Monastic orders in the Orthodox Church. church hierarchy

The emergence of Christianity is associated with the coming to earth of the son of God - Jesus Christ. He miraculously incarnated from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, grew up and matured as a man. At the age of 33, he went to preach in Palestine, called twelve disciples, performed miracles, denounced the Pharisees and Jewish high priests.

He was arrested, tried and subjected to a shameful execution by crucifixion. On the third day he rose again and appeared to his disciples. On the 50th day after the resurrection, he was taken up to God's palaces to his Father.

Christian worldview and dogmas

The Christian church was formed over 2 thousand years ago. It is difficult to determine the exact time of its beginning, since the events of its occurrence are not documented. official sources. The study of this issue is based on the books of the New Testament. According to these texts, the church arose after the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles (the feast of Pentecost) and the beginning of their preaching of the word of God among people.

The rise of the apostolic church

The apostles, after gaining the ability to understand and speak all languages, went around the world preaching a new doctrine based on love. This teaching was based on the Jewish tradition of worship of the one God, the foundations of which are set forth in the books of the prophet Moses (Pentateuch of Moses) - the Torah. The new faith proposed the concept of the Trinity, which singled out three hypostases in the one God:

The main difference between Christianity was the priority of God's love over the law, while the law itself was not canceled, but supplemented.

Development and dissemination of the doctrine

Preachers followed from village to village, after their departure, the adepts that arose united in communities and led the recommended way of life, ignoring the old foundations that contradict the new dogmas. Many officials of that time did not accept the emerging doctrine, which limited their influence and called into question many established provisions. Persecution began, many followers of Christ were tortured and executed, but this only strengthened the spirit of Christians and expanded their ranks.

By the fourth century, communities had grown throughout the Mediterranean and even widened beyond its borders. Byzantine Emperor Constantine was imbued with the depth of the new teaching and began to establish it within his empire. Three saints: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, developed and structured the teaching, approving the order of worship, the formulation of dogmas and the canonicity of the sources. The hierarchical structure is being strengthened, several local Churches are emerging.

The further development of Christianity takes place rapidly and over vast areas, but at the same time two traditions of worship and dogmas arise. They develop each in their own way, and in 1054 there is a final split into Catholics who professed the Western tradition, and Orthodox supporters of the Eastern tradition. Mutual claims and accusations lead to the impossibility of mutual liturgical and spiritual communion. The Catholic Church regards the Pope as its head. The Eastern Church includes several patriarchates formed at different times.

Orthodox communities with patriarchy status

Each patriarchy is headed by a patriarch. Patriarchates may include Autocephalous Churches, Exarchates, Metropolises and Dioceses. The table lists modern churches that profess Orthodoxy and have patriarchal status:

• Constantinople, formed by the Apostle Andrew in 38. From 451, it receives the status of Patriarchate.
• Alexandria. It is believed that the apostle Mark was its founder around the year 42, in 451 the ruling bishop received the title of patriarch.
• Antioch. Founded in the 30s AD. e. apostles Paul and Peter.
• Jerusalem. Tradition claims that at first (in the 60s) it was headed by relatives of Joseph and Mary.
• Russian. Founded in 988, an autocephalous metropolia since 1448, in 1589 a patriarchate was introduced.
• Georgian Orthodox Church.
• Serbian. Receives autocephaly in 1219.
• Romanian. Since 1885 officially receives autocephaly.
• Bulgarian. In 870, she achieved autonomy. But only in 1953 was it recognized as a patriarchy.
• Cypriot. It was founded in 47 by the apostles Paul and Barnabas. He received autocephaly in 431.
• Helladic. She achieved autocephaly in 1850.
• Polish and Albanian Orthodox churches. Gained autonomy in 1921 and 1926, respectively.
• Czechoslovakian. The baptism of the Czechs began in the 10th century, but only in 1951 did they receive autocephaly from the Moscow Patriarchate.
• Orthodox Church in America. Recognized in 1998 by the Church of Constantinople, it is considered the last Orthodox Church to receive patriarchy.

The head of the Orthodox Church is Jesus Christ. It is governed by its primate patriarch, consists of members of the church, people who profess the teachings of the church, who have passed the sacrament of baptism, and regularly participate in divine services and sacraments. All people who consider themselves members are represented by a hierarchy in Orthodox Church, the scheme of their division includes three communities - the laity, the clergy and the clergy:

• The laity are members of the church who attend services and take part in the sacraments performed by the clergy.
• The clergy are pious laymen who perform the obedience of the clergy. They ensure the approved functioning of the church life. With their help, the cleaning, protection and decoration of churches (workers), ensuring the external conditions for the order of worship and the sacraments (readers, sextons, altar servers, subdeacons), economic activity churches (treasurers, elders), as well as missionary and educational work (teachers, catechists and educators).
• Priests or clerics are divided into white and black clergy and include all church ranks: deacons, priesthood and bishops.

The white clergy include churchmen who have passed the sacrament of ordination, but have not taken monastic vows. Among lower ranks distinguish between such titles as deacon and protodeacon, who received grace to perform the prescribed actions, helping to lead the service.

The next rank is the presbyter, they have the right to perform most of the sacraments accepted in the church, their ranks in the Orthodox Church in ascending order: priest, archpriest and the highest - mitred archpriest. Among the people they are called fathers, priests or priests, their duty is to be rectors of churches, head parishes and associations of parishes (deanery).

The black clergy include church members who have taken monastic vows that limit the freedom of a monk. Consistently, tonsure into the cassock, mantle, and schema are distinguished. Monks usually live in a monastery. At the same time, the monk is given a new name. A monk who has passed the deacon's ordination is transferred to the hierodeacon, he is deprived of the opportunity to perform almost all the sacraments of the church.

After priestly ordination (performed only by a bishop, as in the case of the ordination of a priest), the monk is given the rank of hieromonk, the right to perform many sacraments, to head parishes and deaneries. The following ranks in monasticism are called - hegumen and archimandrite or sacred archimandrite. Wearing them presupposes taking the position of senior leader of the monastic brethren and the economy of the monastery.

The next hierarchical community is called the episcopate, it is formed only from the black clergy. In addition to bishops, here archbishops and metropolitans are distinguished by seniority. Episcopal ordination is called consecration and is carried out by a college of bishops. It is from this community that the heads of dioceses, metropolitanates, and exarchates are appointed. It is customary for the people to address the heads of dioceses as a bishop or bishop.

These are the signs that distinguish church members from other citizens.

Priesthood - people chosen to serve the Eucharist and pastor - care, spiritual nourishment of believers. he first chose 12 apostles, and then 70 more, giving them the power to forgive sins, to perform the most important sacred rites (which became known as the Sacraments). The priest in the Sacraments acts not by his own power, but by the grace of the Holy Spirit, bestowed by the Lord after His Resurrection (John 20, 22-23) to the apostles, transmitted from them to the bishops, and from the bishops to the priests in the Sacrament of ordination (from the Greek. Heirotonia - consecration).

The very principle of the organization of the New Testament is hierarchical: just as Christ is the head of the Church, so the priest is the head of the Christian community. The priest for the flock is the image of Christ. Christ is a shepherd, He commanded the Apostle Peter: "...feed my sheep" (John 21:17). To feed the sheep means to continue the work of Christ on earth and bring people to salvation. The Orthodox Church teaches that there is no salvation outside the Church, and salvation can be achieved by loving and fulfilling the commandments of God and participating in the Sacraments of the Church, in which the Lord Himself is present, giving His help. And the assistant and mediator of God in all the Sacraments of the Church, according to the commandment of God, is the priest. And therefore his ministry is sacred.

The priest is a symbol of Christ

The most important Sacrament of the Church is the Eucharist. The priest celebrating the Eucharist symbolizes Christ. That is why the liturgy is impossible without a priest. Archpriest Sergiy Pravdolyubov, rector of the Church of the Life-Giving in Troitskoye-Golenishchevo (Moscow), master of theology, explains: “The priest, standing before the Throne, repeats the words of the Lord Himself at the Last Supper: “Take, eat, this is My Body ...” And in the Cherubim song he pronounces the following words: “You are the One Who Offers and the One Who Offers, and the One Who accepts this Sacrifice, and the One Who is distributed to all believers - Christ our God ...” The priest performs the ritual with his own hands, repeating everything that Christ Himself did. And he does not repeat these actions and does not reproduce, i.e., does not “imitate”, but, figuratively speaking, “pierces time” and is completely inexplicable for the usual picture of spatio-temporal connections - his actions coincide with the actions of the Lord Himself, and in his words - with the words of the Lord! That is why the liturgy is called Divine. She's served once by the Lord Himself in the time and space of the Upper Room of Zion, but outside time and space, in the abiding Divine Eternity. This is the paradox of the doctrine of the Priesthood and the Eucharist. Orthodox theologians insist on this, and this is how the Church believes.

A layman cannot in any way be replaced by a layman, not only “because of his human ignorance”, as it is written in ancient Slavic books, let a layman be an academician - no one gave him the power to do what he cannot dare to do without receiving the gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit through ordination, coming from the apostles themselves and the men of the apostles.

The Orthodox Church attaches exceptional importance to the holy dignity. The Monk Silouan of Athos wrote about the high dignity of the priesthood: “Priests bear in themselves such great grace that if people could see the glory of this grace, the whole world would be surprised at it, but the Lord hid it so that His servants would not become proud, but would be saved in humility.” ... A great person is a priest, a servant at the Throne of God. Whoever offends him offends the Holy Spirit who lives in him ... "

Priest - Witness in the Sacrament of Confession

Without a priest, the Sacrament of Confession is impossible. The priest is endowed by God with the right to pronounce forgiveness of sins in the name of God. The Lord Jesus Christ said to the apostles: “What you bind on earth will be bound on, and what you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 18:18). This power to "bind and loose" passed, as the Church believes, from the apostles to their successors - bishops and priests. However, the confession itself is brought not to the priest, but to Christ, and the priest here is only a "witness", as it is said in the order of the Sacrament. Why do you need a witness when you can confess to God Himself? The Church, establishing confession before a priest, took into account the subjective factor: many are not ashamed of God, because they do not see Him, but confess to a person ashamed, but it is a saving shame that helps to overcome sin. In addition, as explains, “the priest is a spiritual mentor, helping to find the right path to overcome sin. He is called not only to become a witness of repentance, but also to help a person with spiritual advice, to support him (many come with great sorrows). No one demands submission from the laity - this is free communication based on trust in the priest, mutual creative process. Our task is to help you choose the right solution. I always encourage my parishioners to feel free to tell me that they failed to follow any of my advice. Perhaps I was mistaken, I did not appreciate the strength of this person.

Another ministry of the priest is preaching. To preach, to carry the Good News of salvation is also Christ, a direct continuation of his work, and therefore this service is also sacred.

The priest cannot exist without the people

In the Old Testament Church, the participation of the people in worship was reduced to passive presence. In the Christian Church, the priesthood is inextricably linked with the people of God, and one cannot exist without the other: just as a community cannot be a Church without a priest, so a priest cannot be such without a community. The priest is not the sole performer of the Sacraments: all the Sacraments are performed by him with the participation of the people, together with the people. It happens that a priest is forced to serve alone, without parishioners. And, although the rite of the liturgy does not provide similar situations and it is assumed that a meeting of people participates in the service, yet in this case the priest is not alone, because, as well as the deceased, along with him, offer a bloodless sacrifice.

Who can become a priest?

In ancient Israel, only people born to the tribe of Levi could become priests: for everyone else, the priesthood was inaccessible. The Levites were dedicated, chosen to serve God - they alone had the right to make sacrifices, offer prayers. The New Testament priesthood has a new meaning: the Old Testament sacrifices, as the apostle Paul says, could not deliver mankind from slavery to sin: “It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins…” (Heb. 10:4-11). Therefore, Christ sacrificed Himself, becoming both the Priest and the Sacrifice. Not belonging by birth to the tribe of Levi, He became the only true “High Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 109:4). Melchizedek, who once met Abraham, brought bread and wine and blessed him (Heb. 7:3), was an Old Testament type of Christ. Having given His Body to death and shedding His Blood for people, having given this Body and this Blood to the faithful under the guise of bread and wine in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, creating His Church, which became the New Israel, Christ abolished the Old Testament Church with its sacrifices and the Levitical priesthood, removed the veil, separating the Holy of Holies from the people, destroyed the insurmountable wall between sacred Levitism and the profane people.

