At the own proposal of His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Throne, elevated Bishop John of Charioupolis to the rank of Archbishop, honoris causa, and appointed him as Patriarchal Exarch of the Orthodox Parishes of Russian tradition in Western Europe, in accordance with the decision of the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Exarchate which met on the 28th March of this year.