« His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh took part in a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church »
31-08-2019 
On August 30, 2019, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia headed the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, which became the 60th since the beginning of the Most Holy Ministry of the Holy Vladyka. The meeting of the Holy Synod was attended by His Grace Bishop of Matthew of Sourozh, temporary Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA and Canada.
The Holy Synod gathered in the conference hall at the Patriarchal and Synodal residences in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow. V.R. Legoyda, Chairman of the Department for Relations of the Church with the society and the mass media explained the key decisions taken at the meeting.
According to a representative of the Church, the meeting of the Holy Synod opened with a report by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, who spoke about his visits to the dioceses located in Russia.
The most important item on the agenda of the meeting was the personnel reshuffle, which affected primarily the bishops at a number of cathedras of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Holy Synod decided to satisfy the request of Metropolitan Anastasiy of Simbirsk and Novospassk for his retirement on the occasion of his 75th birthday and to appoint Metropolitan Joseph of Kurgan and Belozersk as Head of the Simbirsk Metropolia. In turn, it was decided that Metropolitan Daniil of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogorsky becomes Metropolitan of Kurgan and Belozersky, while Archangelsk Metropolia will be headed by Bishop Cornilius of Volgodonsk and Salsk. The interim administration of the Volgodonsk Diocese was entrusted to the Metropolitan Mercury of Rostov and Novocherkassk, Head of the Don Metropolia.
Archbishop Theodosius of Polotsk and Glubokoye, having reached his 75thbirthday, has retired. He was heartfully thanked for his many years of archpastoral feeding the Diocese. His Grace Bishop Ignatius of Borovliany, Vicar of the Minsk Diocese, was appointed to become Bishop of Polotsk and Glubokoye.
Hegumen Leonty (Kozlov), deputy abbot of Ganina Yama monastery in the name of the holy Royal Martyrs, the city of Yekaterinburg, was elected to the vacant cathedra of the Syzran Diocese (Samara Metropolia) with the release from his abbot post.
As noted by V.R. Legoyda, a number of bishops were also appointed to the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad. Thus, Metropolitan Pavel of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut, in addition to his current obedience, was entrusted with the administration of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese of the Patriarchal Exarchate of South-East Asia with the title within the said Diocese “of Manila and Hanoi”.
Metropolitan John of Vienna and Budapest was released from the administration of the Budapest-Hungarian Diocese, continuing the administration of the Vienna-Austrian Diocese with the title “of Vienna and Austria”.
“Administration of the Budapest-Hungarian Diocese with the title within the said Diocese “of Budapest and Hungaria”was entrusted to Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsk, that is in in addition to his current obedience,” added V.R. Legoyda.
“In addition, Archimandrite Porfiry (Shutov), Abbot of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky stavropegial Monastery, was elected Vicar Bishop of Odintsovo,” he said.
“Based on the report by the Metropolitan Theophane of Kazan and Tatarstan on the need to have a vicar bishop, it was decided to appoint Bishop Innokenty of Magnitogorsk and Verkhneuralsk as Bishop of Elabuga, Vicar of the Kazan Diocese, freeing him from the administration of the Magnitogorsk Diocese, which was temporarily entrusted to Metropolitan Gregory of Chelyabinsk and Miass”, said the Church representative.
According to V.R. Legoyda, on the basis of the report by Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, a vicar bishop was also appointed to the Gomel Diocese. It was decided to elect Archimandrite Amvrosiy (Shevtsov), Abbot of the Nikolsky Monastery in the city of Gomel, Vicar Bishop of the Gomel diocese with the title “of Svetlogorsk”.
“Changes have also occurred in the composition of the Supreme Church Council”, - V.R. Legoyda said. - Metropolitan Arseniy of Lipetsk and Zadonsk, and Metropolitan Sergius of Singapore and South-East Asia, Patriarchal Exarch of the South-East Asia, were released, with the expression of gratitude, from membership in the Supreme Church Council. Bishop Dionisy of Voskresensk, First Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in the City of Moscow, and Bishop Thomas of Pavlovo-Posadsk, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate, became new members of the Council”.
Personnel changes have also occurred in some Synodal institutions.
"Members of the Holy Synod heard a report by Metropolitan Mercury of Rostov and Novocherkassk, Chairman of the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechism, on the dismissal of the Deputy Chairman of this department, Hegumen Mitrofan (Shkurin) for health reasons, and decided to release him from his position with an expression of gratitude for the work done," - said a representative of the Church.
As noted by V.R. Legoyda, changes have also affected the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs. “After listening to the report by Bishop Seraphim of Istra, Chairman of the Synodal Youth Department, on appointing a deputy to him, the Holy Synod decided to appoint to this position priest Alexy Solovyov, a Moscow cleric, an employee of the department,” he added.
The Holy Synod also had a judgment on the appointment of rectors of theological schools.
It was decided to relieve Archbishop Amvrosiy of Vereya, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Vicar of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, from his position with expression of gratitude for his work and to appoint him Rector of the Sretensky Theological Seminary. At the same time, it was decided to appoint him Abbot of the Sretensky stavropegial monastery.
Bishop Pitirim of Dushanbe and Tajikistan was appointed Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy. He was released from administering Dushanbe Diocese and appointed to be Bishop of Zvenigorod, Vicar of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. It was decided to entrust the administration of the Dushanbe Diocese, in addition to his current obedience, to Bishop Pavel of Yeisk and Timashevsk, with the title "of Dushanbe and Tajikistan" within the said diocese.
According to V.R. Legoyda, an important topic in the framework of this meeting was the discussion of issues related to the external church relations of the Russian Orthodox Church.
“Members of the Holy Synod heard a report by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, on the resumption of a theological discussions between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, as well as on the changes in the composition of the working group for cooperation between them,” said V.R. Legoyda.
“The former co-chairman of the working group, Bishop Serafim of Istra, was relieved of his duties in connection with his appointment as Chairman of the Synodal Youth Affairs Department, and Bishop Siluan of Petergof, Rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, was appointed in his place,” said V.R. Legoyda.
“Also, according to the current procedure, the Holy Synod has approved Journals of the Synod of the Belarusian Exarchate and the Central Asian Metropolitan District,” concluded V.R. Legoyda.
Patriarchia.ru / Sourozh.org