The era of unbelief has created generations of people who have no craving or interest in anything churched. Yes, today babies are baptized, Easter cakes are blessed, and couples want to get married. But only a few show genuine interest in the church and its canons. Does the person practice prayer rules? Is he studying? Most likely, the answer is negative, because even from a huge number of prayers, he, as a rule, only knows “Our Father,” and not always by heart. But prayer is an appeal to the three-part structure of a human being, his spirit, soul and body. And precisely in this hierarchical order.
The current situation is forcing the church to abandon attracting the “flock” in the old ways and begin to use new methods. Priests “knock” on human hearts with the help of radio conversations, television programs, and the Internet. Archimandrite Andrei Konanos is exactly such a modern theologian, missionary and preacher. This article is dedicated to him.
Monastic rank of archimandrite
The concept of "archimandrite" comes from two Greek words: "archon", which means "elder" or "chief", and "mandra", which translates as "sheepfold". Interpreting them, linking them together and giving meaning, it turns out that this is the person who is the elder over his community of monks. This rank is given to the monastic clergy as the highest award. It refers to the “black”, unmarried clergy, and is awarded for “length of service” or for special services to the church. Archimandrite Andrei Konanos, however, like any other clergyman of this rank, should be addressed as “Your Reverence” or “Father Andrei.” The rank belongs to the category of honorary titles, preceding the rank of bishop in the bishopric.
About Andrey Konanos
The biography of Archimandrite Andrei Konanos began in 1970, when a boy was born into an ordinary Greek family, who at that time lived in Germany, in the city of Munich.
In 1977, the family decided to return to their homeland and settle in the capital of Greece - Athens. There the boy receives an education at a classical lyceum. The future archimandrite showed interest in the church from childhood and decided to devote his life to serving God. He enters the University of Athens at the Faculty of Theology. Even at the learning stage, the young man shows interest and aptitude for teaching. He begins to teach the word of God in various educational institutions in Athens, holds missionary meetings with young people, and goes as a counselor to Orthodox children's health camps. This successful experience of communicating with the younger generation will help him in his future activities for the glory of the Lord.
Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos (Paraskevaidis) ordained him to the rank of deacon in 1999, and in 2000 ordained him a priest: a priest, and then an archimandrite. Andrey Konanos is a famous missionary preacher. Vast experience in communicating with young people allows him to do this with talent and ease. In Father Andrew's parish, regular meetings are held with young people and students, conversations are held with them, and he practices long night services, which are required by the monastery charter. In Russia, his sermons gained enormous popularity literally immediately after believers learned about the archimandrite and his missionary activities.
Work on radio and on the Internet
In 2003, the largest church radio station in Greece, the Piraeus Metropolitans, launched the original program of Archimandrite Andrei Konanos, “Invisible Passages” (“Αθέατα περάσματα”). In a short time, this radio program became one of the most popular in Greece. Its audience includes women, men, and the younger generation. The Archimandrite not only gave lectures on various church topics, he answered questions from his radio listeners, found an approach to each of them, and spoke in a language understandable to everyone. In 2013, the radio program was closed, but only so that now Father Andrei continued his missionary work on the Internet. Here he keeps an online diary in which he posts his thoughts, articles, and sermons.
As for the Russian audience, they can listen to the archimandrite’s sermons on the Orthodox radio Vera, 100.9 FM, daily from Monday to Friday in the “Heavenly Springs” program. The application for this radio station can be downloaded through the Play Market; it weighs 200 kilobytes. The religious websites Pravoslavie.ru and Pravmir regularly publish articles by Andrei Konanos. They are read with great joy by both churchgoers and those who have just embarked on the path of faith, because the preacher speaks to the readers in the language of love, and therefore in the language of Christ.
How to give proper advice
Archimandrite Andrey shares some worldly wisdom. How to advise a person something without harming him or yourself.
Make sure that the person makes the decision himself, and you just push him to this decision. Don't say, "Marry this girl!" Say instead: “Oh, what a nice girl. The one who marries her will be lucky!”
If a person makes a decision himself, then he himself will be responsible for the consequences. When a girl shows her character and disagreements inevitably arise, the man will find an approach to her. After all, he chose her, he should live with her.
And if you imposed a decision on him, then the first thing he will do is accuse you: “What did you advise me! It's your fault!".
Books by Andrey Konanos
Working in the radio program allowed Father Andrey to accumulate a huge number of radio conversations. They formed the basis of the archimandrite’s books. Andrei Konanos wrote two books, both of which were published thanks to the Sretensky Monastery publishing house. The first book is called “When Christ Becomes Your Everything.” She collected the conversations of the archimandrite on the need for the presence of Jesus Christ in the daily life of every person. The second book is called “Don’t be afraid to rejoice! Conversations about Orthodoxy". Here the preacher actively encourages people not to lose heart no matter what, but, on the contrary, to rejoice every day and believe that everything will be fine. In addition to reading paper versions, it is possible to listen to audio books. Archimandrite Andrei Konanos can be heard in audio format on the websites “Azbuka.ru” and “Predaniye.ru”. We will focus on explaining the contents of each book in more detail.
Look inside yourself and be surprised
When a person understands his true intentions, true, and not external desires, he first becomes stunned. He may even refuse to accept it. But having humbled oneself, a person is transformed. He becomes real.
When Andrey Konanos tells this to people, many ask him a question:
How is it possible to come to terms with your sins? So what now, do whatever you want?
What, you want me to ask you not to do what you want? - Andrey asks them.
People themselves understand how to act correctly in a given situation. For this, people have a conscience.
Book “When Christ Becomes Your Everything”
The Sretensky Monastery publishing house releases the book in 2015. In it, Father Andrei argues that modern people have lost the joy of Christ in vanity and anxiety. The preacher knows firsthand the problems of modern adults and young people, he helps solve them, and proposes to do this through joint efforts. His conversations are written in a lively and witty style, in the simplest words, flowing from a loving pastoral heart. It offers a glimpse into life's difficulties and helps you make sense of them. His speech is full of joy and peace. Archimandrite Andrei Konanos discusses Orthodoxy in modern society and touches on the most exciting and heart-wrenching issues. The topics described in the book are very diverse: here you can read about the relationship between children and parents, husband and wife, the interaction of people with the surrounding reality and the church, about fears, stress, and illness. The book was published in Greek, Bulgarian, English and Russian.
Archimandrite Andrei Konanos “Don’t be afraid to rejoice! Conversations about Orthodoxy"
2 years later, in 2022, the Sretensky Monastery publishing house releases the second book by Father Andrey. In it, he tries his best to convince the reader that even if at the moment the surrounding reality seems hostile, if literally everything seems terrible, the situation will eventually improve. Everything will be fine! – Archimandrite Andrei Konanos is firmly convinced of this, so a positive attitude runs as a leitmotif throughout the entire book. Conversations about repentance and the joy of every day, the secrets of prayers and the secrets of humility, discussions about the value of a person and his selfishness, about loneliness and justice, and much more, are reflected in the book and set one in a positive mood.
Sermons of Konanos Andrey
Preaching, in its broadest sense, is the expression and dissemination of any truths, knowledge, beliefs and teachings, carried out by their convinced supporter. Archimandrite Andrei Konanos conducts his sermons in a special way. He has a great gift of persuasion and puts all instructions into an understandable form. For example, he suggests convincing little girls that heaven is good by telling them that there are puppies living there and ice cream being constantly handed out. Any situation, according to the archimandrite, is worthy of consideration, every human act is worthy of consolation and forgiveness.
“How many times have you been to Jerusalem?”
There are believers who tell with admiration how they saw the myrrh-streaming icon. Or talked to the elder.
I saw the icon move! - says the believer to Andrey Konanos.
So what, what did you see? What has changed in you?
And I’ve already been to Jerusalem 35 times and seen the elder! - says another parishioner.
So what if you've been to Jerusalem 35 times? What did it give you?
Well, it’s rare that anyone has seen that old man, but I have!
Visit to Chicago. “Skyscrapers... Before this, I only felt so small in front of God!”
