Department for External Church Relations
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Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church to consider changes to the status of the Diocese of Vilnius and Lithuania
DECR Communication Service, 16.03.2023
On 16th March 2023, participants in a regular session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church heard a report from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia about the work of the Commission on the Status of the Diocese of Vilnius and Lithuania (Minutes No. 3).
The Commission chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was established by the Holy Synod at its session on 27th May 2022 (Minutes No. 36), following a report from His Eminence Metropolitan Innokenty of Vilnius and Lithuania. The Commission is to submit results of its work to the Holy Synod for consideration.
Interim reports on the Commission’s work were considered by the Holy Synod at its meeting on 25th August 2022 (Minutes No. 75). The Commission was to continue its activities while taking into account proposals put forward by the Patriarch and the Synod members.
According to the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, decisions pertaining to the granting of autocephaly, autonomy or self-governance to parts of the Russian Orthodox Church come within the competence of the Local Council (Chapter II, Article 1; Chapter II, Article 5-b). It is a responsibility of the Bishops’ Council to prepare the Local Council (Chapter II, Article 4) and to submit proposals on its agenda (Chapter III, Article 5-m).
The Holy Synod resolved that the appeal of Metropolitan Innokenty of Vilnius and Lithuania and the Commission’s conclusions should be considered at a meeting of the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.
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