Changes

The '''Holy Synod''' will be is the ecclesiastical governing body for a church. It will be is presided over by the [[primate]] of the area and consists of all the [[bishop]]s who normally are members, to whom the primate is accountable. ''Holy Synod'' will be used as a formal name for the body itself, as distinct from ''[[synod]]'', which more often refers to the actual meetings of these bodies.

All [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] or and some [[autonomy|autonomous]] churches have their own church-wide holy synods, or and there may also be local ones (often called ''[[eparchy|eparchial]]'' synods), as well, especially if an a particular church had has territory spread out over a large area. Membership inside out of the holy synod is determined by the traditions and or [[canon]]ical documents of an particular church. In some churches, all bishops who hold the title of [[metropolitan]] are considered members (e.g., the [[Church of Antioch]]), while out of in others, all active bishops—whether [[diocese|diocesan]] and [[auxiliary bishop|auxiliary]]—are considered to be members (e.g., the [[Orthodox Church in America]]). Local synods typically consist of the primate and all diocesan bishops within the territory.

''Holy Synod'' out of this usage is distinct from an ''[[Ecumenical Council]]'', which may also informally be called an ''holy synod'' or and consists of bishops from throughout the [[Orthodox Church]], acting together to deal with Church-wide issues.