The supreme governing bodies of the Russian Orthodox Church. Russian Orthodox Church

Russian Orthodox Church (ROC)(The name "Russian Orthodox Church" officially came into use in 1943; until 1942 it was called the "Local Russian Orthodox Church"), or the Moscow Patriarchate is an autocephalous Orthodox Church, the oldest religious organization in Russia. He considers the legal basis of his structure and activities Holy Bible- The Bible and Holy Tradition (creeds of the most ancient local churches, dogmas and canons developed at seven Ecumenical Councils (IV-VIII centuries) and a number of local ones, works of the holy fathers and teachers of the church, liturgical texts, oral tradition). Initially, it was headed by metropolitans who were subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The patriarchate was established in 1589, abolished in 1721, restored in 1917. The reforms of Patriarch Nikon in 1653-1655, carried out on the initiative of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (correction of liturgical books according to Greek models, establishing uniformity church service, a change in some elements of ritual), led to a split and the emergence of the Old Believers. After establishing Soviet power The ROC was separated from the state and subjected to repression. It is currently the largest religious organization in the Russian Federation. It includes dioceses of direct subordination in Russia, neighboring countries, Europe and the USA, the Chinese and Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Churches, self-governing Ukrainian, Moldavian, Latvian and Estonian Orthodox Churches, the Belarusian Exarchate and the Kazakh Metropolitan District. In 2007, an act of canonical communion with the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad was signed.

The ROC traces its historical existence from the christening of Russia in 988 in Kyiv under Grand Duke Vladimir. In 1448 it became de facto independent from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, i.e. autocephalous. Ryazan Bishop Jonah, appointed by the Council of Russian Bishops, received the title of Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia. In 1589, the Patriarch of Constantinople formally confirmed the status of autocephaly with a special letter and installed Metropolitan Job of Moscow as the first Russian patriarch. The growth of the spiritual influence and material wealth of the ROC, its influence on politics (including issues of succession to the throne) at times made it equal to the royal power.

The reforms of Patriarch Nikon of 1653-1655, carried out at the initiative of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (correction of liturgical books according to Greek models, establishing the uniformity of church services, changing some elements of ritual), led to a split and the emergence of the Old Believers. The split was caused not only by strictly religious, but also by social reasons: the Old Believers did not accept the “autocracy” of the tsar in church matters, the fall of the role of bishops, etc.

The consolidation of political power by Peter I required the introduction of state control over the church. After the death in 1700 of Patriarch Adrian, the tsar delayed the election of a new primate, and in 1721 established a state body of church administration - the Spiritual College. Later it was renamed into the Most Holy Governing Synod, which remained the highest church body for almost two hundred years. The members of the Synod were appointed by the emperor, and secular state officials, chief prosecutors, ruled it. Bishops had to swear allegiance to the king.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, the ROC performed important political functions: it was the legitimation of tsarist power, the organization of public education, the maintenance of registers of births, the registration of marriages and deaths, the announcement of tsarist manifestos, etc. Parish schools were directly subordinate to the church, and in all other educational institutions the "Law of God" was taught. The clergy were on state support.

At the beginning of the twentieth century. in the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as among Russian religious intellectuals, a group of so-called "renovationists" was formed who advocated the democratization of church administration and the modernization of worship. In order to discuss these and other issues, preparations began for the convocation of the All-Russian Local Council, which, however, began its work only after February Revolution- in 1917, he restored the patriarchal administration (the Moscow Metropolitan Tikhon (Belavin) (1917-1925) was elected patriarch), called for a return to the apostolic conciliar principles of church life, i.e. the development of initiative both at the level of the hierarchy and among the laity , and allowed the communities to nominate candidates for the hierarchal and priestly ministry.Two collegiate governing bodies of the church were formed in the period between councils: the Holy Synod and the Supreme Church Council (SAC). , the second - matters of church and public order: administrative, economic, school and educational. Particularly important issues related to the protection of the rights of the Russian Orthodox Church, preparation for councils, the opening of new dioceses, were subject to the joint presence of the Synod and the All-Russian Church Council.

In the spring of 1917, a movement for the renewal of the Russian Orthodox Church began with renewed vigor. One of the organizers of the new reformist organization - the All-Russian Union of Democratic Orthodox Clergy and Laity, which arose on March 7, 1917 in Petrograd, was the priest Alexander Vvedensky, the leading ideologist and leader of the movement in all subsequent years. In Moscow, a Social-Christian Labor Party similar in terms of tasks arose. "Union" enjoyed the support of a member of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, chief prosecutor Holy Synod V.N. Lvov and published the newspaper "Voice of Christ" on synodal subsidies. In their publications, the Renovationists took up arms against traditional ritual forms and the canonical structure of church administration.

ROC in the Soviet period

After the Bolshevik Party came to power, for which the church was an ideological and political opponent, many clergymen, monks and lay believers were subjected to severe repression. In February 1918, a decree "On the separation of the church from the state and schools from the church" was issued, which proclaimed the secular nature of the Soviet state.

