Diocesan administration according to the current charter. His Holiness the Patriarch according to the current Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Holy Synod according to the current Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church
In a special material devoted to the current state of the church, BG studied various aspects of the life of the Russian Orthodox Church - from the economy of parishes and Orthodox art to the life of priests and intra-church dissent. And besides, having interviewed experts, I compiled a brief block diagram of the structure of the Russian Orthodox Church - with the main characters, institutions, groups and philanthropists
Patriarch
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church bears the title “His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'” (but from the point of view of Christian theology, the head of the church is Christ, and the patriarch is the primate). His name is commemorated during the main Orthodox service, the liturgy, in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Patriarch is de jure accountable to the Local and Bishops' Councils: he is “first among equals” of bishops and governs only the Moscow diocese. De facto, church power is very highly centralized.
The Russian Church was not always headed by a patriarch: there was no patriarch from the baptism of Rus' in 988 until 1589 (governed by the metropolitans of Kiev and Moscow), from 1721 to 1917 (governed by the “Department of Orthodox Confession” - the Synod headed by the chief prosecutor) and from 1925 to 1943.
The Holy Synod deals with personnel issues - including the election of new bishops and their movement from diocese to diocese, as well as the approval of the composition of the so-called patriarchal commissions dealing with the canonization of saints, matters of monasticism, etc. It is on behalf of the Synod that the main church reform of Patriarch Kirill is carried out - the disaggregation of dioceses: dioceses are divided into smaller ones - it is believed that this way they are easier to manage, and bishops become closer to the people and the clergy.
The Synod convenes several times a year and consists of one and a half dozen metropolitans and bishops. Two of them - the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Barsanuphius of Saransk and Mordovia, and the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk - are considered the most influential people in the patriarchate. The head of the Synod is the patriarch.
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The collegial highest governing body of the church. All layers of the church people are represented in it - delegates from the episcopate, white clergy, monks of both sexes and laity. A local council is called to distinguish it from the Ecumenical Council, at which delegates from all sixteen Orthodox churches of the world should gather to resolve pan-Orthodox issues (however, the Ecumenical Council has not been held since the 14th century). It was believed (and was enshrined in the charter of the church) that it was the local councils that held the highest power in the Russian Orthodox Church; in fact, over the past century, the council was convened only to elect a new patriarch. This practice was finally legalized in the new edition of the charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, adopted in February 2013.
The difference is not just formal: the idea of the Local Council is that the church includes people of different ranks; although they are not equal to each other, they become a church only together. This idea is usually called conciliarity, emphasizing that this is the nature of the Orthodox Church, in contrast to the Catholic Church with its rigid hierarchy. Today this idea is becoming less and less popular.
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The Congress of all bishops of the Russian Church, which takes place at least once every four years. It is the Council of Bishops that decides all the main church issues. During the three years of Kirill's patriarchate, the number of bishops increased by about a third - today there are about 300 of them. The work of the cathedral begins with the report of the patriarch - this is always the most complete (including statistical) information about the state of affairs in the church. No one is present at the meetings, except for the bishops and a narrow circle of employees of the Patriarchate.
A new advisory body, the creation of which became one of the symbols of Patriarch Kirill’s reforms. By design, it is extremely democratic: it includes expert experts from various areas of church life - bishops, priests and laity. There are even a few women. Consists of a presidium and 13 thematic commissions. The Inter-Council Presence prepares draft documents, which are then discussed in the public domain (including in a special community on LiveJournal).
Over the four years of work, the loudest discussions flared up around documents on the Church Slavonic and Russian languages of worship and regulations on monasticism, which encroached on the structure of life of monastic communities.
A new, rather mysterious body of church governance was created in 2011 during the reforms of Patriarch Kirill. This is a kind of church cabinet of ministers: it includes all the heads of synodal departments, committees and commissions, and is headed by the Patriarch of the All-Russian Central Council. The only body of the highest church government (except for the Local Council), in the work of which lay people take part. No one is allowed to attend the meetings of the All-Russian Central Council except members of the council; its decisions are never published and are strictly classified; you can only learn anything about the All-Russian Central Council from the official news on the Patriarchate website. The only public decision of the All-Russian Central Council was a statement after the announcement of the Pussy Riot verdict, in which the church distanced itself from the court decision.
The church has its own judicial system, it consists of courts of three levels: the diocesan court, the General Church court and the court of the Council of Bishops. It deals with issues that are not within the competence of secular justice, that is, it determines whether the priest’s misconduct entails canonical consequences. Thus, a priest, even if he committed murder through negligence (for example, in a traffic accident), can be acquitted by a secular court, but will have to be defrocked. However, in most cases the matter does not come to court: the ruling bishop applies reprimands (punishments) to the clergy. But if the priest does not agree with the punishment, he can appeal to the General Church Court. It is unknown how these courts proceed: the sessions are always closed, the proceedings and the arguments of the parties, as a rule, are not made public, although the decisions are always published. Often, in a dispute between a bishop and a priest, the court takes the priest’s side.
Under Alexy II, he headed the Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate and was the main rival of Metropolitan Kirill in the election of the patriarch. There are rumors that the Presidential Administration was betting on Kliment and that his connections in circles close to Putin remain. After the defeat, he received control of the publishing council of the patriarchate. Under him, a mandatory publishing council stamp was introduced for books sold in church shops and through church distribution networks. That is, de facto censorship was introduced, and also paid, since publishers pay the council for reviewing their books.
Church Ministry of Finance under the leadership of Bishop Tikhon (Zaitsev) of Podolsk; a completely opaque institution. Tikhon is known for creating a system of tariff scales of contributions that churches pay to the patriarchate depending on their status. The bishop’s main brainchild is the so-called “200 churches” program for the urgent construction of two hundred churches in Moscow. Eight of them have already been built, and 15 more are in the near future. For this program, the former first deputy mayor of Moscow, Vladimir Resin, was appointed advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' on construction issues.
In fact, it is the Ministry of Special Theological Education: it is in charge of theological seminaries and academies. The educational committee is headed by Archbishop Evgeniy (Reshetnikov) of Vereisky, rector of the Moscow Theological Academy. The committee is trying to reach an agreement with the state on the accreditation of theological schools as universities and the transition to the Bologna system - the process is not easy. A recent internal church inspection showed that out of 36 seminaries, only 6 are able to become full-fledged universities. At the same time, Patriarch Kirill, having come to power, forbade the ordination as priests of candidates who had not graduated from the seminary. There are also several universities for lay people in the Russian Orthodox Church. The most famous of them is St. Tikhon's University for the Humanities, where they study to become philologists, historians, theologians, sociologists, art historians, teachers, etc.
He worked for 19 years in the department of Metropolitan Kirill, and before that he worked for Metropolitan Pitirim in the publishing department. He was primarily involved in inter-Christian relations and ecumenism, regularly went on business trips abroad and was involved in a wide variety of church and political circles in the world. In 2009, after zealous participation in the election campaign of Patriarch Kirill, he received a new synodal department - for relations between the church and society. Many expected that Chaplin would be immediately made a bishop, but this did not happen even after 4 years. Chaplin patronizes various social and church-social groups, ranging from the Union of Orthodox Women to bikers. Regularly makes scandalous statements in the media.
The business manager is one of the highest status positions in the Russian Orthodox Church. Two patriarchs - Pimen and Alexy II - and one head of the autonomous church - Metropolitan of Kiev Vladimir (Sabodan) - were administrators of affairs before their election. However, the position did not help the previous manager, Metropolitan Clement, to occupy the patriarchal see. Today, the Administration is headed by Metropolitan Barsanuphius of Saransk and Mordovia, and Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), whom journalists call the inquisitor, became his deputy and head of the control and analytical service. It is to the department of Father Savva that denunciations and signals about troubles in the parishes flock. The news that a delegation led by an archimandrite is going to the diocese causes trepidation in the localities. Archimandrite Savva grew up in Paris, studied mathematics at the University of Paris-Sud and was tonsured a monk. Then he came to Russia to study at the theological academy, was noticed, and by the age of 34 had made a rapid church career. He is part of the inner circle of the patriarch’s assistants in managing dioceses and preparing documents regulating the management of the church.
Chief of the Russian Orthodox Church for charity. Back in the 1990s, he led social work in the Moscow diocese, created a sisterhood and a school of sisters of mercy. He was rector of the Church of St. Tsarevich Demetrius at the 1st City Hospital. Under Kirill, he became a bishop and headed the Synodal Department for Charity and Social Service. It runs church hospitals, almshouses, drug addiction programs and much more. His department became famous during the fires of 2010, when the Moscow headquarters for collecting assistance to fire victims and volunteers working on extinguishing was deployed at its base.
He heads the Synodal Information Department (SINFO), something between the press service of the church (the patriarch has a personal press service) and the Presidential Administration. Legoyda is the only “jacket man” in the Supreme Church Council and among the heads of synodal departments (as the church calls laymen who have squeezed into high church positions). Before heading SINFO, he worked as head of the department of international journalism at MGIMO and published the Orthodox glossy magazine “Foma” for more than 10 years. SINFO deals with church PR and prepares media and blog monitoring specifically for the patriarch. In addition, Legoyda’s department conducts trainings in the regions for church journalists and workers of diocesan press services.
Metropolitan Hilarion is considered one of the closest and most influential bishops to Patriarch Kirill. He is from an intelligent Moscow family, studied at the Moscow Conservatory, the Theological Academy, and interned at Oxford. Theologian, TV presenter, director of Church postgraduate and doctoral studies, composer: the Synodal Choir founded by him (the director is a school friend of the Metropolitan) performs his works all over the world. Headed by Hilarion, the DECR is a “church Foreign Ministry” that deals with contacts with other Orthodox and Christian churches, as well as interreligious relations. It was always led by the most ambitious and famous bishops. The future Patriarch Kirill headed the DECR for 20 years - from 1989 to 2009.
Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) Viceroy of Sretensky Monastery |
In big cities it plays a significant role in church life. Some of this intelligentsia are members or children of members of illegal church communities that existed during Soviet times. In many ways, it is they who ensure the continuity of traditional forms of church life. The Orthodox St. Tikhon's University, one of the largest Orthodox educational institutions in the world, was created in the early 1990s by one of these intellectual circles. But today the intelligentsia consistently criticizes that de facto official ideology that can be called Orthodox-patriotic. The church intelligentsia feels rejected and unclaimed, although some of its representatives work in the Inter-Council Presence.
The rector of the Church of St. Sophia of the Wisdom of God on Sofia Embankment, opposite the Kremlin. Once upon a time he began as an altar boy for Alexander Men, then became the spiritual child of the famous elder John Krestyankin; for several years he was the rector of a village church in the Kursk region, where the Moscow intelligentsia visited him. He gained fame as the confessor of Svetlana Medvedeva, who, long before becoming the first lady, began going to the St. Sophia Church. Actress Ekaterina Vasilyeva works as the headman in Father Vladimir’s parish, and the son of Vasilyeva and playwright Mikhail Roshchin, Dmitry, serves as a priest in another church, where Volgin is also the rector. One of the most zealous parishioners is Ivan Okhlobystin's wife Oksana and their children. Despite the bohemian composition of the parish, Archpriest Vladimir Volgin has a reputation as almost the strictest confessor in Moscow. His parish is full of large families.
One of the most influential white priests (not monks) in the Russian Church. He is very popular among his flock: collections of his sermons in the form of books, audio and video recordings have sold millions of copies since the 1990s. One of the most popular Orthodox commentators in the media. He runs his own video blog and broadcast on the Orthodox TV channel “Spas”. One of the main exponents of Orthodox patriotic ideology. Under Patriarch Alexy, Archpriest Dimitry was jokingly called “the rector of all Moscow,” because he was the rector of eight churches at the same time. He also delivered the farewell speech at the funeral service of Patriarch Alexy. Under Kirill, one of the large churches - St. Nicholas in Zayaitsky - was taken from him and in March 2013 he was relieved of his post as chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations with the Armed Forces, which he had led since its founding in 2000, being responsible for the introduction of the institute of chaplains in the army . The main fighter against abortion and contraception; He is proud that his parish has a birth rate “like in Bangladesh.”
Parishioners of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on Bersenevka, which is located opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, between the House on the Embankment and Red October, created a new militaristic Orthodox style. Strong men in combat boots and T-shirts “Orthodoxy or Death.” Extreme conservatives oppose tax identification numbers, biometric passports, juvenile justice and modern art. Uncanonized saints are venerated, including the soldier Yevgeny Rodionov, who died in Chechnya.
Church budgets at all levels are supported by donations from philanthropists. This is the most closed side of church life.
Major (and public) church donors
Owner of the company “Your Financial Trustee” and the agricultural holding “Russian Milk”. Sponsors the construction of churches, exhibitions of icon painting, etc. Forces employees to take courses in Orthodox culture, and orders all married employees to get married. He consecrated a chapel on the territory of his enterprise in honor of Ivan the Terrible, who has not been canonized in the Russian Church and is not going to be canonized.
The President of JSC Russian Railways is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called (FAP), which financed the bringing to Russia of the relics of the Holy Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, the right hand of John the Baptist, the relics of the Apostle Luke and the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary. FAP also pays for VIP trips to get the Holy Fire in Jerusalem, the program for the revival of the Martha and Mary Convent in Moscow, and with its funds several churches in the name of St. Alexander Nevsky were built on the borders of Russia.
Founder of the investment fund Marshall Capital and the main minority shareholder of Rostelecom. The St. Basil the Great Foundation, which he created, finances Moscow and Moscow region churches, the restoration of monasteries, and paid for the renovation of the DECR building. The main brainchild of the foundation is the Basil the Great Gymnasium, an elite educational institution in the village of Zaitsevo near Moscow, the cost of education in which is 450 thousand rubles per year.
Vadim Yakunin and Leonid Sevastyanov |
The chairman of the board of directors of the pharmaceutical company Protek and a member of the board of directors of this OJSC founded the St. Gregory the Theologian Foundation. The foundation maintains a synodal choir, a church-wide graduate school, finances some DECR projects (mainly Metropolitan Hilarion’s trips abroad), and organizes exhibitions of icons in different countries. The fund includes an Orthodox gymnasium in Murom and a program for the revival of the shrines of Rostov the Great.
Young people previously unknown to the church community use radical forms of public manifestations (performances, actions) to “defend Orthodoxy.” Some priests, including Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, are very supportive of aggressive activism. And even the raids on the office of the Yabloko party and the Darwin Museum did not cause unequivocal condemnation from the official church authorities. The leader of the activists is Dmitry “Enteo” Tsorionov.
In the 1990s - early 2000s, he was the most prominent and successful church missionary, traveling with lectures on Orthodoxy throughout the country, organizing debates, and participating in talk shows on television. He wrote several theological works, in particular about exposing the teachings of the Roerichs. He has been teaching at the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University for more than 15 years; there is usually no place to sit during his lectures. In the winter of 2008–2009, he actively campaigned for the election of Metropolitan Kirill as patriarch, writing revealing articles about his main competitor in the elections, Metropolitan Clement. For this, after his election, the patriarch awarded him the honorary rank of protodeacon and gave him the assignment to write the textbook “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture” for 4th-5th grade schools. It is Kuraev’s textbook that is recommended by the Ministry of Education as the main manual for the defense-industrial complex course. However, in 2012, the protodeacon began to increasingly disagree with the position of church officials. In particular, immediately after Pussy Riot’s performance in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, he called for “feeding them pancakes” and letting them go in peace; During the trial he repeatedly reminded about mercy. After this, they began to say that Kuraev had fallen out of favor. His presence in the media has decreased significantly, but his LiveJournal blog remains the clergyman’s most popular blog.