Priest of the Orthodox Church, explains Archpriest Sergiy Pravdolyubov, “any pious virtuous person who fulfills all the commandments and rules of the church, who has sufficient training, is married to the first and only girl of the Orthodox faith, is not disabled with a physical obstacle to use his hands and feet (otherwise he will not be able to perform the liturgy, take out the Chalice with the Saints Darami) and mentally sound.

church hierarchy- these are the three degrees of the priesthood in their subordination and the degree of the administrative hierarchy of the clergy.

clergymen

Servants of the Church who, in the Sacrament of the Priesthood, receive a special gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit for the performance of the sacraments and worship, teaching people Christian faith and administration of the affairs of the Church. There are three levels of priesthood: deacon, priest, and bishop. In addition, the entire clergy is divided into "white" - married or celibate priests and "black" - priests who have taken monastic vows.

A bishop is appointed by a council of bishops (i.e., several bishops together) in the Sacrament of the Priesthood by means of a special episcopal consecration, i.e., ordination.

In the modern Russian tradition, only a monk can become a bishop.

The bishop has the right to perform all sacraments and church services.

As a rule, a bishop stands at the head of a diocese, a church district, and ministers to all the parish and monastic communities included in his diocese, but he can also perform special general church and diocesan obediences without having his own diocese.

Ranks of bishops

Bishop

Archbishop- oldest, most honored
bishop.

Metropolitan- Bishop of the main city, region or province
or the most distinguished bishop.

vicar(lat. viceroy) - a bishop - an assistant to another bishop or his viceroy.

Patriarch- Chief Bishop of the Local Orthodox Church.

The priest is delivered by the bishop in the Sacrament of the Priesthood by means of priestly ordination, i.e., ordination.

The priest can perform all divine services and sacraments, except for the consecration of the world (the oil used in the Sacrament of Chrismation) and antimins (a special board consecrated and signed by the bishop on which the liturgy is performed), and the Sacraments of the Priesthood - they can only be performed by the bishop.

A priest, like a deacon, as a rule, serves in a particular church, is assigned to it.

The priest at the head of the parish community is called the rector.

Ranks of priests

from the white clergy
Priest

Archpriest- the first of the priests, usually an honored priest.

Protopresbyter- a special title, rarely assigned, as a reward for the most worthy and honored priests, usually rectors of cathedrals.

from the black clergy

Hieromonk

Archimandrite(Greek head of the sheepfold) - in ancient times the rector of individual famous monasteries, in modern tradition - the most honored hieromonk or abbot of the monastery.

hegumen(Greek presenter)

currently the abbot of the monastery. Until 2011 - Honored Hieromonk. When leaving office
the abbot's title of abbot is retained. Awarded
the rank of abbot until 2011 and who are not abbots of monasteries, this title is left.

A bishop consecrates a deacon in the Sacrament of the Priesthood by way of deacon's ordination, i.e., ordination.

The deacon assists the bishop or priest in the performance of divine services and sacraments.

The participation of a deacon in worship services is not required.

Ranks of deacons

from the white clergy
Deacon

Protodeacon- senior deacon

from the black clergy

Hierodeacon

Archdeacon- senior hierodeacon

clergymen

They are not part of the main clergy hierarchy. These are the ministers of the Church who are appointed to their position not in the Sacrament of the Priesthood, but through ordination, that is, with the blessing of the bishop. They do not have a special gift of the grace of the Sacrament of the Priesthood and are assistants to the clergy.

subdeacon- participates in hierarchal worship as an assistant to the bishop.

Psalm reader/reader, chanter- reads and sings during worship.

sexton/altar boy- most common name worship assistants. Calls the faithful to worship by ringing the bells, helps at the altar during worship. Sometimes the duty to ring the bells is entrusted to special ministers - bell ringers, but such an opportunity is far from being in every parish.