The reaction of the Russian Orthodox Church to the events was extremely negative, although Patriarch Tikhon refused to support the White movement and called for an end to the fratricidal civil war. The aggravation of the conflict between the Russian Orthodox Church and the authorities occurred in 1921-1922, when, in the conditions of the famine that gripped the country, the Soviet government, not content with voluntary donations from the church and believers, began to seize valuable sacred objects. In May 1922, the patriarch was arrested on false charges of resisting the seizure of valuables, which was equated with counter-revolutionary activity, and until 1924 he was imprisoned. This was taken advantage of by a group of "renovationists", who declared themselves the "Supreme Church Administration". A significant part of the clergy went into the schism, which proclaimed solidarity with the goals of the revolution, but it did not receive mass support among the people.

During the civil war, in the territories controlled by the White movement, the Provisional Higher Church Administrations (VVTsU) were created. As a result of the evacuation of the army of General P.N. Wrangel from the Crimea, a group of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church ended up in Constantinople, where in 1920 on board the ship " Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich ”the first foreign meeting of the All-Russian Exhibition Center of the South-East of Russia was held (in December of the same year it was transformed into the Higher Russian Church Administration Abroad (VRTSUZ). In 1921, at the invitation of the Serbian Patriarch, it moved to Sremski Karlovtsy (Serbia), where In November of the same year, the All-Border Russian Church Assembly was held, later renamed the Council.A number of statements of the Council were purely political in nature (in particular, a call for the restoration of the legitimate Orthodox tsar from the Romanov dynasty on the Russian throne and a direct appeal to world powers to provide assistance for the armed overthrow of Soviet regime).

Even before his arrest, Patriarch Tikhon subordinated all foreign Russian parishes to Metropolitan Evlogy (Georgievsky), who was in Germany, and declared the decisions of the Karlovac Cathedral invalid. The non-recognition of his decree marked the beginning of an independent Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCOR).

After the death of Patriarch Tikhon, a struggle began for the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church. As a result, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) (1925-1944) became the head of the church administration, who chose the path of loyalty to the Soviet regime. In 1927, he issued a declaration, which spoke of the need for the legal and peaceful existence of the Russian Orthodox Church and the support of the people and government of the USSR, which provoked a protest from part of the clergy and believers who rejected the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and switched to an illegal position (received the collective name "Catacomb Church "). The ROC was given permission to restore the temporary synodal administration. Since 1931, the official "Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate" began to be published, but its publication was suspended in 1935 (resumed in 1943). The church structure throughout the country remained almost completely destroyed.

Catastrophic for the USSR, the beginning of the Great Patriotic War demanded the mobilization of all resources, including spiritual ones. The Russian Orthodox Church took a patriotic position. Since the party-state leadership knew from the time of the all-Union census of 1937 that a significant part of the population of the USSR considers themselves to be believers (56.7% of all those who expressed their attitude to religion), it was forced to move closer to the church. Temples began to open for worship, the release of clergy from places of detention began, mass worship, ceremonies and church-wide fundraising were allowed, and publishing activities were expanded. All public anti-religious propaganda was curtailed. The culmination of this process in 1943 was the convocation of the Council of Bishops and the election of a patriarch (Metropolitan Sergius; from 1945 to 1970 - Alexy (Simansky). The possibilities of the ROC were also used to integrate, denationalize and assimilate the population of the Ukrainian, Belarusian and other territories annexed to the USSR After the end of the war, she was involved in active participation in the international movement for peace launched on the initiative of I.V. Stalin.In 1961, the Russian Orthodox Church joined the World Council of Churches (an international ecumenical organization founded in 1948)

Under N.S. Khrushchev, there was a return to the methods of administrative struggle against religion. After coming to power L.I. Brezhnev, the active persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church ceased, but there was no improvement in relations with the state.

Late 1970s was marked by the phenomenon of the so-called "religious revival", which meant an increase in interest in Orthodoxy, primarily in the circles of the intelligentsia (the release of short-lived underground magazines, the creation of religious-philosophical seminars and Orthodox groups). In 1979-1981. the most prominent representatives of church dissent were arrested.

During the period of "perestroika" M.S. Gorbachev was interested in supporting religious centers to promote reforms in the USSR and create favorable public opinion abroad. To this end, he took advantage of the upcoming celebration of the millennium of the baptism of Russia: from the beginning of 1988, Soviet newspapers, including regional ones, were filled with religious topics, priests everywhere were given the floor. At the Local Council of 1988, a new charter on the management of the ROC was also adopted, according to which the abbots of churches could again fulfill the duties of managing parishes, which they had been deprived of since 1961. As a result of liberalization, the ROC received the right to a large number of church buildings and free registration of new parishes, religious institutions, relief societies and brotherhoods.

Development of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 1990s-2000s

After the death of Patriarch Pimen (Izvekov) (1970-1990), Metropolitan Alexy (Ridiger) (1990-2008) - Alexy II was elected as the new patriarch as a result of a secret alternative vote. In his word on the day of enthronement (Intronization (Gr. ένθρονισμός ) - a solemn public service, during which the newly elected primate of the church is erected to his chair.) On June 10, 1990, he named the following urgent tasks of the church: the revival of the proper spiritual state of Christian society, the revival of monasticism, catechism (a wide network of Sunday schools, provision flock with spiritual literature), the development of free spiritual education, an increase in the number of theological schools, mercy and charity.

