Priest: features of service in the Russian Orthodox Church

What do the words mean: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”

The word “priest,” which translated means “priest,” originally referred to the Jewish priests who made bloody sacrifices to God in the Temple of Solomon. But the Christian priest is not like that, for the psalmist and king David prophetically said about the priesthood of Christ: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 109: 4). And how the Apostle Paul interprets this passage of Holy Scripture, showing the superiority of the New Testament priesthood over the Old Testament:

“For every high priest, chosen from among men, is appointed for men to serve God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, being able to bear with the ignorant and erring, because he himself is overcome with infirmities, and therefore he must offer both for the people and for himself. sacrifices for sins. And no one accepts this honor of his own accord, but is called by God, like Aaron.

So Christ did not appropriate to Himself the glory of being a high priest, but He who said to Him: You are My Son, today I have begotten You; as in another place he says: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. He, in the days of His flesh, with a strong cry and with tears offered prayers and supplications to Him who was able to save Him from death; and was heard for His reverence; Although He was the Son, He learned obedience through His sufferings, and, having been perfected, became the author of eternal salvation for all who obey Him, being called by God High Priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5: 1-10).

And further:

“For Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, the one who met Abraham and blessed him as he returned after the defeat of the kings, to whom Abraham divided tithes from everything - first, by the sign of the name, the king of righteousness, and then the king of Salem, that is, the king of the world, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither the beginning of days nor the end of life, being like the Son of God, remains a priest forever. You see how great is he to whom Abraham the patriarch gave tithes of his best spoils. Those who receive the priesthood from the sons of Levi have a commandment to take tithes according to the law from the people, that is, from their brothers, although these also came from the loins of Abraham. But this one, who was not descended from their lineage, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Without any contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the greater. And here the tithes are taken by mortal men, and there by the one who has a testimony about himself that he lives. And, so to speak, Levi himself, who receives tithes, in the person of Abraham gave tithes: for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. So, if perfection were achieved through the Levitical priesthood - for the law of the people is associated with it - then what further need would there be for another priest to rise up in the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? Because with the change of the priesthood there must be a change of the law. For He of whom this is spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one approached the altar. For it is known that our Lord arose from the tribe of Judah, about which Moses said nothing regarding the priesthood. And this is even more clearly seen from the fact that in the likeness of Melchizedek another Priest arises, who is such not according to the law of the carnal commandment, but according to the power of unceasing life. For it is testified: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. The abolition of a former commandment occurs because of its weakness and uselessness, for the law did not bring anything to perfection; but a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. And since this was not without an oath - for they were priests without an oath, but this one with an oath, because it was said about Him: The Lord swore, and will not repent: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek - then Jesus became the surety of the better covenant. Moreover, there were many of those priests, because death did not allow one to be alone; and He, as He abides forever, has an imperishable priesthood, therefore He can always save those who come to God through Him, being always alive to intercede for them. This is how our High Priest should be: holy, free from evil, blameless, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens, who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices first for his own sins, then for the sins of the people, for He did this once , sacrificing Himself. For the law appoints as high priests those who have infirmities; and the word of the oath, after the law, established the Son, perfect forever” (Heb. 7: 1-28).

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Title meaning

This word as a concept dates back to the times of Kievan Rus, where the words “priest” and “archpriest” were often found, but they always stood separately from other church concepts and had absolutely no negative meaning. According to historical information, they came from the Greek name “pappas” - “father”.

This word most likely came into the Russian language from Old High German: “pfaffo” - “priest”. In addition, in all ancient Russian church books the concept of “priest” is often found as an analogue of the words “priest”, “priest” and “presbyter”. Hence the conclusion: “archpriest” is the same as “protopresbyter” or “archpriest.”

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What should a priest be like and what is his job?

Therefore, today the word priest refers to Orthodox priests, shepherds who offer not a bloody Sacrifice, as in the Old Testament, but a bloodless Sacrifice during the Divine Liturgy; A sacrifice, unlike the Old Testament, that can save us!

"Priest". D.P. Corinne

Naturally, for such a great undertaking - the greatest on earth, the doers must be appropriate, distinguished by the highest moral and other qualities. There is extensive Orthodox literature on this subject, but for the sake of brevity we will refer here only to the Holy Scriptures.

Apostle Peter:

“I beg your shepherds, a fellow shepherd and witness of the sufferings of Christ and a sharer in the glory that is to be revealed: feed the flock of God that is among you, overseeing it not under compulsion, but willingly and pleasing to God, not for vile gain, but out of zeal, and not lording over the inheritance of God, but setting an example for the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:1-4).

The Apostle Paul says to the shepherds of Ephesus:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of the Lord and God, which He purchased with His own blood... Therefore, watch, remembering that for three years I taught each of you day and night without ceasing with tears. And now I commend you, brethren, to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to edify you more and give you an inheritance with all those who are sanctified. I did not desire silver, gold, or clothing from anyone: you yourself know that these hands served my needs and the needs of those who were with me. In everything I have shown you that, while working in this way, you must support the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, for He Himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20: 28. 31-35).

He speaks about this in his Epistle to Titus:

“For this reason I left you in Crete, so that you would complete what was unfinished and appoint elders in all the cities, as I commanded you: if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, has faithful children, not accused of debauchery or disobedience” (Titus 1:5 -6).

***

Stepping a little away from the main topic, let's notice a funny detail. Not long ago, the Russian Orthodox Church conducted a dialogue with various Protestant churches regarding the inadmissibility of the female priesthood, which was practiced in a number of these churches. And then our theologians came to the conclusion that there is no indication in the Holy Scriptures that only a man can be a priest (priest, pastor, presbyter).

I don’t know how these “great” theologians read the Holy Scripture, but here is the apostolic: only “the husband of one wife” can be such (Titus 1: 6)! We can even omit “one wife”, and then it remains that only the husband can be a priest, i.e. man... But this is true, by the way.

***

Of course, the male gender of a priest is far from his main advantage. He must be blameless, i.e. have high moral qualities. Which in our sinful, depraved age, unfortunately, cannot be found during the day.

However, this is not fatal if the candidate for priesthood (in church terms, protege) has a strong desire and will from the bottom of his heart to serve the Chief Shepherd as a shepherd of the Orthodox sheep - POP for short. Then the grace of God (“healing the weak and replenishing the poor”), given to him in the Sacrament of the Priesthood, will replenish his weaknesses and teach him not only how to shepherd the flock of Christ, but also how to save his own soul.

Beginning of the hierarchy

The term “church account” is used both in a narrow and broad sense. In the first case, this phrase means a collection of clergy of the lowest rank, who do not fit into the three-degree system. When they speak in a broad sense, they mean clergy (clergy), whose association constitutes the staff of any church complex (temple, monastery).

Parish of the Orthodox Church

In pre-revolutionary Russia, they were approved by the consistory (an institution under the episcopate) and personally by the bishop. The number of lower-ranking clergy depended on the number of parishioners seeking communication with the Lord. The congregation of the large church consisted of a dozen deacons and clergy. To make changes in the composition of this state, the bishop was required to obtain permission from the Synod.

In past centuries, the income of the account consisted of payments for church services (clergy and prayers for the needs of the laity). Rural parishes, served by lower ranks, were provided with plots of land. Some readers, sextons and singers lived in special church houses, and in the 19th century they began to receive salaries.

For information! The history of the development of the church hierarchy has not been fully disclosed. Today they speak with confidence about three degrees of priesthood, while the early Christian titles (prophet, didaskal) have practically been forgotten.

The meaning and significance of the ranks reflected the activities that were authoritatively announced by the Church. Previously, the brethren and the affairs of the monastery were managed by the abbot (leader), who was distinguished only by his experience. Today, attainment of ecclesiastical rank is similar to an official reward received for a certain period of service.

About the life of the Church:

• Is it possible to be late for church services?
• Learning to sing in a church choir
• Is it possible for Orthodox Christians to attend churches of other religions?

Where do unworthy clergy come from?

True, the moral level of the current Orthodox priesthood still leaves much to be desired. Which causes a lot of criticism from the laity. But they can be answered with an example from the life of one Optina elder.

Once a certain novice asked him:

“Father! Why are there so few good monks now?” “And because,” the elder answered, “there are few good novices now. After all, the first ones, i.e. monks, comes from the latter, i.e. from the novices."

So, lay people, why are there so few good priests today? That's right: because there are few good lay people. After all, the first ones, i.e. clergy come from the latter, i.e. laymen!

Oddly enough, now the already mentioned “husband of one wife” is also a problem. Now there is a very bad “fashion” among mothers (wives of clergy) to abandon their priests, something that has never been heard of before. Previously, these were isolated, exceptional cases. And now, as I recently learned, about 20 percent of clergy marriages end in divorce! And most often through the fault of mothers. True, they mainly abandon deacons.

And why go far? At the parish where I have been serving for the last 10 years, there have been 7 deacons, three of them left due to their spouses leaving them. The most “outstanding” was the last case. A young deacon was assigned to our parish - a handsome, tall, distinguished guy, and also smart, he knew the service well and served well. And with him came his young 17-year-old wife (because of her “young age,” they got married through the court).

As soon as they arrived, I, knowing the previous stories of “abandoned” deacons, decided, so to speak, to have a preventive conversation with this young woman, by the way, a student of some of our catechetical courses. “Well, if you leave your husband, you will divorce him,” I began to tell her sternly. “Father, what are you, what are you saying! I will never leave him, I love him more than life itself,” etc., she wailed.

And well, some six months have passed, and our deacon reports that his wife is leaving him under some pretext. He, of course, is against divorce, but she insists and will divorce through the courts. I also came to this trial, and did not immediately recognize that former mother. And when I found out, I asked if she remembered what she told me about love for her deacon husband, etc. “I don’t remember,” she simply answered me.

This is the moral level of the laity now; Well, women, as a weaker vessel, are especially susceptible to general lawlessness. The tragedy of a clergyman during a divorce is that, according to the aforementioned requirement of the apostle, he cannot marry a second time. And if he cannot overcome his sexual passion, then it is better for him to depose himself and get married.

This will be more honest, but how much more offensive for a person who, from childhood, aspired to become a clergyman! By the way, I asked the friend of that mentioned former mother whether the latter understood that she was destroying someone else’s (and, I think, her own) destiny? “She doesn’t care about that,” that friend replied. This is how girls are now and some of them are often shitty mothers! And the Russian Orthodox Church has such a serious problem, which is largely (though not completely) determined by the financial situation of the clergy. But I will say more about this below.

Father

For now, a few words about the main ministry of the priest. It, of course, consists in the celebration of the Sacraments, mainly the Sacrament of the Eucharist. That's why he's a priest, i.e. priest. Outwardly, for this, the latter needs certain knowledge and skills, which are given in Orthodox theological seminaries. High moral qualities are also required, first of all, priestly conscience.

But an equally important occupation of the priest is what the holy fathers called counseling. After all, by regularly confessing to his flock, and through this penetrating into the very depths, the very recesses of their souls, knowing their innermost secrets, a priest (if, of course, he himself is experienced in spiritual life) can give good, soul-helping advice. And through this, support the wavering, stop the falling, raise the fallen...

And if the priest is not limited to one confession, but, loving his flock, is sincerely interested in their lives: problems in the family, in marriage, and in life in general, he can help them with this, as if holding the threads of their destinies in in your own hands. For example, preventing abortion or divorce; help in raising children, but... On this path there are obstacles generated by centuries of atheistic hard times and the pogrom of the Church.

One of the main such obstacles is what can be called the property status of the clergy. This is a very interesting and confusing question. But atheists solve it very simply: “The priests are deceiving the people”; or, what’s even worse, they draw the raking paw of such a priest with the caption: “All people are brothers - I love to take from them.” Everything is simple and clear, more precisely, on the primitive amoebic cell damage of an atheist who believes that the priest serves only for his own profit.

Where did this come from? I remember a very interesting person taught at our seminary - Nikolai Alekseevich Poltoratsky. A hereditary nobleman, who, after the revolution, was taken to France by his parents as a child. From there, euphoric from the Victory (1945) of the USSR, he voluntarily returned there in the late forties. At one time he worked in the Patriarchate, and then ended up in our Odessa seminary, where, in particular, he taught the history of the Russian Orthodox Church.

So he once said the most interesting thing:

“For almost its entire history, the problem in the Russian Orthodox Church has been the material support of the clergy. There were, of course, rich priests, but most of the latter vegetated in poverty and even destitution. And only once in the entire history of our Church has this problem been solved. And it was decided... by the Soviet government.”

And indeed, the latter, due to its atheistic convulsions, closed many churches, thereby... sharply increasing the number of services (namely, they provide the main income) of the remaining parishes. This was most clearly manifested during the years of Khrushchev’s persecution (late 50s and early 60s of the last century).

A typical situation of that time: the Commissioner for Religious Affairs (then a direct Soviet persecutor) calls priests to the carpet. He stomps his feet and shouts: “You are obscurantists, reactionary priests, enemies of the people, urgently depose yourself, otherwise we will rot you in camps and prisons!”

One priest, cowardly, actually leaves the parish; To encourage him, they give him a job that was profitable for those times, like a taxi driver, or a hairdresser... And the other, more persistent, although he is afraid, does not refuse the priesthood and continues to serve. And what do both of them get in the end?!

Of course, no one put the staunch priest (and, in fact, this is a confessor) in prison. After all, there was already (back in 1956) the 20th Congress of the CPSU, which canceled mass repressions. But this priest now had a lot of well-paid requirements: baptisms, burials, consecrations of apartments, houses, etc. After all, the councils closed all the nearby parishes, only his was left, so everyone goes to him. Accordingly, such a priest earned much more than the minister! Which caused undisguised envy among both the latter and their subordinates.

What didn’t they come up with! They taxed the priests as if they were some kind of capitalists. They managed to collect this tax several times a month, “allegedly due to lost documentation,” etc. and so on. Nothing helped, the priests still prospered financially. Which is what caused such, frankly speaking, unhealthy interest among Soviet atheists and their lying media in this moment in the lives of priests. But in fact, this material abundance was only God’s reward to the faithful clergy for their fidelity.

But the former priests who became taxi drivers and hairdressers, on the contrary, were sitting on their pennies, also envying their former brothers. Many of them, when the Khrushchev persecution ended, repented and returned to the Church, moreover, in their existing rank.

So, as we see, the excitement around this topic generated by atheism is of a very unclean nature. It still exists, although now the situation in the Russian Orthodox Church has changed dramatically. Many parishes have opened, which are often forced to survive financially. At the same time, their clergy have to survive. Which, by the way, is one of the reasons for the above-mentioned flight of the mothers. And in our country it is still customary to point the finger at some of the capital’s “priests driving around in expensive Mercedes”!

But the most vile atheistic lie, or rather, their most vile act, was that the priest was removed from managing church (temple) funds, accusing him of greed. Which completely directly contradicts the very wise 41st Rule of the Holy Apostles, which reads:

“We command the bishop to have authority over the church estate. If precious human souls must be entrusted to him, then how much more should he be commanded about money, so that he disposes of everything according to his authority, and gives to those who demand through the elders and deacons with the fear of God and with all reverence; in the same way (if necessary) he himself borrowed for the necessary needs of his own and strangely accepted brethren, so that they did not suffer from lack in any respect. For the law of God has decreed: let those who serve the altar eat from the altar; in the same way, a warrior never raises a weapon against an enemy on his livelihood.”

In short, why am I saying this for so long? Moreover, as follows from this Rule, for more or less full-fledged counseling, a priest must not only have high moral qualities, but also certain material capabilities. Allowing him to help his flock and their urgent needs.

So, for example, St. Nicholas the Pleasant, although he was a saint, in that famous case from his life would hardly have saved those three girls and their father from a sin similar to Sodom, if, as unprosaic as it may sound, he would have didn’t have three bags of gold on hand...

Acceptance of the schema

There are three ranks of tonsure.
Sequence of tonsures:

• in the ryassophore - following in the attire of a cassock and kamilavka;
• into the mantle;
• to the schema.

What is it for?

The Holy Orthodox Church distinguishes three states of monastic feat: novitiate, monasticism, schema-monasticism.

These states are defined as preparation for the feat, the feat itself and the highest fulfillment of the feat:

1. The first stage is the testing of novices preparing to accept the feat itself (monasticism). Novices live for many years in the monastery as novices, studying everything that every monk should know, working hard and being in prayer.
2. Monastics of the second stage are called monastics of little schema, or perfect.
3. The third stage is schemamonks, or the most perfect.

He was tonsured into the ryassophore

The schema with its two steps comes immediately after the ryassophore (Greek for “wearer of a cassock”) or novice. When tonsured into the ryassophore, no vows are taken by the novice. Special prayers are read over the novice, and the hair is cut crosswise. At the same time, the person being tonsured sometimes does not even change his name. Now he is called a ryassophore monk (monk).

The novice receives the right to wear a cassock, which symbolizes:

• repentance;
• cry;
• renunciation of worldly vanity.

The word “cassock” is translated from Greek as “decrepit, shabby.”

A monk's vestment consists of:

• cassock;
• robes;
• kamilavki;
• belts;
• rosary

At this stage, the monk prepares to accept little-schema.

Tonsured into the minor schema

The small schema (mantle) is, in fact, monasticism.

A long tonsure is divided into two parts - announcement and tonsure:

1. The first part consists of exhortation, making vows of obedience, non-covetousness, chastity and asceticism, instructions to the one who made the vows, prayers and naming a new name.
2. In the second part of the ritual, the tonsure itself and the putting on of clothes take place.

The tonsure of hair is the main action during this tonsure and thereby resembles the rite of Baptism. By putting on not one, but two crosses (a large wooden one on the chest and a second one (paraman) on the back), the tonsured person is given a new Christian name. The third cross is given into the hands. This tonsure is called the second baptism.

Monasticism is a calling, not a person’s choice. And if the abbot of the monastery does not see this calling in a person, then the tonsure may not take place. Since the responsibility for tonsure falls squarely on the abbot, he must determine the correctness of the choice of path and intentions of the novice.

Reverend Anthony of Pechersk is one of the very first monks in Rus', who founded the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery.

Tonsured into the Great Schema

The tonsure into the great angelic image is majestic and long. When tonsured, a monk makes extremely severe vows: the renunciation of earthly life is even more pronounced than when tonsured as a monk, because the monk completely renounces the world. This tonsure is an image of death for worldly life and the beginning of heavenly life.

The doll is removed only on the eighth day after tonsure; a special prayer is said about this by the abbot. This is done in order to return to bodily labor and needlework. It is put on again without the rector's blessing.

This is interesting: What are the tablets of Moses and their meaning in Orthodoxy - in general terms

vestment

As for everyday priestly clothing, it is usually a cassock and cassock. The first was previously considered underwear, and the second - outerwear. But now this (“lower-upper”) is not so relevant, since priests usually wear some kind of secular clothing under the cassock. That’s why they often flaunt themselves in cassocks.

Liturgical vestments, worn by the priest only when performing the Divine Liturgy: this is the cassock (puts on directly on the cassock); epitrachelion, belt, brace and phelonion. As a reward, such a priest or archpriest can also wear: a legguard; a club, as well as a skufeika, kamilavka or miter.

And let’s imagine that he put all this on himself and served in all this for about 2-3 hours in the heat of 35-40 degrees. From my own experience I know that then the sweat passes through the cassock, cassock, and leaves a huge stain on the vest. However, guys, this is far, far from the worst thing that can happen to a priest or archpriest in our troubled times!

Prot. Georgy Gorodentsev

Mitred archpriest what is it

This is the name of the high priest (the Russian meaning of the Greek word archpriest), who received the right to wear a headdress - a miter.

Translated from Greek, miter means “bearer of the miter.”

An important award for an archpriest is the club. This is the name of the diamond shawl, which is worn on the hip and put on over the shoulder.

The Archpriest's club is awarded by His Holiness the Patriarch after five years of unblemished service in this rank.

Another five years after receiving the club, the archpriest is awarded a cross with precious decorations. Not every archpriest receives such an award.

After faithful service for a period of thirty years, the Patriarch, by decree, can award the archpriest the right to wear a miter. This is the headdress of a bishop. Only the bishop's miter is decorated with a cross, but the archpriest's miter does not have a cross on the top of the miter.

The mitered archpriest puts on the miter for important ceremonial services, except for the liturgy, which is held with the royal doors open, where he is not allowed to serve.

The first miter was awarded to Archpriest John Panfilov, confessor of Catherine the Second. In pre-revolutionary times, such an award was very rare. Now there are mitred archpriests in every major city in Russia.

Who is a bishop in the Orthodox tradition

This is a synonymous concept, used as often and in the same meaning as “hierarch”, “archpastor”. He is a dignitary of the Orthodox Church. A clergyman of this rank performs all the sacraments and leads the life of the church community.

In accordance with Christian doctrine, the archpastor, through the sacrament of ordination, receives apostolic grace received from Jesus Christ. In the Russian Orthodox tradition, representatives of the monastic clergy reach such heights of hierarchical levels, since it is obligatory for them to observe the vow of celibacy.

Origin of the word

The word “bishop” comes from the ancient Greek “high priest, high priest” (“archi” - beginning, superior; “priest” - priest).

Meaning of the concept

Archpastoral service is akin to schema tonsure and involves complete renunciation of one’s own will. All hierarchs (with the exception of vicars) govern the dioceses. In ancient times they were divided into bishops, archbishops and metropolitans according to administrative powers. In the modern church these titles are retained as honorary titles. From among them, a patriarch is elected, who leads the Local Church until the end of his life.

The Church, in accordance with Christian doctrine, must endure until the end of time. Therefore, the power Jesus gave to the Apostles did not have to end with their death, it remained part of the church forever. The apostles transferred their powers to persons who received the name bishops (guardians). The highest supervision and management in Christian communities passed to them. In capitals they are called metropolitans (from the Greek “metropolis” - capital).

All archpastors are equal to each other, but the oldest of them bear the title of archbishop and enjoy special respect from those around them.

Officially accepted request:

• to bishops - “Your Eminence”;
• to an archbishop or metropolitan - “Your Eminence”;
• to the patriarch - “Your Holiness”, informally you can address “Vladyka”.

The role of the bishop in the church, rules of conversion

In addition to performing Divine services, bishops have the right to ordain (ordain) clergy, as well as to consecrate chrism and antimensions, which is not given to priests.

All archpastors are equal in degree of priesthood, but the oldest and most honored of them are called archbishops.

Ordination to the rank of bishop

The capital's bishops are called metropolitans, since the capital is called a metropolis in Greek. The bishops of ancient capitals, such as Jerusalem, Constantinople, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and, from the 16th century, the Russian capital of Moscow, are called patriarchs.

Important: it is officially customary to address bishops as follows: to a bishop - “Your Eminence”, to an archbishop or metropolitan - “Your Eminence”, to a patriarch - “Your Holiness”. Unofficial address to the bishop - “Vladyko”

Ryasophorus

Ryasophor (Rassophore novice) - wearer of a cassock. In Greece, it is customary to call this degree “Rassophore novice” (“Rassophore novice”), and the Greeks do not consider the Rassophore novice to be a degree of monasticism, classifying it as novitiate (preparation for monasticism).

The vestment of a monk-ryassophore consists of a cassock, kamilavka and rosary.

In the modern practice of the Russian Orthodox Church in male monasteries, monks of the ryassophore are often called monks, and tonsure into the ryassophore is often called monastic tonsure. Thus, the Russian word monk, common to designate all monks, began to designate only persons belonging to the first degree of monasticism.

A ryassophore monk differs from a ryassophore novice in that he is given a new name.

A priest in the cassock rank in Russia is called a hieromonk, sometimes also a priest.

Since the Orthodox Church has adopted the custom of ordaining as bishop only celibate priests who have accepted the monastic rank, if before ordination to the priesthood a person accepted celibacy, taking a vow of celibacy, sometimes it is enough for him to take the first degree of monastic tonsure - the ryasophore.

Monk (nun)

(word-formative tracing paper, similar to the ancient Greek μοναχός, formed from the ancient Russian “in” - one) - the Old Russian name for a monk, otherwise monk.

In modern Orthodox monasteries of the Russian tradition, a monk is not a monk in the proper sense, but a cassocked (Greek “wearing a cassock”) monk - before he is tonsured into the “minor schema” (conditioned by the final acceptance of monastic vows and the naming of a new name). A monk is, as it were, a “novice monk.”

Many nuns, having accepted monasticism, do not accept subsequent monastic degrees and spend their entire lives in the monastery in this degree of monasticism.

The Old Believers preserve the ancient Russian tradition of calling all degrees of monasticism monasticism - see the articles: monk Pavel (Velikodvorsky), monk Onufriy (Parusov).

Origin of the Sacrament of Priesthood

The Lord Himself established it, choosing among His listeners and followers, first 12, and then another 70 apostles. It was He who first performed consecration when he blessed his disciples to work to spread the Christian faith. After His Resurrection, Christ appears to them and says

“Receive the Holy Spirit; just as the Father sent Me, so I send you. Whose sins you forgive will be forgiven, and whose sins you forgive will be forgiven.” The apostles transferred this power to “leave and permit” to priests and bishops - their successors.

How it is done: visible and invisible sides

Any Sacrament is performed by God Himself.

Each of them has two sides: visible and invisible. The first includes the order of the rite itself, that is, the words and actions of the participants, the second - the spiritual rebirth and renewal of man, which is the meaning of the Sacrament.

The Sacrament of Priesthood is no exception. In the visible part of the rite, the bishop places his hands on the head of the one being ordained and calls upon the Holy Spirit with prayer. The invisible side is a certain grace of the priesthood, which is communicated to the person being consecrated for pastoral teaching.

Who can perform ordination

Apart from the bishop, no one can perform the Sacrament of ordination. While preaching in the Roman Empire, the apostles ordained bishops and elders who led communities. Then they did not differ among themselves in importance, and could equally perform the liturgy, and the heads of church life were the apostles themselves. After their death, the bishops received the right to lead the church, and with it, to ordain deacons and priests.

The diocesan bishop must be Orthodox. He has the right to perform ordination only within the boundaries of his diocese and for serving in it:

For the ordination of deacon and priest, one bishop is sufficient, but bishops are ordained by a council of bishops (i.e. two or more), because an equal does not have the right to appoint an equal, for according to the words of the Apostle Paul, “the lesser is blessed by the greater (Heb. 7.7).

Structure of the Russian Orthodox Church - diagram and description

Due to some complexity of the church structure, it is worth considering in more detail, for a deep understanding of the algorithms of the work of priests.

Bishop titles

These include:

Patriarch: the lifelong main title of the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the moment in Rus' this is Kirill. Vicar: the bishop's right hand, his deputy, but he does not have his own diocese and cannot manage the bishop's diocese. Metropolitan: the governor who leads the metropolitan areas, including those outside the Russian Federation. Archbishop: The rank of senior bishop, considered an honorary title. Bishop: The third level of priesthood in the Orthodox hierarchy, often with the rank of bishop, governs a diocese and is appointed by the Holy Synod.

Titles of priests

The priests are divided into “black” and “white”.

Consider the “black” clergy:

Hieromonk: a monk-clergyman, it is customary to address him with the words: “Your Reverence.” Hegumen: head (abbot) of a monastery. Until 2011 in Russia, this title was honorary and did not necessarily correspond to the post of head of any monastery. Archimandrite: the highest rank for a clergyman who has taken monastic vows. He is often the abbot of large monastic monasteries.

The “white” ranks include:

Protopresbyter: the highest rank of the Russian Orthodox Church in its “white” part. Given as a reward for special service in some cases and only at the request of the Holy Synod. Archpriest: senior priest, the wording can also be used: senior priest. Most often, the archpriest presides over a church. You can receive such a position no earlier than five years of faithful service upon receipt of the pectoral cross and no earlier than ten years after consecration. Priest: junior rank of clergy. The priest may be married. It is customary to address such a person as follows: “Father” or “Father, …”, where after the father comes the name of the priest.

Titles of deacons

Next comes the level of deacons, they are also divided into “black” and “white” clergy.

List of "Black" clergy:

Archdeacon: the senior rank among deacons in a monastic monastery. It is given for special merits and length of service. Hierodeacon: priest-monk of any monastery. You can become a hierodeacon after the sacrament of ordination and tonsure as a monk.

"White":

Protodeacon: the main diocesan deacon; like the archdeacon, it is customary to address him with the words: “Your high gospel.” Deacon: a priest who stands at the very beginning of the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church. These are assistants for the rest of the higher ranks of clergy.

Who can be ordained

Ordination is carried out from the lowest degrees to the highest. Nothing is said in the canons about the terms of service at each of the degrees. The priesthood of deacon is made from a subdeacon, to priest - from a deacon, to bishop - from an archimandrite. to deacon. To become a bishop, a clergyman must go through all the steps in the hierarchy of the clergy.

According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church, a bishop is appointed from among the monastics. Initially, bishops in the church were married, but very soon preference began to be given to unmarried candidates, because serving for the benefit of people and the church requires increased dedication from the clergyman. Nowadays celibacy is an absolute requirement.

A representative of the white clergy (who has the right to marry) can also ascend to the highest degree of priesthood if he renounces worldly life, provided that the wife supports her husband and is ready to become a nun. Widowed priests can also become monks and bishops, since they do not have the right to marry again while remaining in office.

Both married people and monks are admitted to the first two degrees of the priesthood. However, the decision to marry must be made before entering the priesthood.

Only a man can become a clergyman:

• Having reached the age of 18-3 years.
• Marital status: single or first married.
• With completed secondary education.
• Without mental and physical disabilities (must not be blind, deaf, dumb, he must have all the fingers on his right hand, for blessing, must not suffer from epilepsy).
• With recommendations from an Orthodox priest.

The Church also has strict requirements for the wife of a future priest, whom he must choose in his last year of seminary. The future mother must be Orthodox, have no sexual relations before marriage, follow the priest in his duties, dress appropriately, often attend services, she must be an example of a Christian for the parishioners. The same applies to the children of a clergyman.