Moscow, May 31, 2024.
Chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations between the Church and Society and the Media V.R. Legoyda spoke about the important decisions taken at today's meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. The meeting was held at the Patriarchal and Synodal Residence in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow under the leadership of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Patriarchy.ru reports.
"Members of the Synod heard a report by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on the High Patriarchal visit to the Odintsovo diocese. They thanked the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church for his labors in visiting the dioceses, and also expressed their gratitude to Archbishop Thomas of Odintsovo and Krasnogorsk and the head of the Odintsovo City District of the Moscow Region, A.R. Ivanov, for their attention and warm welcome, His Holiness the Patriarch and those who accompanied him," Legoida said.
"In addition, the Holy Synod had the judgment and decided to approve the Statute on the Activities of Children's Church Residential Organizations and instructed the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church to reorganize the activities of existing canonical subdivisions of children's residential organizations in accordance with the approved Statute in cases where such activities do not comply with this Statute," continued the head of the Department for Relations between the Church and Society and the Media.
"Also, taking into account the current situation and in connection with the petitions of Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea, The Synod decided to appoint Metropolitan Tikhon priest-archimandrite of St. Klimentovsky Inkerman Monastery in the city of Sevastopol and to approve the acting hegumens of a number of monasteries in the city of Sevastopol, previously appointed by decrees of the diocesan bishop on the basis of the written consent of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
"The Synod decided to remind Metropolitan Tikhon of the need to submit the acting hegumens to be confirmed in office in a year's time in the case of In addition, the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism will review their candidacies in accordance with the established procedure," Legoyda added.
"Decisions were also made regarding the petitions received by diocesan eminences for the appointment of rectors to ecclesiastical educational institutions," the Church representative said.
"In particular, it was decided to reappoint its current rector, His Grace Bishop Siluan of Peterhof, to the position of rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, and its current rector, Priest Roman Tkachev, to the position of rector of the Voronezh Theological Seminary. At the same time, it was decided to relieve Archpriest Vladimir Samoilenko, who requested it for health reasons, of his post as rector of the Kazan Theological Seminary, and to appoint Priest Nikita Kuznetsov, its first vice-rector, as rector of the seminary," said the chairman of the Department for Relations between the Church and Society and the Media.
"In view of the critical situation in certain seminaries, noted by the Holy Synod in its meeting of October 11, 2023 (Journal No. 109), related to the lack of a necessary license to conduct educational activities under the FSES program "Theology" (bachelor's degree), it was decided to consider it necessary to appoint a rector in the Ryazan Theological Seminary, whose main activity will be directed to the leadership of the seminary and, among other things, to its licensing. In this connection, Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky was relieved of his temporary duties as Rector of the Ryazan Theological Seminary. Archpriest Vadim Bazylev, its vice-rector for academic work, who was nominated by Metropolitan Mark, has been appointed rector of this seminary," Legoida continued.
According to the head of the Department for Relations between the Church and Society and the Media, "the Synod decided in accordance with the submission of the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Moldova to establish in the administrative boundaries of Soroca, Drochia, Floresti and Riscani districts Soroca diocese, separating it from the diocese of Chisinau. The diocesan bishop of Soroca diocese is decided to have the title "Soroca and Drochiai", the Bishop of Soroca and Drochiai is decided to be the Bishop of Soroca and Drochiai Ioan of Soroca with his dismissal from the position of vicar of Chisinau diocese," the representative of the Church said.
In addition, the members of the Synod heard the report of Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, on the approval by the Synod of the Belarusian Exarchate (Journal No. 18 of February 27, 2024) of amendments and additions to the Statute of the Belarusian Orthodox Church. "Following the results of the discussion, the members of the Synod decided to approve the said journal of the Synod of the Belarusian Exarchate taking into account the proposed amendment," said V.R. Legoida.
"The meeting also approved the reports of synodal institutions on their activities in 2023, approved the journals of the Synod of the Central Asian Metropolitan District on March 13, 2024 and the journals of the Synod of the Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan on February 17, 2024," - concluded the chairman of the Department for Relations between the Church and Society and the Media.
Also the head of the Synodal Department spoke about the personnel decisions made by the Holy Synod.