Rector of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhly. He is considered one of the leaders of church liberals (despite his traditional and even conservative theological views). This is partly due to the composition of the parish: intellectuals, artists, musicians. But in many ways - with the speeches of Father Alexy in the media. In 2011, he published on the website “Orthodoxy and the World” the text “The Silent Church” about the priority of the moral principle in the relations of the church with the people and the state, predicting the problems that the church faced in the following years. After this article, a discussion arose about the place of the intelligentsia in the church. Father Alexy's main opponent was Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, who argued that the intelligentsia were evangelical Pharisees.
in a broad sense - the totality of governing bodies of the diocese. In a narrow sense, it is the executive and administrative body of the diocese, under the direct supervision of the diocesan bishop.
Canonical foundations of E. u.
The highest authority in the diocese, in accordance with the ecclesiological teaching of the Orthodox Church, canons and other fundamental church legal acts, belongs to the ruling bishop. His assistants can be other bishops, in the present day. time commonly called vicars. Other institutions, including collegial ones, for example, also participate in the management of the diocese as auxiliary, advisory and executive bodies. spiritual consistories, diocesan assemblies and diocesan councils, however, the completeness of the legislative, adm. and judicial power belongs to the ruling bishop, to whom it was entrusted by God as the successor of the apostles. The bishop is limited only to the conciliar bodies of the highest authority of the Local Church, headed by its Primate.
The rights and duties of the ruling bishop are determined by the fact that he is the supreme teacher of the faith in his diocese and the chief ruler of its affairs. The bishop, as a teacher of the faith, is entrusted with preaching the Gospel and spreading Christ. teachings in the diocese. The authority of the bishop has its basis in the Holy Scriptures. Scripture (“Preach the word, be persistent in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and instruction” - 2 Tim 4.2) and the canons of the Church (“A bishop or presbyter who does not care about the clergy and people, and he who does not teach them piety, let him be excommunicated. And if he remains in this negligence and laziness, let him be cast out" - Ap. 58).
The bishop can perform all sacred rites in the diocese, and exclusively he has the right to ordain priests, deacons and lower clergy (1 Tim. 5.22; Titus 1.5; Ap. 2; Trul. 33; VII Ecum. 14; Laodice. 26) and consecration of antimensions. Byzantine. canonist Patriarch Theodore IV Balsamon in his interpretation of Laodice. 26 noted: “For this purpose, antimensions were probably invented and prepared by local bishops at the time when they are consecrating the church, in order to place them at the holy meals of prayer temples and so that they completely replace the accessories of the holy altar and holy meals, that is, the consecration, and together in order to testify that with the episcopal permission a sacred rite is performed in the house of prayer.” To Trul. 31 says: “We determine that clergy who officiate or baptize in prayer churches located inside houses should do this only with the permission of the local bishop.”
The name of the bishop is exalted during divine services in all the churches of his diocese: “If a presbyter or deacon, having suspected his bishop of certain accusations, before the conciliar examination and examination and complete condemnation of him, dares to retreat from communion with him, and will not raise his name in the sacred prayers at liturgies, according to church tradition: let such a one be deprived of all priestly honor. For he who is appointed to the rank of presbyter, and admires the court, left to the metropolitans, and, before the court, himself condemns his father and the bishop intensifies, is not worthy of any honor, lower than the title of presbyter” (Const. (861), Dicr. 13).
All presbyters, deacons and clergy, all churches, houses of worship and monasteries of the diocese depend on the bishop as the main ruler of the church affairs of the diocese. “Let the clergy at almshouses, monasteries and martyrs’ churches remain, according to the tradition of the Holy Fathers, under the authority of the bishops of each city and let them not, through insolence, be torn out from under the control of their bishop” (IV Ecumenical 8). The bishop has the right to prohibit a cleric from serving in the priesthood, to increase or decrease the imposed penance: “Bishops have the power, having experienced the manner of conversion, to be philanthropic, or to apply a longer period of repentance” (Ankir. 5). From the rights of a bishop come his duties: to strictly and unconditionally obey the Holy Spirit. canons and decrees of the highest church authority, to continuously remain in his diocese, and to leave it for a short time only with the knowledge of the proper authority: “It is not proper, it is not proper, and it is not useful for a bishop who does not have any important needs or difficult work to leave his church for a longer time (than 3 weeks - V. Ts.), and upset the people entrusted to him” (Sardik. 11).
In the relationship of diocesan authority with the supreme authority of the Local Church, the bishop is entrusted with the obligation to remember the name of his metropolitan or patriarch during divine services (Const. (861), Dicr. 14), not to undertake anything exceeding his authority without the knowledge of the first bishop (Ap. 34), and to appear at the invitation of the first bishop to the Council of Bishops: “To the bishops who do not come to the Council, although they are in their cities, and, moreover, are in health, and are free from any necessary and urgent work, brotherly say a word of rebuke” (IV Ecumenical 19; this the position is repeated in Trul. 8). To differentiate the rights of bishops governing different dioceses, canonical rules prohibit bishops from preaching in another diocese (Trul. 20), performing ordinations there without the consent of the diocesan bishop (Ankir. 13) or ordaining a foreign clergyman without dismissing him from his bishop (Sardik. 15) , appropriate parishes belonging to another diocese (IV Ecumenical 17).
By virtue of the catholic unity of the Church, every bishop is obliged to respect and recognize the decrees, orders and sentences of other bishops: “Even if a presbyter or deacon is excommunicated from a bishop, it is not appropriate for him to accept being different in communion, but rather to the one who excommunicated him: unless the bishop who excommunicated him will die” (Ap. 32). If one diocese has a shortage of clergy, and another has an excess of them, then the bishop, who has an excess of clergy, must give up his clergy in a fraternal manner. To Karth. 66 (55) the words of 2 bishops are conveyed: “Postumetian bishop of the river: but if one bishop has many clergy, then this many others must help me. Avrilius Bishop of the Rivers: Indeed, just as you helped another Church, so the one who has a larger number of clergy will be encouraged from among them to devote you to ordination.”
E.u. in the ancient Church and in Byzantium
In the apostolic age, the first bishops were elected and installed by the apostles themselves: “The apostles were sent to preach to us the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is from God. Christ was sent from God, and the apostles from Christ. ...Preaching in various countries and cities, they appointed the first-born of the believers, after spiritual testing, to be bishops and deacons for future believers” (Clem. Rom. Ep. I ad Cor. 42).
In the post-apostolic era, it was established that the bishops of the nearest communities, as well as the clergy and people as witnesses of the integrity of the protege, participate in the election of bishops. The First Ecumenical Council decreed: “It is most fitting to appoint a bishop to all the bishops of that region. If this is inconvenient, either due to the pressing need, or due to the distance of the journey: let at least three gather in one place, and let those who are absent express their consent by means of letters: and then perform the ordination. It is appropriate for its metropolitan to approve such actions in each region” (I Om. 4). It is especially categorically stated that the election of a bishop cannot take place without the consent of the metropolitan (I Ecumenical 6).
In ancient times, the movement of bishops from see to see was not allowed in principle. The bishop is the bridegroom of the Church, to whom he has been appointed. According to Ap. 14, “It is not permissible for a bishop to leave his diocese and move to another, even if he were convinced by many, unless there is some blessed guilt that compels him to do this, as if he can bring great benefit to those living there with the word of piety. And this is not by choice, but by the judgment of many bishops and by the strongest conviction.” Exceptions were allowed, but in ancient times they were rare.
Assistants to the ruling bishops in the 4th century. there were chorebiscopes, which were staged in small towns and even more often in villages. In Antioch. 10, the rights of chorebishops are defined as follows: “The Holy Council decided for the good that the primates of small towns or villages, or so-called chorebishops, should know their limits... so that they govern only the churches subordinate to them, and limit their care and orders to them, so that they appoint readers, subdeacons and exorcists... and they do not dare to appoint a presbyter or deacon without the will of the bishop existing in the city, to whom the chorebishop and his district are subordinate.” In the 4th century. the institution of chorebishopric began to disappear from the life of the Church. To Laodice. 57 it was forbidden to install new chorebishops: “It is not proper to install bishops in small towns and villages, but periodeuts; and those who have already been appointed do not do anything without the will of the bishop of the city.” But even after the practice of appointing chorebishops ceased, in some dioceses, auxiliary bishops with the titles of previously existing and abolished dioceses were ordained to help the ruling bishop - titular bishops, who were later. served as a prototype for suffragan bishops. In ancient times, chorebishops, unlike the suffragan bishops of modern times, ruled their small region, which was part of the diocese.
