How to become a deacon, what are the requirements? How many years have they studied at theological seminary?

Archpriest Andrey Khvylya-Olinter. Retired police colonel. Scientist, criminologist, religious scholar. In the past, deputy head of the Criminal Information Center of the Main Information Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. One of the leading experts in the field of non-traditional religions and destructive cults.

- Father Andrei, first of all, allow me from the editorial team of the portal “Rublev.com” to congratulate you on the day of your heavenly patron, Reverend Andrei Rublev.

It’s somehow unusual that a high-ranking employee of the Main Information Center of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs became a priest. Many of your colleagues still remember you as a police colonel - and not just a colonel, but a top specialist in the field of information systems and forensics. What did you do at the Ministry of Internal Affairs?

I was involved in the development, implementation and operation of information support systems, including in forensic science, which are used in the investigation of crimes. Crimes are committed wherever a person is present and acts - therefore criminology covers all types of human activity. Accordingly, the development of information systems required a comprehensive study of many areas of life.

- This is not only the collection and analysis of data and fingerprints, as ordinary people usually think?

Of course not. Even if you like some detective films or stories, there are a variety of databases in information systems. For example, restoring the appearance of a corpse, the appearance of a person based on his skull. Or drawing up an identikit, when witnesses are interviewed and a probable portrait of the criminal is made. The same applies to the description of various crimes, when it is necessary to catch serial ones from a huge pile, that is, committed by the same group or by the same person - according to the method of commission, according to other characteristics. We did a variety of mathematics - take, for example, image processing. Let's say there is a photograph of a suspect, but it is “blurry.” And I had to develop an algorithm that allows me to get a very clear shot from a defocused image. From a mathematical point of view, everything turned out to be quite simple.

Of course, science does not stand still; it was only later that computer programs appeared.

- But you were a pioneer.

In any case, one of the first in our country... It was vitally important! For example, bringing a defocused and blurry photograph into a normal image. To expose the criminal or, conversely, to prove that the suspect is not actually involved.

- What years were these?

Nineties. Although I came there back in the late 70s. At first we mainly studied mathematics. The USSR did not yet have such technical means, and in order to process images, including fingerprints, it was necessary to purchase foreign equipment. And at first we became inventors, and such that, I remember, even the Americans were surprised!

We managed to create one of our first versions of a fingerprint system on a personal computer. The Americans believed that this was theoretically impossible. And we showed it to them on a personal computer, they decided that we were deceiving them. But it was very easy to prove: we asked them to run fingerprints on our input devices themselves and found everything we needed. It amazed them! It was not a modern computer, but something like Iskra. Now people have not even heard of it, they have already forgotten about such PCs. But we then neutralized the frailty of our technology by using very clever mathematics.

- Was the backwardness of technology compensated for by brain power?

Well, yes. The Americans solved this using the unlimited capabilities of technology.

- How was your service? You eventually reached the rank of colonel?

And not just a colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - I then held a post on the information conveyor, that is, in addition to purely scientific work, I was also responsible for the “operation” of our systems around the clock. And we served the detection of crimes not only in the USSR, but also at the level of international structures, Interpol, for example. People contacted us very often from our embassies, and from anywhere - from all countries, one might say. Russians, we are such a hectic people, we commit crimes in different countries (although this is not only a specific feature of Russians, but also of other peoples).

Yes, and crimes were committed against Russians, that is, your field of activity was vast, the whole globe.

And that’s why my schedule was frantic: during the working day there were from 60 to 70 combat calls only. A “combat” call is when they call me, say, from our embassy in the Republic of South Africa and ask me to check on some person or something else. I hold the phone, use another phone to contact my subordinates (and I had about four hundred subordinates), convey the order to find such a person, this is done immediately, and I immediately answer the request by phone. These are battle calls. Several control cards with a red stripe, that is, at the ministerial level, and I must prepare the relevant documents and send them within the day. Combat mode.

But how did it happen that a promising scientist, criminologist, Colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Andrei Igorevich Khvylya-Olinter turned into “Father Andrei”? To change your life so radically...

This can be compared to the birth of a child. On the one hand, it seemed to happen “suddenly.” How in a maternity hospital a woman suffers, strains and “suddenly” gives birth. On the other hand, the birth of a child was preceded by a long period of some events.

It somehow happened to me that since childhood I had a thirst for truth, if you like. Even if it was clothed in the form of an official ideology, Marxism-Leninism. After all, I read not only those works of Marx and Engels that are usually studied in institutes, but also many others. Especially Marx's early works. At first I followed the official ideology, but at the same time I really loved mathematics and philosophy. Teilhard de Chardin played the role, Stanislaw Lem and other similar philosophers. And I began to look for the reason, the meaning of our existence, but, however, within the framework of rational human activity. I began to create a gigantic theory that, at least for me, explained everything that was happening in the world. Yes, enormous erudition has appeared, but, you understand, in order to study all this systematically, you need to brew in the appropriate environment. And since I basically studied everything on my own, there was some superficiality in it, it was an endless race towards the horizon.

But there was another side. I painted (and my father painted, he is also a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR), and this feeling of the beauty of the world pushed me to think that this beauty has some kind of basis, some kind of Superprinciple.

- Just as physicists see the incredible intelligence of nature, even the human body, its body is an amazing super mechanism...

