Project for organizing the church structure on the basis of the patriarchal-cathedral form

Contents General provisions Local Council of the Russian Church Patriarchal Synod II. District-Metropolitan Administration District Council Metropolitan Synod Metropolitan Court Diocesan Administration Diocesan Assembly Diocesan Council Diocesan Court Procedure for legal proceedings in divorce cases District Bishop District Assembly Episcopal Council Parish Parish Assembly 1. The Church is a society. Its only task is the moral improvement of the individual according to the ideal of the Gospel. The individual achieves his Gospel perfection under the indispensable condition of social union. The existence and life of the latter are, in turn, possible under the operation of the laws of the organization and their implementation by special authorities. The latter together form the Church Administration. It has its right to exist insofar as it serves the goals of society. Therefore, it exists in one form or another for society, and not vice versa - society for it. It serves society, not the other way around. And once society realizes the inadequacy of the organization of this type of management, it modifies the latter, improves it, in accordance with its goals. Hence the legitimacy and necessity of reforms in the organization of society and the forms of its government. 2. The Russian Church, located in the territories and within the boundaries of the Russian State, is not part of the state and its organization - one of its departments; but it is part of a non-political and non-national union - a union of a single faith, which has its members in church societies of other states and peoples. Its goal, as a union, is unique, different from the political and national goal. Its moral unity extends beyond state and national territories. Thus, its organization and management are completely independent from political organizations and should have nothing in common with them. 3. The whole society of the Russian Church is made up of smaller and smaller societies, operating autonomously and independently of each other, but united internally by the unity of religious consciousness and confession and externally by the legal connection of their power representatives. Continuously operating external means connecting these societies are the bodies of church government - collective institutions and individual church-authorized persons. The public unions that make up the Russian Church are the following: a) all Orthodox Christians of Russia; b) all Orthodox Christians of the metropolitan district; c) all Christians of the diocesan district; d) – episcopal, e) parish and g) members of monastic societies. Externally connecting them are the collective governing bodies: 1) The Local Council of the entire Russian Church - its permanent, continuously operating executive body: the Patriarchal Synod; 2) The Metropolitan Council - its continuously operating body - the Metropolitan Synod; 3) The Diocesan Council - its continuously operating executive body - the Diocesan Council; 4) The district bishop and his district council; 5) The parish meeting is its continuous executive body - the parish council. Individual authorized persons acting as permanent chairmen of these collective bodies of Church administration are the following: Patriarch, Metropolitans, Archbishops, chorebishops (or district bishops), parish rectors; archimandrites and abbots in men's monasteries and abbess in women's monasteries. I. Local Council of the Russian Church Subjects of his jurisdiction. It is the highest legislative, administrative and judicial body on all subjects of church life. Church life is composed of the following spiritual and moral elements or elements: a) spreading and burning the light of the Gospel truth. This main vital element of Church life reveals itself externally, extensively and intensively. Its extensive discovery consists in the proclamation of the Gospel teaching among citizens of the Russian state and other states that do not belong to any part of the Orthodox Church. This element brings to life special institutions - internal and external missions, etc. embassy churches. Intensive - consists of spiritual growth from faith to faith, in the expansion and deepening of the Gospel truth in human consciousness, in its impact on life, which ennobles the aspirations of the individual, his ideals, private, public and even political relations. This element evokes, as its external manifestation, an internal educational mission, operating through schools, pastoral and preaching activities, charitable institutions and special institutions of a public nature, such as monastic communities, educational and charitable brotherhoods and societies. b) Sanctification of the human person by the grace-filled influence of private and public prayer and moral education through church discipline. c) Material resources of the Church - in real estate and movable property, emergency funds, income and expenses. In all these aspects of church life, the Local Council has the power of constituent legislation, the power of supervision and control. The Council then exercises supreme and judicial power. The Council itself can be the highest judicial authority in necessary cases. He also has administrative and supervisory power over established and operating church-judicial institutions. Resolutions and decisions (judicial) of the Local Council are binding on all members of the Orthodox Russian Church. No one can change or cancel them, except for the subsequent Local Council. Composition of the Local Council. The members of the council include all bishops (personally and through representatives), a certain number of clergy, monastics and laity. Bishops have a decisive vote, others have only an advisory vote. We have sufficiently substantiated these provisions and disclosed them in our article “On the means of strengthening the power of our highest Church administration” 1. As for the convening of the first Local Council, the composition of the members outlined here, in our opinion, fully corresponds to the circumstances of the time and the conditions of our church life. But with the introduction of the structure of the Church we are designing, it can be changed for the following reasons. With the desirable increase in the number of episcopal sees and the introduction of district metropolitan administration, there will be no need to invite all Russian bishops to the Local Council: then it will be possible to invite only delegates from each district council, who will represent the entire district council. This method was used at ecumenical councils 2. The Chairman of the Local Council should be the patriarch of the entire Russian Church. In the case of consideration of the case of the patriarch himself or his illness, the eldest of the metropolitans presides. The procedure for considering and making determinations. The initiation of issues of a legislative or administrative nature belongs to the Synod, Metropolitans and Archbishops. Private individuals are not deprived of this right, but after discussing issues raised officially by church officials and institutions, and not otherwise than through the chairman of the council, who may be able to resolve the puzzling question without reporting it to the council. Discussion of affairs and issues reported to the council must be public and free: the opinions of all those present at the council must be willingly listened to. In the form of combining different opinions and precise formulation, commissions are allowed, which develop a draft decision. The latter is again submitted to the council for consideration. After a comprehensive discussion of it, each of the bishops, starting with the youngest, expresses his opinion about it. The chairman is the last to give his opinion. A unanimous opinion of the council fathers is desirable. At the extreme - the opinion of the majority. The decision recognized as final is signed by the bishops and receives the force of law of the local church. Judicial cases are conducted according to a special procedure established for all instances of the ecclesiastical court. The Patriarchal Synod is a continuously operating highest church institution of an administrative, executive and judicial nature. It has two branches: administrative-executive and judicial; these branches operate completely independently of one another and each have a completely special composition of members and procedure of production. A. Administrative and executive department of the namriarchal Synod. Subjects of reference. Publication, storage and codification of conciliar definitions. Supervision of metropolitans in their application of conciliar definitions, interpretation of the latter: control over their government activities. Compilation and modification of church services and prayers; approval of those compiled by private individuals; correction and publication of liturgical books and canonical codes 3. Senior management and oversight of missions, internal and external; supreme management of all church schools. Audit of the metropolitan administration as required by circumstances. Management of the central public treasury. Petition in government offices for the acquisition of real estate by church institutions and their consolidation. Control under the financial management of the metropolitans. The consecration of metropolitans and matters arising from this. Supervision of metropolitans in the timely and legal replacement of archiepiscopal sees in their districts. The exclusive right of consecration of St. Peace for the entire Russian Church. The composition of the members of the Holy Synod and the distribution of subjects of competence between them: The composition of the members of the administrative department of the Holy Synod is determined by the electoral procedure at the Local Council from persons of all degrees of the bishopric, monasticism and laity. Among them there should be 3 archbishops 4, the same number of bishops; an indefinite number of presbyters, archimandrites and laity, mostly with academic theological degrees and necessarily 2 of those with higher legal education in the position of legal advisers and sworn attorneys. The Chief Prosecutor and his comrade are abolished in the sense of representatives of the church in the highest state institutions. But they act in the judicial department of the Synod, as bodies of accusatory power. For the non-stop and rapid flow of affairs, the composition of the members of the Holy Synod should be divided into groups or departments with a special range of affairs for each. Depending on the nature of the affairs, each of the departments should distribute the spiritual and secular members in a majority or minority. Eg. a department in charge of finances or schools may have a predominant number of lay members over spiritual ones, and, conversely, departments in charge of affairs of a purely religious nature have a predominant majority of ecclesiastical members. Each of the departments must have the form of a collegium with a fellow chairman at the head, with equal votes of all collegiums. The chairman of all should be the patriarch. Without his signature, no resolution of an individual board can have any effect. The meetings of each department must be closed; however, access to persons interested in the matter must always be open. Their immediate, i.e. oral testimony and explanations should even be preferable to written documents and documents (excluding monetary matters): for church administration deals in most cases with living free moral individuals, and not with legal entities, as is the case in government institutions. In matters of particular importance, the patriarch can convene joint meetings of all or several departments. Resolutions are drawn up by a majority vote and published in the official body on behalf of the Holy Synod, signed by the patriarch and the members who participated in the preparation of the resolution. The Holy Synod has its own seal with a cross in the middle, and along the edges with an inscription in Slavic script: “St. Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church". B. Judicial Department of the Holy Synod. It is composed of 3 archbishops, 3 bishops, presbyters, 1 archimandrite and lay persons upon the election of a local council. The Chairman is the eldest of the bishops. Moreover, in each case, the parties are given the right to elect an equal number of judges from their side. The accusatory power is concentrated in the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod and his companion. But it goes without saying that every private person has the right to act as an accuser. When the Chief Prosecutor (or his comrade) is the prosecutor, he elects judges in the same way as the accused. Defenders are also acceptable. Subjects of jurisdiction of the Judicial Division. The Judicial Division is the highest authority in relation to the metropolitan court and considers, through appeal and cassation procedures, cases decided at the metropolitan court on appeal from the judges and the metropolitan prosecutor. Then, as the 1st instance, the Court. The department considers cases arising in the patriarchal diocese when the accused is the patriarch himself as a diocesan apxpriest. The procedure for proceedings is public, accusatory, adversarial, in relation to the Charter. corners. The legal proceedings of Alexander II, with the exception of jurors, who are replaced here by judges voluntarily elected by the litigants. An appeal is filed against the verdict of the Judicial Division to the Local Council. The statement of displeasure is accepted within two weeks; after this period, if no such statement is made, the sentence is carried out, the Chief Prosecutor and his companion are appointed by the Local Council, both clergy and secular persons. If there is a case regarding the trial of the patriarch, then the preliminary investigation is carried out in the manner usual for courts of first instance. The Patriarch, as the Diocesan Archbishop, acts on a common basis with other bishops. His diocese should operate the same institutions that we design below for the Diocesan Administration. II.District-Metropolitan Administration The Russian Orthodox Church is divided into the following districts with a representative of each metropolitan: St. Petersburg, Kiev, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Lithuanian, Georgian (Exarch), Siberian and Turkestan 5. The highest body of the District administration is the periodically convened District Council under the chairmanship of the Metropolitan - and its continuously operating executive body - the Metropolitan Synod. Subjects of reference. The district metropolitan council is constituted at the place of residence of the metropolitan on church affairs and issues relating to the entire district, as well as in the city of the diocese where the election and consecration of the bishop of the diocese or district should take place. The subjects of conciliar deliberations can be: a) measures to spread and establish Orthodoxy, caused by any special phenomena of the church mission, the spread and maintenance of schools; observation of worship and rituals; approval of books of Holy Scripture and liturgical books translated into foreign languages, opening of new seminaries and academies; b) The opening of new bishoprics 6 and the ordering of their existence, for example. delimitation of borders, consideration of states, etc.; c) Measures to improve the church treasury and economy; d) Audit of the diocese, both direct through the council delegation, and mediocre through the consideration of reports on the state of the diocese. The composition of the cathedral. The council includes all the archbishops of the region, some of the bishops 7, presbyters, abbots of monasteries and laymen, for example. one from each district, generally in such a number that would be equal to the number of clergy and monastics present at the council. The order of meetings and the method of making decisions are the same as at the Local Council. Those resolutions of the council that are adopted unanimously are immediately carried out. But those to which the minority will object are suspended in execution until they are considered at the Local Council. The ordination of bishops is carried out on the exact basis of the 4 rights. I Universe Cathedral and 28th -IV Ecumenical. personal The Metropolitan Synod is a continuously operating administrative and executive body of the Metropolitan Council. It consists of the Chairman of the Metropolitan, 2 bishops, 2 bishops, presbyters, archimandrites and lay persons with theological education and 2 persons with legal education. Subjects of his jurisdiction. Publication and enforcement of the definitions of the Metropolitan Council and orders of the Patriarchal Synod. Spreading the consecrated world in the area. Review and storage of reports on the state of the diocese. Mission – internal and external. Church schools. District treasury and church economy. Petition to strengthen the real estate of the metropolitanate and dioceses. Cases regarding the alienation of church property. The Metropolitan Synod has its own seal with the image of a cross and a circle - the name of the institution. The Metropolitan Court is a continuous operating institution in the district, deciding cases in the 1st and 2nd instance. In the first instance, cases are between archbishops with a metropolitan, an archbishop and a bishop, or cases between one of these persons and a clergyman, abbot or layman. In the 2nd instance, it again considers and decides cases on appeals against the decision of the diocesan court. Composition of the Metropolitan Court. The Metropolitan Court consists of the President of the Archbishop, two bishops, presbyters, an