NEW YORK: September 6, 2006
A Regular Session of the Synod of Bishops Convened on Tuesday

On September 5, the Apodosis of the Dormition of the Most-Holy Mother of God, a regular session of the Synod of Bishops convened under the chairmanship of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Participating in this session are His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany; His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America; His Grace Bishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe; His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan; and His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland. His Eminence Archbishop Hilarion of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand, Chief Deputy of the President of the Synod of Bishops, could not attend due to health reasons.

In the second half of the day, the bishops began the task of examining the results of the recent meeting between the Commissions of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate at which they worked on the "Act on Canonical Communion" and associated documents. This session of the Synod of Bishops is expected to conclude on Thursday.