The Russian Orthodox Church has a hierarchical governance structure. The highest bodies of church power and administration are the Local Council, the Council of Bishops, the Holy Synod headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
The Local Council consists of bishops, representatives of the clergy, monastics and laity. The Local Council interprets the teachings of the Orthodox Church, maintaining doctrinal and canonical unity with the Local Orthodox Churches, resolves internal issues of church life, canonizes saints, elects the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and establishes the procedure for such election.
The Council of Bishops consists of diocesan bishops, as well as vicar bishops who head Synodal institutions and Theological Academies or have canonical jurisdiction over parishes under their jurisdiction. The competence of the Council of Bishops, among other things, includes preparing for the convening of the Local Council and monitoring the implementation of its decisions; adoption and amendment of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church; solution of fundamental theological, canonical, liturgical and pastoral issues; canonization of saints and approval of liturgical rites; competent interpretation of church laws; an expression of pastoral concern for the problems of the present; determination of the nature of relations with state bodies; maintaining relations with the Local Orthodox Churches; creation, reorganization and liquidation of self-governing Churches, exarchates, dioceses, Synodal institutions; approval of new church-wide awards and the like.
The Holy Synod, headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, is the governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church in the period between Bishops' Councils.
His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia has the primacy of honor among the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church. He takes care of the internal and external welfare of the Russian Orthodox Church and governs it jointly with the Holy Synod, being its Chairman. The patriarch is elected by the Local Council from among the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church who are at least 40 years old, who enjoy a good reputation and the trust of the hierarchs, clergy and people, who have a higher theological education and sufficient experience in diocesan administration, who are distinguished by adherence to the canonical legal order, who have a good testimony from outside people. The dignity of the Patriarch is for life.
The executive bodies of the Patriarch and the Holy Synod are the Synodal Institutions. Synodal institutions include: Department for External Church Relations, Publishing Council, Educational Committee, Department of Catechism and Religious Education, Department of Charity and social service, Missionary Department, Department of Relations with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies and the Department of Youth Affairs. The Moscow Patriarchate, as a Synodal institution, includes the Administration of Affairs. Each of the Synodal institutions is in charge of the circle of general church affairs, which is within the scope of its competence.
The Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate represents the Russian Orthodox Church in its relations with outside world. The Department maintains relations of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Local Orthodox Churches, non-Orthodox churches and Christian associations, non-Christian religions, government, parliamentary, public organizations and institutions, intergovernmental, religious and public international organizations, secular media, cultural, economic, financial and tourism organizations . The DECR MP, within the limits of its canonical powers, exercises hierarchical, administrative, financial and economic management of dioceses, missions, monasteries, parishes, representative offices and metochions of the Russian Orthodox Church in the far abroad, and also facilitates the work of the metochions of the Local Orthodox Churches on the canonical territory of the Moscow Patriarchate. Within the framework of the DECR MP there are:
* The Orthodox pilgrimage service, carrying out trips of bishops, pastors and children of the Russian Church to the shrines of the far abroad;
* Communication Service, which maintains church-wide relations with secular media, monitors publications about the Russian Orthodox Church, maintains the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate on the Internet;
* Sector of Publications, which publishes the DECR Information Bulletin and the church-scientific journal "Church and Time".
Since 1989, the Department for External Church Relations has been headed by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.
The Publishing Council of the Moscow Patriarchate is a collegiate body consisting of representatives of Synodal institutions, theological educational institutions, church publishing houses and other institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church. The publishing council at the church level coordinates publishing activities, submits publishing plans for approval by the Holy Synod, and evaluates published manuscripts. The Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchy publishes the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchy P.I. Puchkov, O.E. Kazmina. Religions of the modern world. Textbook - M., 1997. and the newspaper "Church Bulletin" - the official print media of the Moscow Patriarchate; publishes the collection "Theological Works", the official church calendar, maintains a chronicle of the Patriarchal ministry, publishes official church documents. In addition, the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchy is in charge of the publication Holy Scripture, liturgical and other books. The Publishing Council of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Publishing House of the Moscow Patriarchate are headed by Archpriest Vladimir Solovyov.
The Educational Committee manages a network of theological educational institutions that train future clergy and clergymen. Within the framework of the Educational Committee, an agreement is being educational programs for theological educational institutions, development of a unified educational standard for theological schools. The chairman of the educational committee is Archbishop Eugene of Vereisky.
The Department of Religious Education and Catechesis coordinates the dissemination of religious education among the laity, including in secular educational institutions. The forms of religious education and catechesis for the laity are very diverse: Sunday schools at churches, circles for adults, groups for preparing adults for Baptism, Orthodox kindergartens, Orthodox groups in state kindergartens, Orthodox gymnasiums, schools and lyceums, courses for catechists. Sunday Schools are the most common form of catechesis. The Department is headed by Archimandrite John (Ekonomtsev).
The Department of Charity and Social Ministry implements a number of socially significant church programs and coordinates social work at the church level. A number of medical programs are successfully functioning. Among them, the work of the Central Clinical Hospital of the Moscow Patriarchate in the name of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow deserves special attention. In the context of the transition of medical care to a commercial basis, this medical institution is one of the few Moscow clinics where examinations and treatment are carried out free of charge. In addition, the Division has repeatedly delivered humanitarian aid to areas natural Disasters, conflicts. The Chairman of the Department is Metropolitan Sergiy of Voronezh and Borisoglebsk.
The missionary department coordinates the missionary activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. Today, this activity includes mainly an internal mission, that is, work to return to the bosom of the Church people who, as a result of persecution of the Church in the 20th century, were cut off from the paternal faith. Another important area of missionary activity is opposition to destructive cults.
Chairman of the Missionary Department -- Archbishop of Belgorod and Starooskolsky John.
The Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Institutions carries out pastoral work with military personnel and employees of law enforcement agencies. In addition, the pastoral care of prisoners is within the competence of the Department. The Chairman of the Department is Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov.
The Department for Youth Affairs at the general church level coordinates pastoral work with youth, organizes the interaction of church, public and state organizations in the matter of spiritual and moral education of children and youth. The Department is headed by the Archbishop of Kostroma and Galich Alexander.
