Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhov

Abbot

in the Orthodox Church - the senior cleric of a parish or monastery.

In the modern Russian Church, the rector of the temple has the rank of archpriest (if he is a member of the white clergy) or priest. According to paragraphs. 18 and 19 of Chapter XI of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church (from 2000), “at the head of each parish is the rector of the church, appointed by the diocesan bishop for the spiritual guidance of believers and the management of the clergy and parish. In his activities, the rector is accountable to the diocesan bishop. The rector is called upon to bear responsibility for the proper performance of divine services, in accordance with the Church Charter, for church preaching, the religious and moral state and appropriate education of the members of the parish. He must conscientiously perform all liturgical, pastoral and administrative duties determined by his position, in accordance with the provisions of the canons and this Charter.”[1]

The abbot of a monastery in the modern Russian Orthodox Church can be not only the abbot or archimandrite, but, in many cases, the diocesan bishop (in “diocesan monasteries” - paragraph 5 of Chapter XII of the Charter [2]). In these cases, the monastery is called stauropegial,

and the rector-bishop is
the “Holy Archimandrite of this monastery
,” who governs this monastery through his
vicar
.

During the synodal period in Russia, according to the states of 1764, the abbot was the abbot of a third-class monastery. His authority and official duties were the same as any abbot of the monastery. The difference between him and the archimandrite (the abbot of a first-class and second-class monastery) was that during divine services he dressed in a simple monastic robe and gait, while an archimandrite dresses in a mantle with tablets, a pectoral cross, a club and a miter.

In Catholic churches

abbot -
abbot
- abbot of a monastery.

Who are the notes addressed to?

We perform the holy sacraments, lead prayer meetings, preach the Word of God, admonish the dying, consecrate homes, bless people, and therefore they reverently kiss the priest’s hand. The very vestments that we wear inspire the church people to respect us. Therefore, when a simple parishioner finds out that there are difficulties in relations between clergy, this upsets and confuses him.

In fact, you shouldn’t be embarrassed, because sometimes a bug will start in a miraculous icon. There is nothing secret here, the bug needs to be removed, but there is no need to whisper to everyone praying in front of the shrine about this harmful bug.

Due to human weakness, temptations arose among the great saints. Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus and Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Joseph and Barsanuphius of Optina - I think dozens of examples can be given. But, after all, it is not conflicts between saints that are the main thing in their lives, and, in general, it is not human weaknesses that is the main thing in the life of the Church. They should not be hypocritically hidden from people, but it is also unwise to stick them out.

Of course, my experience in church service (as an altar boy and then as a priest), estimated at only a quarter of a century, is relatively small, less than that of many worthy archpriests known to me, especially archpastors, but I would like to share with my brothers at least the fact that There is. I myself had to make many mistakes in my life, and I also had to observe the mistakes of other people. These notes were born from the comprehension of our common weaknesses.

Differences in love

Of course, the basis of the relationship between ministers of the Church should be love. And it would seem that it is enough to strive to fulfill God’s commandments, but it is unnecessary to talk about relationships. But in specific situations it is not always obvious how love should be manifested. When, for example, do you need to defend your point of view, and when do you need to carry out the order of your elder without objection, even if it seems wrong?

The commandment of love is given to everyone, but there is paternal love, there is maternal love, there is brotherly love, there is filial love, and it is very important for us to realize what kind of relationship we have with our neighbors around us and how specifically love for them should be manifested according to the commandment of God.

Here the difference is to the point of opposites. For example, the Holy Scripture says: “Whoever spares his rod hates his son; but whoever loves disciplines him from childhood” (Proverbs 13:25). And there we read: “Whoever strikes his father or his mother must be put to death” (Ex. 21:15). So knowing your place is very useful.

True love always involves the abandonment of one's own will for the sake of God's will. Both the boss and the subordinate should strive for this. But the subordinate should pay special attention to the fact that through the superior, when he acts within the limits of his authority, God's will is proclaimed and accomplished. And the boss needs to take special care not to show self-will, but to demand from his subordinates that they do what is due, that is, the will of God.

For example, when a priest, having come home after a service, has just laid down to rest, and the rector of his parish calls him and asks him to urgently return to the church to perform the funeral service for an unexpectedly brought dead person, this priest will do well if he carries out the order of the rector without grumbling, even internally. with a humble consciousness of his priestly duty to serve his neighbors.

And he can also piously remind himself that it is not the abbot, but the Lord himself, through the abbot, who calls him to the service, and that it is much healthier for the soul to perform the funeral service with the joyful consciousness of fulfilling the good will of God than to do the same thing, grumbling and being offended by the heartlessness of the authorities .

In this case, it is useful for the abbot to remember that the priests subordinate to him are not his slaves, but brothers and co-servants. It would be good if the abbot tried to find a way to settle the matter without calling the tired priest from home. Maybe in five minutes another priest should come to the temple, for whom it is more convenient to perform the funeral service for the brought dead person than for the one who has already gone home; Perhaps the abbot himself has the time and strength to make an unexpected request.

If, nevertheless, it is necessary to call a priest from home, then it is good not to do this in the form of an order, but to address him as a fellow priest, reminding him (but only in case of need!) of his pastoral duty.

The lack of love, of course, cannot be compensated for by anything, but those troubles that arise not from the lack of love itself, but from a lack of understanding of what is happening or from inexperience, you can try to eliminate. After all, naivety is not a virtue, but a weakness.

Holy Order and Power

The priesthood is a gift, and the abbot is a cross. There is nothing better than remaining a simple parish priest, not a rector. Just humble yourself, be patient, pray, serve at the throne of God, love your parishioners and do not worry about what the Lord has not entrusted to you.

It is better for an ordinary priest not to delve into the affairs of the rector, unless, of course, he himself asks for it, and, moreover, he should not give him unsolicited advice.

I remember when, after my ordination, I became the fourth priest in the cathedral, I really didn’t like how the schedule for the clergy was drawn up there, and I began to persuade the rector to change the existing order. He was unhappy about this, and rightly so, because no matter whose scheduling method was better, I was interfering in someone else's business.

From the letters of St. Philaret of Moscow:

The wise one says something similar to the following: out of respect and love for the higher ones, do not move too far from them, but do not get too close to them, so that you do not become a burden to them. (363)[1]

You can never demand love and respect for yourself personally, but sometimes it is possible and even necessary to demand respect for your rank and position. If one of my subordinates slander me among his friends, I must tolerate it complacently and not change my good disposition towards him. But the boss, especially the rector of the temple, should not allow his subordinates to treat themselves with disdain when solving official issues.

Prudent behavior in such cases is hindered by the fact that love for truth is combined in us with pride, so that, ardently insisting on giving the well-deserved honor to our sacred rank or position of authority, we often hide wounded pride under the mask of spiritual jealousy.

All clergy and parishioners are obliged to obey the service of any priest within the limits of the authority given to him by the hierarchy - and nothing more. We, priests, should not be deceived by the respect that the believing people show to our rank. San is indeed worthy of honor, but in itself it does not confer administrative power; power is given not by rank, but by position.

In fact, it often happens that clergy of multi-staff parishes, not being rectors, undertake to give orders to church employees and thereby confuse them, set the rector against themselves, and create chaos in business.

This happens even in those cases when the orders for their content are good, not to mention the bad orders. If, for example, the rector has indicated daily matins in the schedule, and the serving priest invites the choir to sing polyeleos, then he is sinning with self-will, even if his opinion agrees with the Typikon.

You should never make comments or instructions outside your competence.

From the letters of St. Philaret of Moscow:

Every person, to the extent of his strength and accepted responsibility, must set limits for his actions and not cross them unnecessarily. This way, the strength in action is preserved and things go better than when they suddenly want to chase two birds with one stone. (348)

It is a good deed to edify souls, but only those to whose edification a person is called. (365)

If someone acting within the limits of his duties sees the unsatisfactory nature of his work, he can soothe his conscience by saying that he acted according to his duties as best he could. But if the consequence of an action outside the circle of duties turns out to be harm, then the actor will suffer a double reproach in his conscience, that he became the cause of harm and that he acted when he was not obliged to act. (353)

Younger people should not get carried away by condemning the actions of their elders. The same field looks different if you lie on the grass or climb a tree.

If the abbot has any noticeable shortcomings in worship or behavior, then it is better to tolerate them, just as good children tolerate the shortcomings of their parents. If these shortcomings are intolerable, you can try to have a brotherly explanation with the abbot. If the issue remains unresolved, and there is confidence that things cannot be left as they are, you should contact the hierarchy.

You shouldn’t scold your boss behind his back (to his face, of course). Perhaps they will listen to us with pleasure and sincerely assent to us, but it is also very likely that then our reckless words will be conveyed to the boss.

However, it is also a sin to be a hypocrite. To avoid hypocrisy, you need to truly treat your neighbors with love, including your bosses.

Born on July 10, 1989 in the city of Sudak, Crimea. Between 1998 and 2004. bore the obedience of sexton, reader and prosphora maker at the Holy Protection Church in Sudak. In 2004, after graduating from secondary school, he entered the Kremenets branch of the Pochaev Theological Seminary in the theological-regency department, from which he graduated with the specialty “regent - psalm-reader, teacher of the fundamentals of Christian morality.” In 2007, he studied full-time at the Kyiv Theological Seminary, which he graduated in 2010 with the first category. While studying at the KDS in the period 2008 - 2010. bore the obedience of the singer and regent of the Academic Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. In 2008, he was awarded a diploma from the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for his services in organizing events dedicated to the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus'. February 28, 2010 in the refectory church in honor of St. Anthony and Theodosius of the Pechersk Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra were tonsured a reader by His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine. In 2010 - 2014 studied at the Kyiv Theological Academy in the correspondence department with successful completion in the first category. On September 17, 2010, in the Holy Protection Cathedral in Kakhovka, His Eminence Lazar, Metropolitan of Simferopol and Crimea, ordained him to the rank of deacon. September 21, 2010 in the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Kuty, Mankovsky district, Cherkassy region, was ordained to the rank of priest by His Eminence Bishop Novokakhovsky and Henichesk Joasaph (now Metropolitan of Kirovograd and Novomirgorod). On September 22, 2010, he was appointed clergyman of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in New Kakhovka. From 2010 to 2015 bore the obedience of the regent of the traveling singing quartet of the clergy at the bishop's divine service. December 13, 2010 for the feast of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called was awarded the right to wear the kamilavka. On January 7, 2011, on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, he was awarded the right to wear a pectoral cross. On March 16, 2011, he was enrolled in the staff of the Kirovograd diocese and appointed clergyman and regent of the choir of clergy of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kirovograd. On June 20, 2011, he was appointed as an employee of the Pilgrimage Department of the Kirovograd Diocese. On October 8, 2012, he was appointed Dean of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Kirovograd. On October 14, 2012, he was awarded a bishop’s letter of blessing for his diligent work for the glory of the Holy Church and on the occasion of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Kirovograd. November 28, 2012 appointed head of the Pilgrimage Department of the Kirovograd Diocese. December 14, 2012 appointed employee of the press service of the Kirovograd diocese. On May 5, 2013, on the feast of Easter, he was elevated to the rank of archpriest. On December 29, 2013, on the occasion of the Nativity of Christ, he was awarded the right to wear a club and a cross with decorations. On August 11, 2014, he was appointed keymaster of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kirovograd, leaving the post of dean of the above-mentioned cathedral. By virtue of his position, he was included in the diocesan examination commission in accordance with the regulations “On the certification of candidates for ordination to the priesthood.” On January 9, 2015, as a blessing for his diligent work for the glory of the Holy Church, he was awarded a diploma from the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine. On February 17, 2015, at a diocesan meeting of the clergy, in accordance with the current Charter on the governance of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, he was elected a member of the new composition of the Diocesan Council of the Kirovograd diocese. On May 4, 2015, according to the form of the final certification of graduates of the Kyiv Theological Academy at the department of church-practical disciplines, he defended his thesis with excellent marks on the topic: “Social issues of parish life: theoretical and practical aspects.” On June 13, 2015, for confirmation of qualifications in the field of scientific church research of fundamental problems, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, Administrator of the UOC, Professor, Rector of the KDAiS, awarded a diploma of higher spiritual education. On October 10, 2015, he was enlisted in the staff of the Simferopol and Crimean diocese and sent to serve at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Simferopol. On May 2, 2016, he was awarded a diploma from Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol and Crimea “as a blessing for his diligent work for the glory of the Holy Church.” On July 26, 2016, he was appointed cleric of the Seminary Church of the Three Saints in Simferopol. On December 22, 2016, the ruling bishop of the Simferopol and Crimea diocese was appointed head of the Diocesan Department for Family Affairs and Parental Committee. On April 17, 2022, as a blessing for his hard work for the glory of the Holy Church, he was awarded a diploma from the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine. On December 7, 2022, he was appointed chairman of the Department of the Simferopol and Crimean Diocese for interaction with preschool educational institutions. On April 9, 2022, he was awarded the right to serve the Divine Liturgy with the Royal Doors open until the Cherubic Song. On August 8, 2022, with the blessing of the Ruling Bishop of the Simferopol and Crimean Diocese, he was appointed a member of the expert commission under the Simferopol administration to evaluate proposals to identify places where staying could cause harm to the health of minors. On August 22, 2022, he was appointed as a teacher of Moral Theology at the Tauride Theological Seminary. On September 3, 2022, he was appointed vice-rector for educational and methodological work and curator of Orthodox theological courses at the Tauride Theological Seminary. January 17, 2022, appointed acting rector of the religious organization “Orthodox parish of the Church of All Saints of the Republic of Crimea of ​​the Simferopol and Crimean Diocese” and chairman of the Parish Council. On May 1, 2022, as a blessing for his hard work for the glory of the Holy Church, he was awarded a diploma from the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine. July 1, 2022, appointed head of the correspondence department of the Tauride Theological Seminary, as well as the head of Orthodox theological courses and the official website of the TDS on April 19, 2020, awarded the right to serve the Divine Liturgy with the Royal Doors open according to “Our Father...” May 2, 2022. , as a blessing for diligent labors and in consideration of diligent merits, at the request of the ruling bishop, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine was awarded on the day of Holy Easter - a miter

On June 7, 2022, by the decision of the Academic Council of the Kyiv Theological Academy (journal No. 165), prot. Vladimir Sergeevich Kashlyuk was awarded the academic degree of CANDIDATE OF THEOLOGY for his dissertation on the topic: “Eschatological issues in Russian theology and religious and philosophical thought of the 20th century.”

***

WORKS:

Kashlyuk V.S. Christian eschatology in the works of representatives of Russian religious and philosophical thought of the 20th century: monograph / Vladimir Sergeevich Kashlyuk. K. Lira-K: 2015. 208 p.

Kashlyuk Vladimir, archpriest. The life and theological heritage of Mikhail (Gribanovsky): monograph / V. Kashlyuk. - Simferopol: IT "ARIAL", 2022 - 120 p.

Alexey Astapov, Archpriest Vladimir Kashlyuk, Archpriest of the Church of All Saints in Simferopol and its necropolis. - Simferopol: N. Orianda, 2022 - 168 pp., ill. — (Series “Turning Through the Pages of the Past”)

Kashlyuk Vladimir, archpriest. Theology of joy and Christian hope: monograph / V. Kashlyuk. - Simferopol: IT "ARIAL", 2022 - 134 p.

Kashlyuk Vladimir, archpriest. Understanding history in the theological heritage of Archpriest Georgy Florovsky [Electronic resource]. // Tauride Theological Seminary [website]. URL: https://crimea-seminaria.ru/index.php/multimedia/novosti/295-osmyslenie-istorii-v-bogoslovskom-nasledii-protoiereya-georgiya-florovskogo (access date: 01/20/2020).

Kashlyuk Vladimir, archpriest. Teaching “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture”: towards posing the question // Proceedings of the Tauride Theological Seminary: collection of works. Simferopol: IT "ARIAL", 2022. pp. 84 – 96.

Kashlyuk Vladimir, archpriest. Christian eschatology as a social phenomenon: the current state of the problem // Proceedings of the Tauride Theological Seminary. Orthodoxy in the 21st century: challenges and answers. Simferopol: N. Orianda, 2022. pp. 88 – 90.

Kashlyuk Vladimir, archpriest. Eschatological views of Archpriest Sergius Bulgakov // Proceedings of the Tauride Theological Seminary: collection of works. Issue 2. Simferopol: IT "ARIAL", 2022. pp. 70 – 85.