The bishop's assistants in administering the diocese were also presbyters, especially those who served in the cathedral church. In the 3rd century. almost everywhere there were presbyteriums, a kind of presbytery councils, at the departments. In the IV-V centuries. the duties of individual members of the presbyterium are enshrined in the canons (Gangr. 7, 8; Theoph. 10; IV Ecum. 2, 3, 23, 25, 26).
As an institution, the presbyterium received its most complete development in the Polish Church, following the example of which presbyteriums were organized in other churches of Byzantium. Among the officials of the K-Polish presbyterium were the economist; sacellarium, who was in charge of monastic affairs; skevofylax - sacristan; hartophylax - keeper of the official. documents; the sacellium, which had charge of the parish churches and parish clergy; protekdik - the main intercessor on church affairs; protopresbyter, to whom were entrusted the liturgical affairs and testing of proteges as presbyters and deacons; Hieromnimon (see Hieromnimon of the Great Church), who assisted the protopresbyter in managing liturgical affairs; canstrisium - assistant to skeuphylax; referendary - an intermediary between the bishop (or patriarch) and the state. power; logothete - accountant and assistant to protecdicus and chartophylax; ipomnimatographer - assistant to the chartophylax, in charge of notarial affairs. With the exception of the protopresbyter, all these officials could not be presbyters, but deacons.
After the abolition of the institution of chorebishops, individual parts of the diocese began to be governed by presbyters, the so-called. periodeuts, appointed by diocesan bishops (Laodice. 57). Later, the position of archpriest arose from the position of periodeut. The positions of periodeuts and archpriests were not lifelong and did not denote a special degree of church government hierarchy, or rank. In Greek In churches where there are many bishops and the flock of dioceses is small, neither in ancient times nor in the present day has this position received such development as in Russia, where dioceses many times exceed Greek ones in the number of flocks and the number of parishes and where, therefore, it is difficult for the diocesan bishop to carry out direct supervision of all parishes.
E.u. in the history of the Russian Church
In 1865, Archbishop. Mikhail (Golubovich) of Minsk and Bobruisk convened a meeting of deans of the diocese for the first time. The ruling bishops of other dioceses followed his example. The agenda of such meetings included, in addition to the church administration. issues also include educational matters, in particular the selection of delegates to district and diocesan school congresses, and the raising of funds for theological schools. In the 80s XIX century, under Chief Prosecutor K.P. Pobedonostsev, such meetings were either stopped or were henceforth limited to discussion of the adm. business
Due to the enormous size of the Russian dioceses in comparison with the dioceses of the ancient Church or the Byzantines. era and the large number of parishes in them, often exceeding a thousand, the ruling bishop was unable to personally consider the matters being decided and therefore was forced, despite the fullness of his powers corresponding to the canonical rules, to rely on draft decisions that were prepared by the spiritual consistory.
E.u. according to the definitions of the Local Council of 1917-1918.
The Council discussed the most important church matters, including those related to the administration of the diocese. A report on this topic on behalf of the department of E. u. made by prof. A. I. Pokrovsky. The project for organizing the E.U., proposed by this department, was, according to the speaker, “a feasible attempt to return the Church to the ideal of episcopal-communal governance, to that order, which for the Church is an ideal for all times” (Council, 1918. Acts. T 5. Issue 1. P. 232). Serious controversy flared up around the draft's provision that the bishop governs the diocese with the conciliar assistance of the clergy and laity. Various amendments were proposed: the purpose of some was to more sharply emphasize the divinely established power of the successors of the apostles (Archbishop of Tambov, smc. Kirill (Smirnov) proposed to include in the “Definition on Diocesan Administration” the words about the sole management of the bishop, carried out only “with the help of diocesan governing bodies and the court” - Ibid., pp. 269-270; Archbishop of Tver, semmartyr Seraphim (Chichagov) even spoke about the inadmissibility of involving lay people in the management of the diocese); Other amendments pursued opposite goals - to give the clergy and laity broader rights in deciding diocesan affairs. The final edition of the “Definition on Diocesan Administration” included the project formula proposed by the department of diocesan administration: “The diocesan bishop, by succession of power from the holy apostles, is the primate of the local Church, governing the diocese with the conciliar assistance of the clergy and laity” (Council, 1918. Definitions. Issue 1. P. 18).
Disagreements also emerged regarding the issue of replacing dowager chairs. Archbishop Tver sschmch. Seraphim spoke out in favor of making the election of a new bishop a matter for the bishops themselves. His opponents proposed leaving this to clergy and laity. A compromise option triumphed: “The bishops of the district or, in the absence of districts, the Holy Synod draw up lists of candidates, which, after canonical approval, include the candidates indicated by the diocese” (Ibid. pp. 18-19). The elections themselves must be carried out by the bishops of the district or bishops appointed by the Synod, together with the clergy and people of the diocese. The appointment and transfer of bishops on the initiative of the highest church authorities was allowed only in exceptional cases.
The Council established a 35-year age limit for candidates for bishops. According to the Definition, bishops must be elected “from among monastics or those not obliged by marriage to the white clergy and laity, and for both of them it is obligatory to invest in the ryassophore if they do not take monastic vows” (Ibid. p. 19). This condition meets the Trul requirement. 12, although it diverges from the centuries-old practice of the Russian Church to appoint exclusively monks of the robe to bishops. The ordination of ryassophore monks as bishops has not taken root in the Russian Church.
In accordance with the conciliar Decree, the highest body, with the assistance of which the bishop governs the diocese, is the diocesan assembly, elected from clergy and laity for a 3-year term. Diocesan assemblies form their own permanent executive bodies: the diocesan council and the diocesan court. The boundaries of deanery districts were to be established by the diocesan assembly. In adopting this Definition, the Council was guided by the desire to attract the clergy and laity to broad participation in church governance. But the canonical authority of the diocesan bishop remained inviolable. In Art. 23 The definition provided: “Without the consent of the bishop, not a single decision of the diocesan administration can be implemented” (Ibid. p. 20).
The Council issued a special “Decree on Vicar Bishops.” Its fundamental novelty lay in the fact that the jurisdiction of suffragan bishops was supposed to include not only the range of matters relating to diocesan administration, as was the case during the synodal period, but also the management of individual parts of the diocese. The publication of this Definition was dictated by the urgent need to increase the number of dioceses and was thought of as the first step in this direction. In the 20s XX century there were at least 200 bishops in the Russian Orthodox Church, but due to numerous arrests, imprisonments and exiles of bishops, the suffragan bishops who remained at large had to replace the ruling bishops; Thus, the structure of the E.U. did not work out in the Russian Orthodox Church. with the division of the diocese into districts headed by vicars.
E.u. according to the “Regulations on the management of the Russian Orthodox Church” 1945
Taking into account the real circumstances of church life that developed in the 40s. XX century, Local Council January 31 - February 2. 1945, in the “Regulations on the Administration of the Russian Orthodox Church,” revised the “Definition on Diocesan Administration,” adopted in 1918. According to the 1945 Regulations, the diocesan bishop bears the title of his cathedral city. Even under the Deputy Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan. Sergius (Stragorodsky; later Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus') in 1927 issued a decree that dioceses should be named after the new names of their cathedral cities (the consequence of this decree was the appearance of the titles of bishops of Leningrad, Kalinin, Kuibyshev). The canonical basis for such a renaming, which confused many. church people, is I Ecumenical. 7: in it the bishop of the city, in ancient times called Jerusalem, already bears a new title - after the name of the city given to him by the pagan emperor. Adrian, - Elia Capitolina. Only after the city again began to be called Jerusalem, its bishops began to be called Jerusalem.
Based on Art. 24 of the Regulations of 1945, the diocesan bishop was appointed by decree of His Holiness the Patriarch. The article talks about only one point in the installation of a bishop - the confirmation of his election. The election itself was carried out by the Synod under the chairmanship of the Patriarch. I Universe 4 for the election of a bishop presupposes a council of at least 3 bishops of the metropolis and the consent of all the rest, expressed through the issuance of letters. In the practice of the Russian Orthodox Church, absent bishops are represented by members of the Synod, summoned one by one.
