Ukrainian Orthodox Synod Elects New Bishops, Approves Athonite Dependency

The Local Synod of the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church has met in Kiev in advance of the upcoming celebrations in honor of the Baptism of Rus'. The Synod took a number of decisions concerning the life of the Church of Ukraine, including the transfer of several hierarchs to new sees. It also elected Archimandrites Roman (Kymovych) as Bishop of Konotop, Ephraim (Yarinko) as Bishop of Berdyansk, Clement (Vecher) as Bishop of Irpin' and auxiliary of the Metropolitanate of Kiev, and Arcadius (Taranov) as Bishop of Ovidiopol' and auxiliary of the Eparchy of Odessa and approved the request of St. Panteleimon's Monastery on Mount Athos to reestablish a dependency (μετοχιον/подворье) in Kiev, pending the approval of the Moscow Patriarchate. More in Ukrainian here and here.

Ukrainian Orthodox Local Synod Meets, Elects New Bishop of Obukhov

The Local Synod of the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church met today under Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev at the Kiev Caves Lavra to take decisions concerning the life of the Church of Ukraine. Among other things the Local Synod elected Archimandrite Iona (Cherepanov) as Bishop of Obukhov and auxiliary of the Metropolitanate of Kiev and called on Metropolitan Volodymyr to protest the schismatic activities of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Chisinau and Bessarabia on the canonical territory of Ukraine to Patriarch Daniel (Ciobotea) of Bucharest. More (in Ukrainian) here.

Estonian Orthodox Local Synod Meets

The Local Synod of the self-governing Church of Estonia under the Moscow Patriarchate has met under Metropolitan Cornelius (Jakobs) of Tallinn to discuss issues in the life of the Estonian Orthodox Church, among them the amendment of the Church's charter in the aftermath of the creation of its second diocese, the the Eparchy of Narva, and the ramifications of a newly enacted Estonian law on cemeteries. More (in Russian) here.

Ukrainian Orthodox Local Synod Glorifies New Saints, Elects Bishop of Kremenchug

The Local Synod of the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church met today under Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev to discuss internal issues in the life of the Church of Ukraine. Among other things preparations for the upcoming 1,000th anniversary of the Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom in Kiev were approved and Archimandrite Nikolai (Kapustin) was elected as Bishop of Kremenchug. The Local Synod also glorified Schema-Archbishop Anthony (Abashidze) of the Kiev Caves Lavra, Schema-Archimandrite Theophan (Medvedev) of Nizhyn, Archpriest Sergius (Bondarenko) the Hieromartyr of Chernobyl, and Stephen (Nalyvaika) the New Martyr of Melitopol' as saints. More (in Ukrainian) can be found here.

Update (15-6-2011): At its meeting yesterday the Local Synod also transferred Bishop Nikodim (Gorenko) of Volodymyr-in-Volhynia to the cathedra of the Eparchy of Zhytomyr, transferred Bishop Volodymyr (Mel'nik) of Shepetivka to the Eparchy of Volodymyr-in-Volhynia, and elected Archimandrite Dionisiy (Konstantinov) of the Kiev Caves Lavra as Bishop of Shepetivka.

Malankara Orthodox Local Synod Meets

The Local Synod of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church has met under Catholicos Mar Baselios Thomas I of the East to discuss issues in the life of the Church in India and candidates for election to the Church's vacant dioceses in the country. More (in Arabic) here.

Belorussian Orthodox Local Synod Glorifies St. Cyprian Klimuts, Establishes Department for Cossack Relations

The Local Synod of the Belorussian Orthodox Church met late last week in Polotsk, Belarus, to discuss internal issues in the life of the Church. Among other things the Local Synod glorified St. Cyprian Klimuts and blessed the establishment of a department to regulate the Church's relations with Belarus' Cossacks. More (in Russian) here.

Kazakh Orthodox Local Synod Meets in Uralsk

The Local Synod of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan has met under its first hierarch, Metropolitan Alexander (Mogilev) of Astana, in Uralsk, Kazakhstan, to discuss issues in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country. Among other things the assembled hierarchs approved plans for a September visit by the Kursk-Root Icon and blessed the commemoration of the Astana Icon of the Theotokos.

