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Register No.
19.07
PATRIARCH ALEXIS OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
IE RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX
CHURCH
ORGANIZATION
SITUATION
AC T I V I T Y
PUBLISHED BY THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE
CONTENTS
PAGE
I. THE CHURCH AND THE SOVIET STATE , , 5
II. STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH 29
III. THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH 43
MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE 54
PATRIARCHAL CATHEDRAL AND MOSCOW CHURCHES 58
THE LIFE OF DIOCESES AND PARISHES 72
MONASTERIES 78
THEOLOGICAL ACADEMIES AND SEMINARIES 103
IV. INSTITUTIONS OF MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE 125
V. EXARCHATES, DIOCESES, MISSIONS AND OTHER BODIES
OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ABROAD 135
VI. THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND THE CHRIS
TIAN WORLD 157
RELATIONS OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH WITH THE
ORTHODOX AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCHES 159
RELATIONS OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH WITH CHRIS
TIANS OF OTHER CONFESSIONS 181
VII. PATRIOTIC ACTIVITY OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX
CHURCH DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 199
VIII. THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE STRUGGLE
FOR PEACE . . . 209
100 \/
The Moscow Patriarchate is publishing this book for the fortieth anniver
sary of the re-establishment of the Patriarchal See, which took place only
three months before the Soviet Government s decree on the separation of the
Church from the State and of the school from the Church.
These two events, which happened at the most critical moment of the
Great October Socialist Revolution, substantially changed the situation of
the Russian Orthodox Church, and now that forty years have elapsed it is
useful to recall the path traversed and to see how the Church lives under the
new conditions.
Accordingly, the book has been arranged so that the reader may obtain
a clear idea of the present situation, structure and activity of the Russian
Orthodox Church. Its contents are supplemented by numerous photographs
illustrating various aspects of the life of the Church.
Knowledge of the Russian Orthodox Church s life and activity is useful
not only to church people in our country, but also to Christians abroad, who
take great interest in our Church life. That is why the book is published in
Russian, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Arabic.
The information which foreign readers will find here will doubtless help
many of them to free themselves from preconceived ideas of the situation of
our Church and to understand the true character of her relations with the
Soviet State. Thus the book will serve the great cause of rapprochement be
tween the peoples in the spirit of peace and mutual understanding.
ALEXIS, PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW
AND ALL RUSSIA
I
THE CHURCH
AND THE SOVIET STATE
For a time after the downfall of the tsarist regime, the Russian Orthodox
Church remained administratively weakened and unprepared to constitute
itself at once as an organization independent of the state and capable of self-
government. Thus, to forestall anarchy and to meet the immediate eccle
siastical needs an All-Russian Church Council was convened in Moscow in
August 1917, which became the canonical fulcrum of the Church in its further
moves to constitute itself as an independent body.
Convened when the Revolution was at its most critical point, the Church
Council became a platform for people who by conviction and habit continued
to link religion with politics. But, despite that, one of the Council s acts was
of decisive importance for the later development of the life of our Church
the re-establishment of the Patriarchate.
This act gave the Russian Orthodox Church a firm basis for establishing
church life in accordance with the canons in the new and still unstable condi
tions of a state structure which had only just been born in the fire of the Great
October Socialist Revolution.
The re-establishment of the Patriarchate was the sign of the vitality of
the Russian Orthodox Church and a first step towards a return to its own sphere
of activity that of concern for the salvation of the souls entrusted to its
leadership. This sphere was opened to the Church by the Soviet Government s
decree of January 23, 1918, on the freedom of conscience and the separation
of the Church from the State. In accordance with this decree all religious organ
izations in the country, including the Russian Orthodox Church, were given
the opportunity of practising their religious life and activities in so far as
this did not interfere with public order or infringe upon the rights of other
citizens. At the same time the Patriarchate was a potential hindrance to the
religious discord which at that time seemed to be inevitable and which did,
in fact, appear later.
PATRIARCH TIKHON OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
(f MARCH 25/APRIL 7, 1925)
As was to be expected, the freedom granted to the Church caused initial
differences of opinion and disputes, religious discord and schisms. On the one
hand, there appeared reformers who set up "strange altars", on the other hand,
a section of the clergy, especially of the upper hierarchy, whose members were
accustomed to regard state tutelage as an inalienable element in church life,
were unwilling to accept the separation of Church and State and, siding with
enemies of the new regime, took up a position far not only from their country
and their people but from the Church in the direct and canonical meaning
of the word. Some believers too could not at once grasp the meaning of freedom
of conscience. They interpreted the separation of the Church from the State
as the persecution of religion, while elements hostile to the new regime spread
false reports abroad that the Church in Russia was not able to function freely
and was being harassed in all kinds of ways by the authorities.
Of course, these separate tendencies of isolated individuals and small
groups were drowned in the ocean of popular devotion to the Soviet power for
which the people were fighting on all fronts at that time. Our Orthodox Church
has always been on the side of the people and so all truly religious people,
all the healthy forces in the Church remained true to their historical traditions
and did not allow hostile forces to drag the Church to the brink of the abyss.
The Patriarch of those days, Tikhon, had to act in a situation of very
complicated internal contradictions, schisms, harmful political influences and
a sharp struggle that was unavoidable in a period of historical changes. Some of
the hierarchy and the clergy were still captives of old ideas on the Revolution
and the new regime. By century-old habit they linked in their minds, and
sometimes in their lives, religion and politics. Another section of the clergy,
motivated by a desire for power and innovations most harmful to the Church,
resorted to schism. Meanwhile certain bishops who had fled the country created
abroad their own church administration and began to speak in the name of
the Russian Church in a way that was harmful both to the Church and to the
young Soviet State.
Yet in spite of all these difficult circumstances, Patriarch Tikhon stood
firm in his high office, defending the interests and unity of the Church from
schismatics at home and abroad. He succeeded not only in detaching himself
from the latter but condemned their Karlovci Convention and their activities
against the interests of our State. As for the home schismatics supporters
of the so-called Living Church and "Renovators" their movements had
receded as early as the second half of 1923 as the result of their being
condemned as schismatics by the Patriarch and the conference of bishops.
In response to the patriarchal call for repentance the majority of the
believers and members of the clergy abandoned the schismatics and returned
to the fold of the Church. After that the obdurate leadership of the schismat
ics and an insignificant number of their followers had scant success.
Thus gradually our Church, led by His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon, rein
forced its position. The Patriarch s activity in preserving the unity of the
Church required both wisdom and firmness. When hostile elements in church
circles attacked the Patriarch with malicious insinuations about lack of free
dom he declared solemnly in one of his messages: "We declare that there is
no power on earth that can bind our patriarchal conscience and our episcopal
word..."
A correct estimate of the real situation revealed with increasing clarity
to Patriarch Tikhon the meaning of the historic changes in the life of the people
and of the State in our country and prompted him to appeal frequently to
members of the Church not to mix political passions with religious life. Shortly
before his death he wrote his well-known testament in which he called on all
believers among the Russian people: "not to sin against faith and Church,
not to permit any concessions and compromises in the realm of faith, and
in civil relations,... to be sincere in their attitude towards the Soviet authori
ties and to work for the common good, condemning all propaganda covert
or overt against the new state regime..."
In his will and in a number of his last messages Patriarch Tikhon clearly
expressed his attitude towards the new state authorities and thus indicated
the way for the future direction of church policy to his successors: this policy
should be directed towards the normalization of relations between Church and
State and, of course, towards the removal of all kinds of divisions in the
Church. This was the path that was taken by his successor, Metropolitan Ser-
gius, who became at first the substitute of the locum tenens of the Patriarch,
Metropolitan Peter, then locum teuens, and, finally, Patriarch of Moscow and
All Russia.
The principal merit of the Primate s work was the successful continuation
of the work begun by Patriarch Tikhon in consolidating the relations between
Church and State.
In 1927, the Holy Synod, on the initiative of its Chairman Metropolitan
Sergius, addressed to members of the Russian Orthodox Church a special mes-
10
PATRIARCH TIKHON S TOMB IN THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY
OF THE DON
sage calling upon them to be loyal to the Soviet authorities not through fear
but as a matter of conscience. "We must show not by words but by deeds"
the message ran, "that among true citizens of the Soviet Union, loyal to the
Soviet authorities, there may be not only people who are indifferent to the
Church but also those who are the Church s most zealous supporters, people
for whom the Church is as precious as truth, as life itself the Church with all
its dogmas and traditions, with all its canonical and divine rites. We want to
be members of the Orthodox Church and at the same time to conceive the
Soviet Union as our civil motherland whose joys and successes are our joys
and successes, and whose setbacks are our setbacks."