The Russian Orthodox Church is divided into dioceses - local churches headed by a bishop and uniting diocesan institutions, deaneries, parishes, monasteries, metochions, spiritual educational institutions, brotherhoods, sisterhoods and missions.
A parish is a community of Orthodox Christians, consisting of clergy and laity united at a church. The parish is a canonical subdivision of the Russian Orthodox Church, under the supervision of its diocesan bishop and under the direction of the priest-rector appointed by him. A parish is formed by the voluntary consent of believing citizens of the Orthodox faith who have reached the age of majority, with the blessing of the diocesan bishop.
The highest governing body of the parish is the Parish Assembly, headed by the rector of the parish, who ex officio is the chairman of the Parish Assembly. The executive and administrative body of the Parish Assembly is the Parish Council; he is accountable to the rector and the parish assembly.
Brotherhoods and sisterhoods can be created by parishioners with the consent of the rector and with the blessing of the diocesan bishop. Brotherhoods and sisterhoods aim to attract parishioners to participate in the care and work of maintaining churches in proper condition, to charity, mercy, religious and moral education and upbringing. Brotherhoods and sisterhoods at parishes are under the supervision of the rector. They begin their activities after the blessing of the diocesan bishop.
A monastery is a church institution in which a male or female community lives and operates, consisting of Orthodox Christians who voluntarily chose the monastic way of life for spiritual and moral perfection and joint confession of the Orthodox faith. The decision on the opening of monasteries belongs to His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod on the proposal of the diocesan bishop. Diocesan monasteries are under the supervision and canonical administration of diocesan bishops. Stauropegial monasteries are under the canonical administration of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia or those Synodal institutions to which the Patriarch blesses such administration Radugin A. A. Introduction to Religious Studies: Theory, History and Modern Religions: a course of lectures. M.: Center, 2000..
Exarchates are associations of the Dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, which are based on the national-regional principle. Decisions on the creation or dissolution of exarchates, as well as on their name and territorial boundaries, are taken by the Council of Bishops. At present, the Russian Orthodox Church has a Belarusian Exarchate located on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. It is headed by Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus.
About the structure of the Orthodox Church without fiction - teacher of the Kiev Theological Academy Andrei Muzolf.
– Andrei, who is the head of the Orthodox Church?
– The head of the Orthodox Church is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Her Founder. However, at the same time, each Local Church has its Primate (literally, the one who stands in front), elected from among the highest, episcopal, clergy. In different Churches, this may be either a Patriarch, or a Metropolitan, or an Archbishop. But at the same time, the Primate does not possess any higher grace, he is only the first among equals, and all the main decisions that are made within the Church are approved mainly at a special Bishops' Council (a meeting of bishops of a particular Church). The primate can, for example, initiate, propose this or that action, but without its conciliar approval, it will never be valid. An example of this is the history of the Ecumenical and Local Councils, at which the fundamentals of Christian doctrine were accepted only by conciliar reason.
– What is the hierarchy among the clergy?
– In the Orthodox Church, the division of clergy into three categories or degrees is customary: hierarchal, priestly, and deacon. We can see the prototype of such a division in the Old Testament Church, whose clergy, being exclusively representatives of one tribe - Levi, had the following gradation: high priest (acted as the chief priest with certain powers), priests and Levites. V Old Testament such a division was established by God Himself and taught through the prophet Moses, and the indisputability of this establishment was proved by many miracles (the most striking of them is the flourishing rod of the high priest Aaron, as well as the death of Korah, Dathan and Aviron, who disputed God's chosenness of the Levitical priesthood). The modern division of the priesthood into three categories has its basis in the New Testament. The holy apostles, chosen by the Savior Himself to serve the Gospel and performing the functions of bishops, ordained bishops, priests (presbyters) and deacons.
– Who are deacons, priests, bishops? What is the difference between them?
Bishops (bishops) are the highest degree of priesthood. Representatives of this degree are the successors of the apostles themselves. Bishops, unlike priests, can perform all divine services and all Sacraments. In addition, it is the bishops who have the grace to ordain other people for their priestly ministry. Priests (presbyters or priests) are clergy who have the grace to perform, as already mentioned, all divine services and Sacraments, except for the Sacrament of the Priesthood, therefore, they cannot convey to others what they themselves received from the bishop. Deacons - the lowest degree of the priesthood - do not have the right to independently perform either divine services or the Sacraments, but only to participate and help the bishop or priest in their performance.
– What does white and black clergy mean?
– It is more correct to say: married clergy and monastics. Married clergy, as is already clear from the name itself, are those priests and deacons who, prior to their ordination to the priesthood, entered into marriage (in the Orthodox tradition, marriage for clergy is allowed only before ordination, after ordination it is forbidden to marry). The monastic clergy are those clergy who were tonsured monks before consecration (sometimes after consecration). In the Orthodox tradition, only representatives of the monastic clergy can be ordained to the highest priestly degree - episcopal.
– Has anything changed in the 2000 years of Christianity?
– Since the existence of the Church, nothing has fundamentally changed in Her, because Her main function – to save a person – is the same for all time. Naturally, with the spread of Christianity, the Church grew both geographically and, consequently, administratively. So, if in ancient times the bishop was the head of the local Church, which can be equated with today's parish, over time, bishops began to lead groups of such parish-communities that formed separate church-administrative units - dioceses. Thus, the church structure, due to its development, has become more complex, but at the same time the very goal of the Church, which is to bring a person to God, has not changed.
– How do elections take place in the Church? Who decides the issues of "career growth"?
