Ranks of clergy of the Orthodox Church. Correlation of ranks in the army and in the Orthodox Church
Section: CHURCH PROTOCOL 2nd page STRUCTURE AND HIERARCHY OF THE UNIVERSAL ORTHODOX CHURCH Spiritual guidance for those truly established in the holy Orthodox faith: 1400 church advice to the Orthodox - questions from believers and answers from holy righteous people. The Gospel tells how on the fortieth day after His Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven in glory, commanding his disciples: “Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you.” "(Matthew 28:19-20). These words of the Savior of the world contained the main objective great apostolic ministry to which the former fishermen of Galilee were called. Addressing the gospel sermon to the peoples and tribes inhabiting the Roman Empire, the apostles began to create the first Christian communities. The principle of conciliarity, i.e. the unity of many believers in Christ, underlies the existence of the Christian Church, since the very word “church” (Greek - εκκλησια) is translated literally as a public, national assembly. Over time, the number of Christians increased. Not having the opportunity to constantly personally participate in the life of the communities, the disciples of Christ began to elect spiritual leaders for them from among the newly converted - elders. Over those who devoted themselves to serving God, the apostles performed a special prayer with the laying on of hands, calling upon the chosen ones the grace of the Holy Spirit. This action, which is one of the seven sacraments of the Christian Church, subsequently received the name of consecration. Almost from the very beginning of the existence of the Christian Church, a three-tier hierarchy of clergy has been formed in it, consisting of deacons (servants of auxiliary service who were assistants to presbyters), presbyters and bishops, who occupy a dominant position, being the bearers of the highest spiritual authority. Bishops are entrusted with instructing the people in the faith, performing divine services and governing the Church. “The Rules of the Saints Apostles” - one of the oldest collections of church canons - indicates that episcopal consecration, i.e. elevation to the rank of bishop, is performed by three or at least two bishops. Starting from the 5th century, bishops were elected primarily from representatives of monasticism, which at all times, for the most part, preserved the purity of the Orthodox doctrine intact. Initially, the bishop, like the presbyter, led the prayer meetings of only one Christian community. But when the number of communities increased, bishoprics (current dioceses) were formed - church districts under the spiritual authority of one bishop. Christian communities of the provinces of the Roman Empire, created by bishops major cities- metropolises, submitted to them, recognizing their authority and supremacy. The first bishops who headed them began to be called metropolitans. The clergy and believers of one bishopric, headed by a canonically appointed bishop, constitute a small local Church. For various historical and political reasons, these small Churches united into larger entities - this is how the Local Orthodox Churches arose. From the middle of the 5th century, the word “Patriarch” (from the Greek πατριαρχης - father of the clan) was used for the first time in church documents as a hierarchical title of the leading bishops of the largest church regions. The canonical territories of the Patriarchates were administratively divided into “dioceses”, consisting of several metropolitan districts, which in turn consisted of several bishops. The bishops who ruled them were subordinate to the metropolitans, and the metropolitans were subordinate to the Patriarchs. This practice exists in many Local Churches today. Under the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine the Great, the rise of Constantinople as a second Rome began - the new eastern capital of the Roman Empire and the church-administrative center. In the 6th century (under Holy Patriarch Menas, 536-552) the First Hierarchs of Constantinople acquired the title of Ecumenical Patriarchs. The 36th rule of the Trullo Council, held in 691-692, established the “order of honor” of the first five Patriarchates: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem (after the fall of the Western Church, their number decreased to four). The Primates of other Local Orthodox Churches were subsequently added to this list. The highest ecclesiastical legislative and judicial authority in the Orthodox Church is the Ecumenical Council - a meeting of bishops representing all Local Churches. Presbyters and deacons can take part in these Councils as experts (and if they represent absent bishops, then with a casting vote). In church history, there are seven Ecumenical Councils, at which the main provisions of the Orthodox doctrine were consolidated, and canonical and disciplinary norms were developed. In the periods between Ecumenical Councils, Councils of the Episcopate were held to consider dogmatic and canonical problems of one ecclesiastical region Local Church - Local Councils. Currently, the Universal Church is administratively and territorially divided into Autocephalous and Autonomous Local Churches. The Autocephalous Church has an independent source of power; its bishops themselves elect and appoint their First Hierarch. The Autocephalous Church, while maintaining doctrinal and liturgical unity with all other Local Churches, has the right to consecrate the chrism, canonize saints and draw up liturgical rites. All Patriarchates are large Autocephalous Churches. The Primates of other Autocephalous Churches are metropolitans or archbishops. The Autonomous Church is endowed with fewer rights, depending administratively and judicially on the kyriarchal (dominant) Local Church, which granted autonomy to this ecclesiastical region. The Kyriarchal Church approves the charter and the first bishop of the Autonomous Church, and also provides it with holy chrism. Interchurch contacts of the Autonomous Church are also carried out through the kyriarchal Church. The position of each Local Orthodox Church is determined on the basis of a diptych - a list in which the First Hierarchs of the Churches are indicated by the importance of their departments. The rank of the department depends mainly on the time the Local Church received autocephaly, while those that were created directly by the Apostles of Christ take precedence. In Rus', the Patriarchate was established in 1589 under Tsar Theodore Ioannovich. The enthronement (installation) of the first Patriarch of Moscow, Saint Job, took place with the participation of the Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremiah II, who was in Russia to collect alms. The Council of 1590, held in Constantinople with the participation of the Primates of the Churches of Constantinople, Antioch and Jerusalem, approved the “chrisovul” - the laid down letter of Patriarch Jeremiah on the installation of a Patriarch in Moscow. The Russian High Hierarch was given the fifth place of honor after the Eastern Patriarchs. Currently, the Ecumenical Orthodox Church includes nine Patriarchates, six Autocephalous and three Autonomous Churches (see Appendix 1). When the First Hierarchs of Local Churches serve together, their seniority is determined by the diptych. The titles of the First Hierarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Churches may seem overly pompous and lengthy to our contemporaries, but we must remember that they were formed in ancient times and bear the imprint of the events of church history. The diptych is headed by the Primate of the Local Orthodox Church of Constantinople, bearing the title: His Holiness Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. The Autonomous Orthodox Church of Finland, headed by the Archbishop of Karelian and All Finland, is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The primates of the ancient apostolic sees are: His Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa; His Beatitude Patriarch of Great Antioch and all the East; His Beatitude Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem includes, with autonomy, the Archdiocese of Sinai, which has its own Primate with the title of Archbishop of Sinai, Parano and Raifa. The fifth place in the diptych since the 16th century has been occupied by the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church - the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. He is followed by His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi. The title of Catholicos has been borne by the Georgian High Hierarchs since the 5th century, having received it from the kyriarchal Church of Antioch: this was the name given to the First Hierarchs of the Local Churches located territorially beyond the eastern borders of the Byzantine Empire. Independent church structures in Southern Europe formed back in early Middle Ages, however, their canonical status was finally recognized by the Universal Church only in XIX-XX centuries. The diptych includes: First Hierarch of the Serbian Local Orthodox Church - His Holiness Patriarch Serbian, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovack; Romanian Church - His Beatitude Patriarch, Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Muntena and Dobrogea; His Holiness Patriarch of Bulgaria. The title of the Primate of the Cyprus Church reflects the events of church history of the 7th-8th centuries. In the 2nd half of the 7th century, under Emperor Justinian II, the Orthodox community of ancient Cyprus, led by its Primate Archbishop John, fleeing from the Arab conquerors, left the island and moved to the province of the Hellespont (the ancient name of the Dardanelles region), to the city of Justinianople founded by the emperor ( New Justiniana). The Trullo Council, with its 39th canon, preserved the rights of the Autocephalous Church for this community and granted its First Hierarch the title of Archbishop of the city of New Justiniana. In 747, the Cypriots returned to the island, but the memory of their stay in the Hellespont was preserved both among the people and in church terminology: the Primates of the Cypriot Church retain the official title of His Beatitude Archbishop of New Justiniana and all of Cyprus to this day. The Greek Church is the only Local Orthodox Church, headed not by a Primate, but by the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy - an analogue of our Council of Bishops. His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece is only the chairman of the Synod. This situation is similar to the one in which the Russian Orthodox Church found itself during the “synodal period,” however, the Archbishop of Athens has the right to represent his Church in external contacts. The synodal system of government arose in the Greek Church in the 19th century, when it was removed in 1834 from the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople under the Greek king of German origin, Catholic Otto I. His advisers (Protestants by religion) recreated in Greece the same model of coexistence of Church and state, which by that time had already been tested to some extent in Russia: the king was considered the head of the Church, and the Synod included his official, whose powers corresponded to the Russian chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod. In 1850, the Patriarchate of Constantinople issued a Tomos on the granting of autocephaly to the Greek Church, which only contributed to the final establishment of the synodal system in Greece (by the law of July 9, 1852), which laid the foundation for the life of the Greek Church from the very moment of its formation and still exists: for The liturgy after the words “In the first remember, O Lord” in the Greek Church commemorates the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy, while in other Churches their Primates are commemorated (however, the synodal system initially established here later evolved towards strengthening the importance of the First Hierarch). Next in the diptych are His Beatitude the Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania, His Beatitude Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland, His Beatitude Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. On January 1, 1993, the Czechoslovak Republic was divided into two independent states - the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but their territory is subject to the canonical authority of a single Local Church. The Orthodox Church in America was initially canonically subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church, whose missionaries brought Orthodoxy to the North American continent back in the 18th century. It was only in April 1970 that this Church was granted autocephaly. Its First Hierarch is His Beatitude the Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada. The diptych is completed by His Beatitude the Archbishop of Tokyo, Metropolitan of All Japan. The Japanese Orthodox Church is part of the Moscow Patriarchate with the rights of autonomy. In Russia, the commemoration of the Primates of the Churches by name at the “Great Praise” and “Great Entrance” is performed only at the Liturgy, which is performed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', while the First Hierarchs of the Autonomous Sinai, Finnish and Japanese Churches are not commemorated. It should be noted that the mentioned diptych adopted in the Russian Orthodox Church differs from the one that exists in the Patriarchates of the Orthodox East - Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria. In it, the First Hierarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church occupies ninth place, and the Primate of the American Church is absent. These discrepancies are due to a number of historical reasons. What an Orthodox Christian should know: 1. How should a person prepare to visit church? 