Priest and archpriest are the titles of Orthodox priests. They are assigned to the so-called white clergy - those clergymen who do not take a vow of celibacy, create families and have children. What is the difference between a priest and an archpriest? There are differences between them, we will talk about them now.

What do the titles "priest" and "archpriest" mean?

Both words are of Greek origin. "Priest" has long been used in Greece to designate a priest and literally means "priest". And "archpriest" means "high priest." The system of church titles began to take shape from the first centuries of Christianity, both in the Western, Catholic, Church, and in the Eastern, Orthodox, most of the terms for designating different ranks of the priesthood are Greek, since the religion originated in the east of the Roman Empire, and the first adepts were predominantly Greeks .

The difference between a priest and an archpriest is that the second term is used to name priests who are on a higher rung of the church hierarchy. The title "archpriest" is given to a clergyman who already has the title of priest as a reward for services to the church. In different Orthodox churches, the conditions for conferring the title of archpriest are slightly different. In the Russian Orthodox Church, a priest can become an archpriest five years (not earlier) after he has been awarded a pectoral cross (worn over his clothes). Or ten years after consecration (in this case, consecration to the priesthood), but only after he has been appointed to a leading church position.

Comparison

In Orthodoxy, there are three degrees of priesthood. The first (lower) is a deacon (deacon), the second is a priest (priest) and the third, highest, is a bishop (bishop or saint). Priest and archpriest, as it is easy to understand, belong to the middle (second) step Orthodox hierarchy. In this they are similar, but what is the difference between them, besides the fact that the title of "archpriest" is given as a reward?

Archpriests are usually abbots (that is, senior priests) of churches, parishes, or monasteries. They are subordinate to the bishops, organizing and leading the church life of their parish. It is customary to address a priest as “Your Reverend” (on solemn occasions), as well as simply “Father” or by name - for example, “Father Sergius”. The appeal to the archpriest is “Your Reverend”. Previously, there were appeals: to the priest - "Your Blessing" and to the archpriest - "Your High Blessing", but now they are practically out of use.

Table

The table presented to your attention indicates the difference between a priest and an archpriest.

Each Orthodox person meets with members of the clergy who speak publicly or lead a service in the church. At first glance, you can understand that each of them wears some special rank, because it’s not for nothing that they have differences in clothes: different-colored mantles, hats, someone has jewelry made of precious stones, while others are more ascetic. But not everyone is given to understand the ranks. To find out the main ranks of clergy and monks, consider the ranks of the Orthodox Church in ascending order.

It should immediately be said that all ranks are divided into two categories:

1. Secular clergy. These include ministers who may have a family, wife, and children.
2. Black clergy. These are those who accepted monasticism and renounced worldly life.

Secular clergy

The description of people who serve the Church and the Lord comes from Old Testament. The scripture says that before the birth of Christ, the prophet Moses appointed people who were supposed to communicate with God. It is with these people that today's hierarchy of ranks is connected.

Altar boy (novice)

This person is a lay assistant to a clergyman. His responsibilities include:

If necessary, a novice can ring bells and read prayers, but it is strictly forbidden for him to touch the throne and walk between the altar and the Royal Doors. The altar boy wears the most ordinary clothes, he puts a surplice on top.

This person is not elevated to the rank of clergy. He must read prayers and words from scripture, interpret them ordinary people and explain to children the basic rules of the Christian life. For special zeal, the clergyman may ordain the psalmist as a subdeacon. From church clothes, he is allowed to wear a cassock and a skuf (velvet hat).

This person also does not have a holy order. But he can wear a surplice and orarion. If the bishop blesses him, then the subdeacon can touch the throne and enter the altar through the Royal Doors. Most often, the subdeacon helps the priest perform the service. He washes his hands during divine services, gives him the necessary items (tricirium, ripids).

Church orders of the Orthodox Church

All the ministers of the church listed above are not clergymen. It's simple peaceful people who desire to draw closer to the church and the Lord God. They are accepted to their positions only with the blessing of the priest. We will begin to consider the ecclesiastical ranks of the Orthodox Church from the lowest.

