His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presides over session of the Supreme Church Council

DECR Communication Service, 17.02.2026.

On February 17, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ presided over the regular session of the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church held in the Supreme Church Council hall at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church opened the session and delivered welcoming remarks, the Patriarchal Press Service reports.

The Supreme Church Council, chaired by His Holiness the Patriarch, consists of the following members:

· Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administration for the Affairs of Dioceses in the Near Abroad;

· Metropolitan Grigory of Voskresensk, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate;

· Metropolitan Anthony 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;

· Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk, chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church;

· Metropolitan Feognost of Kashira, chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism;

· Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomysk, chairman of the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks and chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies;

· Metropolitan Mitrofan of Murmansk and Monchegorsk, chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for Physical Culture and Sports;

· Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and the Crimea, chairman of the Patriarchal Council for Culture;

· Metropolitan Yevgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye, chairman of the Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechization;

· Archbishop Foma of Odintsovo and Krasnogorsk, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate;

· Archbishop Savva of Zelenograd, chairman of the Synodal Missionary Department;

· Bishop Seraphim of Istra, chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs;

· Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church;

· Archpriest Mikhail Potokin, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry;

· Priest Kirill Markovsky, chairman of the Synodal Department for Prison Ministry;

· Mr. Vladimir R. Legoyda, chairman of the Synodal Department for Church’s Relations with Society and Media;

· Hegumeness Ksenia (Chernega), head of the Legal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Invited to the session were Bishop Nikolai of Balashikha and Orekhovo‑Zuyevo, head and editor-in-chief of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Publishing House; Archpriest Igor Vyzhanov, DECR deputy chairman; Priest Sergy Fufayev, deputy chairman of the Synodal Missionary Department for Apologetic Mission; Mr. Alexander V. Shchipkov, first deputy chairman of the Synodal Department for Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media; Mr. Roman A. Silantyev, head of the Laboratory of Destructology at Moscow State Linguistic University, deputy chairman of the Expert Council for State Religious Expertise under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation and head of the Human Rights Centre of the World Russian People’s Council.

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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presides over session of the Supreme Church Council

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Patriarch

Department Chairman

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