The Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church opened in the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill led a solemn prayer service on the occasion of the inauguration.
A plenary session started at 10.00. The Council was attended by the hierarchy of all Russian and foreign dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, RIA Novosti reported.
Earlier, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin would attend the Bishops' Council.
