The dignity of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Kirill, Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America (Dmitriev Boris Mikhailovich)
The content of the article
PATRIARCH OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. In 1453, the great Orthodox empire, Byzantium, fell under the blows of the Turks. The Muscovite kingdom, on the contrary, remaining the only independent Orthodox power, acquired the authority of a stronghold Orthodox faith. The once mighty Church of Constantinople quickly lost its power and fell into decay. Finally, its authority in Moscow was undermined by the conclusion by the Greeks of a union with Roman Catholic Church at the Florence Cathedral cm. UNIA). Distrust of the Greeks and doubts about their Orthodoxy led the Russian bishops to decide in 1480 not to admit Greeks to episcopal chairs. Russian hierarchs no longer traveled to Constantinople to ask for the blessings of the patriarch for their elevation to the metropolitan rank, and were delivered in Moscow. In fact, the Russian Church gained complete independence, however, according to the canons of the ancient church, the real independence of the church, headed by the patriarch, is possible only if there is an institution of the kingdom that accompanies the priesthood. When in 1547, according to the Byzantine rite, Ivan IV was crowned king, the last formal obstacle was removed.
The implementation of this idea took place in the reign of the son of Ivan IV - Fedor Ivanovich. In 1586 Patriarch Joachim of Antioch came to Moscow for royal alms. Deciding to take advantage of the circumstances of this visit, the tsar declared in the Duma that he wanted to establish in Moscow "the highest patriarchal throne." Patriarch Joachim volunteered to bring the king's desire to the attention of the Greek Church, so that when establishing a new patriarchate, the canonical rules would be observed, which provided for the participation of all Eastern patriarchs. In 1588 Patriarch Jeremiah of Constantinople arrived in Russia. The tsar expected that he had brought with him the decision of the ecumenical council on the establishment of the patriarchate in the Russian state, but at the very first audience it turned out that the main purpose of the visit was to receive financial assistance. Then it was decided to detain the patriarch in Moscow and force him to bless the establishment of the Moscow patriarchal throne. Jeremiah was offered to become Patriarch of Russia, with the stipulation that he would live not under the sovereign in Moscow, but in ancient Vladimir, and thus the Russian metropolitan would remain the de facto head of the church. As expected, Jeremiah turned down such a humiliating offer. He also refused to appoint any of the Russian metropolitans as patriarch. Then the Greek was given to understand that he would not be released from Moscow until he yielded. January 26, 1589 Jeremiah erected on patriarchal throne Metropolitan Job, whose candidacy was proposed to the Tsar by Boris Godunov. After that, the Greeks were released from Moscow, handing them rich gifts.
Two years later, Moscow received a letter signed by three patriarchs, 42 metropolitans and 20 bishops, establishing the patriarchate in Russia. As recent studies have shown, most of the signatures were not genuine. Apparently, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, interested in receiving material support from the Russian Tsar, hurried to confirm the deed of the Moscow Cathedral, in connection with which the signatures of some patriarchs were reproduced, who, for one reason or another, were unable to sign the letter in person. Henceforth, the Patriarch of Moscow was to occupy the fifth place (after the Patriarch of Jerusalem) and be supplied by a council of Russian bishops. Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich was extremely dissatisfied with the latter circumstance and sent a letter to Constantinople, in which he recalled the promised third place, after the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Alexandria. However, in this matter ecumenical council remained adamant and in 1593 confirmed his decision on the fifth place of the Moscow Patriarch. All the signatures of the hierarchs on the charter of this cathedral are genuine.
The founding of the patriarchate was an important milestone in the history of the Russian Church. The transformation of the Moscow metropolis into a patriarchy consolidated the fact of the independence of the Russian Church in the norms of canon law and greatly increased the influence of the Russian Church in the international arena. From now on, the ritual of ordination to the rank of Patriarch of Moscow was performed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
Election of the patriarch.
The order of delivery was as follows. On behalf of the tsar or the guardian of the patriarchal throne, letters were sent to all the highest church hierarchs and abbots of the most significant monasteries with a notice of the death of the saint and with an invitation to Moscow to elect a new patriarch. On the appointed day, all those invited were to appear in the Kremlin at the Golden Chamber, where the tsar opened the cathedral. The patriarch was chosen by lot. The king named six candidates. Papers with their names were doused in wax in the presence of the king, sealed with the royal seal and sent to the church where the bishops' council met. Lots were placed on the panagia (breast icon Mother of God, a sign of the hierarchal rank) of the deceased patriarch and were taken out in turn until the last one remained. This lot was handed over unopened to the tsar, who opened it and named the name of the new patriarch.
In the liturgical sense, the patriarch received certain advantages. During solemn exits, not only a cross was carried in front of him, but also candles. Entering the temple, he put on liturgical clothes in the middle of the church, and while in the altar, he sat on a high place and communed the bishops from his hands. The primatial vestments were also somewhat different. Like the metropolitan, he wore white cowl, but the headdress of the patriarch was decorated with a cross or cherubs. The patriarchal miter had a cross at the top. Over the vestments of the hierarch, the patriarch was supposed to wear a colored mantle.
The introduction of the patriarchate in Russia was accompanied by a reform of the church system, which was due to the need to bring it into line with that established in the Eastern patriarchates. The church was divided into metropolitan districts, which included several dioceses. All hierarchs in their dioceses were equal and subordinate to the patriarch, as before to the metropolitan.
Job (d. 1607)
actively began to implement the council's decisions, but not all decisions he managed to put into practice. The time of Job's patriarchate was marked by the establishment of several new church holidays in honor of Russian saints (Basil the Blessed, Kornily Komelsky, Roman Ugletsky, Joseph Volotsky, etc.). The patriarch worked hard and effectively to preserve Orthodoxy among the newly baptized Tatars, in impoverished Georgia, in the conquered lands of Siberia and Karelia. Despite the fact that Job was actually a protege of Boris Godunov and subsequently contributed a lot to his ascension to the throne, he greatly appreciated Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich and was extremely devoted to him. After the death of the sovereign, the patriarch compiled his life, glorifying the meek disposition and mercy of the king. When the first False Dmitry appeared on the historical scene, Patriarch Job firmly opposed him. He anathematized him and in his messages he proved that False Dmitry was none other than the fugitive miracle monk Grishka Otrepyev. Having taken the Russian throne, the impostor brought Job from the patriarchate and sent him to Staritsa. The procedure for depriving Job of the dignity was reminiscent of the removal of Philip from the metropolitan throne by Ivan the Terrible. Job died in Staritsa on June 19, 1607.
In 1605, False Dmitry, despite the fact that Job formally remained the head of the Russian Church, independently elected a new patriarch. It was Archbishop Ignatius of Ryazan, a Greek by birth, who, before coming to Russia, occupied the episcopal chair in Cyprus. He recognized False Dmitry as a prince and was loyal to Latinism (Catholicism). After the overthrow of False Dmitry, Ignatius was defrocked and exiled to the Chudov Monastery.
