Church rank of archpriest. Orthodox church hierarchy

What is the difference between white clergy and black clergy?

In the Russian Orthodox Church there is a certain church hierarchy and structure. First of all, the clergy are divided into two categories - white and black. How do they differ from each other? © The white clergy include married clergy who did not take monastic vows. They are allowed to have a family and children.

When they talk about the black clergy, they mean monks ordained to the priesthood. They devote their whole lives to the service of the Lord and take three monastic vows - chastity, obedience and non-acquisition (voluntary poverty).

Before being ordained, a person who is going to take holy orders must make a choice - to marry or become a monk. After ordination, it is no longer possible for a priest to marry. Priests who did not marry before taking ordination sometimes choose celibacy instead of being tonsured monks - they take a vow of celibacy.

church hierarchy

In Orthodoxy, there are three degrees of priesthood. Deacons are at the first level. They help to conduct divine services and rituals in churches, but they themselves cannot conduct services and perform the sacraments. Church ministers belonging to the white clergy are simply called deacons, and monks ordained to this rank are called hierodeacons.

Among the deacons, the most worthy can receive the rank of protodeacon, and among the hierodeacons, the archdeacons are the eldest. Special place in this hierarchy is occupied by the patriarchal archdeacon, who serves under the patriarch. He belongs to the white clergy, and not to the black, like other archdeacons.

The second degree of priesthood is the priests. They can independently conduct services, as well as perform most of the sacraments, except for the sacrament of ordination to the holy order. If a priest belongs to the white clergy, he is called a priest or presbyter, and if he belongs to the black clergy, a hieromonk.

A priest can be elevated to the rank of archpriest, that is, a senior priest, and a hieromonk to the rank of abbot. Often archpriests are abbots of churches, and abbots are abbots of monasteries.

The highest priestly title for the white clergy, the title of protopresbyter, is awarded to priests for special merits. This rank corresponds to the rank of archimandrite in the black clergy.

Priests belonging to the third and the highest degree priesthood are called bishops. They have the right to perform all the sacraments, including the sacrament of ordination to the rank of other priests. Bishops manage church life and lead dioceses. They are divided into bishops, archbishops, metropolitans.

Only a clergyman belonging to the black clergy can become a bishop. A priest who has been married can only be elevated to the rank of bishop if he becomes a monk. He can do this if his wife has died or has also taken the veil as a nun in another diocese.

The patriarch heads the local church. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church is Patriarch Kirill. In addition to the Moscow Patriarchate, there are other Orthodox patriarchates in the world - Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Georgian, Serbian, Romanian and Bulgarian.

What is a church hierarchy? This is an ordered system that determines the place of each church minister, his duties. The system of hierarchy in the church is very complex, and it originated in 1504 after the event, which was called the "Great Church Schism". After it, they got the opportunity to develop autonomously, independently.

First of all, the church hierarchy singles out white and black monasticism. Representatives of the black clergy are called upon to lead the most ascetic way of life. They cannot marry, live in the world. Such ranks are doomed to lead either a wandering or an isolated way of life.

White clergy may lead more privileged lives.

The hierarchy of the ROC implies that (in accordance with the Code of Honor) the head is the Patriarch of Constantinople, who bears an official, symbolic title

However, formally the Russian Church does not submit to him. The church hierarchy considers the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to be the head. He occupies the highest level, but exercises power and control in unity with the Holy Synod. It consists of 9 people who are selected on a different basis. By tradition, the metropolitans of Krutitsy, Minsk, Kyiv, St. Petersburg are its permanent members. The five remaining members of the Synod are invited, and their episcopacy should not exceed six months. The permanent member of the Synod is the Chairman of the intra-church department.

The church hierarchy calls the highest ranks, which manage the dioceses (territorial-administrative church districts), the next most important step. They bear the unifying title of bishops. These include:

• metropolitans;
• bishops;
• archimandrites.

Bishops are subordinate to priests, who are considered the main ones in the field, in city or other parishes. From the type of activity, the duties that are assigned to them, the priests are divided into priests and archpriests. The person who is entrusted with the direct management of the parish bears the title of Rector.

The younger clergy are already subordinate to him: deacons and priests, whose duties are to help the Rector, other, higher spiritual ranks.

Speaking of spiritual titles, one should not forget that the hierarchies of churches (not to be confused with the church hierarchy!) allow slightly different interpretations of spiritual titles and, accordingly, give them different names. The hierarchy of churches implies the division into the Churches of the Eastern and Western rites, their smaller varieties (for example, Post-Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, etc.)

All of the above titles apply to white clergy. The black church hierarchy is distinguished by more stringent requirements for people who have taken the dignity. The highest level of black monasticism is the Great Schema. It implies complete alienation from the world. In Russian monasteries, the great schemniks live separately from everyone else, do not engage in any obedience, but spend day and night in unceasing prayers. Sometimes those who have taken the Great Schema become hermits and limit their lives to many optional vows.

It precedes the Great Schema Small. It also involves the fulfillment of a number of obligatory and optional vows, the most important of which are: virginity and non-possession. Their task is to prepare the monk for the acceptance of the Great Schema, to completely cleanse him of sins.

The cassock monks can accept the small schema. This is the lowest level of black monasticism, which is entered immediately after tonsure.

Before each hierarchical level, the monks undergo special rites, they change their name and are assigned. When changing the title, vows become tougher, the attire changes.