- If we are talking about elections to the highest priestly degree - episcopal - then, for example, in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, they take place at a special meeting of bishops - the Holy Synod, which, after the Council of Bishops, is the highest body of church government (the Council of Bishops is a meeting of all bishops of a given Church, while the Synod is an assembly of only individual bishops who, on behalf of the Council, are authorized to resolve certain church issues). In the same way, the consecration of a future bishop is performed not by any one bishop, even if it is the Primate, but by a council of bishops. The issue of "career growth" is also decided at the Synod, but such a decision is more correctly called not " career growth”, but obedience to the voice of the Church, because the appointment to this or that church ministry is not always associated with growth in our understanding. An example of this is the story of the great teacher of the Church, Gregory the Theologian, who, before his appointment to the Metropolitan See of Constantinople, was assigned to the small town of Sasima, which, according to the memoirs of the saint himself, causes only tears and despair in his heart. Nevertheless, despite his personal views and interests, the theologian fulfilled his obedience to the Church and eventually became the bishop of the new capital of the Roman Empire.
Interviewed by Natalya Goroshkova
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is the largest religious association within the Russian Orthodox tradition, one of 16 local Orthodox churches. From the 10th to the 15th century it existed as metropolises(church region) of the Patriarchate of Constantinople; since 1448 in fact independent(as a result of the refusal to support the union of Constantinople with the Roman Catholic Church); in 1589 autocephaly The Russian Orthodox Church is officially recognized by the Eastern Patriarchates and established Moscow Patriarchate, which occupies fifth place in the diptych of local Orthodox churches.
In 1721, the patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church was abolished and a state body was established Russian Empire for ecclesiastical affairs Holy Governing Synod, the formal head of which was the Emperor. The patriarchate was restored in 1917, when the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church elected Tikhon (Belavin) Patriarch. After his death in 1925, the authorities prevented the convening of a new Council for the election of the Patriarch, allowing them to be held only in 1943 at the Council of Bishops, which consisted of 19 people. At present, the head of the ROC is Patriarch Alexy II, elected at the Local Council on June 10, 1990. He is the 15th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. the patriarch has three residences- official (in St. Danilov Monastery), working (in Chisty Lane in the center of Moscow) and out-of-town (in Peredelkino). Chairs of the Patriarch located in three metropolitan cathedrals - the Assumption in the Kremlin, Epiphany in Yelokhovo and in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. ROC has 128 dioceses in Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan (these countries are considered the "canonical territory" of the Russian Orthodox Church), as well as in the diaspora - Austria, Argentina, Belgium, France, Netherlands, UK, Germany, Hungary, USA and Canada. There are parishes, representative offices and other canonical divisions of the ROC in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico. The ROC nominally includes Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Church which is governed by an independent Metropolitan of All Japan, elected by the Council of that Church, and Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church, which currently does not have its own hierarchy. The highest doctrinal, legislative, executive and judicial power in the ROC belongs to local cathedral, which includes all the ruling (diocesan) bishops, as well as representatives from the clergy and laity of each diocese. According to the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, which was in force from 1988 to 2000, the Local Council was to be convened every five years, but in practice this prescription was not implemented: from 1990 to the present, there has not been a single Local Council. In August 2000, the Council of Bishops adopted a new Charter of the ROC , which does not stipulate the frequency of convocation of the Local Council, the exclusive competence of which includes only the election of a new Patriarch. The real fullness of ecclesiastical power has been transferred Bishop'scathedral, which includes permanent members of the Holy Synod and the ruling bishops. According to the Charter, in force since August 2000, the Council of Bishops is convened by the Synod at least oneevery four years(the former Charter required its convocation at least once every two years). The list of powers of the Council of Bishops is very wide. Even during the work of the Local Council, which theoretically can cancel the decisions of the bishops, all the fullness of church power belongs to Bishops' meeting consisting of bishops - members of the Council. In the event that a majority of votes of the members of the Local Council is given for this or that decision, but this decision does not gain a majority of the votes of the members of the Bishops' Conference, it is considered adopted.
In the period between Bishops' Councils, the Patriarchs govern the Church. Holy Synod, which is considered an advisory body under the Patriarch. In practice, the Patriarch takes the most important administrative decisions only with the consent of the Synod. The composition of the Holy Synod includes, in addition to the Patriarch, seven permanent members(Metropolitans of Krutitsy and Kolomna, St. Petersburg and Ladoga, Kiev and all Ukraine, Minsk and Slutsk, Chisinau and all Moldova, as well as the Moscow Patriarchy’s manager of affairs and chairman of the Department for External Church Relations - DECR MP) and six temporary called by the Synod itself to participate in meetings during only one synodal session. The sessions of the Synod are divided into two sessions - spring and autumn, each of which consists of two or three sessions, usually lasting two days. As a rule, the Holy Synod hears reports on major events church life that took place between its meetings (such events include visits by the Patriarch, visits to the ROC by the heads of other local Churches, participation of official representatives of the ROC in major events of a national or international scale), as well as establishes new dioceses, appoints and removes bishops, approves the opening of new monasteries and the appointment of their deputies and abbesses, opens and reorganizes theological educational institutions, opens new canonical structures of the Russian Orthodox Church in the far abroad and appoints their clergy. In exceptional cases, the Synod delivers Messages that reflect the point of view of the church hierarchy on certain significant social problems (the last such Message was devoted to the problem of TIN and - more broadly - digital identification of citizens).
Over the past 10 years, the number of dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church has doubled, and parishes almost tripled. According to the information announced by Patriarch Alexy II at the Jubilee Council of Bishops in August 2000, the ROC includes over 19,000 parishes and about 480 monasteries.Pastoral ministry in the ROC is carried out more than 150 bishops,17,500 priests, 2,300 deacons. The dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by a diocesan bishop, are directly subordinate to the Patriarch and the Holy Synod (the Patriarch has his own diocese on the territory of Moscow, which is actually controlled by his vicar). In managing the dioceses, the bishops are assisted by the diocesan council and deans(priests who head church districts, which, as a rule, unite churches of one or several neighboring districts of a large city or region). For example, the territory of Moscow (more than 400 churches) is divided into 11 deaneries. Some major dioceses have vicars- Auxiliary bishops, on whom the ruling bishop entrusts part of his duties. There is a slight difference in the titles of diocesan and vicar bishops - a diocesan bishop has a “double” title (for example: “Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga”), and a vicar one has a “single” one (for example: “Archbishop of Istra”). Most of all - about 10 - there are vicars in the Moscow diocese. This is due to the fact that some of them are titular bishops holding administrative positions in the central church apparatus (for example, heads of Synodal departments).