The Regulations define the rights and responsibilities of diocesan bishops in relation to their dioceses, the highest church authorities and state authorities. authorities. The diocesan bishop is at the head of the diocese; he “is the responsible head of the diocese entrusted to him” (Regulations on the management of the Russian Orthodox Church, p. 4). In the diocese he has full power, in particular the right to address archpastoral messages to his flock; he appoints officials of the diocese and rectors of churches, gives them instructions, receives reports from them for every six months, rewards officials and clergy; oversees the expedient distribution of churches and parishes within the diocese.
The diocesan bishop is a full member of the highest institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church - the Local Council, the Council of Bishops and the Priest. Synod “for presence at one session, according to the list of bishops, according to the seniority of consecration, one from each group into which all dioceses are divided” (Ibid. p. 3). At the same time, the bishop is accountable to all these bodies and the Patriarch who heads them. The Regulations imposed on the diocesan bishops the obligation to submit to the Patriarch an annual report on the diocese in accordance with the established form.
The diocesan bishop, in accordance with the Regulations, is the only person who can communicate on diocesan affairs with local representatives of civil authorities, in particular on questions about the opening of religious educational institutions in the diocese, about the provision of a temple or prayer house to the parish community (Article 32) . As the sole representative of the diocese before the civil authority, he has an office stamp and seal registered with the proper civil authority. Thanks to this, his acts acquire public legal significance.
Instead of diocesan meetings and diocesan councils provided for by the “Decree on Diocesan Administration” of 1918, according to the Regulations, under the diocesan bishop there is only 1 collegial body - the diocesan council, the establishment of which depended on the will of the bishop (Ibid.).
E.u. according to the “Charter on the governance of the Russian Orthodox Church” 1988
In the Charter adopted by the Local Council in 1988, a diocese is defined as “a local church, headed by a bishop and consisting of parishes, united in deaneries, and monasteries located in a given territory” (Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, 1989. p. 15). The Charter says about the boundaries of dioceses that within the USSR they are determined taking into account the administrative-territorial division of regions, territories or republics, and abroad they are established by a special decision of the Holy Father. Synod.
The diocesan bishop, in accordance with the Charter, is elected and appointed by the Synod. If necessary, a suffragan bishop is appointed to assist him. In the diocese, the bishop enjoys full power in matters of doctrine, Christian morality, priesthood and shepherding. In the Charter of 1988, for the first time in the practice of the Russian Church, a provision was introduced that upon reaching the age of 75, a bishop must submit a request for retirement to the Patriarch. In this case, the question of the time for satisfying such a petition is decided by the Holy. Synod.
The Charter of 1988, in contrast to the previously valid Regulations of 1945, introduced a collegial body of the European Union - the diocesan assembly. The Diocesan Council, which previously could be formed at the discretion of the ruling bishop, was introduced by the 1988 Charter as an indispensable body. The charter provided for the division of the diocese into dean districts, headed by deans, who were appointed by the ruling bishop.
E.u. according to the “Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church” 2000
The primate of the local church - diocese, according to the wording of the Charter adopted by the Council of Bishops in 2000, is the diocesan bishop, who, by succession of power from St. The apostles canonically govern it with the conciliar assistance of clergy and laity. He is elected Holy. The Synod, chaired by the Patriarch, then receives the Patriarch's Decree on appointment to the department. If necessary, to assist the diocesan bishop, St. The Synod appoints suffragan bishops, the terms of reference of which are established by the ruling bishop. The title of bishop includes the name of the cathedral city. Bishop's titles are determined by the Holy. Synod. According to the requirements of the Charter, “candidates for bishops are elected at least 30 years of age from monastics or unmarried white clergy with mandatory tonsure as a monk” (Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2000. X 10). The candidate “must correspond to the high rank of bishop in moral qualities and have a theological education” (Ibid.).
The bishop, having full power in the diocese in matters of doctrine, priesthood and shepherding, ordains clergy and determines the place of their service, appoints employees of diocesan institutions and blesses monastic tonsures. He can accept clergy from other dioceses into the clergy of his diocese only if they have letters of leave. When releasing clergy to other dioceses, he must provide, at the request of the bishops, their personal files and letters of release.
The Charter assigns the bishop a primary position in all affairs of the diocese: “Without the consent of the diocesan bishop, not a single decision of the diocesan administration can be implemented” (Ibid. X 14). The ruling bishop can address archpastoral messages to the clergy and laity of his diocese. His duties include submitting annual reports on religion to the Patriarch, adm. and the financial and economic state of the diocese and its activities. “The diocesan bishop is the authorized representative of the Russian Orthodox Church before the relevant bodies of state power and administration on issues related to his diocese” (Ibid. X 17).
In his diocese, the bishop takes care of preserving the faith, Christ. morality and piety; oversees the correct performance of worship; convenes the diocesan meeting and the diocesan council and presides over them; “applies the right of veto on decisions of the diocesan meeting with the subsequent transfer of the relevant issue for consideration by the Holy Synod” (Ibid. X 18); approves the civil charters of parishes, mon-rays, metochions and other canonical divisions of the diocese; visits parishes and monitors their activities directly or through its representatives; has superior supervision over diocesan institutions and monasteries and over the activities of the diocesan clergy; appoints rectors, parish priests and all clergy in general; submits for approval to the Holy. Synod of Rectors of Theological Educational Institutions, Superiors, Abbesses and Vicars of Diocesan Monasteries; approves the composition of parish meetings, making changes to it if necessary; decides to convene parish meetings; approves candidates for chairmen of parish councils and audit commissions; removes from the parish councils those members who violate the canonical norms and statutes of the parishes; approves reports of parish councils and reports of audit commissions of parishes; approves the chairmen of parish councils and removes them from office “in the event of their violation of canonical norms and the parish charter” (Ibid. X 18); approves the minutes of parish meetings; provides vacations to clergy; takes care of the spiritual and moral condition of the clergy and the improvement of their educational level; has care for the training of clergy, for which it sends worthy candidates to theological schools; monitors the state of church preaching; petitions the Patriarch to reward worthy clergy and laity with patriarchal awards and, in accordance with the established procedure, rewards them himself; blesses the establishment of new parishes, the construction and repair of churches, houses of worship and chapels and takes care of the conformity of their appearance and interior decoration with the Orthodox Church. traditions; consecrates temples; takes care of the state of church singing, icon painting and applied church arts; petitions government agencies. authorities on the return to the diocese of churches and other buildings intended for church purposes; resolves issues related to the property of the diocese; manages its financial resources; exercises control over the activities of parishes, Mont-Rei, educational institutions, etc. institutions of the diocese; issues executive and administrative acts on all issues of diocesan life; cares about the works of mercy and charity, about providing parishes with everything necessary for the performance of divine services and about the satisfaction of other things. church needs.
The diocesan bishop “has the right of paternal influence and discipline in relation to clergy, including punishment by reprimand, removal from office and temporary ban in the priesthood; admonishes the laity, if necessary, in accordance with the canons, imposes bans on them or temporarily excommunicates them from church communion” (Ibid. X 19). He transfers serious offenses to the diocesan church court for consideration (Regulations on the church court, 2008. Art. 3. 2). Based on the decision of the diocesan court, the bishop makes a decision on the case under consideration (Ibid. Art. 47. 1, 2). He resolves issues related to church marriages and divorces.
The dowager diocese is governed by a bishop appointed by the Patriarch. During the period of widowhood of the diocese, no work is undertaken in it related to the reorganization of diocesan life, and “no changes are made in the work begun during the period of administration of the previous bishop” (Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2000. X 20). In the event of widowhood of the diocese, transfer of the ruling bishop or his retirement, the diocesan council creates a commission that carries out an audit of the diocesan property and draws up an act for the transfer of the diocese to the new bishop. “Church property, which the bishop possessed by virtue of his position and position and which is located in the official bishop's residence, after his death is entered into the inventory book of the diocese and passes to it. The personal property of a deceased bishop is inherited in accordance with current laws” (Ibid. X 22). Diocesan widowhood cannot last more than 40 days, except in special cases.
