The Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District takes part in the first meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2025

March 20, 2025. Moscow. In the Patriarchal and Synodal residence in the Danilov Monastery, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' chaired the first meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2025.

Opening the meeting, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the members of the Holy Synod with a brief greeting, after which the Synod began its work according to the agenda.

The meeting is attended by:

permanent members of the Holy Synod: Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and All Moldova; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, head of the Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District; Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Metropolitanate; Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Metropolitan Gregory of Voskresensk, Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Nicander of Vladimir and Suzdal, Chairman of the Financial and Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate;

temporary members of the Holy Synod: Metropolitan Filaret of Novaya Kakhovka and Genichesk; Metropolitan Ferapont of Kostroma and Nerekhta; Archbishop Mark of Vorkuta and Usinsk; Bishop Tarasius of Balashov and Rtishchevsky; Bishop Tikhon of Ishim and Aromashevsky.

The Holy Synod approved the journals of the Synod of the Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 29, 2024 and February 17, 2025.

The members of the Holy Synod had an opinion on filling the vacant chair of the Kokshetau Diocese of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District and decided that the Most Reverend Archbishop of Novoazovsk Varsonofy, Vicar of the Donetsk Diocese, should be the Bishop of Kokshetau and Akmola.