Russian Orthodox church, largest autocephalous, or
ecclesiastically independent, Eastern Orthodox church in the world. Its
membership is estimated at more than 85 million.
According to tradition, the Russian Orthodox Church is
what came of a community of believers founded by the apostle Andrew, who
visited Scythia and Greece, along the northern part of the Black Sea. According
to the tradition, while on his missionary journeys, Andrew eventually reached
Kiev, the current home of St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Later, Princess Olga of Kiev
converted to Christianity, and eventually her grandson, Vladimir the Great,
made Byzantine Rite Christianity the official religion in Kiev. This marked the
birth of what became the Russian Orthodox Church, part of the Eastern Orthodox
Church.
Like other Orthodox churches, the Russian Orthodox
Church is trinitarian, believes the Bible to be the Word of God, and teaches
that Jesus is God the Son. In these matters, the Russian Orthodox Church aligns
with Scripture. However, their doctrine has much more in common with Roman
Catholicism than with evangelical Christianity. Russian Orthodox services are
liturgical and filled with symbolism. Mary has a special place in Russian
Orthodoxy as the Mother of God. The Russian Orthodox Church promotes the use of
icons (sacred images) and teaches that salvation is conferred through the
observance of the sacraments—the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith
alone is not taught in Russian Orthodoxy. Members of the Russian Orthodox
Church regard the decisions of their church councils to be infallible.
The Russian Orthodox Church is one of the
autocephalous (self-governing) Eastern Orthodox churches. Being the head of a
self-governing body, the bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church does not report
to a bishop higher than himself. There is no pope in Russian Orthodoxy. While
the minimization of bureaucracy is commendable, the fact remains that the
Russian Orthodox Church, like all other churches of this type, depends on a
wide and many-faceted power structure consisting of bishops, monks, priests,
archbishops, cardinals, nuns and so on. In contrast, the early church, in
obedience to Christ’s teachings, considered themselves all brothers and sisters
and did not hold any one man above another, because God was their Father and
Teacher (see Matthew 23:8–10).
History of the Russian Orthodox Church
In the pre-Mongol period, the Russian Church was
the metropolis of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, who appointed his
metropolitan from the Greeks.
However, in 1051, this throne was first occupied by
the Russian Metropolitan Hilarion, a very educated church figure. The history
of the Russian Orthodox Church testifies that the construction of majestic
temples in Russia began in the Xth century, and since the XI century the first
monastic farms have already been created.
The first monastery (Kiev-Pechersky) was founded by
the Monk Anthony of Caves, who brought the Athonite monasticism to Russia in
1051.
It was he who became the center of Orthodoxy in
Russia. Later monasteries were not only spiritual centers, but also centers of
culture and education, where historical chronicles were kept, theological books
were translated, iconography flourished.
Unification
of principalities
Asking the question: "The ROC - what is
it?", It should be noted that during the period of feudal fragmentation of
the 12th century, only the Orthodox Church remained the main bearer of the idea
of the unity of the Russian people, which opposed constant princely internecine
strife.
In the 13th century, Tatar-Mongol hordes attacked
Russia, but they could not break the Russian Church either. Morally,
spiritually and materially, it contributed to the creation of Russian political
unity. In the 14th century, Russian principalities began to unite around
Moscow. Great Russian saints became spiritual assistants to the Moscow princes.
Great
Companions
Metropolitan Alexy became the tutor of the holy prince
Dmitry Donskoy. St. Metropolitan Iona of Moscow helped the Moscow prince in
preserving the unity of the state system and ending feudal wars.
The Orthodox Saint Sergius of Radonezh blessed Dmitri
Donskoi for the Kulikovo Battle, this military feat was the beginning of the
liberation of the Russian lands from the Tatar-Mongols.
Many are not in vain interested in the topic of the
Russian Orthodox Church - what is it? "
- And here, first of all, it should be noted that the
Orthodox Church helped preserve the culture and national identity of the
Russian people.
For example, in the thirteenth century the
construction of the Pochaev Lavra was begun, so Orthodoxy was asserted on the
West Russian lands.
Between the fourteenth and the middle of the fifteenth
century, up to 180 monasteries were established in Russia. A significant event
was the founding of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery in 1334 by St. Sergius of
Radonezh. In this monastery the Monk Andrey Rublyov has found application to
his marvelous talent.
Aftokephalia. Patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church
Over time, the Russian state began to gain strength
and liberate itself from the invaders, and with this the Orthodox Church in
Russia became more powerful and powerful. With an understanding of what the
Russian Orthodox Church is, there comes an understanding of its huge role in
the history of the state.
Before the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1448, the
Russian Church gained independence from the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Metropolitan Iona, appointed by the Council of
Russian Bishops, became Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia. And already in
1589 Job - the Moscow Metropolitan - became the first Patriarch of Russia.
In the XVII century, Russ attacked the Polish-Swedish
interventionists. But the Russian Church did not give up here. The great
patriot Patriarch Yergemon was tortured by the invaders, but he was the
spiritual leader of the militia of Minin and Pozharsky.
In the annals of the Russian state, the heroic
resistance of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra from the Poles and Swedes in 1608-1610
is described. The next patriarch, Nikon, took up reforms, resulting in a split
in the Russian Orthodox Church.
These reforms continued in the XVIIIth Peter I. Since
1700, after the death of Patriarch Andrian, the new Primate of the Church was
no longer elected, since in 1721 the Holy Governmental Synod was created, which
was ruled by state officials. It lasted about two hundred years and was
detrimental to the ROC.
Restoration
of the patriarchate
In 1917 the All-Russian Church Council was convened,
where the Patriarchate was restored. Metropolitan of Moscow Tikhon became
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
But the Bolsheviks considered the Russian Orthodox
Church their ideological adversary, so it was subject to complete destruction.
From 1922 to 1924, Patriarch Tikhon was under arrest.
When it was formed, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.
After his death, the struggle began, and as a result,
the Russian Orthodox Church was headed by Metropolitan Sergius (Stargorodsky).
In the Soviet Union, only a small number of temples
were left for worship. Most of the clergy were shot or were in camps.
By the time of the Second World War, the whole church
structure was almost completely destroyed, but the catastrophe of hostilities
made Stalin resort to moral help from the Russian Orthodox Church. Priests
and bishops were released from prisons.
The culmination was the process when, in 1943,
Patriarch Metropolitan Sergius (Stargorodsky) was elected at the Council of
Bishops, and in 1945, Metropolitan Alexy at the Local Council.
In the Khrushchev era, many churches were closed,
during the Brezhnev period all persecutions for the church ceased, but it was
tightly controlled by the authorities. So, it is very difficult, it was the
ROC. What is survival and persecution, she knows, alas, not by hearsay, at
one's own bitter experience.
Moscow Patriarchate
In 1988, the celebration of the Millennium of Rus'
became a landmark event for the Church and for the state. The restoration of
churches was established. Next patriarchs were Alexius I, Pimen and Alexy II. Today
the modern Russian
The Orthodox Church is headed by the Patriarch of Moscow
and All Russia Kirill. In our difficult times it was precisely on his shoulders
that a heavy burden lay - to seek the ways of reconciliation of all Slavic
peoples. After all, that's why the Orthodox Church was created.
The modern Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox
Church, established in 1325, has about 1506 churches.
To the parishes and monasteries of the diocese belong
268 chapels. The structure of the diocese is divided into 48 deaneries, where
the monastery is included.
The deanery districts are united in 1153 parishes and
24 monasteries. In addition, there are 3 congregations in the diocese, which
are in full subordination to the metropolitan. The ruling bishop of the Moscow
diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church is Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and
Kolomna.