The Local Synod's session closed with a concelebration of services in Uralsk's Cathedral of the Nativity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Eparchy of Uralsk. More (in Russian) here.

Romanian Orthodox Local Synod for Western, Southern Europe Meets in Brussels

The Local Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Western and Southern Europe has met in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss the internal life of the Metropolitanate, the possibility of obtaining funds from the European Union, and the expansion of monasticism in the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Spain and Portugal. Following their meeting the hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Western and Southern Europe traveled to eastern Belgium to bless the founding of a new monastery in Namur on the site of a former Byzantine Catholic monastery. More (in Romanian) here.

Moldovan Orthodox Local Synod Discusses Upcoming Patriarchal Visit

The Local Synod of the Moldovan Orthodox Church began meeting yesterday to discuss issues in the life of the Orthodox Church in Moldova. Among other things the Local Synod approved the establishment of a commission on the glorification of saints and the development of plans for the upcoming visit of Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow to Moldova this coming fall. More (in Romanian) here.

After their meeting the members of the Local Synod met with Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat to discuss recent changes in laws regulating religious organizations in Moldova. Filat agreed to establish a commission to review the new laws that would include representatives of both the Moldovan government and the Moldovan Orthodox Church. More (in Romanian) here.

Candidates for Archbishop of Alba Iulia Announced

The Local Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Cluj has designated two candidates for consideration for election to the vacant cathedra of the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia, which became vacant when its archbishop was elected Metropolitan of Cluj. The candidates are Bishop Andrei of Fagaras, auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Sibiu, and Bishop Irineu of Bistrita, auxiliary of the Metropolitanate of Cluj. More (in Romanian) here.

Japanese Orthodox Synod to Meet, Discuss Earthquake Relief Efforts

The Local Synod of the Japanese Orthodox Church will meet this coming Tuesday to assess the needs of the areas of Japan effected by the recent earthquake and how the Church can help in the ongoing reconstruction efforts.

Since the earthquake the Eparchy of Sendai (the diocese of the Japanese Orthodox Church in the area worst hit by the earthquake) has accounted for all of its clergy and churches. Of its faithful it has been discovered that six died as a result of the earthquake while four others remain missing. More here.

Meeting of Belorussian Orthodox Local Synod

At the meeting of the Local Synod of the Belorussian Orthodox Church yesterday it was decided to glorify a saint who struggled against the Unia, Archimandrite Leontius (Karpovich) of Vilnius, and to mark the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. In addition to the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus the meeting was also attended by high ranking officials of the Belorussian government. More here.

Moldovan Orthodox Local Synod Meets in Chisinau

The Local Synod of the Moldovan Orthodox Church met today under Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of Chisinau to discuss recent changes to Moldova's laws regulating religious organizations. The hierarchs also discussed the expansion of the Church's local involvement in providing social services (in particular health issues and abuse) to the Moldovan public and the upcoming visit of Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow to Moldova this October. More here.

Romanian Orthodox Hierarchs of Moldavia and Bukovina Meet

Yesterday the Metropolitanate of Moldavia and [Southern] Bukovina held a meeting of its local synod in Iasi, Romania, with Metropolitan Theophan of Iasi, Archbishop Pimen of Suceava and Rădăuţi, Bishop Corneliu of Huşi, and auxiliary Bishops Calinic of Botoşăni and Ioachim of Băcău participating. The assembled hierarchs approved measures to strengthen their flocks in the face of attacks from heretical groups from the West and also blessed the establishment of a new women's monastery in Baluseni. More here.

Archbishop Pimen of Suceava is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his enthronement in Suceava today. Prior to his election as Archbishop of Suceava, Vladica Pimen was Abbot of the famous Putna Monastery, served in the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Romanian Orthodox representation in Jerusalem, and as auxiliary bishop of the Metropolitanate of Iasi and Moldavia and Bukovina.

Ukrainian Orthodox Local Synod Meets

The Local Synod of the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate has met in Kiev to discuss the life of the Church in the Ukraine and plans for a visit by Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of Moscow to Kharkov. More here.

Finnish Orthodox Church Approves New Translations

At a recent meeting of the Local Synod of the Finnish Orthodox Church a Finnish-language translation of the Septuagint was approved and blessed for use in the divine services of the Finnish Orthodox Church, as was a new translation of the Great Litany. More here.