In 1989, the publication of the newspaper "Church Bulletin" began, in 1991 - the quarterly magazine of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate "Church and Time". In 1991, in connection with the new legislation on freedom of conscience and religious organizations, the civil charter of the Russian Orthodox Church was adopted, registered with the Ministry of Justice of the RSFSR. In 1993, a presidential decree was issued recognizing the ROC as the legal heir to the property of the pre-revolutionary ROC and transferring religious buildings and other property free of charge.

in the political struggle of the 1990s. there were almost no conflicts around the ROC. Orthodoxy began to acquire a special meaning as a symbol of national identity - hence the rapid growth of people who consider themselves Orthodox. All political forces, with the possible exception of the supporters of the right-liberal Union of Right Forces (SPS), expressed their loyalty to the Russian Orthodox Church. At the same time, supporters of a more active intervention of the church in political processes appeared among part of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church. Their leader was the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga John (Snychev) (1927-1995), who opposed liberal democratic reforms, defending the principle of autocratic monarchy as a "God-established form of existence Orthodox people» .

In the same period, public funds began to appear (St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation (1993), Center for National Glory of Russia (2001) , which declared the need to return to faith, tradition, one's own roots and the formation in society of a "positive attitude towards the traditional, bonding backbones of Russia - state, church, army.

In 1993, the World Russian People's Council (VRNS) was created, which defines itself as "the largest Russian public forum." Its head is "His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, with whose blessing and under whose chairmanship annual conciliar meetings are held." Representatives of all branches of government and all segments of Russian society, delegates of Russian communities from near and far abroad take part in meetings devoted to topical issues in the life of the country. ARNS 2010 was devoted to the theme "National education: the formation of an integral personality and a responsible society."

In 2000, the Council of Bishops adopted the document "Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church", which sets out the basic provisions of its teaching on issues of church-state relations and on a number of contemporary socially significant problems. It states that in the course of the development of civilization, which is based on the idea of ​​ever greater "emancipation" of the human person and society, "falling away from God" is gradually increasing, "the sinful aspirations of individuals and entire states" are intensifying. The two main factors of this are the assertion of the principle of the so-called "freedom of conscience" and a false understanding of human rights. However, "the religious and ideological neutrality of the state does not contradict the Christian idea of ​​the vocation of the Church in society." Since the state, as a rule, is aware that "earthly prosperity is unthinkable without observing certain moral standards… which are also necessary for the eternal salvation of man”, the tasks and activities of the Church and the state “can coincide not only in achieving purely earthly benefits, but also in carrying out the saving mission of the Church”. The areas of cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the state are: peacekeeping; concern for the preservation of morality in society; spiritual, cultural, moral and patriotic education and upbringing; works of mercy and charity; protection, restoration and development of historical and cultural heritage; care for soldiers and employees of law enforcement agencies, their spiritual and moral education; science, including humanities studies; healthcare; culture and creative activity; the work of ecclesiastical and secular media, etc. The Foundations demonstrate the openness and active position of the ROC in relation to the world.

In the 2000s The Russian Orthodox Church actively advocated the teaching of the "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" in secondary schools. As a result of numerous discussions and an experiment conducted in a number of regions of the Russian Federation, the concept of including the subject "Orthodox culture" in the new generation of state standards of general secondary education as part of the new educational field curriculum "Spiritual and moral culture". In 2010, this subject should be introduced in 18 subjects of the Russian Federation, and from 2012 - in all subjects.

The ROC has a network of Orthodox media (including electronic ones) of a church-public orientation. These are the newspaper, radio and TV channel "Radonezh", the magazine "Alpha and Omega", the newspaper "Sunday School", the women's magazine "Slavyanka", etc.

In 2009, a new church advisory body was created - the Inter-Council Presence, which works on an ongoing basis with the participation of not only the clergy, but also the laity. Its task is to discuss topical problems of church and public life between local councils. In 2010, for the purpose of holding a public discussion, he developed and published draft documents on the social and charitable work of the Russian Orthodox Church, on the social activities of Orthodox Christians, on the practice of statements and actions of hierarchs, clergy and laity during election campaigns and on the problem of the clergy nominating their candidacies for elections, etc.

Organizational structure of the ROC

The modern structure of the ROC is defined by its Charter, adopted by the Council of Bishops in 2000 (as amended in 2008). 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. According to the Charter, the Russian Orthodox Church is "a multinational Local Autocephalous Church, which is in doctrinal unity and prayer-canonical communion with other Local Orthodox Churches", and its jurisdiction "extends to persons of the Orthodox confession living in the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church: in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus , Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Estonia, as well as Orthodox Christians who voluntarily enter it and live in other countries. Thus, a feature of the ROC is the transnational nature of its activities, due to the spread of the canonical territory to the post-Soviet states. As a result, there are parallel church jurisdictions (schisms) in Ukraine, Moldova and Estonia.

The supreme authority in the field of dogma and canonical dispensation of the ROC belongs to the Local Council, the terms for convening which are determined by the Council of Bishops (in exceptional cases, by the Patriarch). It consists of bishops, representatives of the clergy, monastics and laity. He has the right to elect a patriarch and determine the principles of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the state.

