VI. The Supreme Church Council

1. The Supreme Church Council shall be an executive body of the Russian Orthodox Church acting under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod. In the period between Patriarchal tenures, the Supreme Church Council shall act under the Locum Tenens and the Holy Synod.

2. The Supreme Church Council shall be subordinate and accountable to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (or the Locum Tenens) and the Holy Synod.

3. The Supreme Church Council shall consider the following matters:

a) the theological education, enlightenment, mission, church social service, informational activities of the canonical units of the Russian Orthodox Church and the church mass media;

b) the Church’s relations with the state and society, the Local Orthodox Churches, non-Orthodox confessions and non-Christian religions;

c) church governance and economic management;

d) other matters submitted to the Supreme Church Council for consideration by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (or the Locum Tenens).

4. In fulfilling its tasks the Supreme Church Council shall:

a) coordinate the work of Synodal and other church-wide institutions;

b) discuss the current issues of church life that require concerted actions by the Synodal and other church-wide institutions;

c) take measures to implement the decisions of the Local and Bishops’ Councils, as well as the resolutions and decisions of the Holy Synod and the decrees and instructions of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (or the Locum Tenens).

5. The Supreme Church Council shall:

a) hear the reports by the heads or representatives of the Synodal and other church-wide institutions on their work;

b) give instructions within its competence to the Synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church and control their implementation;

c) submit proposals for consideration to the Holy Synod or the Inter-Council Presence.

6. The Supreme Church Council shall consist of the Chairman – the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (or the Locum Tenens), the members of the Supreme Church Council ex officio, as well as the members appointed by the Holy Synod in accordance with the procedure established by the Regulations on the Supreme Church Council.

7. The heads of the Synodal institutions listed in Article 6 of Chapter VIII of the present Statute shall be the members of the Supreme Church Council ex officio. In the event they leave their posts they shall cease to be the members of the Supreme Church Council.

8. The Holy Synod, on the presentation from the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, can appoint the members of the Supreme Church Council from among the heads of the Moscow Patriarchate’s units and the Synodal or other church-wide institutions. The Supreme Church Council members appointed by the Holy Synod can be removed from the Supreme Church Council by the decision of the Holy Synod on the presentation from the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (or the Locum Tenens).

9. The rule of procedure for the Supreme Church Council shall be determined by the Regulations on the Supreme Church Council approved by the Holy Synod.