Yes. And at first everything was perceived as a certain property of nature, but then, when I got deeper into this matter, some well-known principles of the same nature, say, Hamilton's principle of least action, showed that behind all this there is clearly something else that is higher nature. We throw a stone - and it initially flies along the trajectory of the least action, that is, it seems to know where to move. And if we consider the functioning of the human body, the brain, if we get to such the highest natural systems and causes... It is clear that all this sooner or later leads to God.

Francis Bacon also said (and he is considered the founder of modern science) that partial knowledge leads away from God, but such complete, deep knowledge necessarily returns to Him. Take the great scientists, Nobel Prize winners, founders of quantum mechanics: Werner Karl Heisenberg, Max Planck - they are all deeply religious people. Not to mention Newton and so on. And our truly great Soviet scientists: the same academician Boris Viktorovich Rauschenbach, developer of control systems for Soviet spacecraft, one of the founders of Soviet cosmonautics, please - a deepest believer. By the way, he wrote interesting books on Orthodoxy. Aircraft designer Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, famous both in Tsarist Russia and in the USA. He has written wonderful books about the Lord’s Prayer. Many more examples can be given. The fact is that there are no fewer believers among scientists than among ordinary people.

And so my hobbies began to lead me to a dead end: that is, while constructing my gigantic theory, I kept discovering holes and weak points in it. This means that it was necessary to study new scientific works and new directions. It is clear that in the end these fruitless searches could lead to a madhouse or to some historical sects, which is actually the same thing.

But unexpectedly I met people who actually laid the foundation for me and showed me where everything was. One day I came to one of our greatest scientific philosophers, the head of the Department of Problems of Cognition at the Institute of Philosophy of the USSR Academy of Sciences. I came to him with my opuses on the recommendation of Anatoly Garmaev (he was not yet a priest then). And this philosopher, Genrikh Stepanovich Batishchev, read my opus with great interest, which briefly described my “theory” (I say this with humor), and suddenly he dumbfounded me. “You urgently need to be baptized and go to church,” he said. And then he introduced me to Father Dimitry Smirnov.

Gradually, I acquired a completely new circle of acquaintances: Anatoly Garmaev (he was not yet a priest), philosopher Genrikh Stepanovich Batishchev (baptized John), priest Daniil Sysoev (I began to contact him against sectarian activities while still an officer), Archpriest Feodor Sokolov (he was in charge of the security forces).

And so Father Dimitry Smirnov invited me to somehow attend a baptism. I came to him in the afternoon, during lunch break, and there my grandmother brought her two older grandsons and granddaughter to be baptized. An empty temple, I stood on the sidelines, didn’t know anything, didn’t follow the rites, didn’t understand anything. I stand, stare, and am interested. When the baptism began, suddenly a strange, new feeling washed over me for the first time - I didn’t understand what was happening to me, but I felt as if wings had grown behind my back... And when the baptism ended, I was supposed to go up to Father Dmitry and thank him him, to say some words - and I silently crawled out of the church and spent the rest of my working time walking around Moscow, everything inside me was ringing.

- But you were just a spectator then.

I just stood on the side of the wall and didn’t understand anything. As a result, for some time, by inertia, I followed the rational path, I pounced on Christian literature, and began to read even more. And so I became stronger in the rational, rational sense that God exists, and that’s all.

I started walking to different religious buildings, visiting Muslims, Protestants, Catholics, Buddhists. Just go and have a look. But the feeling that I was “at home” arose only in the Orthodox church. Nowhere else. So I went on for about another year. As a result, like a snowfall, I was baptized in the Church of St. Nicholas in Kuznetsy, Father Valentin Asmus baptized me, by complete immersion, as expected. A big role was then played by my godmother Valentina Fedorovna Chesnokova, the world's largest sociologist (very modest, apparently she was a secret nun, worked at the Institute of Sociology, she has wonderful books on sociology).

But you did not stop at baptism and, in the end, took holy orders. How did your colleagues and your family react to this?

God called. Everything is God's will. Although during the period of churching this sometimes took an anecdotal turn. We had such a category of officers who were attracted to women, and at the same time wore such well-groomed beards. And no one protested against beards. But as soon as I began to grow my beard, “for religious reasons” (it was also trimmed, short, that is, outwardly almost no different from these Don Juans), an onslaught against my beard began!

“Andrey Igorevich! So that tomorrow you come without a beard! You’re an officer!”

And this despite the fact that there were many there with beards, and no complaints were made against them. I also had some very funny incidents: I spoke at the Collegium on Zhitnaya with a serious report on the information and operational system, there were heads of all departments and generals. And suddenly I see them laughing, giggling. And I say serious things. Then I notice with horror that I switched to Church Slavonic. And then I took courses in the Church Slavonic language, and I had to take an exam in it, and I had a fixation on this in my head.

- “Because”, “because”, “back and forth, we don’t speak languages”?

That's pretty much how it was. But I was already the talk of the town there, they knew that I was Orthodox...

But seriously, my acceptance of the priesthood, of course, was the will of the Divine. I understand this now. For example, for some reason I began to create a library of priests and liturgical literature. Just felt the need to study it. Then there was a moment: Bishop John of Belgorod (chairman of the Missionary Department), when I was working on a reference book on destructive religious organizations, so that no one would interfere with me, sent me into “seclusion.” And such a moment comes: the directory is completed, and Vladyka John suddenly announces to me: “In three days you will be ordained deacon.” This is the year 2002.