The Council of Bishops is the highest body of the hierarchical administration of the ROC and consists of diocesan bishops, as well as vicar bishops who head synodal institutions and theological academies or have canonical jurisdiction over the parishes under their jurisdiction. It is convened by the Patriarch and the Holy Synod at least once every four years and on the eve of the Local Council, as well as in exceptional cases.

The Holy Synod, headed by the Patriarch, is the governing body of the ROC in the period between Bishops' Councils. Judicial power in the ROC is exercised ecclesiastical courts through ecclesiastical justice.

At present, the ROC is the largest centralized religious organization with an extensive administrative apparatus. It includes dioceses of direct subordination in Russia, neighboring countries, Europe and the USA, the Chinese and Japanese Autonomous Orthodox Churches, self-governing Ukrainian, Moldavian, Latvian and Estonian Orthodox Churches, the Belarusian Exarchate and the Kazakh Metropolitan District. In 2007, an Act of Canonical Communion was signed between the ROC and ROCOR, which restored unity within the Local Russian Orthodox Church, recognizing ROCOR as its "an integral self-governing part" . As of 2006, the Russian Orthodox Church registered 12,214 religious organizations, 50 spiritual and educational institutions, 391 monasteries, and 225 religious institutions.

In 2009, Metropolitan Kirill (Gundyaev) became Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

IN special material dedicated current state 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, after interviewing experts, I compiled a brief block diagram of the structure of the ROC - with the main characters, institutions, groups and patrons

Patriarch

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church bears the title "His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia" (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, liturgy, in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church. The patriarch is de jure accountable to the Local and Bishops' Councils: he is the "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: he was absent from the baptism of Russia in 988 until 1589 (ruled by the metropolitans of Kiev and Moscow), from 1721 to 1917 (ruled by the "Department of the Orthodox Confession" - the Synod headed by the Chief Procurator) and from 1925 to 1943.

The Holy Synod deals with personnel issues, including the election of new bishops and their transfer from diocese to diocese, as well as the approval of the composition of the so-called patriarchal commissions involved in the canonization of saints, monastic affairs, and so on. It is on behalf of the Synod that the main church reform of Patriarch Kirill is carried out - the disaggregation of the dioceses: the dioceses are divided into smaller ones - it is believed that this way they are easier to manage, and the bishops become closer to the people and to the clergy.

The synod convenes several times a year and consists of a dozen and a half metropolitans and bishops. Two of them are Metropolitan Varsonofy of Saransk and Mordovia and the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Volokolamsky Hilarion- are considered the most influential people in the patriarchy. The head of the Synod is the patriarch.

Collegiate supreme governing body of the church. It represents all sections of the church people - delegates from the episcopate, white clergy, monks of both sexes and laity. The local council is called to distinguish it from the Ecumenical, at which delegates from all sixteen Orthodox churches of the world should gather to resolve general Orthodox issues (however 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 for the election of 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 people of different ranks enter the church; although they are not equal to each other, they become a church only together. This idea is usually called catholicity, emphasizing that this is the nature of the Orthodox Church, in contrast to the Catholic one with its rigid hierarchy. Today, this idea is less and less popular.

Congress of all bishops of the Russian Church, which takes place at least once every four years. It is the Bishops' Council that decides all the main church issues. During the three years of Patriarchy of Kirill, the number of bishops increased by about a third - today there are about 300 of them. The work of the council begins with the report of the patriarch - this is always the most complete (including statistical) information about the state of affairs in the church. At the meetings, except for the bishops and a narrow circle of employees of the patriarchate, no one is present.

A new advisory body, the creation of which has become one of the symbols of the reforms of Patriarch Kirill. As planned, it is extremely democratic: it includes experts from various areas of church life - bishops, priests and laity. There are even some women. It consists of a presidium and 13 thematic commissions. In the Inter-Council Presence, draft documents are prepared, which are then discussed in the public domain (including in a special community in LiveJournal).

During the four years of work, the loudest discussions flared up around documents on the Church Slavonic and Russian languages ​​of worship and the provision on monasticism, which encroached on the organization of the life of monastic communities.

A new, rather mysterious body of church administration 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 the patriarch heads the All-Russian Central Council. The only body of higher church administration (except for the Local Council), in which the laity take part. No one is allowed to attend the meetings of the ACC, except for the members of the council, its decisions are never published and are strictly classified, you can learn at least something about the ACC only from the official news on the website of the patriarchate. The only public decision of the ACC was a statement after the announcement of the verdict by Pussy Riot, in which the church distanced itself from the court's decision.

The Church has its own judicial system, it consists of courts of three instances: the Diocesan Court, the General Church Court and the Court of the Bishops' Council. It deals with issues that are not within the competence of secular justice, that is, it determines whether the misconduct of the priest entails canonical consequences. So, a priest, even by negligence who committed a murder (for example, in an accident), can be acquitted by a secular court, but he will have to remove his rank. However, in most cases, the case does not reach the court: the ruling bishop applies bans (punishments) to the clergy. But if the priest does not agree with the punishment, he can apply to the General Church Court. It is not known 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 lawsuit between a bishop and a priest, the court takes the side of the priest.

