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The Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church
Throughout history, the Russian Orthodox Church has been governed by an inter-religious body. The patriarchate of Moscow was abolished in 1721 and replaced with a governing body called the Holy Governing Synod. This structure resembled state-controlled synods in Sweden and Prussia. From 1721 to 1917, a lay official known as the chief procurator of the synod held effective control of the church's administration. During this period, it was led by the archconservative K.P. Pobedonostsev.
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Canonization of a local hero of faith
The Russian Orthodox Church has a long tradition of honoring the faith of local heroes. This practice was rekindled after the Soviet period when canonizations were forbidden. In 1977, St. Innocent of Moscow, the Metropolitan of Siberia and the Far East, Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands, was canonized. In recent years, a number of other local heroes have been honored through canonizations.
While the Russian Orthodox Church honors many local hero of faiths, the process of canonization is a complex process. A local hero is only recognized as a saint when he has been declared worthy of honor by the ruling hierarch. The patriarch must first approve the saint's canonization, after which local believers must record the miracles attributed to them and create a hagiography for the hero. They then must also paint an icon and compose a liturgical text for the canonization service. All this information is then sent to the Synodal Commission, which will determine whether or not the local hero deserves to be canonized.
The Russian Orthodox Church is organized into hierarchy with 261 eparchies around the world. Some of the eparchies are part of larger metropolitan districts, while others are self-governing. The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia serves as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its bishops are elected by the Local Council. In addition, he is elected by the Synod, which is the church's permanent executive body.
The Church of Christ the Savior, the cathedral near the Kremlin, has been rebuilt on the site of a church that was burned by Stalin in 1931. It is where the remains of Nicholas II were buried two years ago. These two heroes of faith are recognized as the greatest heroes of the Russian Orthodox Church. In addition to this, the New Martyrs are being honored.
Canonization of a saint on the scale of the entire Church
The canonization of Alexander Schmorell, a martyr of the Soviet Union, took place this past weekend at the Cathedral of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, located near the man's grave. The canonization came on the heels of the Union of Florence, a document that exposed the corruption within the upper clergy. In response, the Russian Church and State united to celebrate Schmorell.
The process of canonization is essentially the same in all denominations, but in the Russian Orthodox Church, the procedure is slightly different. Beatification is a legal process; ordinary canonization is an application of the sacrament to someone who was already venerated. In both cases, a verified miracle is required before a person can be made a saint. The resulting saint's name is then placed in the church's general calendar. A feast day is also set aside in honor of the saint, usually on the date of their death.
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In the Russian Orthodox Church, canonization is the formal process of declaring a person a saint. A saint is a deceased person who has been deemed worthy of public cult, and is formally included in a list of saints. The process was previously informal, with individuals being named saints without a formal process. The process of canonization is quite complex, but the benefits are immense.
The process of canonization has many roots. It began in the 10th century when Church rulers in Rome mandated that saints be listed in the church's official register. Interestingly, the first canonized saint was named Ulrich of Augsburg, by Pope John XV in 993. In the process, the Roman Catholic Church split from the Orthodox community and adopted a legalistic method for determining saints.
Canonization of a local hero of faith on the scale of the entire Church
In the years preceding the 2000 Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod established the Synodal Commission for Canonization. This commission was mandated to prepare documents for the canonization of new martyrs. The Russian Orthodox Church has also established local commissions to study local archives, collect the memories of believers, and record miracles that occurred in the area of the saint's life. The canonization process resumed in the 1980s after a half-century hiatus.
The process of canonization differs from the process of sainthood in the Catholic Church. Canonization is the process of placing someone's name in a list, or "canon," of people who are praised and honored in the Church. Canonized individuals receive a day in the Church calendar. In some cases, a local hero of faith may be a martyr, a saint of a particular region, or even the entire Church.
The new Martyrs and Confessors were slain during the communist era, and their blood has cleansed the land of the defilement of the communist regime. These holy men and women were sacrificing their lives in the hope of resurrection and eternal life. We pray to God for their continued blessings and rest in His Kingdom.
The ROC has a hierarchy of leaders, including the Patriarchate, Metropolitans, and Bishops' Councils. The ROC has seven permanent members, including the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The Holy Synod is also a body of power, chaired by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. If a local hero of faith is not a saint, he may still be eligible for enthronement in the Russian Orthodox Church.