is considered the main source of its income) Artistic and production enterprise of the Russian Orthodox Church "Sofrino" And hotel complex "Danilovsky".
One of the fifteen Local Orthodox Churches is the Russian Orthodox Church. This is a multinational Local Church, which is in doctrinal unity and prayerful and canonical communion with other Local Orthodox Churches. “Moscow Patriarchate” is another official name of the Russian Orthodox Church. (In the pre-revolutionary period, the official name of the Russian Orthodox Church was the “Russian Greek-Catholic Orthodox Church.”)
Of the 136 dioceses of the Moscow Patriarchate, 68 are located in the territory Russian Federation(more than 12.5 thousand parishes), 35 in Ukraine (more than 10 thousand parishes), 11 in Belarus (more than 1.3 thousand parishes), 6 in Moldova (more than 1.5 thousand parishes), 3 in Kazakhstan, one in Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are united into the Tashkent and Central Asian diocese.
In the far Abroad, the Russian Orthodox Church has 8 dioceses: Argentine and South American, Berlin and Germany, Brussels and Belgium, Budapest and Hungary, Vienna and Austria, The Hague and the Netherlands, Korsun (uniting parishes in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland ) and Surozhskaya (in Great Britain and Ireland). The parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the USA and Canada are governed by vicars of the Moscow diocese with the rights of diocesan bishops.
Like other Local Orthodox Churches, the Russian Orthodox Church has a hierarchical governance structure. The highest bodies of church authority and governance in the Russian Orthodox Church are the Local Council, the Council of Bishops and the Holy Synod, headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The Church is divided into dioceses, which can be united into metropolitan districts, exarchates, autonomous and self-governing Churches. Dioceses include parishes, monasteries, religious educational institutions and other canonical institutions. Parishes are united into deaneries.
Higher church administration
Local Council
The highest authority in the field of doctrine and canonical structure in the Russian Orthodox Church belongs to the Local Council, consisting of bishops, representatives of the clergy, monastics and laity. The Local Council is convened to elect the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', as well as to resolve other issues of a doctrinal and canonical nature. The timing of the convening of the Local Council is determined by the Council of Bishops or, in exceptional cases, by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (locum tenens of the patriarchal throne) and the Holy Synod.
According to the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Local Council interprets the teaching of the Orthodox Church on the basis of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, preserving doctrinal and canonical unity with the Local Orthodox Churches; resolves canonical, liturgical, pastoral issues, ensuring the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church, preserving the purity of the Orthodox faith, Christian morality and piety; approves, changes, cancels and clarifies its decrees concerning church life; approves the resolutions of the Council of Bishops relating to dogma and canonical structure; canonizes saints; elects the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and establishes the procedure for such election; defines and adjusts the principles of relations between the Church and the state; expresses, when necessary, concern about the problems of our time.
The Chairman of the Local Council is the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', and in the absence of the Patriarch - the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne. The quorum of the Council is 2/3 of the legally elected delegates, including 2/3 of the bishops from total number hierarchs - members of the Council. Solutions for Local Council, with the exception of special occasions, are adopted by a majority vote.
An important role in the work of the Local Council is played by the Bishops' Conference, consisting of all bishops who are members of the Council. The task of the Meeting is to discuss those resolutions of the Council that are of particular importance and which raise doubts from the point of view of compliance Holy Scripture, Sacred Tradition, dogmas and canons, as well as maintaining church world and unity. If any decision of the Council or part of it is rejected by the majority of the bishops present, then it is submitted for repeated council consideration. If, after this, the majority of the hierarchs present at the Council reject it, then it loses its force.
IN modern history The Russian Orthodox Church had 5 Local Councils - 1917–1918, 1945, 1971, 1988 and 1990. The Council of 1917–1918 restored the patriarchate in the Russian Church, elected All-Russian Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin) and made many other decisions that were important for church life. The 1945 Council elected Patriarch Alexy I (Simansky), the 1971 Council elected Patriarch Pimen (Izvekov). The 1988 Council was dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus'; it adopted the new Charter of the Russian Church. The Local Council of 1990 elected the now living Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II (Ridiger).
At the Local Council of 1990, each diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church was represented by a ruling bishop, one clergyman and one layman (laywoman). In addition, vicar bishops, rectors of theological schools, heads of synodal departments, and representatives of monasteries took part in the Council.