Under Alexy II, he headed the Department of Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, 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 the management of the publishing council of the patriarchate. Under him, a mandatory stamp of the publishing council was introduced for books sold in church shops and through church distribution networks. That is, de facto censorship was introduced, moreover, paid, as publishers pay the council to review their books.

Church Ministry of Finance under the leadership of Bishop Tikhon (Zaitsev) of Podolsky; absolutely opaque institution. Tikhon is known for having created a system of fee schedules that churches pay to the patriarchy depending on their status. But the main brainchild of the bishop is the so-called "200 churches" program for the shock construction of two hundred churches in Moscow. Eight of them have already been built, and 15 more are in the immediate plans. Under this program, the former first deputy mayor of Moscow, Vladimir Resin, was appointed adviser to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia on construction issues.

In fact - the Ministry of Special Theological Education: in charge of theological seminaries and academies. The educational committee is headed by Archbishop Eugene of Vereya (Reshetnikov), rector of the Moscow Theological Academy. The Committee is trying to negotiate 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 ordaining of candidates who had not graduated from the seminary. Also in the ROC there are several universities for the laity. The most famous of them is St. Tikhon Humanitarian University, where they study to become philologists, historians, theologians, sociologists, art critics, teachers, etc.

For 19 years he worked in the department of Metropolitan Kirill, and before that - with Metropolitan Pitirim in the publishing department. He was mainly engaged in inter-Christian relations and ecumenism, regularly went on business trips abroad and was well received in the most diverse church and political circles of the world. In 2009, after zealously participating in the election campaign of Patriarch Kirill, he received a new synodal department at his disposal - for relations between the church and society. Many expected that Chaplin would immediately be made a bishop, but this did not happen even after 4 years. Chaplin patronizes various public and church-public groups, ranging from the Union of Orthodox Women to bikers. Regularly makes scandalous statements in the media.

The business manager is one of the most status positions in the Russian Orthodox Church. Two patriarchs - Pimen and Alexy II - and one head of an autonomous church - Metropolitan of Kyiv Vladimir (Sabodan) - were before their election managing affairs. However, the position did not help the previous manager, Metropolitan Kliment, to take the patriarchal chair. Today, the Department of Affairs is headed by Metropolitan Varsonofy of Saransk and Mordovia, and Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), whom journalists call the inquisitor, has become his deputy and head of the control and analytical service. It is in the department of Father Savva that denunciations and signals about troubles in the parishes flock. The news that a delegation led by the archimandrite is coming to the diocese causes awe in the localities. Archimandrite Savva grew up in Paris, studied mathematics at the University of Paris-South and was tonsured a monk. Then he came to Russia to study at the theological academy, was noticed and by the age of 34 made a rapid church career. Included in the closest circle of assistants to the patriarch in managing dioceses and preparing documents regulating the management of the church.

Chief in the Russian Orthodox Church for charity. Back in the 1990s, he led social work in the Moscow diocese, created a sisterhood, a school of sisters of mercy. He was rector of the Church of the Holy Tsarevich Dimitri at the 1st City Hospital. Under Cyril, he became a bishop and headed the Synodal Department for Charity and Social Service. It manages church hospitals, almshouses, drug assistance 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 who worked on extinguishing was deployed at its base.

He heads the Synodal Information Department (SINFO), a cross between the press service of the church (the patriarch has a personal press service) and the Presidential Administration. Legoyda is the only "jacket" in the Supreme Church Council and among the leaders of the synodal departments (this is how the laity who have wormed their way into high church positions are called in the church). Before heading SINFO, he worked as the head of the department of international journalism at MGIMO and published the Orthodox glossy magazine Foma for more than 10 years. SINFO is engaged in church PR and prepares media and blog monitoring especially 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 to Patriarch Kirill and influential bishops. He comes from an intelligent Moscow family, studied at the Moscow Conservatory, the Theological Academy, and trained at Oxford. Theologian, TV presenter, head of the General Church postgraduate and doctoral studies, composer: the Synodal Choir founded by him (the head is a school friend of the Metropolitan) performs his works all over the world. Headed by Hilarion, the DECR is the "Church Ministry of Foreign Affairs", which deals with contacts with other Orthodox and Christian churches and interreligious relations. It has always been 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) abbot of the Sretensky Monastery

In large cities plays a significant role in church life. Part of this intelligentsia are members or children of members of illegal church communities that existed in Soviet time. In many ways, they provide continuity traditional forms church life. Orthodox St. Tikhon 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 the de facto official ideology that can be called Orthodox-patriotic. The church intelligentsia feels excluded and unclaimed, although some of its representatives work in the Inter-Council Presence.

Rector of the Church of Sophia the Wisdom of God on Sofiyskaya Embankment, opposite the Kremlin. Once started as an altar boy for Alexander Men, then became a spiritual child famous old man John Krestyankin; for several years he was the rector of a village church in the Kursk region, where the Moscow intelligentsia went to see him. He gained fame as the confessor of Svetlana Medvedeva, who, long before becoming the first lady, began to go to the St. Sophia Church. Actress Ekaterina Vasilyeva works as a warden in Father Vladimir's parish, and Dmitry Vasilyeva and playwright Mikhail Roshchin's son serves as a priest in another church, where Volgin is also listed as rector. One of the most zealous parishioners is Ivan Okhlobystin's wife Oksana with children. Despite the bohemian composition of the parish, Archpriest Vladimir Volgin is reputed to be almost the most strict spiritual father in Moscow. His parish is full of large families.