I went to Moscow. At first my wife thought that I would become a monk. Well, you can imagine, there was panic: they say, the collapse of the family and so on. Relatives started talking that I was selling the apartment now, and there was a stir. But you see how the Lord turned everything around.

In 2000, I retired from the Ministry of Internal Affairs due to age, I was ordained as a deacon in 2002, and in 2004 I was ordained as a priest.

- Perhaps at that time your internal state was already brought to this?

I’m telling you, it’s the same as becoming a mother: a girl, a girl - they hear something about the birth of a child, they, of course, develop some kind of idea about motherhood, about the birth of a child. But when it actually happens, it’s a qualitative leap! And it is infinitely different from all theoretical concepts. This is completely different now. So it is with ordination.

When a person becomes a priest, and if this happens sincerely (there are, of course, opportunistic situations - there are few such cases, but there are: when a father-priest pushes his child to make such a choice), he becomes a completely different person.

- It happens that the priesthood is accepted as one of the new, popular “professions”, as a way to get a good job.

Among the priests there are also living people. Therefore it happens differently. But still, the bulk of priests are hard workers, this is a cross. And even more so bishops, being a bishop is generally a very difficult cross.

Father Andrei, today the Church celebrates the memory of St. Andrei Rublev. How do you yourself perceive his personality and work - a man of faith, art and silent theology of Ancient Rus'?

This period is called by many scientific researchers the period of the Russian Renaissance. If in the West, in Western civilization, the Renaissance period contained a clear element of fighting against God, the replacement of God with man-theology, then in our country the revival is expressed primarily by the work of Saint Andrei Rublev. And it is enough to remember his icons, look carefully and deeply to understand that our revival contained the flowering of all the basic values ​​of Christianity. First of all, love, truth, tolerance in everyday life and social life, but unshakable standing in faith - religion and love in the broadest sense.

We look at the images of St. Andrei Rublev and see love - and this love extends to God and to the entire earthly world, including nature. And, of course, we see a person’s special place.

- But Andrei Rublev did not leave behind any letters, messages, teachings...

He left behind icons. Take, here, “Trinity” - I could talk about this icon for a week. It contains the highest semantic range: both the New Testament and the Old Testament elements. The composition of three angels repeats the letter “SH” - this is a sacred letter, especially highlighted in the ancient Jewish alphabet, which marks sacred objects. And here are the angels, they are lined up in the form of this letter. This is not immediately noticeable, because their mutual arrangement simultaneously repeats the circle, as a symbol of completeness. You can talk a lot about this icon; in my opinion, it is worth many worldview volumes, philosophical and theological. Objects behind the angels, the tree of life (this is a symbol of the Church), a building, a mountain, and so on. And, of course, the most important thing is the cup on the throne. It occupies a central place, the geometric center of the entire circle. The New Testament sacrifice is Christ Himself. And the middle angel, the symbol of Christ, points to his own sacrifice.

Therefore, for me, these images of Andrei Rublev are always a means of powerful cleansing. And in my cell (you can still see) this icon of the Trinity is always present. Rublev is not only my saint, but also one of the most powerful words in Orthodoxy in its heyday.

- It turns out that Rublev’s work is also theology, only theology in colors?

Exactly. And in general, the icon as such is theology in color, just as, say, the Church Slavonic language is linguistic theology. Of course, icons are also different, there are similar to a painting, “partes”, secular versions. But we are talking about a canonical icon. Such an icon is prayer, yes, theology in color, but theology is, first of all, prayer. A theologian is, first of all, a prayer, and not a learned lecturer.

In our country, the Church recognizes only a few theologians with a capital letter. John the Theologian, Gregory the Theologian, Simeon the New Theologian... Of course, we have theological faculties that annually produce new theologians. But with all due respect to them, the Church calls only a few saints great “Theologians”. Therefore, an icon is both theology and prayer. Even when it is being made (we know all the stages of making boards, gesso and paints) - all this is accompanied not just by prayer, but by a special ascetic state of the icon painter, from which he has no right to leave.

By the way, I, too, have been drawing all my life and especially respected such symbolic versions of writing, that is, meaningful ones. And when the question of my baptism arose, the priest, seeing all my artistic aspirations, purposefully chose the Rev. Andrei Rublev as my patron saint. I admit, I myself had an idea to seriously engage in this, and I even tried to do something myself, but for many, many years I have had to deal with counteracting destructive religious organizations and cults... The fight against sects is a completely different area, and, alas, , takes all your strength. But we have no right to abandon this struggle for the spiritual security of the peoples of Russia. If not us, then who?

- Thank you, Father Andrey, for this conversation, and once again accept our congratulations on your name day, Angel Day!

As far as I understand, your Orthodox information portal “Rublev” is also named after the Rev. Andrei Rublev? That is, today is also your editorial team’s name day. Therefore, for my part, I congratulate your team and your readers. God bless you!

Photo: personal archive of Rev. Andrei Khvylya-Olintera, A. Egortsev

A priest is not just a profession, but a choice of a whole life path. Few are capable of it, because it requires not only certain knowledge and skills, but also a general disposition towards ordination, spirituality, responsibility and maturity. There are many common questions regarding church ministry. In particular, how to become a priest without a seminary? At what age can one choose such a profession? There are other questions, and all of them, without a doubt, require detailed and thorough answers. So let's find out how to become a priest, and who can devote themselves to serving the church.