Bishops' Council
The highest body of hierarchical government in the Russian Orthodox Church is the Council of Bishops. According to the Charter adopted in 2000, the Council of Bishops is not accountable to the Local Council and its decisions do not require approval by a higher church authority, with the exception of decisions relating to doctrine and canonical structure, which are approved by the Local Council. According to the previous Charter, adopted in 1988, the Council of Bishops was accountable to the Local Council. And the Council of 1917–1918 did not provide for any other higher church authority at all, except for the Local Council consisting of bishops, clergy and laity. The change in the charter in 2000 was due to both practical considerations and the desire to return to the more ancient practice, according to which the highest power in the Church belongs to the Council of Bishops, and not to any church body with the participation of the laity.
The Council of Bishops consists of diocesan bishops, as well as suffragan bishops who head synodal institutions and theological academies or have canonical jurisdiction over the parishes under their jurisdiction. The Council of Bishops is convened by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (locum tenens) and the Holy Synod at least once every four years and on the eve of the Local Council, as well as in exceptional cases provided for by the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The responsibilities of the Council of Bishops include: maintaining the purity and integrity of Orthodox dogma and the norms of Christian morality; adoption of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church and introduction of changes and additions to it; preservation of the dogmatic and canonical unity of the Russian Orthodox Church; resolving fundamental theological, canonical, liturgical and pastoral issues relating to both the internal and external activities of the Church; canonization of saints and approval of liturgical rites; competent interpretation of the holy canons and other church laws; expression of pastoral concern for contemporary issues; determining the nature of relations with government agencies; maintaining relations with Local Orthodox Churches; the creation, reorganization and liquidation of self-governing Churches, exarchates and dioceses, as well as the determination of their boundaries and names; creation, reorganization and liquidation of synodal institutions; approval of the procedure for owning, using and disposing of the property of the Russian Orthodox Church; on the eve of the Local Council, making proposals on the agenda, program, regulations of meetings and structure of the Council, as well as on the procedure for electing the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', if such an election is expected; monitoring the implementation of the decisions of the Local Council; judgment on the activities of the Holy Synod and synodal institutions; approval, repeal and amendments to the legislative acts of the Holy Synod; creation and abolition of church governing bodies; establishing a procedure for all ecclesiastical courts; review of financial reports submitted by the Holy Synod; approval of new church-wide awards.
Decisions at the Council are made by a simple majority of votes by open or secret ballot. None of the bishops who are members of the Council of Bishops can refuse to participate in its meetings, except in cases of illness or other important reason, which is recognized by the Council as valid. The quorum of the Council of Bishops consists of 2/3 of the hierarchs - its members.
In the modern history of the Russian Orthodox Church there have been 16 Councils of Bishops - in 1925, 1943, 1944, 1961, 1971, 1988, 1989, 1990 (three times), 1992 (twice), 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2004. The Council of 1925 bore the name “Bishops’ Conference” and was convened to elect a locum tenens of the patriarchal throne after the death of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. The Council of 1943 elected His Holiness Patriarch Sergius. The Councils of 1944, 1971, 1988 and June 1990 were convened to prepare Local Councils. The 1961 Council of Bishops was convened to adopt a new Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church. The frequency of convening Councils of Bishops in the period from 1989 to 1997 was due to serious changes in the legal status of the Russian Church during the collapse of the USSR and the emergence of new states on its territory, as well as the need to respond to the Ukrainian schism, which was rapidly gaining strength. The Council of Bishops in 2000 was called “Jubilee” and was dedicated to the 2000th anniversary of Christianity. Finally, the 2004 Council was the first Council of Bishops convened in accordance with the new Charter, which prescribes the convening of Councils of Bishops once every 4 years.
Patriarch
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church bears the title “His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.” In the history of the Russian Orthodox Church there have been 15 patriarchs:
St. Job from December 11, 1586, Metropolitan of Moscow; from January 26, 1589 to early June 1605 Patriarch of All Russia
St. Hermogenes July 3, 1606 – February 17, 1612
Filaret June 24, 1619 – October 1, 1633
Joasaph I February 6, 1634 – November 28, 1640
Joseph March 27, 1642 – April 15, 1652
Nikon July 25, 1652 – December 12, 1666
Joasaph II February 10, 1667 – February 17, 1672
Pitirim July 7, 1672 – April 19, 1673
Joachim July 26, 1674 – March 17, 1690
Adrian 24 August 1690 – 16 October 1700
St. Tikhon November 5, 1917 – April 7, 1925
Sergius, from December 14, 1925, deputy patriarchal locum tenens, then locum tenens; September 11, 1943 – May 15, 1944 Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'
Alexy I February 4, 1945 – April 17, 1970
Pimen June 2, 1971 – May 3, 1990
Alexy II since June 10, 1990
The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' occupies fifth place in the diptychs of the Local Orthodox Churches after the Patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' in the diptychs of the Russian Orthodox Church is followed by the patriarchs of Georgian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Romanian, archbishops of Cyprus, Albania, Athens and all Greece, metropolitans of Warsaw and all Poland, the Czech Lands and Slovakia, America and Canada.
