Changes

The Council's ideas quickly became irrelevant as the new Bolshevik government issued a decree on [[January 23]], 1918, separating church and state. Additionally, the decree denied the existence of the Church as a juridical entity and denied it any right to own property. The difficulties the Church experienced which were serious with the loss of finances when the Provisional Government failed became insurmountable as the Bolsheviks began to confiscate cash, monetary assets, and property. Included in the property seizures were those of printing presses which quickly made it impossible for the Church to communicate to the faithful and extended Church. Further, the clergy was disenfranchised and subject to persecution. The Church found quickly that it did not have any influence or power to object to the new government.

The clergy, having been disenfranchised, lost civil rights and found itself without recourse, with the prospect of being drafted into the Red Army. In January 1918, the Council began to hear of many cases of clergy, including bishops, being placed into prison and [[martyr]]ed. These included many members of the Council such as Metr. [[Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Kiev and Gallich|Vladimir of Kiev]], who was the chairman of the Section on Church Discipline; Archbishop [[Andronik of Perm]], who was chairman of the Section on Legal and Economic Status of the Clergy; and Bishop Germogen of Tobol'sk.

[[Image:Bishop Adronik Kyoto.jpg|thumb|right|200pxl|Archbishop Adronik as Bishop of Kyoto]]