XIV. The Metropolitan Areas

1. The dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church can be united into Metropolitan Areas.

2. The decisions on the establishment or abolishment of Metropolitan areas, as well as on their names and territorial boundaries shall be taken by the Holy Synod with subsequent approval by the Bishops’ Council.

3. The decisions of the Local and Bishops’ Councils and the Holy Synod shall be binding for the Metropolitan areas.

4. The Supreme Ecclesiastical Court and the Court of the Bishops’ Council shall be the ecclesiastical courts of last resort for the Metropolitan area.

5. The supreme church authority in the Metropolitan area shall belong to the Synod of the Metropolitan area chaired by the head of the Metropolitan area. The Synod of the Metropolitan area shall consist of the diocesan and vicar bishops of the dioceses of the Metropolitan area.

6. The Synod of the Metropolitan area shall submit to the Holy Synod for consideration and to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for approval a draft Statute of the Metropolitan area and, in the case of necessary, draft internal regulations on the Metropolitan area, as well as subsequently draft amendments to these documents.

7. The Synod of the Metropolitan area shall submit to the Holy Synod for consideration and to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for approval draft Statutes of the dioceses of the Metropolitan area, parishes, monasteries, theological schools and other canonical units, as well as amendments/alterations to them.

8. The Synod of the Metropolitan area shall act on the basis of the canons, the present Statute, the Statute regulating the governance of the Metropolitan area and/or the internal regulations on the Metropolitan area.

9. The minutes of the Synod of the Metropolitan area shall be submitted to the Holy Synod and approved by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

10. The bishop heading the Metropolitan area shall be elected by the Holy Synod and his appointment shall be decreed by the Patriarch.

11. The bishop heading the Metropolitan area shall be the diocesan bishop of his diocese and shall govern the Metropolitan area on the basis of the canons, the present Statute and the Statute regulating the governance of the Metropolitan area.

12. The name of the bishop heading the Metropolitan area shall be commemorated in all churches of the Metropolitan area after the name of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

13. The diocesan and vicar bishops of the Metropolitan area shall be elected and appointed by the Holy Synod.

14. The decisions on the establishment or abolishment of the dioceses comprising the Metropolitan area and on their territorial boundaries shall be taken by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod with subsequent approval by the Bishops’ Council.

15. The Metropolitan area shall receive the Holy Chrism from the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

16. At present there are the following Metropolitan areas in the Russian Orthodox Church:

• the Metropolitan area in the Republic of Kazakhstan;
• the Metropolitan Area of Central Asia.