VICAR
[lat. vicarius lit.-deputy], an ecclesiastical position associated with the performance of the duties of a deputy or assistant church administrator; in the Russian Orthodox Church and some other Orthodox Christians. Churches - the position of assistant to the ruling diocesan bishop, the region is established to assist the bishop in managing the diocese.
Originally the word vicarius as adm. the term began to be used in the public sector. administration of the Roman Empire. When imp. St. equal to Constantine I the Great, the empire was divided into 4 prefectures: Gaul, Italy, Illyricum and the East, with the imperial capitals of Rome and New. Rome - K-pol were not part of the prefectures. In turn, the prefectures were divided into dioceses. Thus, the prefecture of the East included the dioceses of Asia, Pontus, Thrace, East and Egypt. Each diocese included several. provincial The head of the prefecture was called the praetorian prefect (praefectus praetorio), and the ruler of the diocese was called V., in Greek - exarch (ἔξαρχος). V., like a higher prefect, was appointed by the emperor and, within the limits of his diocese, enjoyed the powers of the prefect in relation to the supervision of the rulers of the provinces, but if the prefect himself was present in the diocese, V. lost any power in it. Thus, V.’s powers acquired a dual character: he was, on the one hand, the head of the region entrusted to his authority by the emperor himself, and on the other, just a deputy to a higher official, the prefect, who performed his government functions in the diocese in the absence of the prefect himself. To a certain extent, the powers of the V. in the Church, including that of the vicar bishop, are of a similar nature.
The distant predecessors of the later suffragan bishops were the chorebishops (τῶν χωρῶν ἐπίσκοποι). The Neo-Caesarean Council calls them “co-servants of the bishops”, “placed in the image of the seventy apostles” (right 14). In the 4th century. Chorebishops, dependent on the diocesan bishop, were appointed in almost every bishopric (in small towns and villages). The Antioch Council defined the law of chorebishops as follows: “The Holy Council decided for the good that the primates of small towns or villages, or the so-called chorebishops, should know their limits... so that they govern only the churches subordinate to them, and limit their care and orders to them: so that readers, subdeacons and exorcists... but they did not dare to install a presbyter or deacon without the will of the bishop existing in the city, to whom the chorebishop and his district are subordinate" (right 10). The ancient chorebishops, as can be seen, unlike the suffragan bishops of modern times, ruled their small region, which formed part of the diocese, although not completely independently, which, in fact, is the similarity of this institution with the institution of suffragan bishops; as not completely independent bishops, they could ordain only on behalf of the ruling bishop (Ancir. 13; Antioch. 10; VII Om. 14; cf. Basil. 89).
Already in mid. IV century the institution of chorebishopric began to disappear from the life of the Church. The Council of Laodicea forbade the installation of new chorebishops: “It is not proper to install bishops in small towns and villages, but periodeuts; and those who have already been appointed should not do anything without the will of the bishop of the city” (right 57). Only presbyters became periodevts. But even after the practice of appointing chorebishops ceased, in some dioceses, auxiliary bishops were ordained to help the ruling bishop, with the titles of previously existing and abolished dioceses - titular bishops, who served as the closest prototype of suffragan bishops.
Institute of suffragan bishops unknown Dr. Rus', although ancient Russian. bishops often had governors, who had adm. and the judiciary in significant cities of the diocese, where they represented the ruling bishop. Initially, the governors were usually in the rank of presbyter, and starting from the 14th century, when the bishops had a significant number of serving boyars and boyar children, the governors were often appointed from this environment, that is, laymen. To a certain extent, such governors resemble the institution of V., which had already developed into a Catholic one by this time. Churches.
In addition, the metropolitan high priest sometimes had a bishop who helped him in the administration of his diocese. Yes, St. Alexy during the life of St. Metropolitan Theognost, calling himself bishop. Vladimirsky, did not have his own diocese, but was an assistant to the first hierarch.
Since 1454, the bishops of Sarsk and Podonsk, who settled near Moscow in Krutitsy and were unofficially called Krutitsky, served as assistants to the Moscow High Hierarchs in the administration of the metropolitan region. But they cannot be considered the direct predecessors of suffragan bishops, since their Sarsk and Podonsk diocese with its few parishes in the Wild Field and other places where there were Muslims remained behind them. the majority still remained Orthodox. population. Upon the establishment of the Moscow Patriarchate, they began to bear the title of Metropolitans of Krutitsky.
At the Great Moscow Council it was proposed to establish one episcopal see at all 4 then metropolitan sees (Novgorod, Kazan, Rostov and Sarsk and Podonsk), as well as at Ryazan, which was transformed from an archiepiscopal into a metropolitan see, so that the bishops occupying them helped the ruling metropolitan bishops govern their dioceses (Acts of the Moscow Councils of 1666 and 1667. M., 1893. pp. 85-86). But this plan was not implemented.
In 1698, Patriarch Adrian and Tsar Peter I Alekseevich allowed the Kyiv Metropolitan. Varlaam (Yasinsky) to have his own “coadjutor” (like “V.”, the name was borrowed from the Catholic Church, but unlike “V.” it did not take root in the Russian Orthodox Church) - an assistant in the episcopal rank. The decision was motivated by the poor health of Metropolitan. Varlaam, however, it was assumed that this privilege would pass to his successors. In 1708, the position of V. was established in the Novgorod diocese with the title of Bishop of Karelian and Ladoga.
In the synodal era, the institution of V., the main assistants to the diocesan bishop in the episcopal rank, took root in the Russian Church. Already at imp. Catherine II Alekseevna The Holy Synod allowed all its members to have a V.V. XVIII century Vicariates began to open in dioceses where this was necessary: under the oldest metropolitan bishops and in especially large dioceses. However, until mid. XIX century Vicariate sees existed in a few dioceses. But in 1865 imp. The decree allowed the opening of vicariates in all dioceses where there are local funds for their maintenance without burdening the synodal, i.e. state. treasury. In the 2nd half. XIX - early XX century Vicariates were established in most dioceses.
V. were titled after one of the district cities of the diocese, but with rare exceptions their residence was in the diocesan center, and not in the city whose name they bore in their title. They did not have any church administration. or judicial power in this city, their connection with it was usually limited only to the elevation of their name during worship in the cathedral church of the city or also in its other churches. According to imp. decree of April 13 1793, V. had neither their own cathedrals nor their own separate consistories. The exception was certain vicariates, which were a separate part of the diocese, under the semi-independent control of a suffragan bishop. In this case, V.’s residence was located on the territory of his vicariate and spiritual rule operated under him. The Lublin Vicariate had this status as part of the Warsaw Diocese, until this diocese was divided into two independent ones: Warsaw and Kholm, and therefore the Lublin Vicariate was abolished. In the Irkutsk diocese, Bishop Chita ruled the parishes of the Transbaikal region, having a residence in his cathedral city. At the end of the synodal era, there were other semi-independent vicariates, in particular Kamchatka and Baku.
In the most important dioceses on the eve of the Local Council of the Orthodox Russian Church in 1917-1918. it was several times suffragan bishops: in St. Petersburg and Novgorod - 4, one of which was in the Novgorod, and 3 others in the St. Petersburg diocese; under the common metropolitan, legally these were 2 dioceses united in the adm. ok; in Moscow and Kyiv - 3 V. each; several more dioceses (including Tiflis, Irkutsk, Kherson) had 2 V. In most dioceses there was one V.
There were no general instructions from the Holy Synod for the actions of suffragan bishops; they carried out the instructions of the ruling bishops, who, at their discretion, either assigned permanent responsibilities to their assistants, V., or gave them one-time assignments. The duties of suffragan bishops could include the ordination of clergy, or even clergy, especially often in those districts, the centers of which were the cities by which they were titled, but at the same time they acted on behalf of the diocesan bishop and did not make decisions on ordination independently. In addition, at the discretion of the ruling bishop, they could be entrusted with such branches of church government as supervision of parish schools, women's monasteries, candle factories, preliminary review of consistory journals, in some cases with the consent of the ruling bishop, and their approval, cases of accession heterodox to orthodox Church, care for the issuance of consecrated antimensions and St. peace. During the vacancy of the diocesan see, the decrees of the Holy Synod were addressed to the suffragan bishop, if there was one in the diocese.