In that year too, Metropolitan Sergius summoned members of the Russian
Church to pray for God s blessing on the people of the state of workers and
peasants in their work for the common welfare, and since then those prayers
have been held in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church. During all the
nineteen and a half years of his office as Metropolitan and later as Patriarch,
Sergius led his flock along the path of complete loyalty to the Soviet authori
ties and required all members of the Church to regard the fulfilment of their
civil responsibilities as their sacred duty.
As locum tenens, Metropolitan Sergius devoted a great deal of effort to the
problem of schisms abroad as well as of the groups within the Church which
laid claims to its leadership. But while he had to resort to persuasion, exhor
tation and ecclesiastical interdicts in dealing with the Karlovci group and
other bishops abroad, the domestic schisms did not require such efforts for,
deprived of the support of believers, the schisms of themselves ceased to exist.
The inner life of the Russian Orthodox Church was thus cleansed of all kinds
of discord and disorder, and strengthened in its purely spiritual freedom so
that it advanced to a final settlement of its relations with the State.
For its part, the Soviet State confirmed in the Constitution of 1936 the
full equality of civil rights of the Orthodox clergy and the freedom of consci
ence that was acknowledged as the right of all citizens. This law expressed the
attitude of the Soviet State to the Church and defined the role, the position and
fundamental rights of the Church in relation to the State.
The Great Patriotic War which broke out in June 1941 revealed in full
measure the ardent patriotism of the Russian Orthodox Church, her moral
strength and loyalty to state interests. In those difficult years She devoted
all her spiritual forces to the salvation and welfare]of the Mother-Country.
At the outbreak of war, Metropolitan Sergius, locum tenens, at once called upon
Russian believers to stand as one man in the struggle with the bloodthirsty
12
enemies that had attacked our land. This appeal to the believers evoked an
upsurge of patriotism all over our country and stimulated the Russian people s
confidence in victory.
The appeal ran: "Not in the period of feudal principalities, not during
the times of the Tartar yoke, not in the times of troubles in the beginning of
the 17-th century did the Church betray her country to the enemy or take ad
vantage of its weakness for her own interests; on the contrary, She supported,
united and strengthened it by all possible means. And the Church cannot
change her attitude towards her Country after the October Revolution..."
It should be noted that the ardent patriotic activity of the Russian Or
thodox Church during the war was at once appreciated by the Soviet Govern
ment. In acknowledging each important donation from the Church the Govern
ment expressed its gratitude and sent its greetings to those who had made
these sacrifices in the common cause of victory over the enemy. And when
Metropolitan Sergius expressed the wish to be received by the Head of the
Government to inform him of the needs of our Church the request was immedi
ately granted.
At that reception, which took place on September 4, 1943, Metropolitan
Sergius accompanied by two other metropolitans expressed the desire of the
Russian Church to convene a Council in order to elect a Patriarch and also
to provide for other needs of the Church. No hindrances were raised to this by
the U.S.S.R. Government.
Shortly afterwards a Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church
took place, at which Metropolitan Sergius, in recognition of his outstanding
religious and patriotic activities, was unanimously elected Patriarch of
Moscow and All Russia. But he was not destined to live until the complete
victory over the fascist hordes had been attained; a year before victory day he
was taken to the bosom of Our Lord.
Shortly after the Head of the Soviet Government had received the three
Metropolitans, the now still existing Council for the Affairs of the Russian
Orthodox Church was formed under the U.S.S.R. Council of Ministers. Its
principal function is to be a link between the U.S.S.R. Government and the
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia on matters that require governmental
decision. It also sees to it that laws and regulations of the Government affect
ing the Church are carried out correctly and promptly throughout the country.
These relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Soviet
State are in complete accordance with the U.S.S.R. Constitution and with
that loyal attitude which our Church has adopted and maintains in relation
13
PATRIARCH SERGIUS OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
(f MAY 2/15, 1944)
to the Soviet authorities. There are thus no grounds for considering these
relations in a sense unfavourable to the Church as some who have a hostile
attitude towards the Soviet Union have done. Nor can one speak of any change
in the political line of the Soviet State towards the Russian Orthodox Church
as a foreign journalist suggested in an interview with Patriarch Sergius soon
after his election. On that occasion the Patriarch replied: "If you are suggesting
that there has been some change in the relations between the Church and the
State, then I declare that there has been no such change." Those relations,
said the Patriarch, were defined by the decree of the Soviet authorities on
freedom of conscience, and by the U.S.S.R. Constitution. Both these documents
lay down with sufficient clarity the position and rights of the Church, guaran
teeing complete freedom for the celebration of divine rites, and wholly exclud
ing any restrictions on the religious life of church members and of church
life in general.
In accordance with the will of the late Patriarch Sergius, Alexis, Metro
politan of Leningrad and Novgorod, now Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia,
became locum tenens. In a letter dated May 20, 1944, Metropolitan Alexis
declared to the head of the Soviet Government that in his activities he would
always be guided by the determination to follow the path taken by his prede
cessor, and he called on Russian believers to do likewise. This statement
expressed the civic patriotic loyalty of the new Head of the Church to
the Soviet State and his firm intention of living according to the church
canons.
Religious life in the country could not take any other direction because
of the unbreakable bonds between the Church and the aspirations and fate of
the people, and because of the Orthodox conviction in the state power being
ordained by God. For that reason the Church under her new Patriarch contin
ued her selfless patriotic work during the concluding stage of the war. The
Patriarch appealed to his flock encouraging it to pray and to render material
aid to the front as well as to invalids and war-orphans; the clergy preached
against the anti-Christian nature of fascism; the Church worked to strengthen
her spiritual links with the Orthodox churches of South-East Europe, liberat
ed from fascism, and with other Orthodox and non-Orthodox churches abroad.
Solicitude for the internal well-being of the Church resulted in important
measures. The Russian Orthodox Church stood in need, primarily, of a complete
canonical administration headed by the Patriarch. She had to appoint bish-
15
ops in the territories freed from fascist occupation and to improve the whole
church administration in accordance with the requirements of the Church and
the new conditions of her existence. Such important questions had to be solved
as the final removal of the reformist schism and the organization of the train
ing of priests in the newly-opened seminaries. But of special importance was
the completion of the work started by Patriarch Sergius for normalizing rela
tions between State and Church.
In this direction everything necessary was done to give the relations be
tween Church and State the internal independence of the Church and her posi
tion in the Soviet State. The prospects of the Church s activities were revealed
in the resolutions taken by the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
which was held in February 1945. That Council approved the "Statute on the
Administration of the Russian Orthodox Church" and elected Metropolitan
Alexis Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
G. G. Karpov, Chairman of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Or
thodox Church under the U.S.S.R. Council of Ministers.who attended the Coun
cil meetings as the representative of the Soviet Government, addressed the
members of the Council in words that defined the relations between Church
and State in the Soviet Union: "In our great country, with the victory of a
new, hitherto unknown socialist society, that is the justest of all societies, by
the will of the people the Church was separated from the State and enjoys full
liberty in her internal affairs. The relations established now between Church
and State are quite normal, owing to the non-intervention of the Church in the
political life of the State and, on the other hand, to the non-interference of the
State in the internal affairs of the Church."
Thus, the position of the Church in the Soviet State attained its ultimate
norm and was stabilized from the very beginning of the activities of the pres
ent Patriarch, His Holiness Alexis.
Turning to the internal affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church during
the present Patriarchate, we may note with satisfaction that our religious life
now proceeds with complete unity among all Orthodox believers, the reformist
schism having ceased to exist. At the same time the religious beliefs of Ortho
dox Russians have been liberated from many vestiges of the pre-Revolutionary
synodal period, and, above all, from the confusion between religion and poli
tics. Religious life has not been impoverished by being separated from politics.
On the contrary, it has grown richer by the experience of practice in combining
the requirements of the Church with the citizen s rights and the obligations of
believers. Zealous, for the salvation of our souls, we acknowledge ourselves
16
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to be members of the Church of Christ and this imposes on us the moral duty
not only to pray and to participate in public services and the sacraments but
to fulfil our civic duties with honest Christian conscientiousness in our personal
and family lives as in our attitude towards society and the State. For the Ortho
dox Russian citizen the fulfilment of his civic duty in a Christian spirit is art
essential manifestation of true faith as it is an essential condition for the sal
vation of his soul. Members of the Church must be worthy members of the
community and model citizens of the State that is the moral standard of
behaviour of our Orthodox flock and of its clergy, bishops and priests -
in the school of earthly life.
Thus, in the new conditions the Russian Orthodox Church is fulfilling
her mission of salvation: She prepares her members for Eternity through a
virtuous life on earth and by blessing the people s work for the general wel
fare, the Church serves the people by the moral education within the sphere
of her religious activities. And in that work the Church is subject to no re
strictions and is aware of no interference of the State in her internal life.
As any human society the Church has her visible organization but neither
in her appointment nor in methods of her activity does she aspire to be a state
within the state, as the Roman Catholic Church does, nor an organization
parallel to the state organization, as in ancient Byzantium, nor a department
of state as before the Revolution in tsarist Russia. All those forms of relation
ship to the state are alien to the Russian Orthodox Church which unites those
who dwell on earth with those who dwell in the Kingdom of Heaven, form the
single family of the Heavenly Father. And as a Christian family united by the
mutual love of its members, the Russian Orthodox Church cannot cause the
Soviet State any political anxiety and, for her own part, cannot fear any limi
tation of her spiritual freedom.
These favourable conditions of church life and activity justify us in look
ing with confidence and hope towards the future of our Church and its further
successes. Indeed, the Russian Orthodox Church consists of millions of believ.
ers in God, with sincere and conscious conviction, which is something one could
not say of the ruling Church of the Russian Empire: at that time people were
often considered as believers when they belonged to the Church only in a formal
manner, in order to conform to social convention. A bright future for church
life is opened by the activities of our seminaries in training future priests.
Our Church enjoys a freedom in her internal affairs that is guaranteed by the
Soviet Government, and she thanks God for all she disposes of at present, and
hopes to become worthy of a still better future.
19
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E
The position of religion in the Soviet state is defined by the decree of the
Soviet Government of January 23, 1918, on freedom of conscience and on the
separation of the Church from State and of the school from the Church. This
decree says that the Church is separated from the State and that within the
frontiers of the Republic she is forbidden to issue any laws or regulations
which could restrict or limit freedom of conscience, or establish privileges
or advantages of any sort based on the religious affiliation of the citizen.
In accordance with this decree, every citizen of the State may practise
any religion or none. All deprivations of rights connected with the practice
or non-practice of any faith are abolished. All data about the religious affilia
tion or non-affiliation of the citizen have been struck out of all official docu
ments. All the activities of state and other public or legal institutions are
performed without any religious rites or ceremonies.
Freedom of performing religious rites is guaranteed in so far as they do
not involve a disturbance of public order and do not prejudice the rights of
Soviet citizens. Local authorities have the right to apply all necessary meas
ures to maintain public order and security in such cases.
No one can refuse to fulfil his civic duties on religious grounds. Exemption
from this by the substitution of one civic duty for another is permissible in
individual cases by decision of the people s court.
The religious oath has been abolished. When necessary a solemn declara
tion is made. Acts of civil status are dealt with exclusively by the civil authori
ties at marriage, birth and death registration offices.
The schools are separated from the Church. The teaching of religion is
prohibited in all state, public and private educational establishments where
general subjects are taught. Citizens may give or receive religious instruction
privately.
Characterizing the significance of the decree separating the Church from
the State, Metropolitan Sergius, locum tenens, wrote in March 1942, in The
Truth About Religion in Russia (p. 10), published by the Moscow Patriarchate:
"With the separation of the Church from the State all barriers that kept people
within the Church artificially, were removed and all nominal church members
left us."
Referring to the great positive importance of the decree for religious-
minded people, The Truth About Religion in Russia says correctly and convinc
ingly on page 21: "The decree on freedom of conscience issued by the Soviet
authorities as early as January 1918, secures for each and every religious com-
21
munity, including our Orthodox Church, the right and possibility to exist and
to conduct its religious affairs according to the requirements of its faith, in
so far as this does not infringe public order or prejudice the rights of other
citizens. This decree had a great significance for establishing a healthy state
of affairs in the inner life of the Church. Under the tsarist government the
Church was in the service of the state.... State tutelage spread throughout the
whole of the Church s administrative organization." And on page 24 we read:
"The decree of the Soviet authorities on freedom of conscience, on freedom
of religious practice, removed the yoke that had lain on the Church for so
many years, it freed the Church from outside tutelage. It was of enormous
service to the inner life of the Church. The decree establishes freedom and guaran
tees the inviolability of this freedom to all religious communities. It is also of
the greatest benefit to our Orthodox Church that she has ceased to be the ruling
church, a tool of the autocracy, impeding the freedom of other confessions."
Pre-revolutionary Russia knew neither freedom of conscience nor freedom
of worship since there existed a system of a State Orthodox Church ruled by
the supreme power of the head of the state the tsar, who had the right to
issue, alter and cancel all in the ecclesiastical sphere, that in his opinion was
not founded on Holy Writ.
Under tsarism the Russian Orthodox Church was governed by the Holy
Synod which was entirely subordinate to the tsar and was his instrument,
consisting of bishops and clergy appointed by his orders. The Synod s role in
deciding any question concerning the Orthodox Church was quite insignifi
cant, as its members were as a rule subordinate to the will and directions of
the tsar-appointed "procurator" of the Holy Synod, that is to a lay state-ser
vant who was the "eye of the tsar and the scrivener of state affairs." This "pro
curator" was granted considerable authority by the head of the state and used
it to meddle in the internal affairs of the Orthodox Church, even going so far
as to name bishops.
The Russian Orthodox Church received a large income from the tsarist
government, which was another reason for its dependence on the government
and the tsar.
Tsarist laws completely denied freedom of conscience. Only by the victory
of the Great October Socialist Revolution was an end put to the century-old
policy of the tsarist autocracy to exercise political tutelage over the consciences
of its subjects, only under Soviet power was the Church separated from the
State and the school from the Church and real freedom of conscience and genu
ine tolerance introduced. The Church in the U.S.S.R. is not a state but a
private organization, receiving no financial support from the state and inde
pendent of it.
Religious freedom in the U.S.S.R. is guaranteed in the Constitution. Arti
cle 124 of the U.S.S.R. Constitution runs: "In order to ensure to citizens free
dom of conscience, the Church in the U.S.S.R. is separated from the State, and
the school from the Church. Freedom of religious worship and freedom of
anti-religious propaganda is recognized for all citizens." In connection with
this article of the Constitution we find on page 26 of The Truth About Reli
gion in Russia the quite correct comment: "...it may be said with complete
objectivity that the Constitution, guaranteeing full freedom of religious wor
ship, definitely in no way restricts the religious life of the faithful and the life
of the Church in general."
Religious freedom in the U.S.S.R. is shown too by the fact that the Church
income has been freed by the Soviet state from taxation, that there are no sta
tistics or registration of the population under religious headings in the country,
that people are not required^to^ state their religion when applying for work,
passports, etc.
In certain foreign countries people with a hostile attitude to the U.S.S.R.
have spread and continue to spread slanderous allegations of restrictions on
freedom of conscience in the Soviet Union, they have spread and keep spreading
the lie that in our country the clergy and the faithful have been in the past
and still are the objects of persecution by the state, including prosecution in
court, for their religious activities. These lies and calumny were refuted long
ago, in particular by the Church herself: "During the years following the Octo
ber Revolution in Russia," we 1 read in the above-mentioned book (pp. 26-27),
"there were frequent trials of churchmen. Why were these religious person
alities placed on trial? Exclusively for carrying on anti-Soviet work under the
cover of their robe and the banner of the church. These were political trials,
which were far from having anything in common with the purely church life
of religious organizations and the purely church work of individual members
of the clergy. The Orthodox Church herself loudly and resolutely condemned
her renegades who had betrayed her clear line of honest loyalty towards the
Soviet authorities.... No, the Church cannot complain of the actions of the
Government."
Accord ing to Soviet laws, all religious communities, including the Russian
Orthodox Church, are equal before the state, which guarantees to each of them
freedom and autonomy on the condition that they respect the laws of the land.
Religious communities may be formed by adults sharing the same religious
23
faith, in numbers of twenty or over, uniting for the satisfaction of their reli
gious needs. After registration with the competent state authorities such a
congregation receives from the state for use, free of charge, a building for con
ducting prayers and the necessary articles of worship if they are available, or
it may rent a suitable building, or receive permission to build one.
In addition, Soviet legislation foresees strict responsibility for any infringe
ment of the civic rights of religious-minded people, including the clergy.
The same law also forbids the persecution of citizens for their religious beliefs
and holds people strictly answerable for offending the religious feelings of
believers. Any discrimination against believers on admission to work, to edu
cational establishments and social organizations of any nature is precluded.
On such occasions no one is under any obligation to reveal his religious views.
Hence, believers of all faiths and members of the clergy are equal citizens of
the Soviet state and take part in the political life of the land on the same basis
as everyone else.
As far as teaching of fundamentals of religion is concerned, the ministers
expound their doctrines in churches and prayer houses during services, in
talks and sermons. Soviet citizens may also, in accordance with the decree,
give and receive religious instruction in the privacy of their homes, without
founding for that aim any special schools, with the exception of ecclesiastical
establishments organized by religious communities for preparing ministers
of their religion.
In accordance with the existing Soviet laws the State in the U.S.S.R.
provides the Russian Orthodox Church with no material aid, leaving it to exist
exclusively on the voluntary donations of the faithful and on the income re
ceived by the clergy for performing religious rites, as well as from the sale of
various religious objects to believers. At the same time, the income theChurch
receives from those sources is exempted from state taxes. Ministers, however,
as other citizens, pay income tax on the income they receive for their personal
use.
Our church, like other religious communities in the U.S.S.R. , enjoys
the right to build churches, to purchase and rent prayer houses and other prem
ises necessary for housing the central and local ecclesiastical organizations,
schools, monasteries and convents and its clergy.
Church organizations may acquire vehicles and organize the manufacture
of candles, church vessels, vestments, icons and other objectsof divine worship.
The Church may publish magazines, calendars, prayer-books, liturgical books,
theological works and text-books for schools; she receives supplies of paper
24
from state sources against payment out of her own means, and uses state
printing presses.
Our Church is entitled to possess her own teaching institutions (academies
and seminaries) for training ministers, and also her own pension fund for
aged, disabled or invalid clergy.
All personnel employed in religious organizations have the benefit of
current labour legislation, including state insurance should the employment
contract be concluded with the participation of trade union organs, and the
period of work in religious organizations under these conditions is reckonable
towards old age pensions in accordance with the state pension law.
A considerable number of the monasteries and convents of the Russian
Orthodox Church have land attached to them which is managed by the mona
steries themselves. Several monasteries and convents subsist on the income
received from various handicraft industries and from voluntary donations
from believers.
Public services and religious rites take place in churches and prayer
houses. At the request of the faithful, priests may conduct various rites at
home too. Church bells may ring without hindrance.
The Soviet state, observant of the fulfilment of the laws that apply gen
erally to all citizens and organizations and of the special laws and regulations
affecting the activities of religious communities, does not interfere in the
internal affairs of our Church, i.e., it is not concerned either with the dogmatic
or canonical basis of the life of the church, which is conducted according to
church laws and regulations.
Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Government are
conducted through the Council for Russian Orthodox Church Affairs under
the U.S.S.R. Council of Ministers, which sees to it that freedom of conscience
is respected in our country, drafts legislative acts and decrees relating to our
Church and decides questions raised by the higher ecclesiastical authorities
and various church bodies. In a number of places in the Soviet Union this
Council has its plenipotentiaries for establishing contact with local eccle
siastical organizations.
Such are the general conditions in which the Russian Orthodox Church
has lived and fulfilled her functions since her separation from the State. Re
plying to the question whether these conditions are favourable for our Church s
mission of salvation, we may cite the numerous statements of foreign Ortho
dox and other Christians who have visited our country in recent years and who
have seen our church life with their own eyes.
25
This is an extract from the statement of a delegation from the Orthodox
Church of Antioch which visited Moscow in 1953:
"During our month s visit to the Soviet Union we gained extensive knowl
edge of the life of the Russian Orthodox Church, its episcopate, its clergy
and laymen, and also of various aspects of the daily life of the Soviet people.
We were enabled to visit and admire many churches in Moscow and Leningrad
and also the ancient Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra and its churches the creation
of Russian architects of genius. We saw numerous churches packed on days of
worship with believers young and old men, women and children.... We were
convinced that both secondary and higher theological institutions (academies
and seminaries) function in the Soviet Union; religious-minded young people
are taught there by qualified professors and teachers most of whom are alumni
of the theological academies.
,,The theological academies and seminaries educate future priests of the
Orthodox Church, who are in great demand in the U.S.S.R., for the State
grants the Church full liberty to exercise religious worship and to spread the
Word of God through sermons and literature. We declare that the Russian
Orthodox Church lives in full canonical plenitude and grandeur."
From June 17 to July 6, 1954, a delegation of the Evangelical-Lutheran
Church of Germany visited the Soviet Union on the invitation of the Moscow
Patriarch. A member of this delegation, Pastor G. Mochalsky gave his impres
sions in this spirit:
"I came from a country where people know little about the life of the
Orthodox Church and about Russian Christianity. I asked myself: How do
Christians live in the Soviet Union after so much suffering? What I saw pro
vided me with the answer to that question. The Orthodox Church in the Soviet
Union is alive. An enormous number of people attend its services. We noted
how ardently believers take part in worship."
Another member of that delegation, Professor Kurt Aland in his Travel
Notes, written for the Berlin paper Die Kirchc, said:
"Everywhere we met happy working people building a new life in peace
and well-being. We inspected factories and collective farms, universities and
libraries, clinics and sanatoriums, we were in people s homes and walked
through the streets of towns in groups or individually. Everywhere we had
the same impression. Everywhere we were met with extraordinary hospitality.
In church and state institutions we were received in such a way that with the
best will in the world we could not express our gratitude adequately, and we
would not be able to arrange such a reception should a delegation of the Ortho-
26
dox Church visit us... . It is enough to attend a single service of the Russian
Orthodox Church in the U.S.S.R. for the greatest sceptic to have to admit
that the Church lives..."
The Dean of the church of St. Nicholas in Alexandria, Archimandrite
Cyprianos, visiting Moscow in August 1955 with Patriarch Christopher of
Alexandria, wrote in the visitor s book:
"Words fail us to express our joy from this visit to Russia. We shall ever
remember the feast days at Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra and also our visits to the
remarkable religious monuments, museums, palaces, theological academies
and seminaries. There is no doubt whatsoever that the Russian Orthodox Church
is at present developing in complete freedom and is the object of great atten
tion from the Soviet state..."
Sharing his impression of a visit to the Soviet Union, Dr. Friedrich Lang,
professor at the Higher Ecclesiastical School at Wuppertal, who visited us
among other guests from the Evangelical Church of Western Germany in
August-September 1955, wrote:
"The aim of our visit was to acquire a closer knowledge of the religious
life of the Orthodox Church. We fully succeeded in this. But we are also grate
ful that besides this we came to know many aspects of the life and sights of
the Soviet state... . We were delighted to see that the Orthodox Church at the
present time lives a deeply religious life, that it has a sufficient number of
clergy, that the State respects its internal freedom and supports its requests..."
On August 8, 1954, the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra was visited by the Ameri
can writer Kennedy. After seeing the monuments of the Monastery he wrote in
the visitor s book:
"Coming from the United States of America, where it is frequently asserted
by the press that freedom of religion does not prevail in the Soviet Union,
in has been most gratifying to see with my own eyes the free exercise of religi
ous conception here today. At the same time, it has been inspiring to see
the Church fulfilling the function of service to the people."
II
STRUCTURE
AND ADMINISTRATION
OF THE RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH
In her structure and administration, the Russian Orthodox Church is
guided primarily by the Apostolic Rules and Canons of the Oecumenical and
Local Councils. During the course of her existence She has repeatedly convened
her own local councils in order to conform her life to changing conditions of
place and time. Thus, before 1945 some aspects of our church life were deter
mined by the definitions of the All-Russian Council of 1917-18 and since
then it continues to be guided by the "Statute on the Administration of the
Russian Orthodox Church" adopted at the Local Council of 1945, at which
the locum tenens of the Patriarch, Metropolitan Alexis of Leningrad and Nov
gorod, was elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
This Council, which was held in Moscow, was attended by all the diocesan
bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church and representatives of the clergy
and parishioners of their dioceses, and the following were honorary guests:
Patriarch Christopher of the Church of Alexandria and with him four delegates,
Patriarch Alexander III of the Church of Antioch and with him three delegates,
the Catholicos-Patriarch Callistratus of the Church of Georgia and with
him four delegates, Metropolitan Germanos of Thyatira, representing the
Constantinople Oecumenical Patriarch, Archbishop Athenagorus of Sebastieh,
representing the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Metropolitan Joseph of Skoplje, re
presenting the Orthodox Church of Serbia and with him twelve delegates, and
Bishop Joseph of Arges representing the Orthodox Church of Roumania and
with him three delegates.
The "Statute on the Administration of the Russian Orthodox Church"
adopted at this Council says that in the Russian Orthodox Church supreme
authority in matters of doctrine, administration and church justice legis
lative, administrative and judicial belongs to the Local Council periodically
convened and consisting of bishops, clerics and laity.
From the first section of the "Statute", devoted to the patriarchal
31
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authority in our Church, it follows that in accordance with Apostolic Canon 34,
the Russian Orthodox Church is headed by His Holiness the Patriarch of Mos
cow and All Russia and is administered by him jointly with the Holy Synod;
the Patriarch is named and prayers are offered for him at divine service in
all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church both in the U.S.S.R. and
abroad.
The section on the authority of the Patriarch says further: The Patriarch
has the right to send messages on ecclesiastical questions to the entire Russian
Orthodox Church and to conduct relations on ecclesiastical matters with the
heads of other autocephalous Orthodox Churches.
In case of necessity the Patriarch gives the diocesan bishops fraternal
advice and directions concerning their obligations and administration. The
Patriarch also has the right to reward the bishops with the recognized titles
and higher ecclesiastical distinctions.
To decide important ecclesiastical questions the Patriarch convenes the
Council of Bishops under his chairmanship and when it is necessary to consult
the clergy and laity, the Patriarch convenes the Local Council and presides at
it too. To facilitate for the Patriarch the care of the entire Russian Orthodox
Church, the diocese of Moscow is administered by the Patriarchal Substitute
with the title of Metropolitan of Krutitzy and the powers of a diocesan
bishop.
In questions requiring the authorization of the Government of the U.S.S.R.
the Patriarch deals with the Council for Russian Orthodox Church Affairs
under the Council of Ministers of the U.S.S.R.
It must be said that in this section of the "Statute on the Administration
of the Russian Orthodox Church" there is no mention of many rights of the
Patriarch which follow from the Canons or are contained in the definition on
the Patriarch by the All-Russian Church Council of 1917/18. Among these
rights are: the right of supervision over all institutions of central church admin
istration, the right to investigate all dioceses, the right to absolve and to mit
igate all church punishments, the right to bestow blessings in the form of a
charter upon clerics and laymen for their activity in the service of the Church,
the right to consecrate the chrism, and others.
The first section of the "Statute" further says that in interim periods be
tween Patriarchs the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church is incum
bent on the locum tenens jointly with the Holy Synod. On the vacancy of the
Patriarchal See the senior by ordination of the permanent_members of the Holy
Synod assumes the functions of the locum tenens.
3 33K33 N 1 72 33
The name of the locum tenens is named and prayers are offered for him
at divine service in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Messages to the whole of Russian Orthodox Church and to the Primates
of other autocephalous Orthodox Churches are issued under the signature of the
locum tenens.
Under the chairmanship of the locum tenens the Holy Synod raises the
question of convening the Council for the election of a new Patriarch, which
Council must be convened no later than six months after the vacation of the
Patriarchal See.
The Council convened to elect the Patriarch is presided by the locum tenens.
The second section of the "Statute on the Administration of the Russian
Orthodox Church" is devoted to the Holy Synod, of which the following is
said:
The Holy Synod consists of six members diocesan bishops, under the
presidency of the Patriarch.
Three members of the Holy Synod are permanent, they are the metropolitans
of Krutitzy, Kiev and Leningrad; three are temporary. The temporary members
of the Synod are called to attend one session by rotation, according to the list
of bishops by seniority of ordination, one from each of the three groups of dio
ceses into which the Russian Church is divided.
The synodal year is divided into two sessions: the summer session (March
to August) and the winter session (September to February).
For the guidance of separate branches of administration the following
departments are instituted in the Holy Synod: the Administration Depart
ment, the External Church Relation Department, the Educational Committee,
the Temporal Administration Department, the Pensions Committee and the
Publishing Department.
The third section of the "Statute" speaks of the administrative division
of the Russian Orthodox Church into dioceses, the boundaries of which must
coincide with the civil boundaries regions, territories and republics. This
conformity of ecclesiastical boundaries to the civilian ones has a canonical
basis and answers the purposes of church organization. In localities with
a large non-Christian population the diocesan boundaries may coincide not
only with those of the region but even with wider administrative boundaries
of territories and republics.
While Metropolitan Sergius was locum tenens the church authority adopt
ed a decision by which the dioceses must be called by the new names of their
cathedral cities (administrative centres of regions, areas and republics). By
34
virtue of this there are at present dioceses of Leningrad, Kalinin, Kuibishev
and others. This decision has canonical justification in the example of the
Oecumenical Councils. Thus, the First Oecumenical Council calls the Bishop
of the Mother of all Churches not by the biblical name of Jerusalem but
by the new name of Elia given to the city by Emperor Hadrian; the Sixth
Oecumenical Council calls the Archbishop of Cyprus "the Primate of Justin-
ianopolis" by the name of the town named thus by Emperor Justinian II.
According to the decision now in vigour, "Diocesan bishops bear the name of
their cathedral city."
According to the rules of the Oecumenical Church, bishops are elected by
the Council or at least by an assembly of three bishops headed by the first
bishop and with the consent of all bishops not attending, testified by a writ.
The imposition of hands on the elected bishop must be performed, with the
participation or the authorization of the first bishop, by two or more bishops.
The same system also exists in the Russian Orthodox Church: bishops are
elected by the Holy Synod under the chairmanship of the Patriarch.
The diocesan bishops are members with full rights of Councils and the
Holy Synod of the Russian Church, of the latter by rotation. At the same time
the diocesan bishops are responsible and accountable to the higher ecclesiastical
authority for their activity and the state of the diocese confided to them.
According to need and on the request of the diocesan bishops, the Patriarch
and the Synod appoint to help them auxiliary bishops with functions at the
discretion of the diocesan bishop.
The organization of the diocesan administration depends on the diocesan
bishop, who whether administers alone or jointly with the co-operation of the
diocesan council if he has formed one. The diocesan council consists of 3-
5 members of the priesthood. Its task includes preparation for submission
to the bishop s decision of matters sent to the council for this purpose by the
diocesan bishop.
In the immediate jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop are the offices, monas
teries, convents where there are any, and also factories manufacturing candles
and other church requisites.
The diocesan bishop ordains priests and deacons for his diocese, appoints
district deans, deans, pastors, parish priests and other clerics and gives them
directions; he receives accounts from district deans, deans and pastors and super
vises all clerics and church establishments in his diocese.
Each diocese is divided into a certain number of districts including a num
ber of parishes. A district dean is at the head of each district. He is the super-
35 3*
vising arid executive organ of the diocesan bishop. The district dean super
vises the activity and conduct of the parish clergy, visits the parishes, announces
to the clergy the decisions taken by the diocesan bishop, when necessary makes
brotherly observations to the pastors and other members of the parish clergy,
ascertains that the spiritual needs of the faithful are taken care of, petitions
for awards to clerics deserving of encouragement and renders to the diocesan
bishop an account of his activity and of the state of the district entrusted to him.
The fourth section of the "Statute on the Administration of the Russian
Orthodox Church" speaks of the parish. Each parish consists of a group of
faithful who have received from the State the free use of a church and church
furniture for the satisfaction of their religious needs and of those of all the
faithful living in the district of that church. The head of the parish is the pas
tor and the general parish assembly is the managing body of the parish. At
this assembly two other parish bodies are elected: an executive body the
church council, and a control body the audit board.
The church council consists of four persons the pastor, who presides over
it ex officio, the church warden, his assistant and the treasurer. The last three
are elected by the general parish assembly from among the parishioners. Under
the immediate direction and supervision of the parish priest the church council
manages the church s temporal activity: looks after the maintenance, heating,
lighting and repairs of the church and church vessels, the provision of the
church with all that is required for the performance of divine service vest
ments, liturgical books, candles, etc. The church council is the responsible
manager of the church funds and attends to their correct accounting and expend
iture. The church funds consist of voluntary offerings at collections during
divine service, contributions for communion bread, candles, etc., and spe
cial voluntary donations by the faithful for the needs of the church.
The audit board controls the temporal activity of the parish. It consists
of three members elected by the general parish assembly. The obligations of
the audit board include constant supervision of the activity of the church
council and periodical auditing of the church property and funds and of the
correctness of expenditures effected. Besides the audit board, the district dean
and the parish priest also control the parish temporal affairs.
The pastor, who is member of the church council and its chairman, is at
the same time in charge of supervising the activity of this body. The parish
priest is subordinate to the diocesan bishop and personally responsible to
him for correct performance of divine service, in accordance with church regu
lations, and for the exact fulfilment of the bishop s orders concerning the
36
METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS OF KRUTITZY
AND KOLOMNA
METROPOLITAN JOHN OF KIEV
AND GALICH, EXARCH OF THE
UKRAINE
METROPOLITAN ELEUTHERIUS
OF LENINGRAD AND LADOGA
spiritual guidance of the clergy and the parish community; he also submits
accounts of the activity of the parish to the diocesan bishop through the district
dean. The priest is subordinate to the district dean too and he applies
through him to the diocesan bishop on matters of parish life.
Besides the pastor each church also has its clergy, consisting of priests
and deacons. The composition of the clergy is not uniform in every parish
and depends on the number of parishioners.
According to the "Statute on the Administration of the Russian Orthodox
Church," the local Council consists of bishops, clerics and laymen, i.e., parish
ioners. The laity have the right to propose to the diocesan bishop candidates
from whom clerics are elected and ordained. As parishioners of their church
they take part directly and constantly in parish life. They constitute the gener
al parish assembly; the church council and the audit board are elected
from them. The laity take part in the church choirs and in the general singing
during divine service. Besides the specially appointed persons they supervise
the condition and the cleanliness of the church, the icons and the various
objects of church use and they prepare and decorate the church for the great
Church and parish feasts.
THE PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE HOLY SYNOD ARE:
Nicholas, Metropolitan of Krutitzy and Kolomna,
John, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galich, Patriarchal Exarch of the
Ukraine,
Eleutherius, Metropolitan of Leningrad and Ladoga.
LIST OF THE DIOCESES
OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
(WITHIN THE SOVIET UNION)
1. ALMA-ATA 10. GORKY
2. ARCHANGELSK 11- GRODNO
3. ASTRAKHAN 12. IRKUTSK
4. CHEBOKSARY 13. IVANOVO
5. CHELYABINSK 14. IZHEVSK
6. CHERNIGOV 15. KALININ
7. CHERNOVITSY 16. KALUGA
8. DNEPROPETROVSK 17 KAZAN
9. DROGOBYCH 18. KHABAROVSK
38
19. KHARKOV
20. KHMELNITSKY
21. KIEV
22. KIROV
23. KIROVOGRAD
24. KISHINYOV
25. KOSTROMA
26. KRASNODAR
27. KRASNOYARSK
28. KUIBYSHEV
29. KURSK
30. LENINGRAD
31. LUGANSK
32. LVOV
33. MINSK
34. MOSCOW
35. MUKACHEVO
36. NOVGOROD
37. NOVOSIBIRSK
38. ODESSA
39. OLONETZ
40. OMSK
41. ORENBURG
42. ORYOL
43. PENZA
44. PERM
45. PINSK
47. PSKOV
48. RIGA
49. ROSTOV
50. RYAZAN
51. SARATOV
52. SEMIPALATINSK
53. SIMFEROPOL
54. SMOLENSK
55. STANISLAV
56. STAVROPOL
57. SUMY
58. SVERDLOVSK
59. TALLINN
60. TAMBOV
61. TASHKENT
62. TULA
63. UFA
64. ULYANOVSK
65. VELIKIYE LUKY
66. VILNIUS
67. VINNITSA
68. VLADIMIR
69. VOLOGDA
70. VOLYNIA
71. VORONEZH
72. YAROSLAVL
73. ZHITOMIR
46. POLTAVA
Among the 73 bishops at the head of dioceses of the Orthodox Church in
the U.S.S.R. there are, as on July I, 1957: seven Metropolitans, thirty-seven
archbishops and twenty-nine bishops.
Many bishops and priests who were a long time in emigration and re
turned to their country in recent years were welcomed with affection by their
Mother Church and received dioceses or parishes. In 1947, Metropolitan Benja
min (Fedchenko) returned from the U.S.A. He had been at first the head of the
diocese of Riga, then of Rostov and at last of Saratov; now he lives in
retirement. Metropolitan Serafim (Lukyanov) returned in 1954 from France and
Bishop Theodore (Tekuchev), formerly of San Francisco and California, came
39
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2
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S
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z
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O
Of
bacK from the U.S.A. in 1956 are now living in retirement in Gerbovetsky Monas
tery in Moldavia. In 1952, Bishop Anthony (Vasilyev), formerly of San Francis
co and California, also returned from the same country, lived in retirement
in the Monastery of the Assumption near Odessa and died there in 1953. Bishop
Alexis (Panteleyev), on his return from the U.S.A. in 1946, occupied the See
of Omsk and died in 1948. Bishop John (Lavrinenko) returned from Czechoslo-
A DIOCESAN BISHOP RECEIVES VISITORS
vakia in 1945 and is now at the head of the diocese of Chelyabinsk. In 1955,
Archimandrite Mstislav (Volonsevich), now Bishop of Velikie Luky, returned
from Western Germany. Several Bishops returned at different times from China:
Metropolitan Nestor (Anisimov) now of Novosibirsk, Archbishop Victor (Svya-
tin), now head of the Krasnodar diocese, Archbishop Juvenaly (Kilin),
governing Izhevsk diocese, Archbishop Nikandr (Victorov), appointed Bishop
of Archangelsk, Archimandrite Gabriel (Ogorodnikov), now Bishop of Vologda,
and Archbishop Dimitry (Vosnesensky) formerly of Hailar, who died in 1947.
Many priests also returned from abroad and are now serving in parishes in
different dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Ill
THE LIFE
OF THE CHURCH
This chapter will give the reader an idea of the life of the Russian Ortho
dox Church today. It goes without saying that only certain aspects of church
life, mainly its outward manifestations, can be told about here. However,
even they might seem difficult to understand for certain readers if something
were not said first about the Orthodox Church s belief in her mission and about
the pathway She follows in fulfilling this mission in the present conditions of
time and place.
To appraise church life one must proceed from the proposition that Chris
tianity is not only a doctrine but first and foremost a new life brought on
earth by the Son of God, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The centre of this life is
the Church, who is the living body of Christ, or humanity re-united to its
Divine Source in Christ. The Church appears first but as an embryo in the
form of the small community of the first Christians, then She grows and devel
ops as a universal organism, at the same time divine and human.
The life of Christians in the Church is first of all living faith in God and
in the Redemption by the Son of God, Our Lord Jesus Christ; it is total striv
ing towards Truth, the fight against sin, the striving to make God reign over
our thoughts, our feelings and our will; it is penance, fasting, prayer, commun
ion in the Eucharist, works of mercy and charity and all other virtues, which,
with the help and grace of the Holy Ghost, are crowned by Charity; in short,
all that to which the Saviour devoted His life and His preaching, to which the
Apostles, martyrs, confessors, holy bishops and monks, all the great multitude
of Christians true to God devoted their labour and their virtues and which may
be called the fight for the Kingdom of God the real content of the history of
the Church of Christ.
One can judge the life of the Church in Russia by the lives of the Russian
saints and from the history of the Russian Church. From the earliest times,
45
CATHEDRAL OF THE ASSUMPTION, VLADIMIR
collective divine service performed in the church has always occupied the
central place in our church life. Orthodox churches, large and small, built
in wood and in stone, ancient and more modern, are scattered all over our
country. Many churches are historical and architectural monuments and are
therefore under state protection. They include monuments of the Kiev, Nov
gorod, Vladimiro-Suzdal, Moscow and other periods of Russian church archi
tecture. One of its peculiar features consists in the cupolas with elongated
bulb-like tops. "This crowning of the Russian church," a religious thinker said,
"like a tongue of fire tapering towards the cross surmounting it, embodies the
idea of profound fervour of prayer rising to Heaven by which our earthly world
becomes partaker in the wealth of the beyond." By their architectural form
Russian churches remind one of ships sailing on the ocean of earthly life,
and their crosses rising to the sky soar now here, now there, over the cities
and towns of our country.
In our churches the orthodox faithfullearn in a simple palpable and acces
sible way by the icons, church art and the accessories of the divine service,
the functions and rites full of profound meaning, and the hymns, admirable
for their melodies and profoundly edifying in their content, in a word, by all
the composition and structure of the divine service and by the whole of the exte
rior of the church, the main events of the life of the Saviour on earth, His doc
trine, the principal events of the Old Testament, which are to Christianity what
the dawn is to the rising sun.
In the church too, in times of joy or of suffering, in times of happiness or
grave temptation, the Orthodox Christian opens his heart to the Lord, beseeches,
praises and thanks Him and in the humble consciousness, of his unworth-
iness prays the saints to intercede to God for him. Here the burden of sin
and grief has time and again fallen like a heavy stone from his sorrowing heart.
Here too he nourishes and fortifies his religious feeling, purifies his moral con
cepts and satisfies his esthetic feelings with the splendour of the church and
the beauty of divine service.
From times immemorial Russian Orthodox believers have drawn from
divine service their pious beliefs, their venerable customs and traditions, their
moral and civic strength. For us the church with its divine services has always
been and will always be the House of God, the visible heaven, the school of
faith and piety open to all, the place for healing our spiritual and bodily infirm
ities, the place where the members of the Church unite. It is therefore no
wonder that now, too, in the modern conditions of the life of the Russian
Orthodox Church, the church is the centre of religious life.
47
F * M
CATHEDRAL OF ST. VLADIMIR, KIEV
CATHEDRAL OF NATIVITY, KISHINYOV
SMOLENSK CATHEDRAL
CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL, SOCHI
4 3aKaa Nt 172
KHARKOV CATHEDRAL
KURSK CATHEDRAL
CATHEDRAL OF THE NATIV
ITY, RIGA (LATVIAN S.S.R.)
TALLINN CATHEDRAL
(ESTONIAN S.S.R.)
MINSK CATHEDRAL
(BYELORUSSIAN S.S.R.)
CATHEDRAL OF THE PRO-
TECTION OF THE MOTHER
OF GOD, GRODNO (BYELO
RUSSIAN S.S.R.)
CATHEDRAL OF ST. CATHERINE,
KRASNODAR
CATHEDRAL OF THE TRANS
FIGURATION, SUMY (UKRAIN
IAN S.S.R.)
,
".ATHEDRAL OF, THE TRANSFIG
URAT10N, CHERNIGOV
(UKRAINIAN S.S.R.)
CATHEDRAL OF ST. NICHOLAS,
ALMA-ATA (KAZAKH S.S.R.)
ST NICHOLAS CATHEDRAL, NOVGOROD
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN CHRYSO-
STOM, KOSTROMA
CATHEDRAL OF THE ST. TRINITY, PSKOV
MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE
It is natural to start the description of the life of the Church with the
capital of our country, Moscow, the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox
Church. Here is the permanent residence of His Holiness Alexis, Patriarch
of Moscow and All Russia (5, Chisty Pereulok). Here are all the organs
of the higher administration of the Church the Holy Synod, and the dif
ferent departments and committees of Moscow Patriarchate.
It is on the premises of Moscow Patriarchate that the Holy Synod meets
periodically under the chairmanship of His Holiness the Patriarch.
The hall where the Synod meets is next to the study of His Holiness the
Patriarch, where he works, receives the bishops, district deans, the deans and
pastors of Moscow churches, responsible collaborators of Moscow Patriarchate
and other visitors.
It is in the same building that delegations and guests from abroad are
received. In the absence of the Patriarch these receptions are held by Metropol
itan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna.
An annex of Moscow Patriarchate houses the following branches: Moscow
Patriarchate Administration, the office of the Patriarch, the Department of
Foreign Church Relations, the Instruction Committee, the Pension Committee
and the Temporal Administration. The archives of the Moscow Patriarchate
are kept in a special building.
Some branches of Moscow Patriarchate are located in Novodevichi Con
vent (2, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Ulitsa). There on the ground floor of the Lo-
pukhin Palace we find the administration office of Moscow Diocese, the head
of which is Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna, and the reception
room where his Vicar, Archbishop Makarius of Mozhaisk, receives visitors
on diocesan affairs.
54
MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE
MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE SEEN FROM THE GARDEN
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The reception rooms of Metropolitan Nicholas and of Protopresbyter
N. F. Kolchitsky, administrator of Moscow Patriarchate, and the study of
A. V. Vedernikov, responsible secretary of Moscow Patriarchate Publishing
Department and of the editorial board of "The Journal of Moscow Patriarchate"
are on the upper floor of the same building.
MOSCOW DIOCESE ADMINISTRATION
The offices, despatch services, the stores of Moscow Patriarchate Pub
lishing Department and workshops for the making of church furniture, under
the management of the Temporal Administration of Moscow Patriarchate, are
housed in the grounds of Novodevichi Convent in dependencies of the Church
of the Assumption.
PATRIARCHAL CATHEDRAL
AND MOSCOW CHURCHES
The Cathedral Church of His Holiness Alexis, Patriarch of Moscow and
All Russia is the Cathedral of the Epiphany in what used to be the village of
Yelokhovo (on the road to Vladimir and Souzdal). It is a large church with
three altars, erected on the site of the old village church. The first mention
of the church of Yelokhovo is in 1694, when a Patriarchal decree mentions
"the church of the Epiphany, built in the village of Yelokhovo." The stone
church of the Epiphany was finished in 1731; the refectory was enlarged in
1789 and in 1793 the chapels of St. Nicholas and of the Annunciation were
built. In 1812, during] the] Napoleon s invasion, the church, like many other
churches and monasteries of Moscow region, was plundered. Then for a long
time it was a parish church and under locwn tenens Metropolitan Sergius
it became the Patriarchal Cathedral with Protopresbyter N. F. Kolchitsky
as its dean.
This cathedral now contains many very ancient Russian Church relics
which were witnesses not only of the history of the church but also of the build
ing of the Russian State. Ten years ago the ancient Kazan icon of the
Mother of God was transferred to this church and it is now on the iconostasis
on the left of the Holy Door. The liberation of Moscow from foreign hordes in
1612 is connected with this icon.
Another object of reverence in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Epiphany-
is the relics of Saint Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, brought
there on the occasion of the eighth centenary of Moscow from the Kremlin
Church of the Assumption, and placed on the right of the Holy Door in a new
shrine under a gilded dais. St. Alexis lived and laboured in a time of great
55
PATRIARCHAL CATHEDRAL OF THE EPIPHANY, MOSCOW
PORTION OF THE ICONOSTASIS OF THE CATHEDRAL
OF^THE EPIPHANY AND SHRINE CONTAINING RELICS
OF ST. ALEXIS, METROPOLITAN OF MOSCOW
hardships when Russia was suffering from internecine wars and the Tartar
yoke. State power as well as spiritual authority was concentrated in his hands.
He was greatly helped in the reconciliation of rival princes and the unification
of Russia by St. Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh. St. Alexis died in 1378 at the
TOMB OF PATRIARCH SERGIUS, CHAPEL
OF ST. NICHOLAS, PATRIARCHAL CATHEDRAL
age of 85 after seventy years devoted to the organization of church life and
of Russian unity and a quarter of a century as Metropolitan of Moscow and
All Russia.
Important religious events have taken place in the Patriarchal Cathedral
of the Epiphany in the last fifteen years On September 12, 1943Metropol-
61
itan Sergius, locum tenens of the Patriarch, was enthroned there after being
elected to the high dignity of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia by the
Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church. There too, in the chapel
of St. Nicholas, Patriarch Sergius was buried on May 18, 1944. His grave is
surmounted by a marble monument with a cross and surrounded with railings.
Here, too, on February 4, 1945, the solemn enthronement of Metropolitan
Alexis of Leningrad and Novgorod took place after his election to the Patriar
chal See by the Local Church Council. The solemnities of the enthronement were
attended by: Patriarch Christopher of Alexandria, Patriarch Alexander III
of Antioch, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Callistratus, Metropol
itan Germanos of Thyatira, representing the Church of Constantinople, Arch
bishop Athenagoras of Sebastieh, representing the Church of Jerusalem, Metro
politan Joseph of Skoplje, representing the Church of Serbia, Bishop Joseph
of Arges, representing the Church of Roumania, all the bishops of the Russian
Orthodox Church, representatives of the Moscow clergy, the members of
the Local Council and thousands of faithful.
In July 1948 the fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the Russian Ortho
dox Church was celebrated in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Epiphany, at
tended by delegations from nine autocephalous churches, representatives of
exarchates abroad, of the dioceses and Church Districts of Moscow Patriarchate
and the Head of the Church of Armenia as guest of honour.
The divine service is celebrated daily in the Patriarchal Cethedral both
morning and evening and is attended by many faithful. Pontifical services are
generally celebrated by His Holiness Patriarch Alexis attended by the local
clergy or sometimes by bishops and priests who have been invited to Moscow
Patriarchate by the Patriarch or have come on church business. At these of
fices it is not unfrequent that new bishops are consecrated or new priests and
deacons ordained. Guests from abroad often attend the offices at the Patriar
chal Cathedral.
