On December 28, 2021, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia presided over a joint session of the Holy Synod and the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. The session took place at the Patriarchal Hall of the Cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the participants with the opening remarks, saying: “I greet all the members of the Holy Synod and the Supreme Church Council at the traditional joint session at the end of the year.
Today, we will hear reports on the work of all Synodal institutions, discuss all the issues necessary to be discussed, and in the context of our deliberations talk about our activities in the coming year.”
Patriarch Kirill has made proposals for the procedure based on the broad meeting agenda.
The list of permanent members of the Holy Synod includes Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine; Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and All Moldova; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, head of the Metropolitan area in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the Metropolitan area of Central Asia; Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; and Metropolitan Dionisy of Voskresensk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Invited to take part in the winter session of the Synod (September-February) were Metropolitan Innokenty of Vilnius and Lithuania, Metropolitan Antony of Borispol and Brovary, Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, Metropolitan Artemy of Khabarovsk and Priamurye, and Bishop Mefody of Kamensk and Kamyshlov.
The Supreme Church Council consists of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Dionisy of Voskresensk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk, chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church; Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol, chairman of the Synodal Department for Mission; Metropolitan Feognost of Kashira, chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism; Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, chairman of the Synodal
Department for Relations with the Cossacks; Metropolitan Mitrofan of Murmansk and Monchegorsk, chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for Physical Culture and Sport; Metropolitan Tikhon of Pskov and Porkhov, chairman of the Patriarchal Council for Culture; Metropolitan Antony of Chersonesus and Western Europe, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administration for Institutions Abroad; Metropolitan Yevgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye, chairman of the Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechization; Bishop Irinarkh of Ramenskoye, head of the Synodal Department for Prison Ministry; Bishop Panteleimon of Vereya, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry; Bishop Savvaty of Bronnitsy, chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies; Bishop Foma of Odintsovo and Krasnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administrative Secretariat; Bishop Serafim of Istra, chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs; Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, chairman of the Education Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church; Hieromonk Yermogen (Burygin), chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Finance and Economic Administration; Mr. Vladimir R. Legoyda, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media; and Hegumeness Ksenia (Chernega), head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Legal Administration.
Invited to take part in the session were also Bishop Savva of Zelenograd, deputy chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Nikolay of Balashikha and Orekhovo-Zuyevo, head and editor-in-chief of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Publishing House; and Mr. Alexander Schipkov, first deputy chairman of the Synodal Department for Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media.
