Supreme Church Council

Supreme Church Council
Name	Supreme Church Council
Formation	1917
Type	Synodical governing body
Headquarters	Danilov Monastery, Moscow
Language	Church Slavonic, Russian
Parent organization	Moscow Patriarchate

Supreme Church Council. The Supreme Church Council is a permanent executive body within the administrative structure of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was established by the All-Russian Church Council of 1917–1918 alongside the Holy Synod to manage the church's administrative, economic, and educational affairs. The council operates under the presidency of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' and plays a crucial role in implementing decisions made by the Bishops' Council and the Local Council.

History

The Supreme Church Council was conceived during the pivotal All-Russian Church Council of 1917–1918, which also restored the Patriarchate under Patriarch Tikhon. This reform aimed to create a balanced system of church administration following the February Revolution and the fall of the Russian Empire. During the Soviet period, the council's activities were severely restricted, and it was effectively dormant after the Great Purge and throughout much of the tenure of Patriarch Sergius I. The body was officially revived in 2011 by a decision of the Bishops' Council held at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, as part of broader reforms initiated by Patriarch Kirill to streamline the Moscow Patriarchate's central governance.

Structure and organization

The Supreme Church Council is structured into several key departments that oversee specific areas of church life. These include the Financial and Economic Management Department, the Department for Church-Society Relations, and the Education Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church. It coordinates closely with other Synodal departments such as the Department for External Church Relations and the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. The council's administrative work is supported by the Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate and is based at the patriarchal residence in Danilov Monastery.

Functions and responsibilities

The council's primary functions involve preparing comprehensive reports on church life for presentation to the Holy Synod and the Bishops' Council. It reviews and approves budgets for all central church institutions, including theological academies like the Moscow Theological Academy and major monasteries such as the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. Furthermore, it oversees the implementation of decisions concerning ecclesiastical education, social service projects like those run by the Synodal Department for Charity, and the church's mass media operations, including the Patriarchal Press Service.

Membership and leadership

Membership of the Supreme Church Council includes the heads of major Synodal departments and key institutions within the Russian Orthodox Church. Permanent members typically include the Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna, the Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the chairmen of the Department for External Church Relations and the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. The council is chaired by the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus', and its sessions are convened regularly at the patriarchal offices in Moscow.

Relationship with other church bodies

The Supreme Church Council operates in close synergy with the Holy Synod, to which it is subordinate, and it executes directives from the supreme legislative bodies: the Local Council and the Bishops' Council. It maintains working relationships with autonomous churches and exarchates under the Moscow Patriarchate, such as the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (of the Moscow Patriarchate) and the Belarusian Orthodox Church. Its decisions often interface with the work of the Inter-Council Presence, a consultative body, and it coordinates with eparchial administrations across the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and within the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Role in church governance

Within the broader framework of Orthodox canon law, the Supreme Church Council serves as a vital instrument of executive governance, ensuring the day-to-day administration of the church's vast institutional network. It plays a key role in managing the church's response to social issues, often outlined in documents like the Basis of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church. The council also facilitates the church's interactions with state authorities in the Russian Federation and other countries within its canonical territory, influencing policy on matters such as religious education and the preservation of historical sites like the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.

Category:Russian Orthodox Church Category:Christian organizations established in 1917 Category:Religious governing bodies