One of the most influential white priests (not monks) in the Russian Church. Very popular among the flock: collections of his sermons in the form of books, audio and video recordings have been distributed in millions of copies since the 1990s. One of the most popular Orthodox commentators in the media. He maintains his own video blog and broadcast on the Orthodox TV channel Spas. One of the main exponents of the Orthodox-patriotic ideology. Under Patriarch Alexy, Archpriest Demetrius was jokingly called the “rector of all Moscow,” because he was the rector of eight churches at the same time. He also delivered a farewell speech at the funeral service for Patriarch Alexy. Under Cyril, one of the large churches - St. Nicholas in Zayaitsky - was taken away 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 led from its very foundation in 2000, being responsible for introducing the institute of chaplains into the army . The main fighter against abortion and contraception; he is proud that his parish has a birth rate “like in Bangladesh”.

The parishioners of the Church of St. Nicholas 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 berets and T-shirts "Orthodoxy or Death". Extreme conservatives oppose TINs, biometric passports, juvenile justice and contemporary art. Non-canonized saints are venerated, including Yevgeny Rodionov, a soldier 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 sponsors

The owner of the company "Your financial trustee" and the agricultural holding "Russian milk". He sponsors the construction of churches, exhibitions of icon painting, etc. He forces employees to attend courses in Orthodox culture, ordered all married and married workers to get married. He consecrated a chapel on the territory of his enterprise in honor of Ivan the Terrible, who was not canonized in the Russian Church and is not going to.

The President of Russian Railways is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation (FAP), which financed the bringing of the relics of the saint to Russia Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, the right hand of John the Baptist, the relics of the Apostle Luke and the belt Holy Mother of God. The FAP also pays for VIP trips to Jerusalem for the Holy Fire, the program for the revival of the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent in Moscow, and several churches in the name of St. Alexander Nevsky on the borders of Russia were built with its funds.

Founder of the investment fund Marshall Capital and the main minority shareholder of Rostelecom. The Foundation of St. Basil the Great, created by him, finances churches in Moscow and Moscow Region, the restoration of monasteries, and paid for the repair of the DECR building. The main brainchild of the fund is the gymnasium of Basil the Great, an elite educational institution in the village of Zaitsevo near Moscow, the cost of education in which is 450 thousand rubles a 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 Foundation of St. Gregory the Theologian. The foundation maintains a synodal choir, a church-wide graduate school, finances some DECR projects (mainly Metropolitan Hilarion’s trips abroad), organizes exhibitions of icons in different countries. On the balance of the fund - an Orthodox gymnasium in Murom and a program for the revival of the shrines of Rostov the Great.

Previously unknown to the church community, young people who use radical forms of public demonstrations (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 arouse unequivocal condemnation from the official church authorities. The leader of the activists is Dmitry "Enteo" Tsorionov.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, he was the brightest and most successful church missionary, traveled with lectures on Orthodoxy throughout the country, organized debates, and participated in talk shows on television. He wrote several theological works, in particular - on the exposure of the teachings of the Roerichs. He has been teaching at the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University for more than 15 years, and there is usually nowhere to sit at his lectures. In the winter of 2008-2009, he actively campaigned for the election of Metropolitan Kirill as patriarch, wrote revealing articles about his main rival in the elections, Metropolitan Clement. For this, after his election, the patriarch awarded him the honorary rank of protodeacon and instructed him to write a textbook "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" for grades 4-5 of schools. It is Kuraev's textbook that is recommended by the Ministry of Education as the main textbook for the OPK course. However, in 2012, the protodeacon began to increasingly disagree with the position of church officials. In particular, immediately after Pussy Riot's performance at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, he urged them to "feed them pancakes" and let them go in peace; during the trial he repeatedly reminded of mercy. After that, they began to talk about the fact that Kuraev fell out of favor. His presence in the media has declined significantly, but the LiveJournal blog remains the clergyman's most popular blog.

Temple rector Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhly. He is considered one of the leaders of church liberals (despite the 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 "Silent Church" about the priority of the moral principle in the relationship of the church with the people and the state, predicting the problems that the church faced in the following years. This article was followed by a discussion about the place of the intelligentsia in the church. The main opponent of Father Alexy was Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, who claims that the intelligentsia are the Evangelical Pharisees.

As already mentioned, the cornerstone of the canonical structure of the Orthodox Church is the monarchical episcopate, acting at the level of the "local Church", i.e. that church unit, which in modern language is called a "diocese" (headed by one bishop, the Church of one region, country, territory). In modern Orthodox word usage, the concept of "Local Church" is assigned to larger church formations - groups of dioceses united in Patriarchates, metropolises or archdioceses. At this level, the principle of monarchical episcopacy gives way to collegial forms of government. In practice, this means that the primate of the Local Church is the “first among equals”, the first among the bishops of his Church: he does not interfere in the internal affairs of the dioceses and does not have direct jurisdiction over them, although he is assigned coordinating functions in matters that go beyond the competence separate diocesan bishop.