(who used this term for the first time), a continuation of the heavenly hierarchy: a three-degree sacred system, whose representatives communicate divine grace to the church people through worship. At present, the hierarchy is a “class” of clergy (clergy) divided into three degrees (“rank”) and in a broad sense corresponds to the concept of clergy.

The structure of the modern hierarchical ladder of the Russian Orthodox Church for greater clarity can be represented by the following table:

The lower clerics (clerks) are outside this three-stage structure: subdeacons, readers, singers, altar servers, sexton, church watchmen and others.

Orthodox, Catholics, as well as representatives of the ancient Eastern (“pre-Chalcedonian”) Churches (Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, etc.) base their hierarchy on the concept of “apostolic succession”. The latter is understood as a retrospective continuous (!) sequence of a long chain of episcopal consecrations, going back to the apostles themselves, who ordained the first bishops as their sovereign successors. Thus, "apostolic succession" is a concrete ("material") succession of episcopal ordination. Therefore, the bearers and custodians of the internal "apostolic grace" and the external hierarchical authority in the Church are the bishops (hierarchs). Based on this criterion, Protestant confessions and sects, as well as our non-priest Old Believers, do not have a hierarchy, since representatives of their “clergy” (leaders of communities and liturgical meetings) are only elected (appointed) for church administrative service, but not possess an inner gift of grace communicated in the sacrament of the priesthood and alone giving the right to perform the sacraments. (A special issue is the legitimacy of the Anglican hierarchy, which has long been debated by theologians.)

Representatives of each of the three degrees of priesthood differ among themselves "by grace" granted to them during the elevation (consecration) to a specific degree, or "impersonal holiness", which is not related to the subjective qualities of the clergyman. The bishop, as the successor of the apostles, has full liturgical and administrative powers within his diocese. (The head of a local Orthodox Church, whether autonomous or autocephalous, is an archbishop, metropolitan or patriarch, is only "first among equals" within the episcopate of his Church). He has the right to perform all the sacraments, including successively raising to the sacred degrees (ordaining) representatives of his clergy and clergy. Only the consecration of a bishop is performed by a "sobor" or at least two other bishops, as determined by the head of the Church and the synod that is under him. A representative of the second degree of the priesthood (priest) has the right to perform all the sacraments, except for any ordination or ordination (even as a reader). His complete dependence on the bishop, who was in ancient church the primary performer of all the sacraments, is also expressed in the fact that he performs the sacrament of chrismation in the presence of the chrism previously consecrated by the patriarch (replacing the laying on of hands of the bishop on the head of a person), and the Eucharist only in the presence of the antimension received by him from the ruling bishop. The representative of the lowest degree of the hierarchy, the deacon, is only a co-servant and assistant to the bishop or priest, who does not have the right to perform a single sacrament and divine service according to the “priestly order”. In case of emergency, he can only baptize according to the "worldly order"; and he performs his cell (home) prayer rule and divine services of the daily cycle (Hours) according to the Book of Hours or the “worldly” Prayer Book, without priestly exclamations and prayers.

All representatives within the same hierarchical degree are equal to each other "by grace", giving them the right to strictly certain circle liturgical powers and actions (in this aspect, a newly ordained village priest is no different from an honored protopresbyter - rector of the main parish church of the Russian Church). The difference is only in administrative seniority and honor. This is emphasized by the ceremony of successive elevation to the ranks of one degree of priesthood (deacon - to protodeacon, hieromonk - to abbot, etc.). It occurs at the Liturgy during the entrance with the Gospel outside the altar, in the middle of the temple, as when rewarding with some element of vestment (gaiter, club, miter), which symbolizes the preservation of the level of “impersonal holiness” given to him during ordination. At the same time, the elevation (consecration) to each of the three degrees of the priesthood takes place only inside the altar, which means the transition of the ordained to a qualitatively new ontological level of liturgical existence.

The history of the development of the hierarchy in ancient period Christianity has not been fully elucidated, only the firm formation of the modern three degrees of priesthood by the 3rd century is indisputable. with the simultaneous disappearance of the early Christian archaic degrees (prophets, didaskalov- "charismatic teachers", etc.). Much longer was the formation of the modern order of "ranks" (ranks, or gradations) within each of the three degrees of the hierarchy. The meaning of their original names, reflecting a specific activity, has changed significantly. So, hegumen (gr. egu? menos- letters. ruling,leading, - of the same root as "hegemon" and "hegemon"!), Initially - the head of a monastic community or monastery, whose power is based on personal authority, a spiritually experienced person, but the same monk as the rest of the "brotherhood", who does not have any sacred degree. At present, the term "abbot" indicates only a representative of the second rank of the second degree of priesthood. At the same time, he can be the rector of a monastery, a parish church (or an ordinary priest of this church), but also just staff member spiritual educational institution or economic (or other) department of the Moscow Patriarchate, whose official duties are not directly related to his holy dignity. Therefore, in this case, promotion to the next rank (rank) is simply an increase in rank, an official award “for length of service”, for an anniversary or for another reason (similar to the assignment of another military degree not for participation in military campaigns or maneuvers).

3) In scientific and general speech usage, the word "hierarchy" means:
a) the arrangement of parts or elements of the whole (any construction or a logically complete structure) in descending order - from the highest to the lowest (or vice versa);
b) a strict arrangement of service ranks and ranks in the order of their subordination, both civil and military ("hierarchical ladder"). The latter are typologically the closest to the sacred hierarchy and also a three-degree structure (rank and file - officers - generals).

Lit.: The clergy of the ancient universal Church from the time of the apostles to IXav. M., 1905; Zom R. Lebedev A.P. On the Origin of the Early Christian Hierarchy. Sergiev Posad, 1907; Mirkovich L. Orthodox Liturgy. Prvi opshti deo. Another edition. Beograd, 1965 (in Aserb.); Felmi K. H. Introduction to Modern Orthodox Theology. M., 1999. S. 254-271; Afanasiev N., prot. Holy Spirit. K., 2005; The Study of Liturgy: Revised edition / Ed. by C. Jones, G. Wainwright, E. Yarnold S. J., P. Bradshaw. – 2nd ed. London-New York, 1993 (Chap. IV: Ordination. P. 339-398).

BISHOP

ARCHIER (gr. archiereus) - in pagan religions - "high priest" (this is the literal meaning of this term), in Rome - Pontifex maximus; in the Septuagint - the highest representative of the Old Testament priesthood - the high priest (). In the New Testament - the naming of Jesus Christ (), who did not belong to the Aaronic priesthood (see Melchizedek). In the modern Orthodox Greek-Slavic tradition, the generic name for all representatives of the highest degree of hierarchy, or "episcopate" (that is, the bishops proper, archbishops, metropolitans and patriarchs). See Episcopate, Clergy, Hierarchy, Clergy.

DEACON

DEACON, DEACON (gr. diakonos- "servant", "servant") - in the ancient Christian communities - an assistant to the bishop heading the Eucharistic meeting. The first mention of D. - in the messages of St. Paul (and). His closeness to a representative of the highest degree of priesthood was expressed in the fact that the administrative powers of D. (actually - the archdeacon) often placed him above the priest (especially in the West). The church tradition, genetically elevating the modern diaconate to the "seven men" of the book of the Acts of the Apostles (6:2-6, - not named at all here by D.!), is very vulnerable in scientific terms.

At present, D. is a representative of the lower, first degree of the church hierarchy, “a minister of the word of God,” whose liturgical duties consist mainly in loud reading of the Holy Scriptures (“evangelism”), proclaiming on behalf of the praying litanies, and incense of the temple. The church charter provides for his assistance to the priest performing the proskomedia. D. does not have the right to perform a single divine service and even independently put on his liturgical clothes, but must each time ask for this "blessing" of the clergyman. The purely auxiliary liturgical function of D. is emphasized by his elevation to this rank at the Liturgy after the Eucharistic canon (and even at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, which does not contain the Eucharistic canon). (At the request of the ruling bishop, this can also happen at other times.) He is only a “servant (servant) during the priesthood” or “Levite” (). A priest can do without D. at all (this takes place mainly in poor rural parishes). liturgical vestments D .: surplice, orarion and handrails. Out-of-service clothing, like that of a priest, is a cassock and a cassock (but without a cross over the cassock worn by the latter). The official address to D., found in the old literature, “Your good news” or “Your blessing” (now not used). The appeal “Your Reverend” can be considered competent only in relation to the monastic D. The everyday appeal is “Father D.” or "father name", or simply by name and patronymic.

The term "D.", without specification ("simply" D.), indicates his belonging to the white clergy. A representative of the same lower rank in the black clergy (monastic D.) is called a “hierodeacon” (lit. “priest deacon”). He has the same vestments as D. from the white clergy; but outside of worship he wears clothes common to all monks. The representative of the second (and last) rank of the deaconate among the white clergy is the “protodeacon” (“first D.”), historically the eldest (in the liturgical aspect) among several D. serving together in a large temple (cathedral). It is distinguished by a "double orarion" and a kamilavka purple(given as a reward). The rank of protodeacon itself is currently a reward, so there can be more than one protodeacon in one cathedral. The first among several hierodeacons (in a monastery) is called an “archdeacon” (“senior D.”). A hierodeacon who constantly serves with a bishop is also usually elevated to the rank of archdeacon. Like the protodeacon, he has a double orarion and a kamilavka (the latter is black); non-liturgical clothes - the same as those of a hierodeacon.

In ancient times, there was an institution of deaconesses ("servants"), whose duties consisted mainly in caring for sick women, in preparing women for baptism, and in serving priests at their baptism "for the sake of propriety." St. (+403) explains in detail the special position of deaconesses in connection with their participation in this sacrament, while decisively excluding them from participation in the Eucharist. But, according to the Byzantine tradition, the deaconesses received a special ordination (similar to the deacon's) and participated in the communion of women; at the same time, they had the right to enter the altar and take St. bowl directly from the throne (!). The revival of the institution of deaconesses in Western Christianity has been observed since the 19th century. In 1911, the first community of deaconesses in Moscow was supposed to be opened. The issue of the revival of this institution was discussed at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1917-18, but, due to the circumstances of the time, no decision was made.

Lit.: Zom R. Church system in the first centuries of Christianity. M., 1906, p. 196-207; Kirill (Gundyaev), archim. To the question of the origin of the diaconate // Theological works. M., 1975. Sat. 13, p. 201-207; AT. Deaconesses in the Orthodox Church. SPb., 1912.

DIACONATE

DIACONATE (DIACONATE) - the lowest degree of church Orthodox hierarchy, which includes 1) a deacon and a protodeacon (representatives of the "white clergy") and 2) a hierodeacon and an archdeacon (representatives of the "black clergy". See Deacon, Hierarchy.

