VIII. The Moscow Patriarchate and the Synodal Institutions

1. The Moscow Patriarchate shall be an institution of the Russian Orthodox Church, uniting the structures which are supervised directly by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

The Moscow Patriarchate shall be governed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

2. The Synodal institution shall be an institution of the Russian Orthodox Church in charge of general church matters within its competence.

3. The Moscow Patriarchate and the Synodal institutions shall be the bodies of the executive power of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod.

The Moscow Patriarchate and the Synodal institutions shall have an exceptional right to be plenipotentiary representatives of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod within the scope of their activities and their competence.

4. The Synodal institutions shall be established or abolished by the decision of the Holy Synod and shall be accountable to it.

The Regulations/Statutes of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Synodal institutions and amendments to them shall be confirmed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia with the approval of the Holy Synod.

5. The synodal institutions shall be headed by the persons appointed by the Holy Synod.

6. The synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church shall be:

a) the Chancery acting within the Moscow Patriarchate as a Synodal institution;

b) the Department for External Church Relations;

c) the Publishing Council;

d) the Education Committee;

e) the Finance and Economics Administration;

f) the Department for Monasteries and Monasticism;

g) the Department for Religious Education and Catechization;

h) the Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry;

i) the Department for Mission;

j) the Department for Relations with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies;

k) the Department for Youth Affairs;

l) the Department for Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media;

m) the Department for Ministry in Prison;

n) Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks;

o) the Patriarchal Council for Culture.

7. Other Synodal institutions can be established in case of necessity.

8. The Synodal institutions shall be the coordinating bodies in relation to the similar institutions acting in the Self-governing Churches, Exarchates, Metropolitan areas and dioceses, and as such shall be entitled to apply, within their competence, to the diocesan bishops and the heads of other canonical units, to send them their normative documents and to request relevant information.

9. The activities of the Synodal institutions shall be regulated by the Regulations/Statutes confirmed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia with the approval of the Holy Synod.