Who can become a priest?

Almost every man can devote himself to serving the church if he wishes. However, this path is not easy and requires great endurance and faith. Even before receiving theological education, a priest must show an inclination to serve, cultivate high moral qualities, tame his base and sinful aspirations and, of course, often attend church. It will be better if he studies church books and hymns in advance, becomes familiar with how the service is performed, and so on. This will greatly facilitate further learning.

Finding a profession and admission

Those who are wondering how to become a priest in Russia need to know certain rules. The primary task is to obtain an education that must comply with the following rules:

age: from 18 to 35 years, male;

marital status: married for the first time or single;

After submitting all the required papers, the applicant undergoes an interview, during which the motives for admission, the sincerity of intentions, as well as the ability to correctly and coherently express their thoughts are assessed.

The entrance examination assesses knowledge of the Old Testament and the Catechism and the history of the Russian Orthodox Church. In addition, applicants must pass a written exam - a presentation on a church-historical or biblical topic. Knowledge of basic prayers and chants, as well as vocal abilities, are tested. A mandatory requirement is the ability to read the Psalter in Church Slavonic.

How is the training going?

Those who are interested in how to become a priest should also know the conditions of study at the seminary. Entrance exams are held in August. Classes, as in other educational institutions, begin on the first of September. Studying at a seminary is a tough test of faith and the correctness of your choice of life path. Strict discipline reigns in it, and not everyone can complete this stage.

Please note that students who come from other cities receive a place in a dormitory for all five years of study. Naturally, seminarians must strictly observe the rules of living there; in particular, they must spend nights in their room.

All students are provided with a scholarship. Young people who complete the training can expect to be ordained priests. This is possible only after going through confession and passing another exam. At the same time, we note that studying at a seminary does not guarantee obligatory ordination.

Parish priest or monk?

Before graduating from seminary, students must determine whether they intend to marry. This decision is very responsible, because it is no longer possible to change your marital status after initiation. So, the future minister of the church must either choose the path of a monk, who is forbidden to marry, or get married and become a parish priest. In this case, absolute monogamy is assumed not only from the man being ordained (he cannot divorce or remarry even if widowed), but also from his wife: she should not be a widow or divorced.

What happens after graduating from seminary?

Having completed their education, graduates are distributed among the parishes to which they are assigned. As the service progresses, it becomes possible to receive a new rank. The first level of the church hierarchy is the deacon. This is immediately followed by ordination. And the highest degree of priesthood is the rank of bishop. At the same time, those who want to know how to become a priest need to know one more detail.

Monks (those who choose celibacy) have more opportunities to move up in the church hierarchy. Only they have a chance to receive the rank of bishop and become a metropolitan, leading an entire diocese. In addition, the Patriarch is chosen exclusively from among the monks. If a graduate chooses the path of a married parish priest, he cannot rise above the archpriest in the position of rector.

Is it possible to become a priest without special spiritual education?

There is a question that interests many who want to devote themselves to the church. It goes like this: “Is it possible and how to become a priest without a seminary?” In fact, this is possible, but only if the head of his parish personally performs the dedication ceremony. It should be noted right away that receiving ordination in this way is practiced in very few churches. So you still can’t do without special theological education in a seminary. This is for getting ordained.

in Belarus

For many, the important question is how to become a priest in Belarus. In this country there are a large number of relevant institutions where those who wish to devote themselves to the church can study. Let's try to list them. So, there are now three schools in Belarus, located in Minsk, Vitebsk and Slonim. In addition, there is a seminary and a theological academy in the capital. It is also necessary to mention the Institute of Theology at the Belarusian State University.

At the same time, only men with a higher theological education are accepted into the Academy. The future priest must be single or in his first marriage, and must be baptized. The Minsk seminary accepts both those with higher education and those with only secondary theological education. In addition, only those who have served in the army or are documented to be exempt from it can get here. Let us note that girls can also enroll in some departments of theological schools.

Thus, the choice of educational institutions is great, and here, too, everything is primarily determined by the sincerity of the motives and faith of the future clergyman.

What about Catholics?

Those who are interested in how to become need to know some nuances. The path to serving in the church turns out to be even more difficult than is customary in Orthodoxy. The first difference is that in Catholicism there is no so-called white clergy. Thus, a priest cannot create a family. Future church ministers are trained in seminaries, which can be entered either after receiving higher education or after graduating from high school.

In the first case, the training will take four years, in the second - eight. It is worth noting that a young man who wants to come to the seminary must already be a devout Catholic and actively participate in parish life for at least two years. Having completed his studies, the future priest must serve in the church as a deacon for six months and make sure that the chosen path is correct. After this time, the rite of ordination and appointment to a specific parish are performed.

Thus, the path of a Catholic pastor, although not in many ways, differs from how to become an Orthodox priest.

Age restrictions

As already mentioned in the article, only a man who is no younger than 18 and no older than 35 can enter the seminary, that is, after completing his studies, you can become a priest at 40 or earlier. However, some people begin to feel drawn to this calling much later than the established deadlines. They ask themselves: “Is it possible to become a priest in this case?”