archimandrite and lay persons - according to the election of the Metropolitan Council 8. The obligatory power consists of: the prosecutor and his comrade. The court has an investigator for metropolitan affairs at its disposal. The procedure for legal proceedings is the same as in the patriarchal court. The highest court of appeal is the Patriarchal Court. The period for filing an appeal is two weeks. As the Diocesan Archbishop, the Metropolitan acts on the general principles of Diocesan administration. The diocese is part of the metropolitan district, containing three types of church-social unions: a) dioceses with a central point - a provincial or regional city, b) a district with a district city and a parish - urban and rural. The sole representatives of the Diocese are: the Archbishop of the entire enapchy, the Bishop of the district and the presbyter of the parish. Parallel to the parishes there are monasteries for men and women, and such church brotherhoods with individual representatives: abbots, abbesses and chairmen. These unions are governed by periodically convened meetings and continuously operating collegial institutions. Periodically convened meetings: 1) Diocesan Assembly - with its continuously operating executive body - the Diocesan Council; 2) County Assembly – with the County Council and 3) Parish meeting – with the parish council. N.B. Monasteries and Brotherhoods are governed by special statutes. Its composition: Chairman - Archbishop, members: district bishops, representatives of parishes, monasticism, brotherhoods and church schools. To avoid crowding, representatives from parishes are representatives from groups of parishes in each county, elected at preliminary county meetings. Written proceedings at the meeting are conducted by persons elected by the meeting, under the direction of the Secretary of the Diocesan Council. Subjects of reference. Consideration of reports on the state of the entire Diocese, compiled on the basis of reports from district bishops. Activities to improve church life in all respects. Schools and charity. Improvement of church facilities. Here, all sorts of extraordinary phenomena in church life are discussed and the measures they cause are developed. In addition to the periodically convened diocesan meetings, extraordinary ones should be convened to select candidates for the archbishop's see. They are formed under the chairmanship of one of the district bishops and elect a candidate, who is then tested in dignity by the council of bishops and ordained in the cathedral. With the exception of the bishop of the provincial district, who has a special title - the chairman of the Diocesan Court. Diocesan Archbishop. Powers of the Diocesan Bishop. They are of two kinds: 1) The Diocesan Archbishop has the right of supervision over the district Bishops and administrative influence on them in matters of church administration; 2) He has all the powers and bears the duties of a bishop in relation to the flock of the provincial (regional) city and the adjacent district. We carry out both of these both individually and with the help of the Diocesan Council. Single-handedly, he enjoys direct supervision over the activities of district bishops, visiting them and their flock in his free time and fatherly instructs and guides them in the proper performance of their ministry. Together with the Diocesan Council, he examines the reports of district bishops on the state of their flocks, approves their assumptions about the formation of new parishes, monasteries, communities and brotherhoods, about the construction of new churches and about the distribution of parishioners to them. In general, he monitors the correct order when changing the composition of the district church flocks under his supervision. With the Diocesan Council, the Archbishop fulfills petitions from district bishops to state institutions to assign real estate to church institutions. As the bishop of a district (regional) city and its district, the Archbishop performs ordinations to church degrees and positions (presbyters, deacons and others), confirms those elected as abbots and abbess, authorizes tonsure into the monastic rank, as well as in the positions of church warden, chairmen of brotherhoods, societies, etc. In matters of both categories, the Diocesan Council serves as an auxiliary institution for him. Its composition: Chairman – Diocesan Archbishop. Its members are presbyters, abbots and laity: - by election of the Diocesan Assembly. For writing - a certain number of employees from deacons, clerks and lay persons, not excluding women. For the convenience and speed of the flow of affairs, the latter are located in the branches of the Council, in relation to how they are distributed in the Consistory among the tables. But the structure of these branches of the Council should be completely different from the structure of the Consistory. Thus, the division between the Presence and the Office must be abolished. Each department should have its own composition of members and its own clerks, working separately and independently, and only in some cases joining into a general meeting. Approximately these sections should be as follows: 1) Department of protégé affairs. The subject of his activity should be: a) testing candidates (presumably elected by the parish or monastery) in their worth; b) delivery of documentary information about the parish to which the candidate was elected and about his person. Particular attention should be paid to this subject, since at present nowhere does such disorder and discretion reign as in matters of this kind. According to the task of this department, its composition should be as follows: 1) Chairman - the Diocesan Archbishop, always personally present; 2) The presbyter of the cathedral church and at least 7 city ones, including their confessor, special for proteges; 3) Approximately two clerks, drawing up certificates and storing documents related