The Moscow Council as an ecclesiological "event"

This article by Father Hyacinthe Destivelle, O.P., focuses on the local Council of Moscow of 1917-1918 and its ecclesiological significance. Drawing on historical and theological study, it proposes reading this council not as a mere canonical institution, but as an "event," in the sense that the Ravenna Document gives to this term: a kairos brought about by the Holy Spirit. The main idea is that the Moscow Council constitutes a unique moment of institutional implementation of conciliarity, at all levels of ecclesial life — supreme governance, eparchial administration, parish and monastic life — bringing together bishops, clergy, and laity. The theological contribution of the article lies in its demonstration that this council, which became a council of martyrs under Soviet persecution, translated sobornost' into concrete canonical structures, thereby offering an original and lasting contribution to Orthodox ecclesiological reflection and to ecumenical dialogue.