Saints and devotees of piety in the history of the Russian Church of the 20th century
Bishop of Lida and Smorgon Porfiry
Report by Bishop Porfiry of Lida and Smorgon, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Monastic Affairs and Monasticism of the Belarusian Exarchate at the XXV International Christmas Educational Readings. Direction “Ancient monastic traditions in modern conditions” (Zachatevsky Stavropegic Convent. January 26–27, 2021)
Your Eminences, Your Eminences, venerable Father Superiors, Mother Superiors, brothers and sisters!
The topic stated in the title of my report is very extensive, but I will try, within the time limits determined by the rules of the meeting, to succinctly answer the question: how, from what angle, the history of the holiness of righteous people intersected with the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 20th century, with history of our people.
At all times, ascetics who have achieved perfection in the Holy Spirit appear in the bosom of the Church. In the sacred history of the Old Testament, using the example of the Jewish people, we see that the Lord sent His righteous men and prophets to the people, especially when difficult times came, so that people, seeing the virtuous life of God’s messengers, would move away from sin and strengthen in faith. The 20th century in the history of our Fatherland was marked by cruel persecution of the Church of Christ, and in the same 20th century a host of saints and ascetics of piety were revealed in our Church - people of great courage and self-sacrifice, who, with the help of God, despite any obstacles, went to Light, they won victory over sin and transformed not only their soul, but, in many ways, their time, their country, steadfastly confessed their faith, and were bearers and exponents of church tradition and genuine Christian life.
High hierarchs and archpastors, presbyters and deacons, monastics and laity - the entire fullness of the Russian Orthodox Church is represented in the face of saints and devotees of piety in the history of our Church in the 20th century. Let's turn to their biographies.
In 1917, by the hand of God, High Hierarch Tikhon was placed on the Patriarchal throne to ascend to his Golgotha and become the holy Patriarch-martyr. He was the first Patriarch of the Russian Church after a 217-year hiatus. On this occasion, Patriarch Tikhon himself wrote the following: “True, the patriarchate is restored in Rus' in menacing days, amid fire and deadly gunfire. It is likely that it itself will be forced more than once to resort to measures of prohibition in order to admonish the disobedient and to restore church order. But just as in ancient times the Lord appeared to the prophet Elijah not in a storm, not in a coward, not in fire, but in the coolness, in the breath of a quiet breeze, so now to our cowardly reproaches: “Lord, the sons of Russia have forsaken Thy covenant, destroyed Thy altars, They shot at the temple and Kremlin shrines, they beat up Your priests,” the quiet breath of Your words can be heard: “Seven thousand more men have not bowed the knee to the modern Baal and have not betrayed the true God.” And the Lord seems to be telling me this: “Go and find those for whose sake the Russian land still stands and holds on. But do not abandon the lost sheep, doomed to destruction, to the slaughter, truly pitiful sheep” [1].
In January 1918, in the Moscow newspaper “Fonar”, journalist Korovin talked about how he interviewed Patriarch Tikhon.
“Your Holiness,” he asked, “in the lecture of the Commissioner for Religious Affairs Spitsberg, it was said that after the overthrow of the Tsar and the bourgeoisie, there will be a final campaign - against God. <…>
The Patriarch shrugged his shoulders... and said prophetically:
– It is not as easy to overthrow the King of Heaven as it is to overthrow the King of Earth [2].
Despite the fact that episcopacy in those days, as in ancient times during persecution, promised calvary suffering, in the Russian Orthodox Church there were very courageous souls who consciously and meaningfully went for it.
Shortly after the Bolsheviks came to power, in January 1918, the Decree on the separation of Church and State was issued, which, among other measures, deprived the Church of the rights of a legal entity and provided for the confiscation of all church property. Funding from the treasury of all church institutions, including the Educational Committee of the Holy Synod, ceased. In 1918, the Educational Committee was closed, and Pyotr Fedorovich Polyansky arrived in Moscow, where he took part in the activities of the Local Council, being a member of its secretariat. In 1920, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Tikhon invited Hieromartyr Peter to take monastic vows, priesthood and episcopacy and become his assistant in matters of church administration. This proposal was made at a time of bloody persecution of the Church, when many clergy and more than ten bishops were already tortured. And the Hieromartyr Peter treated the call of the High Hierarch as a call from above, from God. Having told his brother and relatives about the offer of His Holiness the Patriarch, he said: “I cannot refuse. If I refuse, then I will be a traitor to the Church, but when I agree, I know that I will sign my own death warrant” [3]. So, at the age of 58, he chose a path that, in his own words, which turned out to be prophetic, led him to Calvary. “Russian church history,” he wrote, “hardly knows such an exceptionally difficult time for governing the Church as the time during the years of the present revolution” [4]. His activities caused extreme discontent among the persecutors of the Church. The GPU developed a plan to eliminate Metropolitan Peter and create a new schism.
