XX. The Church Institutions in the far abroad

1. The church institutions in the far abroad (hereinafter called ‘overseas institutions’) shall be dioceses, deaneries, parishes, stavropegic and diocesan monasteries, as well as missions, representations and metochions of the Russian Orthodox Church located outside the CIS and the Baltic countries.

2. The supreme church authority shall exercise its jurisdiction over these institutions in accordance with the procedure established by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod.

3. The overseas institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church shall be guided in their administration and activities by the present Statute and by their own Statutes, which must be approved by the Holy Synod with respect for the existing laws in each country.

4. The overseas institutions shall be established and abolished by the decision of the Holy Synod. The representations and metochions located abroad shall be stavropegic.

5. The overseas institutions shall carry out their ministry in accordance with the aims and tasks of the external activities of the Russian Orthodox Church.

6. The heads and responsible executives of the overseas institutions shall be appointed by the Holy Synod.