The hierarchy of the Orthodox Church is called the "three-fold" because it consists of three main steps: diaconate, priesthoodand bishoprics. Depending on the attitude towards marriage and lifestyle, the clergy are divided into two categories - "white"(married) and "black" (monastic). Deacons and priests can be both married (but only by the first marriage) and monastics, and bishops can only be monastics. Deacons are assistants to bishops and priests in the performance of divine services, however, they themselves can not perform any of the seven main church sacraments. Priests only by the authority of their bishops and by their "order" can they perform all the sacraments, except for the priesthood - that is, ordination to the holy rank (it is performed only by the bishop). The bishop himself is consecrated by several bishops, according to the decision of the Holy Synod. Bishops possess the fullness of sacramental and administrative-canonical authority in the Church, therefore their persons are surrounded by special honor, and their services are performed according to a special, solemn order (it is customary for priests to address "lord", but to deacons and priests, as well as to monastics who do not have a hierarchical dignity, - "father"). Representatives of the "white" and "black" clergy have their own structures of honorary titles, which are awarded for "length of service" or for special services to the Church. These structures can be represented in the form of a table.
|
Hierarchical degree |
"White" (married) clergy |
"Black" (monastic) clergy |
|
Deacon |
Hierodeacon |
|
|
2. Priesthood |
Priest (=priest) |
Hieromonk |
|
3. Bishopric |
Bishop |
Monasticism has its own internal hierarchy, consisting of three degrees (belonging to them usually does not depend on belonging to one or another proper hierarchical degree): monasticism(ryassofor), monasticism(small schema, small angelic image) and schema(great schema, great angelic image). Most of today's monastics belong to the second degree - to actual monasticism, or the lesser schema. Only those monastics who have exactly this degree can receive ordination to the episcopal rank. The particle "schema" is added to the title of the rank of monastics who have accepted the great schema (for example, "schiegumen" or "schematropolitan"). Belonging to one or another degree of monasticism implies a difference in the level of rigor monastic life and is expressed through differences in monastic dress. During monastic tonsure, three main vows are taken - celibacy, obedience and non-possession, and a new name is assigned as a sign of the beginning of a new life.
In the modern ROC, monasteries are managed by viceroy in the rank of archimandrite (less often in the rank of abbot or hieromonk; the abbot of one monastery has the rank of bishop), who "represents" in him rector- Diocesan Bishop. The largest and most famous monasteries, as well as male monasteries of the capital are "stauropegic"- their abbot is the Patriarch himself, represented in the monastery by the abbot. Convents run by abbess having an honorary title abbess(less often the abbess is a simple nun). In large monasteries, an advisory body operates under the governor - Spiritual Cathedral. Monasteries may have their own farmsteads(representative offices) in cities or villages, as well as sketes and p "sheds located at some distance from the main monastery. For example, the Trinity Sergius Lavra has Gethsemane and Bethany sketes, courtyards in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
In addition to the clergy who belong to one of the three levels of the church hierarchy, the ROC also has clergy, or lower clerics, - subdeacons and readers. The former almost exclusively serve the bishop, while the latter read on the kliros or perform ponomari functions in the altar.
There are a number of "industry departments" under the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church - Synodal departments, the most important of which is DECR MP(Chairman Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kirill (Gundyaev)). The DECR MP itself defines the range of its tasks as follows: "The implementation of hierarchical, administrative, financial and economic management of dioceses, monasteries, parishes and other institutions of our Church in the far abroad; the adoption by the hierarchy of decisions concerning church-state and church-society relations; the implementation of the relations of the ROC with local Orthodox churches, non-Orthodox churches and religious associations, non-Christian religions, religious and secular international organizations, state, political, public, cultural, scientific, economic, financial and other similar institutions and organizations, mass media". Metropolitan Kirill, chairman of the DECR MP, is considered the most influential hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In most cases, future clergymen receive "professional" education in theological educational institutions, the network of which is managed by Study Committee Moscow Patriarchy (Chairman - Archbishop Evgeny of Vereya (Reshetnikov)). At present, the ROC has 5 spiritual academies(until 1917 there were only 4), 26 theological seminaries, 29 theological schools, 2 Orthodox universities and Theological Institute, women's theological school, 28 icon-painting schools. The total number of students in theological schools reaches 6000 people. Patriarch Alexy II and the diocesan hierarchs began to pay more and more attention to a new disturbing trend that has appeared in the system of theological education of the Russian Orthodox Church: only a small percentage of graduates of theological educational institutions continue their service to the Church in holy orders.
Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechesis(Chairman - Abbot John (Ekonomtsev)) manages a network of educational institutions intended for the laity. This network includes Sunday schools at churches, circles for adults, groups for preparing adults for baptism, Orthodox kindergartens, Orthodox groups in state kindergartens, Orthodox gymnasiums, schools and lyceums, Orthodox courses for catechists.
Under the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, there are also Department of Church Charity and Social Service(acting chairman - Metropolitan of Solnechnogorsk Sergiy (Fomin)), Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies(acting chairman - Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov), Missionary Department(Chairman - Archbishop of Belgorod and Starooskolsky John (Popov)); Youth Department(Chairman - Archbishop of Kostroma and Galich Alexander (Mogilev)); Publishing Council(Chairman - Archpriest Vladimir Siloviev; he is also the editor-in-chief Publishing houses of the Moscow Patriarchate, issuing the official body of the ROC - "Journal of the Moscow Patriarchy"), a number of temporary councils and commissions. Current administrative affairs are handled by Case Management(Head - Metropolitan of Solnechnogorsk Sergiy (Fomin)) and office(Head - Archpriest Vladimir Divakov) of the Moscow Patriarchate. The patriarchate is directly under the control of (and is considered the main source of its income) Art and production enterprise of the Russian Orthodox Church "Sofrino" and hotel complex "Danilovsky".
In order to understand what the principles of Orthodox church etiquette are based on, it is necessary to have an idea of organizational structure Russian Orthodox Church.