An option for such people may be to attend a theological academy - there the age limit is up to 55 years. But there is one condition: the applicant must bear parochial obedience, and this must be documented. Even after admission, you must annually provide a reference from the place of obedience, and it must be certified by the ruling bishop.

In any case, the issue of priesthood after the established deadlines must be resolved on an individual basis.

How to become a priest's wife?

Many religious girls want to marry a priest. However, such a life is also a kind of calling, and not everyone is ready for it. But those who are still interested in how to become a priest’s wife need to know some details.

First of all, it is worth understanding that a young man studying at a theological seminary cannot meet people in the usual way, for example, by attending parties or concerts. The brides of future priests are usually girls from religious families who attend church or the regency class at the seminary. As we have already mentioned, the chosen one of the priest cannot be a widow or divorcee and, moreover, must be a virgin, however, like her fiancé. In this case, only the rector can give permission for a seminarian to get married.

By the way, certain requirements are also imposed on the profession of the future wife of a priest. She should not compromise her husband in any way. Previously, there was a regulation prohibiting church ministers from marrying actresses; this profession was considered unworthy.

Be that as it may, girls who want to join their destiny with a priest should be aware that this choice is fraught with certain difficulties. For example, a wife should follow her husband to any parish, even the most remote and poor one, and not complain that her husband pays much more attention to other people.

In addition, mother’s life often causes discussion among church parishioners; she is always in sight. Thus, this path involves high responsibility and requires great moral strength and endurance in order to be not just a companion, but also a support and reliable rear for your spouse.

Profession or calling?

Now we know how a person can become a priest. However, certain moral qualities should also be considered among the basic requirements: patience, the desire to help in word and deed, love for people. Those who wish to become priests must be prepared to live according to special canons, to voluntarily renounce many joys and pleasures.

Not everyone is ready for such steps. And they must be done solely at the behest of the heart, only then does this path become truly righteous and good. And then the question of how to become a priest and how difficult it is fades into the background. And the desire to adequately prove oneself in this difficult field becomes paramount. Thus, the priesthood is not primarily a profession, but a vocation and choice that determines a person’s entire life.

I arrived at noon to get acquainted with the life of the Saratov Orthodox Theological Seminary and its students. At this time, classes usually end in secular educational institutions, but in theological seminaries the educational process is in full swing. However, it never stops here. A strictly regulated daily routine is an indispensable condition of life for seminary students. Closeness from the outside world disciplines future priests, fosters tolerance, respect for each other, and brotherly relations. That is why seminarians are called not students, but pupils.

The main audience is the temple

From the past life, only a wide metal staircase with wrought iron railings remains here; otherwise, it is difficult to recognize the building of the former teaching staff forge. Now everything is different here: beautiful, spacious, perfectly clean and full of icons. There is everything necessary for the spiritual education of clergy, but the main audience is the church, in which seminarians learn the skills of liturgical life, carry out sexton and singing obedience, and gain their first experience in pastoral service and church preaching.

In a church university, everything is not the same as in other educational institutions. Teachers respectfully address students in cassocks not just by name, but by “father.” At any course you can meet priests serving in parishes, rectors of churches, although they are still far from receiving a diploma. The criteria for ordination, that is, into the profession, are different here - spiritual.

I want to serve God and people

I asked sophomore priest Artemy Dobrynin, rector of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in the village of Privolzhskoye, Rivne region, head of the missionary department of the Intercession diocese, the traditional question that all applicants are asked upon admission to the seminary: “Why did you decide to become a priest?”

— The Lord asked me the same question before blessing me to study. I replied that I wanted to serve God and people. I had before my eyes a wonderful example of such service. I then lived in Marks and often watched how our local priest, Archpriest Valery Gensitsky, communicated with parishioners - like a father. This made a huge impression on me and gave rise to the desire to also become a priest.

Even to me this thought seemed incredible then, because I had everything a young man could dream of. As a teenager, I was already playing basketball professionally, was a master of sports, earned good money, and played for the Russian national team. In short, there were no problems. But there was no understanding: why am I living? Once, having broken my leg while playing, I sat at home for a long time and decided to read the Gospel. I had never opened the book that was once given to me by my godfather. And I was literally dumbfounded by what was revealed to me: I realized that I was living incorrectly, and this is how most of my peers live. I began to go to church, read spiritual literature, and learn more about Orthodoxy.

I remember my first confession: I was very worried, but Father Valery supported me, saying: “You come more often.” Since then, I haven’t missed a single service, but I haven’t given up sports either. Great Lent arrived, and for the first time I fasted truly, in a Christian way. My teammates looked at me like I was crazy, they didn’t understand why I was doing this, because competitions require a lot of physical effort. And while fasting, I felt in excellent physical shape.

When the idea of ​​studying at a theological seminary came, I shared it with Father Valery, then I wrote a letter to Vladyka, and at the meeting he blessed me to study. Until the last minute, until I got on the bus, my parents did not believe that I would turn my life around so dramatically. Studying at the seminary convinced me that I made the right choice. I found my place and was ordained to the priesthood in my sophomore year. The Lord directed it in such a way that now all of my numerous relatives have joined the church. Half of our parish in Marks are my relatives.

- You are a family man, you must support your family. Tell me, is the priesthood a job for you?