On March 25, 1944, Metropolitan Alexy (Simansky) was summoned to the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church for a conversation about the activities of Archbishop Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky). Archbishop Luke attracted supernumerary clergy to serve in private homes and intensified his preaching activities, which caused acute dissatisfaction with the Council. He will say about his activities: “When I saw the blasphemous carnivals and mockery of our Lord Jesus Christ, my heart screamed loudly: “I cannot remain silent!” And I felt that it was my duty to defend our insulted Savior with preaching and to praise His immeasurable mercy for the human race” [5].
Monasticism occupied an important place in the life of our Church in the 20th century. Almost all the monasteries were closed, but the majority of the monastics remained faithful to their monastic vows. Some monastics were involved in fateful events in the life of the Church.
The Monk Alexy Zosimovsky was a monk and confessor of the Smolensk Zosimov Hermitage, located not far from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Elderhood became the main activity of his monastic life. Government officials, bishops and archimandrites, priests and simple monks, military men, doctors, officials, teachers, professors and students, workers and peasants came to him for advice. Through the ascetic and recluse Elder Alexy Zosimovsky, who out of obedience participated in the Local Council, the will of God was revealed to the Russian people regarding the candidacy of the newly elected patriarch. It is described as follows: “The elder Fr. came out of the altar. Alexy, wearing a black monastic robe, approached the icon of the Mother of God and began to pray, bowing to the ground.<…> The elder prayed for a long time. Then he stood up from his knees, took out a note from the ark and handed it to the Metropolitan. He read it and passed it on to the protodeacon. And so the protodeacon, with his powerful bass voice famous throughout Moscow, slowly began to proclaim many years. The tension in the temple reached its highest point. “To Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow and All Russia!” - rang out throughout the entire temple, and the chorus rang out for many years” [6].
Shortly before the revolution, in the summer of 1909, a monastic congress took place in the Sergius Lavra, and Elder Alexy was among its participants. His voice was of great importance there, his spiritual experience was taken into account, and everyone listened to his words with respect. The congress paid a lot of attention to issues of old age. Here is what Hieromonk Seraphim (Zvezdinsky) wrote about this event: “I received a lot of consolation at the monastic congress, talking with many reverend elders. At the congress, Father Alexy Zosimovsky spoke especially authoritatively, passionately, and with conviction; most of the resolutions were made directly under his direct influence. Blessed are my eyes that have seen this, and my ears that have heard the wise, deep speeches of the elders” [7].
In July 1930, the Ryazan department of the OGPU informed its leadership in Moscow that in the village of Sreznevo, Shilovsky district, on June 11, on the occasion of the patronal feast, there was a massive influx of pilgrims - about eight thousand people in total. Such a large accumulation, as it turns out, is explained by the fact that a certain Filaret serves as a priest in the village of Sreznevo. <…> The district department of the OGPU took a number of urgent measures to paralyze Filaret’s activities” [8]. This is how employees of the Ryazan OGPU reported to their superiors about Hieromonk Filaret (Pryakhin), later the venerable martyr, inhabitant of the Spasskaya Pronskaya Hermitage, who, despite the closure of the monastery, kept the monastic custom: with a list of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Supporter of Sinners” he walked around the villages. And at the parish where he served, a day was established for the celebration of this icon, when up to eight thousand pilgrims flocked there [9].
During the years of persecution of the Church, the priestly and deaconal ranks were represented by wonderful priests and deacons, tireless workers and confessors.
Archpriest Alexy Mechev, rector of the Church of St. Nicholas in Klenniki, became a great consolation and spiritual support for Muscovites and others in the first half of the 20th century. Father had the blessed gift of foresight, he provided prayerful assistance to many, interceding for them before the Lord and bringing deliverance from difficulties and troubles, for which he was repeatedly summoned for an interview at the GPU and was forbidden to receive people.
When Father Alexy's wife died and he was in deep sadness, Father John of Kronstadt visited him. To Father Alexy’s question: “Have you come to share my grief with me?” - Father John replied: “I did not come to share your grief, but joy: the Lord is visiting you, be with the people, enter into someone else’s grief, take it upon yourself - and then you will see that your misfortune is small, insignificant in comparison with the common grief, and it will become easier for you.” In the words of one of Father Alexy’s spiritual children, “he became a faithful and unchangeable guard over the sorrowful heart of man” during this difficult time for everyone [10].
Protodeacon Nikolai Tokhtuev, later a holy martyr, gave a written response to the proposal to cooperate with the NKVD authorities, in which he wrote, among other things: “What you demand of me, I cannot do. – This is my last and final decision. Most of us make such a decision in order to save ourselves and destroy our neighbor, but I don’t need such a life. I want to be pure before God and people, for when the conscience is clear, then a person is calm, and when it is not pure, then he cannot find peace for himself anywhere” [11].
Many pious laymen, overcoming the fear of death, showed themselves in those difficult times as faithful children of the Orthodox Church, zealously defending the right of believers to profess their faith.
On the day of elections to the Supreme Soviet, December 12, 1937, Ivan Alekseevich Chernov, a pious layman and later a martyr, came to the polling station and, along with a ballot, put into the ballot box a letter addressed to the candidate for deputy from their district, in which, among other things, the following was written: “We, citizens of the Soviet Republic, consider ourselves free citizens under the Stalinist constitution. We can freely identify our needs on behalf of believers in God and the Holy Church. Help us, let us pray to God for the whole world and for you, so that under your guidance we can lead a quiet life and go to church to pray to God, where we feel the joy of the soul. <…> This is what is dearer to us than all earthly wealth, everything on earth is temporary, but beyond the grave is eternal” [12].
For this letter, Ivan Chernov was sentenced to five years in a forced labor camp, where he died of starvation in the infirmary.
The history of the Russian Orthodox Church of the 20th century and our country is very instructive. Today, a huge amount of evidence has been collected, processed and systematized about what our Church went through in the 20th century. In every event, in every biography of this or that new martyr or confessor, a certain truth is attested, a certain lesson that is of great importance for us today.
The history of their holiness in the history of our Church of the 20th century is like an indestructible foundation that was erected by the head of the Church, Christ, so that the Church would survive despite fiery trials. By the blessing of the righteous a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed,
- says the book of Proverbs (Prov. 11:11).
Throughout the history of mankind, there has been a continuous struggle for human souls on different scales and on different battlefields: from a person’s personal life to such state systems that control all spheres of society, and everything connected with God and His Holy Church , is purposefully repressed. The era of martyrdom, confession of faith and fidelity to Christ begins when this world openly begins to fight against Christ and His Church.
Brutal pressure, imprisonment, death threats, mass repressions, sophisticated actions aimed at splitting the Church, the desire for its complete destruction, periods of calm and new persecution... The Russian Orthodox Church had to withstand increasingly fierce persecution. And she survived. The saints and devotees of piety of the Russian Orthodox Church of the 20th century, known to us and unknown, whose names are known only to the Lord, who resisted godless dominance, each in his place, conscientiously and with the fear of God performing his service, showed extraordinary courage, wisdom, endurance and steadfastness in faith, thereby testifying to the immutable gospel truth: the Church of Christ is not of this world, but its Head is the Lord Himself, Who said: I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it
(Matt. 16:18).
[1] Life of St. Tikhon (Belavin), Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' // Monastic Chronograph [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://monasterium.by/biblioteka/pateriki/sobor-belorusskikh-svyatykh/svyatitel-tikhon-patriarkh-moskovskiy-i-vseya-rossii-1925-/ Access date: 01/22/2017
[2] Interview with Patriarch Tikhon: “It is not so easy to overthrow the King of Heaven as the king of the earth” // Orthodoxy and the World [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://www.pravmir.ru/intervyu-s-patriarxom-tixonom-ne-tak-legko-svergnut-carya-nebesnogo-kak-carya-zemnogo/ Access date: 01/22/2017
[3] Hieromartyr Peter (Polyansky) // Orthodox encyclopedia “ABC of Faith” [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Petr_Polyanskij/ Access date: 01/22/2017
[4] Hieromartyr Peter, Metropolitan of Krutitsky, locum tenens of the patriarchal throne // Pravoslavie.ru [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life353.htm / Access date: 01/22/2017
[5] Life of the Holy Confessor Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea. Saint-surgeon // Orthodoxy and peace [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://lib.pravmir.ru/library/readbook/2291 / Access date: 01/22/2017
[6] Russian Orthodox Church. XX century M., 2015. P. 87.
[7] Hieroschemamonk Alexy (Soloviev). Tree. Open Orthodox Encyclopedia [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://drevo-info.ru/articles/2992.html / Access date: 01/22/2017
[8] Lives of the Russian new martyrs and confessors of the 20th century. February. Comp. abbot. Damascene (Orlovsky). Tver, 2005. P. 395.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Holy Righteous Alexy of Moscow // Pravoslavie.ru [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https:// https://www.pravoslavie.ru/54415.html / Access date: 01/22/2017
[11] Lives of the Russian new martyrs and confessors of the 20th century. May. Comp. abbot. Damascene (Orlovsky). Tver, 2007. P. 47.
[12] Lives of the Russian new martyrs and confessors of the 20th century. March. Comp. abbot. Damascene (Orlovsky). Tver, 2006. P. 260.
January 30, 2017
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“Jewry presented the whole world with an alternative - for or against Christ - and the world was divided into two camps, fiercely at war with each other and even to this day have not resolved this problem. The history of the whole world was, is and will be the history of this struggle, and the Second Coming of Christ the Savior will find this struggle at the stage when there will no longer be any doubt about the victory of Jewry, for by that time the power of resistance of Christianity will be completely broken and there will be no faith left on earth. It is still within our power to postpone this moment, but for this we must study the Jewish question in all its depth and must be able to distinguish in the nature of Christianity the elements that prohibit hatred of one’s neighbor from the elements that oblige us to fight the blasphemers of Christ and the persecutors of the Church. We must shake off that religious indifference that opened up so many broad possibilities for Jewry and allowed it, under the guise of social and philosophical theories, to eradicate the Gospel ideal, the meaning and idea of our life.”
book Zhevakhov
————
The most famous “Cathedral of Christ the Savior” in Moscow and Russia has on each cross 12 hexagonal stars of David, stars that have a secret meaning in Kabbalah,
In many churches and monasteries, after the restoration, instead of the clearly visible six-pointed stars of David, the Kabbalistic symbol of the Jews, eight-pointed “neutral” stars are placed on the domes, “so as not to confuse the Christian flock,” but the six-pointed stars are not removed, they are simply disguised, made small, such that they are not visible to the naked eye, but one has only to take binoculars and everyone can be convinced of the presence of Jewish military symbols on Christian shrines, conditioning the obedience of the Christian flock before the Jewish guides (shepherds) from the Kremlin.
The whole remake is simply filled with Magendavids.
And now we will learn something more about the life of stylized squares. This is from Wiki the well-known classic Jewish magendavid (Magendavid or Magen-David, or Star of David) - a cabalistic hexogram. It is clearly written on Wiki that the hexogram is a symbol of Jewish identity. And to make you even more convinced, the occult science of studying squares has long been a monopoly of Jewish Kabbalah - Jewish Satanism, open the English Wiki, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_polygon dedicated to squares, and you will see spiky balls there too . In the center of the hall in the temple itself there is a huge magendavid (hexagonal star) also around the circumference, the same stars.
The photo shows the funeral of a Jew - freemason Borukh Elson (Boris Yeltsin), inside his paraphernalia. In general, all the paraphernalia is simply imbued with Judaism, on utensils and religious objects everywhere there is the mark of evil spirits, even on the candlesticks there are six-pointed stars
The architect of this synagogue is Luzhkov-Katz.
It is obvious that during the time of the Antichrist, the idea of the essential identity of all religions will be established in the minds of all people (there is only one religion, and all existing ones are just its various modifications). This “united religion of the future,” which the modern Orthodox ascetic in America, Hieromonk Seraphim Rose (†1982), wrote about, will retain, perhaps in form, the former multi-confessionalism. However, in essence, this will already be an ideology, since in the minds of people there will be a catastrophic replacement of the search for the Kingdom of Heaven and its truth with a thirst for the kingdom of the earth and all its pleasures, the replacement of spiritual goals with worldly, pagan ones, so that all the efforts of this “religion” (i.e. . of all religions, including Christian) will be aimed at achieving exclusively earthly goods.
It is these Masonic ideas that Kirill actively promotes.
Ecumenism will be imposed on the church, there will be a strong Catholicization of Russia. Some kind of trick will be invented, and two or three true priests will remain in Tula; at least one, if they beg. (Schiarchim. Christopher).
There will be no Sacrament of Communion in churches. (Schiarchim. Christopher).
The time will come when you will receive communion in the catacombs. It is necessary to prepare Cahors, prosphora, and flour for this time.
There will not be a single Russian church.
Catholics will be forced into churches, and persecution will begin against those who do not go. You are not allowed to enter these temples. And if you come in, you have to shed a lot of tears so that the Lord will forgive (Venerable Kuksha).
I was young then, I had no idea what catacombs were, I didn’t even know the word. Father Kuksha explained to me:
“In the cellars, that means, with some believing priest, prepare wine and prosphora, and he will give you communion in the cellar at night (with spare Gifts) so that no one recognizes you.”
“... the demon will enter the monastery with heresy, and then it will no longer be a holy monastery, but simple walls from which grace will retreat” (Venerable Anatoly of Optina).
“I repeat once again that it will be impossible to go to those churches, there will be no grace in them” (Rev. Lavrenty of Chernigov).
“The dominance of the Catholicized will very soon be complete, they will lead the Church to the abomination of desolation. Their time has come. They wear Orthodox robes only to seduce the flock, and not to preserve it.” (Fr. Anthony
The people have been separated from Orthodoxy for three generations.
From a conversation with one of the confessors of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (1991):
- Father... what do you think about our times? Where are we going and how should it end?
- The reign of the Kingdom of Antichrist is coming... and all the signs of this are already evident: state chaos, strikes, food shortages with an unprecedented harvest, poisoning of nature; New forces are striving for power in the country. Then, if the Lord allows a new fall, about 3.5 years will pass until it begins to show its true face, and until then there will be euphoria of freedom, help from the authorities of the Church and assistance to the spiritual revival of Russia... Next, new great trials may come for the Church and for the people , which our history has not yet seen.
- Father, but there were already predictions about the coming of the Antichrist before the aggression of the Poles in 1610-1612, before the war with Napoleon in 1812 and the prophecy of the Holy Rights. our father John of Kronstadt about the tragedy of 1917, but the reign of Antichrist never took place. Maybe this time everything will work out?
- Then it could not reign, because... The Orthodox faith of the people was still strong! And today the people are deaf, blind and weak, separated by three generations from the patristic spiritual heritage...”
Schemamonk Anthony (Chernov) from Great Britain (1991): “...We have already reached the time when we have not only the right, but also the obligation to say that we live in the last times. For already in 1962, the President and creator of the State of Israel, Ben Gurion, officially announced that “Mashiach” (Messiah) had been born, for whom “all humanity is waiting.” At Jewish circumcision he was given the name “Immanuel”, “according to the scriptures”, and that his own father called him “Melech” (King of Zion’s blood), “According to the prophecies” this “Immanuel” or “Melech” will unite all humanity in one religion... And whoever does not accept his religion will be destroyed. It is clear that this “religion” will be without the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who remain faithful to Christ will be subject to destruction.
Over the past hundred years, Jews have repeatedly announced through their faithful press the birth of their Messiah.
This false messiah will apparently begin his activities at the international United Nations in New York. He will quickly win the admiration of the whole world thanks to his “philanthropic” activities. And having become “one king” over one humanity, he will become “the Beast,” “the man of sin,” “the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:3; 2:7-12).
The preparations have already been completed. It will all start with the removal of money currently in use throughout the world and replacing it with “electronic money.” 6 The only document will be an electronic stamp on the forehead or on the right hand. A giant computer has already been built in Belgium, which stores information about every person in the world. And this computer is called “The Beast”. 7 The number “666” has already been put into practice... 8 In other words, everything is prepared for the acceptance of the Antichrist, and now he has already been announced. His coming, if the Lord does not have mercy on humanity, was once again declared a “mystery of lawlessness” for 1992, when he will be 30 years old.