Hermogenes (1606–1612)
The new patriarch was elected the Metropolitan of Kazan Hermogenes, who, under False Dmitry, was a member of the senate established by the tsar and most consistently opposed his pro-Catholic policy. Despite the fact that in the relationship of the new patriarch with the boyar tsar Vasily Shuisky, discord soon emerged, Hermogenes supported him in every possible way as a crowned king. In 1609, when the boyars, dissatisfied with Shuisky, seized Hermogenes and demanded his consent to the change of the tsar, the patriarch defended Vasily Shuisky. During the Time of Troubles, the patriarch remained one of the few statesmen who remained faithful to Orthodoxy and the national idea. When trying to elevate Prince Vladislav to the Russian throne, Hermogenes made it an indispensable condition for Vladislav to accept the Orthodox faith and protested against the entry of the Polish army into Moscow. From the Kremlin, he sent letters to Russian cities, in which he blessed the detachments of the people's militia that were formed there. The Poles put the patriarch in custody and imprisoned him in the Miracle Monastery, where he died a painful death from starvation. Patriarch Hermogenes canonized as a saint. Cm. HERMOGENES, ST.
Philaret (1619–1634)
From the moment of the death of Hermogenes (1612), the Russian Church remained without a patriarch for seven years. In 1619, Metropolitan Filaret, the father of the newly elected Tsar Mikhail Romanov, returned from Polish captivity. Michael elevated his father to the rank of patriarch. The Jerusalem Patriarch Theophan IV, who was then in the capital, elevated him to the rank of Patriarch of Moscow. The accession of Mikhail Romanov and the enthronement of the patriarch marked the restoration of Russian statehood. The power of the patriarch under Mikhail Romanov reached an unprecedented height, but it was during this period that the consensual actions of the tsar and the patriarch, connected by blood ties, most fully corresponded to the ideal ideas about the “symphony” of the kingdom and the priesthood. As the father of the king and his actual co-ruler, Filaret was called the "great sovereign" and took an active part in state affairs. From the Polish captivity, Filaret took out a firm conviction about the inadmissibility of the union for the Russian Church, and during the years of his patriarchate he put a lot of effort into protecting Russia from Western religious influences. At the same time, Filaret closely followed the development of theological literature in neighboring countries and hatched plans for the creation of a Greek-Latin school and a printing house in Moscow. Worried that the unlimited power he had acquired could later be identified with the patriarchal dignity and this would introduce complications into the relationship between the successors to the throne and the primatial throne, he himself chose as his successor Archbishop Joasaph of Pskov, whose main virtue was "non-arrogant" loyalty to king. Cm. FILARET.
Joasaph (1634–1640)
no longer occupied such a high position as belonged to the father of the king, Patriarch Filaret, and did not bear the title of great sovereign.
Joseph (1640–1652)
After Joasaph, Joseph took the patriarchal chair. Under him, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich issued Code aimed at reducing the role of the church hierarchy and the patriarch in public administration. The patriarch accepted the document with humility.
Nikon (1652–1666)
Patriarchal power again reached its former power under Patriarch Nikon. Born into a peasant family, Nikon (in the world Nikita Minov) made a dizzying career from a village priest to the head of the Russian Church and "lover" and "friend" of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. At first, Nikon imagined the relationship of the royal and patriarchal authorities in the general structure of state life as a co-government of two equal forces. Trusting the patriarch, the tsar left at his full discretion the appointment of bishops and archimandrites. The will of the patriarch was the final authority in all church affairs. The monastic order, which previously limited the judicial power of the patriarch, was inactive under Alexei Mikhailovich. During the Polish-Lithuanian campaigns, Nikon remained the deputy king. The most important documents came to him for signature, in which, with the consent of the tsar, the patriarch was called, as Filaret once was, the great sovereign. Gradually, contradictions emerged in the relationship between the young tsar and the patriarch, connected primarily with the fact that Nikon tried to put the patriarchal power above the royal one. Disagreements led Nikon to arbitrarily leave the patriarchal throne in the hope that he would be asked to return. However, this did not happen. After a long period of doubt and hesitation, in 1666 the Council of Bishops, which was attended by the Patriarchs of Antioch and Jerusalem, deposed Nikon, who arbitrarily left the cathedra, and deprived him of his bishopric and priesthood. Alexei Mikhailovich himself acted as prosecutor at the council. The "competition" between the patriarch and the tsar for primacy in power, unprecedented in Russian history, led to the fact that later the policy of the sovereigns was aimed at limiting the power of the primate. Already the Council of 1666-1667 paid special attention to the relationship between state and spiritual authorities. The council decreed that the king has primacy in worldly affairs. The spiritual life of the state was given to the patriarch. The decision of the Council that the patriarch is not the sole ruler of the church organization, but only the first among equal bishops, was dictated by the sharply negative attitude of the bishops towards Nikon's attempt to demand for himself the special status of the patriarch as the highest and no one subject to jurisdiction. Cm. NIKON.
Joasaph II (1667–1673).
In conclusion, the Council elected a new patriarch, the quiet and modest Joasaph II. From this moment on, the patriarchate begins to lose the state significance that it previously had.
Pitirim (1673), Joachim (1673–1690), Adrian (1690–1700)
occupied the patriarchal throne after Joasaph II. These were patriarchs who did not interfere in state policy, aiming to preserve at least some of the privileges of the clergy, which were consistently attacked by state power. In particular, Joachim managed to achieve the closure of the monastery order. Patriarchs of the second half of the 17th century. they did not welcome the rapprochement between Russia and the West and tried in every possible way to limit the growing influence of foreigners on Russian life and culture. However, they were no longer able to really resist the power of the young Tsar Peter Alekseevich. At the beginning of his patriarchate, the last patriarch Adrian enjoyed the support of the tsar's mother, Natalia Kirillovna, who, in turn, had influence on her son. After her death in 1694, the conflict between the patriarch and the tsar became inevitable. The beginning of their open confrontation was Adrian's refusal to forcibly mow a nun Evdokia Lopukhina, the first wife of Peter Alekseevich, and its culmination was the public insult by the tsar of the patriarch, who appeared to him as an intercessor for the archers sentenced to death. Peter shamefully expelled the primate, thus destroying the ancient custom of grieving the patriarch for the condemned. Consistently pursuing a line to undermine the authority and power of the church, in 1700 the tsar ordered the preparation of a new code, which would destroy all its privileges.
The abolition of the patriarchy.
After the death of Hadrian, the king, by his own will, placed at the head of the management of the church Ryazan Metropolitan Stefan Yavorsky with the title of locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, effectively abolishing the institution of the patriarchate. Peter considered the church exclusively as a government institution, so he later replaced the power of the patriarch with the Theological College (Holy Governing Synod), turning the church into one of the state departments that were under the vigilant control of the monarch. Until 1917, the Holy Synod remained the highest church and government institution in Russia. Cm. JOAKIM.
Restoration of the patriarchate in Russia.
A new epoch in the history of the Russian Patriarchate began in 1917. After the February Revolution, the Holy Synod addressed the archpastors and pastors of Russia with a message stating that with the changed state system"The Russian Orthodox Church can no longer remain with those orders that have outlived their time." In the planned reorganization, the main issue was the restoration ancient form church management. By decision of the Synod, the Local Council of 1917–1918 was convened, which restored the patriarchate. The cathedral opened on the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin and was the longest in the history of the Russian Church.
Tikhon (1917–1925)
On October 31, 1917, elections were held for three candidates for the patriarchal throne: Archbishop Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kharkov, Archbishop Arseny (Stadnitsky) of Novgorod, and Metropolitan Tikhon (Belavin) of Moscow. November 5, 1917 in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior after Divine Liturgy and the prayer service, the elder of the Zosimovskaya hermitage Alexy drew lots, and the name of the new patriarch was announced, which became the Metropolitan of Moscow Tikhon.