— To put it in one word, it is joy. As soon as you begin to feel the temple of God as a place of your work, you are simply a performer of various requirements, and not a priest.

...By the way, the young priest did not say goodbye to sports completely. In his village, Father Artemy intends to train children, so there will soon be an Orthodox basketball team.

Our training continues in the temple

Four years ago, a young man approached priest Viktor Tikhonov, keymaster of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, and asked permission to serve at the altar, immediately revealing his plans for the future: he intended to enter a theological seminary and become a priest. He was hired, served as a sexton, then as a subdeacon, and a year later he immediately entered the second year of seminary - the future priest already had a higher legal education. A year later, seminarian Shmatko became Father George. This is how everything happened quickly in his life, although the young priest walked towards his goal for a long time, overcoming doubts and misunderstandings of his loved ones.

“This was, of course, not a spontaneous step. Already in high school, I began to read spiritual literature, think about the meaning of life, and became more and more inclined to the idea that a person cannot come to this earth from generation to generation just to eat, drink, produce offspring, and again that’s all. in the same circle. It seemed pointless to me. There is such a concept - seeking God. So I did this for quite a long time, became interested in many philosophical and religious ideas, until I realized that the truth is in Orthodoxy.

— Who influenced your worldview?

“I walked this path on my own. There was not a single believer in my circle at that time, so no one supported me in my quest; on the contrary, the attitude towards me became more and more negative and suspicious. It seemed like he was an ordinary person, could make a decent career, earn good money, and suddenly for everyone around him he became an alien. Time passed, I made the most important choice in my life, and everything fell into place.

— Has your life changed much after that?

“Everything has changed, even friends and acquaintances.” In the Church I found a new family, here I met my future wife. My whole life is now connected to our temple, where my mother once brought me occasionally as a little boy.

- The life of a priest is never calm, you can never completely belong to yourself, to your family.

“This is the meaning of our ministry.” The priest is called to lead people to God, to eternal life. The responsibility is enormous. You must constantly remember your priesthood, at any moment go to where they are waiting for your help, you must always remain a priest, including when leaving the doors of the temple. This is the only way to become a good priest whom parishioners will listen to and love.

— You recently became a priest. Isn’t it difficult to combine studies at the seminary with church service and family concerns?

“Now I serve the obligatory magpie for newly ordained people, which means daily Liturgies and evening services for forty days. Father must serve not when he wants, but as long as his parishioners need, so you have to get used to it. Of course, my studies are difficult; I only have time for half of my classes. At the seminary they are willing to meet us, because our training continues in the temple.

The priesthood is a never-ending work

Raising yesterday's schoolchildren into pastors is not an easy task, therefore, when admitting to a theological seminary, they pay attention not only to the amount of necessary knowledge, but, most importantly, to the spiritual state of future priests. Not everyone can be trusted to appear before the Throne of God, to be a conductor between God and people.

Today there are many young priests serving in parishes. The opening churches need clergy; there are not enough of them. Both the personnel shortage and the Providence of God, invisibly operating in the lives of those who are ready to accept it, apparently all came together. The road to the seminary of Andrei Kasimov, who bears the obedience of a senior subdeacon, is in many ways similar to the path that his comrades in the seminary took.

Andrei grew up in a family in which they did not talk about religion at all. But the school history teacher, a Kazakh by nationality, often liked to repeat: “You need to know history like the Lord’s Prayer.” Few people in the class understood what it was. An inquisitive guy found out that the Lord’s Prayer begins with these words. I began to read the Gospel on my own and fast in secret from my parents. There was no church in the village of Trudovaya, St. Petersburg district, but by that time the topic of Orthodoxy was present in many media, and Andrei increasingly began to think about faith.

Having entered the Faculty of Journalism at Saratov State University, he became a parishioner of the Saratov Holy Trinity Cathedral, in which he received the Sacrament of Baptism. Andrei received his first obedience - reading on the choir - from the former rector of the church, the current Bishop of Pokrovsky and Nikolaevsky Pachomius.

The young man found himself in a different world, with different human relationships, and no longer wanted to return to his previous environment. The moment came when it was necessary to decide: to continue studying at the university or devote oneself to the Church. A difficult test for the young man was his parents’ categorical rejection of his decision to study at a theological seminary. He was forced to leave home, he took this conflict hard, but insisted on his own. Now Andrey is already in his last year of study.

— Isn’t the army regime, the strict framework in which you live during all five years of study, difficult for seminary students? Is it possible for a young man to get used to a life in which everything happens on cue?

“Not everyone can endure it; almost half of the seminarians leave for various reasons without completing their studies. But I would not call our life at the seminary “rigid boundaries.” These are the conditions that a person needs if he is a Christian, and especially if he is preparing for pastoral service. We are taught to force ourselves in everything, while remembering that the bar we strive for will always remain unattainable. The priesthood is a never-ending work, and we are prepared for it in the seminary. The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force, as it is said in the Gospel. And I made peace with my mother, thank God!

In one of his interviews, the Rector of the Theological Seminary, Metropolitan Longin of Saratov and Volsky, admitted that during conversations with applicants entering the study, he tries to understand what is inside a person, why he crossed the threshold of the seminary. And at the beginning of the new (2016-2017) academic year, in his traditional address to the seminarians, he wished them, over the years of study, to develop in themselves the most important thing - a love for worship, God and people.

Olga Strelkova

The conversation will be about the priestly vocation. Sometimes, along the path of life, you meet people who seem to be simply destined to be priests, but they are worldly. Some people, having graduated from seminary, and often from theological academy, refuse to be ordained, often citing lack of vocation. What is it, this calling?

These, in my opinion, are two types of callings, the failure to realize which would be like “burying talent in the ground.” The consequences are known to everyone(((.

1. Call of God. Those people who were converted by the overshadowing of grace believe that the calling to the priesthood should happen in exactly the same way. Without feeling this, they do not dare to take the path of service. And only after experiencing the receipt of the gift of the Holy Spirit in the form of a supernatural sensation for shepherding, will they be ready to take the path of service. There are such calls. History knows examples of even prayer books and teachers running away from the priesthood, but the priesthood, and then the bishopric, inexorably overtook them, just as the call to missionary overtook Saul.

2. The call of faith. Another definition of vocation, which I encountered in the discussions of seminarians and priests, is based on the internal conviction that there is no alternative to their life path in the status of a priest. That is, a person has no doubts inside. What, not a priest?! And who then? No! Only serve God. It’s not like there’s a third, there’s no second! Moreover, such people do not experience any receipt of the gift of shepherding. But everyone who reasoned this way later turned out to be good shepherds and very active church leaders, even at 17 years old, even at 50.

These are exactly two types of vocation. One through direct calling, and the other through the burning of faith and the desire to be useful to God. But one becomes a priest not only in this way. If there were only these two paths to ordination, there would be a radical shortage of priests. Therefore, there are not vocations, but arrivals to the priesthood. These are the ones I had the chance to meet while observing seminarians and being acquainted with many priests.

3. There are priests without a calling, but by inheritance or the blessing of a spiritual father, who thought that his son/spiritual son could be a priest. They may view service as mere work. I served the Liturgy, served the prayers, and the day passed. If there was an example from childhood, then this path is very familiar and understandable. And they step on it and serve, without enthusiasm, professionally, sometimes without a soul. Although I have examples of the hereditary priesthood with a burning heart and no alternative to service. But the “hereditary” path in the “neither fish nor fowl” style is present. But, by the way, he is not the worst yet.

4. There is a conscious, purely human choice to serve, without the feeling of having no alternative, in the hope that for the desire to be useful in the cause of saving people, the Lord will strengthen faith and bless the priest’s service. It often happens in adulthood, after the understanding has come that serving God and people is a joy. And what I was doing before only distracted me to the side. There is danger in making such decisions rashly, without knowledge of the content of the priest’s ministry. When faced with parish routine, the “beautiful picture” of teaching and missionary work may break down, and regret about the decision may arise.

There are also dangerous people coming to serve.

5. The choice of a maximalist: if you have already become a believer, then only a priest. Those following this path often burn out and may regret their chosen path. Sometimes they leave it, unable to withstand the tension of internal murmur.

6.Coming out of vanity. Having seen enough of the external side of the life of some famous priests, or wanting to stand out, or having a weakness for the veneration of people, which priests are often awarded. There are specimens who like to wear priestly robes (not like everyone else). Some people consider themselves potentially great theologians, not realizing that non-priests have much more time for theology. By the way, although this is a dangerous motive, if there is faith and understanding of the path of salvation, then in the end, after stabilization, they can be quite good shepherds and teachers. But not at once.

Very ungodly motives:

7. I don’t like secular work, I think I believe in it, and I don’t know how to do anything else and don’t want to learn anything. Should I become a priest? Wave a censer and read sermons. Sorry for the cynicism, this is not my approach, but it has its place.

8. They offer a “fat parish” through connections or for a bribe, and the rector has a Mercedes in the garage. Maybe I’ll make some carols/waving a censer for myself quickly.

The worst thing is that this happens, although not often. I know that there are people who are waiting for the overshadowing from above, but who are already burning with a living faith and looking for love. By doing so, they remain out of office, leaving places for performers, not ministers. That’s why I have certain thoughts that disagree with this position. If you are vain, correct them.

Let’s imagine a person who, from many years of experience, knows perfectly well the essence of the ministry of a priest. The faith is quite deep. He has been working successfully in his secular profession for a long time. But a gradual understanding comes to him that he could serve with faith, and does not serve. He spends a lot of time studying science, which is completely useless from the standpoint of the Kingdom of Heaven and even harmful from the standpoint of salvation. He understands that it is better to spend these efforts on preparing himself and those around him “Home”. If he has experience in converting people from unbelief to faith, then he has some reason to think that he can, in his ministry, act as an instrument of God for the salvation of more people.

He still thinks that, taking into account the above, he has some kind of talent. He received it from the Lord, and it is impossible to bury it in the ground; the consequences from the Gospel are well known to all believers. A person understands that if he waits for a call as some kind of discharge of grace in his soul, he may not wait. Not everyone is called this way, even if it happened during conversion. And then he will not justify himself by saying that he was afraid to enter the ministry without a clear calling.

