"A Word on Law and Grace"
The Russian Church was at that time a metropolitanate, part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The first metropolitans in Rus' were the Greeks, their installation took place in Constantinople. 63 years after the baptism of Rus' by St. Prince Vladimir, in 1051 an event of extreme importance occurs, as the Tale of Bygone Years informs us: “Yaroslav Larion appointed metropolitan, a Rusyn, in St. Sophia, having gathered bishops.” In addition to the affirmation of the increased independence of Rus', the election of Hilarion also meant recognition of his merits as an outstanding church figure, legislator, philosopher and preacher.
Hilarion († 1054), Metropolitan of Kiev (1051–1054), is characterized in chronicles as a man of exceptional learning, close to the court of Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise. Until 1051 - priest of the Church of the Holy Apostles in the village of Berestovo - the country residence of Yaroslav.
His famous “Sermon on Law and Grace” is an Easter sermon, delivered by him while still a priest between 1037 and 1050, possibly in the presence of Grand Duke Yaroslav in the Kiev Cathedral of St. Sofia, whose paintings are illustrations of what was said in the Lay (D.S. Likhachev). The main idea of this sermon is the superiority of Christianity over Judaism and paganism, Grace over the Law and “idolatrous flattery,” the victory and spread of the teachings of the “New Testament” among “new” peoples, primarily among the Russian people.
And the “decrepit”, that is, “old” Judaism was known to the Russians firsthand. The memories of the horrors of the Khazar yoke were still alive. The domination of the Jewish Khazars, the heavy tribute and raids that were ruinous for Rus', was ended soon after the Baptism of Rus': “and the lake of the Law dried up, but the source of the Gospel was flooded.” “So we, together with all Christians, glorify the Holy Trinity. But Judea is silent. Christ is glorified, but the Jews are cursed. The nations are brought in, but the Jews are rejected.”
Hilarion notes that the superiority of Christianity over Judaism also lies in Christianity’s affirmation of the equality of peoples before God. The Law was given to one people, Grace and Truth are salvation to the whole world, for “good and generously extends to all the ends of the earth.” And humanity, having accepted Christ, is no longer cramped in the Law, “but walks freely in Grace.”
Hilarion sets out the Christian concept of world history, at the same time foreseeing the great historical mission of the Russian land: “For the grace-filled faith has spread throughout the whole earth and has reached our Russian people.” Baptist of Rus' St. Hilarion compares Prince Vladimir with Emperor Constantine the Great, and Russian princes in general, “who during the time of their rule were known for their courage and bravery in many countries and are now remembered and glorified by victories and strength. For your dominion is not in a bad and unknown land, but in the Russian one, which is known and heard in all four corners of the earth.”
Metropolitan Hilarion laid the foundation for the tradition of “Pechersk monasticism” in Rus' (life and prayer in caves). While still a simple priest in the grand-ducal village of Berestovo, he went into the forest near Kyiv for solitude. Here, for prayer in solitude, he dug himself a small, two-story cave on the banks of the Dnieper. “Driven by God’s providence,” this cave was later found by the Athonite monk Anthony, who founded the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery on this site and became its first abbot. The famous monastery begins from this cave of Hilarion.
In the “History of the Russian Church” (volume 2) by Metropolitan Macarius it is written: “How he [Metropolitan Hilarion] later ruled the Russian Church in the rank of metropolitan, the chronicles are completely silent. We only know that he consecrated the Church of St. George, built in Kyiv by Grand Duke Yaroslav. It seems that the time of Hilarion’s rule of the Church was very short: under 1054, describing the burial of Grand Duke Yaroslav in the St. Sophia Cathedral, the chronicles speak only about the priests and not a single one about the metropolitan, and under 1055 the Novgorod chroniclers already mention the Metropolitan of Kiev Ephraim, who carried out the trial of the Novgorod bishop Luka Zhidyata: the memory of this event, which directly concerned Novgorod, could be faithfully preserved in local legends and records. The guess that Metropolitan Hilarion is hiding under the name of Ephraim is only in the schema, there is one guess, and we do not know that our metropolitans took over the schema and changed their names before retiring. In the Degree Book and some manuscripts, Metropolitan Hilarion is called a saint, but nowhere is it clear that he was canonized by the Church itself.”