In accordance with church canons, the Local Council of 1917–1918 granted the patriarch the right to convene church councils and preside over them, communicate with other autocephalous churches on matters of church life, take care of the timely replacement of episcopal chairs, and involve guilty bishops in church court. The local council also adopted a document on the legal position of the church in the state system. However, the October Revolution of 1917 brought about fundamental changes in relations between the church and the new atheistic state of the Soviets. By decree of the Council of People's Commissars, the church was separated from the state, which was regarded by the cathedral as the beginning of the persecution of the church.
Patriarch Tikhon occupied the hierarchical chair in a difficult time for the Russian Orthodox Church period. The main direction of his activity was the search for a way to establish relations between the church and the Bolshevik state. Tikhon defended the right of the Church to remain the One Catholic and Apostolic Church, emphasizing that it should not be either "white" or "red". The most important document aimed at normalizing the position of the Russian Church was Appeal Patriarch Tikhon of March 25, 1925, in which he called on the flock to understand that "the fate of peoples is arranged by the Lord" and to accept the coming of Soviet power as an expression of God's will.
Despite all the efforts of the patriarch, an unprecedented wave of repressions hit the church hierarchy and the believing people. By the beginning of the Second World War, the church structure throughout the country was almost destroyed. After the death of Tikhon, there could be no question of convening a council to elect a new patriarch, since the church existed in a semi-legal position, and most of the hierarchs were in exile and imprisonment.
Sergius (d. 1944)
According to the will of the saint, Metropolitan Peter (Polyansky) of Krutitsy assumed control of the Church as patriarchal locum tenens. Then this feat was taken over by Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) of Nizhny Novgorod, who called himself deputy patriarchal locum tenens. The official act of transferring the duties of locum tenens to him took place only in 1936, when the news came, which later turned out to be false, of the death of Metropolitan Peter (he was shot in 1937). Nevertheless, in 1941, on the very first day of the outbreak of war with fascist Germany, Metropolitan Sergius wrote a letter to his flock, in which he blessed the faithful for the defense of the Motherland and called on everyone to help the defense of the country. The danger hanging over the country prompted the Soviet state, headed by Stalin, to change its policy towards the church. Churches were opened for worship, many clergy, including bishops, were released from the camps. On December 4, 1943, Stalin received the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius, as well as Metropolitans Alexy (Simansky) and Nikolai (Yarushevich). During the conversation, Metropolitan Sergius announced the desire of the church to convene a council to elect a patriarch. The head of government said that there would be no obstacles on his part. The Council of Bishops took place in Moscow on September 8, 1943, and on September 12, the enthronement of the newly elected Patriarch Sergius took place. Cm. SERGI.
Alexy I (1945–1970)
In 1944 the primate of the Russian Church died. In 1945, the Moscow Cathedral elected Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) as Patriarch. At the same council it was adopted Regulations on the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church, which finally legalized the institution of the church and streamlined the relationship between the church and Soviet state. During the Patriarchate of Alexy, relations between the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and other autocephalous churches were restored, publishing activity of the Moscow Patriarchate, however, the period of his presidency difficult period new persecution of the church under N.S. Khrushchev. Cm. ALEXI I.
Pimen (1970–1990)
After the death of Alexy (1970), Metropolitan Pimen of Krutitsy and Kolomna was elevated to the rank of patriarch. During the patriarchate of Pimen in 1988, under the conditions of "perestroika", the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Rus' took place. The celebrations dedicated to this event took on a nationwide character and marked the onset of new era in the history of the Russian Church, which, after a long period of direct and covert persecution, found hope for freedom. Cm. PIMEN.
Alexy II (1990–2009)
Since 1990, the primate of the ROC was Patriarch Alexy II, the fifteenth patriarch since the beginning of the patriarchate, whose activities were aimed at reviving and strengthening the traditions of church life in the context of the beginning process of democratization of society. Cm. ALEXI II.
Cyril (2009)
In 2009, by the decision of the Local Council, the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, the sixteenth patriarch since the beginning of the patriarchate, was elected Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Literature:
Russian Orthodox Church 988–1988. History essays, issue. 1–2. M., 1988
Skrynnikov R.G. Saints and Authorities. L., 1990
Orthodox Church in the history of Russia. M., 1991
Macarius, Metropolitan. History of the Russian Church. M., 1994 and later.
Monasteries. Encyclopedic reference. M., 2000
Russian Orthodox Church as part Universal Church has a three-level hierarchy, which arose at the dawn of Christianity. The clergy are divided into deacons, presbyters And bishops. Persons on the first two levels may belong to both the monastic (black) and white (married) clergy. The institution of celibacy has existed in the Russian Orthodox Church since the 19th century.
in latin celibacy(celibatus) - unmarried (single) person; in classical Latin, the word caelebs meant "without a spouse" (both a virgin, and a divorcee, and a widower). In the Late Antique period, folk etymology connected it with caelum (sky), and so it came to be understood in medieval Christian writing, where it was used when talking about angels, embodying an analogy between virgin life and angelic life. According to the Gospel, in heaven they do not marry and do not get married ( Matt. 22, 30; OK. 20.35).
In practice, celibacy is rare. In this case, the clergyman remains celibate, but does not take monastic vows and does not take tonsure. Priests can marry only before taking the ordination. For the clergy of the Orthodox Church, monogamy is mandatory, divorces and remarriages are not allowed (including for widowers).
In a schematic form, the priestly hierarchy is presented in the table and in the figure below.
| step | White clergy (married priests and non-monastic celibate priests) | Black clergy (monks) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st: Diaconate | Deacon | Hierodeacon |
| Protodeacon | ||
| Archdeacon (usually the title of chief deacon serving with the Patriarch) | ||
| 2nd: Priesthood | Priest (priest, presbyter) | Hieromonk |
| Archpriest | hegumen | |
| Protopresbyter | Archimandrite | |
| 3rd: Bishop | A married priest can only be a bishop after becoming a monk. This is possible in the event of the death of the spouse or her simultaneous departure to a monastery in another diocese. | Bishop |
| Archbishop | ||
| Metropolitan | ||
| Patriarch |
1. Diaconate
Deacon (from Greek - servant) does not have the right to independently perform divine services and church sacraments, he is an assistant priest And bishop. A deacon may be ordained protodeacon or archdeacon. Deacon Monk called hierodeacon.
San archdeacon is extremely rare. It is held by the deacon, who is constantly officiating His Holiness Patriarch, as well as deacons of some stauropegial monasteries. There are also subdeacons who are assistants to bishops, but are not among the clergy (they belong to the lower degrees of the clergy, along with readers And singers).
2. Priesthood.
Presbyter (from Greek - Senior) - a clergyman who has the right to perform church sacraments, with the exception of the sacrament of the Priesthood (ordination), that is, the elevation to the holy rank of another person. In the white clergy is priest, in monasticism - hieromonk. Priest can be elevated to the dignity archpriest And protopresbyter, hieromonk - to the dignity abbot And archimandrite.
Sanu archimandrite in the white clergy hierarchically correspond mitred archpriest And protopresbyter(senior priest in cathedral).
3. Episcopate.
Bishops also called bishops (from Greek prefixes archi- senior, chief). Bishops are diocesan and vicar. Diocesan Bishop, by succession of power from the holy Apostles, is the primate of the local Church - dioceses, canonically governing the diocese with the conciliar assistance of the clergy and laity. Diocesan Bishop elected Holy Synod. Bishops bear a title that usually includes the names of the two cathedral cities of the diocese. As needed, to assist the diocesan bishop, the Holy Synod appoints vicar bishops, whose title includes the name of only one of the major cities of the diocese. A bishop may be elevated to the rank archbishop or metropolitan. After the establishment of the Patriarchate in Rus', only bishops of certain ancient and large dioceses could be metropolitans and archbishops. Now the rank of metropolitan, just like the rank of archbishop, is only a reward for the bishop, which makes it possible for even titular metropolitans.
