Letter to us from our Synod + Minutes of the Synod Meeting

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http://internetsobor.org/index.php/novosti/rptsz/2024-11

Message of the Bishops' Conference 2024

Автор: Митрополит Агафангел. Дата публикации: 30 мая 2024  Категория: РПЦЗ.

Message

Conference of Bishop of the ROCOR to her faithful children

Don't be afraid, small herd! for your Father was well-willed to give you a kingdom  (LK 12.32).

Christ is Risen!

Honorable pastors and faithful to our Church, monastics and laity!

Our Bishops' Conference (partially remote) with the rights of the Bishops' Council, now gathered in conditions that probably did not exist in the history of the Church – war, created in laboratories and widespread spiritual and physical diseases and technologies, a mass retreat from faith. At this difficult time, we found it necessary to address you with a word of support.

Even in the present apocalyptic time, when control over people increases, darkness thickens and grace diminishes, the Lord does not leave us and does not close the way to His Kingdom.

The Church of Salvation will be numerically small, as the Lord teaches, but for each individual Christian, in fact, the number of the saved is not as important as it is that by the great mercy of God he is personally saved. Therefore, staying in the Church and helping our neighbors not to perish with all our strength, let's not be embarrassed by the universal depriation and retreat that must be (see Mt 24.6).

An example for us is Christ, who has risen from the darkness, which is almost like the reality around us - only in Christ is our great hope, which is enough for the believing soul, even though hell is huge and strong.

We will not be afraid of your fear and will not be embarrassed, as God is with us! – St. Church. Together with Christ, His faithful followers will rise up - death has no power over Christians – the Lord is the Protector of my life, from whom will I be afraid? (Psam 26.1).

Therefore, in the spiritual darkness that has gripped this world, we will not lose the light of the saving grace of the Heavenly Kingdom reaching our souls! - this light is our solid consolation in the raging ocean of the dying world.

Indeed, Christ is risen and life lives!

President of the Archieresky Sobor of the RPTZ

Mitropolitan Agaphangel

Members of the Council

Archbishop John, Archbishop George, Archbishop Gregory, Bishop Kirill, Bishop Nikon, Bishop John, Bishop Ambrose, Bishop Christopher, Bishop Alexy.

May 16/29, 2024, Pascha of Christ

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http://internetsobor.org/index.php/novosti/rptsz/2024-10

RPTSZ: Meeting of the Right Officers, September 2024

Author: Mitropolitan Aghaangel. Publication date: 29 May 2024. Категория: РПЦЗ.

Journals of the meeting of the Bishops' Meeting 15/28 - 16/29 May 2024.

The meeting of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia with the rights of the Council of Bishops was held on May 15/28 -—16/29, 2024 in the Synodal Mission in Ukraine, Odessa, Spl. Mikhailovskaya, 1.

Present: His Eminence Metropolitan Agafangel, Chairman of the Council of Bishops of ROCOR; Reverends: Archbishop George (Secretary), Bishop John, Bishop Alexy. Archbishops John and Gregory, as well as bishops: Anastasius, Cyril, Nikon, Ambrose and Christopher took part in the meetings of the Skype Conference.

JOURNAL №1

Listened: Chairman on the Agenda.

Decided: To adopt the Agenda of the meeting of the Council of Bishops with extended rights in the following form:

Agenda of the ROCOR Bishops' Meeting 15/28 - 16/29 May 2024.

1. On the procedure for office work of the Conference with the Rights of the Council of Bishops (protocol, magazines, forms, signatures, decrees).

2. Chairman's report.

3. Reports of bishops.

4. Judgment of the candidacy of Hieromonk Filaret (Lipin) for consecration as Bishop of Ferapontov, vicar of the Vologda diocese.

5. On the situation of bishops outside their dioceses.

6. Consideration of the letter of the Greek Synod.

7. About the Synodal House in California.

8. Requests for admission to our Church.

9. Approval of awards.

10. Different.

JOURNAL № 2.

