55. Учреждение Святейшего Синода

There were ten patriarchs in our Church. The last one, Adrian, died in 1700. Emperor Peter I entrusted the correction of the position of patriarch to Metropolitan Stefan Yavorsky of Ryazan, who, as locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, ruled the Russian Church until 1721. This year, the Russian bishops considered it useful, in accordance with the wishes of the emperor, to replace the sole government of the patriarch with a conciliar one 82 . This newly established permanent spiritual council was at first called the Spiritual Collegium, but soon its still existing name of the Holy Governing Synod was adopted. This change in the management of the Russian Church was approved and approved by the Eastern patriarchs, who recognized and recognize the Holy Synod as their Brother, having equal power and degree in the church hierarchy. At its establishment, the Holy Synod consisted of a president, two vice-presidents, four councilors and four assessors. The first president of the Synod was Stefan Yavorsky, the vice-presidents were Theodosius Yanovsky, Archbishop of Novgorod, and Feofan Prokopovich, Bishop of Pskov, and the other members were bishops, archimandrites, and archpriests. Subsequently, the secular names of the members of the Synod were replaced by more appropriate names of the first member, the members of the Synod and those present in the Synod. Just as at the councils (Ecumenical and our Russian), if the tsar himself was not present, then his representative was, and in our Holy Synod the chief prosecutor was supposed to be, as an intermediary between the sovereign and the Synod. In one decree of Emperor Peter I he is called “the eye of the Sovereign and the attorney for state affairs.” His duty is to enter into relations with the civil authorities on Church affairs and to ensure that synod decisions are in agreement with the general order of government. Having replaced the patriarch, the Holy Synod also took over the affairs of the patriarchal administration. The most important of them is to monitor the purity of teaching and the orderliness of worship, to elect and appoint worthy archpastors and to lead them in church administration. All religious educational institutions, censorship of spiritual books, complaints from those dissatisfied with the decisions of the diocesan authorities, divorce cases, etc. are subject to the jurisdiction of the Synod. In matters relating together to the Church and the state, the Synod was allowed to have relations with the Senate. The general decisions of the Synod and the Senate in the absence of the Sovereign were given the force of decisions of the supreme power. For guidance in the synodal administration, by order of Emperor Peter I, Feofan Prokopovich compiled the Spiritual Regulations. In it, the ancient church rules, which remain in full force, were applied to the modern state of the Russian Church. This new collection of church rules was carefully revised by the archpastors of the Russian Church and, with their approval, was published by the highest command. At the same time, the Synod was given the opportunity to supplement it with new decrees according to the needs of the Church. The activity of the Holy Synod was revealed especially in the establishment of theological schools, in the establishment of missions, in the establishment of common faith and in the reunification of the Uniates. – The following reasons were given for this important change: 1) The work of one person can be interrupted either by illness or death, but the cathedral can conduct business non-stop. 2) It is easier for many people to find out the truth than for one. 3) The decision of the council can be more free from bias than the decision of one person. 4) The decisions of the council are more authoritative and morally binding than those of one person. 5) The decision of the council can be more free from the influence of the powerful than the decision of one person. You might be interested in: