Journals of our canonical ROCA Bishops' Synod Meeting in Odessa, in human-English

 Journals of our canonical ROCA Bishops' Synod Meeting in Odessa, in human-English

JOURNALS/MINUTES & DECISIONS, of our ROCA Bishops' Regular Synod Meeting in Odessa, Ukraine, in Russian and a human-English official  translation, posted on internetsobor.org,

OFFICIAL human-ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Journals of the sessions of the Synod of Bishops April 11/24 - 13/26 2018

The sessions of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia were held from April 11/24 to April 13/26 2018 in Odessa, at the Synodal Mission.

Present:His Eminence Metropolitan AGAFANGEL (Chairman of the Synod), His Grace GEORGII, Archbishop of Chisinau and Moldavia (Secretary of the Synod), His Grace AFANASSY, Bishop of Vologda and Veliky Ustyug, His Grace KIRILL, Bishop of Voronezh and South Russia, and, by invitation, His Grace ANFIM, Bishop of Basarabia.

Members of the Synod Right Reverend GREGORII, Bishop of Saõ Paulo and South America, and His Grace, NIKON, Bishop of Ishim and Sibiria, took part in the work of the Synod on Skype.

Present:Assistant Secretary of the Synod Protopriest Sergei Begashov.

JOURNAL №1

Listened: to the Chairman about the Agenda.

Resolved:To adopt the agenda for the session of the Synod of Bishops in the following form:

1. The report of the Chairman

2. Notifications of the Most Reverend Bishops on the state of affairs in the dioceses.

3. Assesment of the cases of the clerics who have left the Synod.

4. About the Synodal House.

5. About the petitions of clergymen regarding their reception into the ROCOR

6. On the banned from serving Archbishop Andronik and Archbishop Sophorony.

7. On the glorification of saints.

8. Financial report.

9. Miscellaneous.

Journal №2

Listened:To the Chairman's report.

Decided:To take note of the Chairman's report.

Journal №3

Listened:to the draft of the Appeal on the danger of self-isolation.

Resolved:To approve the amended Appeal.

Journal No. 4

Listened:To the Chairman's proposal for an additional petition for the unity of the Church during the Augmented Litany.

Resolved:To approve the additional petition during the Augmented Litany before: "for them that bring offerings", in the following way: "For the strengthening of the unity of Thy Holy Church, to destroy our pride and strengthen us in humility and love, that we may be one with Christ, as He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, we pray, hearken and have mercy."

Journal №5

Listened:To the reports of the Most Reverend about the state of affairs in the dioceses.

Resolved:To take note of the reports of the Right Reverend.

Journal №6

Listened:To the President about the deprivation of heiromonk Joseph (Sukhova's) rank.

Resolved:To deprive hieromonk Joseph (Sukhov) from his rank, with the possibility of his appealing to the church court until the next Synod. If an appeal is not filed within the specified time limit, this decision is then not subject to appeal.

Journal No. 7

Listened:To the Chairman about the deprivation of priest Sergy Criulina's rank.

Decided:To deprive priest Sergy Criulina of his rank, with the opportunity to appeal to the church court until the next Synod. If an appeal is not filed within the specified time limit, this decision is not subject to appeal.

Journal № 8

Listened:To the Chairman regarding the deprivation of the rank of former priest Leonid Plyats.

Resolved:To bring to attention the situation regarding Leonid Georgievich Plyats, who blashemed the Holy Church and its saints, who denied Orthodoxy and left it for the old-believer ritualistic sect, noting that by his actions he trampled on the grace of the Holy Spirit, rejected the Baptism he received, and denied the sacred rank of the priesthood; and, as a result- he placed himself outside of the Church of Christ. The Synod of Bishops also confirms this, thus deciding to expel Leonid Plyats from the sacred rank of priesthood. 

Journal № 9

Listened:To the Chairman about the Synodal House, and about Mother Agapia's proposal in regards to moving the Synodal House to another address.

Resolved: To express our gratitude to Mother Agapia for her care concerning the fortification of our Church in the United States. At the same time, the issue of the sale of the Synodal House can not currently be put into consideration, as payments continue to be made for it, and an actual parish curretly exists there. In the case that there is no possibility of repaying the loan, we will be forced to return to the discussion of this issue.

Journal № 10

Listened: To the draft of the epistle of the Synod of Bishops.

Resolved: To endorse the draft of the epistle of the Synod of Bishops, as amended.

Journal № 11

Listened: to the Chairman regarding Arseny Moseykov's petition to to join the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.

Resolved: To tell Arseniy Moseykov that we do not have free parishes and vacant posts. We can return to your question only after you have formulated some parishes or communities, and in the case of the continuation of their desire to seek application to join the ROCA, and of their desire to see you as their priest.

Journal № 12

Listened: To the Chairman about priest Melchizedek's request to join the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.

Resolved: To refuse the clergyman Melchizedek regarding his request, due to the fact that he avoids official meetings in every possible way that he can, and does not give the opportunity to verify the information he has provided.

Journal № 13

Listened:to the Chairman concerning the request of representatives of the Croatian Church.

Resolved: Due to the prolonged absence of contact, to leave the question without consideration.

Journal № 14

Listened: to the Chairman about the banned from serving Archbishops Andronik and Sophrony.

Decided: To postpone the final decision on the deprivations of the banned from the priesthood Archbishop Andronik and Archbishop Sophrony's ranks until the next Bishops' Council.

Journal №15

Listened: To the Secretary of the Synod, Archbishop George, on the dates of the next Bishops' Council.

Resolved: The time of the Bishops' Council has been determined to take place from 10/23 to 12/25 of October inclusive, at the Synodal Mission in Odessa.

Journal № 16

Listened: to the Chairman regarding the necessity of the canonization of the First Hierarchs of the ROCOR Metropolitans Anthony, Anastassy and Vitaly.

Resolved: To approve the proposal for the canonization and to begin preparations for it.

Journal № 17

Listened: to the financial report.

Decided: To approve the financial report.

Journal№ 18

Listened: to Bishop Athanasius, reporting on the receipt of questions from our flock regarding the chipping (the use of chips) of the population in the Russian Federation.

We decided to issue the following determination:We call upon our flock to refrain from introducing any electronic devices or chips into their bodies, which are capable to possibly influence the mental or physical state of a person, in order to manipulate and control him, cherishing God's gift of one's own free will and bearing in mind the words of the apostle: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. " (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 KJV).

April 12/25, 2018 St. Basil the Confessor, Bishop of Para

Chairman of the Synod of Bishops

+Metropolitan Agafangel

Members of the Synod:

+Archbishop George(Secretary of the Synod)

+Bishop Athanasius

+ Bishop Kirill

+ Bishop Gregory

+ Bishop Nikon

+Bishop Anfim