On diocesan bishop has a wide range of responsibilities. He ordains and appoints clerics to their place of service, appoints employees of diocesan institutions, and blesses monastic tonsure. Without his consent, not a single decision of the diocesan administration can be carried out. In its activity bishop accountable His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The local ruling bishops are authorized representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church in front of state authorities and administration.
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
The Primate Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church is its Primate, bearing the title - His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The Patriarch is accountable to the Local and Bishops' Councils. His name is ascended at divine services in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church according to the following formula: About the Great Lord and our Father (name), His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'
". A candidate for the Patriarchate must be a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, have a higher theological education, sufficient experience in diocesan administration, be distinguished by adherence to the canonical legal order, enjoy a good reputation and the trust of the hierarchs, clergy and people, "have a good witness from outside" ( 1 Tim. 3.7), be at least 40 years of age. San Patriarch islifelong. The Patriarch is entrusted with a wide range of duties related to the care of the internal and external welfare of the Russian Orthodox Church. The patriarch and diocesan bishops have a stamp and a round seal with their name and title.
According to clause IV.9 of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia is the diocesan bishop of the Moscow diocese, consisting of the city of Moscow and the Moscow region. In the administration of this diocese, His Holiness the Patriarch is assisted by the Patriarchal Vicar as a diocesan bishop, with the title Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna. The territorial boundaries of the administration exercised by the Patriarchal Vicar are determined by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (at present, the Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna governs the churches and monasteries of the Moscow region, minus the stavropegic ones). The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' is also the Holy Archimandrite of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, a number of other monasteries with a special historical meaning, and governs all church stauropegia ( word stauropegia derived from the Greek -cross and - hoist: the cross established by the Patriarch at the foundation of a temple or monastery in any diocese means their inclusion in the Patriarchal jurisdiction).
His Holiness the Patriarch, in accordance with secular ideas, is often called the head of the Church. However, according to Orthodox doctrine, the Head of the Church is our Lord Jesus Christ; The patriarch is the Primate of the Church, that is, the bishop who prayerfully stands before God for his entire flock. Often, the Patriarch is also called First Hierarch or High Hierarch, because he is the first in honor among other hierarchs equal to him by grace.
His Holiness the Patriarch is called the Hieroabbot of stavropegial monasteries (for example, Valaam). The ruling bishops in relation to their diocesan cloisters may also be called Holy Archimandrites and Holy Patrons.
Bishops' robes.
Bishops have a distinctive sign of their dignity mantle- a long, fastened at the neck, cape, reminiscent of a monastic mantle. In front, on its two front sides, above and below, tablets are sewn - rectangular plates of fabric. On the upper tablets are usually placed images of evangelists, crosses, seraphim; on the bottom tablet right side- letters: e, A, m or P meaning the rank of bishop - e piskop, A archbishop, m metropolitan, P patriarch; on the left is the first letter of his name. Only in the Russian Church does the Patriarch wear a mantle Green colour, Metropolitan - blue, archbishops, bishops - purple or dark red. IN Great Lent members of the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church wear a robe black color.
The tradition of using colored hierarchal robes in Russia is quite ancient; the image of the first Russian Patriarch Job in a blue metropolitan robe has been preserved.
Archimandrites have a black robe with tablets, but without sacred images and letters denoting rank and name. The tablets of archimandric robes usually have a smooth red field surrounded by gold lace.
During worship, all bishops use a richly decorated staff, called a rod, which is a symbol of spiritual power over the flock. Only the Patriarch has the right to enter the temple altar with a rod. The rest of the bishops in front of the royal doors give the baton to the subdeacon-assistant, standing behind the service to the right of the royal doors.
Election of bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church.
According to the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, adopted by the Jubilee Bishops' Council in 2000, a man of the Orthodox confession at the age of at least 30 from monastic or unmarried persons can become a bishop white clergy with obligatory monastic vows.
The tradition of electing bishops from among the monastic ranks developed in Rus' already in the pre-Mongolian period. This canonical norm has been preserved in the Russian Orthodox Church to this day, although in a number of Local Orthodox Churches, for example, in the Georgian Church, monasticism is not considered a prerequisite for placing on a bishopric. IN Church of Constantinople On the contrary, a person who has taken monasticism cannot become a bishop: there is a provision according to which a person who has renounced the world and taken a vow of obedience cannot lead other people. All the hierarchs of the Church of Constantinople are not mantle, but cassock monks. Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church may also be widowed or divorced persons who have accepted monasticism. The elected candidate must correspond to the high rank of a bishop in moral qualities and have a theological education.
The prefix "sacred"
The prefix "sacred-" is sometimes added to the name of the rank of clergy (priest archimandrite, priest hegumen, priest deacon, priest monk). This prefix is not attached to words denoting a spiritual rank and already being compound, that is, protodeacon, archpriest ...
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Patriarch Job was the first to put book printing on a broad basis. With the blessing of St. Job, the Lenten Triodion, the Colored Triodion, the Octoechos, the Common Menaion, the Official of the Hierarchal Service, and the Missal were published for the first time.
During the Time of Troubles, St. Job was actually the first to lead the opposition of the Russians to the Polish-Lithuanian invaders. On April 13, 1605, Patriarch Job, who refused to swear allegiance to False Dmitry I, was deposed and, having endured many reproaches, was exiled to the Staritsky Monastery. After the overthrow of False Dmitry I, St. Job could not to return to the First Hierarchal Throne, he blessed the Metropolitan of Kazan Hermogenes in his place. Patriarch Job died peacefully on June 19, 1607. In 1652, under Patriarch Joseph, the incorruptible and fragrant relics of Saint Job were transferred to Moscow and laid next to the tomb of Patriarch Joasaph (1634-1640). Many healings took place from the relics of St. Job.
His memory is celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church on April 5/18 and June 19/July 2.
Hermogenes(in the world Yermolai) (1530-1612) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The patriarchate of Saint Hermogenes coincided with the difficult times of the Time of Troubles. With special inspiration, His Holiness the Patriarch opposed the traitors and enemies of the Fatherland, who wanted to enslave the Russian people, introduce Uniateism and Catholicism in Russia, and eradicate Orthodoxy.
Muscovites, under the leadership of Kozma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, raised an uprising, in response to which the Poles set fire to the city, while they themselves took refuge in the Kremlin. Together with the Russian traitors, they forcibly removed the holy Patriarch Hermogenes from the Patriarchal Throne and imprisoned him in the Miracle Monastery. Patriarch Hermogenes blessed the Russian people for the feat of liberation.
For more than nine months St. Hermogenes languished in severe imprisonment. On February 17, 1612, he died a martyr of hunger and thirst. The liberation of Russia, for which St. Hermogenes stood with such unshakable courage, was successfully completed by the Russian people through his intercession.
The body of Hieromartyr Hermogenes was buried with due honor in the Miracle Monastery. The holiness of the Patriarchal feat, as well as his personality as a whole, was illuminated from above later - during the opening in 1652 of the shrine with the relics of the saint. 40 years after his death, Patriarch Hermogenes lay as if alive.
