Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church

1. The Moscow Patriarchate shall be an institution of the Russian Orthodox Church, uniting the structures, which are supervised directly by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

The Moscow Patriarchate shall be governed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

2. The Synodal institution shall be an institution of the Russian Orthodox Church in charge of general church matters in its competence.

3. The Moscow Patriarchate and the Synodal departments shall be the bodies of executive power of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod.

The Moscow Patriarchate and the Synodal institutions shall have an exceptional right to be plenipotentiary representatives of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod within the framework of their activity and within the limits of their competence.

4. The Synodal institutions shall be established and dissolved by the decision of the Bishops’ Council or the Holy Synod and shall be accountable to them.

The Regulations (Statutes) of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Synodal institutions and amendments to them shall be confirmed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and approved by the Holy Synod.

5. The Synodal institutions shall be headed by the persons appointed by the Holy Synod.

6. The Chancery shall be included in the Moscow Patriarchate as a Synodal institution.

7. The Synodal institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church shall be:

a) The Department for External Church Relations;

b) The Publishing Council;

c) The Education Committee;

d) The Department for Catechization and Religious Education;

e) The Department for Charity and Social Ministry;

f) The Department for Mission;

g) The Department for Relations with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies;

h) The Department for Youth Affairs;

8. Other Synodal institutions can be established in case of necessity.

9. The Synodal institutions shall be the coordinating bodies in relation to the similar institutions acting in the Self-governing Churches, Exarchates and Dioceses, and as such shall be entitled to apply, within the limits of their competence, to the diocesan bishops and the heads of other canonical units, to send them their normative documents and request relevant information.

10. The activity of the Synodal institutions shall be regulated by the Regulations (Statutes) confirmed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and approved by the Holy Synod.