America is preparing to welcome him. And even the Pontifical Commission at the Vatican invites all Catholics to “meet” the Messiah together with the Jews. I didn’t have time to ask, have you heard about all this in Moscow?” .
Hieroschemamonk Kuksha (Velichko, 1875 - 12/11/24/1964): “The last times are coming. Soon there will be an ecumenical Council called “holy”. But this will be the same “eighth Council, which will be a gathering of the godless.” On it all faiths will unite into one. Then all posts will be abolished, monasticism will be completely destroyed, bishops will be married. The New Calendar will be introduced in the Universal Church. Be carefull. Try to visit God's temples while they are still ours. Soon it will be impossible to go there, everything will change. Only a select few will see this. People will be forced to go to church, but we will not have to go there under any circumstances. I pray you, stand in the Orthodox faith until the end of your days and be saved!”
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin), Pskov-Pechersky Monastery (05.28/06.10.1990): “Keep the covenants that were given by the predecessors of Alexy, now elevated to the Patriarchal throne. First. So that we have the old style! We cannot accept anything else. Second. So that we are strictly Orthodox. We have never treated all non-Orthodox people with hostility. Our conscience is clear in this regard. But we followed our strictly defined path! Both our predecessors and we, who are now leaving day by day for the other world, call on you to preserve the purity of Orthodoxy. Third. About sacredly preserving the Church Slavonic language. Fourth. Some people are now afraid of the VIII Ecumenical Council. Do not be embarrassed by this, but just calmly believe in God, for the Patriarch who passed into eternity said in a personal conversation that if there is anything at the Eighth Ecumenical Council expected, anything that disagrees with the seven previous Ecumenical Councils, we have the right not to accept it. Here is his will, spoken albeit in a private conversation, and I am already repeating it to you a second or third time in fulfillment of my conscience, for I asked these questions and I received answers to them. And that’s why nothing bothers me now: neither the transience of time, nor the election that happened. All this can be summarized in one concept: we live in apocalyptic times. And therefore: “Watch, stand firm in the faith, be courageous and strong. And let everything you do be done with love” (1 Cor. 16:13-14).
Seduction
First the false Christs will come (Matt. 24:5), then the false prophets (Matt. 24:11), and then both (Matt. 24:24).
“For many will come in My name and say, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:5).
“And many false prophets will arise and deceive many” (Matt. 24:11).
“...if anyone tells you: “Behold, here is Christ,” or: “Behold, there,” do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Mark 13:21-22).
John Chrysostom wrote in this regard about “seducers, enemies and false brothers.”
“...there will be false teachers who will introduce destructive heresies and, denying the Lord who bought them, bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1).
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) in a letter to Abbot Anthony (Bochkov) on May 18, 1861: “The whole world, as if unanimously, rushed to meet some special person, a genius, to a magnificent, solemn meeting. It is obvious. The face will be so disguised that the masses will recognize him as the messiah: what is marvelous if the prophets of him (the Antichrist - Comp.) appeared in the images of the prophets of the messiah. A path is being prepared, a mental path for the entry of the action of flattery (2 Sol. 2:11) into minds and hearts.”
“A constant life of sin is a constant renunciation of Christ, even if it were not pronounced with the tongue and lips. But alas! it is already being pronounced, it began to be pronounced a long time ago. The mouth and tongue cannot help but show secret heartfelt retreat and renunciation: they seem to involuntarily express it. A renunciation of Christ is pronounced and various heretical teachings are pronounced."
In the entire history of Christianity, only two or three people are known who called themselves Christs. All of them “were always too microscopic to leave deep traces in history.”
Among the Khlysty there are many who call themselves “Christs” and “Virgin Mothers”. “As for the existence of false messiahs after the destruction of Jerusalem,” wrote priest M. Thebessky, “there were many of them, they exist at the present time, and no doubt will appear in large numbers before the final world catastrophe, which will be followed by a complete renewal of the present sinful world ".
“Especially many,” warns the author of the anonymous book “Antichrist,” “all kinds of false prophets and false Christs will appear: in such and such a country, in such and such a place, a prophet or Christ appeared. This appearance of various false Christs will culminate at the end of the pre-Antichrist era with the appearance of the apocalyptic false prophet.”
Antichrists, or rather, anti-Christian false teachers, appeared in apostolic times, as harbingers of the Antichrist (1 John 2:18; 4:3; 2 John 1:7).
Few are saved
Reverend Father Lavrentiy of Chernigov repeatedly repeated that souls go to hell, like people from church on a holiday, and to heaven, like people to church on a weekday. Father often sat and cried: he felt sorry for the people who were dying.
“How many people are crammed into the heat, like in a barrel of herring,” said Elder Lavrenty. The children consoled him, and he answered through tears:
- You do not see. And if you saw it, what a pity! And lately hell will be filled with young men.
666 your passport
chipization has begun
star MP of the Antichrist
Red dragon of the end of the world and the Harlot on it
666 on the forehead Bible. “Reverend Leonty Ivanovsky said that the communists would come to power again and would destroy monasticism. Monks and nuns will be exterminated without exception, put under the knife, and a terrible persecution will be instituted against Orthodox Christians. Then the hierarchy will enter into a direct and open relationship with Catholics and will plant obvious heretics in churches. The Mother of God in the altars of these churches herself will invisibly overturn the thrones and it will be impossible to go to those churches. And then the Lord will lead the Chinese against us.” (Reverend Leonty Ivanovsky, recorded from the memoirs of the saint’s spiritual children).
The statements of Mother Macaria (1926-1993) about the future were either an answer to the questions posed, or a warning, with the goal of protecting people close to her from trouble or future trials. Speaking about the future, she often limited herself to short remarks, explanations and brief characteristics. We present some of them. We have grouped all of them according to their meaning, and the date when they were said by the ascetic is noted in brackets.
“A change of faith is being prepared. When this happens, the saints will retreat and will not pray for Russia. And those who exist (from the faithful. - Author). The Lord will take you to Himself. And the bishops who allow this will neither here nor there (in the next world. - Author) see the Lord (03.08.88).
Soon the service will be reduced to half capacity. (07/11/88). They will retain the service only in large monasteries, and in other places they will make changes (05.27.88). I only say one thing: woe comes to the priesthood, they will scatter one by one and live (06/28/89). They will serve in churches in red dresses. Now the evil Satan will take everyone (05.20.89). Soon the sorcerers will spoil all the prosphora and there will be nothing to serve with (the liturgy. - Author). And you can take communion once a year. The Mother of God will tell her people where and when to receive communion. You just have to listen!” (28.06.89)
The time of persecution is near: “They will create such confusion, and you will not save your soul (01.90). Whoever enters the church will be recorded (02/18/88). Because you pray to God, that’s why you’ll get persecuted (05/20/89). You need to pray so that no one knows, pray quietly! They will start to chase and take away (05.15.87). First they will take away the books, and then the icons. The icons will be selected (01/07/88).
They will torment: “We don’t need believers” (07/14/88). Then it will get worse: churches will be closed, there will be no services, services will be held here and there. They will leave you somewhere far away so that you can neither go nor pass. And in cities where they consider that they do not interfere (01/07/88).
These churches that are being built and repaired will go to other enterprises and will not benefit anyone.
Registration will be tricky: they will remain called churches, but there will be no idea what, their production, they will find something to do (07/11/88).
He who is God will not see the Antichrist (01/07/88). It will be open to many where to go, where to go. The Lord knows how to hide his own, no one will find them” (11/17/87).
CANONIZATION OF THE NEW MARTERS OF THE XX CENTURY
G.A. LYUBIMOV, professor of Moscow State University
On August 19, 2000, at the anniversary Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, more than a thousand holy martyrs and confessors of the Russian twentieth century were canonized (canonized).
Icon “The Council of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia”
In accordance with ancient tradition, the Russian Orthodox Church, from the very beginning of its historical existence, has kept a list of ascetics of faith and piety.
The twentieth century was a century of unprecedented persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church, which led to the martyrdom of hundreds of thousands of Orthodox priests, clergy and laity. The persecution began immediately after the revolution of 1917 and already in 1918 it was widespread and fierce.
The Soviet government viewed the Church as its worst enemy. Characterizing the period of the first year after the revolution, Patriarch Tikhon wrote:
“They seize hundreds of defenseless people, rot for months in prison, execute them by death, often without any investigation or trial, even without a simplified... trial.
They execute bishops, priests, monks and nuns, innocent of anything, but simply on sweeping accusations of some vague and indefinite “counter-revolution...”. Not a day goes by without the most monstrous slander against the Church of Christ and its servants, evil blasphemies and blasphemies being published in the press...