to these matters. The test itself should not be in the nature of a student test in catechism, reading and singing, but in the moral disposition of the person applying for the priesthood. Its form is a simple friendly conversation between the sitting fathers and a Christian sitting with him who wants to be a shepherd. The goal of the conversation (not just one time) should be to reveal, if possible, the entire soul of the candidate with its advantages, disadvantages and characteristic properties, so that experienced fathers can immediately point out and give their advice to the candidate which aspects of his soul he should develop primarily in the work before him. We must try to stage the trial in such a way that there is as little formality as possible and as much sincerity as possible on both sides. It must be conducted in strict confidence. No one else should be present here, not even the clerk. The testing of those promoted to deacon and psalmist should be of the same nature. These positions also require the greatest attention. Now they are utterly humiliated and distorted. They must be raised to canonical dignity: deacons are co-workers of the apostles, and readers are heralds of divine and prophetic law and teaching. In general, this department should have the type of an ancient church presbytery, senate, church crown, to which a new member is attached. In this composition of persons, ordination is performed: as a presbyter - in full, as a deacon and reader - and in a smaller group. The newly ordained person should freely turn to these same persons for advice - during practical training in church service. b) This same department should be in charge of issues of religious conscience, and it is here that the admonition of fallen clergy should take place, those who have fallen into blasphemy, those wavering in the faith, spouses who have shown a tendency to break their union, parents and children who have violated the 5th commandment. Here penances and corrective measures should be prescribed to clergy, monastics and lay persons. All this should happen in strict confidence, simply, without forms, in a friendly manner. If these friendly admonitions bring a good result, the matter ends as if it never happened. If such a result does not follow, the incorrigible is declared that he can demand a formal church court, or must be brought to this court. II. Department of church organizations, parishes, monasteries, cathedrals, communities, brotherhoods. Since the nature of the cases subject to this department is predominantly business and legal, the composition of the persons working in it should be completely different: the Archbishop may not be present here at all; reports must be submitted to him. It is best to recruit its members from representatives of these organizations, at least only from lay and monastic persons. The mission of this Department is: 1) in monitoring the given state of the designated organizations and assisting them under circumstances that change their state for the better or worse. It must be in charge of collecting and storing inventories of the property of the said organizations, clergy registers, confessional, metric and other books. 2) It should serve as the Diocesan Statistical Bureau for the designated institutions. 3) It must deliver certificates based on the books and documents kept by it, both to individuals and to the Council as a whole, and to other institutions. 4) It draws up an annual report on the designated diocesan institutions. The nature of the activities of this department is primarily clerical. However, as an administrative board, on the one hand, it is responsible to the Diocesan Archbishop for the performance of its duties, on the other hand, it is invested with the power to demand from the designated institutions the correct delivery of proper books and documents. As an administrative institution, it constitutes general meetings and considers every document emanating from it in the general meeting and issues it under its own guarantee, and in order for it to have the force of an administrative document, it is approved by the signature of the Archbishop and the seal of the Council. At such times, the Department must be authorized to take measures of influence on institutions in the event of their failure to deliver obligatory books and documents: these measures must be precisely defined and their application is determined each time by the full meeting of the Department and approved by the Archbishop. This Department receives greater administrative significance when a case arises about changing the given state of any of the designated institutions, for example. on the major renovation of a building, the construction of a new church, the acquisition of real estate, the formation of a new parish, or the abolition of a previously existing one. To consider such matters, a general meeting of the Branch is convened under the personal chairmanship of the Archbishop, and in cases of particular importance, with the invitation of members of the 1st Branch. The case must be considered in the personal presence of representatives of the institution asking for the case. In addition to the necessary written documents, oral explanations of the latter should also be taken into account, and in necessary cases, authorized persons should be sent to inspect the institution. After examining the case, the ruling is drawn up by a majority vote when drawing up the protocol. If the Archbishop does not agree with the decision of the majority, or those asking are not satisfied with the decision, then the matter is suspended in execution and transferred to the next meeting of the Diocesan Assembly. III. Diocesan Treasury. It consists of a treasurer, an accountant and a clerk. Control over it belongs to the general meeting of the Council, which, in toto or through proxies, monthly audits the cash register, and at the end of the year forms an audit committee to check the report, receipts and expenditure books and cash amounts. The Diocesan Council has its own seal with the image of a cross and the inscription of the institution. Subjects of reference: a) church crimes: 1) Against faith: apostasy from the church; indignation against her; insult to the shrine of the church, to persons of holy rank; perjury, blasphemy, sacrilege. 