Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church
1. The Bishops’ Council shall be the supreme body of the hierarchic governance of the Russian Orthodox Church and shall consist of the diocesan bishops and the vicar bishops who are heads of the Synodal institutions and the Theological Academies or who have canonical jurisdiction over the parishes in their jurisdiction.
Other vicar bishops can take part in the sessions of the Bishops’ Council without the right of a deciding vote.
2. The Bishops’ Council shall be convened by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (or the Locum Tenens) and the Holy Synod no less than once in four years and on the eve of a Local Council, as well as in exceptional cases, which are stipulated, in particular, in section V, 20 of the present Statute.
At the suggestion of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod, or of one third of the diocesan bishops – members of the Council, an extraordinary Bishop’s Council can be convened, no later than after six months after the appropriate decision of the Synod or an application of a group of bishops to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod.
3. The Holy Synod shall be responsible for the preparation of the Bishops’ Council.
4. The responsibilities of the Bishops’ Council shall include:
a) preservation of the purity and steadfastness of the Orthodox doctrine and the norms of Christian morals;
b) adoption of the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church and introduction of alterations and amendments to it;
c) preservation of the dogmatic and canonical unity of the Russian Orthodox Church;
d) solution of the principal theological, canonical, liturgical and pastoral matters pertaining to internal and external activities of the Church;
e) canonization of the saints and approval of the liturgical offices and rites;
f) competent interpretation of the holy canons and other church regulations;
g) expression of pastoral cares for the problems of modern times;
h) determination of the nature of relations with the state bodies;
i) maintenance of relations with the Local Orthodox Churches;
j) establishment, reorganization and dissolution of the Self-governing Churches; Exarchates and dioceses, and determination of their boundaries and names;
k) establishment, reorganization and dissolution of the Synodal institutions;
l) approval of the order of ownership, use and disposal of the property of the Russian Orthodox Church;
m) submission of proposals on the agenda, programme, rules of procedure of the sessions and structure of the Local Council on its eve, as well as the proposals on the procedure of the election of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, if the election is expected;
n) supervision of the implementation of the decisions of the Local Council;
o) judgement on the activities of the Holy Synod and the Synodal institutions;
p) approval and annulment of the legislative acts of the Holy Synod and introduction of alterations into them;
q) establishment and dissolution of the bodies of the church governance;
r) establishment of the procedure for all church courts;
s) consideration of financial reports presented by the Holy Synod and approval of the principles of planning the upcoming general church income and expenditures;
t) approval of the new general church awards.
5. The Bishops’ Council shall be the ecclesiastical court of final appeal. As such it shall consider and make decisions on:
- in the first and last instances on the dogmatic and canonical deviations in the activities of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia;
- in the last instance:
a) on disagreements between two or more bishops;
b) on canonical misdemeanour and dogmatic deviations of the bishops;
c) on all matters referred to it by General church court for taking the final decision.
6. The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia or the Locum Tenens shall be Chairman of the Bishops’ Council.
7. The Holy Synod shall be the Presidium of the Bishops’ Council. The Presidium shall be responsible for the holding and guidance of the Council. The Presidium shall propose the agenda, programme and the rules of procedure of the Bishops’ Council, submit proposals on the order in which the Council shall consider the emerging problems and the matters of procedure and protocol.
8. The Secretary of the Bishops’ Council shall be elected from among the members of the Holy Synod. The Secretary shall be responsible for providing the Council with necessary working materials and for keeping the minutes. The minutes shall be signed by the Chairman of the Council and the members of the Holy Synod.
9. The opening of the Council and its daily sessions shall be preceded by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy or any other appropriate divine service according to the rubrics.
10. The sessions of the Council shall be chaired by the Chairman or, on his proposal, by a member of the Holy Synod.
11. Theologians, experts, observers and guests can be invited to certain sessions of the Council without the right of the deciding vote. The extent of their participation in the proceedings of the Council shall be determined by the rules of procedure.
12. The decisions of the Council shall be taken by simple majority in open or secret vote, except the cases specially stipulated by the rules of procedure adopted by the Council. In the event of a tie in open vote, the Chairman shall cast the deciding vote. In the event of a tie in secret vote, the vote shall be held again.
13. None of the member bishops of the Bishops’ Council can refuse to participate in its sessions, except when they are ill or on any other serious reason, which the Council shall consider valid.
14. The quorum of the Bishops’ Council shall be 2/3 of its member bishops.
15. The decisions of the Bishops’ Council shall take effect immediately after their adoption.