The campaign of 1921-22 was extremely cruel, associated with the famine in Russia and the confiscation of church valuables. To characterize the state policy towards the Church at this time, we cite the words of V.I. Lenin from his secret letter to members of the Politburo dated March 19, 1922: “For us, this particular moment is not only extremely favorable, but generally the only moment when we have a 99th out of 100 chance of complete success to completely defeat the enemy... It is now and only now, when people are being eaten in starved areas and hundreds, if not thousands of corpses are lying on the roads, that we can (and therefore must) carry out the confiscation of church valuables with the most furious and merciless energy and without stopping at the suppression of any resistance...
The more representatives of the reactionary clergy and the reactionary bourgeoisie we manage to shoot on this occasion, the better.”
In the late 20s–early 30s. simultaneously with collectivization and dispossession under the slogan “Down with the kulak and his accomplice, the priest!” The eradication of faith took place in the village, where the influence of the Church was especially strong.
The peak of the struggle against religion falls in 1937, when 136,900 people were arrested in cases related to the practice of Orthodoxy, of which 8,530 were shot.
During the period of the 50-60s. There was massive destruction of churches and oppression of priests and believers. N.S. Khrushchev was given the task of completely destroying the Church in our country by 1980.
Thus, the destruction of the Church and the physical destruction of people close to it has always been one of the main activities of the Soviet government. In the consciousness of the church people, the bishops, clergy and laity who innocently suffered during the years of persecution performed the feats of martyrdom and confession of faith. Work on their canonization (canonization) began in the early 90s. The first stage ended on August 19, 2000, when at the anniversary Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church more than 1000 new martyrs and confessors of Russia, who suffered for Christ from the godless authorities during the period of persecution, were canonized. Their memorial day is celebrated on the first Sunday after February 7th.
The examples of courage, perseverance, and loyalty to Orthodoxy shown by the new martyrs demonstrated the highest spiritual qualities of the Russian people, whom neither torture, nor mockery, nor death could break. Their example calls us to the uncompromising defense of Faith and Fatherland.
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Photos of the everyday life of saints of the 20th century. Blog of the art director of Neskuchny Garden Dmitry Petrov
The 20th century compressed time and space with the help of photography. As a result, we can see how the saints lived: from Saint Righteous John of Kronstadt to Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco. We cannot imagine exactly what kind of horse carried the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky to the battle with the Swedes. Or where and how St. Catherine studied the sciences and arts in Alexandria. But we can not just imagine, but almost see with our own eyes how those glorified as saints lived in the twentieth century. Thanks to the photo. The century turned out to be terrible - there were many bloody wars and fratricidal conflicts, unprecedented persecution of Christians. But just life continued: people studied, worked, served, read books, went to visit. These photographs show that the saints are not fairy-tale characters, not heroes of legends - but real people who followed Christ. That the path of holiness is open to everyone.
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt with his grandnephew Igor Nikolaevich Shemyakin. You can read more about this meeting here: https://otets-gennadiy.livejournal.com/146546.html
Right John of Kronstadt on a walk through his native place. Photo by P. P. Shauman. 1891 (RSL)
Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna and Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich (Nicholas II) in an amateur performance in the roles of Tatiana and Onegin.
Young parents. Emperor Nicholas II (left) with his wife Alexandra Feodorovna (right) and daughter Olga (center). Photo by RIA Novosti
In 1917, after the February Revolution and abdication, the former Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family were exiled to Tobolsk by decision of the Provisional Government. In the photo: Nicholas II with his daughters Olga, Anastasia and Tatyana (Tobolsk, winter 1917)
Recently installed Bishop of Tashkent and Turkestan Luka (Voino-Yasenetsky). 1923
Saint Luke with his sons.
Saint Luke during an operation.
Evacuation hospital 1515. Krasnoyarsk. 1942 Saint Luke - Professor V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky with hospital medical staff.
Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco in his office in China
On the island of Tubabao in the Philippines, where a camp was organized for Russian refugees from China after the communists came to power there. 1949
The Bishop among the children from the orphanage of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk for orphans and children of needy parents.
Saint John in his cell in San Francisco. Materials used: memorial.krsk.ru, iconkuznetsov.ru, pravenc.ru, ioandekronstadt.wordpress.com
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