“The clergy of the XI-XXI centuries in the society and in the state: canonical and legal status”

This article reports on the round table “The Clergy of the XI-XXI centuries in the Society and in the State: Canonical and Legal Status”, which was organised by the T. V. Barsov Society for the Study of Church Law at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy of the Russian Orthodox Church (“Barsov Society”). Moderator's (P. I. Gaidenko) position paper presented in full was followed by a summary of the roundtable discussion. The main topic of discussion was the contemporary status of the clergy. The participants gave examples from the current diocesan practice of the Russian Orthodox Church and discussed the work of the diocesan ecclesiastical courts. It was highlighted that a study of the status of the clergy in the Soviet period of Russian history is a topic for a separate study. In conclusion, directions for further research were outlined, including the topic of “Ecclesiastical Law and Culture”.