*** Married. Wife – Tatyana Leonidovna Kashlyuk, born in 1988. Education: Church choir director. From 2006 to 2010 worked as regent at the Holy Protection Church in Sudak. From 2010 to 2013 bore the obedience of the regent of the bishop's choir at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kirovograd. From 2022 – 2022 served as regent of the weekly choir at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Simferopol. Currently he is the regent of the Church of All Saints in Simferopol. My son, Maxim, born in 2013, lives with me. Son - Ilya, born in 2022, lives with me. Mother - Kashlyuk (Shevchenko) Svetlana Yurievna, born in 1965. Teacher at the center for children and youth creativity (until 2014 she worked as a coordinator for teaching the fundamentals of Orthodox culture in Crimea, as well as the head of the Orthodox Traditions association). Currently the director of the Orthodox puppet theater “Book of Fairy Tales” (spiritual and moral direction). Also in the period from 2001. to the present time he is the organizer of city events of church and state holidays. Father – Kashlyuk Sergey Anatolyevich, born in 1964. Crane operator. Brother - priest Sergius Kashlyuk, born in 1986. Currently, he is a cleric of the St. Andrew's Church in Kerch, Feodosia and Kerch diocese. Sister - Kashlyuk Maria Sergeevna 2000. Cultural organizer at the city House of Culture in Sudak. Regular participant and winner of the international competition “Grain of Truth”, presenter of city concerts and events of church and state holidays.

Rector and confessor

Clergy does not give the priest any administrative power in the parish, no matter how revered he is by his spiritual children. Even if the abbot has great confidence in him, confesses to him and shows him sincere spiritual obedience, still clergy in itself does not give administrative power.

Confirmation of this can be found in the lives of saints, both ancient and close to us in time, including the Optina elders. The Monk Moses consulted with the Monks Leo and Macarius and revered them, but he made decisions and gave orders himself.

We can consult with our spiritual fathers on any issues; this is a matter of our conscience. But in our service we must show obedience to those persons to whom God has entrusted power. If the superior demands from us something that we cannot do in good conscience, we are free to refuse, but in this case we must refer to the commandments of God, and not to the blessing of the confessor.

Clergy

Servants of the Church who, in the Sacrament of the Priesthood, receive a special gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit to perform the sacraments and worship, teach people the Christian faith and manage the affairs of the Church. There are three degrees of priesthood: deacon, priest and bishop. In addition, the entire clergy is divided into “white” - priests who are married or have taken a vow of celibacy, and “black” - priests who have taken monastic vows.

A bishop is appointed by a council of bishops (that is, several bishops together) in the Sacrament of the Priesthood through a special episcopal consecration, that is, 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 is at the head of a diocese, a church district, and cares for all the parish and monastic communities included in his diocese, but he can also perform special church-wide and diocesan obediences without having his own diocese.

Boss and subordinates

It is advisable that none of the parish employees have administrative authority that does not come from the rector. We are not talking about the rector's lust for power, but about the cross God placed on the rector, which he must humbly bear and at the same time suppress the attempts of those who - driven precisely by the lust for power or some other passions - want to illegally appropriate this cross.

Of course, the rector himself must always remember that he received power from God through the diocesan bishop and that it was given to him exclusively for serving God and his neighbors.

No one other than the rector should be allowed to manage church money. The rector must dispose of them according to conscience, with the fear of God, consulting with those with whom it is necessary to consult, for the benefit of the matter and maintaining church peace (for example, with members of the Parish Council or Parish Assembly).

From the letters of St. Philaret of Moscow:

Beware of arrogance, beware of acting on the first movements of your own will, reason about every matter with attention; There are very few things that would be safe to do, as it happens, consult often with the elders and the most well-intentioned of the brethren, love to listen to the truth and know how not to be angry for the harsh truth. (358)

It is good for the great when there are those around them who are inspired by a pious thought, and it is good for them when they sincerely present this thought to the great. (352)

It is quite natural that the abbot in many matters will be less competent than other people, including his subordinates. In general, as the proverb says, one head is good, but two are better. Therefore, consulting with others in order to make the best possible decision is a manifestation of wisdom and experience, and not weakness of character, as pride tells us.

But the abbot must make decisions himself, and in no case should he allow his subordinates to put pressure on themselves when making decisions. It is necessary to restrain the ardor of those who like to insist on their opinion.

It is better to suppress the willfulness of subordinates if possible, even if the results appear to be good. Because self-will destroys spiritual relationships.

But when giving someone one-time or permanent assignments, the abbot, within appropriate limits, must give people freedom and support the initiative of his subordinates.

One day, I was walking around the city, and my shoelaces kept coming undone. I tried to tighten them, but they still came undone. And suddenly I realized that the laces needed to be loosened, but the knot should be tightened as tightly as possible. The same is true in relationships with subordinates. The framework should be rigid, but within this framework there should be freedom.

It is necessary to distinguish malicious self-will from human weakness. For example, the altar servers fell ill in the church, and the rector, during their illness, instructed the priests themselves to put away the vestments in the sacristy after the service. But then it turns out that one of the priests left the vestments abandoned in the altar. Of course, this is a misdemeanor, but the reasons for it can be very different. Perhaps the priest simply forgot to hang his vestments on a hanger and sincerely regrets it; perhaps he is lazy, but realizes that he is wrong, or perhaps he is proud to neglect the abbot.

Of course, the abbot’s reaction should be different. In the first case, you can make a small remark, or you can simply cover it with love if the person himself is upset by his forgetfulness. In the second, it is necessary to make a remark. How to resist the open disobedience of a subordinate is a very difficult question, its solution depends on many circumstances, and we will not discuss it here.

Hierarchy in the church among priests

Hierarchy in the church. From the times of the apostles to this day, there have been three degrees of hierarchy in the Church: the lowest - deacon (assistant to the priest); middle – priest; the highest is the bishop. The entire Orthodox clergy is divided into “white” - consisting of married persons, and “black” - monks (from the Greek “monos” - one). A widowed clergyman most often accepts the monastic rank, since he does not have the right to marry a second time. Deacons and priests can be either married (but only in their first marriage) or monastics, and bishops can only be monastics.

How can lay people serve in the temple? Who is an altar server, a reader according to the hierarchy in the church

Who is an altar boy

Altar boy is the name given to a male layman who assists the clergy at the altar. The sacrament of priesthood is not performed over the altar boy; he only receives a blessing from the rector of the temple to serve at the altar. The altar server's responsibilities include monitoring the timely and correct lighting of candles, lamps and other lamps in the altar and in front of the iconostasis; preparation of vestments for priests and deacons; bringing prosphora, wine, water, incense to the altar; lighting the coal and preparing the censer; giving a fee for wiping the lips during Communion; assistance to the priest in performing the sacraments and requirements; cleaning the altar; if necessary, reading prayers during services and performing the duties of a bell ringer. The altar server is prohibited from touching the throne and its accessories, as well as from moving from one side of the altar to the other between the throne and the Royal Doors. The altar server wears a surplice over lay clothes.

Who is the reader

Reader (psalmist; earlier, until the end of the 19th century - sexton, lat. lector) - in Christianity - the lowest rank of clergy, not elevated to the degree of priesthood, reading the texts of the Holy Scripture during public worship and singing prayers during the service. In addition, according to ancient tradition, readers not only read in Christian churches, but also interpreted the meaning of difficult-to-understand texts, translated them into the languages ​​of their area, delivered sermons, taught converts and children, sang various hymns (chants), dealt with the clerical affairs of the church and parish, charity, and had other church obediences. The reader has the right to wear a cassock, belt and skufia.

Sextons also perform the duties of bell ringers, serve the censer, help in making prosphora, clean the church, unlock and lock it.

Father is a generalized traditional title for a priest in Orthodox Rus'. Usually called the one who conducts services in the temple.

Who is a deacon? The difference between subdeacon, deacon, protodeacon and archdeacon.

Deacon is the first degree of priesthood. Deacons are assistants to priests during divine services. He does not have the right to perform divine services independently. Protodeacon is the title of the white clergy, the chief deacon in the diocese at the cathedral. Currently, the title of protodeacon is usually given to deacons after 20 years of service in the priesthood. A deacon who is in the monastic order is called a hierodeacon, and one who has accepted the schema is called a schema-hierodeacon. The senior deacon in the white clergy is called protodeacon - the first deacon, and in the black clergy - archdeacon (senior deacon). A subdeacon is an assistant to a deacon. In the modern Church, a subdeacon does not have a sacred degree, although he wears a surplice. The subdeacon is an intermediate link between clergy and clergy.