However, the calendar of the official website of the publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate provides other information: “St. Hilarion was buried in the Kyiv caves. In the inscriptions of his works, in handwritten calendars and catalogs of saints, Saint Hilarion is invariably called a saint and a wonderful miracle worker. The stable liturgical veneration of him as a saint is attested in the services of the Kiev-Pechersk monk. Both in the service to the Council of Fathers of the Near Caves (September 28) and in the service to all the Kiev-Pechersk saints (2nd Sunday of Great Lent), he is listed along with other holy hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
Unfortunately, there is little biographical information about Metropolitan Hilarion. The chronicle did not even record the year of his death. And only based on the fact that the saint was no longer present at the burial of Prince Yaroslav the Wise († February 20, 1054), and in 1055 a new metropolitan arrived in Kyiv, it is believed that St. Hilarion reposed in 1053/54.
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Patriarchate in Rus'
In the sixteenth century, the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' appeared in Rus'.
First Patriarch - Job
He became Job, Archbishop of Rostov. He was appointed patriarch by the Patriarch of Constantinople Jeremiah the Second.
His achievements were:
- opening of new dioceses;
- founding of new monasteries;
- publication of liturgical books.
Job refused to swear allegiance to False Demetrius, and for this he was excommunicated by the rebels.
Second Patriarch - Hermogenes (Hermogenes)
At the request of Prince Shuisky, Hermogenes (Hermogenes) became the next Patriarch. His ministry was associated with the Time of Troubles. It was a difficult time for Rus' - wars, famine. The Patriarch fought the invaders as best he could, not blessing the Polish prince to take the Russian throne. During the famine, he opened the monastic storehouses to everyone. Hermogenes suffered a martyr's death - the Poles imprisoned him, where he died of hunger.
Third Patriarch - Filaret
One of the surviving heirs to the Russian throne was Fyodor Romanov-Yursky. He was the nephew of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. But upon the accession of Boris Godunov to the throne, Fyodor was imprisoned in a monastery and tonsured with the name Filaret. When, after the era of interregnum, his son, Mikhail, was elevated to the throne, Philaret began to be called Patriarch. He helps his son rule.
Fourth Patriarch - Joasaph I
Filaret after himself appointed Joasaph, Archbishop of Pskov, as Patriarch. He served on the Patriarchal throne for only six years, but accomplished a lot during this time. New monasteries were opened, liturgical books were printed and corrected.
Fifth Patriarch - Joseph
Next was Patriarch Joseph. It was he who took the first steps towards the reunification of Russia and Ukraine. A theological school was opened in the capital.
Sixth Patriarch - Nikon
Then Nikon, known as a great reformer, became Patriarch. He completely annexed Ukraine to Russia, ordered the two-finger sign of the cross with a three-finger one, and corrected the liturgical books. That is why schismatics - Old Believers - appeared.
Seventh Patriarch - Joasaph II
Then Joasaph the Second ascended to the patriarchal throne. He continued the work started by Nikon. Founded the Spassky Monastery.
Eighth Patriarch - Pitirim
Patriarch Pitirim served for less than a year, but managed to perform the Sacrament of baptism over the future Tsar Peter the Great. He founded a convent in Tver.
Ninth Patriarch - Joachim
Patriarch Joachim ruled during a difficult time for the country - the turmoil. He took measures to stop the Streltsy uprising.
Tenth Patriarch - Adrian
Patriarch Adrian was the last before the synodal period, which lasted two hundred years.
Eleventh Patriarch - Tikhon
After the break, Patriarch Tikhon was elected first, who became a martyr. His reign fell on a time of revolution in Rus'. Tikhon was canonized by the Orthodox Church.
