Inter-assembly presence

By the definition of the Local Council on January 27-28, 2009 , the Holy Synod was entrusted with the development of “an appropriate mechanism for the general church discussion of the issues raised at the meetings of the Local Council” ^[1] . According to Hieromonk Savva (Tutunov) ^[2] :

it all started with the fact that at the Council someone suggested introducing the procedure for electing the Patriarch into the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, relying on the option that was adopted at our Council. In this regard, a whole discussion arose about the role and place of the Council with the participation of clergy and laity in the life of the Church. Later, various, sometimes complex, questions concerning various aspects of church life began to be raised. And here, the already elected Patriarch recalled that at the beginning of the 20th century, many years of pre-conciliar work were needed to provide an opportunity for a fruitful discussion at the Council. On my own behalf, I will add that some of the results of this work were claimed by the Hierarchy even in the course of the work of the pre-council bodies. So at the current Council, it was decided that it was necessary to ensure a general church discussion in the inter-council period on topical issues of church life - primarily those that were raised at the Local Council.

On March 31, 2009, the Holy Synod created the Commission on the Formation of the Inters Cathedral Assembly of the Russian Orthodox Church ^[3] .

The Commission, led by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, prepared a draft Regulation on the Inter-Council Presidency, as well as proposals on the composition, agenda and work plan of the Presence.

On July 27, 2009, at a meeting of the Holy Synod, held in Kiev , the following were approved: Regulations on the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church; composition and Presidium of this body; defined a range of issues within its competence ^[4] . The composition of the presence included 136 people. The Presidium is composed of 25 people.

January 29, 2010 in the Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior , chaired by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill , the first meeting of the Presidium of the Presence was held ^[5] . On December 16, 2010, the second meeting of the Presidium ^{[6] [7]} opened.

On January 31, 2011, the Decree of the Holy Synod amended the Statute on the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church ^[8] .

On October 23, 2014, by a decision of the Holy Synod, changes were approved in the composition of the Inter-Council Presence. There were more members of the inter-assembly presence - 193 people ^[9] .

On October 15, 2018, the Holy Synod approved the new composition of the Inter-Council Presidency for a four-year period ^[10] , which included 195 people: 70 bishops, 75 priests, 2 deacons, 13 monks without dignity, 35 laymen ^[11] .

The presence is intended to discuss current issues of church life:

• theology
• church management
• church law
• worship services
• Shepherds
• missions
• spiritual education
• religious education
• diaconia
• the relationship of the Church and society,
• relations between the Church and the state ,
• relationship of the Church and other faiths and religions .

The main objective of the presence is a preliminary study of the issues considered by the Local and Bishops' Councils , as well as the preparation of draft decisions on these issues. Decisions on proposals of the Inter-Council Presence may also be taken by the Holy Synod ^[12] .

1. The chairman is the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia .
2. Members of the presence are elected by the Holy Synod from among bishops, clergy, and laity.

The composition of the presence is reviewed by the Holy Synod on the proposal of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia once every four years.

Presidium of Presence

The Presidium is elected by the Holy Synod.

The Presidency elects the Secretary of Presence.

The chairpersons of the commissions are ex officio members of the Presidency.

Commissions and working groups

The Presence or its Presidium shall form commissions and working groups and elect their composition and leadership from among the members of the Inter-Council Presence.

Commissions and working groups consist of:

1. Chairman of the commission or working group
2. Deputy chairman of the commission or working group
3. Secretary of the commission or working group
4. members of a commission or working group

Presence

The presence has its own apparatus.

The chief of staff is the secretary of the Inters conciliar presence.

The apparatus is financed from the general church budget .

The apparatus:

• carries out paperwork of the presence and maintains its archive ;
• provides practical preparation of meetings of the plenary session and the Presidium of the Presence, as well as maintaining the minutes of these meetings

An inter-council presence has an expert council. The composition of the expert council is approved and changed by the Holy Synod on the proposal of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

The decision to include the issue on the agenda of the presence is made:

• Local cathedral
• Cathedral of Bishops
• Holy Synod.

Issues included in the agenda of the presence, in accordance with the resolutions of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, are sent to commissions and working groups.

The patriarch may also decide to direct certain issues to the primates, synods or councils of self-governing Churches , diocesan bishops or institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as to discuss diocesan assemblies (congresses).

The commissions prepare opinions on the issues assigned to them.

The conclusion of the commission should contain:

• specific proposals to address the issue under discussion
• summary of views expressed during the discussion.

Opinions are sent to the Presidium, which may:

• refer them to the discussion of the plenary of the Inter-Council Presence;
• submit them to the Holy Synod.

The Presidium may discuss current issues of the presence and make decisions on them or submit them for consideration by the Holy Synod.

The Holy Synod, having examined the conclusions submitted to it, passes them on for consideration by the Bishop or Local Council, or makes its own decision on them.

• Regulations on the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church
• Composition of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church
• Composition of the Commissions of the Inters Cathedral Assembly of the Russian Orthodox Church
• Cross-Presence Blog
• When a laity can object to a bishop