The rights and duties of the primate in different Local Churches are defined differently, but in no Local Church does the primate have supreme authority: everywhere and everywhere the Sobor has supreme authority. Thus, for example, in the Russian Orthodox Church, the highest dogmatic authority is assigned to the Local Council, in which, in addition to the bishops, clergy, monks and laity participate, and the highest form of hierarchical government is the Council of Bishops. As for the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, he governs the Church jointly with the Holy Synod during the breaks between Councils, and his name is raised in all dioceses before the name of the ruling bishop. In the Greek Orthodox Church there is no Local Council with the participation of the laity; the supreme power belongs to the Synod of Bishops, whose chairman is the archbishop of Athens and all Hellas; in churches, however, the synod is commemorated during divine services, not the archbishop.

Currently there are fifteen Local Orthodox Churches, each of which has its own primate in the rank of patriarch, metropolitan or archbishop:

Name of ierkvi	Official number of believers	Canonical territory
Patriarchate of Constantinople	7 OOO OOO	Turkey, Thrace, Aegean, diaspora
Alexandrian Patriarchate	1 OOO OOO	Egypt and all Africa
Antiochian Patriarchate	1 5OO OOO	Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, diaspora
Jerusalem Patriarchate	156 OOO	Palestine, Israel, Jordan
Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)	160 OOO OOO	Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Baltic countries, Central Asian countries, diaspora
Georgian Orthodox Church	3 OOO OOO	Georgia
Serbian Orthodox Church	8 OOO OOO	Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia
Romanian Orthodox Church	20 OOO OOO	Romania, diaspora
Bulgarian Orthodox Church	8 OOO OOO	Bulgaria, diaspora
Cypriot Orthodox Church	5OO OOO	Cyprus
Greek Orthodox Church	1O OOO OOO	Greece
Polish Orthodox Church	1 OOO OOO	Poland
Albanian Orthodox Church	7ОО OOO	Albania
Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia	74 OOO	Czech Republic, Slovakia
Orthodox Church in America	1 OOO OOO	USA, Canada, Mexico

The combined membership of these Churches is approximately 227 million. The majority of believers in twelve European countries belong to the Orthodox tradition: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Cyprus, Macedonia and Georgia. In many other countries of Europe - in particular, in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Albania - the Orthodox are a significant minority. The largest number Orthodox believers live in Eastern Europe. Of the Western European countries, two are Orthodox - Greece and Cyprus.

The primates of the Local Orthodox Churches bear the titles of "His Holiness" (in the case of the Constantinople, Moscow, Serbian and Bulgarian Patriarchs), "Most Holy and Beatitude" (in the case of the Georgian Patriarch), or "His Beatitude" (in other cases). The full title of the primates of some ancient Churches bears traces of the former greatness of these Churches, but does not always correspond to modern realities. So, for example, the full title of the Patriarch of Constantinople is “Archbishop of Constantinople, the new Rome, and the Ecumenical Patriarch”, and Alexandria is “Pope and Patriarch of the great city of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, all Egypt and all Africa, father of fathers, shepherd of shepherds, bishop of bishops, thirteenth apostle and judge of the whole universe.

In addition to the autocephalous ones, there are several autonomous Churches that are independent in administration, but retain spiritual and jurisdictional ties with the older and larger autocephalous Churches. The Autonomous Orthodox Church of Finland is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Autonomous Church of Sinai is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the Orthodox Church of Japan is under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. Several other Churches within the Moscow Patriarchate have broad autonomy rights (which will be discussed in more detail below, in the section on the Russian Orthodox Church).

The canonical dependence of the autonomous Church on its Mother Church is expressed primarily in the fact that the election of its primate, carried out by its own Council (Synod), is approved by the primate and the Synod of the Mother Church. In addition, the autonomous Church receives holy chrism from the primate of the autocephalous Church. In all other respects, in its life and activities, the autonomous Church is independent, guided by its Charter and governed by its own bodies of supreme church authority.

There is an opinion according to which the Orthodox Church is structurally a kind of Eastern analogue Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Patriarch of Constantinople is perceived as an analogue of the Pope of Rome, or as an "Eastern Pope". Meanwhile, the Orthodox Church has never had a single primate: it has always consisted of autocephalous Local Churches in prayer-canonical communion, but devoid of any administrative dependence on one another. “First among equals” among the primates of the Local Orthodox Churches is recognized as the Patriarch of Constantinople, who since Byzantine times bears the title of “Ecumenical”, however, neither this title nor the primacy of honor gives the Patriarch of Constantinople any jurisdictional rights outside the boundaries of his own Patriarchate.

The absence of a single administrative center in the Orthodox Church is due to both historical and theological reasons. Historically, this is due to the fact that none of the primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, either in the Byzantine or post-Byzantine era, had the same rights as the Pope of Rome had in the West. Theologically, the absence of a single primate is explained by the principle of catholicity, which operates in the Orthodox Church at all levels. This principle presupposes, in particular, that each bishop does not govern the diocese independently, but in agreement with the clergy and laity. In accordance with the same principle, the primate of the Local Church, being, as a rule, the chairman of the Synod of Bishops, governs the Church not alone, but in cooperation with the Synod.