The Patriarch has primacy of honor among the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church. In his activities, the patriarch is accountable to the Local and Bishops' Councils. The rank of patriarch in the Russian Orthodox Church is for life. The name of the patriarch is exalted during divine services in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' is the diocesan bishop of the Moscow diocese, consisting of the city of Moscow and the Moscow region. Helps the Patriarch in managing the Moscow diocese patriarchal viceroy as a diocesan bishop, with the title of Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna. In practice, the Patriarch controls the parishes of the city of Moscow, and the Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna controls the parishes of the Moscow region. The Patriarch is, in addition, the Holy Archimandrite of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, a number of other monasteries that have a special historical meaning, and governs all church stauropegies.
As the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, the patriarch has care for the internal and external welfare of the Church and governs it together with the Holy Synod, being its chairman. Together with the Holy Synod, the Patriarch convenes Councils of Bishops, and, in exceptional cases, Local Councils, and presides over them. The Patriarch also convenes meetings of the Holy Synod.
Exercising his canonical authority, the patriarch is responsible for the implementation of the decisions of the Councils and the Holy Synod; presents reports to the Councils on the state of the Church; maintains the unity of the hierarchy of the Church; carries out supervisory supervision of all synodal institutions; addresses with pastoral messages to the entirety of the Russian Church; signs church-wide documents after approval by the Holy Synod; governs the Moscow Patriarchate; corresponds with the primates of the Orthodox Churches; represents the Russian Church in relations with the highest bodies of state power and administration; has a duty of petition and “grief” to government authorities; approves the statutes of self-governing Churches, exarchates and dioceses; accepts appeals from diocesan bishops of self-governing Churches; consecrates the chrism in a timely manner for distribution throughout all dioceses and parishes of the Russian Church.
As the ruling bishop of the Moscow diocese, the patriarch does not have the right to direct and personal intervention in the affairs of other dioceses of the Russian Church. Nevertheless, the patriarch has a number of coordinating functions related to the activities of other bishops. According to the Charter, the Patriarch issues decrees on the election and appointment of diocesan bishops, heads of synodal institutions, vicar bishops, rectors of theological schools and others officials appointed by the Holy Synod; has care for the timely replacement of episcopal departments; entrusts bishops with temporary management of dioceses in the event of long-term illness, death or being under ecclesiastical court of diocesan bishops; monitors the fulfillment by bishops of their archpastoral duty to care for the dioceses; has the right to visit, in necessary cases, all dioceses of the Russian Church; gives fraternal advice to bishops both regarding their personal lives and regarding the performance of their archpastoral duty; in case of inattention to his advice, invites the Holy Synod to make an appropriate decision; accepts for consideration cases related to misunderstandings between bishops who voluntarily turn to his mediation without formal legal proceedings (the decisions of the patriarch in such cases are binding on both parties); accepts complaints against bishops and gives them due process; allows bishops to leave for more than 14 days; awards bishops with established titles and highest church honors.
The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' does not have direct canonical jurisdiction over the clergy and laity of dioceses not under his jurisdiction. However, in accordance with the Charter, church awards to clergy and laity of all dioceses are presented by the patriarch. This tradition is inherited from the synodal era, when, in the absence of a canonically elected primate, church awards were presented to clergy and laity by the sovereign emperor. In accordance with the same tradition, the patriarch, without being the direct head of religious educational institutions, approves the awarding of academic degrees and titles.
The right to try the patriarch, as well as the decision on his retirement, belongs to the Council of Bishops.
In the event of the death of the patriarch, his retirement, being on ecclesiastical trial, or any other reason that makes it impossible for him to fulfill the patriarchal office, the Holy Synod, chaired by the oldest ordained permanent member of the Holy Synod, immediately elects from among its permanent members a locum tenens of the patriarchal throne. During the interpatriarchal period, the Russian Orthodox Church is governed by the Holy Synod, chaired by a locum tenens; the name of the locum tenens is exalted during services in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church; the locum tenens performs the duties of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'; Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna enters into independent administration of the Moscow diocese.