2) Crimes in office of church persons, both clergy and lay, who are in church service. 3) Cases regarding marriages and divorce. Composition of persons of the Diocesan Court: Chairman - Bishop of the provincial district, members: 3 archpriests and archimandrites and 3 lay persons. They are elected by the Diocesan Assembly. In addition to them, an equal number of judges from clergy and secular persons are elected each time by the defendant and the prosecutor. The representative of the prosecution is a prosecutor, elected and appointed by the metropolitan court. The court and the prosecutor must have special offices. The administrative part, monitoring the speed and correctness of legal proceedings is entrusted to the chairman of the court. The defendant, like the plaintiffs, may have lawyers and attorneys. The Diocesan Court has at its disposal one investigator per county. The investigator is elected by the Diocesan Assembly and approved by the Metropolitan Court. Procedures for legal proceedings. Legal proceedings – oral, adversarial, public. The movement of the court case is carried out in the following order: The trial begins either on the complaint and request of a private person, or on the proposal of the administration (parish meeting and council, district bishop, Diocesan Archbishop and Diocesan Council). The administration's representation is made to the President of the court or the Prosecutor; a private complaint or petition can be presented to each of the above-mentioned administrative institutions and sent to the judicial authority, but, of course, it can also be brought directly to it. Upon receipt of a complaint or presentation, the judicial authority orders the Spiritual Investigator to conduct a preliminary investigation. Both the preliminary investigation and the further course of the case take place in relation to the Court. Est. 1864 At the same time, the place of the Judicial Chamber is replaced by the Metropolitan Court. Once the latter has approved the indictment, a court hearing is scheduled. The judicial investigation must take place in relation to the order depicted in the Court. Charters of 1864 At the end of the debate, the court raises questions and, after the parties have exchanged opinions on them, retires to a special room to resolve the issue of guilt. If recognized as such, he asks for the prosecutor’s conclusions about the punishment and also goes into a special room to award it. The announcement of the verdict, the procedure for appealing and its execution are carried out in accordance with the procedure appropriate to the Court. At the station 1864 The procedure for legal proceedings in divorce cases A person seeking a divorce (especially a poor, lower-class person), if he wishes, can first make a complaint to the parish priest. The presentation is oral, but the priest is obliged to set out its contents in a book created specifically for this purpose. If, further, he finds it convenient, he can make an attempt at reconciliation. If it turns out to be unsuccessful, he may invite both spouses to submit the case to an arbitration court, composed, in addition to him, of an equal number of judges elected by both parties. If this court reconciles the spouses, the case ends; if not, then, at their request, it sends the case to the Diocesan Court. If any of the parties disagrees with this arbitration, the case is sent directly to the Diocesan Court. The petition for divorce must be in writing; submitted to the chairman. The latter sets a time for both parties to appear in court, announcing to the defendant the essence of the accusation or claim in the summons. The procedure for judicial investigation is oral, adversarial, and public. At the end of the debate, the court addresses the defendants with an admonition for reconciliation and sets a three-day period for reflection. After this period, the meeting resumes. If reconciliation does not take place, the court decides the verdict. An appeal to the metropolitan court is permitted. Each county must have its own bishop. The district bishop must have the authority to ordain presbyters and other clergy, as well as to appoint abbot and abbess, and the authority to supervise all parishes, monasteries and other church institutions in the district. Therefore, he is elected and ordained entirely according to the rank of episcopal ordination and in the exercise of the said powers is completely independent of the Archbishop, although his name must be exalted in the ministry. A district assembly under the chairmanship of the district bishop, or, after his death, under the chairmanship of the oldest Archimandrite or Archpriest in the district, is convened from representatives of parishes and other societies of the district in two cases: a) before the time of the annual Enapxial Assembly to elect deputies from the district to it and b) when the department of the district bishop becomes vacant. At meetings of the 1st type, the question is decided: from which parishes should deputies be appointed to the upcoming Enapxial Assembly? The issue can be resolved depending on any special needs of the parishes known only: for it is possible that at other times there will be no need to send representation from all the parishes of the district. This issue may also be resolved depending on what issues and affairs the Diocesan authorities outline for the existing Diocesan Assembly. As for the state of the 2nd kind, the very subject of them requires, if possible, a complete collection - from all parishes. The assembly elects one or two candidates for the episcopacy and proposes