Twelfth Patriarch - Sergius
In 1925, Sergius was elected Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens. He also ruled during the difficult times of the Great Patriotic War, helping to raise funds for weapons, the wounded and orphans. In 1943 he became Patriarch.
Thirteenth Patriarch - Alexy I
In 1945, Alexy the First became Patriarch. He helped restore churches destroyed by the Bolsheviks and established connections with foreign churches.
Fourteenth Patriarch - Pimen
In 1971, Pimen became Patriarch. He led the celebrations in honor of the millennium of the Baptism of Rus'.
Fifteenth Patriarch - Alexy II
In 1990, Alexy II ascended the patriarchal throne. This was a significant time of flourishing and restoration of the Orthodox faith in Rus'. Our homeland has been reborn after so many years of unbelief and apostasy, and the Patriarch has made a lot of efforts for this. He signed the act of canonical communion between the Russian and Foreign Churches.
Sixteenth Patriarch - Kirill
From 2009 to this day, Patriarch Kirill has ruled our Church. They have already made a lot of changes in ten years. He achieved the reunification of the Foreign Orthodox Church with the Russian.
Excerpts from “A Discourse on Law and Grace”
About the Law given through Moses, and about Grace and Truth revealed through Jesus Christ, and how the Law departed, (a) Grace and Truth filled the whole earth, and faith spread to all nations, and reached our Russian people. And praise to our prince Vladimir, by whom we were baptized. And a prayer to God from all our land.
...And the Jews were expelled and scattered throughout the countries, and the children of grace, Christians, became heirs of God and the Father. For the light of the moon departed when the sun shone, and so the Law departed when Grace appeared; and the cold of the night disappeared when the warmth of the sun warmed the earth. And humanity is no longer cramped in the Law, but walks freely in Grace. After all, the Jews, by the candle of the Law, made their justification, while Christians, by the grace of the sun, create their salvation.
Thus, the Jews were justified by the shadow and the Law, but were not saved, while Christians are not justified by Truth and Grace, but are saved. For the Jews have justification, but the Christians have salvation. And since justification is in this world, and salvation is in the Age to Come, Jews rejoice in earthly things, and Christians rejoice in things in Heaven.
And besides, the Jewish justification was stingy, because of jealousy, and did not extend to other nations, but only in Judea alone. Christian salvation is good and generously extends to all the edges of the earth. The blessing came true, for the seniority of Manasseh was blessed with the left hand of Jacob, and the youth of Ephraim with the right hand. Although Manasseh was older than Ephraim, he became less of a blessing to Jacob. So is Judaism: although it appeared earlier, through Grace Christianity became greater. When Joseph said to Jacob: “On this one, father, lay your right hand, for he is older,” Jacob answered: “I know, child, I know; and he will be exalted among men, but his younger brother will become greater than he, and his descendants will be among many nations.” And so it happened. The Law existed before, and ascended in small things, and departed; The Christian faith, having appeared later, became greater than the first and spread among many nations.
And Christ’s Grace embraced the whole earth and, like sea water, covered it. And all, having put aside the old, which had become dilapidated in the zeal of the Jews, they hold on to the new, according to the prophecy of Isaiah: “The old has passed away - I proclaim to you the new. Sing a new song to God and glorify His Name from the ends of the earth: those who walk on the sea, those who sail on it, and all the islands.” And again: “those who work for Me will be called by a new name, which will be blessed on earth, for they will bless the true God.”
After all, before in Jerusalem alone (God) was worshiped, but now throughout the whole earth. As Gideon said to God: If you save Israel with my hand, let there be only dew on the fleece, but let there be dryness on the whole earth. And so it became. For there was dryness all over the earth before: the peoples were possessed by idolatry’s lies; and therefore they do not accept the beneficial dew; Only in Judea was God known, and in Israel was His great name, and in Jerusalem alone was God glorified. Gideon also said to God: “Let there be dryness only on the fleece, but on the whole earth there will be dew.” And so it became.
For Judaism ended, and the Law departed. The sacrifices were not accepted, the ark and tablets, and the purification were taken away. The dew spread throughout the whole earth, faith spread throughout the whole earth, the rain of grace watered the font of the birth, (to) clothe his sons in incorruption...
Verily, Who is God as great as [our] God? He is a God who works miracles! He wrought salvation in the midst of the earth through the cross and flour at the place of the Skull, having tasted vinegar and gall, so that by tasting bitterness the crime and sin of Adam’s sweet eating would be cut off from the tree! Those who did this to Him stumbled over Him as against a stone, and were crushed, as the Lord said: He who falls on this stone will be crushed, and whoever falls on it will crush it. For he came to them in fulfillment of the prophecies spoken about Him, just as He said: I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And one more thing: I did not come to destroy [the Law], but to fulfill it. And to the Canaanite woman, a foreigner, asking for the healing of her daughter, he said: It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. They called Him a liar, and born of fornication, and (by the power of) Beelzebub casting out demons. Christ made their blind sighted, cleansed the lepers, straightened those who were bent, healed the demon-possessed, strengthened the paralytic, raised the dead. They tortured (Him) like a villain, nailing Him to the Cross. And therefore the wrath of God came upon them, mortal.
For they themselves hastened their destruction. When the Savior told the parable of the vineyard and the laborers: What will He do with these vinedressers? - They answered: he will put these evildoers to an evil death, and he will give the vineyard to other winegrowers, who will give him the fruit in their own time.
And they themselves were prophets of their own destruction, for He came to earth to visit them, and they did not receive Him. Since their deeds were dark, they did not love the light: their deeds would not have appeared, for (they are) dark. And that is why, approaching Jerusalem and seeing the hail, Jesus shed tears, saying about it: “If only you had understood in this day what is to your peace! Now it is hidden from your eyes that your time will come, and your enemies will build a palisade around you, and will offend you, and will surround you from everywhere, and will defeat you and your children within you, because you did not understand the time of your visit! And again: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to you! How many times have I wanted to gather your children together, like a bird gathers its chicks under its wings, and you did not want to! Behold, your house is left to you empty, just as it happened, for the Romans came, captured Jerusalem and destroyed it to the ground. Since then, Judaism has perished, and the law with it, like the dawn of the evening, has faded away, and the Jews were scattered throughout the countries - may evil not remain in the community!
After all, the Savior came and was not received by Israel. And, according to the Gospel word, he came to his own, and his own did not receive Him. He was accepted by the pagans, as Jacob said: and He is the hope of the nations, for even after His birth the wise men from the pagans first worshiped Him, and the Jews sought to kill Him, and because of Him the massacre of the infants took place. And the word of the Savior came true, that many would come from the east and the west and lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven; and the sons of the Kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. And also, that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who bear its fruits, for He sent His disciples to them, saying: Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you.
And it was fitting for Grace and Truth to shine over the new nations. For, according to the words of the Lord, they do not pour the wine of the new, grace-filled teaching into old wineskins that have become worn out in Judaism: the skins burst and the wine flows out. Those who failed to retain the shadows of the Law, who worshiped idols so many times, how will they retain the teaching of true Grace! But a new teaching goes into new wineskins, new nations: both are preserved. This is true. For the grace-filled faith has spread throughout the entire earth and has reached our Russian people. And the lake of the law dried up, but the fountain of the gospel was filled with waters and covered the whole earth, and overflowed to us. After all, we and all Christians are already glorifying the Holy Trinity, but Judea is silent. Christ is glorified, and the Jews are cursed, the pagans are brought in, and the Jews are rejected, as (the Lord through) the prophet Malachi said: “I have no need of the children of Israel, neither will I accept sacrifice at their hands, for from the east and the west my name is glorified in the countries and in every place incense is offered to My Name, for My Name is great among the nations.” And David: Let all the earth worship You and sing to You; and: Lord our Lord, wonderful is Your Name throughout all the earth! And we are no longer called idolaters, but Christians; not without hope, but trusting in Eternal Life...
And so, being strangers, we were called the people of God, and, being enemies, we were called His sons. And we do not blaspheme in the Jewish way, but we bless in the Christian way, and we do not gather council to crucify (Him), but to worship the Crucified One. We do not crucify the Savior, but we raise our hands to Him. We do not pierce the ribs, but from them we drink from the source of incorruption. We do not earn thirty pieces of silver from Him, but we commend each other and our whole life to Him. We do not hide the Resurrection, but in all our homes we proclaim: Christ is risen from the dead! We do not say that (He) was stolen, but (that) He ascended to where He was. We do not disbelieve, but, like Peter, we say to Him: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and with Thomas: “You are our Lord and God,” and with the thief: “Remember us.” Lord, in Your Kingdom!
The Roman country praises with a laudatory voice Peter and Paul, from them they believed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Asia and Ephesus, and Patmos - John the Theologian. India - Thomas, Egypt - Mark. All countries, cities, and peoples honor and glorify each their teacher, who taught them the Orthodox faith. Let us also, according to our strength, with small praises, do great and wondrous things, our teacher and mentor, the great prince of our land Vladimir, the grandson of old Igor, the son of the glorious Svyatoslav, who during the times of their rule were known for their courage and bravery in many countries and now they are remembered and glorified by victories and strength. For your dominion is not in a bad and unknown land, but in the Russian one, which is known and heard in all four corners of the earth...”
More about St. Grand Duke Vladimir:
“Like the Great Constantine, equal to him in mind, equally Christ-loving, equally honoring His servants! He, with the holy fathers of the Council of Nicea, laid down the Law for people (all), but you, with our new fathers, the bishops, gathered often and consulted with great humility how to establish the Law among this people, who had newly come to know the Lord. He conquered the kingdom of the Hellenes and Romans to God, but you – Rus'. Now not only among them, but also among us, Christ is called King. He and his mother Elena brought the Cross from Jerusalem and, having sent it throughout the world, confirmed the faith. You and your grandmother Olga brought the Cross from New Jerusalem, the City of Constantine, and, placing it on your entire land, confirmed the faith. For you are like him."
Full text translated by A. Belitskaya: https://old-russian.chat.ru/13ilarion.htm
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Orthodoxy during the years of Soviet power
In 1917, a huge revolution took place in our country - after the October Revolution, the monarchy fell, power passed to the Bolsheviks. Hard times began for the Orthodox Church in Rus'. The bloody leaders (Lenin and Stalin) persecuted believers, exiled them to camps where they died, and gave orders to shoot clergymen. Temples were destroyed, icons were burned.
But, thanks to these persecutions, the number of angelic martyrs for the faith was significantly replenished. It was then that it became clear who really truly believes in Christ. Persecution, like a litmus test, showed whose faith is true . Believers, without fear, courageously professed their faith in these difficult times, joyfully went to prison and to death.
The revolution gave our church a colossal number of new martyrs, holy martyrs (bishops, priests who suffered for the faith). In those difficult times, some churches did not close; services were held there, which sometimes ended in the shooting of parishioners and clergy.
Apparently, our people needed such a bloody time for cleansing and insight.
During the Great Patriotic War, only faith and prayer . Stalin, who had hitherto persecuted the church, gave the order to open churches and return priests from the battlefield. The people were resurrected, everyone prayed with faith for victory, they walked in processions with miraculous icons. And a miracle happened: despite the superiority of the invaders’ armed forces, the Russian army won.
Many attribute this miracle to the intercession of the Queen of Heaven , to whom fervent prayers were offered at that time. Rus' remembered that it was called “saint” and showed its revival.