No later than six months after the release of the patriarchal throne, the locum tenens and the Holy Synod convene a Local Council to elect a new patriarch. A candidate for patriarch must be a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church; have a higher theological education, sufficient experience in diocesan administration, be distinguished by their commitment to the canonical legal order, enjoy a good reputation and trust of the hierarchs, clergy and people, have a good witness from outsiders (1 Tim. 3 :7), be at least 40 years old.
Holy Synod
In the period between Councils of Bishops, the Russian Orthodox Church is governed by the Holy Synod, responsible to the Council of Bishops and consisting of a chairman - the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (or, in the event of his death, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne), seven permanent and five temporary members. The permanent members of the Synod are: by department - Metropolitans of Kiev and All Ukraine; St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Krutitsky and Kolomensky; Minsky and Slutsky, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Chisinau and all of Moldova; by position - chairman of the Department for External Church Relations and manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate. Temporary members of the Synod are called to attend one session, according to the seniority of their episcopal consecration.
The modern Holy Synod is not a direct successor to the pre-revolutionary Holy Synod and differs from it both in terms of powers and composition. The Holy Synod governed the Church on behalf of “His Imperial Majesty” and included as full members both bishops and priests, as well as a layman in the rank of chief prosecutor. All decisions of the Holy Synod came into force only after approval by the emperor. The title of “Holiness” passed to the pre-revolutionary Synod from the patriarch after the abolition of the patriarchate by Peter I; after the restoration of the patriarchate in 1917, this title again returned to the patriarch. The modern Synod is called “Holy” and consists exclusively of bishops. The decisions of the Synod are not approved by the patriarch, since the patriarch himself is a member of the Synod and its chairman.
Meetings of the Holy Synod are convened by the patriarch (or, in the event of his death, by the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne). As a rule, the meetings of the Synod are closed. Diocesan bishops, heads of synodal institutions and rectors of Theological Academies may be present in the Synod with the right of an advisory vote when considering cases concerning the dioceses, institutions, schools they govern or their exercise of church-wide obedience.
Matters in the Holy Synod are decided by the general consent of all members participating in the meeting or by a majority vote. No one present at the Synod may abstain from voting. Each of the members of the Synod, in case of disagreement with the decision made, may submit a separate opinion, which must be stated at the same meeting and submitted in writing no later than three days from the date of the meeting. Separate opinions are attached to the case, but do not stop its decision.
In charge The Holy Synod includes concern for the intact preservation and interpretation of the Orthodox faith, the norms of Christian morality and piety; serving the internal unity of the Church; maintaining unity with other Orthodox Churches; organization of internal and external activities of the Church; interpretation of canonical decrees and resolution of difficulties associated with their application; regulation of liturgical issues; issuing disciplinary decisions concerning clergy, monastics and church workers; grade major events in the field of interchurch, interfaith and interreligious relations; maintaining interfaith and interreligious ties; coordination of peacekeeping activities of the Russian Orthodox Church; expression of pastoral concern for social problems; addressing special messages to all children of the Russian Orthodox Church; maintaining proper relations between Church and state; a number of other functions.
The Holy Synod elects, appoints, in exceptional cases moves bishops and dismisses them; summons bishops to attend the Synod; considers reports of bishops on the state of dioceses; through its members, inspects the activities of bishops whenever it deems it necessary; determines the monetary maintenance of bishops. The Holy Synod appoints the heads of synodal institutions and, upon their proposal, their deputies; rectors of Theological academies and seminaries; abbots (abbesses) and governors of monasteries; bishops, clergy and laity to undergo responsible obedience abroad.
The Holy Synod creates and abolishes dioceses, changes their boundaries and names, followed by approval by the Council of Bishops; adopts regulations on diocesan institutions; approves the statutes of monasteries and carries out general supervision of monastic life; establishes stauropegia; on the recommendation of the Educational Committee, approves the charters and curricula of theological educational institutions, programs of theological seminaries and establishes new departments in theological academies; ensures that the actions of all church authorities in dioceses, deaneries and parishes comply with legal regulations; Conducts audits if necessary.
In order to understand what the principles of Orthodox church etiquette are based on, it is necessary to have an idea of the organizational structure of the Russian Orthodox Church.
