For the first time in its millennium-long history, the Russian Orthodox Church has established the Court Christian, or the ecclesiastical court that has jurisdiction in religious matters, Metropolitan Clement, one of the most senior hierarchs of the Church told reporters Thursday.
As he commented on the decisions of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Church, the Most Rev. Clement said the ecclesiastical and civil courts had a certain difference.
“The ecclesiastical court’s jurisdiction will embrace canonical matters only,” he said, citing the rulings on disengagement of church marriages or prohibitions to keep clerical positions as instances of the activity of such courts.
The ecclesiastical court has never existed as an independent institution in whatever period of Russian Church history, the Most Rev. Clement said.
Before the revolution of 1917, those courts were part of the so-called spiritual consistories, while after the revolution the litigious issues were considered by the Holy Synod of the Church.
The Council of Bishops endorsed a provisional act on the ecclesiastical courts, which says they will be reporting to dioceses of the Church over the next two years.
After that, a united Court of the Russian Orthodox and its supreme instance, the Court of the Council of Bishops will be established, the Most Rev. Clement said.