Who is a priest (prosbyter, priest) in the hierarchy in the church?

A priest is a minister in the temple of the Church, who has the right to perform divine services and six of the seven Christian sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, repentance, marriage and consecration of oil. Presbyter (Greek - senior) is the ancient name of a priest, a clergyman ordained to the second degree of priesthood.

Subsequently, elders began to be called priests or priests (from the Greek “hierevs” - “priest”). A priest who is in the monastic order is called a hieromonk, and one who has accepted the schema is called a schema monk.

Who are monks?

Monk - priests who have additionally given 3 more vows: non-covetousness, obedience and celibacy. When a monk is ordained, he can become a hierodeacon (monk-deacon), a hieromonk (monk-priest), then an abbot and an archimandrite.

Who is the archpriest? An archpriest is a senior priest (priest), usually the rector of a temple.

Who is the abbot of a temple or monastery? Abbot, this is a position. Senior clergyman in a monastery, temple.

Who is a bishop? Bishop is a general title for a clergyman standing at this level of the church hierarchy: patriarch, metropolitan, archbishop and bishop. According to ancient tradition, only priests who have accepted the monastic rank are ordained as bishops.

Who is a bishop and archbishop? Bishop (from the Greek word "episkopos" - "overseer, overseer"). The apostles transferred to them the power not only to teach and officiate, but also to ordain elders and deacons, and also to monitor their behavior. A bishop governs the parishes of an entire area, called a diocese. In terms of the degree of priesthood, all bishops are equal to each other, but the oldest and most honored of the bishops are called archbishops, who, as a rule, rule a larger diocese.

Metropolitan is the bishop (chief priest) of a very large ecclesiastical region. For example: Metropolitan of Tver and Kashinsky Victor. A metropolitan is the bishop of a large metropolitan city and the surrounding region, since the capital in Greek is called a metropolis.

Who is the patriarch? The patriarch (Greek - ancestor) is the highest priest (bishop) of the country. The highest rank of the church hierarchy. For example, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill.

How to address yourself as a priest?

“Father (name)” is an address to a priest and deacon when you know his name. If you don’t know the name, you can address him as “father.” If you see that there is an important church rank in front of you, then you should address him with the word “lord”. When addressed, the priest and deacon are called “father (name)”; as an exception, older and more experienced monks are called fathers. The title Father applies only to a priest.

You should not address clergy as “holy father,” as is customary in Catholic countries. After all, the holiness of a person is known by his death.

We affectionately call the wives of altar servers, as well as older women, “mother.”

Bishops—bishops, metropolitans, patriarchs—must be addressed as “Vladyka,” as those vested with ecclesiastical authority.

Sometimes there is a need to contact a clergyman in writing. Priests should be called “Your Reverence”, archpriests - “Your Reverence”, bishops - “Your Eminence”, archbishops and metropolitans - “Your Eminence”, Patriarchs - “Your Eminence”.

Brief table of Orthodox ranks. Hierarchy in the church.

See what “Abbot” is in other dictionaries:

• abbot - provost, chief, prior, abbot, archimandrite, curé, abbot, shangzo, monk, cineviarch Dictionary of Russian synonyms. abbot abbot Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova. 2011 ... Dictionary of synonyms
• RECENT - RECENT, abbot, husband. (church). 1. Head of the monastery. 2. Senior priest of the Orthodox church. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
• REPRESENTATIVE, I, my husband. 1. Head, manager of an Orthodox or Catholic monastery. 2. Senior priest in the Orthodox Church. | adj. rector, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
• abbot - me, m. 1) Head of the monastery; Abbot. The old man was immediately sent to the monastery... to Suzdal, where Father Misail (L. Tolstoy) was the rector and commandant. 2) The senior priest of a cathedral or parish church. Nothing wrong with this fool... ... Popular dictionary of the Russian language
• The abbot is the senior clergyman in a monastery or temple. The abbot of a male monastery is called a bishop, and a female monastery is called an abbess. The rector represents the administrative church authority ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (encyclopedic dictionary of a teacher)
• rector - RECENT1, I, m A clergyman in the Russian Orthodox Church, managing the clergy and parish of any church, appointed to this position by the diocesan bishop. Thus, in the Alabino church the clergy and auxiliary employees were... ... Explanatory Dictionary of Russian Nouns
• Abbot - m. 1. Head of a male Christian monastery; abbot (in Orthodoxy). 2. The senior priest of the cathedral or parish church. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000 ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova
• abbot - abbot, abbots, abbot, abbots, abbot, abbots, abbot, abbots, abbot, abbots, abbot, abbots (Source: “Full accented paradigm according to A. A. Zaliznyak”) ... Forms of words
• Abbot - the senior clergyman in a monastery, temple ... Orthodox Encyclopedic Dictionary
• abbot - Borrowing from Old Church Slavonic, in which it is formed as a tracing paper from Greek. epistatos, where epi – on, states – the one who stands... Krylov’s Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language

New rector at the old parish

We are all weak, carnal people, and if we don’t feel something, then it’s as if it doesn’t exist for us. The mind knows what is, but the heart does not feel. Therefore, the rector needs to try to either settle in the parish, or at least visit there as often as possible, so that his fellow ministers, employees and parishioners not only know that they have a father, but also see and hear him. This, of course, applies to all abbots, but especially to recently appointed ones.

Having become the rector of an already existing parish, you need to carefully, without revealing your thoughts and impressions to people for a time and, especially, without rushing to conclusions, understand and study the situation.

Consideration must be given to different communities. For example, Sunday schools, charitable fraternities and the like, and simply friendly companies of deeply religious Orthodox people - may turn out to be quite churchly in spirit and deserving of all support.

Sobornost is not a civilized defense of one’s interests or the interests of one’s group, but unity in the Holy Spirit, agreement in truth and sacrificial service to one’s neighbors.

It happens that the previous rector was removed because he could not cope with the situation in the parish, but people knew the new rector and asked him to appoint him. This situation, despite all its apparent favorability, is very unsafe, because the expectations of these people will certainly be too high, and their initial euphoria will soon be followed by disappointment.

Even if they are many years of spiritual children of the new abbot, there will still be many reasons for disappointment, if only because the beloved priest, as a confessor, only performed the sacraments, advised and consoled, and as an abbot he will often be obliged to insist, demand, and even punish.

It must also be taken into account that people who are peace-loving, obedient and who respect the clergy, as a rule, are reluctant to enter into a fight with the abbot, even if this fight is fair and necessary. But people who are self-willed and do not have deep reverence for the holy order easily and even with pleasure join in the struggle, even with a pious abbot, because deep down in their souls they like the struggle itself.

Therefore, the new abbot should expect that many of those who greet him with enthusiasm will rejoice only because they see in his appointment a sign of their victory, and then they, disappointed, will begin to fight him, because, as has been said, They generally like the fight against the clergy.

Conversely, many of those who supported the removed abbot will, over time, very likely support the new one.

From the letters of St. Philaret of Moscow:

I am afraid of a person who is seen to be unpeaceful towards his boss. Although the reason for this may sometimes be in the boss, the sons of peace even with an unpeaceful boss know how to guard their peace with patience. (350)

Do you want to be helpful? Be

Continuation. Beginning: “If you want to be useful, or How to become part of the parish”

Folk choir. Photo: Dmitry Kiryukhin

Just ask the rector what options for your participation in the life of the parish are possible.

Are you embarrassed to approach a priest? Ask him at Confession. Are you embarrassed to ask? Write a note...

I apologize for having to speak in such detail, but there are a lot of people who are really embarrassed to communicate with clergy until they lose their speech. At least at first.

However, there are types of help that do not require any special blessings at first. For example, help clean up the church after Sunday service.

No, men are not superfluous here! Somewhere you need to carry and beat out carpets, somewhere you need to bring and take out water, move something, rearrange something...

No, you won’t become redundant even in places where there are usually plenty of people willing to help with cleaning! I’ll tell you a secret: a friendly assistant, as a rule, is still in demand.

We greatly underestimate the importance of the mood and demeanor with which we need to help others

We greatly underestimate the importance of the mood and demeanor with which we need to help others - be they relatives, colleagues or brothers in Christ. Let me give you an example not from church life: one famous doctor from a well-known clinic said that they had a young man with mental retardation working in their kitchen. With what love the doctor spoke about him! No, the boy was not a culinary genius... he was just peaceful and friendly. Yes, that's all. But half of all conflicts in the kitchen were extinguished by him before they had time to flare up. It's hard work - the kitchen. But the boy will respond to any rude intonation with a friendly response: “Okay, I’ll do it now,” and he does it. And it’s already somehow awkward for everyone around to arguing .

