NEW YORK: October 26, 2010 
The Synod of Bishops Holds a Teleconference 

On Tuesday, October 26, 2010, the feast day of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia held a teleconference. Participating in the call were His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, President of the Synod of Bishops; His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany; His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America, Secretary; His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada; His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America, Treasurer, and His Grace Bishop Jerome of Manhattan, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese. 

After approving the agenda for the call, the members of the Synod of Bishops heard a report by Archbishop Mark on the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, as well as a financial report by Bishop Peter.  

The Synod studied the document drafted by the joint Commissions of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Orthodox Church in America during their meeting in Sea Cliff, NY, on October 5-6. The Synod approved the draft, noting its agreement with the positions of principle of our Church. The decision to publish this document will be coordinated with the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America, and the Commissions will continue their work.  

Further, the teleconference made a decision on providing archpastoral care to parish communities of Old Ritualists of the Russian Church Abroad and entrusted them to His Grace Bishops John of Caracas and South America.   

In addition to these reports, other administrative and managerial matters were discussed, as well as intercessions by the archpastors for ecclesiastical awards to clerics and laypersons in their dioceses.  

The next regular session of the Synod of Bishops will be held on December 7-9, coinciding with the feast day of the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign in New York on December 10. The 90th anniversary of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia will be marked on that day. 

The session ended with the singing of the Hymn to the Most-Holy Virgin.