A. Administrative Structure of the Russian Orthodox Church
The life of the Russian Orthodox Church is determined by its Charter. The Charter in force today includes such a thing as a canonical division (clause 1.2). The canonical divisions of the Russian Orthodox Church are the following formations:
– Self-governing Churches;
– Exarchates;
- dioceses;
– Synodal institutions;
- deaneries, parishes;
- monasteries;
- brotherhoods and sisterhoods;
– Spiritual educational institutions;
- missions, representations and farmsteads.
The Russian Orthodox Church (another official name is the Moscow Patriarchate) has a hierarchical governance structure. The highest bodies of church power and administration are the Local Council, the Council of Bishops and the Holy Synod headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
The supreme authority in the field of dogma and canonical dispensation of the Church belongs to the Local Council, which consists of diocesan and vicar bishops, representatives of the clergy, monastics, and also laity. Decisions at the Council are taken by majority vote. His prerogative is the election of the Primate of the Church. In addition to resolving internal church issues, the Local Council determines and corrects the principles of relations between and the state. In exceptional cases, such a Council may be convened by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (or the Locum Tenens) and the Holy Synod, but usually the dates for its convocation are determined by the Council of Bishops.
The Council of Bishops is the highest body of hierarchical administration of the Russian Orthodox Church and consists of diocesan bishops, that is, bishops who manage individual dioceses. Members of the Council of Bishops are also vicar bishops who head Synodal institutions and Theological Academies or who have canonical jurisdiction over parishes under their jurisdiction. The competence of the Council of Bishops includes the resolution of fundamental theological, canonical, liturgical, pastoral and property issues, the canonization of saints, maintaining relations with the Local Orthodox Churches, control over the activities of Synodal institutions, approving new church-wide awards, monitoring the implementation of the decisions of the Local Council. The Council is convened by His Holiness the Patriarch and the Holy Synod at least once every four years and on the eve of the Local Council, as well as in emergency cases.
The Holy Synod, headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, is the governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church in the period between Bishops' Councils. The Greek word Σύνοδος (synod) in translation means assembly in general, but is mainly used in the meaning of "small, permanent cathedral." Already in antiquity, such synods of bishops were formed under the eastern Patriarchal sees, which collectively participated in resolving the most significant general church issues. The first of these arose the Synod of the Church of Constantinople (Σύνοδος ενδημούσα), which consisted of metropolitans and bishops, on the business of their dioceses, sometimes staying for a long time in the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
In Russia, such a system of church government appeared twenty years after the death of the tenth Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Adrian. Metropolitan Stefan (Yavorsky) of Ryazan became his successor with the title of "Exarch, Guardian and Administrator of the Patriarchal Table". Forced to stay near the Russian autocrat in the new northern capital of St. Petersburg, Metropolitan Stefan in 1718 filed a complaint with the tsar about the excessive burden of affairs with a request to let him go from St. Petersburg to Moscow, for more convenient administration of the Patriarchal region. The resolution of Emperor Peter I to this petition, containing a number of reproachful remarks, ended with the conclusion: “For better management in the future, it seems to be a Spiritual College, so that it would be possible to correct such great deeds more conveniently.” Soon, at the beginning of 1721, by the highest command, the Theological Board was formed, later renamed the Synod. The independence of the new management structure was limited to an official appointed by the emperor - the chief prosecutor, who represented the interests of the state in the Synod and whose rights gradually expanded up to complete control over church life (under K. P. Pobedonostsev). The primates of the Eastern Local Churches recognized the Collegium as a permanent conciliar body, equal in power to the Patriarchs and therefore given the title of "His Holiness". The Synod had the rights of the highest administrative and judicial authority in the Russian Church. Initially, it consisted of several bishops, one of whom was called "leading", as well as representatives of the black and white clergy. Subsequently, the composition of the Synod became exclusively hierarchical.
The Holy Synod as the body of the highest ecclesiastical authority existed for almost two hundred years. Only in 1917 did the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church decide to restore the Patriarchate in Russia. At the same time, two collegiate bodies were formed under the chairmanship of the Patriarch to manage the period between Local Councils: the Holy Synod and the Supreme Church Council, which was subsequently abolished. The regulation on the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church, adopted at the Local Council of 1945, included the metropolitans of Krutitsy, Kiev and Leningrad among the permanent members of the Holy Synod. The Council of Bishops in 1961 introduced to the Synod on a permanent basis the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations.
At present, in accordance with the changes introduced by the Jubilee Council of Bishops in 2000, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church includes its Chairman - the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, seven permanent and five temporary members. The permanent members of the Synod are: in the department - the metropolitans of Kiev and all Ukraine; St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Krutitsky and Kolomensky; Minsk and Slutsky, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Chisinau and all Moldova; ex officio - Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations and Manager of the Moscow Patriarchate, who is the secretary of the Holy Synod. The sessions of the Synod are held in two sessions: summer - from March to August, and winter - from September to February. Diocesan bishops become temporary members of the Synod, who are called to attend one session, according to the seniority of the episcopal consecration (the time of elevation to the episcopal rank). Decisions are made by the general consent of all members participating in the meeting or by a majority vote, in case of equality of which the vote of the Chairman is decisive.
The duties of the Holy Synod include consideration of a wide range of intra-church (doctrinal, canonical, disciplinary, financial and property) issues, the election, appointment and transfer of bishops, the formation and abolition of dioceses, the maintenance of inter-church, inter-confessional and inter-religious contacts, the formation of church-state relations. The Holy Synod may address special messages to the flock of the Russian Orthodox Church. As a governing body, the Synod has a stamp and a round seal with the inscription: "Moscow Patriarchate - Holy Synod."
It should be noted that the activities of the Synods of other Local Orthodox Churches may be based on other principles and they have different powers. The number of members of the Synod also varies, but it always includes the First Hierarch of the Local Church, who is the chairman of this collegiate body.