Just like that - a boy with a disability, not too bright... but the whole team is a joy from him. Therefore, it is extremely unlikely that peaceful, friendly help in cleaning the temple, its territory or outbuildings is completely unnecessary. Another thing is that this activity may seem boring or low.

Simple matter

Although these problems go through “or” here, they are completely different. A person to whom any kind of creative activity seems low has not yet accepted the Christian spirit of creativity . Dot.

But as for being boring... it seems to me that cleaning can be boring for someone who doesn’t see the point in it. And this often happens to those who generally have poor vision. Personally, I was bored by cleaning the temple, and precisely for this reason. Having washed the public toilet at the temple, I felt satisfied. Because this was a residential area of ​​Moscow in the early 1990s, there were tons of people passing through there... and a cleaned toilet was strikingly different from an unwashed one. In the temple, I simply did not see the result of my labor - a dusty floor was no different from a non-dusty one for me.

But maybe this is also a question of realizing the creative potential of the parishioner? Maybe. However, it is timely to think about this paradox: in parish life, bosses and highly qualified specialists often stand in the forefront of calm, unpretentious and obedient helpers.

Prosperous people are not bored with vacuuming a church, washing chandeliers or tanks for holy water, wheelbarrowing peat onto lawns, leveling the ground with rakes... they do it with elation, with a sense of the necessity of the task. I don’t pretend that the experience of our parish is comprehensive, but that’s exactly how it is. And if a person is “bored” of simple obedience in church, then maybe this is some kind of systemic failure? Maybe this is a sign of a fundamentally wrong attitude towards creativity?

However, the function of “the simplest task” may also turn out to be the starting one: the person gets to know him better, and then it becomes clear what else can be entrusted to him. And is it even possible... Let us repeat the idea of ​​the previous material: often this is not a question of ability, but of a peaceful spirit. Or at least the basic ability to obey others.

Often it is not a question of ability, but of a peaceful spirit. Or at least the basic ability to obey others

As you know, good bosses grow from good subordinates. If in a parish a person learns to peacefully and diligently help someone to pull some burden of community life, this will give him two skills: the actual work itself and the management of this work. The skill of overcoming fear of doing something new can be a bonus.

Moreover, both of them can be useful for the good of the Church. For example, in our city, where the outflow of population to more prosperous (climatically) lands is stable, the outflow of parishioners is also stable. And active parishioners, leaving for other settlements and ending up in small, weakly formed communities, become highly in demand there.

They are in demand for knowledge, skills, and experience of life in a Christian community: relationships within it, the experience of a sense of duty, the joy of service...

Practical advice

Even if you have really interesting ideas, don’t start with proposals on a universal scale. This was mentioned above, but let us repeat, because any bishop, rector of a monastery or church regularly deals with people who are boiling with wonderful ideas... and then either abandon them halfway, letting a lot of people down, or with scandals they demand, in fact, from everyone people around to give up their business in order to realize their idea.

Don't start with universal proposals

If a girl returns to a provincial town after graduating from a university in the capital, she can, of course, tell the rector of the temple about the Christmas balls. But if the story is followed by the sentence: “Let’s have a ball too!”, then she needs to be prepared for the fact that they will look at her... in general, without enthusiasm.

- What ball?! - the rector will say, overwhelmed by problems with housing and communal services, the requirements of the State Fire Inspectorate and a leaking roof. – Where can I get a hall? Where is the wardrobe?! But the most important thing is where to find people who could at least waltz, not to mention all the variety of ballroom dancing?! We're not in Moscow, honey!

And it’s good if the young lady changes her mind in time and says: “Hmm, yes, really... And let me teach the teenagers from Sunday school a few simple dances, and we’ll dance them at the matinee? Instead of a hall we will use recreation, and I will bring a tape recorder with speakers”...

This would be very good... but it doesn't always happen. Often a person proves and proves that his idea is excellent until he brings the abbot to an allergic reaction to this very idea. And on myself. Thus, cutting off at the root the opportunity to implement that part of your idea, which in this case is really possible.

Another example: a parishioner suggests planting a flowerbed in front of the church. A luxurious flowerbed - for the joy of everyone.

“Here we need to take out the tiles and soil, put up a border, bring in a machine of soil, buy peat, because our soil is heavy, order seeds. Oh, yes, you also need a pipe outlet with a tap for watering, a hose with connectors and a sprinkler.

Are you smiling already? But this is exactly what often happens.

But the most interesting thing is that such a conversation may well take place in serious tones, when the abbot listens, writes down and does everything that was asked! Can you guess when this is possible?

That's right - when the parishioner has already landscaped half the territory. She began by taking the blessing to tidy up the far corner, which no one claimed. So neglected that it was simply impossible to make it worse. She worked on it without straightening up, did not ask for any help, did not require any attention. When the results appeared, I began to discuss other possibilities with the abbot.

Respectful, peaceful discussion! – It is important not to impose your own opinion on the issue, but to try to perceive someone else’s will.

If you are not well known, the idea of ​​​​creating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon will cause rejection

-What would you like, father? Is it difficult for you to formulate? Let me take a selection of photos and you can take a look... How much should I spend? Yeah, I see... How about watering? Not much? I'll take into account... More night violet?.. Keep in mind, father, that here, in the hot weather, it is unlikely to succeed... Something similar? Here are the options... Okay, I wrote it down.

You need to understand an elementary thing in human psychology: if you are not well known, then the idea of ​​immediately creating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon will, of course, cause rejection. And if we methodically do things from simple to complex, then we will be recognized as people of action and our ideas will begin to be accepted for something more.

Rest the spirit of others

I know a man who, while still a student, learned to sew to help a poor church. In general, the matter is not so impossible if you remember that the best tailors are usually men.

It's not impossible, but it's unusual. And he was also a student and had meager funds for experiments. He found some shop that sold measuring scraps from curtain fabrics, and sewed surplices for the altar boys, whom the abbot could not dress from the store.

The surplices were simple, with seams in visible places and poor finishing. However, they indescribably brightened the service. And the seams on vestments in the old days, for example, did not bother anyone... how is our time different?

Need I say that a year later the boy was already sewing good priestly vestments? And need I say how happy everyone was? And the abbot already boldly allocated money for fabric and decoration, knowing that the person could be trusted.

I know a woman who began her career as a sacristan by washing her sacristan. A common problem in cities: the water from washing vestments cannot be poured into the sewer, and wives cannot wash the priest’s undercoat in the apartment. And to the temple, where there is a drainage well, the wives of the priests come with a bunch of children - there is no time to do laundry. And this woman, having taken up the task of washing the sacristans, had to understand the peculiarities of their fabrics and finishes. And having figured it out, she began to repair them. And then sew...

I know a monk who learned to read perfectly because he attended church among old women who were somewhat deaf. He didn’t think that one day he would be appointed as a reader at bishop’s services and that one day the Patriarch himself would thank him for reading... He just tried very hard to be useful to the old grandmothers - he read as loudly and clearly as possible. And his voice was automatically set to reading.

And I also remember many, many other ways in which people wanted to be useful... and God gave them to be useful. They sincerely desired to rest the spirit of their neighbors in Christ. And it was given to them.

(To be continued.)

Don't rush to change orders

When a rector sees some shortcomings in his parish, he naturally wants to eliminate them. But we must not forget that, first of all, it is our duty to take care of the spiritual well-being of our neighbors (in this case, parishioners and employees), therefore, for the sake of maintaining peace, we must sometimes be willing to endure some external shortcomings in order to eliminate them, if God willing, at the right time.

If it is clear that you will have to give in, then it is better to give in without quarreling.

Changing old orders for new ones, even clearly better ones, is difficult and dangerous. Just one reform, started at the wrong time and therefore confusing people, can so damage the authority of the rector in the eyes of parishioners that the wound on the body of the parish will never heal.

You can’t please everyone, someone will always be dissatisfied with the rector, but mass discontent among parishioners must be avoided at all costs.

It should be borne in mind that the increase in discontent among parishioners can be difficult to notice in a timely manner. Firstly, most people in general are embarrassed or afraid to speak the truth face to face, and even more so to a priest, and even to a rector. And secondly, people close to the abbot often, wittingly or unwittingly, flatter him and thereby mislead him.