Listened to: Chairman on the procedure for record-keeding of the Conference with the Rights of the Council of Bishops.

Decided: The office work of the Conference with the rights of the Bishops' Council should be conducted as it is conducted in the case of the Bishops' Council, i.e., to draw up protocols for internal use and magazines for general review. Issue decrees on the form of the Synod with the signatures of the Chairman and the Secretary. In the absence of the Registrar, the second signature shall be provided by the secretary elected to keep the minutes of the current Meeting. For absent bishops, the Secretary shall sign with their consent.

JOURNAL № 3.

Listened: Report of the Chairman and the Ruling Bishops.

Decided: The reports of the Chairman and the Ruling Bishops should be taken into account.

JOURNAL №4.

Listened: Judgment on the candidacy of hieromonk Filaret (Lipin) for consecration as Bishop of Ferapontovsky, vicar of the Vologda Diocese of ROCOR.

Decided: To approve the candidacy of Hieromonk Filaret for ordination to Bishop of Ferapontovsky, vicar of the Vologda Diocese.

MAGAZINE №5.

Listened: Chairman about the position of bishops outside their dioceses.

Decided: Bishops who are outside their dioceses, while retaining their titles, do not leave custody of their flock.

MAGAZINE №6.

Listened: Consideration of a letter from the Greek Synod.

Decided: To approve the text of the response to the letter from the Greek Synod.

JOURNAL №7.

Listened: Chairman about the Synodal House in California.

Decided: The report of the Chairman on the Synodal House should be taken into account.

JOURNAL №7.

Listened to: the Chairman about petitions for admission to our Church.

Decided: The Chairman's message on admission to our Church should be taken into account.

MAGAZINE №8.

Listened: About the awards.

Decided: To award Priest Sergei Tsapko with the right to wear a golden cross.

Priest Sergei Shuklin to award the rank of Archpriest, Priest Yevgeny Golovicher with a golden cross, Priest Igor Topchilko with the right to wear a kamilavka. To approve the awarding of Archpriest. Hristo Petkova and Archpriest. George Storozhitsky has the right to wear a cross with jewelry.

JOURNAL №9.

Listened: Archbishop John proposes that Bishop Ambrose be appointed as the ruling bishop.

Decided: Bishop Ambrose to be the Governor of the Moscow Diocese with the titles of Kolomensky and Shchurovsky.

JOURNAL № 10.

Listened: Chairman about the candidacy for bishop of Hieromonk Paul (Graul).

Decided: To interview the bishops by sending out the documents of Hieromonk Paul for review and approval as candidates for ordination as a vicar bishop to help the First Hierarch.

JOURNAL №11.

Listened: About the deprivation of the rank of prohibited clerics of the Chisinau Diocese: Priest Sergei Grapin and Priest Alexander Friptulyak.

Decided: To approve the decision of the Diocesan Church Court to deprive Priest Sergei Grapin and Priest Alexander Friptulyak of their oath and fall from the Holy Orthodox Church and unrepentance.

JOURNAL №12.

Listened: Minutes №1, №2 and Journals of the Meetings of the ROCOR Bishops' Meeting.

Decided: To adopt Protocol №1, №2 and the Journals of the Meetings of the ROCOR Bishops' Meeting, taking into account the amendments.

JOURNAL №13.

Listened: The chairman's proposal to approve the text of the Priestly oath.

Decided: To approve the text of the Oath for all ROCOR parishes.

MAGAZINE №14.

Listened to: Chairman on the draft Message of the Bishops' Conference to the flock.

Decided: To accept the message to the flock of the ROCOR Bishops' Conference, taking into account the comments.

JOURNAL №15.

Listened: Chairman's proposal to appoint the date of the next Extended Bishops' Meeting.

Decided: To approve the date of the next Bishops' Meeting on 25.09/08.10 2024.

Chairman of the Meeting + Metropolitan Agafangel

Secretary + Archbishop George

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