The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople has a permanent composition. The Patriarch and members of the Synod are traditionally citizens of Turkey, therefore other dioceses and diasporas that are under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate, for example, the American, Australian, etc., are not represented in the Synod. The Synod has its own secretary, but at the same time it includes Greek. άρχι. - chief, γραμματεύς - secretary) - Secretary General of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, whose position corresponds to the Manager of Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Members of the Holy Synod of the Church of Alexandria are all the ruling diocesan bishops who have the rank of metropolitan (there are fifteen of them at present), and His Beatitude the Patriarch is the Chairman of the Synod. The Synod meets twice a year.
Members of the Holy Synod of the Jerusalem Church, like all the monastic clergy of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, are members of the brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher. As a rule, they are all ethnic Greeks. In addition to Greek citizenship, many of them have Jordanian citizenship. The Synod includes from fifteen to seventeen members, most of them are bishops, as a rule, titular, as well as several of the most famous archimandrites, permanently residing in Jerusalem. The right to elect a candidate for the Patriarchal throne belongs to the Holy Synod, but the chosen one must be approved by the state authorities of Jordan, Israel and the National Palestinian Autonomy.
The Holy Synod of the Serbian Church, in addition to His Holiness the Patriarch, includes four bishops. Vicar bishops cannot be members of the Serbian Synod. Every two years there is a rotation of two bishops - "synodals", who are replaced by the next couple according to the seniority of consecration. The Sacred Bishops' Council is made up of all diocesan hierarchs chaired by the Patriarch, and its decisions are recognized as valid if more than half of the diocesan hierarchs are present at the session of the Council when they are adopted.
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Church consists of all bishops. In the absence of the Patriarch in the Synod, his functions are transferred to the metropolitan of the largest (after Wallachia, which is ruled by the Patriarch himself) church region - Moldova and Suceava, in the absence of the Patriarch and all the metropolitans, the function of chairman is performed by the oldest bishop by consecration.
The Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Greek Church, which includes only diocesan bishops, is the collegial bearer of the highest ecclesiastical authority. If we draw an analogy with the structure of the Russian Orthodox Church, then the Sacred Council of the Hierarchy corresponds to the Council of Bishops. The governing body of the church is the Permanent Holy Synod, whose members are re-elected once a year, so that all the bishops of the Greek Church participate in its work with a certain frequency. The permanent Holy Synod consists of twelve bishops and is headed by the Archbishop of Athens. The functions and terms of reference of the Permanent Holy Synod are identical to those of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, however, its members gather much more often than their Russian counterparts - twice a month.
The Holy Synod of the Albanian Church includes all the ruling bishops, as well as the titular vicar bishop of Apollonia.
Members of the Church People's Assembly of the Orthodox Church of Finland are all three of its bishops, six clergy and six laity.
The synods of the Georgian, Bulgarian, Polish, Czech, American and Japanese Churches consist of all diocesan bishops, each of whom has the right of a casting vote.
The Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church is in charge of the management of Synodal institutions. Each such institution is in charge of the range of general church affairs within its competence, and coordinates the activities of the relevant institutions in the dioceses. At present, the Synodal Institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church are: Department for External Church Relations; Publishing Council; Study Committee; Department of Catechism and Religious Education; Department of Charity and Social Service; Missionary Department; Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Institutions; Department of Youth Affairs; Church-Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia"; Commission for the Canonization of Saints; Theological Commission; Commission for Monasteries; Liturgical Commission; Bible Commission; Commission for Economic and Humanitarian Affairs; Synodal Library. They are headed by persons appointed by the Holy Synod. The structure of the Moscow Patriarchate, as a Synodal institution, includes the Department of Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate. Synodal institutions are executive bodies of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod. They have the right to authoritatively represent the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod in their areas of activity.
Clerics and laity may not apply to state authorities and civil courts on issues related to internal church life, including canonical administration, church organization, liturgical and pastoral activities. Judicial power in the Russian Orthodox Church is exercised by ecclesiastical courts of three instances:
- the diocesan court (of first instance), which has jurisdiction only within its diocese;
- a general church court (second instance) with jurisdiction within the Russian Orthodox Church;
- the court of the Bishops' Council (the highest instance) with jurisdiction within the Russian Orthodox Church.
Handling cases in all church courts closed. Only a presbyter can be a member of the diocesan court. The chairman of the court is a vicar bishop or a person in the rank of presbyter. The General Church Court consists of the Chairman and at least four members in the rank of bishop, who are elected by the Council of Bishops for a term of 4 years. The decisions of the general church court are subject to execution after their approval by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod.
B. Territorial structure of the Russian Orthodox Church
In territorial terms, the Russian Orthodox Church is subdivided into self-governing churches, exarchates and dioceses.
Self-governing Churches that are part of the Moscow Patriarchate carry out their activities on the basis and within the limits provided by a special Patriarchal Tomos (letter) issued in accordance with the decisions of the Local or Bishops' Council. The decision to form or abolish the Self-Governing Church is made by the Council of Bishops, which also determines its territorial boundaries and name. The organs of ecclesiastical authority and administration of the Self-Governing Church are the Council and the Synod, headed by the Primate of the Self-Governing Church in the rank of Metropolitan or Archbishop. The Primate of a Self-Governing Church is elected by its Council from among the candidates approved by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod. His Holiness the Patriarch and the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church also approve the Charter, which guides the self-governed in its inner life. There are only four of them on the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church - the Latvian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church of Moldova, the Estonian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is self-governing with broad autonomy rights.
The exarchate is an association of dioceses according to the national-regional principle. Such an association is headed by an Exarch in the rank of archbishop or metropolitan, elected by the Holy Synod and appointed by a Patriarchal Decree. He is commemorated at the Liturgy in all the churches of the Exarchate after the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The Exarch leads the Synod of the Exarchate, which holds the highest ecclesiastical authority in the Exarchate. Until 1990, the Russian Orthodox Church included several Exarchates - Western European (England, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland), Middle European (Austria and Germany), Northern and South America(after granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in America in 1970 - Central and South America) and East Asian (until 1956). At the Bishops' Council of 1989, the Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate was created, at the Bishops' Council of 1990 (January 30–31), all foreign Exarchates that existed at that time were abolished (the dioceses that were part of them were directly subordinate to His Holiness Patriarch and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church) . Finally, at the Council of Bishops in 1990 (October 25–27), in connection with the granting of the Ukrainian Church the status of a Self-Governing Church within the Moscow Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Exarchate was also abolished. Thus, at present, the Russian Orthodox Church includes only one Exarchate - the Belarusian Exarchate, located on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
The diocese is structural unit Russian Orthodox Church, headed by a person in the episcopal rank. It includes parishes, diocesan monasteries and monastery courtyards, diocesan institutions, theological schools, brotherhoods, sisterhoods, and missions. It is divided into deanery districts headed by deans appointed by the diocesan bishop. The dean is a clergyman in the rank of presbyter, rector of one of the parish churches of the deanery. His duties include supervision over the proper performance of divine services, the internal and external condition of churches and other church buildings, as well as the correct conduct of parish affairs and the church archive, and concern for the religious and moral state of believers. The Dean is fully accountable to the ruling bishop.
