XII. The Self-governing Churches
1. The Self-governing Churches, which are parts of the Moscow Patriarchate, shall exercise their activities on the basis and within the limits determined by the Patriarchal Tomos issued in accordance with the decisions of the Local or Bishops’ Council.
2. The decision on the establishment or abolishment of the Self-governing Church and on its territorial boundaries shall be taken by the Bishops’ Council.
3. The Council and the Synod headed by the Primate of the Self-governing Church in the rank of metropolitan or archbishop shall be the bodies of the church authority and governance of the Self-governing Church.
4. The Primate of the Self-governing Church shall be elected by the Council from among the candidates approved by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod.
5. The Primate shall take office after the approval by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
6. The Primate shall be the diocesan bishop of his diocese and shall head the Self-governing Church on the basis of the canons, the present Statute and the Statute of the Self-governing Church.
7. The name of the Primate shall be commemorated in all churches of the Self-governing Church after the name of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
8. The decisions on the establishment or abolishment of the dioceses making up the Self-governing Church and on their territorial boundaries shall be taken by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod upon the presentation from the Synod of the Self-governing Church with the subsequent approval by the Bishops’ Council.
9. The bishops of the Self-governing Church shall be elected by the Synod from among the candidates approved by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod.
10. The Bishops of the Self-governing Church shall be members of the Local and Bishops’ Councils and shall take part in their proceedings in accordance with Sections II and III of the present Statute, as well as in the sessions of the Holy Synod.
11. The decisions of the Local and Bishops’ Councils and the Holy Synod shall be binding for the Self-governing Churches.
12. The Supreme Ecclesiastical Court and the Court of the Bishops’ Council shall be the ecclesiastical courts of last resort for the Self-governing Church.
13. The Council of the Self-governing Church shall adopt the Statute regulating the governance of this Church on the basis of the Patriarchal Tomos and within the limits provided by it. The Statute shall be subject to approval by the Holy Synod and to confirmation by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
14. The Council and the Synod of the Self-governing Church shall act within the limits determined by the Patriarchal Tomos, the present Statute and the Statute regulating the governance of the Self-governing Church.
15. The Self-governing Church shall receive the Holy Chrism from the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
16. The Self-governing Churches shall be:
- The Latvian Orthodox Church;
- The Orthodox Church of Moldova;
- The Estonian Orthodox Church.
17. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia with all its historically established dioceses, parishes and other church institutions shall be a self-governing part of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The norms of the present Statute shall be applied in it with consideration for the Act of Canonical Communion of the 17th of May 2007, as well as for the Regulations on the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia with the amendments and alterations made by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Outside of Russia on the 13th of May 2008.