However, after the victory in the war there was no stable flowering of the Orthodox faith in Rus'. The people seemed to relax again, there were very few temples, and the destroyed temples were not restored. People went to church very little, and participated in the Sacraments even less. During the years of Khrushchev's rule, people were afraid to baptize a child in a church, fearing publicity and dismissal from work.
During the Thaw, believers were considered crazy. And during the time of Brezhnev’s “stagnation,” the attitude towards believers was no better. They were often laughed at and shamed. Throughout the country, active atheistic propaganda was carried out in schools and industries. And on the eve of major church holidays, believers were persuaded not to attend church, and young people were lured with popular concerts on television for Easter.
But after Soviet power collapsed in our country, atheism fell along with it. churches began to be built and restored , monasteries were opened, which were often museums. The churches began to be given back to churches and monasteries, which during the years of Soviet power had turned into cinemas, clubs, gas stations, shops, book depositories, vegetable warehouses and even residential buildings. The Russian people flocked to the church in droves. It’s as if our country has woken up from a heavy sleep. And this heyday continues to this day.
Peter I died
Discussion: 2 comments
- Grigory Razorenov:
11/19/2014 at 00:00A number of researchers believe that Hilarion could take the schema under the name Nikon and die in 1078, being the abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery. But this is only an assumption by some researchers.
- Christina:
04/23/2015 at 00:00
Seems ok, but a short answer is better
Church hierarchy
In the Roman Empire, the main cities of the provinces were called metropolises.
A bishop who had a cathedra, that is, his own residence, was called a metropolitan in the metropolis. Metropolitan is the highest title of a bishop. And the bishop (supervisor, overseer), in turn, has the highest third degree of priesthood, after the deacon and presbyter (he is also a priest, he is also a priest). Therefore, a bishop is often called a bishop. “Archi” is a particle that came from the Greek language and serves to designate a high church rank. The bishops governed the dioceses and were subordinate to the metropolitan. If the diocese was large, then the bishops or bishops who ruled it were called archbishops. In the Russian Orthodox Church, this honorary title follows immediately after metropolitan.
The very first
Rus' was baptized at the end of the 10th century under Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich. In most cases it is stated that in 988, but some historians also call 991. There is also no exact data about the first Metropolitan of Kiev. But since the 16th century it has been generally accepted that he was Michael. He also had the name Syrian, because by nationality he was either Greek or Syrian.
It is believed that Metropolitan Michael and the monks who arrived with him built the Golden Dome-Mikhailovsky and Kiev-Mezhegorsky monasteries. The primacy is disputed by Metropolitan Leonty; some sources call him the first metropolitan with the same reign dates - 992-1008. Then came Theophylact, John I, Theopempt, Cyril I the Greek. The reign dates of each are disputed. It should be noted that they were all foreigners.
One of the most ancient
It should be noted that metropolitan is the most ancient title in the Christian church. Some church researchers believe that the apostles were metropolitans, others attribute the emergence of this jurisdiction to the 2nd century, when the need arose to centralize church power.
And in 325 and 341 at the Council of Bishops, this rank was simply finally established. Powers were prescribed, which increased significantly in scope. Everything was legalized and regulated and should no longer cause any controversy. The Council of Toledo, held in 589, further expanded the rights of the metropolitan - now he could punish the bishops under his jurisdiction. In general, Christian teaching was formed at the Councils of the 4th – 8th centuries. The following years did not bring any significant changes.
External differences
These highest church ranks are externally distinguished by their headdress - a hood. Bishops wear black, archbishops wear black with a cross made of precious metals and stones, and metropolitans wear white hoods with the same cross. They also differ in their robes. So, for bishops and archbishops they are purple or dark red, for the metropolitan - blue, the Patriarch wears a green mantle. During Lent, all episcopate robes are black. Metropolitan is an honorary title. The assignment of such a title is a kind of reward, a badge of distinction given for merit. In the Russian Orthodox Church, bishops are awarded the ranks of archbishops and metropolitans for personal services to the church. They are also given for length of service.
