The first to this highest church rank was. Christian hierarchy
Church titles
The following hierarchy is observed:
Bishops:
1. Patriarchs, Archbishops, Metropolitans - Heads of Local Churches.
The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople should be called Your Holiness. Other Eastern Patriarchs should be addressed either as Your Holiness or as Your Beatitude in the third person
2. Metropolitans who are a) heads of Autocephalous Churches, b) members of the Patriarchate. In the latter case, they are members of the Synod or head one or more archiepiscopal dioceses.
3. Archbishops (same as point 2).
Metropolitans and archbishops should be addressed with the words Your Eminence
4. Bishops – administrators of the diocese – 2 dioceses.
5. Bishops - vicars - one diocese.
To the bishops, Your Eminence, Your Grace and Your Lordship. If the Head of the Local Orthodox Church is a metropolitan and archbishop, then it is appropriate to address him, Your Beatitude.
Priests:
1. Archimandrites (usually head monasteries, then they are called abbots of the monastery or governors).
2. Archpriests (usually deans and rectors of churches in this rank) major cities), protopresbyter - rector of the Patriarchal Cathedral.
3. Abbots.
To the archimandrites, archpriests, abbots - Your Reverence
4. Hieromonks.
To the hieromonks, priests - Your Reverence.
1. Archdeacons.
2. Protodeacons.
3. Hierodeacons.
4. Deacons.
Deacons are named according to their rank.
Roman Catholic Church
The order of precedence is as follows:
1. Pope (Roman pontiff (lat. Pontifex Romanus), or supreme sovereign pontiff (Pontifex Maximus)). Simultaneously possesses three inseparable functions of power. Monarch and Sovereign of the Holy See, as the successor of St. Peter (the first Roman bishop) is the head of the Roman Catholic Church and its supreme hierarch, sovereign of the Vatican City State.
The Pope should be addressed as "Holy Father" or "Your Holiness" in the third person.
2. Legates - cardinals representing the Pope, who are entitled to royal honors;
3. Cardinals, equal in rank to princes of the blood; Cardinals are appointed by the Pope. They, like bishops, govern dioceses or hold positions in the Roman Curia. From the 11th century Cardinals elect the Pope.
The cardinal should be addressed as "Your Eminence" or "Your Lordship" in the third person
4. Patriarch. In Catholicism, the rank of patriarch is mainly held by the hierarchs who head the Eastern Catholic Churches with the status of patriarchy. In the West, the title is rarely used, with the exception of the heads of the Venetian and Lisbon Metropolises, who historically bear the title of patriarch, the Jerusalem Patriarch of the Latin Rite, as well as the titular Patriarchs of the Eastern and Western Indies (the latter has been vacant since 1963).
Patriarchs - the heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches - are elected by the synod of bishops of a given Church. After the election, the Patriarch is immediately enthroned, after which he asks for communion (church communion) from the Pope (this is the only difference between the patriarch and the supreme archbishop, whose candidacy is approved by the Pope). In the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, the patriarchs of the Eastern Churches are equated to cardinal bishops.
During the official introduction, the Patriarch must be introduced as “His Beatitude, (Name and Surname) Patriarch of (Location).” In person he should be addressed as "Your Beatitude" (except in Lisbon, where he is addressed as "His Eminence"), or on paper as "His Beatitude, the Most Reverend (Name and Surname) Patriarch of (Location)".
5. The Supreme Archbishop (lat. archiepiscopus maior) is the metropolitan who heads the Eastern Catholic Church with the status of the supreme archbishopric. The Supreme Archbishop, although he is of lower rank than the Patriarch of the Eastern Catholic Church, is in all respects equal to him in rights. The supreme archbishop elected by his Church is confirmed by the Pope. If the Pope does not approve the candidacy of the Supreme Archbishop, new elections are held.
The Supreme Archbishops are members of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
6. Archbishop - senior (commanding) bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, archbishops are divided into:
Archbishops heading archdioceses that are not provincial centers;
Personal archbishops, to whom this title is assigned by the Pope personally;
Titular archbishops occupying the see of now-defunct ancient cities and serving in the Roman Curia or being nuncios.
Primates. In the Roman Catholic Church, a primate is an archbishop (less commonly a suffragan or bishop-exempt) who is awarded primacy over other bishops of an entire country or historical region (in political or cultural terms). This primacy under canon law does not confer any additional powers or authority in relation to other archbishops or bishops. The title is used in Catholic countries as an honorific. The title of primate can be given to the hierarch of one of the oldest metropolises in the country. Primates are often elevated to the rank of cardinal and are often given the presidency of the national conference of bishops. Wherein main city the diocese may no longer have this important, as when it was created, or its boundaries may no longer correspond to national ones. Primates rank below the supreme archbishop and patriarch, and within the College of Cardinals do not enjoy seniority.
Metropolitans. In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, a metropolitan is the head of an ecclesiastical province consisting of dioceses and archdioceses. The metropolitan must be an archbishop, and the center of the metropolis must coincide with the center of the archdiocese. On the contrary, there are archbishops who are not metropolitans - these are suffragan archbishops, as well as titular archbishops. Suffragan bishops and archbishops head their dioceses, which are part of the metropolitanate. Each of them has direct and complete jurisdiction over his diocese, but the metropolitan may exercise limited supervision over it in accordance with canon law.
The metropolitan usually presides over any services in the metropolitan area in which he participates, and also consecrates new bishops. The Metropolitan is the first instance to which diocesan courts can appeal. The metropolitan has the right to appoint an administrator of the diocese in cases where, after the death of the ruling bishop, the church is not able to legally elect an administrator.
7. Bishop (Greek - “supervisor”, “supervisor”) - a person who has the third, highest degree of priesthood, otherwise a bishop. Episcopal consecration (ordination) must be performed by several bishops, at least two, except in special cases. As the high priest, the bishop can perform all sacred rites in his diocese: exclusively he has the right to ordain priests, deacons, and lower clergy, and consecrate antimensions. The name of the bishop is exalted during divine services in all churches of his diocese.
Every priest has the right to perform divine services only with the blessing of his ruling bishop. All monasteries located on the territory of his diocese are also subordinate to the bishop. According to canon law, the bishop disposes of all church property independently or through proxies. In Catholicism, the bishop has the prerogative to perform not only the sacrament of the priesthood, but also anointing (confirmation).
Archbishops and bishops are addressed as “Your Excellency” or “Your Grace” in the second person. In some parts of Canada, especially in the West, the Archbishop is usually addressed as "His Eminence".
8. Priest - a minister of a religious cult. In the Catholic Church, priests are considered to be the second degree of priesthood. The priest has the right to perform five of the seven sacraments, with the exception of the sacrament of priesthood (ordination) and the sacrament of confirmation (which the priest has the right to perform only in exceptional circumstances). Priests are ordained by the bishop. The priests are divided into monastics (black clergy) and diocesan priests (white clergy). In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, celibacy is required for all priests.
During formal introductions, the religious priest must be introduced as "Reverend Father (Name) of (community name)." In person he should be addressed as "Father (Surname)", simply "Father", "padre" or "prete", and on paper as "Reverend Father (First Name Patronymic Last Name), (the initials of his community).
9. Deacon (Greek - “minister”) - a person serving in the church at the first, lowest degree of the priesthood. Deacons assist priests and bishops in performing divine services, and independently perform some sacraments. The service of a deacon adorns the service, but is not obligatory - the priest can serve alone.
Among bishops, priests and deacons in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, seniority is also determined depending on the date of their ordination.
10. Accolyte (Latin acolythus - accompanying, serving) - a layman performing a certain liturgical service. His duties include lighting and carrying candles, preparing bread and wine for the Eucharistic consecration, and a number of other liturgical functions.
To denote the service of an acolyte, as well as the state itself and the corresponding rank, the concept of acolyte is used.
11. Reader (Lecturer) - a person who reads the word of God during the liturgy. As a rule, lecturers are third-year seminarians or ordinary laymen appointed by the bishop.
12. Ministerate (Latin “ministrans” - “serving”) - a layman who serves the priest during Mass and other services.
ORGANIST
CHORISTS
MONSKS
FAITHFUL
Lutheran Church
1. Archbishop;
2. land bishop;
3. bishop;
4. kirchenpresident (church president);
5. general superintendent;
6. superintendent;
7. propst (dean);
8. pastor;
9. vicar (deputy, assistant pastor).
Your Eminence addresses the Archbishop (head of the Church). To the rest - Mister Bishop, etc.
In order to get a more detailed understanding of who conducts services in the church or who speaks on television from the Russian Orthodox Church, it is necessary to know exactly what ranks there are in the Church and the Monastery, as well as their hierarchy. We recommend that you read
In the Orthodox world, Church ranks are divided into the ranks of the white clergy (Rites of the Church) and the ranks of the black clergy (Monastic ranks).
CHURCH OFFICERS OR WHITE CLERGY
CHURCH OFFICES – ALTARNIK
In the worldly sense lately Church rank The altar boy began to disappear, and instead of him the rank of Sexton or Novice was increasingly mentioned. The tasks of the Altarman include the duties of carrying out the instructions of the rector of the temple; as a rule, such duties include maintaining a candle fire in the temple, lighting lamps and other lighting devices in the altar and iconostasis, they also help the priests put on clothes, bring prosphora, incense to the temple and perform another grunt work. The altar boy can be recognized by the fact that he wears a surplice over his secular clothes. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with
CHURCH OFFICERS – READER
This is the lowest rank of the church and the reader is not included in the priesthood. The reader's responsibilities include reading sacred texts and prayers during worship. In case of advancement in rank, the reader is ordained subdeacon.
CHURCH OFFICES – HYPODIACON
It is something of an intermediate rank between the laity and the clergy. Unlike the readers and altar servers, the subdeacon is allowed to touch the throne and the altar, as well as enter the altar through the royal gate, although the subdeacon is not a clergyman. The duties of this Church rank include assisting the Bishop in Divine services. We recommend that you read
CHURCH OFFICES – DEACON
The lowest level of clergy, as a rule, the duties of deacons include helping priests in worship, although they themselves do not have the right to perform public worship and be representatives of the church. Since a priest has the opportunity to perform rituals without a deacon, the number of deacons is currently being reduced, as the need for them is no longer needed.
CHURCH OFFICES – PROTODEACON OR PROTODEACON
This rank indicates the chief deacon in cathedrals As a rule, such a rank is awarded to a deacon after at least 15 years of service and is a special reward for service.
CHURCH OFFICERS – PRIEST
Currently, this rank is held by priests, and is designated as a junior title of priest. Priests, receiving power from bishops, have the right to conduct church rites and teach people Orthodox faith and perform other sacraments, but at the same time priests are prohibited from performing ordination as priests.
CHURCH OFFICERS – ARCHOPRISH
CHURCH OFFICES – PROTOPRESTER
The highest Church rank in the white clergy is not, as it were, a separate rank and is awarded only as a reward for the most deserved deeds before the Orthodox faith and is appointed only by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.
Monastic orders or black clergy
CHURCH OFFICES – HIERODEACON: He is a monk with the rank of deacon.CHURCH OFFICES – ARCHIDEACON: He is a senior hierodeacon.
CHURCH OFFICES – HIEROMONCH: Is a monastic priest with the right to perform Orthodox sacraments.
CHURCH OFFICES – IGUMENE: He is the abbot of an Orthodox monastery.
CHURCH OFFICES – ARCHIMADRID: The highest degree in the monastic ranks, but occupying a step lower than bishop.
CHURCH OFFICES – BISHOP: This rank is supervisory and has the third degree of priesthood and can also be called a bishop.
CHURCH OFFICES – METROPOLITAN: The highest title of bishop in the church.
CHURCH OFFICES – PATRIARCH: The most senior rank of the Orthodox Church.
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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 them. major cities 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 staff. 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 - His Holiness Patriarch 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 they 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 Holy Scripture and you are not a Christian yet.
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 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 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.” (
The emergence of Christianity is associated with the coming to earth of the son of God - Jesus Christ. He miraculously became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, grew and matured as a man. At the age of 33, he went to preach in Palestine, called twelve disciples, performed miracles, denounced the Pharisees and Jewish high priests.
Was arrested, tried and subjected to shameful execution through the crucifix. On the third day he rose again and appeared to his disciples. On the 50th day after the resurrection, he was ascended to God’s chambers to his Father.
Christian worldview and dogmas
The Christian Church was formed more than 2 thousand years ago. The exact time of its beginning is difficult to determine, since the events of its occurrence do not have documented official sources. Research on this issue is based on the books of the New Testament. According to these texts, the church arose after the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles (Feast of Pentecost) and the beginning of their preaching of the word of God among people.
The emergence of the apostolic church
The apostles, after gaining the ability to understand and speak all languages, went around the world preaching a new teaching based on love. This teaching was based on the Jewish tradition of worshiping one God, the foundations of which are set out in the books of the prophet Moses (the Pentateuch of Moses) - the Torah. The new faith proposed the concept of the Trinity, which distinguished three hypostases in the one God:
The main difference between Christianity was the priority of God's love over the law, while the law itself was not abolished, but supplemented.
Development and dissemination of the doctrine
The preachers followed from village to village; after their departure, the emerging adherents united into communities and led the recommended way of life, ignoring the old principles that contradict the new dogmas. Many officials of that time did not accept the emerging doctrine, which limited their influence and called into question many established positions. Persecution began, many followers of Christ were tortured and executed, but this only strengthened the spirit of Christians and expanded their ranks.
By the fourth century, communities had grown throughout the Mediterranean and even spread widely beyond its borders. The Emperor of Byzantium, Constantine, imbued with the depth of the new teaching and began to establish it within the boundaries of his empire. Three saints: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, developed and structurally presented the teaching, approving the order of services, the formulation of dogmas and the canonicity of sources. The hierarchical structure is strengthened, and several local Churches emerge.
The further development of Christianity occurs rapidly and over vast areas, but at the same time two traditions of worship and dogma arise. They each develop along their own path, and in 1054 the final split occurs into Catholics who professed the Western tradition, and Orthodox supporters of the Eastern tradition. Mutual claims and accusations lead to the impossibility of mutual liturgical and spiritual communication. Catholic Church considers the Pope to be its head. The Eastern Church includes several patriarchates formed at different times.
Orthodox communities with patriarchal status
At the head of every patriarchy is a patriarch. Patriarchates may include Autocephalous Churches, Exarchates, Metropolises and Dioceses. The table lists modern churches that profess Orthodoxy and have the status of patriarchy:
- Constantinople, founded by the Apostle Andrew in 38. Since 451 it receives the status of Patriarchate.
- Alexandria. It is believed that its founder was the Apostle Mark around the year 42; in 451, the ruling bishop received the title of patriarch.
- Antioch. Founded in the 30s AD. e. the apostles Paul and Peter.
- Jerusalem. Tradition claims that at first (in the 60s) it was headed by relatives of Joseph and Mary.
- Russian. Formed in 988, an autocephalous metropolitanate since 1448, a patriarchate introduced in 1589.
- Georgian Orthodox Church.
- Serbian. Receives autocephaly in 1219
- Romanian. Since 1885 it officially receives autocephaly.
- Bulgarian. In 870 it achieved autonomy. But only in 1953 was it recognized by the patriarchy.
- Cyprus. Founded in 47 by the apostles Paul and Barnabas. Receives autocephaly in 431.
- Hellas. Autocephaly was achieved in 1850.
- Polish and Albanian Orthodox Churches. Gained autonomy in 1921 and 1926, respectively.
- Czechoslovakian. The baptism of the Czechs began in the 10th century, but only in 1951 did they receive autocephaly from the Moscow Patriarchate.
- Orthodox Church in America. It was recognized in 1998 by the Church of Constantinople and is considered the last Orthodox Church to receive patriarchy.
The head of the Orthodox Church is Jesus Christ. It is governed by its primate, the patriarch, and consists of church members, people who profess the teachings of the church, have undergone the sacrament of baptism, and regularly participate in divine services and sacraments. All people who consider themselves members are represented by the hierarchy in the Orthodox Church, the scheme of their division includes three communities - laity, clergy and clergy:
- The laity are members of the church who attend services and take part in the sacraments performed by the clergy.
- Clergymen are pious laymen who perform the obedience of clergy. They ensure the established functioning of church life. With their help, they clean, protect and decorate temples (workers), provide external conditions order of divine services and sacraments (readers, sextons, altar servers, subdeacons), economic activity churches (treasurers, elders), as well as missionary and educational work (teachers, catechists and educators).
- Priests or clergy are divided into white and black clergy and include all church orders: deacons, priesthood and bishops.
The white clergy includes clergy who have undergone the sacrament of ordination, but have not taken monastic vows. Among the lower ranks, there are such titles as deacon and protodeacon, who have received grace to perform the required actions and help conduct the service.
The next rank is presbyter, they have the right to perform most of the sacraments accepted in the church, their ranks in the Orthodox Church in ascending order: priest, archpriest and the highest - mitred archpriest. People call them priests, priests or priests; their duties include being rectors of churches, heading parishes and associations of parishes (deaneries).
The black clergy includes members of the church who have taken monastic vows that limit the freedom of the monk. The tonsure into the ryassophore, the mantle and the schema are consistently distinguished. Monks usually live in a monastery. At the same time, the monk is given a new name. A monk who has been ordained as a deacon is transferred to hierodeacon; he is deprived of the opportunity to perform almost all the sacraments of the church.
After priestly ordination (performed only by a bishop, just as in the case of the ordination of a priest), the monk is given the rank of hieromonk, the right to perform many sacraments, to head parishes and deaneries. The following ranks in monasticism are called abbot and archimandrite or holy archimandrite. Wearing them presupposes occupying the position of senior leader of the monastery brethren and the monastery's economy.
The next hierarchical community is called the episcopate, it is formed only from the black clergy. In addition to bishops, archbishops and metropolitans are distinguished by seniority. The ordination of a bishop is called consecration and is carried out by a college of bishops. It is from this community that the leaders of dioceses, metropolises, and exarchates are appointed. It is customary for people to address the leaders of dioceses as bishop or bishop.
These are the signs that distinguish church members from other citizens.
Clergy and clergy.
The performers of divine services are divided into clergy and clergy.
1. Clergy - persons over whom the sacrament of the Priesthood was completed (ordination, ordination), in which they received the grace of the Holy Spirit to perform the Sacraments (bishops and priests) or directly participate in their performance (deacons).
2. Clergymen - persons who have received the blessing to serve in the church during Divine services (subdeacons, altar servers, readers, singers).
Clergymen.
Clergy are divided into three degrees: 1) bishops (bishops); 2) elders (priests); 3) deacons .
1. Bishop - This highest degree priesthood in the Church. The Bishop is the successor of the Apostles, in the sense that he has the same powers in the Church as the Apostles of Christ. He:
- primate (heading) of the community of believers;
- the chief superior over priests, deacons and the entire church clergy of his diocese.
The bishop has all the fullness of the sacrament. He has the right to perform all the sacraments. For example, unlike a priest, he has the right:
— ordain priests and deacons, and several bishops (one cannot) erect a new bishop. According to the teaching of the Church, apostolic grace (i.e., the gift of the priesthood), received from Jesus Christ, is transmitted through the ordination of bishops from the very apostolic times, and thus a gracious succession is carried out in the Church;
— bless the ointment for the sacrament of Confirmation;
— consecrate antimensions;
— consecrate temples(a priest can also consecrate a temple, but only with the blessing of the bishop).
Although all bishops are equal in grace, in order to preserve unity and for mutual assistance in difficult circumstances, the 34th Apostolic Canon still gives some of the bishops the right of supreme supervision over others. Hence, among bishops they distinguish: patriarch, metropolitan, archbishop, and simply bishop.
A bishop who rules the Church of an entire country is usually called patriarch , that is, the first of the bishops (from Greek patria - family, tribe, clan, generation; and arcwn - beginner, commander). However, in a number of countries - Greece, Cyprus, Poland and others, the Primate of the Orthodox Church bears the title archbishop . In the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Assyrian Church, the Cilician and Albanian Church, the primate bears the title - Catholicos (Greek [katholicos] - ecumenical, universal, conciliar). And in Roman and Alexandrian (from antiquity) - dad .
Metropolitan (from Greek capital) is the head of a large church region. The ecclesiastical area is called – diocese . A diocese (Greek region; the same as Latin province) is an ecclesiastical administrative unit. In the Roman Catholic Church, dioceses are called dioceses. The diocese is divided into deaneries, consisting of a number of parishes. If a diocese is headed by a metropolitan, then it is usually called - metropolis. The title of metropolitan is an honorary title (as a reward for special merits or for many years of zealous service to the Church), following the title of archbishop, and the distinctive part of the metropolitan's vestments is a white hood and a green mantle.
Archbishop (Greek: senior bishop). IN Ancient Church The rank of archbishop was higher than that of metropolitan. The archbishop ruled several metropolises, i.e. was the head of a large ecclesiastical region and the metropolitans governing the metropolises were subordinate to him. Currently, in the Russian Orthodox Church, archbishop is an honorary title, preceding the even more honorable rank of metropolitan.
A bishop who rules a small area is simply called bishop (Greek [episkopos] - supervising, supervising, controlling; from [epi] - on, with; + [skopeo] - I look).
Some bishops don't have independent region management, but are assistants to other, senior bishops; such bishops are called suffragan . A vicar (lat. vicarius - deputy, vicar) is a bishop who does not have his own diocese and helps the diocesan bishop in the administration.
2. The second degree of priesthood is priests (presbyters, from Greek [presvis] - elder; [presbyteros] - elder, head of the community).
Among the priests there are secular clergy - priests who did not take monastic vows; And black clergy - monks ordained to the priesthood.
The elders of the white clergy are called: priests, archpriests And protopresbyters. The elders of the black clergy are called: hieromonks, abbots And archimandrites.
Archpriest (from the Greek [protos iereis] - first priest) - a title given to a priest as an honorary distinction over other priests for merit or long service. This title does not give any power; the archpriest has only the primacy of honor.
The senior priest of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Moscow is called protopresbyter .
Priests of monks are called hieromonks . The senior hieromonks, who are usually entrusted with the management of the monastery, are called abbots And archimandrites .
Abbot (Greek [igumenos] - leader) - boss, leader of the monks. In ancient times, and nowadays in many Local Churches, the abbot is the head of the monastery. Initially, the abbot was not necessarily a priest; later he was chosen only from among the hieromonks, or the monk chosen by the abbot was ordained as a presbyter. In a number of Local Churches, the title of abbot is used as a hierarchical reward. This was the case in the Russian Orthodox Church until 2011.
Archimandrite (Greek [archi] - lit. chief, chief, senior; + [mandra] - sheepfold, corral (a place in a pasture or pasture, enclosed by a fence, where livestock is driven, intended for rest and additional feeding), i.e. V figuratively chief of spiritual sheep) is the chief of a large or most important monastery. In ancient times, this was the name given to persons who headed several monasteries, for example, all the monasteries of a diocese. In special cases, this title is given as a hierarchical reward. In the white clergy, the rank of archimandrite corresponds to the rank of archpriest and protopresbyter.
3. The third degree of clergy consists of deacons , in monasticism - hierodeacons . Deacons do not perform the Sacraments, but only assist bishops and priests in performing them. The senior deacons in cathedrals are called protodeacons , and the eldest of the hierodeacons in monasteries - archdeacons . These titles mean primacy of honor, not power.
Clergymen.
The clergy in the Orthodox Church constitute the lowest circle. The clergy include:
subdeacons (i.e. deacon's assistants);
readers (psalm-readers);
singers (sacristans);
altar servers (clerics or sextons).
Types of Local Churches.
Autocephalous Church(from Greek [autos] - himself + [mullet] - head) - independent Orthodox Local Church, i.e. administratively (canonically) completely independent from other Orthodox Local Churches.
Currently there are 15 Autocephalous Churches, which, according to the diptych adopted in the Russian Orthodox Church, are located in the following hierarchy of honor:
Constantinople Orthodox Church(more than 2 million people)
Alexandria(more than 6.5 million people)
Antioch(1 million 370 thousand people)
Jerusalem(130 thousand people)
Russian(50-100 million people)
Georgian(4 million people)
Serbian(10 million people)
Romanian(16 million people)
Bulgarian(about 8 million people)
Cyprus(420 thousand people)
Hellasic(Greek) (about 8 million people)
Albanian(about 700 thousand people)
Polish(500 thousand people)
Czechoslovakian(more than 150 thousand people)
American(about 1 million people)
Each Local Orthodox Church is part of the Universal Church.
Autonomous Church(from Greek [autonomy] - self-law) The Local Orthodox Church, part of the Autocephalous Church, which has received independence in matters internal management from one or another Autocephalous (otherwise Cariarchal) Church of which this autonomous church was previously a member with the rights of an exarchate or diocese.
The dependence of the Autonomous Church on the Kyriarchal Church is expressed in the following:
- the head of the Autonomous Church is appointed head of the Kyriarchal Church;
— the charter of the Autonomous Church is approved by the Kyriarchal Church;
— The Autonomous Church receives myrrh from the Kyriarchal Church;
— the name of the primate of the Kyriarchal Church is proclaimed in all churches of the Autonomous Church before the name of its primate;
- the primate of the Autonomous Church is subject to the jurisdiction of the highest court of the Kyriarchal Church.
Currently there are 5 Autonomous Churches:
Sinai(depending on Jerusalem)
Finnish
Estonian(depending on Constantinople)
Japanese(depending on Russian)
Self-governing Church– it’s like the Autonomous Church, only larger and with broader rights of autonomy.
Self-governing within the Russian Orthodox Church:
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
Latvian
Moldavian
Ukrainian(Moscow Patriarchate) (with rights of broad autonomy)
Estonian(Moscow Patriarchate)
Belarusian(de facto).
Self-governing within the Orthodox Church of Constantinople:
Western European Exarchate of Russian Parishes
Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada
Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA.
Exarchate(from the Greek [exarchos] - external power) in modern Orthodoxy and Catholicism of the Eastern rites - a special administrative-territorial unit, foreign in relation to the main Church, or specially created for the care of believers of a given rite in special conditions.