2. How should a person who decides to go to church be dressed? 3. Is it possible to eat before visiting the temple in the morning? 4. How to behave with beggars who meet you in front of the temple? 5. How many bows should one make before entering the temple and how to behave in the temple? 6. How long do you need to be on duty? 7. Is it possible to sit at the service if you don’t have the strength to stand? 8. What is important in bowing and praying? 9. How to kiss icons correctly? 10. What does the candle placed in front of the image symbolize? 11. Does it matter what size candles you place in front of the image? 12. Who should light candles and how many? 13. What prayers should be said before the images of the Savior, Mother of God And Life-giving Cross ? 14. Why is it customary to light candles for the repose at the Crucifixion? 15. For what purpose and what products can you put on the eve? 16. What is the most important memorial for the dead? 17. How to submit a note of remembrance at the Proskomedia? Is it possible to remember the sick at the proskomedia? 18. What should you do if, while standing at a prayer service or other divine service, you did not hear the name that you submitted for commemoration? 19. How should you behave when censing? 20. At what point is the end of the morning service? 21. What do you need to know about the use of prosphora and holy water? 22. How are the feasts of the Lord and His saints celebrated? 23. How to order a memorial and thanksgiving prayer service? 24. Does repentance erase the memory of previously committed sins? 25. How many times a year should you take communion? 26. What is unction? 27. How often should you visit the temple? 28. What does visiting a temple mean for a believer? 29. What services are performed daily in the church? 30. What is fasting? 31. What prayers are performed before and after eating food? 32. Why is the death of the body necessary? 33. Why do you need a spiritual leader? 34. How often should you contact your confessor? 35. Is it possible to seek advice from other pastors of the church? 36. Is it possible to reveal your sinful thoughts to everyone? 37. Do you need to read any prayer when you go to your confessor? 38. How should you behave when you hear condemnation of priests? 39. Should we love all people? 40. How to find a confessor? 41. How should one endure sorrow? 42. How to overcome shame in confession? 43. How can I find out if God has forgiven me the sins confessed in confession? 44. How to behave during mental warfare? 45. What does penance consist of? 46. What sin is called mortal? 47. What to do if after confession your conscience does not calm down? 48. Why is repentance so important? 49. What does it mean to be guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? 50. What should one do during rest hours? 51. What is the beginning of salvation? 52. What strengthens the soul? 53. What distracts thought from God? 54. From what does a Christian receive sanctification? 55. What else should we think about? 56. What is the highest virtue? 57. Who is a true Christian? 58. What and who should you ask? 59. Why are misfortunes allowed? 60. What should be the main thing in prayer? 61. What is greater than almsgiving or thanksgiving in tribulations? 62. What especially pleases the Lord? 63. Should one remember sins said earlier in confession? 64. What is higher - righteousness or bearing insults? 65. What should one read after morning prayer? 66. What should thought be occupied with? 67. What should you set aside time for every day? 68. As soon as you wake up in the morning, what prayer should you read? 69. What should you force yourself to do? 70. Where is the beginning of sin? 71. What is most important for a believer? 72. How to get rid of forgotten sins during confession? 73. What are the greatest gifts of God given by God to believers? 74. Is it necessary to dwell on important thoughts in prayer? 75. How to get rid of bad habits? 76. When does the Lord not forgive us our sins? 77. What should you do before going to bed? 78. What prayers are holy? 79. How to acquire peace of mind? 80. How to look for benefits for yourself? 81. What kind of people should we move away from? 82. How to help the deceased? 83. What is reverence for icons? 84. What power does the image of the sign of the cross have? 85. What should one resort to first during illness? 86. Are there signs by which we can know whether we are on the path of salvation? 87. How should one maintain spiritual joy in oneself? 88. What is meekness? 89. What to do when despair from many sins sets in? 90. How should one pray to God? 91. Is it possible to shorten prayer rule out of need? 92. How can you defeat a demon? 93. What should one who asks God know? 94. What is better for us to ask God for our needs or for others? 95. If the heart sympathizes with a bad thought, what should be done? 96. What is better, a large rule of prayer, but not always fully fulfilled, or a small one, but always fulfilled? 97. Is it a sin to believe in signs: for example, it’s an unlucky day, you met someone, your hand itched, the cat ran across, the spoon fell, etc.? 98. Is it possible to replace the sign of the cross if necessary? 99. How should a holiday be dedicated to God? 100. Is it possible to work on Holidays? 101. What does it mean when loved ones appear in a dream? 102. When should one pray in one’s own words? 103. When is it recommended to read the Jesus Prayer in church? 104. How should we treat our neighbors? 105. When do we push God’s help away from us? 106. Who benefits for the soul from their sorrows and suffering? 107. How to look at those who offend me? 108. How to humble yourself? 109. Does everyone need to endure sorrow? 110. Is it enough to just endure an insult? 111. What should we especially ask the Lord God for in prayers? 112. What does God require of us? 113. Who should you love more: God or your relatives? 114. How to find out the will of God in life? 115. What is the virtue of withdrawing from the world? 116. How to acquire the fear of God? 117. Under what condition will a person improve? 118. What gives rise to humility? 119. What prayer is recommended to be read in case of spiritual need? 120. What virtues are especially dear to the Lord? 121. Is it possible to pray at any time and in any place? 122. How to achieve good prayer? 123. How to overcome anger in yourself? 124. How to deal with sadness and depression? 125. What the best remedy against despondency? 126. What knowledge is the most necessary and useful? 127. What is better to pray - standing or on your knees? 128. Can a good deed be achieved through bad means? 129. Is it possible to have an attachment to a person, to want to see him? 130. How should the days of fasting be spent? 131. How to decide to follow Christ? 132. What prayers should you say to the Lord to help you take the path of salvation? 133. How should one believe? 134. How to treat illness? 