From the letters of St. Philaret of Moscow:

It is easier to discover and expose shortcomings than to correct them. The misfortune of our time is that the number of errors and carelessness, accumulated over more than one century, almost exceeds the power and means of correction. Therefore, it is necessary to rise not suddenly against all shortcomings, but especially against the more harmful ones, and to offer means for correction not suddenly all that are necessary, but first primarily those that are necessary and possible. (348)

When you come to a country where there is habitual disorder, you need to bring people to order as quietly as possible, so that order does not seem like constraint. (349)

The Apostle always does not want to do an innocent thing if it could serve as a reason for temptation, although unfounded. The imam does not eat meat, etc. Isn't that how it should be done? (364)

Teach and let others teach to establish church order based on reverence and fear of God. Then he will be good without the multiplication and variety of police orders. (362)

It seems that it is more necessary to encourage and instruct people than to rewrite statutes. (353)

Remember and put into practice the memory that the apostles and ancient fathers of the Church established and spread the Church and destroyed the accumulation of heresies not by the force of the external laws of the pagan world, but by the force of strong faith, love and self-sacrifice. (363)

Mutual grievances are especially tenacious when both warring parties believe that they are defending piety.

Therefore, even if the emerging reform in itself is completely legal and useful in some way, there is still no need to rush to change the order (especially after becoming a rector in an already existing community). It is better for the abbot to be patient and wait until his authority among his staff and parishioners becomes so strong that people will sincerely and even happily obey him. Then any reforms that he deems useful will be completely painless.

We must not forget that when orders change, someone’s interests may be affected.

And it happens that by introducing an innovation, which in itself is good, we, without knowing it, upset good people. When I was in the late 1980s. became the rector of one small church, I really didn’t like the icons in it. They were modern, weak and unprofessional writing.

I set out to gradually replace all these icons and began to talk about it openly. But I didn’t immediately pay attention to the fact that the temple burned down several years before my appointment, it was restored with the people’s “kopecks” (by the way, this was under communism, no one had ever heard of sponsors), and local grandmothers ordered the icons They gave their last savings for this. The icons were bad, but the good grandmothers needed to be understood and pitied.

Of course, completely intolerant traditions must be eradicated immediately, even if this threatens to cause discontent among the masses of parishioners. But in this case, it is useful to secure the blessing of the clergy, so that people know that the abbot acts not out of whim, but out of obedience.

Sorrows and consolations

If the boss is demanding, weak subordinates grumble at him for being demanding. If he is undemanding, then weak subordinates complain about his undemandingness. But, since it is the boss’s duty to require subordinates to fulfill their duties, it is better to let them grumble at us for fulfilling our duty than for non-fulfillment.

For the full life of a parish, it is very important that not only the rector is pious, but that the people do not doubt his piety, that not only the rector loves and cares for the brethren and parishioners, but that they also see his love and care.

Of course, if God allows such a temptation to happen that people doubt the good abbot or even rebel against him, then he will have to endure it humbly and without grumbling, even with gratitude to God.

But the rector himself should not lead his neighbors into temptation; he should try in every possible way to maintain peace in the parish and for the sake of this, and not out of people-pleasing, to support the belief in parishioners and employees that he cares about their well-being, first of all, spiritually, and opportunities - and everyday ones.

That is why the reason for making decisions that are comforting for employees should not only be, but also declare, a genuine concern for them, and the reason for making upsetting decisions should be unfavorable external circumstances.

Sometimes it is necessary to cause grief to temple employees (for example, to reduce wages if there is chronically not enough money for it). To make people less embarrassed, it is better to carry out such measures one time and quickly.

In order to prevent or at least mitigate the likely indignation of employees, you should explain to them the necessity of an unpleasant change; It’s good not to hide your disappointment from them that you have to cause them trouble.

It’s good, by necessity, to sadden people in one thing, while at the same time giving them consolation in something else.

If, out of duty, I am forced to upset someone, let him know that I am acting precisely out of duty, and not out of dislike for him.

Punishing an offending employee with money is permissible only when this is done in accordance with generally accepted procedures. Otherwise, even if the boss is completely and obviously right, the punished person will be offended.

If I do not intend to fire a negligent employee, I would rather maintain good relations with him.

If a support bends and breaks under a hundred kilograms, does it make sense to load it with two hundred? And if a person is offended by a calm remark made in private, is there any point in scolding him in public? By doing this, we only sin and make enemies for ourselves.

In general, you should try to act as gently as possible. Small but timely actions often lead to good results, but the use of force is often regretted.

From the letters of St. Philaret of Moscow:

Only calm and meek reproofs admonish people; cruel ones irritate rather than benefit. (349)

It is necessary to curb the ignorance of foolish people, only with truth and moderation, and not with anger, for the anger of a man does not bring about the righteousness of God. (350)

Having made a stern remark, it is good to say something afterwards in a friendly tone so that the person feels that they are no longer angry with him.

Of course, courageously enduring the severity of your boss is very good for the soul. But, firstly, how many people are ready for courageous patience? And, secondly, we must not forget about our cowardice, impatience and pride. Is it good for me to be harsh with my subordinates? After all, the Savior said: “As you want people to do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31). But I myself am still far from such a spiritual measure as to sincerely desire grief from my superiors.

Trust and verification

From the letters of St. Philaret of Moscow:

If a person once deceived me under the pretext of not bothering me, should I not fear every minute that he is deceiving me in some way now? So, in order not to disturb once, they deprive you of peace of mind forever and destroy the power of attorney. (350)

If one case of disorder is hidden from the authorities, how can they be calm and not fear that ten are hidden? (353)

The word “didn’t dare” never seemed to me either pleasant or useful, and often unpleasant and unhelpful. (350)

An excess of trust is better than an excess of suspicion. For excess trust is my mistake, and excess suspicion is an insult to my neighbor. (349)

It is good to expose people to experience, but not to temptation. (352)

When a thought of mistrust arises, an unpleasant meaning is certainly given to others, which is done simply and accidentally. (349)

Research cannot be done on a denunciation that spares no one but names no one. (349)

In key positions, especially those related to material assets, there should be only proven, honest people. At the same time, it is important that not only do I trust the employee, but that he trusts me too.

I have little confidence that the treasurer will not pocket a single penny of church money. It is important that the treasurer also believes that my orders as rector are determined by the desire to benefit the Church, and not by vanity or self-interest, although involuntary mistakes, of course, cannot be avoided.

It is best when there is complete mutual trust. But if checks are necessary, then they should be tactful or part of routine, and not a sign of personal distrust. One unwise word can ruin a good relationship irreparably and forever.

Petty control can offend an honest employee, so that he gives up, and a dishonest one can become embittered, and without benefit to the business.

When dismissing an employee, especially against his wishes, it is necessary to scrupulously comply with the letter of the law, so that you do not have to later, by a court decision, reinstate the expelled person at work and even pay for his forced absence.

If you have to fight

You need to enter into a fight only as a last resort and for the sake of the church’s benefit, and not for the sake of satisfying your love of money or ambitions.

From the letters of St. Philaret of Moscow:

The boss must be above the insults of his subordinates and stand up for truth, order, for the peace of others, and not for himself. (351)

If we are required to answer for strict decisions, then almost more so for weak ones - as a result of which a person convicted, punished and again guilty of insulting the clergy will continue a vicious life and increase temptations. (349)

It is necessary to get to the truth in order to give justice to what is right. Injustice often turns out to be a cover for the wrong for the right, and mutual trust suffers, without which it is difficult for the right. (349)

To show mercy and secretly heal is undoubtedly good when healing is accepted in this way. But when a wrongdoing is obvious, and disobedience to correction is obvious, and when a person strives further on the obstinate path, I don’t know whether it’s enough to say: go in peace. Some caution is needed so that self-will and bad example do not become victorious and triumphant. (350)

Also think about whether you need to have the gift of forgiveness, otherwise you will be favored. Eli thought that he acted meekly with his children, but it was not for the mercy of anyone, but for the destruction of everyone. Ammon covered his brother with the spirit of love and the spirit of grace, saying to him: take heed to yourself, therefore the consequence was repentance in this, edification in others. The gift of forgiveness is higher than the gift of correcting with punishment. The one who takes up the task of his own measure succeeds. (351)

It is necessary to have condescension towards those who stumble and fall, but condescension towards those who are negligent and stubborn in their fall has an unfavorable effect in society, cooling jealousy and spreading negligence. We must protect everyone, but even more so, we must protect the spirit of the entire society. (351)

A brother’s weakness must be covered up and quietly corrected until there is a temptation for many, and when temptation appears, then one must advise the brother in some way so that he is less embarrassed and less likely to confuse others. (358)

Swift justice reduces the power of the temptation made. (352)

And one must be careful in strictness, lest the broken reed be broken. (351)

The true duty of the commander and his assistant is not to walk blindfolded among his subordinates, but to, having recognized the stumbling block of his brother, not to think that we are better than him, and to act towards him as without anger as First of all, information. (351)

It is not superfluous to pay attention to whether we are right in order to more easily act on those who are wrong with love and humility. (351)

Relying on your own experience and wisdom is a consequence of pride and inexperience, spiritual and worldly. You need to trust in God.

