The Holy Synod of Jerusalem is the senior ruling body of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher.

The Synod consists of 18 members nominated by the Patriarch

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head bishop of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine Patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 2005, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has been Theophilos III...

 in a session of the Holy Synod itself. It normally consists of all of the bishops and several senior archimandrite

Archimandrite

The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...

s (or younger archimandrites who are likely to be made bishops at some point).

During the interregnum between patriarchs it serves as the supreme body under the chairmanship of the locum tenens. The current President of the Holy Synod is Patriarch Theofilos III of Jerusalem.

Election of Theophilos III

The Synod was involved in the election of Theophilos III as Patriarch

Patriarch

Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...

 of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem on 22 August 2005. The Synod consisted of 14 permanent members.