135. Is it possible to pray for recovery during illnesses? 136. Can God forgive such sins as theft, deception, fornication? 137. How to strengthen your faith and hope in the Lord? 138. Is it saving when others pray for you? 139. RULE OF THE REVEREND SERAPHIM OF SAROV FOR THE LAYERS Heavenly help for the suffering: secret prayers to the seven Archangels Angelology THE MOST NECESSARY ABOUT THE ORTHODOX FAITH OF CHRIST He who calls himself a Christian must accept with all his Christian spirit the Creed and the truth completely and without any doubt Holy Scripture. Accordingly, he must know them firmly, because one cannot accept or not accept what one does not know. Out of laziness, ignorance or unbelief, one who tramples and rejects proper knowledge of Orthodox truths cannot be a Christian. Symbol of Faith The Symbol of Faith is a brief and precise statement of all the truths of the Christian faith, compiled and approved at the 1st and 2nd Ecumenical Councils. And whoever does not accept these truths can no longer be an Orthodox Christian. The entire Creed consists of twelve members, and each of them contains a special truth, or, as they also call it, a dogma of the Orthodox faith. The Symbol of Faith reads as follows: 1. I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. 2. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages: Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not created, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were. 3. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from Heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. 4. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. 5. And he rose again on the third day, according to the scriptures. 6. And ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. 7. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. 8. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the life-giving, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. 9. Into one holy, catholic and apostolic Church. 10. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. 11. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, 12. And to the life of the next century. Amen I believe in one God, Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages: Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not created, one being with the Father, by Him all things were created. For the sake of us people and for the sake of our salvation, he came down from Heaven, and took flesh from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became a man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures. And ascended into Heaven, and sat on right side Father. And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; His kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets. Into one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I recognize one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, And the life of the age to come. Amen (truly so). A Christian must constantly strengthen and verify his faith in Christ every day according to the Holy Scriptures: “Jesus said to them: Because of your unbelief; For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed and say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you;" (Gospel of Matthew, 17:20) With His Word, Christ gave people a way to verify the truth of the Christian faith of everyone who calls himself a believing Christian. If you question this Word of Christ or anything else spoken in the Holy Scriptures or try to interpret it allegorically, you have not yet accepted the truth of the Holy Scriptures and are not yet a Christian. If, according to your word, the mountains do not move, you have not yet believed enough, and the true Christian faith in your soul is not even the size of a mustard seed. With very little faith, you can try to move with your word something much smaller than a mountain - a small hillock or a pile of sand. If this fails, you must make many, many efforts to acquire the faith of Christ, which is still absent in your soul. By this true Word of Christ check Christian faith his priest, so that he does not turn out to be a deceiving servant of the insidious Satan, who does not have the faith of Christ at all and is falsely dressed in the Orthodox cassock. Christ Himself warned people about many deceitful church deceivers: “Jesus answered and said to them: Beware that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many.” (Gospel of Matthew 24:4–5) Be careful in choosing your spiritual mentors as a Christian. There is nothing worse than being in the power of the pretending and deceiving greedy servants of the Antichrist Satan, who thirst only for the acquisition of earthly goods and their power over people. By following the instructions of these demonic monks, you will experience many troubles and the liars will take away your funds. And in eternal life, fiery hell awaits you, because by following the instructions of the Satanists, you rejected the holy Christian faith and took the path of anti-Christian service to demons. In order to avoid such a terrible disaster, constantly and persistently verify your Christian faith, as well as the faith and all the deeds of your spiritual shepherds, according to the canonical inspired Holy Scripture. If you have any doubt about whether your shepherds have the true faith in Christ, in a Christian manner, firmly move away from those who falsely deceive. Also remember that only his own sins can offend the feelings of a believer. Read What are the sins in Christianity? Nowadays, the majority of those who call themselves “Russian Orthodox” in Russia use the Holy Bible (Holy Scripture) and the canonical Gospels contained in it - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, as well as the Acts of the Apostles, the Council Epistles of the Apostles, the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, the Revelation of St. . John the Theologian (Apocalypse) has never been read, which is a sign of grave unbelief in the Word of Christ and complete unspiritual neglect of it. * * * * * * * THE CHURCH PLEASINGLY RECOMMENDS: piously purchase wine for your needs only in the Lord’s churches from the consecrated reserves of Christ. For, according to the assurances of the priests, unsanctified wine purchased in a store does not have holiness, but is filled with sinfulness and has a destructive effect on the Christian soul. To meet the increased spiritual needs of Russians in church shops We offer a wide selection of consecrated Cahors and other wines to suit different tastes. Here everyone can choose wine according to their income. More expensive wines have greater holiness and godliness. They say that even a whole bottle of consecrated wine drunk by a true believer (a priest or someone especially close to God) IS NOT DETERMINED BY ALCOLASER - this reliable way testing the strength and truth of the Christian faith of everyone who has faith even the size of a mustard seed. This good affirmation of