EPISCOPATH

EPISCOPATH is the collective name of the highest (third) degree of priesthood of the Orthodox church hierarchy. Representatives of E., also collectively referred to as bishops or hierarchs, are currently distributed, in order of administrative seniority, into the following ranks.

Bishop(Greek episkopos - lit. overseer, guardian) - an independent and authorized representative of the "local church" - the diocese headed by him, therefore called the "diocese". His distinctive non-liturgical clothing is the cassock. black hood and staff. Appeal - Your Eminence. A special variety - the so-called. vicar bishop (lat. vicarius- deputy, governor), who is only an assistant to the ruling bishop of a large diocese (metropolis). He is in his direct jurisdiction, executing orders for the affairs of the diocese, and bears the title of one of the cities in its territory. There may be one vicar bishop in a diocese (in the St. Petersburg Metropolis, with the title of "Tikhvinsky") or several (in the Moscow Metropolis).

Archbishop("senior bishop") - a representative of the second rank E. The ruling bishop is usually elevated to this rank for some merit or after a certain time (as a reward). He differs from the bishop only in the presence of a pearl cross sewn on a black klobuk (above the forehead). Appeal - Your Eminence.

Metropolitan(from Greek. meter- "mother" and polis- "city"), in the Christian Roman Empire - the bishop of the metropolis ("mother of cities"), the main city of a region or province (diocese). A metropolitan can also be the head of a Church that does not have the status of a patriarchate (until 1589 the Russian Church was ruled by a metropolitan with the title first of Kyiv and then of Moscow). The rank of metropolitan is currently bestowed on a bishop either as a reward (after the rank of archbishop) or in the case of transfer to a cathedra with the status of a metropolia (St. Petersburg, Krutitskaya). Distinguishing feature - white cowl with a pearl cross. Appeal - Your Eminence.

exarch(Greek head, leader) - the name of the church-hierarchical degree, dating from the 4th century. Initially, this title was borne by representatives of only the most prominent metropolises (some later turned into patriarchates), as well as by extraordinary representatives of the patriarchs of Constantinople, who were sent by them to the dioceses on special assignments. In Russia, this title was first adopted in 1700, after the death of Patr. Adrian, locum tenens of the patriarchal throne. The head was also called exarch Georgian Church(since 1811) during the period of its entry into the Russian Orthodox Church. In the 60s - 80s. 20th century some parishes abroad of the Russian Church were united on a territorial basis into the exarchates "Western European", "Central European", "Central and South American". The governing hierarchs could be in rank below the metropolitan. A special position was occupied by the Metropolitan of Kyiv, who bore the title "Patriarchal Exarch of Ukraine". Currently, only the Metropolitan of Minsk (“Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus”) bears the title of exarch.

Patriarch(lit. "ancestor") - a representative of the highest administrative rank E., - the head, otherwise the primate ("standing in front"), of the Autocephalous Church. characteristic distinguishing feature- a white headdress with a pearl cross fixed above it. The official title of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church is "His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia". Appeal - Your Holiness.

Lit.: Charter on the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church. M., 1989; see article Hierarchy.

PRIEST

JEREY (gr. hiereus) - in a broad sense - "sacrificer" ("priest"), "clergyman" (from hiereuo - "sacrifice"). In Greek language is used both to refer to the servants of pagan (mythological) gods, and the true One God, i.e., Old Testament and Christian priests. (In the Russian tradition, pagan priests are called "priests".) In the narrow sense, in Orthodox liturgical terminology, I. is a representative of the lowest rank of the second degree of the Orthodox priesthood (see table). Synonyms: priest, presbyter, priest (obsolete).

IPODEACON

SUBDEACON, SUBDEACON (from the Greek. hupo- "under" and diakonos- "deacon", "servant") - an Orthodox clergyman, occupying a position in the hierarchy of the lower clergy below the deacon, his assistant (which fixes the naming), but above the reader. At the initiation into I., the initiate (reader) is dressed over the surplice in a cross-shaped orarion, and the bishop reads a prayer with the laying of his hand on his head. In ancient times, I. was ranked among the clergy and no longer had the right to marry (if he was single before being elevated to this rank).

Traditionally, I.'s duties included taking care of sacred vessels and altar covers, guarding the altar, taking catechumens out of the church during the Liturgy, and others. and are associated with the custom of the Roman Church not to exceed the number of deacons in one city above seven (see). At present, subdeacon service can only be seen during the bishop's service. Subdeacons are not in the clergy of one church, but are assigned to the staff of a certain bishop. They accompany him on his obligatory trips to the temples of the diocese, serve during the divine service – they dress him before the start of the service, supply water for washing his hands, participate in specific ceremonies and activities that are absent during regular worship, and also perform various extra-church assignments. Most often, I. are students of theological educational institutions, for whom this service becomes a necessary step towards further ascent along the hierarchical ladder. The bishop himself tonsures his I. into monasticism, ordains them to the holy order, preparing them for further independent service. An important succession can be traced in this: many modern hierarchs have gone through the “subdeacon schools” of prominent bishops of the older generation (sometimes even pre-revolutionary ordination), inheriting their rich liturgical culture, system of church theological views and manner of communication. See Deacon, Hierarchy, Consecration.

Lit.: Zom R. Church system in the first centuries of Christianity. M., 1906; Veniamin (Rumovsky-Krasnopevkov V. F.), archbishop. The New Tablet, or the Explanation of the Church, the Liturgy, and all services and church utensils. M., 1992. T. 2. S. 266-269; The writings of the blessed Simeon, archbishop Thessalonian. M., 1994. S. 213-218.