A. Administrative structure of the Russian Orthodox Church
The life of the Russian Orthodox Church is determined by its Charter. The current Charter includes such a concept as a canonical division (clause 1.2). The canonical divisions of the Russian Orthodox Church are the following entities:
– Self-governing Churches;
– Exarchates;
– dioceses;
– Synodal institutions;
– deaneries, parishes;
– monasteries;
– brotherhood and sisterhood;
– Theological educational institutions;
– missions, representative offices and courtyards.
The Russian Orthodox Church (another official name is the Moscow Patriarchate) has a hierarchical governance structure. The highest bodies of church power and administration are the Local Council, the Council of Bishops and the Holy Synod, headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.
The highest authority in the field of doctrine and canonical structure of the Church belongs to the Local Council, consisting of diocesan and vicar bishops, representatives of the clergy, monastics, and laity. Decisions at the Council are made by a majority vote. His prerogative is to elect the Primate of the Church. In addition to resolving internal church issues, the Local Council defines and adjusts the principles of relations between the Church and the state. In exceptional cases, such a Council may be convened by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (or the Locum Tenens) and the Holy Synod, but usually the timing of its convening is determined by the Council of Bishops.
The Council of Bishops is the highest body of hierarchical governance of the Russian Orthodox Church and consists of diocesan bishops, i.e. bishops who administer individual dioceses. Members of the Council of Bishops are also vicar bishops who head Synodal institutions and Theological academies or have canonical jurisdiction over the parishes under their jurisdiction. The competence of the Council of Bishops includes the resolution of fundamental theological, canonical, liturgical, pastoral and property issues, the canonization of saints, maintaining relations with Local Orthodox Churches, control over the activities of Synodal institutions, approval of new church-wide awards, monitoring the implementation of the decisions of the Local Council. The Council is convened by His Holiness the Patriarch and the Holy Synod at least once every four years and on the eve of the Local Council, as well as in emergency cases.
The Holy Synod, headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', is the governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church in the period between Councils of Bishops. Greek wordΣύνοδος (synod) in translation means a meeting in general, but is mainly used in the sense of “small, permanent council.” Already in ancient times, synods of bishops were formed under the eastern Patriarchal Sees, which collectively participated in resolving the most significant church-wide issues. The first of these was the Synod Church of Constantinople(Σύνοδος ενδημούσα), consisting of metropolitans and bishops, on the affairs of their dioceses, sometimes staying for a long time in the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
In Russia, such a system of church governance appeared twenty years after the death of the tenth Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', Adrian. His successor with the title of “Exarch, guardian and administrator of the Patriarchal Table” was Metropolitan Stefan (Yavorsky) of Ryazan. Forced to stay close to the Russian autocrat in the new northern capital of St. Petersburg, Metropolitan Stefan in 1718 filed a complaint with the Tsar about being overburdened with affairs with a request to release him from St. Petersburg to Moscow, for more convenient management of the Patriarchal region. The resolution of Emperor Peter I to this petition, containing a number of reproachful remarks, ended with the conclusion: “For better management in the future, it seems that there will be a Spiritual College, so that it would be more convenient to correct such great things.” Soon, at the beginning of 1721, by the highest order, the Spiritual College was formed, later renamed the Synod. Independence new structure management of the Church was limited to an official appointed by the emperor - the chief prosecutor, who represented the interests of the state in the Synod and whose rights gradually expanded up to complete control over church life (under K. P. Pobedonostsev). The Primates of the Eastern Local Churches recognized the College as a permanent cathedral body, equal in power to the Patriarchs and therefore received the title of “Holiness”. The Synod had the rights of the highest administrative and judicial power in the Russian Church. Initially, it consisted of several bishops, one of whom was called “first,” as well as representatives of the black and white clergy. Subsequently, the composition of the Synod became exclusively bishops.
The Holy Synod, as the body of the highest church authority, existed for almost two hundred years. Only in 1917 did the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church decide to restore the Patriarchate in Rus'. At the same time, two collegial bodies were formed under the chairmanship of the Patriarch to govern the Church in the period between Local Councils: the Holy Synod and the Supreme Church Council, which was subsequently abolished. According to the Regulations on the Governance of the Russian Orthodox Church, adopted at the Local Council in 1945, the Metropolitans of Krutitsky, Kiev and Leningrad were included in the number of permanent members of the Holy Synod. The Council of Bishops in 1961 introduced into the Synod on a permanent basis the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations.