the priesthood is fully consistent with Holy Scripture: “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief; For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed and say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you;" Gospel of Matthew, 17:20 GOOD CHRISTIAN ADVICE: before the holidays, church prices increase significantly, therefore consecrated wines should be purchased at the church in advance. A counter in the Church of the Lord with an assortment of consecrated Cahors horses. For spiritual help to the believer: Every person is a sinner, for only God is sinless, and He alone is sinless. Correct observance of Christian fasts and diligent reading of prayers strengthens the holy faith and cleanses the soul of the believer in Christ's Testaments from accumulated sins. A believer should not confuse the Testaments of Christ with the 10 Commandments of Moses - the first relate to the New Testament, the second to the Old Testament (which is part of the Jewish Torah). Read about this in the Holy Scriptures. See ABOUT SINS IN CHRISTIANITY - what kinds of sins there are. You should always know and remember that only God can forgive sins, and the Lord did not grant any mortal, even one dressed in a cassock, the right to forgive sins. A priest, like every believer, can only pray to the Lord for the remission of sins. For before God all are equal, and before Him there is none greater than first or greater than last. Every mortal who undertakes to forgive sins for God or in the Name of God is a grave sinner, mired in the abominable satanic mortal sin of pride, i.e. considering oneself equal to God or even higher than Him. This gravest of mortal sins is inherent in Satan and his demonic servants. The LORD's generous forgiveness of sins to those who sincerely repent and want to cleanse their souls before God, in order to thereby avoid terrible eternal torment in the endless flames of hell. Divinely inspired messages for pious, godly viewing, approved and recommended by our great Lord for the atonement of sins to all faithful Russians. By the gracious will of the merciful Lord, each viewing removes one minor sin, three viewings remove one grave sin, eight – a mortal sin. If in the table below you do not see 8 different messages, it means that the Lord does not yet consider it necessary to forgive you a mortal sin. In this case, further strengthen your Christian piety in every possible way and after a while, visit this page again. Perhaps then the Lord will be more favorable to you. The Lord is merciful, and the number of your attempts to get rid of the burden of sins is not limited by the Lord. Voluntarily or unwittingly, I sinned - I looked with repentance - I was cleansed before the Lord: loading... var RNum = Math.floor(Math.random()*10000); document.write(‘ ‘);
I read that the Patriarch of Constantinople is the main one among the Orthodox. How so? He has almost no flock, because mostly Muslims live in Istanbul. And in general, how does everything work in our church? Who is more important than whom?
S. Petrov, Kazan
In total there are 15 autocephalous (independent - Ed.) Orthodox churches.
Constantinople
Her status as Orthodox Church No. 1 was determined in 1054, when the Patriarch of Constantinople trampled the bread prepared according to Western custom. This became the reason for the split of the Christian Church into Orthodox and Catholic. The throne of Constantinople was the first Orthodox, and its special meaning not disputed. Although the flock of the current Patriarch of Constantinople, who bears the proud title of Patriarch of New Rome and Ecumenical, is small.
Alexandria
According to church tradition, the Alexandria Church was founded by the holy Apostle Mark. The second of the four oldest Orthodox patriarchates. Canonical territory - Africa. In the 3rd century. It was there that monasticism first appeared.
Antioch
The third in seniority, founded, according to legend, by Peter and Paul around 37. Jurisdiction: Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, also Arab parishes in Europe, Northern and South America, Australia.
Jerusalem
The oldest church, occupying 4th place in the autocephalous churches. It has the name of the mother of all churches, because it was on her territory that everything took place major events described in the New Testament. Its first bishop was the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord.
Russian
Not being the oldest, upon its establishment it immediately received an honorable fifth place among churches. The largest and most influential autocephalous Orthodox Church.
Georgian
One of ancient churches in the world. According to legend, Georgia is the apostolic lot of the Mother of God.
Serbian
The first mass baptism of Serbs occurred under the Byzantine emperor Heraclius (610-641).
Romanian
Has jurisdiction on the territory of Romania. It has state status: Salaries of the clergy are paid from the state treasury.
Bulgarian
In Bulgaria, Christianity began to spread already in the 1st century. In 865, under St. Prince Boris, the general baptism of the Bulgarian people takes place.
Cyprus
10th place among autocephalous local churches.
One of the oldest local churches in the East. Founded by the Apostle Barnabas in 47.
In the 7th century fell under the Arab yoke, from which it was completely freed only in 965.
Helladic (Greek)
Historically, the Orthodox population of what is now Greece was within the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople. Autocephaly was proclaimed in 1833. The king was named the head of the church. Has state status.
Albanian
The bulk of the congregation lives in the southern regions of Albania (Islam predominates in the center and north). Founded in the 10th century. as part of Constantinople, but then gained independence in 1937.
Polish
IN modern form was established in 1948. Before that for a long time 80% of the church's believers were Ukrainians, Belarusians and Rusyns.
Czech lands and Slovakia
Founded on the territory of the Great Moravian Principality in 863 through the labors of saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius. 14th place among churches.
American
It is not recognized by Constantinople, as well as a number of other churches. The origin goes back to the creation in 1794 by the monks of the Valaam Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior of the first Orthodox mission in America. American Orthodox believe that St. Herman of Alaska is their apostle.
In the Orthodox Church there are three degrees of priesthood: deacon, priest, bishop. In addition, all the clergy are divided into “white” - married and “black” - monks.
Deacon (Greek “diakonos” - minister) is a clergyman of the first (junior) degree of the priesthood. He participates in worship, but does not perform the sacraments himself. A deacon in the monastic rank is called a hierodeacon. The senior deacon in the white (married) clergy is called a protodeacon, and in monasticism - an archdeacon.
