- Sobor
In
Eastern Orthodox Church es that use a Slavic language (the Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Serbian Orthodox Churches), along with theRomanian Orthodox Church , a sobor is acouncil ofbishop s together with other clerical and lay delegates representing the church as a whole in matters of importance. The name is derived from the Church Slavonic word for "assembly".A sobor is distinct from a
synod , which is a gathering composed only ofbishop s. Sobors are held irregularly, only as need arises; whereas a synod meets regularly and deals with the ordinary governance of the church. The presence of clerical and lay delegates is for the purpose of discerning the consensus of the church on important matters; however, the bishops form anupper house of the sobor, and the laity cannot overrule their decisions.Important sobors in the
History of the Russian Orthodox Church are:*The
Stoglavy Sobor (Sobor of a Hundred Chapters ) in 1551
*TheMoscow Sobor of 1666–1667 , to deal with disputes surrounding the ecclesiastical reforms ofPatriarch Nikon
*The All-Russian Sobor of 1917, which restored theMoscow Patriarchate and electedSaint Tikhon as the first modern Patriarch of Moscow
*The All-Russian Sobor of 1988, called on the 1000th anniversary of theBaptism of Rus' to guide the church in the wake ofglasnost and the loosening of the Soviet grip over the churchA bishop may also call a sobor for his
diocese , which again would have delegates from the clergy, monasteries and parishes of his diocese, to discuss important matters. Such diocesan sobors may be held annually or only occasionally."Sobor" also means assemblies of other kinds, such as a "
zemsky sobor ," which in 16th- and 17th-centuryRussia was a high government council convened by theTsar .External links
* [http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/pages/S/O/Sobor.htm 'Sobor' in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine]
* [http://ocaphoto.oca.org/filetmp/2002/July/492/Detail/P1010005.jpgA photograph of an American sobor]
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