The meeting of the Synod of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District took place in Astana

September 28, 2024. Astana In the synodal hall of the spiritual, cultural and administrative center of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District named after the Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, a meeting of the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was held under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

The Synod of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District includes: Archbishop Barnabas of Pavlodar and Ekibastuz, Archbishop Sebastian of Karaganda and Shakhty, Archbishop Amfilohiy of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk, Archbishop Serapion of Kokshetau and Akmola, Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulaevsk, Administrator of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda, Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau; Honorary Member – Archbishop Anthony (Moskalenko).

After the common prayer, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan greeted the archpastors with an opening speech, congratulated those present on the joy of bringing the relics of the holy blessed elder Matrona of Moscow to Kazakhstan and announced the agenda.

The work of the Synod was opened by Metropolitan Alexander with his report on the stay in Alma-Ata of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Healer", the celebration in the southern capital of the country of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana and Alma-Ata diocese in May of this year, and the celebrations on the occasion of the 170th anniversary of the founding of the oldest church of the Astana diocese - the Cathedral of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine and his mother Queen Helena of the city of Astana in June of this year.

The head of the Metropolitan District told the members of the Synod about his visits to the Chimkent and Aktobe dioceses and meetings with the heads of diplomatic missions - the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation D.A. Abayev, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan Archbishop George Panamthundil and the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Kazakhstan P.V. Utyupin.

Metropolitan Alexander reported on the holding of the III International Scientific and Theological Conference "Timonov Readings" in the Kostanay and Rudny Diocese and the visit of the President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso to the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty.

The Metropolitan informed the Synod about the pilgrimage of the delegation of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District to the holy sites of the Belarusian Exarchate in August of this year, which took place as part of the preparations for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the death of the ever-memorable elder-saint Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), a native of the Belarusian land.

The Administrator of the Affairs of the Metropolitan District, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, presented reports on his participation in a number of events: a meeting of the Commission of the Inter-Council Presence on Public Life, Culture, Science and Information, an international interreligious online conference "The Role of Religious Leaders in Achieving Sustainable Peace" and a round table on the issues of artificial intelligence and bioethics.

The members of the Synod heard a report by Archbishop Amfilohije of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk about a meeting with the Akim of the East Kazakhstan Region E.B. Kosherbaev and the report of Bishop of Uralsk and Atyrau Vianor about the meeting with the Akim of the Atyrau region S.Zh. Shapkenov.

Vicar of the Astana diocese Bishop of Taldykorgan Claudian reported on the holding of an educational conference for the monastics of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan "Replenishment of the brotherhood of the monastery. What does it depend on?"

At the end of the meeting, the members of the Synod addressed words of congratulations to the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, who celebrated the 35th anniversary of his archpastoral ordination on September 27, wishing God's mercy, strength and many years of service to the Church of Christ.

The minutes of the meeting of the Synod of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District are published after their approval by His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (see Article 9, Chapter XIII of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church: “The minutes of the Synod of the Metropolitan District are submitted to the Holy Synod and approved by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'”).