Archbishop Hilarion Kapral of Australia and New Zealand (seated in centre, with crown and purple robes), locum tenens of the ROCOR
Moscow, 17 March 2008 (Interfax):
The Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations told Interfax-Religion that Archbishop Hilarion Kapral of Australia and New Zealand shall be acting chairman of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) until a new primate for the ROCOR is elected. “The name of Archbishop Hilarion, the first deputy chairman of the Synod, will be mentioned during church services in all ROCOR churches after the name of Patriarch Aleksei II of Moscow and all Russia”, a spokesman for the department said. The Holy Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR is expected to elect a new primate for the ROCOR after Orthodox Easter, which falls this year on 27 April. The previous head hierarch of the ROCOR, Metropolitan Laurus, died on Sunday.
Interfax-Religion
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=23368 (in Russian)