CLERGY

CLIR (Greek - “lot”, “share inherited by lot”) - in a broad sense - a set of clergy (clergy) and clergy (subdeacons, readers, singers, sexton, altars). “Clerics are so called because they are elected to church degrees in the same way that Matthias, appointed by the apostles, was chosen by lot” (Bless Augustine). In relation to the temple (church) ministry, people are divided into the following categories.

I. In the Old Testament: 1) "clergy" (high priests, priests and "Levites" (lower ministers) and 2) the people. The principle of hierarchy here is “tribal”, therefore, “clerics” are only representatives of the “tribe” (tribe) of Levi: the high priests are direct representatives of the Aaron clan; priests - representatives of the same kind, but not necessarily direct; Levites are representatives of other genera of the same tribe. "People" - representatives of all other tribes of Israel (as well as non-Israelis who accepted the religion of Moses).

II. In the New Testament: 1) "clergy" (priests and clergy) and 2) the people. The national criterion is abolished. All male Christians who meet certain canonical standards can become priests and clergymen. The participation of women is allowed (auxiliary positions: “deaconesses” in the Ancient Church, singers, servants in the temple, etc.), while they are not considered “clerics” (see Deacon). The “people” (laity) are all other Christians. In the Ancient Church, the "people", in turn, was divided into 1) laymen and 2) monks (when this institution arose). The latter differed from the "laity" only in their way of life, occupying the same position in relation to the clergy (taking holy orders was considered incompatible with the monastic ideal). However, this criterion was not absolute, and soon the monks began to occupy the highest church positions. The content of the concept of K. has changed over the centuries, acquiring rather contradictory meanings. So, in the broadest sense, the concept of K. includes, along with priests and deacons, the higher clergy (episcopate, or bishopric), - so for: clergy (ordo) and laity (plebs). On the contrary, in a narrow sense, also recorded in the first centuries of Christianity, K. are only clergy below the deacon (our clerks). In the Old Russian Church, the clergy is a combination of altar and non-altar ministers, with the exception of the bishop. Modern K. in a broad sense includes both clergy (ordained clergy) and clergy, or clerks (see Pritch).

Lit.: On the Old Testament Priesthood // Christ. Reading. 1879. Part 2; Titov G., priest. Controversy on the question of the Old Testament priesthood and the essence of priestly ministry in general. SPb., 1882; and under the article Hierarchy.

LOCAL tenens

LOCAL tenens - a person temporarily acting as a high-ranking state or church figure (synonyms: governor, exarch, vicar). In Russian church tradition so called only "M. patriarchal throne,” a bishop who governs the Church after the death of one patriarch until the election of another. The best known in this capacity are Mr. , mitp. Peter (Polyansky) and Met. Sergius (Stragorodsky), who became Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in 1943.

PATRIARCH

PATRIARCH (PATRIARCHI) (gr. patriarches-“ancestor”, “forefather”) is an important term of the biblical-Christian religious tradition, used mainly in the following meanings.

1. The Bible calls P.-mi, firstly, the ancestors of all mankind (“antediluvian P.-i”), and secondly, the ancestors of the people of Israel (“forefathers of the people of God”). They all lived before the Mosaic Law (cf. Old Testament) and therefore were the exclusive guardians of the true religion. The first ten P., from Adam to Noah, whose symbolic genealogy is represented by the book of Genesis (Chapter 5), were endowed with extraordinary longevity, necessary for the preservation of the promises entrusted to them on this first earthly history after the fall. Of these, Enoch stands out, who lived “only” 365 years, “because God took him” (), and his son Methuselah, on the contrary, lived longer than others, 969 years, and died, according to Jewish tradition, in the year of the flood (hence the expression “ Methuselah, or Methuselah, age"). The second category of biblical P. begins with Abraham, the founder of a new generation of believers.

2. P. - a representative of the highest rank of the Christian church hierarchy. The title of P. in a strict canonical sense was established by the Fourth Ecumenical (Chalcedon) Council of 451, which assigned it to the bishops of the five main Christian centers, determining their order in diptychs according to the "seniority of honor." The first place belonged to the bishop of Rome, followed by the bishops of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. Later, the title of P. was also given to the heads of other Churches, moreover, the P. of Constantinople, after breaking with Rome (1054), received primacy in the Orthodox world.

In Russia, the patriarchate (as a form of government by the Church) was established in 1589. (before that, the Church was ruled by metropolitans with the title first "of Kyiv", and then "of Moscow and all Russia"). Later, the Russian patriarch was approved by the eastern patriarchs as the fifth in seniority (after Jerusalem). The first period of patriarchy lasted 111 years and actually ended with the death of the tenth Patriarch Adrian (1700), and legally - in 1721, with the abolition of the very institution of patriarchy and its replacement by a collective body of church government - the Holy Governing Synod. (From 1700 to 1721 the Church was ruled by Metropolitan Stefan Yavorsky of Ryazan with the title of "locum tenens of the patriarchal throne".) The second patriarchal period, which began with the restoration of the patriarchate in 1917, continues to the present.

Currently, there are the following Orthodox patriarchates: Constantinople (Turkey), Alexandria (Egypt), Antioch (Syria), Jerusalem, Moscow, Georgian, Serbian, Romanian and Bulgarian.