With the blessing of St. Hermogenes, the service to the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was translated from Greek into Russian and the celebration of his memory was restored in the Dormition Cathedral. Under the supervision of the Primate, new machines for printing liturgical books were made and a new printing house building was built, which was damaged during the fire of 1611, when Moscow was set on fire by the Poles.
In 1913, the Russian Orthodox Church glorified Patriarch Hermogenes as a saint. His memory is celebrated on May 12/25 and February 17/March 1.
Filaret(Romanov Fedor Nikitich) (1554-1633) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', father of the first tsar from the Romanov dynasty. Under Tsar Theodore Ioannovich - a noble boyar, under Boris Godunov fell into disgrace, was exiled to a monastery and tonsured a monk. In 1611, while with the embassy in Poland, he was taken prisoner. In 1619 he returned to Russia and until his death was the de facto ruler of the country with his sickly son, Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich.
Joasaph I- Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, notifying the four Ecumenical Patriarchs about the death of his father, he also wrote that “the Great Russian Church Patriarch Joasaph of Pskov was elected and installed as a prudent, truthful, reverent man and taught every virtue.” Patriarch Joasaph I was elevated to the chair of the Moscow Patriarch with the blessing of Patriarch Filaret, who himself indicated successor.
He continued the publishing work of his predecessors, doing a great job of collating and correcting liturgical books. During the relatively short reign of Patriarch Ioasaph, 3 monasteries were founded and 5 former ones were restored.
Joseph- Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Strict observance of church statutes and legalizations became a characteristic feature of the ministry of Patriarch Joseph. In 1646, before the onset of Great Lent, Patriarch Joseph sent out a district order to all spiritual ranks and all Orthodox Christians to observe the coming fast in purity. This is the district message of Patriarch Joseph, as well as the decree of the king of 1647 on the prohibition of work on Sundays and holidays and the restriction of trade in these days contributed to the strengthening of faith among the people.
Patriarch Joseph paid great attention to the matter of spiritual enlightenment. With his blessing in 1648 in Moscow was founded religious school at the Andreevsky Monastery. Under Patriarch Joseph, as well as under his predecessors, liturgical and church teaching books were published throughout Russia. In total, during the 10 years under Patriarch Joseph, 36 titles of books were published, of which 14 had not been published in Rus' before.
The name of Patriarch Joseph will forever remain on the tablets of history due to the fact that it was this archpastor who managed to take the first steps towards the reunification of Ukraine (Little Russia) with Russia, although the reunification itself took place in 1654 after the death of Joseph under Patriarch Nikon.
Nikon(in the world Nikita Minich Minin) (1605-1681) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' since 1652. Nikon's patriarchate constituted a whole era in the history of the Russian Church. Like Patriarch Philaret, he had the title of "Great Sovereign", which he received in the first years of his Patriarchate in view of the Tsar's special disposition towards him. He took part in solving almost all national affairs. In particular, with the active assistance of Patriarch Nikon in 1654, the historical reunification of Ukraine with Russia took place. The lands of Kievan Rus, once torn away by the Polish-Lithuanian magnates, became part of the Muscovite state. This soon led to the return of the original Orthodox dioceses Southwestern Rus' in the bosom of the Mother - the Russian Church. Belarus soon reunited with Russia. The title of Patriarch of All Great and Small and White Russia was added to the title of the Patriarch of Moscow "Great Sovereign".
But Patriarch Nikon showed himself especially zealously as a church reformer. In addition to streamlining the liturgy, he replaced the sign of the cross with a two-fingered one with a three-fingered one, corrected the liturgical books according to Greek models, in which lies his immortal, great merit before the Russian Church. However, the church reforms of Patriarch Nikon gave rise to the Old Believer schism, the consequences of which overshadowed the life of the Russian Church for several centuries.
The Primate encouraged church building in every possible way; he himself was one of the best architects of his time. Under Patriarch Nikon, the richest monasteries were built Orthodox Rus': Voskresensky near Moscow, called "New Jerusalem", Iversky Svyatoozersky in Valdai and Kiostrovsky Godfather in Onega Bay. But Patriarch Nikon considered the height of the personal life of the clergy and monasticism to be the main foundation of the earthly Church. Throughout his life, Patriarch Nikon did not stop reaching out for knowledge and learning something. He collected the richest library. Patriarch Nikon studied Greek, studied medicine, painted icons, mastered the art of making tiles... Patriarch Nikon strove to create Holy Rus' - the new Israel. Maintaining a living, creative Orthodoxy, he wished to create an enlightened Orthodox culture and learned it from the Orthodox East. But some of the measures taken by Patriarch Nikon infringed upon the interests of the boyars and they slandered the Patriarch before the tsar. By the decision of the Council, he was deprived of the Patriarchate and sent to prison: first to Ferapontov, and then, in 1676, to Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. At the same time, however, the church reforms carried out by him were not only not canceled, but received approval.
The deposed Patriarch Nikon spent 15 years in exile. Before his death, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich asked Patriarch Nikon for forgiveness in his will. The new Tsar Theodore Alekseevich decided to return Patriarch Nikon to his rank and asked him to return to the Resurrection Monastery he had founded. On the way to this monastery, Patriarch Nikon peacefully departed to the Lord, surrounded by manifestations great love people and their students. Patriarch Nikon was buried with due honors in the Resurrection Cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery. In September 1682, letters of all four Eastern Patriarchs were delivered to Moscow, resolving Nikon from all prohibitions and restoring him to the rank of Patriarch of All Rus'.
Joasaph II- Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The Great Moscow Council of 1666-1667, which condemned and deposed Patriarch Nikon and anathematized the Old Believers as heretics, elected a new Primate of the Russian Church. Archimandrite Joasaph of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra became Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.
Patriarch Joasaph paid considerable attention to missionary activity, especially in the outskirts Russian state which were just beginning to be developed: in the Far North and Eastern Siberia, especially in Transbaikalia and the Amur basin, along the border with China. In particular, with the blessing of Joasaph II, the Spassky Monastery was founded in 1671 near the Chinese border.
The great merit of Patriarch Joasaph in the field of healing and revitalizing the pastoral activity of the Russian clergy should be recognized as decisive actions taken by him aimed at restoring the tradition of delivering a sermon at divine services, which by that time had almost died out in Rus'.
During the patriarchate of Joasaph II, extensive publishing activities continued in the Russian Church. During the short period of primatial service of Patriarch Joasaph, not only numerous liturgical books were printed, but also many editions of doctrinal content. Already in 1667, the “Legend of the Cathedral Acts” and the “Rod of Government”, written by Simeon of Polotsk to denounce the Old Believer schism, were published, then the “Large Catechism” and “Small Catechism” were published.
Pitirim- Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Patriarch Pitirim accepted the primatial rank already at a very advanced age and ruled the Russian Church for only about 10 months, until his death in 1673. He was close to Patriarch Nikon and after his deposition became one of the contenders for the Throne, but he was elected only after the death of Patriarch Joasaph II.
On July 7, 1672, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, Metropolitan Pitirim of Novgorod was elevated to the Patriarchal Throne, being already very ill, Metropolitan Joachim was called to administration.
After a ten-month unremarkable patriarchate, he died on April 19, 1673.
Joachim(Savelov-First Ivan Petrovich) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. In view of the illness of Patriarch Pitirim, Metropolitan Joachim was involved in the affairs of the Patriarchal Administration, and on July 26, 1674, he was elevated to the First Hierarchal See.
His efforts were aimed at fighting against foreign influence on Russian society.
