Patriarch Kirill presides over regular meeting of the Supreme Church Council

DECR Communication service, 17.09.2026.

On the 17th of September 2026, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ presided over the regular meeting of the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, held in the Supreme Church Council Hall of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.

According to the Patriarchal Press Service, the agenda included the following topics:

• “Artificial Intelligence: Reality, Risks, Opportunities”: opening remarks by Bishop Silouan of Peterhof, Chairman of the Synodal Bioethics Commission; presentation by Archpriest Alexander Abramov, Secretary of the Synodal Bioethics Commission; invited expert A. I. Avetisyan, Director of the Institute for System Programming and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences;

• “The Patriarchal Bible Study Programme”: presentation by Metropolitan Eugene of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechism.

Opening the meeting, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church welcomed its participants and noted that one of the key items on the agenda was the topic of artificial intelligence: “I welcome the Most Reverend hierarchs, fathers, brothers and all participants of today’s meeting of the Supreme Church Council! We have some rather complex issues on our agenda today… One of the topics to be considered today is of tremendous importance, not only for the present, but for the future of the human race as a whole.”

His Holiness also noted that although AI is primarily a subject addressed by members of the scientific community, it cannot fail to concern anyone who cares about their own life, the fate of their loved ones and the well-being of society.

The Supreme Church Council, chaired by His Holiness the Patriarch, comprises:

• Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Head of the Moscow Patriarchate Administration for the Affairs of Dioceses in the Near Abroad;

• Metropolitan Gregory of Voskresensk, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate;

• Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate;

• Metropolitan Nikandr of Vladimir and Suzdal, Chairman of the Financial and Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate;

• Metropolitan Clement of Kaluga and Borovsk, Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church;

• Metropolitan Theognost of Kashira, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism;

• Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, 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 Mitrophan of Murmansk and Monchegorsk, Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for Physical Culture and Sports;

• Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea, Chairman of the Patriarchal Council for Culture;

• Metropolitan Eugene of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechism;

• Archbishop Thomas of Odintsovo and Krasnogorsk, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate;

• Archbishop Savva of Zelenograd, Chairman of the Synodal Missionary Department;

• 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;

• Hieromonk Philaret (Zubov), Acting Chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs;

• V. R. Legoyda, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media;

• Hegumenia Xenia (Chernega), Head of the Legal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The following were invited to participate in the meeting: Bishop Nicholas of Balashikha and Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Head and Editor-in-Chief of the Moscow Patriarchate Publishing House; Bishop Silouan of Peterhof, Chairman of the Synodal Bioethics Commission; Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Alexander Abramov, Secretary of the Synodal Bioethics Commission; A. I. Avetisyan, Director of the Institute for System Programming and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences; A. V. Shchipkov, First Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media; and V. V. Kipshidze, Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media.

Photos: Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’