A diocesan bishop may be absent from his diocese for valid reasons for up to 14 days without prior permission from the highest ecclesiastical authority; for a longer period, he requests permission in accordance with the established procedure. The content of bishops is determined by the Priest. Synod. Upon leaving service, they are assigned a pension in the amount established by the Synod. The current Charter retains the position of the previous Charter, according to which, upon reaching the age of 75, the bishop submits a request for retirement to the Patriarch. In this case, the decision on the time of granting such a petition is made by the Priest. Synod. The collegial bodies of E. u. in accordance with the Charter of 2000, there are the diocesan assembly and the diocesan council, as well as the diocesan court. In those dioceses where diocesan courts have not yet been formed, diocesan councils continue to exercise judicial functions (Regulations on the Church Court, 2008. Art. 23.2).
E.u. in the narrow sense of the word
An executive and administrative body under the leadership of the ruling bishop and designed to assist him in the exercise of his executive power. According to the current Charter, “the bishop exercises senior management supervision over the work of the Diocesan Administration and all diocesan institutions and appoints their employees in accordance with the staffing table” (Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2000. X 46). E.u. must have an office, accounting, archive and other departments “providing missionary, publishing, social and charitable, educational, restoration and construction, economic and other types of diocesan activities” (Ibid. X 48). Secretary E.u. is responsible for the records management of the diocese and assists the bishop in the management of the diocese and in the leadership of the E.U.
In accordance with the Charter of 2000, the diocese is divided into dean districts headed by deans appointed by the ruling bishop. Their boundaries and names are determined by the diocesan council.
Source: Charter of spiritual consistories. St. Petersburg, 1883; Spiritual Regulations. M., 18974; Council, 1918. Acts; Council, 1918. Definitions; Regulations on the management of the Russian Orthodox Church. M., 1945; Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, 1989; Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2000; Regulations on the church. court, 2008.
Prot. Vladislav Tsypin
In the year of the thousandth anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', from July 6 to 9, 1988, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church met in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The following took part in the actions of the Council: according to their position - all the bishops of the Russian Church; by election - two representatives from the clergy and laity of each diocese; as well as representatives of theological schools, governors and abbesses of monasteries. The Council was presided over by His Holiness Patriarch Pimen and permanent members of the Synod.
Among the documents of the Council, the most important is the Charter on the governance of the Russian Orthodox Church, adopted on June 9, 1988. The draft Charter was developed and presented to the full Council by Archbishop Kirill of Smolensk and Vyazemsk (now Metropolitan). It was previously discussed at the Bishops' Pre-Conciliar Conference on March 28–31, 1988. At the Pre-Conciliar Conference and during the discussion held at the Local Council itself, amendments were considered and made to the text of the Charter, and certain wording was clarified. This is the first Charter in the history of the Russian Church. In the synodal era, the governance of the Russian Church was carried out on the basis of the “Spiritual Regulations”, in some respects similar to the Charter; then “The Spiritual Regulations were replaced by separate Definitions of the Local Council of 1917–1918. and, finally, from 1945 to 1988, a short “Regulation on the management of the Russian Orthodox Church” was in force.
The current Charter is divided into 15 chapters, each of which consists of several articles. The preamble of the Charter (“General Provisions”) states that the Russian Orthodox Church is a multinational local autocephalous Orthodox Church, in doctrinal unity and prayerful and canonical communion with other local Orthodox Churches. The definition of “multinational” is true. Another official name of the Russian Church is given in the Charter - the Moscow Patriarchate.
According to Art. 3 of the Charter, the jurisdiction of the Russian Church extends to persons of the Orthodox confession living in the territory of Russia, with the exception of Georgia, as well as to voluntarily joining Orthodox Christians living abroad. In Art. 4 contains a list of sources of current Russian church law: Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, holy canons, resolutions of Local Councils of the Russian Orthodox Church, this Charter. It was also noted that the Russian Church carries out its activities with respect and observance of state laws.
The highest bodies of church authority, in accordance with the Charter, are the Local Council, the Council of Bishops and the Holy Synod headed by the Patriarch. The preamble to the Charter also names the bodies of diocesan and parish administration. The rights of the church court, according to the Charter, are vested in the Local and Bishops' Councils, the Holy Synod and the Diocesan Council. The final article of the preamble (Article 9) enshrines the provision that the Patriarchate, its institutions, dioceses, parishes, monasteries and theological schools have civil legal capacity.
The structure of the Supreme Administration of the Russian Church is regulated in Chapter. 2–6 of the Charter.
Local and Bishops' Councils
The Local Council has the highest authority in the field of doctrine, church administration and church court - legislative, executive and judicial. The Council is convened by the Patriarch (Locum Tenens) and the Holy Synod as necessary, but at least once every five years. Its composition includes bishops, clergy, monastics and laity. Local Council 1917–1918 provided in its definitions a three-year interval between the next Local Councils, and the Regulations of 1945 did not regulate the timing of the convening of Councils at all.
The members of the Council are the ruling and suffragan bishops according to their status (in accordance with the Charter of the Council of 1917–1918, suffragan bishops were not its members). The procedure for electing representatives from the clergy and laity to the Council and their quota are established, in accordance with the current Charter, by the Holy Synod.
Based on the Charter of 1988, the Local Council is given the right to: interpret the teaching of the Church, maintaining doctrinal and canonical unity with other Orthodox Churches, resolve canonical, liturgical, and pastoral issues; approve, amend, cancel and clarify its decisions. The Council canonizes saints, elects a Patriarch and establishes the procedure for such election; approves the resolutions of the Council of Bishops; evaluates the activities of the Holy Synod and its institutions; creates or abolishes church governing bodies; establishes procedure for all ecclesiastical courts; exercises church control over the implementation of relations between the Church and the state; makes decisions on issues of relations with Orthodox Churches and heterodox confessions; expresses concern about problems that concern the country and all of humanity; establishes church-wide awards. The Local Council is the final authority over which the Patriarch has jurisdiction, as well as for the resolution of all cases previously considered by the Council of Bishops and transferred to the Council.
The Council is headed by a chairman - the Patriarch or, in his absence, the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne. The quorum of the Council is 2 3 delegates, including 2 here 3 bishops. The Council determines the rules of its work and elects the Presidium, Secretariat and working bodies by a majority vote. The Presidium of the Council consists of the Chairman and his deputies, consisting of 8 persons in the rank of bishop. The Presidium of the Council, held in 1917–1918, also included representatives from clergy and laity. The Secretariat of the Council is headed by a bishop. The minutes of the Council are signed by the Chairman, members of the Presidium and the Secretary. The Council elects chairmen (in the rank of bishop), members and secretaries of its working bodies. The Presidium, the Secretary and the chairmen of the working bodies make up the Cathedral Council, which is the governing body of the Cathedral.
All bishops - members of the Council - constitute the Bishops' Council. It is convened by the Chairman of the Council, the Council of the Council or on proposal 1 3 bishops. Its task is to discuss those decrees that are especially important and questionable from a dogmatic and canonical point of view. If the decision of the Council is rejected 2 3 bishops present, it is re-submitted for conciliar consideration. If after this 2 3 bishops will reject it, it loses its power.
A meeting of the Council is chaired by the Chairman or, at his proposal, by one of the Vice-Chairmen. Guests, observers, and theologians may participate in open meetings of the Council. Election is made by majority vote, except in special cases. In the event of a tie, the Chairman's vote gives the upper hand. According to Art. 20 (Chapter II) of the Charter, resolutions of the Council come into force immediately after their adoption.
According to the Charter, the Council of Bishops includes diocesan bishops and bishops heading synodal institutions. During the period between Local Councils, the Council of Bishops exercises the fullness of the highest ecclesiastical authority. The Charter defines the frequency of convocations of the Council of Bishops: at least once every two years. Councils are also convened as needed.
On the eve of the Local Council, the Council of Bishops makes proposals regarding the agenda, program and rules of the meetings of the Local Council, as well as the procedure for electing the Patriarch.
