Russian Orthodox Holy Synod Establishes New Dioceses, Elects Bishops

A session of the Russian Orthodox Holy Synod was held today in the historic building of the Most Holy Synod in St. Petersburg. In addition to the permanent members of the Holy Synod four hierarchs from Russia and Ukraine and Archbishop Feofan of Berlin are also participating in the meeting. More on that here.

Among other decisions taken during today's session the Holy Synod blessed the establishment of the new Eparchies of Narva in northeastern Estonia, Krasnoslobodsk in the west of the Republic of Mordovia (a member republic of the Russian Federation), Ardatov in eastern Mordovia, Khanty-Mansiysk in central Siberia, Salekhard in northwestern Siberia, and Norilsk in northern Siberia.

Having established the new dioceses in Russia and Estonia and determined the need for new auxiliary bishops in certain dioceses the Holy Synod proceeded to elect Bishops Nikodim of Chukotka as ruling Bishop of Norilsk and the Yenisei and Ilya of Yakutsk as the Eparchy of Saransk's auxiliary Bishop of Ruzaevsky; auxiliary Bishops Lazar of Narva as ruling Bishop of Narva, Kliment (formerly of Ruzaevsky) as ruling Bishop of Krasnoslobodsk, Nikolai of Zvenigorod as ruling Bishop of Salekhard, and Seraphim of Voskresensk as ruling Bishop of Chukotka; Archimandrites Roman (Lukin) as Bishop of Yakutsk and Pavel (Fokine) as Bishop of Khanty-Mansiysk; and Igumen Savva (Mikheyev) as the Eparchy of Moscow's auxiliary Bishop of Voskresensk.

The oversight of the Eparchy of Ardatov was left in the hands of Metropolitan Varsonofiy of Saransk for the time being. More on the various decisions taken at today's session can be found (in Russian) here.