In 1839 the commission of ecclesiastical schools, which had been established in 1808, was dissolved by the czar, and the Holy Synod was charged with the direction of these schools.
Subordinate to the Holy Synod are — 1, the synodal
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office of Moscow, which is presided over by the met- ropolitan of the city, who is assisted by a vicar-general, one archimandrite, and one protopresbyter ; "2, the syn- odal office of Grusia, in which the metropolitan of Titiis and Grusia presides, being assisted by two archiman- drites and one protopresbyter; 3, the college of the for- mer Greek United Church in White Russia ancL Lithu- ania, presided over by the archbishop of Lithuania, who is assisted by three members of the secular clergy. The synod has two printing-offices, in St. Petersburg and Moscow, in which all rescripts of the czar and the synod referring to ecclesiastical affairs, all books used at divine service, and, in general, all books, registers, circulars, prayers, pictures, etc., intended for Church use are print- ed. The synod sends the printed matter to the bishop, who distributes it among the clergy. Every parish priest has to render at the end of the year an account to the bishops of all articles sold, and to remit to him the proceeds. The bishop sends an account of all ar- ticles sold within the diocese and remits the amount. The synod has annually from these sales a considerable surplus, which is used for supplying poor eparchies and parishes gratuitously with the books and other objects needed at divine service. Books on theological sub- jects are not only printed in the offices of the synod, but their contents must be expressly approved by it. For this purpose the Holy Synod is assisted bj'' three committees of censorship, which have their seats at St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Kief.
(2.) Orders of the Clerfjy.—'Vhe, higher clergy of the Russian Church consists of metropolitans, archbishops, and bishops. At first Russia had only one metropolitan, at Kief; when the patriarchate was erected, the arch- bishops of Novgorod, Kasan, Astrakhan, Rostoff, and Krutizk were raised to the rank of metropolitans. In 16G7 the czar Alexis JNIichaelovitch raised the arch- bishops of Kasan and Siberia to metropolitans, and ap- pointed a special metropolitan at Astrakhan. Five other metropolitans were appointed by Theodore Alex- ievitch, and, on the accession of Peter the Great, Russia had, therefore, twelve metropolitans. Peter appointed in the place of the deceased metropolitans and arch- bishops only bishops, and conferred the title of " metro- politan" and "archbishop" upon any bishops he pleased. Thus the titles "metropolitan" and "archbishop" are now not bound to dioceses of a higher degree, but are only the honorary titles of bishops whom the czar wishes to distinguish by a higher title. It has, however, l)een customary that the occupants of the eparchies Nov- gorod-Petersburg, Moscow, and Kief have the title "metropolitans," and in 1878 no other archbishop had this title. The eparchies are divided into eparchies of the first, second, and third classes, according to the sal- aries connected with the sees. The three metropolitans of Novgorod-Petersburg, Moscow, and Kief belong to the first class. According to Silbernagl (Verfassimg und gegenwdrtif/er Begtand sdmnitUcher Kirchen des Ori- ents, 1865), there were seventeen eparchies of the second and thirty of the third class. Not embraced in these numbers are the eparchies of Georgia or Grusia, which territory in 1801 was incorporated with Russia. The country has at present five eparchies, which are not di- vided into classes, but among which that of Titiis holds the highest rank. The occupant of the see has the title "exarch of all Georgia," and is always ex officio member of the Holy Synod and president of the synodal office at Tiflis. When an episcopal see becomes vacant, the synod, according to the regulations of Peter the Great, presents to the czar two candidates, of whom the czar is to select one. Often, however, the czar himself designates a can- didate, whom the synod has to elect. As the bishop has to be unmarried, and all the secular clergy are married, the candidates for the episcopal sees can only be taken from the regular clergy. The first claim belongs to those archimandrites who are members of the Holy Synod, or those to whom affairs of the synod have been intrusted, and who have given proof of their abilitj'. After the
confirmation of the bishop elect by the czar, all the archbishops and bishops present in the capital assemble in the hall of the synod, and the new bishop is pro- claimed by the oldest archbishop. The consecration always takes place in the cathedral, and is also attended by all bishops of the capital. The rights and duties of the bishops are fuUv explained in the Spiritual Regu- lations of Peter the Great. The bishop ordains all the clergymen of his diocese, but he is expected not to or- dain more priests, deacons, and other clergymen than are necessary for the celebration of divine service. He has to superintend all the monks under his jurisdiction, and to see that they observe the monastic rules, but he has not the right to punish them without the previous consent of the Holy Synod. The secular clergy, on the other hand, are, also in this respect, wholly under his jurisdiction. Laymen may be excommunicated by the bishop on account of public transgression of the divine commandments, or on account of heresy, but the bishops must previously admonish them three times, and must not involve the family of the culprit in the sentence. The bishop is in particular expected to devote himself zealously to the establishment of schools and semina- ries. In order to become acquainted with his eparchy, the bishop shall visit all its parishes at least once every two or three j-ears, and he is not allowed to leave the diocese without the permit of the Holy Synod. In all important or doubtful affairs he is directed to ask for the advice of the Holy Synod. The bishop holds the official rank of a major-general and a councillor of state. According to a ukase of 1764, issued by Catharine II, the property of all bishoprics, convents, and churches of Great Russia was confiscated and transferred for admin- istration to the College of Economy, which now pays to all the bishops a fixed salary. To new eparchies the czar assigns likewise a fixed salary', to be paid by the College of Economy; he also determines, in case two eparchies are united, whether the bishop shall receive the income of one or of both. As has already been stated, the eparchies are divided, according to the amount of the salaries, into eparchies of the first, second, and third class. According to the ukase of Catharine II, the prel- ates of the first class are to receive a salary of 1500 ru- bles, those of the second class 1200 rubles, and those of the third class 1000 rubles. Besides, the bishops receive a certain amount of table-money, etc., for defraj-ing the expenses of their household. The table-money of the metropolitans ranges from 2200 to 3'.)00 rubles; the bishops of the second class receive 1000, and those of the third class 800. The bishops generally reside in celebrated convents, which, however, although thej' are still called convents, are now rather extensive "episco- pal houses." Besides the incomes derived from the State, the bishops receive fees for their episcopal functions, as the consecration of new churches, the ordination of priests, for masses for the dead, etc. The eparchies bear their name from the place where the prelate has his residence, rarely from a province. It is common to mention the name of the eparchy by means of adjec- tives, as the "Muscovite metropolitan" instead of the " metropolitan of Moscow."