A priest, or presbyter (Greek "pre-sbyteros" - elder), or priest (Greek "hier-is" - priest), is a clergyman who can perform six of the seven sacraments, with the exception of the sacrament of Ordination, that is, elevation to one of the degrees church hierarchy. Priests are subordinate to the bishop. They are entrusted with leading church life in urban and rural parishes. The senior priest in the parish is called the rector.
Only a deacon (married or monastic) can be ordained to the rank of presbyter. A priest holding the monastic rank is called a hieromonk. The senior elders of the white clergy are called archpriests, protopresbyters, and the monastics are called abbots. The abbots of monastic monasteries are called archimandrites. The rank of archimandrite is usually held by the rector large monastery, laurels. Hegumen is the rector of an ordinary monastery or parish church.
Bishop (Greek "episkopos" - overseer) - clergyman highest degree. A bishop is also called a bishop, or hierarch, that is, a priest, sometimes a saint.
A bishop governs the parishes of an entire area, called a diocese. Bishop, Administrator of Parishes big city and the surrounding area is called metropolitan.
The Patriarch is the “principal” - the head of the Local Church, elected and appointed at the Council - the highest rank of the church hierarchy.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church is His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. He runs the church with Holy Synod. In addition to the Patriarch, the Synod constantly includes the Metropolitans of Kiev, St. Petersburg, Krutitsky, and Minsk. The permanent member of the Holy Synod is the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations. Four more are invited from the rest of the episcopate in rotation as temporary members for six months.
In addition to the three sacred ranks in the Church, there are also lower official positions - subdeacons, psalm-readers and sextons. They are classified as clergy and are appointed to their positions not through Ordination, but by bishop’s or abbot’s blessing.
Priest and Archpriest are titles Orthodox priests. They are assigned to the so-called white clergy - those clergy who do not take a vow of celibacy, create families and have children. What is the difference between a priest and an archpriest? There are differences between them, we will talk about them now.
What do the titles “priest” and “archpriest” mean?
Both words have Greek origin. "Priest" has long been used in Greece to designate a priest and literally means "priest." And “archpriest” means “high priest.” The system of church titles began to take shape from the first centuries of Christianity, both in the Western, Catholic, Church, and in the Eastern, Orthodox Church, most of the terms for designating different ranks of the priesthood are Greek, since the religion originated in the east of the Roman Empire, and the first adherents were predominantly Greeks .
The difference between a priest and an archpriest is that the second term is used to name priests who are at a higher level of the church hierarchy. The title “archpriest” is assigned to a clergyman who already has the title of priest as a reward for services to the church. In different Orthodox churches, the conditions for conferring the title of archpriest are slightly different. In the Russian Orthodox Church, a priest can become an archpriest five years (not earlier) after he is awarded a pectoral cross (worn over his clothes). Or ten years after ordination (in this case, ordination to the rank of priest), but only after he is appointed to a leading church position.
Comparison
In Orthodoxy there are three degrees of priesthood. The first (lowest) is the deacon (deacon), the second is the priest (priest) and the third, highest, is the bishop (bishop or saint). Priest and archpriest, as is easy to understand, belong to the middle (second) step Orthodox hierarchy. In this they are similar, but what is the difference between them, except that the title “archpriest” is given as a reward?
Archpriests are usually rectors (that is, senior priests) of churches, parishes or monasteries. They are subordinate to the bishops, organizing and leading the church life of their parish. It is customary to address the priest as “Your Reverence” (on special occasions), as well as simply “Father” or by name - for example, “Father Sergius”. The address to the archpriest is “Your Reverence.” Previously, addresses were in use: to the priest - “Your Blessing” and to the archpriest - “Your High Blessing”, but now they have practically fallen out of use.
Table
The table presented to your attention shows the difference between a priest and an archpriest.
| Priest | Archpriest | |
| What does it mean | Translated from Greek it means “priest”. Previously, this word was used to refer to priests, but in the modern church it serves to designate a priest of a certain rank. | Translated from Greek it means “high priest.” The title is a reward to the priest for many years of work and service to the church |
| Level of Church Responsibility | Conduct church services, can perform six of the seven sacraments (except for the sacrament of ordination - initiation into the clergy) | They conduct church services and can perform six of the seven sacraments (except for the sacrament of ordination - initiation into the clergy). Usually they are the rector of a temple or parish, and are directly subordinate to the bishop |
Chapter:
CHURCH PROTOCOL
3rd page
HIERARCHY OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Spiritual guidance for those truly established in the holy Orthodox faith:
- questions of believers and answers of holy righteous people.
The Russian Orthodox Church, as part of the Universal Church, has the same three-degree hierarchy that arose at the dawn of Christianity.
The clergy are divided into deacons, presbyters and bishops.
Persons in the first two sacred degrees can belong to either the monastic (black) or the white (married) clergy.
Since the 19th century, our Church has had the institution of celibacy, borrowed from the Catholic West, but in practice it is extremely rare. In this case, the clergyman remains celibate, but does not take monastic vows and does not take monastic vows. Clergymen can only marry before taking holy orders.
[In Latin “celibate” (caelibalis, caelibaris, celibatus) - an unmarried (single) person; in classical Latin, the word caelebs meant “unwifed” (and virgin, divorced, and widower), but in late antiquity folk etymology associated it with caelum (sky), and so it came to be understood in medieval Christian writing, where it was used in speech about angels, containing an analogy between virgin life and angelic life; according to the Gospel, in heaven they do not marry or be given in marriage (Matt. 22:30; Luke 20:35).]