The diocesan assembly, consisting of clergy, monastics and laity, residing on the territory of the diocese and representing the canonical divisions that are part of it, is the body of collective management of the diocese. The jurisdiction of the Diocesan Assembly, which is chaired by the ruling bishop, includes control over the activities of all structures of the diocese. The Assembly also elects delegates to the Local Council.
The governing bodies of the diocese include the Diocesan Council, headed by the diocesan bishop. The council consists of at least four persons in the rank of presbyter, half of whom are appointed by the bishop, and the rest are elected by the Diocesan Assembly for three years. The chairman of the Council is the diocesan bishop. The council considers questions of liturgical practice and church discipline, and also prepares diocesan assemblies.
The executive and administrative body of the diocese is the Diocesan Administration, which is under the direct supervision of the diocesan bishop. The diocesan administration has an office, accounting, archives and special departments that ensure the conduct of missionary, publishing, social and charitable, educational and educational, restoration and construction, and economic activities.
The Secretary of the Diocesan Administration is a person appointed by the ruling bishop (as a rule, in the rank of presbyter). The secretary is responsible for the administration of the diocese and assists the bishop in the administration of the diocese and in the direction of the diocesan administration.
Members of the Russian Orthodox Church may belong to a monastic or parish community.
A monastery is a church institution in which a male or female community lives and operates, consisting of Orthodox Christians who voluntarily chose the monastic way of life for spiritual and moral perfection and joint confession of the Orthodox faith. Monasteries are subdivided into stauropegial ones, which are under the canonical administration of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and diocesan ones, the canonical administration of which is entrusted to diocesan bishops.
At the head of the male monastery is an abbot in the rank of hieromonk, abbot or archimandrite. In large and ancient monasteries, there may be several persons with such a dignity, but only one of them is the abbot. Women's monasteries are headed by abbesses, as a rule, in the rank of abbess, whose privilege is to wear a pectoral priestly cross. Sometimes the abbess of the convent is a nun, who is also blessed with the wearing of a pectoral cross by position.
Candidates for rectors and abbesses of diocesan monasteries are approved by the Holy Synod upon submission ruling bishops. The stauropegial monastery is managed by a viceroy who "replaces" the abbot - His Holiness the Patriarch, called the Holy Archimandrite or the Holy Abbot of the monastery. According to the current Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church in a diocesan monastery, it is possible to exclude a member of the monastic community from the monastic community or accept a new monk (nun) into it only with the consent of the ruling bishop.
Any monastery can have a courtyard - a kind of branch of the monastery, located outside of it. Usually the courtyard is a temple with adjacent residential buildings and ancillary facilities. The activity of the farmstead is regulated by the Charter of the monastery to which this farmstead belongs, and by its own Charter. The courtyard is under the jurisdiction of the same bishop as the monastery. If the metochion is located on the territory of another diocese, then the names of two bishops are raised during the service in the church of the metochion. The first to be commemorated is the bishop ruling in the diocese where the monastery itself is located, the second - the one in whose canonical jurisdiction the territory of the courtyard is located.
The parish is the smallest territorial canonical division of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is a community of Orthodox Christians, consisting of clergy and laity united at the church (in addition to the main church building, the parish can have attached churches and chapels in hospitals, boarding schools, nursing homes, military units, prisons, cemeteries, as well as in other places). The church clergy consists of clergy: a priest and a deacon, called clerics (in small parishes, the clergy may consist of one priest, in large parishes, several priests and deacons). The clergy are their assistants who participate in the celebration of worship - a psalm reader, readers, singers, altar servers. The election and appointment of clergy and clergy, who together form the clergy of the parish, belongs to the diocesan bishop (in practice, clergy are appointed by the priests of churches with the blessing of the bishop).
At the head of each parish is the rector of the temple, appointed by the diocesan bishop for the spiritual guidance of the faithful and the management of the clergy and the parish. The rector is responsible for the statutory celebration of divine services and the religious and moral education of members of the parish. He is also in charge of business and financial matters the activities of the parish community and the institutions that exist with it.
The organs of the parish administration are the rector, the parish meeting, the parish council and the audit committee. The parish meeting is the highest governing body of the parish, headed by the rector. The Parish Council is the executive and administrative body of the Parish Assembly. It includes the chairman - the church warden (with the blessing of the diocesan bishop, the rector can be elected chairman of the Parish Council), his assistant and the treasurer responsible for financial reporting. The composition of the council is elected for three years from among the members of the parish assembly. The Revision Commission, consisting of three elected members, controls the financial and economic activities of the parish.
The funds of the Russian Orthodox Church are formed from deductions from the dioceses, stauropegial monasteries, parishes of the city of Moscow, donations from individuals and legal entities, income from the distribution and sale of church utensils, literature, audio and video recordings, as well as from deductions from the profits of enterprises established by canonical church divisions.
Russian Orthodox Church (ROC, Moscow Patriarchate)- the largest religious organization in Russia, the largest autocephalous local Orthodox Church in the world.
A source: http://maxpark.com/community/5134/content/3403601
His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia - (since February 2009).
Photo: http://lenta.ru/news/2012/04/06/shevchenko/
History of the Russian Orthodox Church
Historians associate the appearance of the ROC with the moment of the Baptism of Russia in 988, when Metropolitan Michael was appointed by the Patriarch of Constantinople Nicholas II Chrysoverg to the Metropolis of the Patriarchate of Constantinople created in Kiev, the creation of which was recognized and supported by Kiev Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich.
