His Holiness Patriarch Kirill chairs fourth session of the Inter-Council Presence’s Presidium

On 26 December 2011, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia chaired the fourth session of the Presidium of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church. The session is taking place at the Refectory Chambers of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church presented the agenda and announced the results of the Inter-Council Presence’s activities in 2011, the Patriarch’s press office reports.

His Holiness said that the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church held in February 2011 approved seven documents submitted by the Inter-Council Presence’s commissions which prepared sixteen new drafts in the period from March to December. A part was elaborated by the Drafting Committee and a church-wide discussion was held. Some were approved by the Holy Synod, some others will be considered by the Holy Synod at its session on December 27-28, 2011.

The Primate of the Russian Church placed special emphasis on the documents regulating the missionary, youth and catechetical work, and on a draft on social work approved by the Bishops’ Council. “In addition to the documents elaborated by the Inter-Council Presence, the relevant Synodal departments worked out additional drafts, for instance, standard rules. One can say that we have now a theoretical basis for system development of the four mentioned directions of church ministry,” His Holiness underscored.

He noted that the Holy Synod will consider a draft of the “Regulations for Church Approval of the Orthodox Public Associations’ Activities”. Another document prepared by the Inter-Council Presence, “On Coordination of the Work for Consolidation of Church Unity and for Prevention of Schisms,” has been handled by the Drafting Committee and will be submitted to the Supreme Church Council.

The Inter-Council Presence has made a weighty contribution to the process of reforming the diocesan life: it prepared the Regulations for Metropolias later approved by the Holy Synod and is elaborating, on the instructions from the Holy Synod, the principles of establishing vicariates.

His Holiness said, “The Orthodox mass media should give a regular and full coverage to the activities of the Inter-Council Presence in order to avoid wrong interpretation of draft documents as was the case with two or three documents. Also important is a wide public discussion of the published documents; we give the public this opportunity through the Internet.”

The Presidium is to consider the agenda of the Inter-Council Presence’s plenary sessions due to be held in mid-March 2012; drafts of the “Procedure and Criteria of the Election of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia” and of “The Local and Bishops’ Councils in the System of Church Government.”

Proposals on the position of the Russian Orthodox Church on juvenile justice are to be made at the session and other matters are to be discussed.

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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill chairs fourth session of the Inter-Council Presence’s Presidium

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons