On 26 February 2019, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church began its regular session in conference hall of the Holy Synod at the Patriarchal and Synodal residence in Danilov Monastery in Moscow.
Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and all Moldova participated in the session, as permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church opened the session and addressed those gathered, saying: “I would like to cordially greet all permanent and temporary members of the Holy Synod. Our session today is very important as we have to solve many current problems, including personnel affairs. Life moves forward, a lot has changed, and alterations are a response to the needs and challenges which the Church is facing. Our agenda with many important items will not be long.”
His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine; Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna; Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and All Moldova; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, head of the metropolitan area in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the metropolitan area in Central Asia; Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations are permanent members of the Holy Synod.
Invited to the winter session (September-February) were Metropolitan Luka of Zaporozhje and Melitopol, Metropolitan Sergy of Barnaul and Altai, Bishop Lazar of Narva and Prichudje, Bishop Veniamin of Rybinsk and Danilov, and Bishop Nikolai of Nakhodka and Preobrazhenka.
with referral to the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church