But do trips to holy places change people’s souls? Can the miracles we see save our soul? These are just external manifestations. Will the Lord really ask us at the Second Coming: “How many times have you been to Jerusalem? Three? Well, that’s not enough, we need at least ten...”
Article on the Divine Liturgy
The Divine Liturgy is the most important Christian service, its main part. Translated from Greek as “common cause.” In his article “The Holy Divine Liturgy,” Archimandrite Andrei Konanos argues that even clergy are unworthy to talk about it, that the feeling of the supernatural from the sacrament being performed depends both on the preparedness of the holy fathers and on the desire of God to consider these manifestations worthy of love. He complains about the laziness of the parishioners, that people have lost their attraction to the Holy Liturgy. Calls for spiritual culture, calls to enter the house of your Father reverently and behave appropriately there. And he advises to often ask the question: “What does God see about me?”, because the answer to it is obvious: “Every episode of life.”
What do other people really want from you?
Andrey Konanos tells how often people hide their true intentions, disguising them as anything.
One woman in confession could talk for hours about her children, her neighbors, her husband, but not about herself. Then Andrei asked her: “What do you really need? Tell it like it is." And she admitted that, the woman says, I don’t have enough attention and love at home. I have been going to you for confession for many years, because you always listen to me, it calms me down.
Why does anxiety arise? Is it because we are trying to suppress our true desires?
Another friend of Andrei Konanos, a Protestant, writes to him on Facebook: “Tell me something about the Orthodox faith, father. I want to listen." You are a Protestant, are you really interested in listening to an Orthodox priest? Yes, I’m interested in listening to anyone, as long as they show me love. He lacked love in his life, and he would join any faith where it was offered to him.
Insincerity torments a person. Suppressing your problems causes an unhealthy interest in the problems of other people. But for them, it’s even worse,” a person thinks when he listens to his neighbors quarreling.
Archimandrite Andrei advises to admit to yourself your problems, your sins, your shortcomings. Confess and accept them.
Andrey Konanos on a visit to Chicago. “Deer run here in winter!” - he writes on his Facebook
One priest once told Andrei: “I became a priest because I wanted to bring the word of God to people. That's what I thought. And then I realized something else - I was nobody before I was ordained. And now I am a respected person, a priest! They turn to me Father! Kiss your hand! I’m very flattered by this.” This priest got to the bottom of his soul. He admitted it to himself, although not without shame. And now his soul is calm. He knows what to work on.
Archimandrite Andrey Konanos “If everything irritates you”
Another article by a preacher in which he talks about the man of today, still imperfect and full of temptation. The archimandrite says that irritation with others is a natural process. And at the same time completely unnatural. No matter how sinful a person may seem to those around him, God sees both his soul and thoughts. And even if the Lord does not condemn him, then what right do mortals have to this? The Holy Father encourages us to look deep into ourselves. And even the fact that a person is far from perfect should be accepted humbly. It doesn’t matter that people down here talk about whatever they want, the main thing is that God above looks and rejoices.
"No" but actually "yes"
Have you ever observed how a person whom you ask for something initially refuses you categorically, but then does it? Archimandrite Andrei calls such people reactive. They don’t want to agree for various reasons: they’re in a bad mood, something hurts, you’re asking in the wrong way, or they don’t want to be pressured.
Outwardly, such people protest, but internally they understand what they should do.
This once again proves that all people are really good. And they themselves understand perfectly how to live. Asking people to do this or that way is wrong.
In simple words about the main thing
There are a lot of preachers in the Orthodox world. So why does this particular Greek Holy Father resonate so powerfully in the hearts of people around the world? Probably because he speaks to people in their own language. He is aware that the popularization of the church must take place using all available modern means of communication. Not afraid to be judged for it. He carries the Word of God in every possible way and finds different ways for this. Explains incomprehensible things in the simplest words. The word “popular” reflects the essence of people’s attitude towards it, but pales next to it. Father Andrey, rather, is glorified and revered.