The position of a deacon has remained unchanged since ancient times. He, just as before, must help in worship, but he is forbidden to independently perform church service and represent the Church in society. His main duty is to read the Gospel. At present, the need for the services of a deacon disappears, so their number in churches is steadily declining.

This is the most important deacon at the cathedral or church. Previously, this dignity was received by the protodeacon, who was distinguished by a special zeal for service. To determine that you have a protodeacon in front of you, you should look at his vestments. If he is wearing an orarion with the words “Holy! Holy! Holy," then it is he who is in front of you. But at present, this dignity is given only after the deacon has served in the church for at least 15–20 years.

It is these people who have a beautiful singing voice, know many psalms, prayers, sing at various church services.

This word came to us from Greek and in translation means "priest". In the Orthodox Church, this is the smallest rank of priest. The bishop gives him the following powers:

• perform worship and other sacraments;
• carry the teachings to people;
• conduct communion.

It is forbidden for a priest to consecrate antimensions and conduct the sacrament of ordination of priesthood. Instead of a hood, his head is covered with a kamilavka.

This dignity is given as a reward for some merit. The archpriest is the most important among the priests and concurrently the rector of the temple. During the celebration of the sacraments, the archpriests put on a robe and stole. In one liturgical institution, several archpriests can serve at once.

This dignity is given only by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia as a reward for the most kind and useful deeds that a person has done in favor of the Russian Orthodox Church. This is the highest rank in the white clergy. It will no longer be possible to earn a rank higher, since then there are ranks that are forbidden to start a family.

Nevertheless, many, in order to get a promotion, give up worldly life, family, children, and go permanently into the monastic life. In such families, the spouse most often supports her husband and also goes to the monastery to take a monastic vow.

Black clergy

It includes only those who have taken monastic vows. This hierarchy of ranks is more detailed than those who preferred family life monastic.

This is a monk who is a deacon. He helps the clergy conduct the sacraments and perform services. For example, he takes out the vessels necessary for rituals or makes prayer requests. The most senior hierodeacon is called "archdeacon".

This is a person who is a priest. He is allowed to perform various sacred ordinances. This rank can be received by priests from the white clergy who have decided to become monks, and those who have undergone ordination (giving a person the right to perform the sacraments).

This is the abbot or abbess of a Russian Orthodox monastery or church. Previously, most often, this rank was given as a reward for services to the Russian Orthodox Church. But since 2011, the patriarch decided to give this rank to any abbot of the monastery. At the consecration, the abbot is given a staff, with which he must go around his possessions.

This is one of the highest ranks in Orthodoxy. Upon receiving it, the clergyman is also awarded a miter. The archimandrite wears a black monastic robe, which distinguishes him from other monks in that he has red tablets on it. If, moreover, the archimandrite is the abbot of any temple or monastery, he has the right to carry a wand - a staff. He should be addressed as "Your Reverend".

This dignity belongs to the category of bishops. When they were ordained, they received the Most High Grace of the Lord and therefore they can perform any sacred rites, even ordain deacons. According to church laws, they have equal rights, the most senior is the archbishop. By ancient tradition only a bishop can bless a service with an antimis. This is a square scarf, in which part of the relics of a saint is sewn.

Also, this clergyman controls and takes care of all the monasteries and churches that are located on the territory of his diocese. The common address for a bishop is "Vladyka" or "Your Eminence".

This is a spiritual dignity of high rank or the highest title of a bishop, the most ancient on earth. He submits only to the patriarch. It differs from other ranks in the following details in clothing:

• has a blue mantle (the bishops have red ones);
• cowl white color with a cross trimmed precious stones(the rest have a black hood).

This dignity is given for very high merit and is a distinction.

The highest rank in the Orthodox Church, the chief priest of the country. The word itself combines two roots "father" and "power". He is elected at the Council of Bishops. This dignity is for life, only in the most rare cases is it possible to depose and excommunicate from. When the place of the patriarch is empty, a locum tenens is appointed as temporary executor, who does everything that the patriarch should do.

This position bears responsibility not only for itself, but for the entire Orthodox people countries.

The ranks in the Orthodox Church in ascending order have their own clear hierarchy. Despite the fact that we call many clergy "father", each Orthodox Christian should know the main differences between ranks and positions.