MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message of greetings to participants in the Bishop’s Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was posted on the Kremlin website on Wednesday.

"It is gratifying to realize that these days the Russian Orthodox Church has significantly expanded its service. It pays permanent attention to the problems of enlightenment and charity, efforts to raise the younger generation, protect the family, motherhood and childhood," the message of greetings reads.

Putin noted the Russian Orthodox Church’s contribution to the consolidation of society, the preservation of interethnic peace and harmony and to the dialogue with the state on the crucial issues for the country.

The president wished the participants in the Bishops’ Council successful work and all the best expressing the confidence that its work will be productive and evoke a wide public response.

The Bishop’s Council is the supreme church administration body. It is convened at least once every four years. The 2017 Council meeting held from November 29 to December 2 has brought together about 400 bishops from 22 counties and is chaired by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Among the issues discussed there are the organization of monastic life, glorification of locally venerated saints, school education, church weddings and the possible number of marriages in modern society, the problems of Christians in the Middle East, the situation in Ukraine and the identification of the "Yekaterinburg remains.".