Learning partly from books, and partly from our own experience, the “wolf” laws of an evil world (see 1 John 5:59), we must not, however, forget that the Lord sent us “as lambs among wolves” (see. Luke 10:3), and not “howl like a wolf with wolves.” We ourselves should not be at enmity with anyone. We need to pray for those who are at enmity with us, to wish them admonition, correction, and salvation.

In addition, the clergy should take special care not to set a bad example for their flock. What good is it if church employees or even parishioners see their priest quarreling with someone, swearing, or weaving intrigues? We, parish priests, are especially responsible if our behavior is tempting for church people, and for non-church people it serves as a reason to slander the Church.

It is very risky for a sheep to dress up as a wolf. They may simply feel sorry for the sheep, but quickly recognize the mummer and begin to hate him. You should not threaten your opponents with what you cannot or in good conscience do not want to do.

One of my acquaintances, the rector of a rural church, suffered a lot of trouble from the director of a small factory located nearby. Naturally, the surrounding residents knew about this, many sympathized, and one day two local bandits came to him and offered to “deal with” this director. The priest firmly refused such help, although, as he told me, there was a temptation. Later, it must be said, the director’s attitude towards the Church completely changed, and he even helped the temple a lot financially.

You should never neglect even the most insignificant opponent. When a person feels in a hopeless situation, when he has “nothing to lose,” previously completely invisible qualities can suddenly appear in him: the timid sometimes suddenly becomes daring, the cowardly becomes courageous. It is known that even a small animal, driven into a corner, can attack a person.

If an employee was fired from a church, even quite rightly, it would be good if he had the opportunity to tell his friends that he quit himself. Although sometimes, in order to avoid slander and slander of the Church, it is necessary to make public the true reasons for a person’s dismissal.

When reporting an incident (especially if in an official letter, report, etc.), you should not speak harshly about people, even if you really want to and they fully deserve it. It is better to be polite and friendly. Anyone who expresses himself harshly always makes an unfavorable impression.

But vice versa! If you have to sort out a case, you don’t need to succumb too much to superficial impressions. Often the right one is unpleasant, and the guilty one is pleasant. You need to try to understand the essence.

Temple rector

(The text is given according to the synodal edition of 1891) 1. The dean must ensure that churches are built with the holy altar facing the east; so that the iconostases in them are beautiful and decorated with icons of ancient Greek imagery; so that there is a lattice near the pulpit and iconostasis; so that the holy antimension is signed by the bishop who consecrated it, not dilapidated, not full of holes, not flooded, not faded; so that the garments and sacral on the throne and altar, vestments, surplices, vestments, stoles, armlets, oraries, and belts are not worn out, not torn, and not made of base material; so that the tabernacle, chalice, paten, star, spoon and proskomid saucers were silver, and the chalice inside was gilded, so that the vessel for the holy world was silver or crystal; so that in the church there are things used during holy baptism, such as: oil, scissors, a sponge and a twig for anointing those enlightened by holy baptism; so that in the church there should be a censer, a dill pot, a silver ladle for giving warmth, a bowl of water, a vessel for the blessing of bread, candlesticks, at least two, a table for blessing the bread and blessing of water; so that in the church there will be books necessary for the service of God, such as: the Altar Gospel, the Apostle, the Missal, the General and Festive Menaion, the Rules (Typikon), the Lenten and Colored Triodion (Pentikostarion), the Octoechos, the Psalter Following, the Book of Hours, the Great and Small Breviary , Irmology, Book of prayer songs, sermons. Finally, so that the churches themselves, both parish and cemetery, and their bell towers and building fences are strong; so that there are iron bars in the church windows, the locks on all church doors are secure, and there are guardhouses at the churches. The dean, if, in his opinion, something will not be replenished or corrected, the dean must report this to the diocesan authorities (see the chapter on church improvement).

Note.

It is very decent and useful for every church to have some books for the guidance of priests and for the instruction of parishioners, such as: the Bible, the Epistle of the Eastern Patriarchs on the Orthodox Faith, the works of the Holy Fathers, the Menaions and Prologues, Long and Short Catechisms and books for admonishing schismatics.

2. The dean must ensure that not only churches, but also bell towers, church and cemetery fences, gravestones and the very places in the fences are maintained in good order and cleanliness. There should not be any buildings near the church that could serve as a temptation and danger for churches, such as drinking houses, markets, baths, etc.

3. If churches are so dilapidated that they are leaning from rottenness, have a leak in the ceiling and threaten to fall, or at least with their dilapidation they make such a holy place indecent, then the dean must exhort the parishioners to make an effort to create a new church or correct the dilapidation and asked permission in writing to do so, and meanwhile the dean must report such churches to the diocesan authorities without delay.

4. If the number of parishioners of any church due to relocation or for any other reasons significantly increases or decreases, then the dean is obliged to report this to the diocesan authorities.

5. If a church burns down somewhere, the dean immediately informs about it, and meanwhile worries the parishioners so that they, without delay, try to build the church again and ask permission to do so, moreover, convince them to build churches predominantly of stone, for durability and for for their own benefit.

6. When permission is given to build a church somewhere, the dean must see to it that the church is built and decorated in accordance with the given bishop’s charter and in accordance with the decorum of other holy churches, and insist that the construction of the church continue without delay, and if this is followed by a stop , then report about it. After the construction of the temple, having made an inventory of the church building, iconostasis, all church utensils, sacristy, books and other things that are necessary for the church, as shown above, submit along with a request from the parishioners for permission to consecrate the newly created temple.

7. The dean is obliged to diligently observe that priests, deacons and clergy, and especially priests, live honestly, sedately, meekly, peacefully and are reverent in correcting their positions; It is also strictly necessary to ensure that they do not go to any more or less shameful houses, and that they do not play any games in their houses, but that in their houses they lead a sedate, sober, edifying life and befitting the houses of the servants of the holy altar. And if someone noticed something indecent to the clergy, then immediately report it to the diocesan authorities without any closure.

Note.

In each deanery district, the clergy and church clerks elect a common confessor from priests distinguished by spiritual reasoning, enlightenment and honest life, and the chosen one is presented for approval by the diocesan bishop.

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10. The dean must ensure that the priests in rural churches, except on Sundays, holidays and highly solemn days, perform the Divine Liturgy as often as possible, especially on Lent, they do not omit the presanctified liturgies; in single-venue city churches - certainly three times a week, even if there were no solemn and holiday days during this period, in two-state churches - four, and in four-state churches - daily (for the service of prayers, see the section on prayers).

11. If any of the clergy and clergy or persons and not from the clergy of the church, more than aspirations, violated the decorum in the temple of God and caused temptation, confusion, a stop in worship or a complete cessation with words or actions

The dean immediately reports this, as well as all other important incidents in the church, to the diocesan authorities.

12. The dean observes that the clergy do not serve in quarrels and enmity without reconciliation. He is obliged to reconcile those at war, and if unsuccessful, report them to the diocesan bishop.

13. The dean ensures that deacons and clerics attend services and corrections according to the priest’s summons without delay, and that the deacons serve with preparation on Sundays and holidays.

14. The dean supervises that the spare Holy Gifts

were kept in churches on the holy altars in silver arks, and, if necessary, in tin arks, and instructs the priests to often inspect whether this shrine has been damaged in any way, and in their homes they did not keep spare Holy Gifts, and when need calls for parish houses for the sake of communion of the sick with the Holy Mysteries, they, the priests, would walk with the honor due to such a sacrament, they would wear them on their chests, in monstrances designed for this purpose and vaginas made of decent material.