The primate was distinguished by zeal for strict execution church canons. He revised the liturgy of Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom and eliminated some inconsistencies in liturgical practice. In addition, Patriarch Joachim corrected and published the Typicon, which is still used in the Russian Orthodox Church almost unchanged.
In 1678, Patriarch Joachim expanded the number of almshouses in Moscow, which were supported by church funds.
With the blessing of Patriarch Joachim, a theological school was founded in Moscow, which marked the beginning of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, which in 1814 was transformed into the Moscow Theological Academy.
In the field of public administration, Patriarch Joachim also proved to be an energetic and consistent politician, actively supporting Peter I after the death of Tsar Theodore Alekseevich.
Adrian(in the world? Andrei) (1627-1700) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' since 1690. On August 24, 1690, Metropolitan Adrian was elevated to the All-Russian Patriarchal Throne. In his speech during his enthronement, Patriarch Adrian called on the Orthodox to keep the canons intact, observe peace, and protect the Church from heresies. In the "District Epistle" and "Exhortation" to the flock, consisting of 24 points, Patriarch Adrian gave spiritually useful instructions to each of the estates. He did not like barbering, smoking, the abolition of Russian national clothes and other similar everyday innovations of Peter I. The useful and really important undertakings of the tsar, aimed at the good dispensation of the Fatherland (building a fleet, military and socio-economic transformations), Patriarch Adrian understood and supported.
Stefan Yavorsky(Yavorsky Simeon Ivanovich) - Metropolitan of Ryazan and Murom, patriarchal locum tenens of the Moscow throne.
He studied at the famous Kiev-Mohyla collegium - the center of the then South Russian education. In which he studied until 1684. To enter the Jesuit school, Yavorsky, like his other contemporaries, converted to Catholicism. In the southwest of Russia, this was commonplace.
Stefan studied philosophy in Lvov and Lublin, and then theology in Vilna and Poznań. In Polish schools, he became thoroughly acquainted with Catholic theology and adopted a hostile attitude towards Protestantism.
In 1689, Stefan returned to Kyiv, repented for his renunciation of the Orthodox Church, and was accepted back into its bosom.
In the same year he accepted monasticism and underwent monastic obedience in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
In the Kyiv Collegium, he went from teacher to professor of theology.
Stefan became a famous preacher and in 1697 he was appointed abbot of the St. Nicholas Desert Monastery, which was then outside Kyiv.
After a sermon delivered on the occasion of the death of the tsarist voivode A. S. Shein, which was noted by Peter I, he was consecrated to the bishopric and appointed Metropolitan of Ryazan and Murom.
On December 16, 1701, after the death of Patriarch Adrian, at the direction of the king, Stefan was appointed locum tenens of the patriarchal throne.
Stephen's church-administrative activity was insignificant, the power of the locum tenens, in comparison with the patriarch, was limited by Peter I. In spiritual matters, in most cases, Stephen had to confer with the council of bishops.
Peter I kept him with him until his death, carrying out under his sometimes forced blessing all the reforms that were unpleasant for Stephen. Metropolitan Stephen did not have the strength to openly break with the tsar, and at the same time he could not come to terms with what was happening.
In 1718, during the trial of Tsarevich Alexei, Tsar Peter I instructed Metropolitan Stefan to come to St. Petersburg and did not allow him to leave until his death, depriving him of even the insignificant power that he partially enjoyed.
In 1721 the Synod was opened. The tsar appointed Metropolitan Stefan as the President of the Synod, who was the least sympathetic to this institution. Stefan refused to sign the minutes of the Synod, did not attend its meetings and had no influence on synodal affairs. The tsar apparently kept him only in order to use his name to give a certain sanction to the new institution. Throughout his stay in the Synod, Metropolitan Stefan was under investigation for political affairs as a result of constant slander against him.
Metropolitan Stefan died on November 27, 1722 in Moscow, on the Lubyanka, in the Ryazan courtyard. On the same day, his body was taken to the Trinity Church at the Ryazan Compound, where it stood until December 19, that is, until the arrival in Moscow of Emperor Peter I and members of the Holy Synod. On December 20, in the Church of the Assumption of the Most Pure Theotokos, called Grebnevskaya, the funeral of Metropolitan Stefan took place.
Tikhon(Belavin Vasily Ivanovich) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. In 1917 the All-Russian Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church restored the Patriarchate. Done major event in the history of the Russian Church: after two centuries of forced headlessness, she again found her Primate and High Hierarch.
Metropolitan Tikhon of Moscow and Kolomna (1865-1925) was elected to the Patriarchal Throne.
Patriarch Tikhon was a true defender of Orthodoxy. Despite all his gentleness, benevolence and complacency, he became unshakably firm and adamant in church matters, where necessary, and above all in protecting the Church from her enemies. True Orthodoxy and the firmness of Patriarch Tikhon's character at the time of the "renovationist" schism came to light especially clearly. He stood as an insurmountable obstacle in the way of the Bolsheviks before their plans to corrupt the Church from within.
His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon has taken the most important steps towards the normalization of relations with the state. The epistles of Patriarch Tikhon proclaim: “The Russian Orthodox Church ... must be and will be the One Catholic Apostolic Church, and all attempts, from whomever they come, to plunge the Church into a political struggle must be rejected and condemned” (from the Appeal of 1 July 1923)
Patriarch Tikhon aroused the hatred of the representatives of the new government, which constantly persecuted him. He was either imprisoned or kept under "house arrest" in the Moscow Donskoy Monastery. The life of His Holiness was always under threat: there was an attempt on his life three times, but he fearlessly traveled to perform services in various churches in Moscow and beyond. The entire Patriarchate of His Holiness Tikhon was a continuous feat of martyrdom. When the authorities made him an offer to go abroad for permanent residence, Patriarch Tikhon said: “I will not go anywhere, I will suffer here together with all the people and fulfill my duty to the limit set by God.” All these years he actually lived in prison and died in struggle and sorrow. His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon died on March 25, 1925, on the feast of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God, and was buried in the Moscow Donskoy Monastery.
Peter(Polyansky, in the world Pyotr Fedorovich Polyansky) - Bishop, Metropolitan Patriarchal Locum Tenens of Krutitsy from 1925 until the false announcement of his death (end of 1936).
According to the will of Patriarch Tikhon, Metropolitans Kirill, Agafangel or Peter were to become locum tenens. Since Metropolitans Kirill and Agafangel were in exile, Metropolitan Peter Krutitsky became the locum tenens. As a locum tenens, he provided great assistance to prisoners and exiles, especially to clergy. Vladyko Peter resolutely spoke out against renovation. He refused to make a call for loyalty to the Soviet regime. Endless prisons and concentration camps began. During interrogation in December 1925, he said that the church could not approve of the revolution: "The social revolution is built on blood and fratricide, which the Church cannot recognize."
He refused to remove himself from the title of patriarchal locum tenens, despite threats to extend his prison sentence. In 1931, he rejected the offer of Chekist Tuchkov to give a signature on cooperation with the authorities as an informer.
At the end of 1936, the patriarchate received false information about the death of the patriarchal locum tenens Peter, as a result of which, on December 27, 1936, Metropolitan Sergius assumed the title of patriarchal locum tenens. In 1937, a new criminal case was initiated against Metropolitan Peter. On October 2, 1937, the NKVD troika in the Chelyabinsk region was sentenced to death. On October 10 at 4 p.m. he was shot. The place of burial remains unknown. Glorified as New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia by the Council of Bishops in 1997.
