The Holy Synod of the ROC to express an opinion on the Pan-Orthodox Council documents

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) meets on October 21 for a regular session under the chairmanship of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at St Daniel’s Monastery in Moscow, reports RIA Novosti.

As expected, the Synod will review the most important events in the life of the Church that occurred during the previous session of the Synod on July 15 and express an opinion on the documents of the Pan-Orthodox Council held in Crete in late June.

The Crete Council took place at the end of June under the chairmanship of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. The participants adopted six documents and delivered a message, which says about their attitude to the major events and issues of the contemporary world. The Council was attended by 10 out of 14 Primates of the local churches. The Russian, Antiochian, Bulgarian and Georgian Churches refused to arrive in Crete because they did not agree with the rules and procedures of the Council preparation, as well as the texts of some of the documents adopted.

In July, the Holy Synod recognized the Council of Orthodox Churches in Crete to be an important event, noting that it cannot be regarded as pan-Orthodox, and the documents adopted at it –"as expressing general Orthodox consensus". At the same time the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to submit the documents discussed in Crete for study by the Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission, whose findings should be presented to the Synod.