25 July 2018 in the hall of the Supreme Church Council of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill led a regular session of the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, reports patriarhiei.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the participants with opening remarks, in which he spoke about the celebration 1030-anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.
Patriarch Kirill also reported on the changes in the composition of the Supreme Church Council: “Vladyka Seraphim Lyubertsy, who headed the Synodal Department for youth Affairs appointed by the rector of St. Petersburg theological schools, and acting head of the Synodal Department appointed Archpriest Kirill Sladkov, which positions becomes a member of the Supreme Church Council. We welcome You!”
His Holiness also welcomed another new member of the Supreme Church Council, Chairman of the Educational Committee of Russian Orthodox Church Archpriest Maxim Kozlov.
“We hope so, father Maxim, You with their knowledge and competence, their experience will continue to work in the Educational Committee as successfully as You carried out the activity as a Deputy. Studying the documents, prepared by You for this meeting, I noted their very high level. We will discuss them today. I hope that the gradual reform of the entire educational process in theological schools of the Moscow Patriarchate will be a great success and we will have a qualitatively different level of training of our students. God Helps You!” — said his Holiness Patriarch Kirill.
Then his Holiness Patriarch Kirill in recognition of your zealous archpastoral work and in connection with the 65th anniversary of the birth presented Bishop North sea and Obskogo Mitrophan, Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for physical culture and sports, the order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, III degree.
Patriarch Kirill also congratulated Archpriest Maxim Kozlov on his 55th birthday and presented him with a cross, made in memory of the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church and the election of St. Tikhon to the Patriarchal throne. “May the Lord strengthen You on a very important journey of service,” said his Holiness, presenting the award.
The agenda of the meeting of the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church includes the following questions:
- On the execution of decisions of the Supreme Church Council of Russian Orthodox Church and the Synod of bishops (responsible person, according to the execution plan of the Synodal institutions the decrees of the Council of bishops of 2017, as well as other decisions of the organs of higher Church authority received in the period before the Council of bishops);
- On the introduction of a single Church document sample religious educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church (speaker — Chairman of the Educational Committee of Russian Orthodox Church Archpriest Maxim Kozlov).
The Supreme Church Council chaired by his Holiness Patriarch included:
- operating Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Varsonofy;
- the Chairman of the Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk;
- the Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk;
- the first vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia for Moscow Metropolitan Arseny of Istra;
- Chairman of the Synodal missionary Department of the Metropolitan of Belgorod and Stary Oskol John;
- Chairman of the Synodal Department for religious education and catechism of Metropolitan Merkury of Rostov and Novocherkassk;
- the Chairman of the Financial-economic Department of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan of Ryazan and Michael mark;
- the Chairman of the Synodal Committee for cooperation with the Cossacks, Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk;
- the Chairman of the Patriarchal Council for culture of Pskov and Porkhov, Metropolitan Tikhon;
- Chairman of the Synodal Department for monasteries and monkhood Archbishop Feognost, of Sergiev Posad;
- the head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archbishop Sergius of Solnechnogorsk;
- the head of the Moscow Patriarchate office for institutions abroad, Archbishop of Vienna and Budapest Anthony;
- the Chairman of the Synodal Department for prison service Bishop Irinarkh of Krasnogorsk;
- Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church charity and social service of the Bishop of Orekhovo-Zuevo Panteleimon;
- the Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for physical culture and sports of the Bishop of the North sea and Umbsky Mitrofan;
- the Chairman of the education Committee of the Holy Synod, Archpriest Maxim Kozlov;
- Chairman of the Synodal Department on interaction with Armed forces and law enforcement agencies Archpriest Sergey Privalov;
- Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission on family and maternity protection Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov;
- acting Chairman of the Synodal Department for youth Affairs of the Archpriest Kirill Sladkov;
- the Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church and society and the media V. Legoida.
To participate in the meeting were invited to the Metropolitan of Tver and Kashin Savva, the first Deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop Balashikha Nikolay, Director and chief editor of the Publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), Deputy Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Leonid Kalinin, Chairman of the Expert Council on Church art, architecture and restoration; priest Alexander Volkov, the head of the Press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia; A.V. Shchipkov, first Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church and society and the media; D. V. Makarov, specialist in the science education Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church; R. A. Silantyev, consultant of the Synodal Department for Church and society and the media.