Currently, in accordance with the changes introduced by the Jubilee Council of Bishops in 2000, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church includes its Chairman - the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', seven permanent and five temporary members. The permanent members of the Synod are: by department - Metropolitans of Kiev and All Ukraine; St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Krutitsky and Kolomensky; Minsky and Slutsky, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Chisinau and all of Moldova; by position - Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations and Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate, who is the Secretary of the Holy Synod. Meetings of the Synod are held in two sessions: summer - from March to August, and winter - from September to February. Temporary members of the Synod are diocesan bishops who are called to attend one session, according to the seniority of their episcopal consecration (the time of elevation to the rank of bishop). Decisions are made by the general consent of all members participating in the meeting or by a majority vote, in the event of equality of which the Chairman’s vote is decisive.
The responsibilities of the Holy Synod include consideration of a wide range of intra-church (doctrine, canonical, disciplinary, financial and property) issues, the election, appointment and transfer of bishops, the formation and abolition of dioceses, the maintenance of inter-church, inter-confessional and inter-religious contacts, the formation of church-state relations. The Holy Synod may address special messages to the flock of the Russian Orthodox Church. As a governing body, the Synod has a stamp and a round seal with the inscription: “Moscow Patriarchate - Holy Synod.”
It should be noted that the activities of Synods of other Local Orthodox Churches may be structured according to different principles and they have different powers. The number of members of the Synod also varies, but it always includes the First Hierarch Local Church, who is the chairman of this collegial body.
The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople has a permanent composition. The Patriarch and members of the Synod are traditionally citizens of Turkey, therefore other dioceses and diasporas within the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate, for example, American, Australian, etc., are not represented in the Synod. The Synod has its own secretary, but at the same time it includes the archigrammatevs (from Greek. άρχι. - chief, γραμματεύς - secretary) - General Secretary of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, whose position corresponds to the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Members of the Holy Synod Alexandria Church are all ruling diocesan bishops holding the rank of metropolitan (currently there are fifteen of them), and the Chairman of the Synod is His Beatitude Patriarch. The Synod meets twice a year.
Members of the Holy Synod of the Church of Jerusalem, like all the monastic clergy of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, are members of the brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. As a rule, they are all ethnic Greeks. In addition to Greek citizenship, many of them have Jordanian citizenship. The Synod includes from fifteen to seventeen members, most of them bishops, usually titular, as well as several of the most famous archimandrites who permanently reside in Jerusalem. The right to elect a candidate to the Patriarchal throne belongs to the Holy Synod, but the chosen one must be approved by the government authorities of Jordan, Israel and the National Palestinian Authority.
The Holy Synod of the Serbian Church, in addition to His Holiness the Patriarch, includes four bishops. Vicar bishops cannot be members of the Serbian Synod. Every two years there is a rotation of two bishops - “synodals”, who are replaced by the next pair in seniority of consecration. The Holy Council of Bishops is composed of all diocesan bishops under the chairmanship of the Patriarch, and its decisions are recognized as valid if, when they are adopted, more than half of the diocesan bishops are present at the meeting of the Council.
Holy Synod Romanian Church consists of all bishops. In the absence of the Patriarch in the Synod, his functions pass to the metropolitan of the largest (after Wallachia, which is governed by the Patriarch himself) ecclesiastical region - Moldova and Suceava; in the absence of the Patriarch and all metropolitans, the functions of the chairman are performed by the oldest bishop by consecration.
The Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece, which includes only diocesan bishops, is the collegial bearer of the highest ecclesiastical authority. If we draw an analogy with the structure of the Russian Orthodox Church, then the Holy Council of the Hierarchy corresponds to the Council of Bishops. The body of church governance is the Permanent Holy Synod, whose members are re-elected once a year, so that all the bishops of the Greek Church participate in its work with a certain periodicity. The Permanent Holy Synod consists of twelve bishops and is headed by the Archbishop of Athens. The functions and terms of reference of the Permanent Holy Synod are identical to the powers of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, but its members meet much more often than their Russian counterparts - twice a month.
The Holy Synod of the Albanian Church includes all ruling bishops, as well as the titular suffragan Bishop of Apollonius.
Members of the Church People's Assembly of the Orthodox Church of Finland are all three of its bishops, six clergy and six laity.
The synods of the Georgian, Bulgarian, Polish, Czech, American and Japanese Churches consist of all diocesan bishops, each of whom has a casting vote.
The Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church is in charge of the management of Synodal institutions. Each such institution is in charge of a range of general church affairs within its competence and coordinates the activities of the relevant institutions in the dioceses. Currently, the Synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church are: Department for External Church Relations; Publishing Council; Academic Committee; Department of Catechesis and Religious Education; Department of Charity and Social Service; Missionary Department; Department for interaction with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies; Youth Affairs Department; Church and Scientific Center " Orthodox Encyclopedia"; Commission for the Canonization of Saints; Theological Commission; Commission for Monasteries; Liturgical Commission; Bible Commission; Commission on Economic and Humanitarian Affairs; Synodal Library. They are headed by persons appointed by the Holy Synod. The structure of the Moscow Patriarchate, as a Synodal institution, includes the Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate. Synodal institutions are the executive authorities of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and the Holy Synod. They have the right to authoritatively represent the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and the Holy Synod in their areas of activity.
Clergy and laity cannot appeal to state authorities and civil courts on issues related to intra-church life, including canonical administration, church structure, liturgical and pastoral activities. Judicial power in the Russian Orthodox Church is exercised by church courts of three levels:
– a diocesan court (of first instance), which has jurisdiction only within its diocese;
– a general church court (of second instance) with jurisdiction within the Russian Orthodox Church;
– the court of the Council of Bishops (the highest authority) with jurisdiction within the Russian Orthodox Church.
The proceedings in all church courts are closed. Only a presbyter can be a member of the diocesan court. The chairman of the court is a vicar bishop or a person in presbyteral rank. The Church-wide court consists of a Chairman and at least four members in the rank of bishop, who are elected by the Council of Bishops for a period of 4 years. Decrees of the general church court are subject to execution after their approval by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and the Holy Synod.
B. Territorial structure of the Russian Orthodox Church
Territorially, the Russian Orthodox Church is divided into Self-Governing Churches, Exarchates and Dioceses.
Self-governing Churches that are part of the Moscow Patriarchate carry out their activities on the basis and within the limits provided by a special Patriarchal Tomos (letter), issued in accordance with the decisions of the Local or Bishops' Council. The decision on the formation or abolition of the Self-Governing Church is made by the Council of Bishops, which also determines its territorial boundaries and name. The bodies of ecclesiastical power and administration of the Self-Governing Church are the Council and the Synod, headed by the Primate of the Self-Governing Church in the rank of metropolitan or archbishop. The Primate of the Self-Governing Church is elected by its Council from among candidates approved by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and the Holy Synod. His Holiness the Patriarch and the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church also approve the Charter, which guides their inner life Self-governing Church. On the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church there are only four of them - the Latvian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church of Moldova, the Estonian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is Self-governing with the rights of broad autonomy.
The exarchate is a union of dioceses on a national-regional basis. Such an association is headed by an Exarch with the rank of archbishop or metropolitan, elected by the Holy Synod and appointed by Patriarchal Decree. He is commemorated at the Liturgy in all churches of the Exarchate after the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The Exarch heads the Synod of the Exarchate, which holds the highest ecclesiastical authority in the Exarchate. Until 1990, the Russian Orthodox Church included several Exarchates - Western European (England, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland), Central European (Austria and Germany), North and South America (after the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in America in 1970 – Central and South America) and East Asian (until 1956). At the Council of Bishops in 1989, the Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate was created, at the Council of Bishops in 1990 (January 30–31), all foreign Exarchates that existed at that time were abolished (the dioceses that were part of them were directly subordinate to His Holiness the Patriarch and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church) . Finally, at the Council of Bishops in 1990 (October 25–27), in connection with the granting of Self-Governing status to the Ukrainian Church within the Moscow Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Exarchate was also abolished. Thus, currently the Russian Orthodox Church includes only one Exarchate - the Belarusian Exarchate, located on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
A diocese is a structural division of the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by a person in the rank of bishop. It includes parishes, diocesan monasteries and monastic farmsteads, diocesan institutions, theological schools, brotherhoods, sisterhoods, and missions. It is divided into dean districts headed by deans appointed by the diocesan bishop. A dean is a clergyman in presbyteral rank, the rector of one of the parish churches of the deanery. His duties include supervision over the proper performance of divine services, the internal and external condition of churches and other church buildings, as well as the correct conduct of parish affairs and the church archive, and care for the religious and moral state of believers. The dean is fully accountable to the ruling bishop.
The body of collective governance of the diocese is the Diocesan Assembly, consisting of clergy, monastics and laity living in the territory of the diocese and representing the canonical divisions that are part of it. The jurisdiction of the Diocesan Assembly, which is chaired by the ruling bishop, includes control over the activities of all structures of the diocese. The Assembly also elects delegates to the Local Council.
