He said the Synod had decided to form Pyatigorsk and Circassian including Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia and some other districts.The position of the Ruling Bishop of this newly-created diocese will be taken by the Bishop of Smolensk and Vyazma Theophylact. The Synod also decided to create Vladikavskaz and Makhachkala diocese, which will include the parishes of North Ossetia, Dagestan, Ingushetia and Chechnya. This diocese will be led by the Archbishop of Elista and Kalmykia Zosima, RIA Novosti reports.
Because of the fact that the parishes of Dagestan will now belong to Vladikavkaz and Makhachkala diocese, Baku and Caspian diocese will change its name to Baku and Azerbaijan. The bishop of Pavloposadsk Cyril, vicar of the Moscow diocese responsible for the Synodal Commission for the Cossack affairs will be appointed the ruling bishop of the diocese of Stavropol and Nevinomyssk as it will now be called.
The Holy Synod also decided to establish a Supreme Church Council, adopted the concept of spiritual education in the Russian Orthodox Church and a series of personnel decisions.