In schematic form, the priestly hierarchy can be represented as follows:
| SECULAR CLERGY | BLACK CLERGY |
|---|---|
| I. BISHOP (BISHOP) | |
| Patriarch | |
| Metropolitan | |
| Archbishop | |
| Bishop | |
| II. PRIEST | |
| Protopresbyter | Archimandrite |
| Archpriest (senior priest) | Abbot |
| Priest (priest, presbyter) | Hieromonk |
| III. DEACON | |
| Archdeacon (senior deacon serving with the Patriarch) | Archdeacon (senior deacon in the monastery) |
| Protodeacon (senior deacon, usually in a cathedral) | |
| Deacon | Hierodeacon |
NOTE: the rank of archimandrite in the white clergy hierarchically corresponds to the mitred archpriest and protopresbyter (senior priest in the cathedral).
A monk (Greek μονος - solitary) is a person who has dedicated himself to serving God and has taken vows (promises) of obedience, non-covetousness and celibacy. Monasticism has three degrees.
The ordeal (its duration, as a rule, is three years), or the novice degree, serves as an introduction to monastic life, so that those who wish for it first test their strength and only after that pronounce irrevocable vows.
The novice (otherwise known as the novice) does not wear the full robe of a monk, but only a cassock and kamilavka, and therefore this degree is also called a ryassophore, i.e. wearing a cassock, so that while waiting to take monastic vows the novice is confirmed on his chosen path.
The cassock is the clothing of repentance (Greek ρασον - worn, dilapidated clothing, sackcloth).
Monasticism itself is divided into two degrees: the small angelic image and the great angelic image, or schema. Dedication of oneself to monastic vows is called tonsure.
A cleric can only be tonsured by a bishop, a layman can also be tonsured by a hieromonk, abbot or archimandrite (but in any case, monastic tonsure is performed only with the permission of the diocesan bishop).
In the Greek monasteries of Holy Mount Athos, tonsure is performed immediately on the Great Schema.
When tonsured into the small schema (Greek το μικρον σχημα - small image), the ryasophore monk becomes robed: he receives a new name (its choice depends on the tonsure, for it is given as a sign that the monk who renounces the world completely submits to the will of the abbot) and puts on the a mantle that marks the “betrothal of a great and angelic image”: it has no sleeves, reminding the monk that he should not do the works of the old man; the robe fluttering freely as he walks is likened to the wings of an Angel, in accordance with the monastic image. The monk also puts on the “helmet of salvation” (Isa. 59:17; Eph. 6:17; 1 Thess. 5:8) - a hood: like a warrior covers himself with a helmet, When going to battle, a monk puts on a hood as a sign that he strives to avert his eyes and close his ears so as not to see or hear the vanity of the world.
More strict vows of complete renunciation of the world are pronounced when accepting the great angelic image (Greek: το μεγα αγγελικον σχημα). When tonsured into the great schema, the monk is once again given a new name. The clothes in which the Great Schema monk dresses are partly the same as those worn by the monks of the Lesser Schema: a cassock, a mantle, but instead of a hood, the Great Schema monk puts on a doll: a pointed cap that covers the head and shoulders all around and is decorated with five crosses located on the forehead, on the chest, on both shoulders and on the back. A hieromonk who has accepted the great schema can perform divine services.
A bishop who has been tonsured into the great schema must renounce episcopal power and administration and remain a schema-monk (schema-bishop) until the end of his days.
A deacon (Greek διακονος - minister) does not have the right to independently perform divine services and church sacraments; he is an assistant to the priest and bishop. A deacon can be elevated to the rank of protodeacon or archdeacon.
The rank of archdeacon is extremely rare. It is owned by a deacon who constantly serves His Holiness the Patriarch, as well as deacons of some stauropegic monasteries.
A deacon-monk is called a hierodeacon.
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).
Presbyter (from the Greek πρεσβυτερος - senior) is 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 priesthood of another person.
In the white clergy it is a priest, in monasticism it is a hieromonk. A priest can be elevated to the rank of archpriest and protopresbyter, a hieromonk - to the rank of abbot and archimandrite.
Bishops, also called bishops (from the Greek prefix αρχι - senior, chief), are diocesan and vicar.
The diocesan bishop, by succession of power from the holy Apostles, is the head of the local Church - the diocese, canonically governing it with the conciliar assistance of the clergy and laity. He is elected by the Holy Synod. Bishops bear a title that usually includes the names of the two cathedral cities of the diocese.
As needed, the Holy Synod appoints suffragan bishops to assist the diocesan bishop, whose title includes the name of only one of the major cities of the diocese.
A bishop may be elevated to the rank of archbishop or metropolitan.
After the establishment of the Patriarchate in Rus', only bishops of some 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 to appear.
Bishops, as a distinctive sign of their dignity, have a mantle - a long cape fastened at the neck, reminiscent of a monastic robe. In front, on its two front sides, top and bottom, tablets are sewn - rectangular panels made of fabric. The upper tablets usually contain images of evangelists, crosses, and seraphim; on the lower tablet on the right side are the letters: e, a, m or P, meaning the rank of bishop - bishop, archbishop, metropolitan, patriarch; on the left is the first letter of his name.
Only in the Russian Church does the Patriarch wear a green robe, the Metropolitan - blue, archbishops, bishops - purple or dark red.