The governing bodies of the diocese include the Diocesan Council, headed by the diocesan bishop. The Council consists of at least four persons of presbyteral rank, half of whom are appointed by the bishop, and the rest are elected by the Diocesan Assembly for three years. The Chairman of the Council is the diocesan bishop. The Council considers issues of liturgical practice and church discipline, and also prepares Diocesan meetings.
The executive and administrative body of the diocese is the Diocesan Administration, which is under the direct supervision of the diocesan bishop. The diocesan administration has an office, accounting, archive and special departments that ensure the conduct of missionary, publishing, social and charitable, educational, restoration, construction, and economic activities.
The Secretary of the Diocesan Administration is a person appointed by the ruling bishop (usually in the rank of presbyterate). The secretary is responsible for the records management of the diocese and assists the bishop in the management of the diocese and in the management of the Diocesan Administration.
Members of the Russian Orthodox Church may belong to a monastic or parish community.
A monastery is a church institution in which men or women live and carry out their activities. women's community, consisting of Orthodox Christians who voluntarily chose the monastic way of life for spiritual and moral improvement and joint confession of the Orthodox faith. Monasteries are divided into stauropegial, which are under the canonical control of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', and diocesan, the canonical control of which is entrusted to diocesan bishops.
At the head monastery the abbot stands in the rank of hieromonk, abbot or archimandrite. In large and ancient monasteries there may be several persons with such a rank, but only one of them is the abbot. Nunneries are headed by abbess, as a rule, with the rank of abbess, whose privilege is to wear a pectoral priestly cross. Sometimes the abbess convent there is a nun who is also blessed to wear a pectoral cross according to her position.
Candidates for abbots and abbess of diocesan monasteries are approved by the Holy Synod on the proposal of the ruling bishops. The Stavropegic monastery is governed by a viceroy, “substituting” for the abbot - His Holiness the Patriarch, called the Holy Archimandrite or the Holy Abbot of the monastery. According to the current Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, in a diocesan monastery, a member can be excluded from the monastic community or a new monk (nun) accepted into it only with the consent of the ruling bishop.
Any monastery can have a courtyard - a kind of branch of the monastery located outside its borders. Usually the courtyard is a temple with adjacent residential buildings and subsidiary farms. The activities of the monastery are regulated by the Charter of the monastery to which the monastery belongs, and by its own Charter. The metochion is under the jurisdiction of the same bishop as the monastery. If the metochion is located on the territory of another diocese, then the names of two bishops are exalted during the service in the church of the metochion. The first to be commemorated is the bishop ruling in the diocese where the monastery itself is located, the second is the one whose canonical jurisdiction includes the territory where the monastery is located.
The parish is the smallest territorial canonical division of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is a community of Orthodox Christians, consisting of clergy and laity, united at the church (in addition to the main church building, the parish may have attached churches and chapels in hospitals, boarding schools, nursing homes, military units, prisons, cemeteries, as well as in other places). The clergy of the temple consists of clergy: a priest and a deacon, called clergy (in small parishes the clergy may consist of one priest, in large ones - of several priests and deacons). The clergy are their assistants who participate in the services - psalm-reader, readers, singers, altar servers. The election and appointment of clergy and clergy, who together form the clergy of the parish, belongs to the diocesan bishop (in practice, clergy are appointed as rectors of churches with the blessing of the bishop).
At the head of each parish is the rector of the church, appointed by the diocesan bishop for the spiritual guidance of the believers and the management of the clergy and parish. The rector is responsible for the statutory performance of divine services and the religious and moral education of parish members. He is also in charge of economic and financial issues related to the activities of the parish community and the institutions that exist within it.
The bodies of parish government are the rector, the parish meeting, the parish council and the audit commission. The parish meeting is the highest governing body of the parish, headed by the rector. The Parish Council is the executive and administrative body of the Parish Assembly. It includes a chairman - the church warden (with the blessing of the diocesan bishop, the rector can be elected chairman of the Parish Council), his assistant and the treasurer, responsible for maintaining financial records. The council is elected for three years from among the members of the parish assembly. The Audit Commission, consisting of three elected members, controls the financial and economic activities of the parish.
The funds of the Russian Orthodox Church are formed from contributions from dioceses, stauropegial monasteries, parishes of the city of Moscow, donations from individuals and legal entities, income from the distribution and sale of church utensils, literature, audio-video recordings, as well as from deductions from the profits of enterprises established by canonical church divisions.
People