In addition, the heads of some other Christian (Eastern) Churches have the title of P. - the Armenian (P.-Catholicos), Maronite, Nestorian, Ethiopian, and others. crusades in the Christian East there are so-called. "Latin patriarchs" who are in the canonical subordination of the Roman Church. The same title, in the form of an honorary distinction, has some Western Catholic bishops (Venetian, Lisbon).

Lit.: Old Testament doctrine in the time of the patriarchs. SPb., 1886; Roberson R. Eastern Christian Churches. SPb., 1999.

SEXTON

SEXTON (or "paramonar" - Greek. paramonarios,- from paramone, lat. mansio - "stay", "finding“) is a church clerk, a lower servant (“deacon”), who originally performed the function of a watchman of sacred places and monasteries (outside and inside the fence). P. is mentioned in the 2nd rule IV Ecumenical Council(451). In the Latin translation of church rules - "mansionary" (mansionarius), the gatekeeper in the temple. considers it his duty to light the lamps during worship and calls him "the guardian of the church." Perhaps, in ancient times, Byzantine P. corresponded to the Western villicus (“manager”, “manager”) - a person who controlled the choice and use of church things during worship (our later sacristan or sakellarium). According to the “Instructive News” of the Slavic Missal (calling P. “the servant of the altar”), his duties are to “... bring prosphora, wine, water, incense and fire to the altar, light and extinguish candles, prepare and serve the priest a censer and warmth, often and with reverence to clean and clean the entire altar, as well as the floors from all dirt and the walls and ceiling from dust and cobwebs ”(Missile. Part II. M., 1977. S. 544-545). In the Typicon, P. is called "paraecclesiarch" or "candilo-igniter" (from kandela, lampas - "lamp", "lamp"). The northern (left) doors of the iconostasis, leading to that part of the altar where the indicated ponomari accessories are located and which are mainly used by P., are therefore called “ponomarskie”. Currently, in the Orthodox Church, there is no special position of P.: in monasteries, the duties of P. mainly lie with novices and simple monks (who do not have ordination), and in parish practice they are distributed among readers, altar servers, watchmen and cleaners. Hence the expression "read like a sexton" and the name of the watchman's room at the temple - "office mark".

PRESBYTER

presbyter (gr. presbuteros-"elder", "elder") - in the liturgical. terminology - a representative of the lowest rank of the second degree of the Orthodox hierarchy (see table). Synonyms: priest, priest, priest (obsolete).

presbytery

PRIEST (priest, priesthood) - the common (generic) name of representatives of the second degree of the Orthodox hierarchy (see table)

PRIT

PRICHT, or CHURCH RECEPTION (Glory. pricht- "composition", "assembly", from Ch. wail- "rank", "attach") - in the narrow sense - the totality of the lower clergy, outside the three-level hierarchy. In a broad sense - a combination of both clergy, or clergy (see clergy), and actually clerks, together making up the staff of one orthodox. temple (church). The latter include a psalmist (reader), sexton, or deacon, priest-bearer, and singers. In prerev. In Russia, the composition of the P. was determined by the states approved by the consistory and the bishop, and depended on the size of the parish. A parish with a population of up to 700 souls, male. the floor was supposed to be P. from the priest and psalmist, for a parish with a large population - P. from the priest, deacon and psalmist. P. populous and wealthy parishes could consist of several. priests, deacons and clerks. The bishop requested the permission of the Synod to establish a new P. or change states. Incomes P. developed ch. arr. from the payment for the commission of P. rural churches were provided with land (at least 33 tithes per P.), some of them lived in the church. houses, that is. part with ser. 19th century received a government salary. According to the church The charter of 1988 defines P. as a priest, a deacon, and a psalm reader. The number of members of the P. changes at the request of the parish and in accordance with its needs, but cannot be less than 2 people. - a priest and a psalmist. The head of P. is the rector of the temple: a priest or archpriest.

PRIEST - see Priest, Presbyter, Hierarchy, Clear, Consecration

CHIROTESIA - see Chirotonia

HIROTONIA

HIROTONY - the external form of the sacrament of the priesthood, in fact, its culminating moment - the action of the laying on of hands on the rightly chosen protege being elevated to the priesthood.

In ancient Greek language word cheirotonia means giving votes in the popular assembly through a show of hands, i.e. elections. In modern Greek language (and church usage) we find two close terms: cheirotonia, consecration - "ordination" and cheirothesia, chirothesia - "laying on of hands". The Greek Euchologion refers to each appointment (ascension to the rank) - from the reader to the bishop (see Hierarchy) - X. In the Russian Official and liturgical manuals, they are used as Greek left without translation. terms, as well as their glory. equivalents, which are artificially distinguished, although not completely strictly.

Appointment 1) of a bishop: ordination and H.; 2) presbyter (priest) and deacon: ordination and H.; 3) subdeacon: H., initiation and ordination; 4) reader and singer: initiation and chirothesia. In practice, one usually speaks of the "ordination" of a bishop and the "ordination" of a priest and a deacon, although both words have an identical meaning, going back to the same Greek. term.

T. arr., X. communicates the grace of the priesthood and is the elevation ("ordination") to one of the three degrees of the priesthood; it is performed in the altar and at the same time the prayer "Divine grace ..." is read. Hirotesia, however, is not “ordination” in the proper sense, but only serves as a sign of the admission of a person (clerk, - see) to the performance of some lower church service. Therefore, it is performed in the middle of the temple and without reading the prayer “Divine grace ...” An exception to this terminological differentiation is allowed only in relation to the subdeacon, which for the present time is an anachronism, a reminder of his place in the ancient church hierarchy.