After the decline of the Kiev land, after the invasion of the Tatar-Mongol in 1299, the metropolis moved to Moscow.
Since 1488, the Russian Orthodox Church received the status of autocephaly, when the Russian Metropolis was headed by Bishop Jonah without the consent of Constantinople.
In the middle of the 17th century, under Patriarch Nikon, liturgical books were corrected and other measures were taken to unify Moscow liturgical practice with Greek. Some of the rites previously accepted in the Moscow Church, starting with the two-fingered, were declared heretical; those who would use them were anathematized at the council of 1656 and at the Great Moscow Cathedral. As a result, a split occurred in the Russian Church, those who continued to use the old rites began to be officially called "heretics", later - "schismatics", and later received the name "Old Believers".
In 1686, agreed with Constantinople, the autonomous Kiev Metropolis was resubordinated to Moscow.
In 1700, Tsar Peter I forbade the election of a new patriarch (after the death of the previous one), and 20 years later established the Holy Governing Synod, which, being one of the state bodies, performed the functions of general church administration from 1721 to January 1918, with the emperor (until 2 March 1917) as "Ultimate Judge of this College".
The patriarchate in the Orthodox Russian Church was restored after only the overthrow of the autocracy by the decision of the All-Russian Local Council on October 28 (November 10), 1917; St. Tikhon (Bellavin), Metropolitan of Moscow, was elected the first patriarch in the Soviet period.
After the October Revolution of 1917, the ROC was alienated from the state and given over to persecution and decay. Financing of the clergy and church education from the treasury ceased. Further, the Church went through a series of schisms inspired by the authorities and a period of persecution.
After the death of the Patriarch in 1925, the authorities themselves appointed a priest, who was soon expelled and tortured.
According to some reports, in the first five years after the Bolshevik revolution, 28 bishops and 1,200 priests were executed.
The main target of the anti-religious party-state campaign of the 1920s and 1930s was the Patriarchal Church, which had the largest number of followers. Almost all of its episcopate, a significant part of the priests and active laity were shot or exiled to concentration camps, theological schools and other forms of religious education, except for private ones, were prohibited.
In difficult years for the country, there was a noticeable change in the policy of the Soviet state in relation to the Patriarchal Church, the Moscow Patriarchate was recognized as the only legitimate Orthodox Church in the USSR, excluding Georgia.
In 1943, the Council of Bishops elected Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) to the Patriarchal Throne.
During the reign of Khrushchev, there was again a tough attitude towards the Church, which continued into the 1980s. Then the Patriarchate was controlled by the secret services, at the same time the Church was making compromises with the Soviet government.
By the end of the 80s, the number of churches in the USSR was no more than 7,000, and no more than 15 monasteries.
In the early 1990s, within the framework of M. Gorbachev's policy of glasnost and perestroika, a change in the attitude of the state towards the Church began. The number of churches began to grow, the number of dioceses and parishes increased. This process continues into the 21st century.
In 2008, according to official statistics, the Moscow Patriarchate unites 156 dioceses, in which 196 bishops serve (of which 148 are diocesan and 48 are vicars). The number of parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate reached 29,141, the total number of clergy - 30,544; there are 769 monasteries (372 male and 392 female). As of December 2009, there were already 159 dioceses, 30,142 parishes, clergy - 32,266 people.
The very structure of the Moscow Patriarchate is also developing.
Management structure of the ROC
According to the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, the highest bodies of church power and administration are the Local Council, the Council of Bishops and the Holy Synod headed by the Patriarch, which have legislative, executive and judicial powers - each in its own competence.
local cathedral resolves all issues relating to the internal and external activities of the Church, and elects the Patriarch. It is convened at the dates determined by the Council of Bishops or, in exceptional cases, by the Patriarch and the Holy Synod, consisting of bishops, clerics, monastics and laity. The last council was convened in January 2009.
Bishops' Cathedral- a local council, in which only bishops participate. It is the highest body of the hierarchical administration of the Russian Orthodox Church. It includes all the ruling bishops of the Church, as well as vicar bishops who head synodal institutions and theological academies; according to the Charter, is convened at least once every four years.
Holy Synod, according to the current charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, is the highest "governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church in the period between Bishops' Councils." It consists of a chairman - the Patriarch, nine permanent and five temporary members - diocesan bishops. The meetings of the Holy Synod are held at least four times a year.
Patriarch- Primate of the Church, has the title "His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia." He owns the "primacy of honor" among the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The name of the Patriarch is raised during divine services in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Higher church council - new permanent executive agency, acting since March 2011 under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is headed by the Patriarch and consists of the leaders of the synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The executive bodies of the Patriarch and the Holy Synod are the Synodal Institutions. Synodal institutions include the Department for External Church Relations, the Publishing Council, the Educational Committee, the Department of Catechism and Religious Education, the Department of Charity and Social Service, the Missionary Department, the Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies, and the Department for Youth Affairs. The Moscow Patriarchate, as a Synodal institution, includes the Administration of Affairs. Each of the Synodal institutions is in charge of the circle of general church affairs, which is within the scope of its competence.
Educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church
- Church-wide postgraduate and doctoral studies. Sts. Cyril and Methodius
- Moscow Theological Academy
- St. Petersburg Theological Academy
- Kiev Theological Academy
- St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Academy
- Orthodox St. Tikhon University for the Humanities
- Russian Orthodox University
- Russian Orthodox Institute of St. John the Theologian
- Ryazan Theological Seminary
- St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute
- Volga Orthodox Institute
- St. Petersburg Orthodox Institute of Religious Studies and Church Arts
- Tsaritsyno Orthodox University St. Sergius Radonezh
History of sky lanterns
Job description: concept, purpose, structure, procedure for compiling and formalizing Purpose and content of job descriptions for managers
Interview questions What job are you going to work on?
What to do if the boss criticizes all the time If the boss does nothing
How to understand: will the kitten be fluffy?