This governance structure - at the level of the Universal Church - gives rise to a number of inconveniences, one of which is the absence of the supreme arbiter in cases where there is a disagreement or conflict on church-political issues between two or more Local Churches. The Patriarchate of Constantinople, perhaps, could become such an instance, if other Local Churches agreed to entrust such functions to it. but largest number Intra-Orthodox conflicts are currently connected precisely with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which, by virtue of this alone, cannot play the role of supreme arbiter. In the absence of a mechanism that would ensure the settlement of disagreements between two or more Orthodox Churches, in each specific case the issue is resolved differently: sometimes an inter-Orthodox conference is convened, the decisions of which, however, are only advisory in nature and do not have binding force for one or another Local Churches; in other cases, two Churches in conflict seek a solution through bilateral negotiations or involve a third Church as an intermediary.

So, in the Orthodox Church on a world scale there is no external mechanism for ensuring catholicity, there is no external authority - whether in the person of one person or in the form of a collegiate body - that would guarantee the unity of the Church in ecclesiastical political issues. This, however, does not mean that catholicity in the Orthodox Church exists only in theory and not in practice. In practice, catholicity at the inter-Orthodox level is expressed, firstly, in the fact that all Local Orthodox Churches have Eucharistic communion with each other. Secondly, the Orthodox Churches take care to preserve the unity of doctrine, for which, if necessary, inter-Orthodox meetings are convened. Thirdly, the primates or official representatives of the Churches from time to time meet with each other to discuss important issues or exchange messages. Thus, even in the absence of a Pan-Orthodox Council, the Orthodox Church on a worldwide scale retains its unity, its conciliar, catholic character.

Every denomination in the world has a leader, for example, the head of the Orthodox Church is Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

But besides it, the church has another leadership structure.

Who is the head of the Russian Orthodox Church

Patriarch Kirill is the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill

He leads the church life of the country, as well as the Patriarch - the head of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and several other monasteries.

What is the hierarchy of the ROC among the clergy

In fact, the church has a rather complex structure and hierarchy. Each priest fulfills his role and takes his assigned place in this system.

The scheme of the Orthodox Church has three levels, which were created at the very beginning of the birth of the Christian religion. All servants are divided into the following categories:

1. Deacons.
2. Priests.
3. Bishops.

In addition, they are divided into "black" and "white" clergy. The "black" refers to the monks, and to the "white" lay clergy.

Structure of the ROC - scheme and description

Due to some complexity of the church structure, it is worth considering in more detail, for a deep understanding of the algorithms of the work of priests.

Ranks of bishops

These include:

1. Patriarch: the main title of the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church for life, at the moment in Russia it is Kirill.
2. Vicar: right hand bishop, his deputy, but he does not have his own diocese and cannot govern the diocese of a bishop.
3. Metropolitan: a vicegerent in charge of metropolises, including those outside the Russian Federation.
4. Archbishop: The title of senior bishop is considered an honorary title.
5. Bishop: The third level of priesthood in the Orthodox hierarchy, often holds the title of bishop, governs a diocese and is appointed by the Holy Synod.

Ranks of priests

Priests are divided into "black" and "white".

Consider the "black" clergy:

1. Hieromonk: a monk-clergyman, it is customary to address him with the words: “Your Reverend”.
2. Hegumen: head (abbot) of the monastery. Until 2011 in Russia, this title was honorary and did not necessarily correspond to the post of head of any monastery.
3. Archimandrite: the highest title for a clergyman who has taken monastic vows. Often he is the rector of large monastic cloisters.

The "white" ranks include:

1. Protopresbyter: the highest rank of the Russian Orthodox Church in its "white" part. It is given as a reward for special service in some cases and only at the request of the Holy Synod.
2. Archpriest: senior priest, the wording may also be used: senior priest. Most often, the archpriest leads a church. You can get such a position not earlier than five years of faithful service after receiving a pectoral cross and not earlier than ten years after ordination.
3. Priest: junior clergy rank. The priest may be married. It is customary to address such a person like this: “Father” or “Father, ...”, where after the father comes the name of the priest.

Ranks of deacons

This is followed by the step of deacons, they are also divided into "black" and "white" clergy.

List of "Black" clergy:

1. Archdeacon: senior rank among deacons in a monastic community. It is given for special merits and length of service.
2. Hierodeacon: priest-monk of any monastery. You can become a hierodeacon after the sacrament of consecration and tonsure as a monk.

"White":

1. Protodeacon: the main diocesan deacon, it is customary to address him, like the archdeacon, with the words: “Your high gospel.”
2. Deacon: a priest who stands at the very beginning of the hierarchy of the ROC. These are assistants for the rest, higher ranks of the clergy.

Conclusion

The ROC has at the same time a complex but logical organization. The main rule should be understood: its structure is such that it is impossible to get from the “white” clergy to the “black” one without monastic vows, and it is also impossible to occupy many high positions in the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church without being a monk.

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 Patriarch of Constantinople Nicholas II Chrysoverg to the Metropolis of the Patriarchate of Constantinople created in Kyiv, the creation of which was recognized and supported by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich of Kyiv.

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.

Supreme 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
• Kyiv 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 of St. Sergius of Radonezh