The Plenum of the Inter-Council Presence approved a draft document regulating the procedure for the election of the Patriarch

On November 22-23, 2012, a plenum of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church was held in Moscow. The plenum participants approved a number of documents, including the draft document “Procedure and criteria for the election of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.”

The draft provides for four options, differing in the composition of electors and those who can nominate a candidate for this post:

"1. The Patriarch is elected by the Local Council from candidates presented by the Council of Bishops, but the Local Council does not have the right to nominate its own candidates.

2. The Patriarch is elected by the Council of Bishops (or the Council of Bishops as part of the Local Council) from candidates presented by the Local Council.

3. The Patriarch is elected by the Council of Bishops from candidates determined at the Council of Bishops itself.

4. The Patriarch is elected by the Local Council from candidates presented by the Council of Bishops, according to the procedure of the Councils of 1990 and 2009.” .

The project assumes secret voting for any option and the possibility of self-recusal for candidates.

Sources

• Korobov P. The will of God was given selectivity // Kommersant. 2012. November 26.
• The first day of the plenum of the Inter-Council Presence has ended // Patriarchia.ru. 2012. November 22.
• Draft document “Procedure and criteria for the election of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia” // Ibid. 2011. June 16.