In the ancient Byzantine manuscript Euchologies, the rank of Ch. deaconess, once widespread in the Orthodox world, is preserved, similar to Ch. deacon (also in front of the holy throne and with the reading of the prayer “Divine grace ...”). Printed books no longer contain it. Euchologion J. Goar gives this order not in the main text, but among the variants of the manuscripts, the so-called. variae lectiones (Goar J. Eucologion sive Rituale Graecorum. Ed. secunda. Venetiis, 1730, pp. 218-222).

In addition to these terms for designating ordination to fundamentally different hierarchical degrees - actually priestly and lower "clerical", there are also others that indicate the elevation to various "church ranks" (ranks, "positions") within one degree of priesthood. “The work of the archdeacon, ... abbot, ... archimandrite”; "Following the hedgehog to create a protopresbyter"; "The Elevation of an Archdeacon or Protodeacon, Protopresbyter or Archpriest, Hegumen or Archimandrite".

Lit.: Protege. Kyiv, 1904; Neselovsky A. Orders of ordinations and ordinations. Kamenetz-Podolsk, 1906; A guide to the study of the Rule of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church. M., 1995. S. 701-721; Vagaggini C. L" ordinazione delle diaconesse nella tradizione greca e bizantina // Orientalia Christiana Periodica. Roma, 1974. No. 41; or T. under the articles Bishop, Hierarchy, Deacon, Priest, Priesthood.

APPENDIX

ENOCH

INOK - Old Russian. the name of a monk, otherwise - black. Well. R. - a monk, we are modern. - nun (nun, blueberry).

The origin of the name is explained in two ways. 1. I. - "lonely" (as a translation of the Greek monos - "one", "lonely"; monachos - "hermit", "monk"). “A monk will be called, one who converses with God day and night” (“Pandekty” by Nikon Chernogorets, 36). 2. Another interpretation derives the name of I. from a different way of life who has become a monk: he “otherwise should lead his life from worldly behavior” ( , holy Complete Church Slavonic Dictionary. M., 1993, p. 223).

In modern Russian Orthodox church usage, “monk” is not called a monk in the proper sense, but cassock(Greek “wearing a cassock”) of a novice, until he is tonsured into the “small schema” (due to the final acceptance of monastic vows and the naming of a new name). I. - as if "novice monk"; in addition to the cassock, he also receives a kamilavka. I. retains a worldly name and is free to stop his obedience at any time and return to his former life, which, according to Orthodox laws, is no longer possible for a monk.

Monasticism (in the old sense) - monasticism, blueberry. To be monastic is to lead a monastic life.

LAYMAN

LAYER - one who lives in the world, a secular ("worldly") person who does not belong to the clergy and to monasticism.

M. is a representative of the church people, who takes part in prayer in church services. At home, he can perform all the services listed in the Book of Hours, Prayer Book or other liturgical collection, omitting priestly exclamations and prayers, as well as deacon litanies (if they are contained in the liturgical text). In case of emergency (in the absence of a clergyman and mortal danger), M. can perform the sacrament of baptism. In the first centuries of Christianity, the rights of the laity incomparably surpassed modern ones, extending to the election not only of the rector of the parish church, but even of the diocesan bishop. In ancient and medieval Russia, M. were subject to the general princely judicial administration. institutions, in contrast to the people of the church, who were under the jurisdiction of the metropolitan and bishop.

Lit.: Afanasiev N. Ministry of the Laity in the Church. M., 1995; Filatov S."Anarchism" of the Laity in Russian Orthodoxy: Traditions and Perspectives // Pages: Journal of Bibl.-Bogosl. in-ta ap. Andrew. M., 1999. N 4: 1; Minney R. Lay Participation in Religious Education in Russia // Ibid.; Laity in the Church: Proceedings of the International. theological conf. M., 1999.

SACRISTAN

PRINTER (Greek sakellarium, sakellarios):
1) head of royal clothes, royal bodyguard; 2) in monasteries and cathedrals - the custodian of church utensils, the dean.

One of the main directions in Christianity is Orthodoxy. It is practiced by millions of people around the world: in Russia, Greece, Armenia, Georgia and other countries. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is considered the guardian of the main shrines in Palestine. exist even in Alaska and Japan. Icons hang in the homes of Orthodox believers, which are picturesque images of Jesus Christ and all the saints. In the 11th century, the Christian Church split into Orthodox and Catholic. Today the majority Orthodox people lives in Russia, since one of the oldest churches is the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by the patriarch.

Jerey - who is this?

There are three levels of priesthood: deacon, priest, and bishop. Then the priest - who is this? This is the name of a priest of the lowest rank of the second degree of the Orthodox priesthood, who, with the blessing of the bishop, is allowed to independently conduct six church sacraments, except for the sacrament of ordination.

Many are interested in the origin of the title of priest. Who is this and how does he differ from a hieromonk? It should be noted that the very word Greek translated as "priest", in the Russian Church - this is a priest, who in the monastic rank is called a hieromonk. in an official or solemn speech It is customary to address priests as "Your Reverend". Priests and hieromonks have the right to lead church life in urban and rural parishes and they are called rectors.