The Pre-Conciliar Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1906 recognized it as desirable that V. should be candidates for diocesan sees and that their rights should be expanded. These ideas of the Pre-Conciliar Presence were implemented by the Local Council of 1917-1918. The Council issued a special “Decree on Vicar Bishops.” Its fundamental novelty lay in the fact that the jurisdiction of suffragan bishops was supposed to include not only a range of matters relating to diocesan administration, as was the case in the synodal period, but also the management of individual parts of the diocese, which in the synodal era took place only in several years. dioceses. Vicar bishops were supposed to govern their parts of the diocese “under the general leadership of the diocesan bishop... with the rights of independent bishops” and have residence in the cities by which they are titled, and also, where possible, be abbots of monasteries (Council, 1918. Definitions. Vol. 3. P. 42). The definition was dictated by the urgent need to increase the number of dioceses and was thought of as the first step in this direction: “Existing vicariates, where this is possible, are gradually transformed into independent dioceses” (Ibid.).
After the Council, in accordance with the conciliar decision to expand the powers of suffragan bishops and to increase the number of vicariates, significantly more episcopal consecrations began to be performed than before: in the 20s. in the Russian Church there were at least 200 bishops, and most of them were V. Vicar bishops had their residence in the city, after which they were titled. But the structure of diocesan administration with the division of the diocese into districts headed by V., as envisaged by the Local Council of 1917-1918, did not work out: persecution fell on the Church, bishops were subjected to arrests, imprisonments, exiles, and, thus, lost the opportunity to manage their dioceses or vicariates; in most cases, dioceses were governed not by the rulers, but by those who were temporarily at large and within the diocese of V.
Taking into account the real circumstances of church life that developed in the 40s, the Local Council of 1945 in its “Regulations on the management of the Russian Orthodox Church” no longer provided for the presence of V. in the cities to which they were titled, and the semi-independent management of them by individual parts diocese, defining for them “the range of responsibilities at the discretion of the diocesan bishop” (III 25). From now on, the status of suffragan bishops in general in the Russian Church corresponds to what they had during the synodal period. No fundamental changes were made to it by the 1988 Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, which provided for the possibility of appointing a suffragan bishop to assist the diocesan bishop (VII 7).
Just as in the previous, in the current Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, issued by the Bishops' Jubilee Council in 2000, it is said that, if necessary, vicar bishops are appointed by the Holy Synod to help the diocesan bishop, the range of responsibilities of which is established by the ruling bishop (X 1. 8 ).
In accordance with the Charter, suffragan bishops are part of the Local Council (II 3). They had the same right in accordance with the Charter of 1988 (II 3). But, according to the Charter of the Council of 1917-1918, vicar bishops by their status were not its members; some of them were members of the Council on other grounds, for example. on the election of a congress of monastics. Vicar bishops, in accordance with the current Charter (II 13), along with the ruling bishops, constitute the Bishops' Council (see Art. Council of Bishops).
The composition of the Council of Bishops, on the basis of the currently valid Charter, includes only those suffragan bishops who head synodal institutions and theological academies or have canonical jurisdiction over the parishes under their jurisdiction (III 1). Vicar bishops, “having canonical jurisdiction over the parishes under their jurisdiction,” are those bishops who, under the title of V. Moscow Patriarch, govern the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the canonical territory of the Orthodox Church in America, such in the present day. time are the Bishop of Zaraisk, administrator of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in the USA, and the Archbishop of Kashira, administrator of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Canada. Previously, such suffragan bishops were not members of the Council of Bishops. All other suffragan bishops may participate in meetings of the Council of Bishops without the right to a casting vote (III 1).
The Russian Orthodox Church maintains the custom that suffragan bishops, unlike ruling bishops, have the name of one city in their title. Only part of V. in the present. time performs duties related to assisting the ruling bishop in the management of the diocese. A number of V. His Holiness the Patriarch, bearing the titles of cities of the Moscow diocese, have various positions in the highest church administration. V. in the Russian Orthodox Church, like the ruling bishops, can have the rank of bishops, archbishops and metropolitans.
In the Russian Orthodox Church in 2004 there were 25 departments of suffragan bishops: Vereiskaya, Vidnovskaya, Dmitrovskaya, Yegoryevskaya, Zaraiskaya, Istrinskaya, Kashirskaya, Klinskaya, Krasnogorskaya, Lyuberetskaya, Mozhaiskaya, Orekhovo-Zuevskaya, Podolskaya, Sergiev Posadskaya, Ramenskaya - in the Moscow diocese, Tikhvinskaya - in St. Petersburg, Lyudinovskaya - in Kaluga, Shatskaya - in Ryazan, Baltic - in Smolensk, Kerch, Sergievskaya - in Sourozh, as well as in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: Vasilkovskaya and Pochaevskaya, Vyshgorodskaya, Pereyaslav-Khmelnitskaya - in Kievskaya, Izyumskaya - in the Kharkov dioceses.
The institution of suffragan, or titular, bishops also exists in other Orthodox churches. Churches, but the very name “vicar bishop”, “vicar” appeared in some of them, obviously following the example of the Russian Church. Vicar bishops are supplied, in particular, to the Georgian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, and American Churches. In some other churches, for example. K-Polish and Alexandria, they are called titular bishops. Moreover, in accordance with the statutes of these Churches, V., as a rule, are included as full members in Councils with the participation of clergy and laity, but in some of them (Serbian, Bulgarian, American) they are not included in the Councils of Bishops, which have These Churches have different names.
Vicar bishops in the Orthodox Church. Churches cannot make independent decisions about ordinations: they can ordain deacons or presbyters only with the blessing of the ruling bishop, who has full canonical episcopal authority. In this respect, suffragan bishops are in a position similar to that of retired bishops.
Prot. Vladislav Tsypin
The term "vicar" became widespread in Catholicism. Churches back in the Middle Ages. From view Orthodox ecclesiology has no basis for the fact that among the titles of the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the pope, there is “vicar of Christ” (vicarius Jesu Christi - CIC 331), often translated as “vicar of Christ”, and in the sense that is intended in this title is Catholic. theology and canon law - “the substitute of Christ.” This position belongs to him as the successor of the Apostle Peter, “prince of the apostles” in the language of tradition. Catholic ecclesiology.
The term “vicar” was used in the West already in the ancient Church as the name of the position of deputy, or representative, of the pope, the bishop of Rome. “Apostolic vicars” (vicarii apostolici) are also called “natural legates” (legati nati), if the performance of the corresponding duties is associated not with the personality of the bishop, but with the chair he occupies, which takes precedence in a particular ecclesiastical area, so that through installation on it the bishop acquires the title of legate. Such V. were appointed by popes from the 2nd floor. IV century (Naz R. Vicaire apostolique. Col. 1481). They were endowed with the highest governmental powers in the area of their jurisdiction, in particular in convening Councils, in judicial review of litigation between bishops, and in accepting appeals. Papal V. and at the same time natural legates were the archbishops of Arelate in Gaul, Seville in Spain, and Thessalonica in Illyricum (until the 8th century, when Illyricum and Thessalonica were transferred in the iconoclastic era from the jurisdiction of the Roman popes to the jurisdiction of the K-Polish Patriarchs). The Institute of Apostolic V. is to a certain extent similar to the Institute of Exarchs in the East. Churches, starting from the 5th century, when the “great regions” led by exarchs lost their autocephaly.
In the 9th century. Archbishop of Metz was appointed to V. Gaul and Germany. In the 11th century This title was awarded to the archbishops of Salzburg, “primate of Germany,” Mainz, Trier, Hamburg-Bremen, who were both cardinals and had broad administrative positions. and judicial powers. These apostolic leaders also bore the title “legati a latere” (legates from the inner circle). In general, until the 12th century. apostolic V. called those who in the present. time is called legates (Ibidem).
The term “apostolic vicar” received a new use in the 17th century, when before the Catholic. The Church became aware of the need for missionary activity among Protestants. European countries, on the one hand, and in the countries of the New World, Africa and the Far East. East - with others. Catholics operating in these territories. the missions were subordinate directly to the pope as his “universal bishop” (episcopus universalis). With the success of the mission in KL. In the area, missionary work was organized into an apostolic vicariate, the head of which, appointed and removed by the Roman Curia, ruled it on behalf of the pope. “The apostolic vicariate or apostolic prefecture is a certain part of the people of God which, due to special circumstances, does not yet form a diocese and which is entrusted to the pastoral care of an apostolic vicar or apostolic prefect, to be governed by them in the name of the Supreme Pontiff” (CIC 371.1). Within the framework of such vicariates, the Catholic Church was organized for a long time. mission in England, Holland, Scandinavian countries and Protestant. regions of Germany. The episcopal system arose there at the end. XVIII-XIX centuries, and in Scandinavia - only in the 50s. XX century Apostolic vicariates were formed starting from the end. XVI century in countries of Asia and Africa. Currently They currently operate in Yemen, Cambodia, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Ethiopia and a number of other states.
In the 19th century “Military vicar” (vicarius castrensis) was the name of the head of the military clergy in Austria-Hungary; in addition, certain Catholics had a similar title. bishops in missionary countries: in China, on the Pacific Islands.
The position of "vicar" exists in the Catholic Church. Church and at the level of diocesan, or episcopal, administration. Moreover, the holder of such a position can be either a bishop or a presbyter. Vicar bishops in the Catholic Church. Churches in this meaning of the term resemble V. in the Russian Orthodox Church.
Vicar bishops are also called titular (episcopi titulares), because, having a title, they do not have the corresponding jurisdiction, in other words, the department, the name they bear in their title, does not actually exist, just as the corresponding ones do not exist they are bishops, and these bishops themselves are only assistants or deputies of the ruling bishops. The name of titular bishops - episcopi in partibus infidelium (bishops in infidel countries) - was retained until the end. XIX century
The origin of the titular episcopate is associated with the norm of the 8th law. The First Ecumenical Council, which does not allow the existence of two bishops in one city. In this regard, when in the administration of vast dioceses there arose a need for assistance to the ruling bishop from another bishop, especially in performing ordinations, these auxiliary bishops began to be given fictitious titles (or for disappeared cities). Unlike the Catholic Orthodox churches Church, in particular the Russian Church, they, as a rule, bear the titles of smaller cities of the same dioceses where they carry out their ministry.
In Catholic Church, the appearance of titular bishops was historically associated with the expulsion in the 13th century. pagan Prussians and Livonians removed bishops from the Baltic dioceses and the simultaneous removal of Catholics. bishops from the Balkans and the Levant after the fall of the Latin Empire and the failures of the Crusaders in the Middle East. East. Bishops who lost their sees, retaining their previous titles, became assistants to the ruling bishops of the West. Europe with its relatively extensive bishoprics (dioceses). Afterwards this practice was institutionalized and became widespread. In this regard, the analogy with the Catholic. bishops “in partibus infidelium” represent such departments of the Russian Church as Sourozh or Korsun, although they are not suffragan, but diocesan. Titular bishops in the Catholic Church. Churches today At the time, the names of the cities of the Carthaginian (African) Church are especially often used in the title, where before the conquest of Africa by the Arabs there were especially many episcopal sees.
Vicar bishops in the Catholic Church. Churches are appointed by the pope either at his own discretion, when the need arises, or at the request of the diocesan bishop. Most often, suffragan bishops are appointed to general dioceses, in some cases also due to the old age or illness of the ruling bishop.
In the late Middle Ages and in modern times, when a number of bishops, especially in Germany, had state. sovereignty, and in territories that do not necessarily coincide with the area of their ecclesiastical jurisdiction, such bishops were usually appointed by people from the feudal aristocracy, and, as a rule, they did not receive episcopal consecration, in other words, having church-governmental power (potestas jurisdictionis) in their bishopric. tion, did not have the power to perform sacred rites (jura ordinis). In this case, a vicar bishop was appointed to the bishopric of the bishop-prince who had not received consecration, who performed divine services and ordained presbyters. Hence the characteristic name for suffragan bishops in Germany in that era - Weihbischof (ordained bishop, i.e., a bishop who has been consecrated). The disappearance of the institution of bishops who did not have consecration dates back to the modern period and can be connected with the abolition of church states in the West. Europe, with the exception of the Papal States, under Napoleon.
Suffragan bishops are called either auxiliary bishops (episcopus auxiliaris) or coadjutor bishops (episcopus coadiutor) (CIC 403.2). The difference in their status is that a coadjutor is usually appointed in case of old age or illness of the ruling bishop and, unlike an auxiliary bishop, he usually has the right to succession to the ruling diocesan bishop (cum jure successionis). When the chair of the ruling bishop vacates, the coadjutor automatically becomes the ruling bishop, and the auxiliary bishop in a similar case retains only the power that he exercised when the see was occupied (CIC 409.1). “Coadjutor Bishop and Auxiliary Bishop,” according to the current Catholic Code of Canon Law. Churches - assist the diocesan bishop in the entire administration of the diocese and replace him in his absence or when there are obstacles for him” (CIC 405.2).
In addition to suffragan auxiliary bishops or coadjutors, who are appointed only in special cases, in all episcopal (diocesan) curiae the Catholic Church. Churches lat. ritual, there is a position of general V. (vicarius generalis), who is an assistant to the ruling bishop in the implementation of government, and in particular adm. bishop's rights. Until the 14th century. General V. were appointed only to vacant dioceses. Then they began to be appointed to those dioceses where the bishop was present. At the same time, however, the appointment or non-appointment of the general V. was left to the discretion of the diocesan bishop; the pope could force him to such an appointment only if the bishop was insufficiently familiar with canon law or if the bishopric was extensive. The current Code provides for the existence of the position of General V. in all bishops (CIC 475. 1).
If there is a coadjutor bishop or auxiliary bishop in a bishopric (diocese), then he becomes at the same time a general V. (CIC 406.1) or an episcopal V. (vicarius episcopalis; the position was established after the Second Vatican Council - Yurkovich. S. 116). In most dioceses where there are no suffragan bishops, the general bishop is appointed and, if necessary, dismissed by the ruling bishop himself from among the presbyters. Previously, he might not have had holy orders, but he must certainly belong to the clergy, that is, have a tonsure.
If the ruling bishop deems it appropriate, he may, in addition to the general V., appoint one or more. episcopal V., the powers of which differ from the powers of the general V. in that they exercise them only in relation to part of the bishopric, or to a certain group of believers, for example. to monastics, or on a certain range of issues.
General and episcopal V. are appointed from persons in presbyteral rank, “not younger than 30 years of age, having a doctorate or licentiate degree in canon law or theology, or at least truly knowledgeable in these sciences, known for adherence to the teachings of the Church (sancta doctrina), honesty, prudence and experience in business” (CIC 478.1). In this case, the general or episcopal V. cannot simultaneously be a canon-penitentiary or be related to the diocesan bishop up to the 4th degree inclusive. The powers of general and episcopal leaders are abolished in the event of a vacancy in the episcopal see.
“By virtue of the office itself, the vicar general in the entire diocese has executive power (potestas executiva), rightfully belonging to the diocesan Bishop, namely the power to issue all administrative acts - with the exception of those that the Bishop has reserved for himself, as well as those that according to the norms rights require a special mandate from the Bishop” (CIC 479.1). General and episcopal bishops are considered legally as one authority with the diocesal bishop, therefore appeals against their actions are submitted not to the diocesal bishop, but to a higher authority - the archbishop, in relation to whom the diocesal bishop is a suffragan (CIC 1438.1).
In Catholic In the Church, the term “vicar” is also used in relation to the head of the so-called. dean's office, i.e. a district consisting of several. parishes similar to the deanery districts of the Russian Orthodox Church. The dean, or vicarius foraneus, is also called archpriest. He is appointed by the ruling bishop, taking into account the opinion of the clergy of the deanery, for a certain period of time. In his deanery, the vicarius foraneus supports and coordinates joint pastoral activities, ensures that the clergy lead a life appropriate to their rank, takes care of the performance of divine services in accordance with liturgical regulations, oversees the correct maintenance of parish records and the expedient disposal of church property.
Parish rectors may also have assistants or deputies. The institution of parish V. appeared in the 12th century. (R. Striegl) due to a number of circumstances. Abbeys and chapters often became rectors of parishes as legal entities (this phenomenon, called the “incorporation” of parishes, arose in the 10th century and became increasingly widespread until the end of the Middle Ages). At the same time, persons were sometimes appointed to the position of parish rector who were exempt from the obligation to permanently reside in their parishes (i.e., parish income provided, in particular, the maintenance of clergy employed in administrative positions in the papal curia or the royal chancellery). Finally, despite repeated prohibitions, the practice of uniting several in the hands of one abbot continued. parishes In all such cases, there was a need to find V., who would actually perform pastoral duties. Vicariate positions were either lifelong (vicarius perpetuus) or temporary or removable (vicarius temporalis, amovabilis). V.'s rights and obligations, as well as the amount of support due to him, were determined by the agreement, which he concluded with the nominal rector of the parish. The common law of the Church throughout the Middle Ages left their relationship almost without any attention.