Sergius(in the world Ivan Nikolaevich Stragorodsky) (1867-1944) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. famous theologian And spiritual writer. Bishop since 1901. After the death of the holy Patriarch Tikhon, he became the patriarchal locum tenens, that is, the actual primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1927, at a difficult time both for the Church and for the whole people, he addressed the clergy and laity with a message in which he called on the Orthodox to be loyal to the Soviet regime. This message caused ambiguous assessments both in Russia and in the emigrant environment. In 1943, at the turning point of the Great Patriotic War, the government decided to restore the patriarchate, and Local Council Sergius was elected Patriarch. He took an active patriotic position, urged all Orthodox to tirelessly pray for victory, organized fundraising to help the army.
Alexy I(Simansky Sergey Vladimirovich) (1877-1970) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Born in Moscow, graduated from the Faculty of Law of Moscow University and the Moscow Theological Academy. Bishop since 1913, served in Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War, in 1945 he was elected Patriarch at the Local Council.
Pimen(Izvekov Sergey Mikhailovich) (1910-1990) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' since 1971. Member of the Great Patriotic War. He was persecuted for confessing the Orthodox faith. Twice (before the war and after the war) was imprisoned. Bishop since 1957. He was buried in the crypt (underground chapel) of the Assumption Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra.
Alexy II(Ridiger Alexei Mikhailovich) (1929-2008) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Graduated from the Leningrad Theological Academy. Bishop since 1961, since 1986 - Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod, in 1990 he was elected Patriarch at the Local Council. Honorary member of many foreign theological academies.
Kirill(Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich) (born 1946) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Graduated from the Leningrad Theological Academy. In 1974 he was appointed rector of the Leningrad Theological Academy and Seminary. Bishop since 1976. In 1991, he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan. In January 2009, at the Local Council, he was elected Patriarch.
Patriarch is the highest church rank in the autocephalous Christian Orthodox Church. The word itself consists of a combination of two root components and is interpreted in Greek as “father”, “dominion” or “power”. This title was adopted by Chalcedon Church Council in 451. After Christian church split in 1054 into Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Catholic), this title was fixed in the hierarchy Eastern Church, where patriarch is a special hierarchical title of a clergyman who has the highest church authority.
Patriarchs
In the Byzantine Empire at one time, the Church was headed by four patriarchs: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. Over time, when such states as Serbia and Bulgaria gained independence and autocephaly, a patriarch also stood at the head of the Church. But the first patriarch in Russia was elected by the Moscow Council of Church Hierarchs, headed at that time by Jeremiah II.
The Patriarchs of Rus' had a great influence on the development of the Orthodox Church. Their selfless ascetic path was truly heroic, and therefore the modern generation needs to know and remember this, because each of the patriarchs at a certain stage contributed to strengthening the true faith in the Slavic peoples.
Job
The first Moscow Patriarch was Job, who held this sacred position from 1589 to 1605. Its main and main goal was the strengthening of Orthodoxy in Russia. He was the initiator of a number of church reforms. Under him, new dioceses and dozens of monasteries were established, church liturgical books began to be printed. However, this patriarch was deposed in 1605 by conspirators and rebels because of their refusal to recognize the authority of False Dmitry I.
Hermogenes
After Job, the patriarchate was headed by the Hieromartyr Hermogenes. His reign dates from 1606 to This period of reign coincided with a period of severe unrest in the history of Russia. His Holiness Patriarch Job openly and boldly opposed foreign invaders and the Polish prince, whom they wanted to elevate to the Russian throne. For this, Hermogenes was punished by the Poles, who imprisoned him in the Miracle Monastery and starved him to death. But his words were heard, and soon detachments of militia were formed under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky.
Filaret
The next patriarch in the period from 1619 to 1633 was Fyodor Nikitich Romanov-Yursky, who, after the death of Tsar Fyodor Romanov, became a legitimate contender for his throne, since he was the nephew of Ivan the Terrible. But Fedor fell into disgrace with Boris Godunov and was tonsured a monk, receiving the name Filaret. During the time of unrest under False Dmitry II, Metropolitan Filaret was taken into custody. However, in 1613, Filaret's son, Mikhail Romanov, was elected Russian Tsar. Thus, he became a co-ruler, and Filaret was immediately assigned the rank of patriarch.
Joasaph I
The successor from 1634 to 1640 was the Archbishop of Pskov and Velikoluksky Ioasafa I, who did a lot of work on correcting errors in liturgical books. Under him, 23 liturgical books, three monasteries were founded and five previously closed ones were restored.
Joseph
Patriarch Joseph ruled in the rank of patriarch from 1642 to 1652. He paid great attention to spiritual education, so in 1648 the Moscow Theological School "Rtishchev Brotherhood" was founded. It was thanks to him that the first steps were taken towards the reunification of Russia with Little Russia - Ukraine.
Nikon
Subsequently, from 1652 to 1666, the Russian Orthodox Church was headed by Patriarch Nikon. He was a deep ascetic and confessor who actively contributed to the reunification of Ukraine with Russia, and then Belarus. Under him, the two-toed was replaced by the three-toed.
Joasaph II
The seventh patriarch was Joasaph II, archimandrite of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, who ruled from 1667 to 1672. He began to continue the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, under him they began to educate the peoples of the northeastern outskirts of Russia on the border with China and along the Amur River. During the reign of His Beatitude Joasaph II, the Spassky Monastery was founded.
Pitirim
Moscow Patriarch Pitirim ruled for only ten months from 1672 to 1673. And he baptized Tsar Peter I in the Chudsky Monastery. In 1973, with his blessing, the Tver Ostashkovy Monastery was founded.
Joachim
All the efforts of the next Patriarch Joachim, who ruled from 1674 to 1690, were directed against foreign influence on Russia. In 1682, at a time of unrest over the succession to the throne of the patriarch, Joachim advocated an end to the streltsy uprising.
Andrian
The tenth patriarch Andrian stayed in holy order from 1690 to 1700 and was important in that he began to support the undertakings of Peter I in the construction of the fleet, military and economic transformations. His activities were connected with the observance of the canons and the protection of the church from heresy.
Tikhon
And then, only after 200 years of the Synodal period from 1721 to 1917, Metropolitan Tikhon of Moscow and Kolomna, who ruled from 1917 to 1925, ascended the patriarchal throne. In the context of the civil war and revolution, he had to resolve issues with the new state, which had a negative attitude towards the church.
Sergius
Since 1925, Metropolitan Sergius of Nizhny Novgorod became the Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens. During the Great Patriotic War, he organized the Defense Fund, thanks to which money was collected for orphans and for armaments. A tank column was even created under the name of Dmitry Donskoy. From 1943 to 1944 he received the rank of patriarch.
Alexy I
In February 1945, a new Patriarch Alexy I was elected, who remained on the throne until 1970. He had to deal with the restoration work of the destroyed churches and monasteries after the war, establish contacts with the fraternal Orthodox churches, the Roman Catholic Church, non-Chalcedonian churches of the East and Protestants.
Pimen
The next head of the Orthodox Church was Patriarch Pimen, who was in office from 1971 to 1990. He continued the reforms initiated by the previous patriarchs and directed all his efforts to strengthening relations between Orthodox world different countries. In the summer of 1988, Patriarch Pimen led the preparations for the celebration of the millennium of the Baptism of Rus'.
