His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presides over final 2025 session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church

DECR Communication Service, December 26, 2025.

On December 26, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ presided over the final session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in the outgoing year 2025.

Opening the session, which took place at the Patriarchal and Synodal Residence in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the participants with a brief greeting. After that, the Holy Synod began its work according to the agenda, the Patriarchal Press Service reports.

Taking part in the session were the following permanent members of the Holy Synod:

Metropolitan Vladimir of Chișinău and All Moldova; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, head of the Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Vikentiy of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District; Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Patriarchal vicar of the Moscow Metropolis; Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Metropolitan Grigory of Voskresensk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Nikandr of Vladimir and Suzdal, chairman of the Finance and Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate;

and temporary members of the Holy Synod: Metropolitan Leonty of Voronezh and Liski; Bishop Luka of Birobidzhan and Kuldur; Bishop Mefody of Almetyevsk and Bugulma; Bishop Filaret of Skadovsk and Aleshki; and Bishop Ignaty of Yeniseysk and Lesosibirsk.

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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presides over final 2025 session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church

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