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The 1917-1918 Council was the first council of the Russian Church since the one of 1681-1682, and also the first since Peter I [[deposition|deposed]] the [[Patriarch]] and introduced his reforms including the establishment of the [[Apostolic Governing Synod|Holy Synod]] under a civil [[Ober-Procurator|procurator]] as the senior authority of the [[Church]]. This action resulted in a far-reaching diminution in ecclesiastical power and deep State involvement in the affairs of the Church. As the twentieth century began this arrangement had reached a critical stage for the Church, a situation which was further heightened when Tsar [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]] released the manifesto of freedom of religious conscience on [[April 17]], 1905. This action compromised the authority of the Church, deprived it of its special status, and gave greater freedoms to other religious groups.
Discussion of the problems confronting the Church had been on-going since the mid 1880s, but with little positive effect other than the realization that only a national Church council, with the powers inherent to it under church [[tradition]], could satisfactorily implement the necessary reforms. The urgency for convening a council peaked with the revolution of 1905-1907 and the emperor's manifesto of 1905. The strong consensus in the Church for the need of a council under the principles of conciliarism ([[sobornost]]) was not to the liking of the [[Constantine Petrovich Pobedonostsev|procurator ]] nor the emperor. Yet, Tsar Nicholas, with misgivings, authorized the formation of a Preconciliar Commission in 1906-1907. While the deliberations of the Commission for a council were published in four thick volumes, Nicholas postponed the council due to the upheaval of revolution of 1905.
==Preparations==
