Thursday, 17th October 2019, extraordinary session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was held in St. Daniel Monastery in Moscow, chaired by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia.
Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and Moldova participated as permanent member of the Holy Synod.
The Synod adopted a declaration in reference to the situation that arose in the Greek Orthodox Church after it convened on 12th October 2019 the extraordinary Council of Hierarchs on the Ukrainian church issue.
The Declaration qualifies the decision of the Church of Greece to recognize the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine as non-canonical.
In consequence, the Declaration states:
“The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church authorizes His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to cease the commemoration of the name of His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece in the diptychs in the event that the Primate of the Greek Church will begin to commemorate the head of one of the Ukrainian schismatic groups during divine services or will take other actions indicating his recognition of the Ukrainian church schism.”
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, presented a report on the need of appointing a depute chairman of the Department. This position was assigned to archbishop Leonid of Vladikavkaz and Alania.
The decision of the Holy Synod was presented and commented by Vladimir Legoida, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with the Society and Mass-Media.
Synodal Sector of Institutional Communication and Mass-Media Relations,
with reference to www.patriarchia.ru