VII. The Inter-Council Presence

1. The Inter-Council Presence shall act in the periods between the Local and Bishops’ Councils to prepare the decisions pertaining to the major issues of the internal life and external activities of the Russian Orthodox Church.

2. In fulfilling its tasks the Inter-Council Presence shall carry out preliminary study of the issues considered by the Local Council, prepare the draft decisions on these issues and, at the instruction of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia or the Holy Synod, prepare the decisions of the Bishops’ Council and of the Holy Synod.

3. The members of the Inter-Council Presence shall be elected by the Holy Synod from among the bishops, clergy, monastics and laypeople of the Russian Orthodox Church.

4. The membership of the Inter-Council Presence shall be reviewed every four years on the presentation from the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. In case of necessity the Holy Synod, acting on the presentation from the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, shall make the decision to replace a member of the Inter-Council Presence.

5. The permanent members of the Holy Synod and the members of the Supreme Church Council shall be members of the Inter-Council Presence ex officio. In the event they leave their posts they shall continue to participate in the work of the Inter-Council Presence if the Holy Synod does not decide otherwise.

6. The decision to include an item on the agenda of the Inter-Council Presence shall be made by the Local or Bishops’ Council, the Holy Synod, and the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

7. The Inter-Council Presence shall carry out its work in accordance with the procedure defined by the Regulations on the Inter-Council Presence which shall be approved by the Holy Synod.