The responsibilities of the Council of Bishops include: preserving the purity of Orthodox doctrine and the norms of Christian morality, resolving fundamentally important theological, canonical, liturgical and pastoral issues; canonization of saints, creation and abolition of dioceses, synodal institutions, as well as theological schools of general church significance.
The Holy Synod is accountable to the Council of Bishops.
“The Council of Bishops is the first instance authorized to consider dogmatic and canonical deviations in the activities of the Patriarch.” As a second instance, he considers disputes between bishops, cases related to canonical misconduct of bishops, as well as all cases transferred to him by the Holy Synod for a final decision.
The Chairman of the Council of Bishops is His Holiness the Patriarch and Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne. The Presidium of the Council of Bishops constitutes the Holy Synod; the secretary of the Council is elected from among the members of the Synod. Decisions of the Council, except for cases specifically specified in the regulations of the Council, are adopted by a majority of votes; in the event of a tie, the vote of the Chairman gives the upper hand. Like the resolutions of the Local Council, the decisions of the Council of Bishops come into force immediately after their adoption, but the right of their final approval belongs to the Local Council.
Patriarch
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church bears the title “His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.” He has primacy of honor among bishops and is accountable to the Local and Bishops' Councils. The name of the Patriarch is exalted during divine services in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church. His Holiness the Patriarch governs the Church together with the Holy Synod: “The relationship between the Patriarch and the Holy Synod, in accordance with generally accepted tradition, is determined by the 34th Rule of the Holy Apostles and the 9th Rule of the Antioch Council,” says Art. 5 (Chapter IV) of the Charter.
The Patriarch convenes Local and Bishops' Councils, appoints meetings of the Synod and presides over them. He is responsible for the implementation of the resolutions of the Councils and the Synod, submits reports to the Councils on the life of the Church in the inter-Council period, exercises administrative supervision over all synodal institutions and theological schools, addresses messages to the fullness of the Russian Church, enters into relations with the Primates of the Orthodox Churches and heads of other confessions , represents the Russian Church before state authorities. The Patriarch issues decrees on the appointment of diocesan and vicar bishops, heads of synodal institutions, rectors of theological schools and other officials appointed by the Synod; takes care of the timely replacement of episcopal sees, of the fulfillment by bishops of their archpastoral duties, entrusts bishops with the temporary management of dioceses, has the right to visit all dioceses of the Russian Church, gives fraternal advice to bishops; accepts complaints against bishops and gives them due process. The Patriarch rewards bishops with titles and the highest church honors, and clergy and laity with church awards, approves the awarding of academic degrees and titles, and takes care of the timely preparation of the holy chrism.
The Patriarch is the diocesan bishop of the Moscow diocese. On his instructions, the Moscow diocese is governed as a diocesan bishop by the Patriarchal Vicar, bearing the title of Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna. The rank of Patriarch is for life. The right to try the Patriarch belongs to the Local Council.
In the event of the death of the Patriarch, as well as his retirement or abandonment of the Patriarchal Throne for another reason, the Holy Synod, chaired by the Metropolitan of Kyiv, elects a Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne from among its permanent members. According to the Regulations on the Governance of the Russian Orthodox Church, issued by the Local Council in 1945, the Locum Tenens was not elected; he became the oldest permanent member of the Synod by consecration. During the interpatriarchal period, the Russian Church is governed by the Holy Synod, headed by the Locum Tenens. “No later than six months after the vacancy 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 theological education, sufficient experience in the field of church administration, be distinguished by his commitment to canonical law and order, enjoy a good reputation and trust on the part of the episcopate, clergy and laity, “have a good testimony from outsiders” (), be at least 40 years old and a citizen of Russia.
Holy Synod and synodal institutions
During the inter-council period, the highest legislative, executive and judicial power is exercised by the Holy Synod, headed by the Patriarch. The Synod is responsible to the Local and Bishops' Councils.
It consists of a chairman - the Patriarch or Locum Tenens - as well as 6 permanent and 6 temporary members - diocesan bishops. The Council of Bishops in 1989 amended the Charter, expanding the composition of the Synod. The Charter in the original version of the Local Council provided for the presence of 5 permanent and 5 temporary members in the Synod. The permanent members of the Synod are the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine; as well as the Metropolitans of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Krutitsky and Kolomensky; Minsky and Slutsky, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; and by position - manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate and Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations. Temporary members are called to one session according to the seniority of consecration by one bishop from each group into which the dioceses are divided. Bishops are called to be present in the Synod no earlier than their two-year term in the cathedra, which they occupy for the duration of the call to the Synod. The synodal year is divided into two sessions: summer (from March to August) and winter (from September to February).
If the Patriarch is unable to preside at a meeting of the Synod, he is replaced by the oldest permanent member of the Synod by consecration. The Secretary of the Synod is the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate. Matters are decided in the Synod by general consent or majority vote. In the event of a tie, the Chairman's vote has the upper hand.
Article 20 of Chapter V of the Charter states: “In those cases where the Patriarch admits that the decision made does not correspond to the benefit and good of the Church, he protests. The protest must be made at the same meeting and then put in writing within seven days. After this period, the case is again considered by the Holy Synod. If the Patriarch does not find it possible to agree with the new decision of the case, then it is suspended and referred to the Council of Bishops for consideration. If it is impossible to postpone the matter and a decision must be made immediately, the Patriarch acts at his own discretion. The decision made in this way is submitted for consideration to an extraordinary Council of Bishops, on which the final resolution of the issue depends.”
The duties of the Holy Synod include taking care of the intact preservation and interpretation of the Orthodox faith and norms of Christian morality and piety, maintaining unity with the fraternal Orthodox Churches, organizing the internal and external activities of the Church; interpreting canonical decrees and resolving difficulties associated with their application, considering liturgical issues, issuing disciplinary decrees, maintaining proper relations between Church and state, maintaining ecumenical and inter-church relations, expressing concern for social problems, addressing messages to the fullness of the Russian Church.
The Holy Synod elects and appoints bishops, moves them in exceptional cases and retires them; summons bishops to synodal sessions, considers bishops' reports. The Synod appoints heads of synodal institutions and their deputies, rectors of theological schools, and approves vice-rectors and inspectors of theological schools. If necessary, the Synod forms commissions and other working bodies.
The Holy Synod directs the activities of synodal institutions, reviews and approves the central church budget, estimates of synodal institutions, theological schools and relevant reports.
The Synod makes changes to the names of dioceses, approves the creation of diocesan institutions, approves the statutes of monasteries, approves, and in exceptional cases appoints abbots and abbess of monasteries, with the exception of monasteries of the exarchate, and establishes stauropegia. On the recommendation of the Educational Committee, it approves the establishment of new departments in Theological Academies, charters and curricula of theological schools, and Seminary programs.
The judicial powers of the Holy Synod include trial in the first instance of disagreements between bishops and canonical offenses of bishops; court in the first and last instance of cases against employees of synodal institutions. The Synod judges in the final instance priests and deacons banned, defrocked, or excommunicated from the Church by a court of first instance, as well as laity excommunicated from the Church by courts of first instance.
Synodal institutions are created and abolished by Local and Bishops' Councils or the Holy Synod and are accountable to them. At the head of the synodal institutions are persons in the rank of bishop, appointed by the Synod.
The synodal institutions currently include the Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate with the offices of the Patriarch and the Synod, the Synodal library, departments and archives; Department of External Church Relations; Publishing department; Economic management; Academic Committee; as well as those formed on the basis of the determination of the Holy Synod of January 29–31, 1991, the Department for Religious Education and Catechesis and the Department for Charity and Social Service. “Synodal institutions are coordinating bodies in relation to similar institutions operating within exarchates or dioceses.”
Synodal institutions operate on the basis of Regulations approved by the Holy Synod.
Local and Bishops' Councils
The Local Council has the highest authority in the field of doctrine, church administration and church court - legislative, executive and judicial. The Council is convened by the Patriarch (Locum Tenens) and the Holy Synod as necessary, but at least once every five years. Its composition includes bishops, clergy, monastics and laity. Local Council 1917-1918 provided in its definitions a three-year interval between the next Local Councils, and the Regulations of 1945 did not regulate the timing of the convening of Councils at all.