them to the Metropolitan and his bishops who arrive at the end of the elections, among whom should be the Diocesan, as well as some from the district ones - to judge the dignity of the chosen one and his ordination. It is also possible that an episcopal council arriving for ordination will propose its candidate to the District Assembly. This case may occur when the County Assembly does not come to an agreement regarding its own candidate, for example. due to the scarcity of worthy people, the Metropolitan Council will find a worthy candidate. The issue must be resolved by a joint agreement between the Council and the District Assembly. To exercise his powers, the district Bishop has a permanent Council, consisting of clergy and lay members. In the likeness of the Diocesan Council, it is also divided into three departments, but with a smaller composition of persons, depending on the number of parishes and the general size of the Orthodox population of the district. The main purpose of the District Bishop and his Council is to regulate the ordination of clergy and oversee the life of parishes. Thanks to the introduction of district bishops, each of them has to perform ordinations relatively infrequently, and this makes it possible to perform them slowly and get to know his proteges quite closely. This familiarization will then continue with personal visits by the district bishop of the parishes. A bishop can survey his district every year - and again, do this not as hastily and superficially as one diocesan bishop for all districts is currently forced to do. This circumstance makes the existence of deans completely unnecessary - an institution in many respects undesirable. The district bishop will completely replace him. On the one hand, he will have incomparably greater moral authority in the eyes of every priest, like a bishop; on the other hand, he can behave in relation to his clergy, as his former proteges, more sincerely and friendly, without being at all afraid of lowering his prestige and not bothering with any artificial measures to raise it in the eyes of his subordinates, which is what the dean, both elected and administratively appointed, is forced to resort to. In addition, the autonomous position of the parish will make too petty supervision unnecessary: ​​the self-interest of each member of the clergy will always encourage him to be worthy of election in the eyes of the parishioners. A parish is the smallest collective unit, or part of a county, having the rights of a legal entity, spiritually consisting under the leadership and management of the parish clergy, and in church-social and economic terms, self-governing by the parish assembly and parish council. A parish clergy may have one, two or three presbyters, a deacon, one, two or three readers. Small parishes may not have a reader, but only a presbyter and a deacon, and the latter must, if necessary, correct the position of the reader if he fails, for example. as a teacher of a church school, organize reading and singing in the church from the school’s students. The parish meeting must meet once a year, but may, as circumstances require, meet several times. Its composition: The chairman is a priest (and if there are several of them in the parish, then the one who will be elected). Members are all parishioners who have reached the age of 21, have permanent residence in the parish area and have lived for at least 3 years. Women can also be members - no younger than the specified years, not burdened with maternal responsibilities and not married, for example. having elderly parents or orphaned brothers and sisters in their care. – Writing is carried out either by one of the members of the clergy for a special fee, or by one of the laity by election. 1) a) election of candidates for clergy; b) election of the elder and members of the Parish Council. 2) Control over the activities of the Parish Council and the elder. It is carried out: a) by hearing and verifying the annual report and income and expense books, as well as auditing amounts; b) an audit of church property and amounts entrusted to the elder. 3) Measures and operations of an industrial nature, tending to increase the property and income of the parish. Once the rights of a legal entity in the civil sense are recognized for a parish, this subject will - one hopes - be developed and produce good results. 4) Finding measures and methods of parish charity and - as a good aspiration - a moral and educational impact on the lives of parishioners. The corrective body of the parish assembly is the Parish Council, consisting of the clergy, as permanent members, and parishioners elected at the Parish Assembly 9. Theological Bulletin 1903 and separately. The canonization of saints and relics should be left to the Local Council. There should be no metropolitans in the Holy Synod, since with the autonomy of the district metropolitan administration, their constant presence at the place of service seems extremely necessary. We indicate the approximate name of the districts: the question of their number and boundaries should be decided by considerations of practical convenience. This important subject is finally considered and approved by the Local Council. But the metropolitan council must take the initiative and preliminary draft of the foundations on which the new bishopric will be created. So that the Diocese does not remain without the necessary supervision and there is no stop in the performance of ordinations and current diocesan affairs Moreover, those judging have the right to elect each an equal number of their own judges in addition to ordinary judges. We have not introduced church schools into the system of church structure. Their organization, the attitude of the higher to the lower and the attitude of the general church administration - district and diocesan - towards them, in our opinion, require special and special discussion. You might be interested in: