Profession Orthodox priest: description, where to study, necessary qualities

- a clergyman belonging to the second, middle degree of priesthood.
Has the grace to perform all the sacraments, except the sacrament of Ordination. Otherwise, a priest is called a priest
or
presbyter
(Greek: elder; this is what a priest is called in the epistles of the Apostle Paul).

Ordination to the priesthood is carried out by the bishop through ordination.

The priest is the celebrant of the six sacraments of the Church (baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, marriage and consecration of oil) for all his parishioners; he is the closest teacher of his parishioners, from the church pulpit in the temple, when visiting their homes and in all meetings and conversations; he is a preacher of the religious principles of life, but at the same time a canonically obliged defender of all knowledge (for example, medical, agricultural and home economics), mental and moral education and upbringing that is not contrary to religion and the public good. The rights and duties of a priest are set out in detail in the special science of shepherding, which the future shepherd undergoes during his training, as well as in church laws and rules.

It is officially customary to address a priest: “Your blessing”; to a monastic priest (hieromonk) - “Your Reverence”, to an abbot or archimandrite - “Your Reverence”. Informal, colloquial address - “father Name” or “father”. The address “holy father”, which is common in the West, is not used by the Orthodox.

Serving God

A priest is not a profession or a job that lasts 8 hours and then lives a personal life. Serving God is a complete dedication of oneself to people as a faithful servant of God, ready at the right moment to become a helper, mediator, spiritual guide, shepherd.

Every man can devote his life to serving the church.

Perhaps someone dreams of becoming a priest because of wealth, but abundance comes with time, and not every parish can provide a decent salary for a priest.

In everyday life, priests have to do the same things as ordinary people, while they have constant force majeure circumstances:

• someone died and needs to be buried;
• another calls for prayer at the bedside of a seriously ill patient;
• there's a christening;
• the third must be unctioned.

No one cares how household affairs are going in the clergyman’s family at this time.

The main thing is that priesthood is a great responsibility before God , who entrusts the shepherd to a certain person, who will then be asked of him, of him and his descendants.

Who is the intermediary

— Master, why does the priesthood exist? Why are intermediaries needed in communication between man and God?

— The idea that a priest is a mediator in communication between God and man is fundamentally wrong. Who do we call a mediator in everyday life? The one who is in the middle. An intermediary is someone through whom something is transmitted. If two people communicate through an intermediary, then there is no personal contact between them. And if we consider the priest a “mediator,” this will mean that we do not communicate with God personally. But the New Testament is imbued with the opposite feeling, sometimes simply the incomprehensible closeness of the Lord to people. This is a book about the closest communication between God and man, a book about God-manhood!

- What then is the priesthood?

- Let's open the New Testament. We see that the Lord Jesus Christ chose only 12 apostles (translated from Greek as “messengers”) to carry out a special mission. They bring the message to all humanity that the world is saved in Christ, they preach the Kingdom of God, which has come in power. They first spread the faith and then strengthened it among Christian converts. Without this mission, Christianity would simply be impossible. In his Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul writes: How can we call on Him in whom we have not believed? How can one believe in Him of whom one has not heard? How to hear without a preacher? And how can we preach if they are not sent? (Rom. 10:14–15). These words precisely speak of the birth of the Church: the Lord sends the apostles, they preach to the whole world, and as a result, people accept Christ as their Savior. Thus, from the very beginning of Christianity, the Lord Jesus Christ established a special institution among His followers - the institution of the apostles.

— How did the institution of the priesthood arise?

— The New Testament clearly records the moments when the apostles begin to appoint bishops and elders to lead communities. Thus, the Book of Acts says that the apostles Paul and Barnabas ordained elders for each church (Acts 14:23). A few chapters earlier, seven deacons were chosen to maintain order and justice in the daily distribution of needs (see: Acts 6: 1-6). These priestly degrees exist to this day. The task of the bishop and priest, as we clearly see in Scripture, is to lead communities, teach Christians the truths of the faith and help them follow the path of spiritual improvement. Usually a priest is called a shepherd. This means that he and the flock he leads are going in the same direction. Therefore, he has a special responsibility for the community.

— When you get acquainted with the church hierarchy, it becomes obvious that in its complexity it is not inferior to the “table of ranks” in the army. How can the uninitiated deal with this?

- In fact, as I already said, there are only three degrees of priesthood: deacon, priest and bishop. A deacon (translated from Greek as “servant”) only assists in the performance of divine services, but does not have the right to perform the sacraments on his own. If he is in the monastic rank, he is called a hierodeacon, and the one who has taken monastic vows into the schema is called a schema-hierodeacon. The senior deacon in married clergy is called protodeacon (first deacon), and in monasticism - archdeacon (senior deacon).

The second degree of priesthood is presbyter (translated from Greek as “elder”). He is also called a priest or priest. He can perform all sacraments except ordination. A presbyter who is a monk is called a hieromonk, and one who has accepted the schema is called a schema monk. The senior elders of the white clergy are called archpriests and protopresbyters (first priests). The eldest of the monk-priests are called abbots and archimandrites. Abbots and archimandrites usually lead monasteries.

The third (highest) degree of priesthood is bishop (translated from Greek as “overseer”). He has the right to perform all seven sacraments. Bishops are also called bishops or hierarchs. They head large church districts (dioceses). A diocese can include from several dozen to several hundred churches. Bishops can also govern associations of dioceses, which are usually called metropolitan districts. Accordingly, such a bishop is called a metropolitan. The bishop who heads the Local Church may bear the title of archbishop, metropolitan or patriarch.

How to improve the quality of priestly ministry

Assessing the events taking place in the Church, analyzing the emerging problems of church life, one can notice signs of a smoldering crisis in priestly ministry. It is quite possible that the cause of many church disorders is the not fully realized significance of the priestly ministry. Internal personal problems of pastoral ministry should not be given public discussion. This question is very subjective and cannot be generalized. But the external, organizational side of hierarchical service in the Church should be discussed collectively and ways of solving existing problems should be sought.

But this should not be done in order to find a reason for some kind of reproach or condemnation. All this needs to be formulated so that new generations of clergy have clear instructions and recommendations for their ministry. The time has come for the entire Church to think about formulating a “staffing schedule” for clergy. So that every bishop, priest and deacon can know what exactly his daily ministry consists of. How much time should he spend in his church, how many services and how should each clergy perform, what education should be minimal for a minister, what is the determining criterion for assessing the quality of clergy, who and how can control his activities.

All of these seemingly bureaucratic issues are actually very important for fruitful church ministry. Irresponsibility, uncertainty of responsibilities, and unintentional negligence always have a detrimental effect on the life and activities of any human society, from the family to the state. And even more so, this applies to the Church - a divinely established society that consists of people. And the fact that the Lord, when he sent his disciples to preach, gave them specific recommendations for service, and then asked them for an account of their deeds, indicates that in our time this principle of organizing priestly service is extremely necessary and important.

Source: newspaper “Old Believer”

Description

According to established tradition, the priesthood consists of three levels:

• Bishop. This is the highest level, which includes bishops, archbishops, metropolitans and patriarchs. They are appointed by decisions of the Holy Synod, head dioceses and carry out work aimed at enhancing church activities. Only bishops have access to the sacrament of the priesthood*; they can ordain presbyters.
• Priest (presbyter). The second degree in the hierarchy, these ministers can perform six sacraments (excluding ordination). They are required to undergo training in a seminary or theological academy, reach the age of Christ (i.e., thirty years old) and have no defects that prevent them from fulfilling their duties. In the Russian tradition, a presbyter is usually addressed as “father.”
• Deacon (deacon). The lowest level in Christianity, whose representatives do not have the right to perform divine services and sacraments, but can provide assistance to bishops and elders. Their presence is optional, so not all churches have them.

*Christian teaching assumes the presence of seven sacraments:

• baptism;
• anointing;
• Eucharist (communion);
• confession (repentance);
• wedding (marriage);
• unction (unction);
• priesthood.

The clergy is divided into black and white. Blacks include monks and bishops; deacons and priests can be monastics or be white (married) provided they enter into a single marriage before ordination.

Answer to the reader. Part 1. Who is a priest

Hello, gentlemen!

I read your article about the information campaign against priests on the Internet and trolls. And I would like you to, if possible, supplement your article or make an additional one, which would answer questions about what “job responsibilities” priests have in general. Clergymen, who are they? What services do they provide to the population? And what are the quality criteria for these services? Forgive me for reducing everything to such simple questions, but very often we, ordinary people, generally do not understand the functional responsibilities of clergy in our modern society. Prayers and sacraments are clear, but what else besides this?

And by the way, how can you tell whether a priest is praying to God in a quality manner or whether he is slacking? What should a priest do specifically, and what is beyond his competence? What do we - believers and non-believers - have the right to consider as the norm?

I ask you, do not write to me about reading the Holy Fathers. We live in the 21st century, and I want to know about the fathers of our time and how to learn to distinguish who is who, and most importantly, about what rights I have and what responsibilities a priest has.

Before the revolution, the Church was engaged in healing and education, now they teach reading in school and many hospitals and clinics have been built. During the times of the Soviet Union and after it, society learned to regulate issues of mercy and social structure on its own. And everyone knows that God exists and believes in him anyway. The question is what society can trust the Church now.

And most importantly, what are the priests ready to take upon themselves? And what to do with those who do not meet the standards. An official, a policeman, a doctor, a military man can be imprisoned for a bribe, or fired for an official crime, and we know clearly what these people do and what they are responsible for, and what to do if they have broken the law. What do the priests do, and what can we ask, and most importantly, what should we do if they break the law and what is it, this law? Is it possible to fire the metropolitan and what should we do with the rector of the church caught lying and stealing? And most importantly, how long have the managers of church departments themselves attended advanced training courses in personnel management? Do they know what the labor code and constitution are and what to do if they commit violations against their own employees? Is there a social protection system within the Church itself or “all is the will and mercy of God”? After all, if a priest retires or a family is left without a father, the state support system is included in full immediately from our taxes as for everyone, but what does the Church as an organization guarantee and provide?

Where is the ethical code of conduct for priests? Well, the priest drank, he is a man. So a priest can drink, just let him not drink in his official clothes? And don't wear a cassock while driving? And he doesn’t travel to the SV or fly first class? A doctor does not wear a robe outside of work.

Or is it a priest, he is a priest 24 hours a day and his morality should concern us? After all, if we trust him, as a specialist in spiritual and moral education, with ourselves and our children, it means that we want to be sure that he himself adheres to the principles he teaches, shares them and understands them, and most importantly, a teacher is a teacher because his students have what to learn from him.

You write, if the priest is bad, leave and find a good one?

What is a good priest? What qualities and characteristics should he have? How can you recognize him among everyone?

I think that when clear answers to these questions appear on the Internet and are given in the form of official answers from management, then the information war will disappear.

Varvara Snegireva, 30 years old

We asked Archpriest Igor Gagarin to answer these questions

Who is a priest

- Regarding the first one - who is a priest and what is he needed for? There is a science that is studied for more than one semester in seminaries, called “Pastoral Theology,” where all aspects of priestly ministry are examined in detail. But I cannot recommend to our sister who asked the question to read the excellent book of Archimandrite Cyprian Kern “Pastoral Theology”; I understand that this is not what is expected of us.

The priesthood existed before Christ came into the world - in the Old Testament Church - and to say that the New Testament priesthood replaced the Old Testament and did not inherit anything from that priesthood would be wrong. Because the Old Testament Church is the mother of our Church - we were born in the bosom of the Old Testament Church. Indeed, a lot has already dilapidated and outdated, and is no longer necessary and unacceptable, but, at the same time, something remains. In the Old Testament Church it was absolutely clear that the main work of the priest was temple worship and sacrifice. And this, of course, remains to this day. A priest is a person who performs worship in a temple and sacrifices.

Another thing is that sacrifice has now become different. In the Old Testament church, animals were sacrificed: lambs, calves, doves, there were grain offerings, etc. And two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ offered Himself as a living sacrifice for all humanity, for the sins of the world. From that moment on, the main sacrifice, which abolished all those sacrifices that were in Old Testament times, for us became the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. When we, in memory of Jesus Christ, offer bread and wine to the Lord and pray and ask that through the influx of the Holy Spirit, bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. And believers, when receiving communion, are united with Christ in the most intimate way.

This is the main thing that happens in the Church and the priest is entrusted with performing this service before the throne of God. This is the first and most important thing. No other person who is not a bearer of holy orders - no matter how wonderful, kind, talented - can perform this ministry, only an ordained priest or bishop.

Second. If we remember the Gospel, then Jesus Christ gave his disciples-apostles the power to “knit and loosen.” As the Gospel of John tells, after his resurrection, He breathed on his disciples-apostles and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven; Whoever you leave it on, they will stay on it.” Those. forgiveness of sins (or non-forgiveness) was entrusted to the apostles. And we, priests, according to the teachings of the Church, are the successors of the apostles, because the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church is built on apostolic succession. The gift that the Lord gave to the apostles is transmitted to bishops through the ordination, and to priests through the ordination of bishops. When a person comes to God to ask for forgiveness for the sins that he has committed, he cannot do this without going through the priest.

— What does “knit and solve” mean?

- To testify that a person’s sin is forgiven or not forgiven. “Allow” - i.e. to set free, but to “bind” is the opposite. Therefore, when a person comes and repents of some sins, the priest can tell him either “your sins are forgiven” or they are not forgiven. Sometimes the priest may say: “I’m sorry, but you still have a lot of work to do to confirm the authenticity of your repentance.” Those. the priest can impose penance and excommunicate you from communion for some time. There are such sins - abortions, some terrible crimes... - when a priest simply should not immediately tell a person “all your sins are forgiven.”

- So, a person becomes a priest not through the act of appointment to a position, and not even through education, but precisely through the Sacrament of ordination?

- Yes, sure. Priesthood is a Sacrament, it is a sacred act, when in a mysterious, mystical way, through the ordination of a bishop and prayer, the grace of the Holy Spirit descends on a person, he is given the Gift of performing the Divine Liturgy, and “knitting and solving.”

Sometimes they ask the question: “Why do you need a priest to ask God for forgiveness for your sins? I don’t need a mediator between God and man. I myself, when my conscience torments me, will pray to God: “Lord, forgive me!” and I will sincerely cry. Why should I go to some priest who may be ten times more sinful than me?” And the answer to this question is very simple. It is not we, the priests, who took it upon ourselves - open the Gospel and everything is said there very clearly and clearly. It is not the priest, of course, who forgives sins - the person turns to God - but the priest is entrusted with testifying before God that a person repents of his sins, and vice versa - to testify to a person that his sins are forgiven, or not forgiven.

These sacraments, confession and communion, are the ones most often resorted to by a genuine Christian who really tries to live according to the Gospel. Without this it is impossible to live a Christian life. And it is impossible to perform these sacraments without a priest.

The third responsibility of priests is shepherding. This is what Jesus Christ said to the Apostle Peter - “Feed my lambs” (“feed my sheep”).

Shepherding, in my opinion, has two sides. On the one hand, this is the leadership of the church community. Because Christians should not be each on their own in their relationship with God. Genuine faith, if it is truly Christian, evangelical faith, it must unite people with each other. There is a Universal Church - it consists of local Churches, local Churches consist of dioceses, dioceses consist of parishes. And the parish doesn’t always work out, but ideally it should be a community of believers. Those. This should not be the case when people come to some temple on their own, everyone prayed and left. A person should come to the temple as to a family, to his brothers and sisters. Christians who are members of the same parish or the same community (if it is successful and established) should be bound by a much closer relationship than simply the fact that they prayed together in the same church. They must live each other's lives, relate to each other's needs, help, bear each other's burdens. The creation, organization and management of such a community is the task of the priest, the task of the shepherd.

This is on the one hand. On the other hand, pastoring also includes personal, individual spiritual help to those people who come to the priest. Because in fact, a person goes to God, and the priest must do everything to help the person in this meeting, so that this meeting takes place. And help a person to set himself up in such a way, to organize his spiritual, prayer, personal life so that his heart opens towards God. This is also shepherding.

— Divine services, as you know, are free for parishioners. Is pastoring paid or free?

- Free, of course. Of course, the need has always been implied for a person to make some kind of sacrifice when coming to the Church, but in the Orthodox Church we should not make this an indispensable condition; it should be a person’s personal feeling as his personal duty towards God.

— Including baptism? That people are unhappy that baptism is expensive.

“I can immediately say that it’s easy for me to speak in this regard, because in our temple there are no prices for anything. The size of the donation is up to the donor. At the same time, I always add that if you don’t have the opportunity to donate at all, then it won’t hurt - we will still baptize, marry, sing, remember, etc.

— How is shepherding and individual assistance to a person in his spiritual life practically carried out?

— Most often, it all starts with the fact that a person simply comes to the priest with some problem, for advice. At the same time, he may not quite understand what he expects from the priest, what he wants to hear. When a person comes for the first time, I wonder what brought you there. And the answers can be very different: either someone recommended it from a friend, or I’ve wanted it for a long time, read books, kept thinking... In general, it happens in different ways. A person arrives, but then the mutual work of the three begins. First of all - God, then - the priest, as a worker of God, and this man himself. And if the priest, for his part, and the man, for his part, strive to ensure that, having taken this step towards God, the person does not stop, turn around and go back, but so that he takes the next step, then there is a second and the third and fourth steps, and in the end, at some stage, a person joins church life organically. Well, then the work happens mainly during confession.

— How does communication between a parishioner and a priest take place?

“I believe that the first thing a priest should do here is listen to a person and let him speak, try to understand him and pray for him, of course. And then everything depends on what the person came with and what questions he has. There are different approaches to spiritual direction. In my opinion, it is very important that the priest never forgets about human freedom and the responsibility for his decisions, which a person must bear himself.

Sometimes they tell me that some priest demands unquestioning obedience, blesses people to do something that a person did not intend to do, almost in the most severe way sets the condition that “if you don’t do this, then forget the way to our temple.” etc. Such cases happen, and they seem completely wrong to me. Many people have already spoken about this negative phenomenon - about young age. And the late Patriarch Alexei II spoke specifically about this. The priest should not take on the role of an elder; the priest should help the person himself make this or that decision, and prayerfully support him.

For myself, I have identified a certain principle, which I conventionally call the “Demon of Socrates” method. The word “demon” confuses us all, for us “demon” has a minus sign, but in Greek mythology, a demon simply meant a spirit, without any positive or negative meaning. So Socrates says that from a young age he felt the presence of a certain spirit next to him, which he called a demon (in the good sense of the word). And who prompts him, in some difficult life situations gives him various instructions. But here’s what’s interesting: it never happened that this “inner voice” of his told him what to do. But he always talked about what he shouldn't do. Therefore, if I do something and he is silent, doesn’t say anything, then I do it. But if he tells me that “don’t do this”, “don’t go there” or something else, then for me this is a warning.

It seems to me that many people often expect the priest to give some instructions on what to do - this is not entirely correct. A person must determine for himself what to do. And then he must share his intention with the priest.

- If it is in doubt?

- Yes, if in doubt. I think that when a very close and kind relationship has developed with a confessor, it is not superfluous when a person simply takes a blessing for something that, as it seems to them, does not raise doubts. There's nothing wrong with that. But, in any case, the priest can sometimes say a strong “no,” “don’t do that.” Therefore, when people come to me, tell me the situation, and then ask the question “what should I do in this situation? what should I do?" - I never say right away, but ask the question: “What do you think?” - "I do not know". Well, since you don't know, does that mean you want me to make a decision for you? It’s easier this way, of course - “I don’t know what to do, I’ll go to the priest. As he says, so I will do.” It is not right. If you don’t know, think about it, and I’ll pray that the Lord will help you make a decision. And when you make a decision, you do not immediately implement it, but still come and say that you have decided. Because sometimes you immediately see that a person wants to do something that is clearly sinful and harmful. And then you tell him that he shouldn’t do this, it will be bad. And sometimes you don't see it.

Those. leadership should often come down not to instructions on what to do, but on the contrary - what not to do. And of course, where a priest imposes his will on a person, passing it off as the will of God, this is an alarm signal.

The monastery is a different matter. The vow of obedience, which is given during monastic tonsure, assumes that the monk renounces his own will and completely entrusts himself to his spiritual superiors - the elder or his spiritual leader in the monastery, and he must do everything that he is told. But this is a monk. We are dealing with lay people. And here such unquestioning obedience, in my opinion, is not only unnecessary, but simply even harmful. It ultimately produces “spiritual cripples.”

About punishments and social security

— Another question from Varvara’s letter. What to do with a priest who does not meet the standards of a priest?

- The answer is simple. Take any issue of the Moscow Diocesan Gazette magazine, where the decrees of the ruling bishop are published. And in almost every issue, among these decrees, there is this: “By decree, such and such should be prohibited from serving in the priesthood for behavior inappropriate for the rank of a priest...” And often it specifically states why.

Priests are deprived of the opportunity to serve when it is discovered that their behavior, their way of life does not correspond to what a priest should have. There is the institution of the Church Court. In each case, when it becomes known that a priest has committed some act that is incompatible with his ministry, it is studied carefully, something like an investigation takes place to find out how true it is, and sometimes a commission is appointed. They come, find out, question, talk with the priests and with those people who were present. And if all this is confirmed, then such a priest is punished.

— And, unlike the situation with officials, when they are removed from one place and appointed to another, if a priest is banned from serving, then he can no longer serve anywhere?

- Punishments vary. Sometimes just one type of punishment is the transfer of a priest to another place. The biggest punishment is prohibition from the priesthood. More than this is deprivation of holy orders. Such cases happen, but the Council decides this. Because after all, this is already irreversible. And so - prohibition in the priesthood or transfer. What translation? For example, I am the rector of the temple. If it turns out that I did something that seduces people and harms the Church, I can be transferred to some church where I will no longer be the rector, but where I will be subordinate to another, more experienced priest, where I will be under his control, I will be subordinate to him, and he will re-educate me.

— If you were banned from serving, can this have a reverse effect?

— Usually, when they ban, they say for how long the priest is banned. It all depends on how the priest behaves while he is under ban. Because there are different options. One was forbidden - and that’s it, he went to engage in worldly activities. As a rule, such people rarely return. And there are - I know such priests - who deeply feel what happened to them, sincerely repent, still remain with the Church, but now serve as either psalm-readers, or altar servers, or teach Sunday school, or sing in the choir. Those. they remain in the Church, but do not perform sacred rites because they no longer have the right to perform them. And they wait patiently until the hierarchy considers that the person has been punished enough and can return to service.

— So, if someone has any serious complaints against a priest, then they should write to the local bishop?

- In general, yes...

You know, I say that we need to write to the bishop, and at the same time I think: what am I saying this... Because so much has already been written about all of us, and the bishop has to read so much... Because there are actually justified discontent and complaints , but much more often it happens otherwise. There are dissatisfied people everywhere. A good priest will always have those who are dissatisfied with him - at least because he imposed penance (offended), or does not agree with some point of view. There are a lot of people in the church who have read a lot of books and, it seems to them, know better than the priest how to ring correctly, how to properly end the Liturgy. Sometimes, indeed, “there is no smoke without fire,” and the priest somewhere made a mistake and weakness, but this can be “inflated” in a manner inconsistent with the offense. Therefore, there are a lot of complaints against priests, and most of them are the work of unscrupulous people.

— Are more such complaints written by church people or non-church people?

- Church. For those outside the church - what we are, what we are not.

— How does the bishop cope with so much empty information?

“That’s what deans exist for.” Each priest is in a specific deanery. The deans are precisely responsible for the deanery service, the behavior of the clergy who are in the deanery. He must figure it out, find out how true this is. Then the dean answers the bishop whether this fact really took place, or whether the fact has not been confirmed, that this is slander. Here it is very difficult for the poor dean, because such a responsibility is enormous, but they must find out and bring to the attention of the bishop how justified this or that complaint is.

— And Varvara’s last question, on the topic of social protection. Is there a system of social protection within the Church or “everything is the will and mercy of God”? After all, if a priest retires, or a family is left without a father, does the state support system provide assistance?

— Now, after perestroika, we have exactly the same social security system as all workers. The priest pays taxes to the pension fund on a general basis and receives a pension on a general basis.

But I would add to this that our state pensions are still small. In our deanery (but I think this is not only ours, but in many other deaneries) there is also such a form of social security that each parish contributes a certain amount of money once a quarter. And we distribute this amount of money, first of all, to the widows of priests. After all, priests, most often, have many children. And if the priest died, then the wife often remains with many children. Therefore, the widows of all the priests of our deanery receive some kind of allowance, a “sharing contribution” as if from all the priests.

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Like a special life path

The priesthood is not just a profession. This is one of the most important decisions in life. This path is not suitable for many. After all, the future priest must have certain qualities and special knowledge. The question of how to become a priest is by no means an idle one. There must be an inclination to accept rank, spiritual properties, responsibility and a certain personal maturity. Because, as Hieromonk Dionysius Ignat (1909-2004) said,

“Priests and even more bishops should be like the sun - that’s how they should shine for simple believers. The priest is the apostle of the nation, he must defend the faith and the people.”

Orthodox priest

Believers often have questions regarding the ministry of the church. For example, at what age can one become a priest? What does it take to become a priest?

In order to find answers to these questions, you need to know what the priesthood is in Orthodoxy.

Head and members of the Church

The Church, according to the authoritative definition of the “Long Catechism” of Metropolitan Philaret, is “a God-established society of people united by the Orthodox faith, the law of God, the hierarchy and the Sacraments” 203.

The Founder of the Church, Jesus Christ, gave all the apostles equal authority in it, retaining the supreme leadership for Himself, calling Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:14). Just as among the apostles, according to the commandment of Christ, there was no primacy of power, so all bishops, no matter what see each of them occupied, are equal in dignity and sacramental power, although they differ in the scope of administrative powers. Therefore, there is no place in the Church for a universal head, replacing the Savior Himself.

The Church, being the Body of Christ, having the Savior Himself as its Head, consists of members - brothers, equal among themselves in the face of the truth of God, who have the same hope in the Kingdom of Heaven. The people of God, according to the word of the Apostle Peter, are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (Pet. 2:9).

Members of the Church are bound together not by a common nationality, language, class, but by another, higher community - the unity of faith and the unity of spiritual life.

Who can become

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.

The life of modern priests and the first Christian priests

Of course, there is only one similarity: the life of modern and ancient priests is inextricably linked with the parish. There they perform services, sacraments, and services. There they meet with parishioners, talk, and take on the burden of their sins.

There is still a significant difference. The ancient priests were persecuted by the enemies of the Church. Even bishops had to hide from persecutors and murderers. The Ancient Patericon describes many similar cases.

Now there are no persecutors of Christians, but modern priests are haunted by other sorrows and temptations. This is: “the charms of this world and money,” as Saint Seraphim of Vyritsky predicted. He said that in recent times many more souls will perish than during the times of open fight against God, and “persecution will have the most unpredictable character.”

Chance in adulthood

The history of the Church contains cases when men living in the world as ordinary Christians discovered in themselves the gift of serving people. At first they help, then they begin to serve in the church, and then they decide to become a priest.

Theological institutions offer correspondence education, the age limit for which is increased to 55 years.

On a note! Applicants who are already in church service, have recommendations from a priest and dean, and have documents certified by the bishop, are accepted for distance learning.

Each issue of ordination to the priesthood is considered individually.

Important qualities

The profession of a priest is not ordinary; it should be called a ministry; it requires a special calling. Like a doctor, a priest must be connected with people not only by professional knowledge, but also by personal qualities: goodwill, openness to needs and problems. Of course, first of all, it is necessary that the priest himself has faith: trying to perform priestly functions mechanically, “not for the sake of Jesus, but for the sake of the bread” is not only dishonest, but also pointless and untenable even from a purely professional point of view. Therefore, marriage in the work of both a doctor and a priest is especially unacceptable: profanity in these ministries is more dangerous than in other professions.

Criteria

Studying in a seminary is the initial task for attaining ordination. But the applicant must meet the following requirements:

• male gender, age from 18 to 35 years;
• marital status: single or first married;
• having completed secondary education;
• recommendation from a church minister.

In addition to the standard conditions for the set, there are requirements for the initial knowledge of the seminarian. This must be the ability to express one’s thoughts well, the ability to convey biblical stories exactly with the intended meaning.

Upon admission, the commission will also check the ability to read the Psalter and vocal abilities for performing in the choir.

The total duration of training is 5 years. In this case, students receive a scholarship. Nonresident seminarians are provided not only with a place to stay, but also with food. Living in a hostel requires compliance with many rules. For example, at night, each seminarian must be in his own room. In addition, visits to students by outsiders are prohibited. The only exception is communication with relatives who have come to meet the future clergyman.

Exams for admission to the seminary begin in mid-August. Full training for applicants is carried out from September 1, as in any regular university.

After completing their training, seminarians go to their parish to which they will be assigned. Depending on the length and serviceability of the service, it is possible to receive a new rank. According to the current rank, a clergyman can either simply be present at the sacraments or conduct them.

The most important issue is marital status at the time of graduation from seminary. The future clergyman must become a monk, get married, or postpone taking orders.

Preliminary preparation

For those who are thinking about how to become an Orthodox priest, there is a little advice: start preparing to enter the seminary several years before the target date. This must be done for the following reasons.

As stated earlier, all applicants are required to have a letter of recommendation. No self-respecting priest would give such a document to the first person he met. You should be prepared to have to prove the strength of your faith. To do this, it is necessary to work for the benefit of the church, unquestioningly following all the instructions of the parish pastor.

Besides, how to become a priest without having the necessary knowledge? Naturally, you will learn a lot in seminary. But a person himself must reach out to the light of knowledge. First you need to read the Old and New Testaments, as well as become familiar with the history of the Orthodox world. After all, this is the minimum without which not a single Orthodox person can exist.

Be a model

— Secular society also places high demands on priests in the field of morality. Why does their behavior sometimes disappoint people?

“It’s unfortunate to hear about such unworthy behavior.” We live in an information society. And therefore, the priest’s misconduct can almost instantly become public. But the saddest thing is that in such cases the stain of shame falls not only on the most careless shepherd, but also on the entire Church. This is the pattern of social consciousness. The shortcomings of a priest are automatically transferred to the entire Church.

Every priest must remember the responsibility entrusted to him. After all, he is given a cross, on the reverse side of which important words are written: be an example for the faithful in word, in life, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity (1 Tim. 4:12). These words precisely express the main moral requirement presented to the priest. He must, first of all, be a model for his parishioners. The moral requirements that are prescribed for all Christians in the New Testament must be observed by the priest with special care, so that a model can always be seen in him. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ calls his disciples the light of the world: so let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Every Christian should shine to the world with his virtuous life. But for the pastor of the Church this requirement is doubly relevant.

At the same time, we must understand: the deacon, the priest, and the bishop are also people who struggle with sin. In this struggle it is not always possible to win. And if we encounter unworthy behavior of a priest, first of all, we should not condemn him. It is better to pray to God for this person, so that the Lord will give him the strength to correct himself and carry out his ministry with dignity.

— Are there any types of activities that are not recommended or prohibited for priests?

— The canons prohibit those types of activities that are incompatible with high service. A priest cannot indulge in drunkenness or engage in gambling. He must not have an alcoholic feast or visit places where they drink alcohol. In the decrees of ancient church councils there are also prohibitions for priests to participate in festivities associated with pagan rituals, dressing men in women's clothes, and using masks. In Byzantium, a priest was forbidden to attend the hippodrome or attend other similar public entertainments. It is also forbidden to visit public baths, since men and women have washed together in them since pagan times. There may also be restrictions on participation in a wedding: if obscene games take place there, you should leave. Also, the priest is strictly forbidden to raise his hand against a person, even against someone who has done wrong. Any activities related to the shedding of blood (not only of humans, but also of animals) are not permitted. This applies not only to hunting, but also to medical practice, especially surgery. Indeed, in the event of a death (during an operation), the surgeon may be accused of involuntary murder, and this entails defrocking. Other occupations (professions) are also incompatible with priestly service: performance of public and government positions, military service, usury and trade (especially wine). As for appearance, you cannot wear dandy and magnificent clothes: they must be modest and decent. The main purpose of such requirements is to protect the priest from anything that could serve as a temptation to others.

Exams

Theological seminary is in many ways similar to other educational institutions. Exams here are held at the end of summer, about a month before the start of the school year. They are accepted by a special commission, which consists of seminary teachers. There are written and oral exams.

The first thing applicants are asked are questions about stories from the Bible. This helps to understand how well a person navigates the Holy Scriptures. If the answers satisfy them, then another series of questions follows, touching on the main prayers and psalms.

Everyone who passes the oral part is allowed to take the second exam. Here you will need to write an essay on the topic proposed by the commission. Most often people are asked to express their attitude to certain biblical events. However, you should also be prepared for the fact that you may be asked to describe the history of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Does consecration give the right to veneration and honor?

The absence of such clear ideas and requirements not only leads to unintentional inaction and negligence, but also to an unjustified overestimation of the role of the ministry. The transformation of the priesthood into a church privilege leads to an unjustified imbalance in intra-church relationships. Now, along with consecration, clergy are automatically given the obligatory honor, admiration and ceremony on the part of the laity. Even in the time of Archpriest Avvakum, the attitude towards the clergy was less reverent, more equal.

The subsequent “shortage” of ministers significantly transformed the relationship between clergy and laity. The opinion of the clergyman has become predominant only because it is the opinion of the clergyman. These distortions can lead to situations where the priest can commit obvious violations (for example, baptize not three times), but the community will agree with this because “the abbot wills it so.”

Another problem in organizing hierarchical ministry in the Church is the lack of educational qualifications for clergy. It should be noted that this question has been relevant at all times of the existence of the Church. For two millennia, no definite answer was given: do clergy need education, and if so, what kind? Many holy fathers answered this question differently. And despite anyone’s recommendations, this aspect of priestly service was left purely to the personal discretion of the ministers. Almost no one has ever demanded that clergy receive a systematic education. This was considered a very collateral factor.

Although we should remember an interesting historical fact. In both the 19th and 20th centuries, the persecutors of the Church, among their effective measures to combat religion, prevented the ministry of educated hierarchs, but promoted the ordination of uneducated candidates to the priestly ministry. This state of affairs, justified during persecution, can in no way be tolerated during times of public peace. To assume that a person without education can become an adequate preacher is already a manifestation of negligence and neglect.

The prevailing attitude towards the clergy, the deliberately low level of requirements for candidates, has even led to the fact that clergy are taken outside the framework of the modern legal status of Old Believer communities. According to the modern civil charter, the rector of the community is no longer even a completely obligatory staff unit. Legally, a community can easily exist without a rector, the main thing is that there is a chairman.

Top Universities

The structure of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) operates 55 seminaries located in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Latvia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Seminarians also study in the USA and France.

The largest religious educational institutions include:

• St. Petersburg Theological Seminary. It was founded back in 1721 on the orders of Peter I. It was closed in 1918, and its work was resumed only in 1946. Graduates of this institution were many famous people, such as the writer Nikolai Pomyalovsky, statesman Mikhail Speransky, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Nikolai Nikolsky.
• Vladimir St. Theophan's Theological Seminary. Trains ministers of religious organizations. It was created in 1750 by decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and is one of the oldest educational institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church. After an 80-year period of inactivity, it was re-established in 1998. It has two departments: theology and biblical studies, as well as church-historical and church-practical disciplines.
• Smolensk Orthodox Theological Seminary. In operation since 1728 (with a break of 70 years in 1918–1988). Clergymen and theologians emerge from its walls. Seminarians have the opportunity to take the course full-time or part-time. All the necessary infrastructure is available: an educational building, a library, a temple, a catering facility and a gym.
• Moscow Theological Academy. Conducts undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate studies. Its structure includes a regency and icon painting department. This educational institution produces not only priests, but also teachers from church universities, as well as scientists - theologians and theologians. Bachelors can continue their studies in master's programs in 7 profiles.

You can also receive spiritual education at Orthodox universities:

• Orthodox St. Tikhon's University for the Humanities (Moscow) teaches theology and religious studies at the theological faculty. In addition, among additional educational profiles there is teaching of the Church Slavonic language, church painting, social work, etc. International activities have been developed within the framework of a number of programs, such as Erasmus+, internships take place in Milan (Italy), Nottingham (UK), La Roche-sur -Yon (France).
• Moscow Orthodox University of St. John the Theologian provides education in three faculties: religious studies, social sciences and humanities, and psychology. Doctrinal and theological subjects at the university are taught by graduates of the Moscow Theological Academy. Research activities at the university are at a high level: there is a scientific school of Christian psychology, scientific journals “Historical Education”, “Orthodox Education”, “Eurasia: Spiritual Traditions of Nations” are published, and international cooperation has been established.

Tasks and features of the ministry of a priest.

A priest cannot descend to the same level as people who see the purpose of life in the accumulation of material wealth, with people overwhelmed by malice and acquisitiveness.

The priest must be above the philistine environment, above the philistinism, and impeccably pure in material matters. You cannot enter into litigation with your parishioners, quarrel, or ask for money or things (for example, beg for icons, books, strive to receive an inheritance under a will).

It is better to give in, it is better not to receive anything, than to be known as a money-grubber and thereby cast a shadow on the entire Church. After all, the entire clergy is judged by the actions of one priest. (“They are all like that!”) and about the whole Church.

You should carefully think through your priestly service, comprehend it, have before your eyes the ideal of an Orthodox pastor and strive to achieve it all your life. The sooner this conscious adherence to the ideal shines in the soul, the brighter the path of the priest will be. Living without an ideal is like sailing on the sea without a rudder.

The life and works of the Apostle Paul (especially his pastoral letters to Bishop Timothy of Ephesus and Bishop Titus of Crete), the words of St. John Chrysostom “On the Priesthood”, Saints Tikhon and Mitrofan of Voronezh, Bishop Theophan the Recluse, Archpriest John Sergeev, Saint Ignatius Bryachaninov - give clear guidelines on the path to following the pastoral ideal in the modern life of the clergy. Taking into account the advice of these perfect (“spiritual”) shepherds, the priest will correctly build his personal life (continuous spiritual and moral improvement), family life (church life and the spiritual life of his wife, raising children in a religious atmosphere), and will find ways to build a “big family” - his arrival - in the spirit of love and harmony. A golden mean will be found between external (ritual) piety and secularism and mortification, which is detrimental to the priest.

It is not the priest who should follow the fashion and tastes of his parishioners, but the latter should see (or feel) a good example to follow in the life of their pastor. It is not the TV and radio, not the sets of polished furniture that adorn the priest’s home, but good (written) icons with lit lamps and edifying books on the shelves. It is not colored silk and Greek robes, not expensive vestments that elevate the prestige of the priest, but “the hidden man of the heart in imperishable beauty” (1 Pet. 3:4) of a truly Christian spirit.

Demanding oneself, sacrificial love for others and awareness of one’s responsibility before God for the souls of people will help the shepherd avoid dangerous extremes in life.

What is truly valuable for the shepherd (and in the shepherd) of Christ's Church? What immediate tasks should a priest set for himself in his quest to get closer to the ideal of a true Shepherd?

A lot of things await the priest at the parish; a long chain of living souls will expect answers from him to a wide variety of questions. A priest must be comprehensively developed and educated, he must have many special qualities: an organizer and builder, the ability of a singer and reader, a talent for communicating with people. But over all these abilities and qualities in a priest, the PRAYER and SPIRITUALITY of the shepherd must dominate. Parishes are waiting not for a builder or a foreman, not for a singer-artist, but for a man of prayer, who with his spirituality can penetrate all spheres of modern life and spiritualize everything, bring it closer to holiness.

Features of priestly ministry.

Priestly ministry differs from all other professions in that it is not limited to the performance of certain duties in a certain place and for a certain time only. You cannot be a priest only in the church, and outside it become an ordinary layman. In its scope, the priestly ministry surpasses all other positions, and only the medical profession comes somewhat closer to the pastoral ministry. A doctor remains a doctor at any time and in any situation (on his free days, in a train carriage and on an airplane), he must always provide urgent medical care.

A priest remains a priest ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE. At any time of the day he can be called to a patient, summoned for an urgent need, and there can be no refusal. A priest must always be both spiritually and physically ready to serve his neighbors.

There is another very important aspect of priestly ministry. The priest is a constant WITNESS of Christ and a living embodiment of the Christian faith in the modern world. The apostles were witnesses of the Word of Life, the Incarnate Son of God, whom they “heard, saw, looked at and touched with their hands” (1 John 1:1), priests can and should testify to what the modern world knows almost nothing about (or knows incorrectly) about God and His Truth. Having experience in spiritual life, possessing theological and scientific knowledge, the priest, both in word and deed, will testify and confirm the need for religion for a person.

IN PERSONAL LIFE - a priest is an example (measurement) of a true Christian,

IN FAMILY LIFE - an ideal husband and father, who intelligently organizes the great ideas of the Christian community in a small family group. Parishioners enter the priest's house and look with wide open eyes at his life, as the priest himself practically implements what he teaches in the temple. Low-church people should be introduced into the private family life of a priest very carefully and gradually: they can misunderstand many things, and others can serve as a temptation.

IN PARISH LIFE - appointed by God as the celebrant of divine services and the Holy Sacraments, the spiritual leader of souls to salvation.

A priest, both outside the church and outside the family, in the company of other people, must always remember that many eyes are looking at him and evaluating his actions according to the highest standards of exactingness in relation to honesty, ideology, justice, kindness, and benevolence. Whether in a carriage, on a tram, in a store or at a trolleybus stop - everywhere and always, the priest is a living representative (witness) of the living Christian Church, a person in the eyes of people of “highest quality” not of ordinary earthly (sinful) standards.

The world embraces the priest from all sides and imperiously demands answers to many questions. So-called “chance meetings” on trains and ships are for many the only opportunity to come into contact with a living representative of the religion.

The well-being of many people depends on the arrangement of a priest’s own spiritual life. If there is prayer, peace, joy, inner balance in the priest’s heart, there will be the same positive qualities in his family and in his parish work, and the influence will be felt when he meets the “wide world.” On the contrary, the internal imbalance, nervousness, anger, greed and other vices or negative traits of the priest will certainly be transmitted to other human souls, like an electric current through a wire.

The Greek word WITNESS (Greek) means to testify, prove, confirm) not only the Disciples of Christ, but also the martyrs. Thus, in the language of the New Testament, a witness for Christ and a martyr are equivalent concepts. All of Christ’s closest disciples (excluding the Apostle John the Theologian) were awarded martyrdom for their testimony about the God-Man.

By the grace of God, today the testimony of Christ does not threaten human life. But this fact does not in the least imply the necessity of confessing “what you believe” by every Christian, and especially by a priest, before the outside world. The boundaries and opportunities for a priest to be a witness of faith are very extensive.

Jesus Christ Himself, defining the significance and moral strength of His disciples for the world around them, called the Apostles “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5: 13-14). Salt has the ability not only to add flavor to food, but also to preserve food from spoilage and decomposition. Christian teaching, preached and carried out by faithful witnesses (priests), gives life a special sweet “taste”, “aroma” and preserves the world from moral decay and the final corruption of morals. What a great importance and great responsibility every priest has to be the “salt of the earth”! You cannot trample on yourself, drown out, or weaken the Divine Grace received at ordination.

A priest in a parish, his whole life is a candle placed on a high candlestick and viewed from all sides. This candle can burn brightly, giving light without which people cannot live. Or a candle can smoke, spread a stench and poison the environment. The shortcomings of the life of a shepherd, becoming public, often exaggerated many times over, will be a “spud” (in Russian - a vessel) closing the light of true shepherding for the people. Just as salt should salt and a candle should shine, so a shepherd should shine with the purity and piety of his life.

A priest should often think about whether he is living correctly, whether he has taken a non-priestly path of life, or whether he has been seduced by a non-Christian, pagan way of life? “The sinful path will not only deprive the priest of the purity necessary for the shepherd of the Church, but will also block the opportunity to convey to others the principles of true life,” His Holiness Patriarch Pimen teaches graduates of Moscow theological schools (“ZhMP”, 1972, No. 7, p. 10).

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Without seminary

In truth, it is possible to obtain a position as a clergyman without an appropriate diploma. To do this, the shepherd needs to perform a special initiation ceremony. But this requires permission from the bishop, who is unlikely to give the go-ahead without a good reason. In addition, the lack of a theological seminary behind one’s background greatly limits one’s advancement in rank.

For general development, let's say that such dedications were relevant during the war. When every priest was worth his weight in gold, and the clergy simply did not have the time or opportunity to train them.

Benefits and bonuses

Almost everyone knows that the church is exempt from paying taxes. But this rule applies if the money earned goes to the needs of the temple and charity. For example, according to the law, the church has the right to conduct business and not pay VAT and profit tax. But this works in the case of the sale of church supplies, the list of which is established by law. If, for example, they want to sell plush toys, they will have to pay taxes in full.

Each priest is entitled to an annual leave of 20 to 30 days. But at the same time he is not relieved of his assigned duties. Even on vacation they have to fast, pray and confess. But how can a priest bathe, really in a cassock? This is a common stereotype - he should not always wear a cassock. They swim in swimming trunks, like all people.

Lately, it seems that priests have received a special privilege - to say whatever they want, and not bear any responsibility for their words. But I wouldn’t recommend checking it on yourself.

Rights and responsibilities of a priest

The problem of assessing the height and fervor of priestly service has become significant recently. We have a long list of canonical rules that protect the rights and dignity of clergy, especially bishops. But there are not very many rules defining their responsibilities. Moreover, almost all of these rules regulate special, emergency situations. And the existing rules are subject to unspoken gradation - important and unimportant. For example, in the life of the Church there have been tragedies when a clergyman, on the basis of rules, was deprived of his rank for indecent behavior. Have there been many cases when a priest or bishop, on the basis of the rules, was removed from ministry for not preaching? Although both are required by canonical rules. As a result, the derogation of entrusted communities and the reduction of Christians in churches became completely acceptable and did not in any way affect the assessment of the activities of clergy.

How can one formulate the duties of a modern clergyman? What exactly should each bishop, priest, or deacon do in his or her ministry? What is the daily, regular, routine service of a clergyman? The same applies to control over the activities of clergy. By what criteria can ministry be assessed? What can be considered satisfactory, and when should the alarm be raised? These are all questions that require an answer.

Here is an example that can be taken from the secular life of the state. Catherine II at one time introduced a very simple principle for assessing the activities of provincial leaders. If the population of the province is growing, then the activities of local authorities are quite satisfactory. If the number of people decreases, then it’s time to make a personnel decision. This is one of the aspects that could, with appropriate reservations, be used to evaluate priestly ministry.

The 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.

“After being ordained, it is prohibited to marry”

— Many people think that a seminary graduate automatically becomes a priest. How is the Sacrament of Priesthood performed?

— Ordination to all three degrees of the priesthood is performed only during the Divine Liturgy. The bishop ordains the priest and deacon. And the ordination of a bishop can be performed by at least two bishops. One bishop alone cannot ordain another - this is prohibited by canonical rules.

— What is the reason for this ban?

— First of all, with the conciliar nature of the Church. The priest and deacon receive their powers from the bishop. By ordaining a deacon or priest, the bishop delegates to him part of his authority in the sphere of worship and the administration of the sacraments. The deacon and priest are subject to the authority of the bishop in whose diocese they serve. But the canons establish completely different relationships between bishops. Bishops are equal to each other. The highest authority in the Church is the Council of Bishops, which is the successor to the Apostolic Council. Therefore, the election and ordination of a new bishop must be carried out only by the Council of Bishops. In the practice of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the election of a new bishop is carried out by the Holy Synod. The ordination of new bishops takes place in a solemn atmosphere, at the Liturgy.

— How does the Sacrament itself take place? What is the main thing about it?

— The main moment of the Sacrament is the laying on of hands, during which a special prayer is read. When the ordination of a deacon and presbyter occurs, the bishop in whose diocese he will serve lays hands on him. When a bishop is ordained, the open book of the Gospel is placed on his head, and all the bishops who are present at the service lay their hands on him.

—Who can be ordained to the priesthood? What are the requirements for a future priest?

— In the Orthodox Church, only male persons who profess the Orthodox faith and have experience of church life can be admitted to the priesthood. Degrees of the priesthood can only be taken sequentially. You cannot be ordained immediately as an elder without passing through the degree of deacon. And, accordingly, you cannot become a bishop if you have not previously been a presbyter. Both married and celibate candidates can be ordained as deacons or priests. However, they must marry before being ordained.

After being ordained, marriage is prohibited. But candidates can only be ordained as bishops from among the monastics. There is also an age limit. Priests are usually ordained no earlier than 25 years of age, and bishops no earlier than 30 years of age.

It is very important that a candidate for the priesthood be rooted in the tradition of church life. The canonical rules do not permit the ordination of converts. After all, a priest must help his parishioners enter the fullness of church life. It is unlikely that such a task can be accomplished by someone who has not yet fully assimilated church tradition. You also need to have the necessary knowledge and high moral qualities.

What does a priest get paid for? What does he really do?

Old people said that the village priest used to go from house to house and see how people lived... he helped some with advice, some with food, and scolded some for their wrong lifestyle... And in the evening, on his knees, he prayed in front of the images and begged for forgiveness and assistance to villagers

The priest is the mediator of God. God doesn't like money. The priest is not working. The priest is serving. Serves God. The priest, like his parishioners, are Servants of God. It's not appropriate to talk about money. The believer will not say a word of condemnation, but others will find a reason to accuse the Church. It doesn’t matter to them what it really is, they have guidelines that have been instilled in them since childhood - they obediently carry them out.

Save you, Lord, and help you to listen to us sinners. During confession, I always wonder where the priest gets his strength, especially on holidays - there are many people confessing. Help you, Lord, in your ministry. What are we without the church? Sheep would be nice, but we are just sheep. ...

I suggest you read the article...

People who are far from the Church, and sometimes even those who position themselves as Orthodox, are perplexed: why

does the priest get paid? What kind of work is it to swing a censer several times a week? What does a priest actually do and what does he get tired of? We invite you to look at the problem from the inside.

Since for a number of years I have been lecturing on the “Practical Guide for Pastors” at the Saratov Theological Seminary, due to the nature of this obedience I have to tell its students over and over again - in detail and thoroughly - about what the “work” of a priest is, its features and nuances, sorrows and joys, labors and rest from them. And somehow I caught myself thinking: it would be great, even in the most condensed form, to tell this to outside people who do not know our pastoral life!

Those same people for whom a priest, by default, is a slacker and a parasite, extorting the last penny from the miserable pensions of gullible old women and skillfully “processing” potential sponsors for targeted or non-targeted donations.

Then I thought: is it worth it? After all, if a person is even slightly interested in the life of the Church - even if not as a friend, but as an ill-wisher, he cannot be completely unaware of what pastoral service consists of. Or maybe? Maybe, perhaps. But I would prefer not to speak so much about this service as such in a few words, but about something else that is, in principle, close to this. About what makes a priest tired.

First of all, I note that in our days the characteristic features of a good shepherd are almost always a person who bears the stamp of many different and varied concerns, coupled with the subsequent chronic fatigue syndrome of such diversity and diversity.

I admit that there are priests with remarkably strong physical health and an infinitely stable nervous system, but I personally rarely meet them. And I’m not one myself, so the topic is really close. What makes a priest so tired, what leads to this syndrome?

No matter what obedience is placed on the shepherd, people still remain his main concern and care—the flock entrusted to his care and those who may join it or may remain outside the church fence. And the first and most important work is working with these people. But, of course, even before that - the service of the Divine Liturgy and the performance of divine services in general.

It would seem that what is difficult and tedious about this? On the contrary, worship should be for the priest a source of strength and energy necessary for all his activities as a whole. The way it is. With only one small but very significant “but”.

When I was still a novice, I listened to the story of a good, experienced abbot from the Lavra brethren, who had recently returned from a village in one of the northern regions of our fatherland, where he had stayed while on vacation, and where he happened to serve on the patronal feast, replacing in a local church of a sick rector.

“You know,” he said, “I read prayers, utter exclamations, but it feels like I’m pushing through a dense forest.” I turn around to bless the people, and people look at me with sincere misunderstanding of what is happening. And all their interest is concentrated on the tank with water blessed before the liturgy. They would have attacked him before, but I just lay down on top of him and said that I wouldn’t allow anyone to draw water until the end of the Liturgy, otherwise no one would have really stayed for the service. I served, took communion, I was unmasked, the state was as if they were beating me all over my body with sticks... The Lavra has spoiled us with prayer parishioners!

Maybe someone will really think: “What a spoiled priest! How pampered... They beat him with sticks, they say, he will say the same.” Meanwhile, this little story reflects, like a drop of water, the main thing that a priest can get tired of. It is very difficult to pray for everyone in the church, to be a locomotive for a train whose wheels are not blocked at all. Of course, different priests have different feelings - “they beat me with sticks”, “they unloaded a carload of bricks”, but this simply depends on the peculiarities of perception. But the point is that he dragged everyone on himself.

Of course, in a parish that is already established, comfortable, friendly, consisting of truly church people, everything is completely different. But most often you have to start - especially in such rural churches, not just from scratch, but from a negative point. I remember well our comrade, who during Holy Week was sent to a newly opened rural parish. I put the neglected church in order, cleaned it alone, baked prosphora, prepared for the service, and here it is - the first Easter.

- Christ is Risen! - he joyfully announces to the people who come to the temple.

And they look at him, and the question is clearly visible in their eyes:

- Well? So, what is next?

All I could do was answer myself:

- Truly risen!

After such a holiday, not only will you feel unwell, you will have to rest. Is it true.

Who does not remember the image of the good shepherd who goes after one single lost sheep and carries it back on his shoulders? It's not that easy. What if she is not alone? And if again, you need to carry it?

How does this happen practically and why on yourself?

Well, for example, baptism. We had a series of public conversations with godparents and parents, and they... withstood them. But not only they came to baptism, but also relatives and friends, all unchurched people. An hour in the temple was a feat for them, and, apparently, beyond their strength. They shift from foot to foot, look around, suffer. The priest first addressed them with a word in which he briefly said that baptism is not just a private event, but a holiday for the entire Church, and now they represent it, and called for prayer. But... the word did not find grateful listeners.

And you can, without a doubt, simply “read out” and “sing out the funeral service”, but will your conscience be calm? And the priest prays - again for everyone present, not only for the tiny baby in a white lace shirt, but also for all the other babies - overgrown and completely senseless. And the same feeling of terrible fatigue and exhaustion later.

Each of us knows this amazing difference - between “this” baptism and another - when the person being baptized and his few loved ones catch every word of the prayer, respond to it with their hearts, participate and empathize. This doesn't happen as often as we would like. And the point is not that the shepherd is careless and does not want to “publish” properly. It’s just that most people are so spiritually weak, pure sheep...

What about confession? This is perhaps the most difficult thing. And the point is not that over and over again the priest has to hear not only “everyday sins,” but also really serious sins - such is the world in which we live. And thank God that people decide to come to church with them in order to be relieved of this terrible burden! Fatigue from this is natural and legitimate. But it is also “healthy”, because not only the angels in heaven rejoice at the sinner’s repentance, but also the shepherd rejoices at it, especially when he sees that it is real - sincere and deep.

But if it is “insofar as”, without contrition, without the desire to change, to become better, reduced to a statement or even some strange bewilderment of the “repentant”: “Well, it seems like this is a sin, but maybe not... everything is so live”... Then again the feeling is as if you are pulling a cart on yourself. Just like when, after every word spoken, a person looks at you and waits: won’t you deal with his sins instead of him, won’t you solve this problem for him - how to make sure they don’t exist anymore? He doesn't have the strength to fight.

Not to mention the people who come to confession not with a “list of sins,” but with the request: “Do something for me...”. And no matter how much you fight, or explain what you will “do” - pray, advise, but mainly the person must do it himself, in the eyes of the one asking there is only longing, which, it seems, a little more, will also fill your heart...

...And the priest gets tired and sometimes even becomes despondent when he sees how his regular parishioners, with whom they have celebrated more than one Easter and more than one Christmas together, with whom not only a dozen Easter cakes, but also a pound of salt have been eaten, are marking time, stumbling , fall instead of moving forward quickly. Such despondency is unjust - but let’s be honest, it happens.

And after the service - requirements. In different houses, apartments, hospitals, on the streets even in cemeteries. And the priest travels from one end of the city to the other with a suitcase and an epitrachelion around his neck and a bag for the monstrance that comically protrudes his cloak on his chest. And one looks at him one way, another another, someone is sarcastic, someone says in a low voice from the innermost heart: “I could have killed him!” Well, this, of course, is the case if the priest does not have the illegal luxury of a personal car. However, why does he need it, a slacker and a parasite?

It's probably no secret that if a priest is a rector, then, willingly or unwillingly, he has to master all sorts of related professions - little by little become an administrator, a financier, a foreman. And sometimes not a little. Because the farm is often left in disrepair and in need of many cares, not to mention those cases when it is necessary to build from scratch.

It seems very cool to have such versatility. Cool and interesting. You just need to be a “practicing priest” yourself to find out from experience how much all these “growths” actually hinder the shepherd in his ministry. And not only because it takes up time and energy, but also because it’s difficult when you have everything mixed up in your head and soul: debts to builders who are about to turn around and leave, low-quality brick with which you were deceived, salaries to employees , again detained, and theirs is already low... And at the same time - confession, service, demands. Something ends up suffering. Something... But the priest certainly suffers, torn between one and the other.

A separate topic is sponsors and benefactors, about whom secular journalists love to write ironically. And in general - “making money.” If someone thinks that this is easy and joyful work, then such a person simply needs to be hired - let him work, earn money, and we will pay him a salary. Salaries are not enough - let him receive a percentage of each donation, only he will free us from this need. Only utopia is, unfortunately, unrealistic and unattainable.

Sponsors are different from sponsors. A church person, a parishioner who has his own business and regularly donates to the temple - this happens, but it is rare. But more often the priest goes - sometimes on recommendation, sometimes at random - to offices and offices, writes letters, sends them and goes again. Then they send him away, sometimes politely, sometimes not so politely. Sometimes they make interesting business proposals:

- Well, in general terms, your need is clear to me. How much do you say you need for a dome? Five hundred thousand? No, I can only do one hundred and fifty. And you know what, there are no altruists now. It must be of some benefit to me too.

— ?

“And let me be shown on TV with what’s his name... With your Lord, and he will say good things about me.” And don't forget your diploma.

Sometimes it’s even more interesting, so what to tell, stir your soul. Life!

And only after such a hike do you again feel, if not beaten, then at least like some kind of swindler who walks around looking for something to grab for his various needs. And often only the understanding that they are not your own, but the church’s, that the church is behind you and the people in it, helps you to walk again. It also happens otherwise, of course, you come across completely different people, but you already perceive it as a miracle, and you thank God and them for it...

A completely separate article is those who require your help. They never become scarce, unless you really are a priest. They bring you their sorrow, pain, misfortune, they come with spiritual and material needs. And you fight to help them. Spiritually, it’s actually simpler. Because the one who seeks the spiritual, as a rule, is ready to do at least something himself. And who has trouble and no understanding of its internal deep causes, and no desire to understand them, and even faith as such, but only one thing: “Do something if you can”?

Here you are, an impromptu social worker, a local police officer, and the sponsor himself—again, all rolled into one. Only the efficiency is not particularly high, because there is not enough of you for everything. And this also makes you terribly tired - from the fact that you are needed, but you are not enough. You straighten the passport of a homeless person in half (a disgusting word, but it’s hard to constantly repeat - for a homeless person, so you get used to this cruel abbreviation), you treat him for... various diseases, such that you wouldn’t even name in a decent society, and the next day someone... then he hits him on the head with a bottle, and you can’t even sing his funeral service, he’s already been buried without you...

...Somehow it seems to me that I got carried away. I just wanted to dryly and briefly state what a modern pastor can get tired of, but it all turned into some kind of complaint or something... Probably, the topic is just a sore point. Or fatigue has accumulated. Or - I wanted to share, because I was tired. And we share it with each other - an army of tired slackers and parasites. And therefore we understand very well among ourselves: we know what hurts and why.

Of course, it’s a sin for us to actually grumble about something; in fact, we are very happy people. And the Lord consoles us for little work in such a way that no other consolations are needed, and there are wonderful people around us, and the meaning and purpose of life are extremely clear, and life itself so often reveals itself as a real miracle.

Therefore, a complaint is not a complaint, but an ordinary story. To a greater extent, I repeat, it is designed for external purposes. Maybe someone will read it and see something worthy in our lives - no, not respect, but at least acceptance. Maybe we won’t seem so worthless, bringing no benefit to anyone and doing absolutely nothing as sloths? God willing, if so.

Hegumen Nektary (Morozov)

For Catholics

Those who are interested in how to become a Catholic priest 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.

Responsibility of the hierarchy to the church people

The question of the responsibility of clergy seems to be one of the most important in hierarchical ministry. How and to whom should bishops, priests and deacons be accountable? Unfortunately, the ancient principles of internal church ties are being eroded. The clergy gradually cease to feel responsible for the specific community that elected them. The ministry of one priest in several communities at once leads to the depersonalization of individual communities into a vague “flock.” The ancient principle of a permanent place of service - “the priest has one wife and one church” - is becoming irrelevant; even in “peaceful” times, transfers of ministers from place to place are allowed. Hierarchical service in the Church is gradually turning into a privilege. All this leads to a weakening and even loss of ministers’ responsibility for a specific result, for a specific community. And the very result of the ministry is measured only by the years that have passed since the ordination.

This trend has led to a counter-reduction in the demand of the church people for the quality of clergy. It has become generally accepted and acceptable to reduce the role of clergy only to the performance of church sacraments. And since this does not require special intellectual and professional skills, the criterion for the selection of ministers was also greatly reduced.

In different periods, in different situations, these problems manifest themselves in different ways. But in general, the trend towards a decrease in the quality of clergy in the Church has been traced for a long time. And one of the important problems in this situation is the lack of a clear understanding of the responsibilities of clergy. Christ left his disciples commandments directly related to the organization of priestly service. When the Lord sent the apostles, whose successors are the church clergy, He gave them very detailed instructions. And these instructions were not of a general plan - “serve God”, but specific recommendations: where to go, what to take with you, what to say, what to do, how to act in a given situation. And these specific, clear recommendations used to be the criterion for evaluating the activities of clergy. But from the moment Jesus Christ gave these recommendations, there has been a constant desire in the Church to simplify and round out these requirements. Some holy fathers, who are especially concerned about hierarchical service in the Church, such as John Chrysostom, Gregory Dvoeslov, Gregory the Theologian, tried to sharpen this problem of church life, but the overwhelming tendency was aimed at simplifying the service of bishops, presbyters and deacons. And this tendency has at all times hindered the life and development of the Church.

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: fortitude, 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.

Sources

• https://molitva-info.ru/duhovnaya-zhizn/kak-stat-svyashhennikom.html
• https://svjatyni.ru/duhovnaya-zhizn/kak-stat-batyushkoy.html
• https://edunews.ru/professii/obzor/drugie/svyashchennik.html
• https://pravoslavium.ru/kak-stat-svyashhennikom-pravila-i-trebovaniya/
• https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Vladislav_Tsypin/kanonicheskoe-pravo/3_15
• https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5becef093835f900aafb6438/nemnogo-o-cerkovnoi-ierarhii-5c6a7f7ea4b16500aec9326c
• https://FB.ru/article/174558/kak-stat-svyaschennikom-kak-stat-svyaschennikom-bez-seminarii
• https://www.profguide.io/professions/Pravoslavnyy_svyashchennik.html
• https://proprof.ru/stati/careera/vybor-professii/kak-stat/kak-stat-svyashchennikom
• https://www.syl.ru/article/284698/new_kak-stat-svyaschennikom-kak-stat-svyaschennikom-bez-seminarii
• https://immanuilchurch-vladimir.ru/daty/kak-stat-katolicheskim-svyashchennikom.html
• https://SoulOfOwl.ru/pravednaya-zhizn/kak-stat-batyushkoj.html

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John's parish

04.06.2021

Today on the Pravoslavie.Ru website an article was published about Archpriest Alexy Belyaev, the father of our dear father, Archpriest Nikolai Belyaev, whom we saw off on his last journey almost five months ago. Perhaps the material will become a good revelation for many, revealing the details of God’s Providence about this wonderful family, which gave such amazing people to the Orthodox world and our Fatherland. The story was also written by a priest - Rev. Oleg Vrona.

I first saw Father Alexy in the Pukhtitsa Monastery in early April 1979. It was the fifth week of Great Lent. Suddenly, on one of these days, the news spread around the monastery that Archpriest Alexy Belyaev, an elderly priest from Pärnu, had died, her wife would be buried in the monastery cemetery, and the funeral service would take place in Pükhtitsy. On the eve of the day of burial, a parastas was performed in the monastery, and on the day of burial they served a Liturgy, in which, in addition to the widowed Father Alexy, the monastery priests took part, I, as the deacon who carried the line, and a friend of the Belyaev family, Father Vyacheslav Yakobs (later Metropolitan of Tallinn and All Estonia Cornelius - head of the Estonian Orthodox Church MP).

At the funeral service, Father Vyacheslav said a small but very warm word, from which it became clear to me that the late Mother Marina and Father Alexy were real ascetics and confessors who suffered persecution for their faith and saw a lot in their lifetime. After the funeral service, I had to consume the Holy Gifts, so I could not go to the cemetery, but the altar girl who came from the cemetery, who found me at the altar, excitedly shared with me that during the burial, Father Alexy dropped the monastery censer into the grave, and she was alarmed, because which is responsible for the censer. However, everything turned out okay, because some efficient pilgrim, jumping into the grave, took out a censer, “otherwise, at least climb yourself.” She ended her story by saying that the sisters really sympathize with this elderly priest and think that one of the children will take him in, because it is unlikely that he will be able to continue serving in the parish.

However, the assumptions made by the altar attendant were not destined to come true. Metropolitan Alexy, guided by his own considerations and probably by agreement with the children of the widowed priest, left him to serve in the monastery, appointing him a supernumerary confessor. Since Father Alexy served in the Estonian diocese for only two years, many in the monastery did not know him very well, but after getting to know him better, they received him with great love.

It must be said that Father Alexy attracted attention with his appearance alone. In my imagination, he evoked the image of an Old Testament prophet. Especially then he looked like a prophet when he prayed with raised hands at the Divine Liturgy or exclaimed at Matins: “Glory to Thee, who showed us the light!” He was short, thin, with sunken cheeks; an aquiline nose, a penetrating gaze, a slightly thrown back head, especially when walking, and a completely straight back. In his demeanor and in his conversation, his noble origin was unmistakably discerned. At that time I still knew nothing about the fact that his grandfather, father and uncle were generals of the tsarist army - all with interesting destinies, especially the White Army general Ivan Timofeevich Belyaev, the future educator of the Paraguayan Indians and fighter for their rights.

I also did not know that Father Alexy in his youth was a subdeacon with deeply revered hierarchs in church circles: Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) and Archbishop Theodore (Pozdeevsky). But the mere fact that Metropolitan Alexy and Abbess Varvara treated him with emphatic respect made me understand that this was not without reason. Very soon, with a closer acquaintance with Father Alexy, I discovered his wit, observation, aesthetic sensitivity, innate tact... and all this combined with an excellent knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church. His memory, according to the testimony of, for example, father Vyacheslav (Jacobs), was excellent. The latter quite often visited Father Alexy in Pyukhtitsy and sat with him for hours - so much did he enjoy listening to Father Alexy, who had something to tell, especially about post-revolutionary events in the Church.

Father Alexy's health was poor. It was clear that he suffered from shortness of breath, which is why his breathing was always difficult, and between his lips there was a small slit through which he continually sucked in air. His upper row of teeth was almost missing, but he learned to cover this defect with his upper lip so much that even when he laughed, he did not expose his gums, always invariably maintaining his inherent charm.

At the altar, he kept himself apart, did not start conversations with anyone and did not support other people’s conversations, and, if possible, he tried to sit down and catch his breath - with such difficulty he sometimes had even the transition from the altar to the throne. True, sometimes he could joke, but he would immediately fall silent and withdraw into himself. One day, at the Sixth Hour, Father Alexy was sitting in the altar, catching the air with his lips as usual, and, squinting his eyes, watched as I censed, quietly reading the Fiftieth Psalm. When I, having left the temple, returned to the altar, he called me and cheerfully said: “I will teach you how to perform incense correctly: when, while reading a psalm, you incense on the priests, say: “I will teach the wicked in Your way,” and when on the deacons, “And wickedness will turn to You."

Seeing that I really appreciated the joke, he smiled with only his eyes and immediately retreated into himself, as if nothing had just been said to him. Another time, on the Nativity of Christ, when the monastery choir sang one of the festive stichera, announcing that the Lord “came to save the primeval Adam,” Father Alexy noted with a smile that in one St. Andrew’s parish the choir sang: “... came to save St. Andrew the First-Called” - and, as usual, immediately stepped aside. After the festive Christmas service, when all the monastery clergy undressed themselves in the altar and, before leaving, once again congratulated each other on Christmas, Father Alexy read us this poem:

Today Christ was born, and Herod the King became enraged. I congratulate you and wish you the same.

Everyone laughed, and one of the priests asked:

- Father, did you make this up yourself?

“Well, no, I wouldn’t have thought of this myself,” Father Alexy laughed. – Deacon Achilles from “Soboryan” tried his best. “And he added with a teaching note: “You need to read Leskov.”

I felt ashamed, because in those years I hardly knew Leskov, and Father Alexy’s generation, of those, of course, who were close to the Church, grew up partly, as I became convinced later, on Leskov.

Father Alexy’s daily routine included, after the morning service and meal, going to the monastery cemetery, to the grave of his mother. And since my path from home to the monastery and back passed near the cemetery, every day I met with Father Alexy on a short section of the path from the monastery to the cemetery. Father Alexy knew many church sayings and proverbs, and if, for example, I was interested in his health, he usually answered like this: “It’s not about Petrov, but about Pokrov.”

Father Alexy's answers were sometimes unexpected for me. For example, often pilgrims, seeing a priest in the monastery fence, hurried to take his blessing: some just like that, without a specific purpose, and some for a specific reason, for example, to go to a spring. Usually the priests blessed the source without further ado and went about their business. And so one pilgrim comes up to Father Alexy and says to him with a breath: “Father, bless me at the source.” And Father Alexy answered her with a smile: “I don’t manage the source,” and walked past the puzzled pilgrim. Surely Father Alexy, with his appearance as an old man from ancient times, attracted pilgrims, and they often ran to him as soon as they saw him. One day Father Alexy entered the altar, breathing heavily. I realized that he was again fighting off the pilgrims, because, passing by Father Hermogenes, he said to him in a tired voice: “People are traveling around the monasteries in search of some outlandish priest.”

One day we meet Father Alexy right in front of the cathedral. I come up for blessing, and while blessing, he says to me:

- Pray for me.

“You won’t last long on my prayers, father.”

And he calmly answers me with a smile:

“You pray, and then,” and pointed to the sky, “they’ll sort it out!”

Once, in a conversation with Father Alexy, I asked him what spiritual reasoning meant. I thought that Father Alexy would start quoting the holy fathers, but instead he told me with a smile a story about how one day a woman came to his church, all in tears. She told Father Alexy that in her youth, before her wedding, she made a vow to God that she would be buried in that very wedding dress, and now she is crying that she will not be able to fulfill her vow. Not understanding what was the matter, Father Alexy asked her:

- Maybe the dress disappeared or a moth ate it?

“The dress is in place,” the woman waved her hand.

- So what happened then? – asked Father Alexy, puzzled.

- Well, why don’t you guess, father? – the woman cried again. “I was skinny then, but now look at me!” - With these words, the woman turned 360 degrees in front of Father Alexy, demonstrating obvious excess weight, and exclaimed with tears:

- Well, how can I fit into a wedding dress now?!

“So judge,” Father Alexy told me, and he went about his business, leaning on his cane.

“Why didn’t Father Alexy,” I thought, when I was left alone, “continue the conversation? Maybe he was late for something, or maybe he just made it clear to me that first I need to learn to show prudence in everyday matters, and then touch on spiritual reasoning? Most likely the second, I decided - and I didn’t ask Father Alexy this question again.

When I was ordained as a priest, Father Alexy took part in the liturgy, which I was very happy about. After the service, he congratulated me in his characteristic style, saying: “I grieve for Deacon Oleg and rejoice over Priest Oleg.” It was clear to me why he said that about my diaconate. Father Alexy was a musical man, well versed in church singing and encouraged the attempts of our monastery clergy to perform some unison or simple three- or four-voice chants at services. One day during Great Lent, he brought me handwritten notes of the prayer “Let him be corrected...” of the Znamenny chant.

I remember how happy Father Alexy was when our clergy and I sang a chant using these notes for the first time. Another time, Father Alexy, I realized, showed me great confidence when he gave me a vinyl record that he treasured so that I could listen to it in my home. This was a recording of the Kedrov Quartet from the émigré circles of the first wave in Paris, which found recognition among many lovers of church singing in the West, but in the Soviet Union few people had heard this quartet, much less possessed its recording. For the first time I heard many chants already known to me in such a wonderful performance by a male quartet. I listened to this recording many times before returning it to Father Alexy, who was pleased to hear my enthusiastic words addressed to the performers.

Soon after my ordination to the priesthood, I left the monastery to serve in Tallinn. Parish life, especially in the position of rector, which I had no idea about before, required constant stay in place, so it was not possible to escape to Pyukhtitsy so often. But every time I arrived at the monastery, I visited Father Alexy in the cell assigned to him on the first floor of the wooden hotel. Father Alexy was getting weaker, but he could still go to services, although he no longer served on his own. During these years, I sometimes sent one of the parishioners to him with some important question that I myself could not answer.

One such incident was particularly memorable. Our parishioner often complained that her drinking husband raised his hand to her and, in a fit of anger, promised to blow her up and himself. He worked as a demolition worker in a quarry and, as his wife assured, kept a supply of explosives at home. More than once she tried to divorce him and asked for my advice. It was hard for me to believe that everything could end in tragedy, and I thought that we still had to wait, especially since this couple had a small child. Finally, I advised this woman to go to Father Alexy at the monastery and ask for his prayers and advice.

Father Alexy paid great attention to her story and resolutely said: “Get away from him.” Returning home, the woman took the child and went to her friends. The husband was left to live in the apartment alone. After some time, the upstairs neighbors had an accident and they flooded this woman’s apartment. Her husband, coming home from work and seeing the consequences of the accident, took a knife and went to deal with the neighbor. A fight ensued. After inflicting several fatal blows to his neighbor, he returned to his apartment and... blew himself up. When I realized that my inexperience and indecisiveness could cost the life of my parishioner, and, possibly, her child, I thanked God for advising me to send this woman to Father Alexy for advice.

The last time I visited Father Alexy in his cell, when he was already quite weak, but he could still carry on a conversation, and his intelligence and sense of humor had not weakened at all. During our conversation, the large monastery cat was spinning around Father Alexy’s bed, now jumping onto the bed, now jumping off it. Sometimes he tried to run over the legs of the patient, causing the latter, as could be seen, suffering. Finally, the cat laid his large head on Father Alexy’s chest and, closing his eyes, purred, thereby showing that he had achieved what he was hanging around the sick man’s bed for. For some time, Father Alexy did not touch the cat, but it looked like the cat was beginning to restrict the patient’s breathing. Then Father Alexy, placing his palms on the cat’s head, announced to him: “The enthronement has taken place,” and with a slight push he helped the cat jump to the floor.

Father Alexy was buried in the monastery cemetery, where he trodden a path throughout the last years of his life. Returning to Tallinn after the funeral of Father Alexy, I remembered one of his stories. This was after my ordination to the priesthood. We met Father Alexy on the same path leading from the monastery to the cemetery. I asked him to tell me something edifying for the future of my ministry, and after a short silence, he spoke about a priest whom he knew closely and who had experienced a very difficult ordeal.

This priest served in a large city parish. Once they brought a baby to baptize. Father Alexy explained that this priest, as usual, asked the child’s parents if the baby was healthy, especially since the child seemed weak to him. The parents assured that the baby was healthy. However, at the time of Baptism, the child suddenly began to choke and died. Everyone present immediately decided that the priest had simply drowned the baby. Someone called the police and an ambulance. Thanks to the intervention of the police, the priest escaped execution on the spot. And this happened on Victory Day, May 9, and around the time when all the “city fathers” were hosting a parade in the main city square. Having learned about the incident, they hurried to the temple, being convinced of the priest’s guilt and ready to punish him without trial.

The local press quickly got involved, and the next day an article with a devastating headline appeared on the front page of the city newspaper: “Murder in the name of God.” The prosecutor's office immediately opened a criminal case against the priest under the article "Murder by negligence", the local bishop and almost the entire clergy turned their backs on this priest, and he himself was banned from the priesthood until the end of the investigation. But those priests and parishioners who did not believe in the priest’s guilt supported him and prayed.

In the end, during the investigation, an examination of the baby's lung tissue was carried out, in which no water was found. This means that the version that the baby choked turned out to be unfounded. Further examination showed that the child was terminally ill, and death was caused by a cause unrelated to immersion in the font. The priest was acquitted, but he was not allowed to return to his previous place of ministry. However, this priest did not despair and was soon accepted into another diocese.

I remember that I then wanted to ask Father Alexy if he himself was the priest who survived such a terrible ordeal, but I did not dare. Again and again, in those minutes after his funeral, I recalled some particularly heartfelt intonations in Father Alexy’s voice, and it became clear to me that with this story he was setting me up to always remember that priestly service is full of sorrows and trials, but God's help is always nearby, therefore, no matter what happens, you can neither be discouraged nor despair. This was his spiritual testament to me.

Author/source, photo:

Archpriest Oleg Vrona / pravoslavie.ru. June 4, 2021