Alexy II
From 1990 to 2008, Bishop Alexy II became Patriarch of Moscow. The time of his reign is associated with the spiritual flowering and revival of Russian Orthodoxy. At this time, many churches and monasteries were opened. The main event was the opening of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. In 2007, the Act of Canonical Conversion of the Orthodox Church of Russia with the Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was signed.
Kirill
On January 27, 2009, the sixteenth Moscow Patriarch was elected, who became Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad. This outstanding clergyman has a very rich biography, because he is a hereditary priest. Over the five years of his reign, Patriarch Kirill has shown himself to be an experienced politician and a competent church diplomat, able to achieve excellent results in a short time thanks to excellent relations with the president and head of the government of the Russian Federation.
Patriarch Kirill is doing a lot to unite the Russian Orthodox Church abroad. His frequent visits to neighboring states, meetings with clergy and representatives of other faiths strengthened and expanded the boundaries of friendship and cooperation. His Holiness clearly understands that it is necessary to raise the morality and spirituality of people and, first of all, the clergy. He states that the church needs to engage in missionary work. speaks out harshly against false teachers and radical groups that plunge people into obvious confusion. Because behind the beautiful speeches and slogans is hidden a weapon for the destruction of the Church. Patriarch Kirill, like no one else, understands what a great title is. How huge is its significance in the life of the country. A patriarch is, first of all, a huge responsibility for the entire country and the entire Russian Orthodox people.
Every Orthodox person meets with members of the clergy who speak publicly or lead a service in the church. At first glance, you can understand that each of them wears some special rank, because it’s not for nothing that they have differences in clothes: different color robes, headdresses, some have jewelry made of precious stones, while others are more ascetic. But not everyone is given to understand the ranks. To find out the main ranks of clergy and monks, consider the ranks of the Orthodox Church in ascending order.
It should immediately be said that all ranks are divided into two categories:
- Secular clergy. These include ministers who may have a family, wife, and children.
- Black clergy. These are those who accepted monasticism and renounced worldly life.
Secular clergy
The description of people who serve the Church and the Lord comes from Old Testament. The scripture says that before the birth of Christ, the prophet Moses appointed people who were supposed to communicate with God. It is with these people that today's hierarchy of ranks is connected.
Altar boy (novice)
This person is a lay assistant to a clergyman. His responsibilities include:
If necessary, a novice can ring the bells and read prayers, but it is strictly forbidden for him to touch the throne and walk between the altar and the Royal Doors. The altar boy wears the most ordinary clothes, he puts a surplice on top.
This person is not elevated to the rank of clergy. He must read prayers and words from scripture, explain them to ordinary people and explain to children the basic rules of the life of a Christian. For special zeal, the clergyman may ordain the psalmist as a subdeacon. From church clothes, he is allowed to wear a cassock and a skuf (velvet hat).
This person also does not have a holy order. But he can wear a surplice and orarion. If the bishop blesses him, then the subdeacon can touch the throne and enter through royal doors to the altar. Most often, the subdeacon helps the priest perform the service. He washes his hands during divine services, gives him the necessary items (tricirium, ripids).
Church orders of the Orthodox Church
All the ministers of the church listed above are not clergymen. These are simple peaceful people who want to get closer to the church and the Lord God. They are accepted to their positions only with the blessing of the priest. We will begin to consider the ecclesiastical ranks of the Orthodox Church from the lowest.
The position of a deacon has remained unchanged since ancient times. He, just as before, must help in worship, but he is forbidden to independently perform church service and represent the Church in society. His main duty is to read the Gospel. At present, the need for the services of a deacon disappears, so their number in churches is steadily declining.
This is the most important deacon at the cathedral or church. Previously, this dignity was received by the protodeacon, who was distinguished by a special zeal for service. To determine that you have a protodeacon in front of you, you should look at his vestments. If he is wearing an orarion with the words “Holy! Holy! Holy," then it is he who is in front of you. But at present, this dignity is given only after the deacon has served in the church for at least 15–20 years.
It is these people who have a beautiful singing voice, know many psalms, prayers, and sing at various church services.
This word came to us from Greek and in translation means "priest". In the Orthodox Church, this is the smallest rank of priest. The bishop gives him the following powers:
- perform worship and other sacraments;
- carry the teachings to people;
- conduct communion.
It is forbidden for a priest to consecrate antimensions and conduct the sacrament of ordination of priesthood. Instead of a hood, his head is covered with a kamilavka.
This dignity is given as a reward for some merit. The archpriest is the most important among the priests and concurrently the rector of the temple. During the celebration of the sacraments, the archpriests put on a robe and stole. In one liturgical institution, several archpriests can serve at once.
This dignity is given only by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' as a reward for the most kind and useful deeds that a person has done in favor of the Russian Orthodox Church. This is the highest rank in the white clergy. It will no longer be possible to earn a rank higher, since then there are ranks that are forbidden to start a family.
Nevertheless, many, in order to get a promotion, give up worldly life, family, children, and go permanently into the monastic life. In such families, the spouse most often supports her husband and also goes to the monastery to take a monastic vow.
Black clergy
It includes only those who have taken monastic vows. This hierarchy of ranks is more detailed than those who preferred family life monastic.
This is a monk who is a deacon. He helps the clergy conduct the sacraments and perform services. For example, he takes out the vessels necessary for rituals or makes prayer requests. The most senior hierodeacon is called "archdeacon".
This is a person who is a priest. He is allowed to perform various sacred ordinances. This rank can be received by priests from the white clergy who have decided to become monks, and those who have undergone ordination (giving a person the right to perform the sacraments).
This is the rector or abbess of the Russian Orthodox monastery or temple. Previously, most often, this rank was given as a reward for services to the Russian Orthodox Church. But since 2011, the patriarch decided to give this rank to any abbot of the monastery. At the consecration, the abbot is given a staff, with which he must go around his possessions.
This is one of the highest ranks in Orthodoxy. Upon receiving it, the clergyman is also awarded a miter. The archimandrite wears a black monastic robe, which distinguishes him from other monks in that he has red tablets on it. If, moreover, the archimandrite is the abbot of any temple or monastery, he has the right to carry a wand - a staff. He should be addressed as "Your Reverend".
This dignity belongs to the category of bishops. When they were ordained, they received the Most High Grace of the Lord and therefore they can perform any sacred rites, even ordain deacons. According to church laws, they have equal rights, the archbishop is considered the eldest. By ancient tradition only a bishop can bless a service with an antimis. This is a square scarf, in which part of the relics of a saint is sewn.
Also this spiritual person controls and takes care of all the monasteries and churches that are located on the territory of his diocese. The common address for a bishop is "Vladyka" or "Your Eminence".
This is a spiritual dignity of high rank or the highest title of a bishop, the most ancient on earth. He submits only to the patriarch. It differs from other ranks in the following details in clothing:
- has a blue mantle (the bishops have red ones);
- a white hood with a cross trimmed with precious stones (the rest have a black hood).
This dignity is given for very high merit and is a distinction.
The highest rank in the Orthodox Church, the chief priest of the country. The word itself combines two roots "father" and "power". He is elected to Bishops' Cathedral. This dignity is for life, only in the most rare cases is it possible to depose and excommunicate from. When the place of the patriarch is empty, a locum tenens is appointed as temporary executor, who does everything that the patriarch should do.
This position bears responsibility not only for itself, but also for the entire Orthodox people of the country.
The ranks in the Orthodox Church in ascending order have their own clear hierarchy. Despite the fact that we call many clergy "father", each Orthodox Christian should know the main differences between ranks and positions.