During Great Lent, members of the episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church wear a black robe. The tradition of using colored bishop's robes in Rus' is quite ancient; an image of the first Russian Patriarch Job in a blue metropolitan robe has been preserved.
Archimandrites have a black mantle with tablets, but without sacred images and letters denoting rank and name. The tablets of archimandrite's robes usually have a smooth red field surrounded by gold braid.
During worship, all bishops use a richly decorated staff, called a rod, which is a symbol of spiritual authority over the flock.
Only the Patriarch has the right to enter the altar of the temple with a rod. The remaining bishops in front of the royal doors give the rod to the subdeacon-co-worker standing behind the service to the right of the royal doors.
According to the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, adopted in 2000 by the Jubilee Council of Bishops, a man of the Orthodox confession at the age of at least 30 years old from among the monastics or unmarried members of the white clergy with mandatory tonsure as a monk can become a bishop.
The tradition of electing bishops from among the monastic ranks developed in Rus' already in the pre-Mongol period. This canonical norm remains 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 prerequisite appointment to bishop's service. In the Church of Constantinople, on the contrary, a person who has accepted monasticism cannot become a bishop: there is a position according to which a person who has renounced the world and taken a vow of obedience cannot lead other people.
All hierarchs of the Church of Constantinople are not robed, but robed monks.
Widowed or divorced persons who have become monastics can also become bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church. The candidate to be elected must meet high rank bishop in moral qualities and have a theological education.
The diocesan bishop is entrusted with a wide range of responsibilities. He ordains and appoints clergy to their place of service, appoints employees of diocesan institutions and blesses monastic tonsures. Without his consent, not a single decision of the diocesan governing bodies can be implemented.
In his activities, the bishop is accountable to His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The ruling bishops at the local level are authorized representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church before the bodies state power and management.
The first bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church is its Primate, who bears the title of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The Patriarch is accountable to the Local and Bishops' Councils. His name is exalted during divine services in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church according to the following formula: “On the Great Lord and Our Father (name), His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.”
A candidate for Patriarch must be a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, have a higher theological education, sufficient experience in diocesan administration, be distinguished by his commitment to canonical law and order, enjoy a good reputation and trust of the hierarchs, clergy and people, “have a good testimony from outsiders” (1 Tim. 3, 7), be at least 40 years old.
The rank of Patriarch is for life. The Patriarch is entrusted with a wide range of responsibilities 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 paragraph 1U.9 of the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' 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 with the rights of a diocesan bishop, with the title of Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna. The territorial boundaries of the administration carried out by the Patriarchal Viceroy are determined by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (currently the Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna manages the churches and monasteries of the Moscow region, minus the stauropegial ones).
The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' is also the Holy Archimandrite of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, a number of other monasteries of special historical significance, and governs all church stauropegia (the word stauropegia is derived from the Greek σταυρος - cross and πηγνυμι - to erect: the cross installed by the Patriarch at the founding of the temple or a monastery in any diocese means their inclusion in the Patriarchal jurisdiction).
[Therefore, His Holiness the Patriarch is called the Higumen of stauropegial monasteries (for example, Valaam). Ruling bishops, in relation to their diocesan monasteries, can also be called Holy Archimandrites and Holy Abbots.
In general, it should be noted that the prefix “sacred-” is sometimes added to the name of the rank of clergy (holy archimandrite, holy abbot, holy deacon, holy monk); however, this prefix should not be attached to all words denoting ecclesiastical title, in particular, to words that are already compound (protodeacon, archpriest).]
His Holiness the Patriarch, in accordance with worldly 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, a bishop who prayerfully stands before God for his entire flock. Often the Patriarch is also called the First Hierarch or the High Hierarch, since he is the first in honor among other hierarchs equal to him in grace.
What an Orthodox Christian should know:
THE MOST NEEDED ABOUT THE ORTHODOX FAITH IN CHRIST
Anyone who calls himself a Christian must fully and without any doubt accept with his whole Christian spirit Symbol of faith and truth.
Accordingly, he must know them firmly, because one cannot accept or not accept what one does not know.
Out of laziness, ignorance or unbelief, one who tramples and rejects proper knowledge of Orthodox truths cannot be a Christian.
Symbol of faith
The Creed is a brief and precise statement of all the truths of the Christian faith, compiled and approved at the 1st and 2nd Ecumenical Councils. And whoever does not accept these truths can no longer be an Orthodox Christian.
The entire Creed consists of twelve members, and each of them contains a special truth, or, as they also call it, dogma Orthodox faith.
The Creed reads like this:
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1. I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. |
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“Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed and say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you;" ()
Sim By Your Word Christ gave people a way to verify the truth of the Christian faith of everyone who calls himself a believing Christian.
If this Word of Christ or otherwise stated in Holy Scripture, you question or try to interpret allegorically - you have not yet accepted truth The Holy Scriptures and you are not yet a Christian.
If, according to your word, the mountains do not move, you have not yet believed enough, and there is not even true Christian faith in your soul. with a mustard seed. With very little faith, you can try to move with your word something much smaller than a mountain - a small hillock or a pile of sand. If this fails, you must make many, many efforts to acquire the faith of Christ, which is still absent in your soul.
Therefore true Word of Christ check the Christian faith of your priest, so that he does not turn out to be a deceiving servant of the insidious Satan, who does not have the faith of Christ at all and is falsely dressed in the Orthodox cassock.
Christ Himself warned people about many lying church deceivers:
“Jesus answered and said to them, “Beware that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many.” (