And it seems that the person is already ready to go into the service of God. But then the brakes apply. What if I just imagined that I could be a priest? What if it’s vanity speaking in me, and I don’t have any talent at all, and no one gave it to me. Although I strongly believe that those who have been converted by the manifest visitation of grace already have the gift of the Holy Spirit. And if thoughts about the priesthood come to them, then with a high probability that they are from God. What if this is seduction from demons, who know that later I will regret my choice of ministry, and grumbling will manifest itself in me? The questions are correct. And their self-critical self-conscript must ask. But how can you, a limited creation, know how the Lord will bless your service in its process if you are faithful and diligent? After all, even the machinations of demons are known to God by their consequences, and He allows them so that His Providence can be realized!!! And these considerations pop up in my head. And also an understanding of the freedom of choice God has given me, which He does not want to take away from me. And my head is spinning. With a weak level of spirituality, it is impossible to distinguish between what is yours and what is brought into your head from the outside.

By the way, the moment of a clear calling, a clear gift of the Spirit, may partly happen to those who have made such a decision on their own inside. If there is no solution, then God rarely calls through the gift, without violating human freedom. It can give a gift to someone who turns out to be an instrument for Providence, or to someone who will later be clearly happy and thank God for the calling, but for now does not realize this. But in the majority, the person himself must show the will to take up the cross of service. Or am I wrong?

I make a big request to the priests who will read the article to the end. It is very important for us to answer the questions in order to understand whether believers are too upset by the impulses of their faith? Or do they not rely too much on the obvious call, waiting for it with folded hands? After all, the call to leave everything, take up the cross and follow Christ constantly sounds from the Gospel. But whoever is already connected by family and children, or does not feel a calling to monasticism, can serve Christ as a deacon or priest. It’s clear that you can stay in place and, by improving, save yourself and help those around you. But if thoughts about service still regularly and persistently emerge, should I drive them away (if there are no first two types of calling), or are there other correct motives for service that I have not taken into account? Indeed, in any case, the main driver should be faith and the desire to serve, even if the “side” motives are not always sacred (such as the desire to teach or be a missionary).

So, questions to which I would like to receive answers from current clergy . Naturally, everyone can take part in the discussion of the article.

1.Tell me, either incognito or officially, what exactly prompted you to become a priest? The story can be concise and without details if they are not important.

2.Have you felt called by God to the priesthood?

3.What was primary for you: a personal act of choice or a call of grace?

4. How can you understand for yourself whether regular thoughts about the priesthood are seduction with conceit, maximalism of faith, or is it readiness and desire for service?

5. Can a person be offered the priesthood not from God (if the person himself has only thought about this path)?

6. Maybe I missed something in the above types of becoming on the path of service (8)? What other motives for becoming priests do you have from your experience or from ministers you know?

You can answer questions completely or selectively. How will anyone have it with time, inspiration and willingness to be open.

Do not forget that with your answers, you may help some people become more decisive in finding their ontologically correct place under the Sun.

The path to becoming a priest, like any profession, begins with special education. To become a priest, you must graduate from a theological seminary. A man aged 18-35 years old, who has completed secondary education, is single or in his first marriage (divorced or remarried people are not allowed to enter the seminary) can enter there. In addition to the usual documents that are presented in all educational institutions, the applicant must submit a recommendation from an Orthodox clergyman, a written blessing from the bishop, a baptismal certificate, and if the applicant is married, a wedding certificate.

Submission of all required documents does not guarantee admission to the entrance exams. The applicant must undergo an interview in which his beliefs and motives for entering the seminary are tested.

The main entrance exam is the Law of God. Here you need to demonstrate knowledge of Orthodox teaching, sacred history and liturgical regulations. Other exams include church history and church singing. Future seminarians also take a language exam in the form of an essay, but the range of topics is special - church history. In addition, the applicant must know many prayers by heart and read fluently in Church Slavonic.

They study at the seminary for 5 years. Future priests study not only theology, liturgical disciplines and church singing, but also philosophy, logic, rhetoric, literature and other humanitarian subjects. A seminary graduate must decide whether he will be a monk or a parish priest. In the second case, he is obliged to marry.

But receiving a special education does not mean that a person has become a priest, because the priesthood is one of the sacraments.

A person becomes a priest in the sacrament of consecration - ordination. At the same time, the Holy Spirit descends on him, and thanks to this, the priest becomes not just a spiritual mentor for the laity, but also a bearer of Grace. Only a bishop can perform consecration; this takes place in the altar during the liturgy.

Ordination must be preceded by ordination - ordination to the rank of subdeacon. This is not a clergyman, but a clergyman. It is not necessary to be married at the time of ordination, but if you have not married before ordination, you cannot marry later.

A subdeacon can be ordained as a deacon - this is the first level of the church hierarchy. The deacon participates in the performance of the sacraments, but does not perform them independently - with the exception of Baptism.

The next step is ordination to the priesthood. A priest, unlike a deacon, has the right to perform the sacraments, with the exception of ordination.

Unless we are talking about a monk, the ordained person is required to be absolutely monogamous. Not only is divorce and remarriage of the initiate himself not allowed (even in the event of the death of his first wife), he must not be married to a widow or divorced woman. A person should not be under ecclesiastical or secular court or be bound by government duties that could interfere with priestly service. And, of course, special moral and spiritual qualities are required from the future priest. This is revealed during a special henchman confession.

The third level of the hierarchy is the bishop. Such an ordination is performed by a council of bishops. Not every priest can become a bishop; this is available only to hieromonks - priest-monks. The bishop has the right to perform all sacraments, including ordination, and to consecrate churches according to the full rite.