Members of the Council are ruling and vicar bishops by status (in accordance with the Charter of the Council of 1917-1918, vicar bishops were not its members). The procedure for electing representatives from the clergy and laity to the Council and their quota are established, in accordance with the current Charter, by the Holy Synod.
Based on the Charter of 1988, the Local Council is given the right to: interpret the teaching of the Church, maintaining doctrinal and canonical unity with other Orthodox Churches, resolve canonical, liturgical, and pastoral issues; approve, amend, cancel and clarify its decisions. The Council canonizes saints, elects a Patriarch and establishes the procedure for such election; approves the resolutions of the Council of Bishops; evaluates the activities of the Holy Synod and its institutions; creates or abolishes church governing bodies; establishes procedure for all ecclesiastical courts; exercises church control over the implementation of relations between the Church and the state; makes decisions on issues of relations with Orthodox Churches and heterodox confessions; expresses concern about problems that concern the country and all of humanity; establishes church-wide awards. The Local Council is the final authority over which the Patriarch has jurisdiction, as well as for the resolution of all cases previously considered by the Council of Bishops and transferred to the Council.
The Council is headed by a chairman - the Patriarch or, in his absence, the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne. The quorum of the Council consists of 2/3 of the delegates, including 2/3 of the bishops. The Council determines the rules of its work and elects the Presidium, Secretariat and working bodies by a majority vote. The Presidium of the Council consists of the Chairman and his deputies, consisting of 8 persons in the rank of bishop. The Presidium of the Council, held in 1917-1918, also included representatives from clergy and laity. The Secretariat of the Council is headed by a bishop. The minutes of the Council are signed by the Chairman, members of the Presidium and the Secretary. The Council elects chairmen (in the rank of bishop), members and secretaries of its working bodies. The Presidium, the Secretary and the chairmen of the working bodies make up the Cathedral Council, which is the governing body of the Cathedral.
All bishops - members of the Council - constitute the Bishops' Conference. It is convened by the Chairman of the Council, the Council of the Council or at the proposal of 1/3 of the bishops. Its task is to discuss those decrees that are especially important and questionable from a dogmatic and canonical point of view. If the decision of the Council is rejected by 2/3 of the bishops present, it is re-submitted for council consideration. If after this 2/3 of the bishops reject it, it loses its force.
A meeting of the Council is chaired by the Chairman or, at his proposal, by one of the Vice-Chairmen. Guests, observers, and theologians may participate in open meetings of the Council. Election is made by majority vote, except in special cases. In the event of a tie, the Chairman's vote gives the upper hand. According to Art. 20 (Chapter II) of the Charter, resolutions of the Council come into force immediately after their adoption.
According to the Charter, the Council of Bishops includes diocesan bishops and bishops heading synodal institutions. During the period between Local Councils, the Council of Bishops exercises the fullness of the highest ecclesiastical authority. The Charter defines the frequency of convocations of the Council of Bishops: at least once every two years. Councils are also convened as needed.
On the eve of the Local Council, the Council of Bishops makes proposals regarding the agenda, program and rules of the meetings of the Local Council, as well as the procedure for electing the Patriarch.
The responsibilities of the Council of Bishops include: preserving the purity of Orthodox doctrine and the norms of Christian morality, resolving fundamentally important theological, canonical, liturgical and pastoral issues; canonization of saints, creation and abolition of dioceses, synodal institutions, as well as theological schools of general church significance.
The Holy Synod is accountable to the Council of Bishops.
“The Council of Bishops is the first instance authorized to consider dogmatic and canonical deviations in the activities of the Patriarch.” As a second instance, he considers disputes between bishops, cases related to canonical misconduct of bishops, as well as all cases transferred to him by the Holy Synod for a final decision.
The Chairman of the Council of Bishops is His Holiness the Patriarch and Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne. The Presidium of the Council of Bishops constitutes the Holy Synod; the secretary of the Council is elected from among the members of the Synod. Decisions of the Council, except for cases specifically specified in the regulations of the Council, are adopted by a majority of votes; in the event of a tie, the vote of the Chairman gives the upper hand. Like the resolutions of the Local Council, the decisions of the Council of Bishops come into force immediately after their adoption, but the right of their final approval belongs to the Local Council.
See: Charter on the governance of the Russian Orthodox Church. M., 1989. P. 6. ^
Right there. P. 7. ^
● Composition of the 1988 Charter 15 chapters (each chapter contains several articles).
● The highest bodies of church authority are the Local Council, the Council of Bishops, the Holy Synod headed by the Patriarch.
● The rights of the church court are vested in the Local and Bishops' Councils, the Holy Synod, and the Diocesan Council.
● The Patriarchate, its institutions, dioceses, parishes, monasteries and theological schools have civil legal capacity (Article 9).
● The structure of the Supreme Administration of the Russian Church is regulated in Chapter. 2–6 of the Charter.
Local Council and Council of Bishops according to the current Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church.
● Local Council possesses the highest authority in the field of doctrine, church administration and church court - legislative, executive and judicial. The Council is convened by the Patriarch (Locum Tenens) and the Holy Synod as necessary, but at least once every 5 years. Its composition: bishops, clergy, monastics and laity. ● Based on the 1988 Charter. The Local Council is given the right: interpret the teachings of the Church, maintaining doctrinal and canonical unity with other Orthodox Churches, resolve canonical, liturgical, pastoral issues; approve, amend, cancel and clarify its decisions. ● Canonizes saints, elects a Patriarch; approves the resolutions of the Council of Bishops; evaluates the activities of the Holy Synod and its institutions; creates or abolishes church governing bodies; establishes procedure for all ecclesiastical courts; exercises church control over the implementation of relations between the Church and the state; makes decisions on issues of relations with Orthodox Churches and heterodox confessions; expresses concern about problems that concern the country and all of humanity; establishes church-wide awards. ● Local Council – last resort, which has jurisdiction over the Patriarch, as well as for resolving all cases previously considered by the Council of Bishops and transferred to the Council.● The Council is headed Chairman (Patriarch / Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne). The quorum of the Council consists of 2/3 of the delegates, including 2/3 of the bishops. The Council determines the rules of its work and elects the Presidium, Secretariat and working bodies by a majority vote. ● All bishops (members of the Council) constitute Bishops' Conference. Its task is to discuss those decrees that are especially important and questionable from a dogmatic and canonical point of view. ● According to Art. 20 (Chapter II) of the Charter, resolutions of the Council come into force immediately after their adoption.
● Composition of the Bishops' Council : diocesan bishops, bishops heading synodal institutions. ● During the period between Local Councils, the Council of Bishops exercises the fullness of the highest ecclesiastical authority. ● The frequency of convening of the Council of Bishops is at least once every 2 years. Councils are also convened as needed. ● On the eve of the Local Council, the Council of Bishops makes proposals regarding the agenda, program and regulations of the meetings of the Local Council, as well as the procedure for electing the Patriarch. ● Responsibilities of the Council of Bishops: preserving the purity of Orthodox dogma and the norms of Christian morality, resolving fundamentally important theological, canonical, liturgical and pastoral issues; canonization of saints, creation and abolition of dioceses, synodal institutions, as well as theological schools of general church significance. ● The Holy Synod is accountable to the Council of Bishops. ● The Council of Bishops is the first instance authorized to consider dogmatic and canonical deviations in the activities of the Patriarch. ● As a second instance, he considers disputes between bishops, cases related to the canonical offenses of bishops, all cases transferred to him by the Holy Synod for a final decision. ● Chairman of the Council of Bishops – His Holiness the Patriarch (Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne). ● The Presidium of the Council of Bishops constitutes the Holy Synod; the secretary of the Council is elected from among the members of the Synod. ● Decisions of the Council, except for cases specifically specified in the regulations of the Council, are adopted by a majority of votes; in the event of a tie, the vote of the Chairman gives the upper hand. ● Like the resolutions of the Local Council, the decisions of the Council of Bishops come into force immediately after their adoption, but the right of their final approval belongs to the Local Council.