"Dostoevshchina"
Confirmation of the above “about irritation” are the reproaches and accusations of some of the excessive “Dostoevsky” sermons of Andrei Konanos, that is, of excessive tension and dramatization. He is reproached for the fact that his conversations are not filled with Gospel sobriety and severity, but sound like psychological-pathological vignettes, into which the names and lives of the Saints are masterfully woven.
Opponents of the Holy Father do not take into account the fact that people hear him, understand him, their hearts open, and their souls return to the church monastery. But you can “enjoy” to your heart’s content the assurances about the archimandrite’s flirting with the public, distortion of the words of the New Testament, and flattery in communication. Such pseudo-fighters for the truth with their “archaic right” are capable of not only scaring off a novice parishioner, but also completely turning him away from the Temple of God.
The “Merciful and Kind God” of Archimandrite Andrei Konanos is able to return many lost souls and open up faith and salvation for them. And Father Andrei also knows how to convey the fact that God is not only love, but also conscience.
Andrey Konanos recorded a new message
Andreas Konanos, who announced a week ago that he was leaving the priesthood, recorded a new video that appeared on his social media accounts on the evening of August 31. In it, he still refuses to give a specific reason for his departure and comments on the reaction that his decision provoked. The reason for the new appeal was the massive criticism that fell upon him from the Orthodox community.
The telegram channel “Father Luther” translated for subscribers several moments from the speech of Fr. Andrei, in which he responds to criticism.
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“I have not divorced Christ. I have not divorced God. I divorced a specific organization. … [You shouldn’t] judge my [new] life so hastily on its first day, before I said anything about myself, before I said anything about the details, reasons, reasons, motives, until I started talking at all. At the same time, many people talked about everything in my life. They [supposedly] know everything.
... An incredible situation that is in complete contradiction with what Christ teaches. Christ just says not to judge, not to rush, not to draw hasty conclusions. But all this happened. One spiritual person told me even before this event happened in my life: “Listen, now everything will become clear. The true state will be revealed - both yours and the people around you. It will become clear who really loves Andreas as a person, who wants specific things from him, who relates him exclusively to his role and only wants to take from him, and who respects him.”
The proof of this is those people who did not ask me at all how I felt in this situation. ... And even though they didn’t ask me, let them at least think: a certain change is happening, it has a reason. ... I think this should be treated with respect. … [I want to] live the way I feel, I want to breathe and feel better. This doesn't mean I haven't breathed before, don't get me wrong. Although, no matter what I say, I will be misunderstood. Now is such a stage, such a period. Some even just see me and are already perplexed.
... If you are perplexed, click on the “unsubscribe”, “block”, “ban” buttons, and do not communicate with me. Communicate with people who help you, who support you. ... I am not to blame for the earthquake that happened. It happened and had to happen. But if something stands firm, it does not fall. If something fell inside you, it means it did not have a solid foundation. ... I am not tonsured a monk. They write to me: “You betrayed your vows!” What vows? ... I haven't cut my hair. The most difficult thing, of course, is [the issue of my] priesthood. But this does not mean that I renounce Christ, that I do not love Christ.
Believe me, these days I feel [the presence of] Christ very well. I feel that He loves me, that He understands me. And, believe me, I understand Him very well too. I understand how He felt at the moment when no one understood Him except a few people. ... Someone tells me: “But we haven’t seen you cry, worry, or ask for forgiveness.” Listen, friend, you see me now in a good mood, because you did not see how I cried all the previous years, how it hurt in my soul all the previous years. You haven't seen the whole course of my life. ... I didn’t want to tell you about my ups and downs, my worries, my problems. It’s just that now you see me in a situation where all this has passed. And those who were with me [at these moments] are now really happy, but also shocked by this misunderstanding that has befallen me. Because when someone knows you, they understand how unfairly others treat you. But it's okay!
… One young man wrote to me: “I wanted to become a member of the church and the fact that you left would not prevent me from entering the church. Do you know who stopped me? All those who write about you what they write. I thought, if I go into this organization and be with these... scoundrels, then I don’t want to be in the church.”
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O. Andrey also promised that he would continue to write books and help people with his thoughts.