15. The dean ensures that Baptism is performed in church and certainly in the presence of deacons and clergy, unless some particularly blessed reason sometimes requires that a baby be baptized in the house; Babies should be baptized during the winter in water that is not very cold, so as not to cause any harm to the baby’s health (see the section “Baptism”).

16. The dead should not be allowed to stand in the church for more than a day, and then unless necessary, but after being brought, immediately, with a funeral service, they should be buried where it is legal.

17. The dean must, according to his prudence and as God instructs him, give, if he finds it necessary, instructions to the priests on how to confess their spiritual children, how to bind and loose the human conscience.

18. The dean is obliged to ensure that priests do not solemnize illegal marriages, which are recognized as marriages: a) in certain degrees of carnal or spiritual kinship and property; b) marriages of persons who have not reached civil, much less church age, or, on the contrary, elderly people or those of whom one person is young and the other is old; children under a certain age without the will of their parents or guardians or, conversely, under someone else’s coercion.

[…]

20. The dean must ensure that the service of God is performed reverently, not hastily, and that nothing is read or sung in two voices; so that the clergy are correct in reading and singing; do not allow arbitrary chants in the church based on notes not approved by the clergy.

Processions of the Cross

21. It is by no means allowed to hold processions of the cross again, or to build them again without the permission of the authorities of the chapel.

1. Processions of the cross are supposed to take place on the days of Epiphany and the Origin of the Honest Trees - August 1 (Typikon); In addition, it is the general practice of the Church to make a procession of the cross on the water on the day of Mid-Pentecost. There are also religious processions established by the local diocesan authorities.

2. Processions of the cross can also be carried out at the request of special circumstances, for example, in fields during rainlessness, in the vicinity of cities and villages during an earthquake, pestilence, pestilence, etc.

3. Public prayer during drought and “lack of life” and on the occasion of other public disasters should be performed with caution (decree of the Holy Synod of 1736 on July 9, 1873 on May 31), usually with the knowledge of the diocesan bishop, and can be combined with a public fast (decree of the Holy Synod of 1736, March 17). This rule was due to historical conditions, but is currently not in force.

4. But the almost universal practice is that clergy perform public prayers in their churches and parishes in cases of special manifestation of God’s rebuke (endemic illnesses, lack of knowledge, etc.), according to the rites indicated for these cases in the Book of Prayer Songs, without asking special permission to perform these prayers just in case, but only the time of their performance must be reported to the diocesan bishop.

5. Holy icons are allowed to be transferred from churches to homes at will, but not otherwise than in the hands or in another appropriate way and without loud singing in the streets.

6. Priests must perform processions of the cross and carry holy icons according to church regulations at the appointed time, with reverence and silence, with intelligible reading and singing, without haste or confusion and without arbitrary changes and innovations.

7. During religious processions, clergy are forbidden to talk to each other and bow to acquaintances (decree of the Holy Synod of 1830, April 28).

22. The dean observes that on the days of the Nativity of Christ and on Holy Week and on church holidays, priests with the life-giving cross go to the houses of their parishioners who wish it with clergy honestly and reverently.

23. It is necessary that priests on Sundays and holidays in church should teach people, reading them sermons approved by the Holy Synod at the Liturgy, and at Matins some of the Prologues and other holy books, as well as the Catechism, interpreting it to the parishioners if possible, and which priests and deacons studied in schools, they would often preach sermons on their own and thus would do honor to their rank and benefit Christians. And whoever preaches how many sermons should notify the diocesan authorities in the clergy register, so that they can distinguish the diligent from the lazy (see “Rules and advice concerning preaching”).

24. Priests, deacons and clerics should know the Catechisms by heart, the former long, and the latter short, and often read their assigned letters and organize their lives according to them; the letters must be kept in the church.

25. Deacons and clerics must honor their priest as the rector of the church and their teacher, also obey him and not insult him in word or deed, and if they were offended by him in any way, they would complain to the dean, and if they wish, to the diocesan authorities, and were awaiting a decision (see Instructions to the abbot § 1).

26. The priest should not offend the deacon and the clergy and should not withhold their income and should not dare to beat them, and if they were found to be faulty or disobedient against him, complain to the dean or diocesan authorities.

27. The priest can fine the deacon and the clergy in private and in front of others with reprimands, in addition to the clergy and bows in the church, and if by these measures they do not come to their senses and do not correct themselves, report to the dean.

28. The dean must confirm to the priests and deacons that they are not self-seeking and impudent and therefore do not solicit payment from parishioners for any demand, and especially do not make an agreement with them, but are content with voluntary alms.

29. I must also confirm that clergy and clergy should not go to visit anyone without being called, and only honest people should go to houses when called; so that they make friends with similar priests, deacons and clerics, and not with everyone indiscriminately; for the clergy, especially those who are venerable by the sacred rank, must behave sedately and thus lead others to honor themselves. In addition, the dean must observe that the clergy do not bring their wives and other strangers into the house of parishioners during spiritual needs, strictly observe that the clergy live in accordance with their rank, do not riot, do not use abuse, which exposes the one who uses it of gross ignorance and depravity of heart , would not be engaged in playing cards and other games indecent to the clergy, would not interfere in worldly affairs, in their free time from worship and household economic activities would be engaged in reading spiritual books in their homes, but would not at all engage in reading seductive books; observe whether the clergy themselves adhere to schism, superstition and heresy, and whether they raise children in the fear of God.

30. Observe about widowed clergy, so that women who are not permitted by the apostolic and conciliar rules are not kept with them under any circumstances.

[…]

32. Supernumerary and unplaced priests and clergy should not be allowed to perform any corrections of demands, except in those cases when the real priest becomes ill or dies or is absent, and the demand cannot be delayed.

[…]

35. The dean, having received notification of the death, removal or transfer of a priest, immediately goes to that parish and, having verified the church property, the amounts on documents and church affairs, transfers them to the newly appointed priest or, until his appointment, to the local clergyman with the church warden. The same applies in the event of the removal or death of a church warden. If there is something missing and no one agrees to fill the missing thing, the dean, indicating the missing thing and the value of the missing thing and the culprit for its loss, informs the bishop.

36. The dean must induct a newly promoted priest into office.

[…]

38. The dean must ensure that priests, deacons and psalm-readers wear clothes appropriate to the clergy, namely: priests and deacons in dark-colored cassocks, and clergy in a dress of a cut suitable for the clergy.

39. The dean carefully delves into all the instructions he receives from his superiors, compiles a guideline from them for himself and carries them out exactly in a timely manner, in the literal sense, without making his own interpretations and conjectural conclusions, and resolves the bewilderment of the priests and clergy himself; in case of personal doubts, seeks permission from the Eminence.

[…]

41. Priests should not perform services in someone else’s parish. This is allowed to them only in the event of illness of the local priest or his legal absence, but not without the invitation of the local clergy. They are also allowed to perform baptism and admonish the sick with the Holy Mysteries

and bury the deceased.

[…]

43. Supervise the church elders, so that no expenses are incurred without the knowledge of the priest, and large ones and without the consent of the parishioners. Ensure that those elected to church elders are honest people who have not been fined or tried.

44. The dean, reviewing the churches and clergy, audits the state of church documents and reports the consequences to the bishop, reports on those who have joined the Orthodox Church from the schism and other faiths.

[…]

46. ​​The dean, visiting churches, must exhort the parishioners to regularly, out of Christian duty, confess the Holy Mysteries

they communed and, especially on Sundays and holidays, came to the temple of God, leaving their work, and lived honestly, according to the Gospel commandments.

47. The dean must report to the diocesan authorities about the state of the churches entrusted to him.

48. The dean must oversee the education of children, inspire parishioners that they either themselves (if they can) teach their children the basic rules of faith and piety, or give them for training to priests and clergymen, who, for their part, should make an effort to do so every effort.

[…]

50. He has the power, in the absence of his church due to his position, to entrust the priesthood and correction of services to one of the priests subordinate to him, whomever he pleases.

51. For summonses and dispatches, the dean always has with him one of the clerks assigned to him on a weekly basis; and when a lot of things happen, he can take another one. For writing, he may require one of the deacons.

Note.

The dean is appointed, dismissed from office and subjected to discipline only as determined by the bishop.

52. The dean is elected from among the most worthy priests and appointed by the bishop to preserve order in the Church and service in its servants, for the benefit of Christians and for the glory of God.