The deeds of the priests

Priests and hieromonks in the era of great upheavals for the sake of faith sacrificed themselves and everything that they had. This is how true Christians held on to saving faith in Christ. The church never forgets their real ascetic feat and honors them with all honors. Not everyone knows how many priests-priests died in the years of terrible trials. Their feat was so great that it is impossible to even imagine.

Hieromartyr Sergius

Priest Sergiy Mechev was born on September 17, 1892 in Moscow into the family of priest Alexei Mechev. After graduating from the gymnasium with a silver medal, he went to study at Moscow University at the Faculty of Medicine, but then transferred to the Faculty of History and Philology and graduated in 1917. During his student years, he attended the theological circle named after John Chrysostom. During the war years of 1914, Mechev worked as a brother of mercy on an ambulance train. In 1917, he often visited Patriarch Tikhon, who treated him with special attention. In 1918, he received a blessing to accept the priesthood from After that, already being Father Sergius, he never abandoned his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the most difficult times, having gone through camps and exile, he did not renounce it even under torture, for which he was shot. December 24, 1941 within the walls of the Yaroslavl NKVD. Sergius Mechev was canonized as a holy new martyr in 2000 by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Confessor Alexei

Priest Alexei Usenko was born into the family of the psalmist Dmitry Usenko on March 15, 1873. Having received a seminary education, he was ordained a priest and began to serve in one of the villages of Zaporozhye. So he would have labored in his humble prayers, if not for the revolution of 1917. In the 1920s and 1930s, he was not particularly affected by persecution. Soviet power. But in 1936, in the village of Timoshovka, Mikhailovsky District, where he lived with his family, the local authorities closed the church. He was already 64 years old then. Then Priest Alexei went to work on the collective farm, but as a priest he continued his sermons, and everywhere there were people who were ready to listen to him. The authorities did not accept this and sent him to distant exiles and prisons. Priest Aleksei Usenko meekly endured all the hardships and humiliations and was faithful to Christ and the Holy Church until the end of his days. He probably died in BAMLAG (Baikal-Amur camp) - the day and place of his death are not known for certain, most likely he was buried in a camp mass grave. The Zaporozhye diocese appealed to the Holy Synod of the UOC to consider the issue of including Priest Oleksiy Usenko as a locally venerated saint.

Hieromartyr Andrew

Priest Andrey Benediktov was born on October 29, 1885 in the village of Voronino in the Nizhny Novgorod province in the family of priest Nikolai Benediktov.

He, along with other clergy of Orthodox churches and laity, was arrested on August 6, 1937 and accused of anti-Soviet conversations and participation in counter-revolutionary church conspiracies. Priest Andrei pleaded not guilty and did not testify against others. It was a real priestly feat, he died for his unshakable faith in Christ. He was canonized as a saint by the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000.

Vasily Gundyaev

He was the grandfather of the Russian Patriarch Kirill and also became one of the brightest examples of real service to the Orthodox Church. Vasily was born on January 18, 1907 in Astrakhan. A little later, his family moved to the Nizhny Novgorod province, to the city of Lukyanov. Vasily worked in a railway depot as a machinist. He was a very religious man, and raised his children in the fear of God. The family lived very modestly. Once, Patriarch Kirill said that, as a child, he asked his grandfather where he had put the money and why he had not saved anything either before or after the revolution. He replied that he sent all the funds to Athos. And so, when the patriarch ended up on Athos, he decided to check this fact, and, in principle, not surprisingly, it turned out to be true. In the monastery of Simonometra there are old archival records from the beginning of the 20th century for the eternal commemoration of Priest Vasily Gundyaev.

During the years of the revolution and severe trials, the priest defended and kept his faith to the end. He spent about 30 years in persecution and imprisonment, during which time he spent time in 46 prisons and 7 camps. But these years did not break Vasily's faith, he died an eighty-year old man on October 31, 1969 in the village of Obrochnoye, Mordovian region. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, being a student at the Leningrad Academy, participated in the funeral of his grandfather along with his father and relatives, who also became priests.

"Jerei-san"

A very interesting feature film was shot by Russian filmmakers in 2014. Its name is "Jerei-san". The audience immediately had a lot of questions. Jerey - who is this? Who will be discussed in the picture? The idea of ​​the film was suggested by Ivan Okhlobystin, who once saw a real Japanese in the temple among the priests. This fact plunged him into deep reflection and study.

It turns out that Hieromonk Nikolai Kasatkin (Japanese) came to Japan in 1861, at the time of the persecution of foreigners from the islands, risking his life with a mission to spread Orthodoxy. He devoted several years to studying Japanese, culture and philosophy in order to translate the Bible into this language. And now, a few years later, or rather in 1868, the priest was waylaid by the samurai Takuma Sawabe, who wanted to kill him for preaching alien things to the Japanese. But the priest did not flinch and said: “How can you kill me if you don’t know why?” He offered to tell about the life of Christ. And imbued with the story of the priest, Takuma, being Japanese samurai, became an Orthodox priest - Father Paul. He went through many trials, lost his family, his estate and became right hand Father Nicholas.

In 1906, Nicholas of Japan was elevated to the rank of archbishop. In the same year, the Kyoto Vicariate was founded. Orthodox Church in Japan. He died on February 16, 1912. Equal-to-the-Apostles Nicholas of Japan canonized as a saint.

In conclusion, I would like to note that all the people discussed in the article kept their faith like a spark from a big fire and carried it around the world so that the people would know that there is no greater truth than Christian Orthodoxy.