The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-22
RussIAN cnuRcn REFoRM.
Downfall of Secular Bnreaucratic Au- thority and Bureaucratic
 Restractfona.

fst. Petersburg, Jan 21.-The invita- lion of Emperor Nicholas to the Met ropolitan Antonius. President of the Holy Synod to convene in extraordinary council to consider reforms in the or ganization of the original church, the first conference of the kind of the Pa triarchate of Mixer in 1854, and the Emperor's determination to call 1t, may signify the restoration of the apos- tolic control of the Russian Greek Church and the downfall of the sec ular authority and bureaucratic re- strictions brought about by M. Pobied- onostseff.
 The discussion of the praeticability of the changes in the church government of Russia was originally begun in RneciaI meeting of the committee of Minister and Department Presidents of the Council of State. But having been informed of it, His Majesty decided that this particular question did not belong to the category of affairs to be dis cussed by an especial committee, but should be decided exclusively by the Holy synod. Therefore the resolution written in the Emperor's own hand was:
 "Erase the question from the list of the council and submit it to the con- sideration of the Holy synod. -
 In accordance with the Emperors wishes sessions last March, prepared report concerning church reform which was submitted for the Emperor's consider ation.
 are first necessary Ill the local councils of the bishops of the various church districts. According to this plan, the patriarch or metropolitan should be the controlling head of the Council of shn hp TaGnOnSlDle them, while they in turn accept the responsibility for the districts from which they are appointed and this Council of Bishops. headed by the Met ropolitan invested with certain govern ing powers should be the basic form of church rule,
 According to this report the Holy Synod proposes:
 gro have the Synod consist of per- manent members together with the members invited by turn from among the preiates of the Russian Church and to have 1t headed by a patriarch. for the glory of the country, granting to him all the canonical rights of a local netropolildn: to call in Moscow by or der of your Imperial Majesty a local council of all the parochial Bishops of tha orthodox church in Russia or of their representatives for the discussion of the various reports and for the dis russion of the following questions:
 'SThe division of Russia into church districts to be governed by metropoli- tans; the examination of the exist ing organs of parochial government and their reform in accordance with the basis of the general council; the introduction of better order in the par Ishes with regard to moral and re- iIeous conditions; the better adminis- tration of charities and places of in- struction; the perfecting of ecclesiasti- cal schools; the examination of laws under which the church acquired prop ertv: the granting to the higher rep ranresentatiyes of the church hierarchy of tbe right to take part in the sessions of the council of state and the com r,t+tee of ministers in all the cases wbich concern the interests of the church and the granting to the priests of the right to take part in the local citv and village councils"
 Emperor Nicholas returned this re- nort to the holy synod on March 31, p,itb the following in his own hand:
 CT deem it unwise to accomplish at the nresent restless time such an inn nortant work as the calling of a local council
 'connformable to the ancient exam rlss of the orthodox Emperors I pro- bose at a propitious time to set this great work in motion and to call a