Russian Orthodox Christians wait for a Patriarch

The Sixteenth Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church will be elected at the Local Council of the Church opened today in Moscow. The Local Council is the highest authority of the Russian Orthodox Church which unites bishops, priests, monks and laymen. This Local Council is the 6th in the history of the Russian Orthodoxy (previous Councils were held in 1917, 1945, 1971, 1988 and 1990). 702 delegates were elected to be members of the Local Councils. They present dioceses of the Russian Church from the Russian Federation, other previous parts of the Russian Empire and the Russian emigration: Europe, America, Asia, Australia.
The Russian Imperial Union-Order is presented at the Local Council by Rev Michael Protopopov.


Rev Michael Protopopov (right) with Metropolitan Hilarion of East-America and New York

More information from Russian monarchical sites in English.