On Wednesday. centuries, in large parishes, especially in cities, other priests could be appointed to assist the parish rector. This position was called differently in different places: socii sacerdotes, adjutores, suffraganei, etc. - they were not classified as V.
The Code of Canon Law of 1917 (Can. 471-478) united under the concept of parish V. (vicarius paroecialis) a person who replaces the rector of the parish in his absence or if he could not fulfill his duties (vicarius substitutus, adiutor, etc.), and assistant rector (vicarius cooperator). In the current Code, the title "parochial vicar" is retained only for the latter office (CIC 545-552). V. can carry out pastoral service both within the entire parish, and in a certain part of it, or in relation to a special group of parishioners. Appointment to a position is made by the diocesan bishop. The rights and obligations of the parish V. are determined, in addition to general church law, by the statutes of the bishop and the mandate of the parish rector. There may be one or several in a parish. parish V.
A similar institution of parish V. exists in Protestants. churches. At the same time, due to the absence of the priesthood in these churches, the parish priests, as well as the rectors of the parishes, are not clergy in the proper sense of the word in any sense. Orthodox ecclesiology, due to the lack of succession of ordinations from the apostles in these churches, nor in accordance with the teaching of these churches themselves, which denies the sacramental nature of ordinations. The reality of the Anglican priesthood. Neither Orthodox nor Catholic is recognized by the church. Church, which also applies to the Anglicans. V., who has been ordained as an elder.
Source: Acts of the Moscow Councils of 1666 and 1667. M., 18932; Cathedral, 1918; Regulations on the management of the Russian Orthodox Church. M., 1945; CIC, 1983; Charter, 1989; Charter, 2000.
Lit.: Nikodim [Milash], bishop. Dalmatian. Orthodox church law. St. Petersburg, 1897. pp. 379-381; Pavlov A.S. Course of Church Law. Serg. P., 1902. P. 250-251; Suvorov N.S. Textbook of Church Law. M., 1912. S. 236-241; 261; Hartridge RAR A History of Vicarages in the Middle Ages. Camb., 1930; Fournier E. L'origine du vicaire général et des autres membres de la curie diocésaine. P., 1940. R. 283-400; Strigl R. Pfarrvikar // LTK. Bd. 8. Sp. 414; Naz R. Vicaire apostolique, auxiliaire, capitulaire et autr. //DDC. T. 7. Col. 1479-1504; Tsypin Vl., prot. Canon law. M., 1996. S. 283, 285, 287, 290; Yurkovich I., Rev. Canon law on the people of God and marriage. M., 2000. S. 115-116, 134-135.
Prot. Vladislav Tsypin, A. V. Busygin
Who is a vicar in the Orthodox Church
In general terms, a vicar is a deputy (especially considering the Latin origin of this word, which means exactly the word above). The position of vicar in the church involves the performance of some particularly important duties related to assistance to the main servant of the cathedral - the bishop or bishop.
In the Orthodox Church, the vicar (or bishop) is the primary assistant to the priest. At the same time, an important feature of this position is that the vicar cannot have his own diocese.
Vicar - a position in the Orthodox Church, equivalent to a deputy clergyman
It is characteristic that after several years in this position, the vicar can still become a priest, if the bishop and the diocese support this proposal. Therefore the position is not permanent.
In addition, in exceptional cases, the vicar may be entrusted with the management of a certain part of the diocese, more often when there is no priest in the church for some reason. Moreover, the history of Orthodoxy describes cases when a vicar was appointed manager of an entire city and his direct responsibilities included monitoring the conduct of services in city churches.
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- Bishop in Orthodoxy
Important!
In the church, vicar can also be referred to as suffragan bishop or suffragan bishop, emphasizing the nature of the position - replacing the main minister. Some Orthodox churches use another name for this position, namely: chorebishop. This term appeared in Russia during the reign of Peter I and finally took root during the reign of Catherine the Great.