The ancient church of the Transfiguration, which is the cathedral of
Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna, is in Preobrazhenskaya
Square in Moscow. It dates back to the time of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich,
in whose reign it^was merely a canvas tent. Then, in 1743, a wooden church
was erected and when twenty-five years later this became decrepit a stone
church was built. In 1781 this was rebuilt as we see it today.
Among other objects of reverence this church contains two miraculous
icons of our Lady, one called the "Healing" and the other "Joy and Consola
tion." The icon of Saints Cosmas and Damian is also the object of veneration.
62
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There are daily morning and evening services in the Church of the Trans
figuration. On Sundays and feastdays and also the eves to those days Metro
politan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna often officiates and preaches.
In Donskaya Ulitsa, not far from Donskoy Monastery in Zamoskvorechye
District, is the ancient church of the Deposition of the Robe of Christ, which
was consecrated in 1716. This is the cathedral church of Archbishop Makarius,
Vicar of Metropolitan Nicholas for the administration of Moscow diocese.
Archbishop Makarius also has jurisdiction over the ancient church of Our Lady
of the Don, which is within the precincts of Donskoy Monastery. In a side chapel
on the right is the tomb of His Holiness Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All
Russia, who died on March 25, 1925. Offices of the dead are often celebrated
at his tomb.
Every Moscow church has its relics and especially its venerated icons.
One which is particularly revered is the miraculous icon called Our Lady
of Iberia, in the Church of the Resurrection at Sokolniki. Prayers and suppli
cations attended by many faithful are held before it every day. Near this icon
another glorious one of Our Lady Bogolyubskaya (Love of God) is also the
object of great veneration.
The miraculous icon of Our Lady of Tikhvin is in a church in the village
of Alexeyevskoye, now part of Moscow, (in the vicinity of the Agricultural
Exhibition).
In the Church of St. Nicholas in Kuznetsy we find the miraculous icon
of Our Lady "Relieve My Sorrows."
The icon of Our Lady "Consolation of the Afflicted" is the most venerated
in the Church of the same name at Ordynka.
The icon of Our Lady "Seeking of the Lost" is venerated in the Church of
the Resurrection in Bryusovsky Pereulok.
The icon of Our Lady "Unexpected Joy" is honoured in the Church
of St. Elias the Prophet, in Obydensky Pereulok.
The church of the "Sign of the Blessed Virgin" near Riga Station con
tains the icon of St. Triphon the Martyr.
There are other precious icons and relics in Moscow churches which are
greatly revered by the faithful, for instance, relics of numerous saints kept in
special shrines.
66
CHURCH OF THE DEPOSITION OF THE ROBE OF CHRIST,
DONSKAYA ULITSA, MOSCOW
5*
ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "RELIEVE MY
SORROWS" IN THE CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS,
NOVOKUZNETSKAYA ULITSA, MOSCOW
ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "SEEKING OF THE
LOST" IN THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION,
BRYUSOVSKY PEREULOK, MOSCOW
A SERMON
SERVICE ON A FEASTDAY
All the Moscow churches (they number over fifty if we count those in
the suburbs) hold services every day. Mass is celebrated in each church in the
morning and is followed by supplication, thanksgiving, offices of the dead,
marriages, baptisms of children and adults, etc. The evening office begins at
six and is followed by supplication, thanksgivings, evening prayers and con
fessions. There are vespers on the eves of Sundays and feastdays in every church,
FEASTDAY AT TROITSE-SERGIYEVA LAVRA, ZAGORSK, MOSCOW REGION
the office lasting three or four hours. In churches which have two or more
altars there are two and even three offices on Sundays and feastdays in order
to allow the greatest possible number of faithful to attend. The churches are
open all day and the priests in attendance upon them are always available to
hold supplication and thanksgiving services, to take the sacraments to the
sick at their homes, to bless flats or houses, perform baptisms, marriages and
other functions.
Besides the general Church feasts each church solemnly celebrates its
patronal feasts once, twice or even three times a year according to the number
70
of altars. The deans of the Moscow churches usually invite His Holiness Patri
arch Alexis, or with his authorization, Metropolitan Nicholas or Archbishop
Makarius of Mozhaisk and other members of the Moscow clergy to the patronal
feasts of their churches.
His Holiness Alexis frequently visits Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra and spends
several days there. On the monastery feastdays he celebrates all the offices
PATRIARCHAL RESIDENCE AT PEREDELKINO,
NEAR MOSCOW
prescribed by the ritual and many faithful from Moscow, the surrounding
villages and all parts of our vast country attend. The concourse of pilgrims
to the monastery is especially great on the feasts of the Invention of the Relics
of St. Sergius, July 18 and on the day of his death, October 8.
The Patriarch attends the services on ordinary days in his private chapel
(5, Chisty Pereulok) or occasionally in the house chapel of the Patriarchal
residence in the filial of Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra at Peredelkino, a suburb of
Moscow, on the Kiev railway line.
His Holiness the Patriarch usually spends the summer in the Monastery
of the Assumption near Odessa.
THE LIFE OF DIOCESES
AND PARISHES
In our country the Russian Orthodox Church has 73 dioceses headed by
bishops, archbishops and metropolitans. In especially large dioceses such as
the Exarchate of the Ukraine, the dioceses of Leningrad, Novosibirsk, Minsk,
the diocesan bishops have auxiliary bishops to help them in the administra
tion of the diocese.
The seat of the diocesan bishop and the diocesan administration under
him is usually the centre of a region, as the bounds of dioceses generally coin
cide with those of regions. As a rule the diocesan bishop usually celebrates
divine service in the cathedral on feastdays, but for daily services he has
a private chapel in his residence.
The diocesan bishop has his episcopal administration with the help of
which he governs the diocese, that is, the parish churches. The district deans
help the bishop in this administration, supervising the life of the parishes.
Through them the bishop gives his directions and instructions to the deans and
pastors of the churches and sends pastoral messages to his flock.
The district deans, church deans and other priests are sometimes convened
to the diocesan centre to discuss matters pertaining to the litturgical life,
administration or temporal needs of the diocese. In some dioceses the bishop
organizes short pastoral courses at which the diocesan clergy attend lectures
and study to improve their knowledge in theology. For the same purpose
the parish clergy who have no theological education may study at the
correspondence sections opened at Leningrad Theological Academy and
Seminary.
72
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There are also pension committees in the diocesan administration which
receive requests from aged members of the clergy or their widows for pensions
or subsidies from Moscow Patriarchate.
The main object of the attention and activity of the diocesan bishops is the
strengthening of church, canonical and moral discipline among the parish cler
gy and their flocks. The diocesan bishop does not confine himself to supervi
sion through the district deans but visits the parishes of his diocese personally
in order to direct their spiritual and temporal life, perform divine service,
deliver edifying sermons to the faithful and give them his pastoral blessing.
Episcopal visits to parish churches are usually timed to coincide with
the patronal feasts of the parish or other events of parish life such as the con
secration of an altar, the jubilee of the dean, the ordination of a priest or dea
con. The visit of their bishop is an event of great importance for the par
ishioners.
Divine service is performed in all parish churches according to the ritual
of the Church. Besides the offices which follow a daily, weekly and yearly cycle
supplication thanksgiving services, panikhidas offices of the dead, marriages,
baptisms, confessions and other holy functions are also held. Some are per
formed by priests on the request of the faithful at their homes; for instance,
carrying the sacraments to the sick, blessing of houses, supplication and thanks
giving services, and others. Hence the priest must always be prepared to
fulfil his pastoral duties.
The significance of the church for the faithful is eloquently shown by the
care they take that the church buildings are always in suitable condition and
that divine service is performed with the appropriate grandeur. Reports come
in from all dioceses telling of repairs carried out on churches and of the good
temporal organization of the church. The annals of church life for 1954 con
tain the following:
"At Byeloretsk (diocese of Ufa) capital repairs were carried out in the
wooden church. The cost was paid by offerings of the faithful. As soon as the
church was ready it was consecrated on August 22, 1954 by Bishop Hilarion
of Ufa and Sterlitamak, the faithful attending in great numbers. The new church
was dedicated to "The Trinity, Source of Life."
"During 1954 capital and current repairs were carried out in 72 churches
in the diocese of Chernovitsy. These included capital repairs to the Cathedral
of Chernovitsy and the building of residential quarters for the inmates of the
Chernovitsy monasteries of the Presentation and Kreshchatits. In the latter
a new house church was built."
74
EPISCOPAL SERVICE AT VOLOGDA CATHEDRAL
PROCESSION ATTENDED BY A VISITING BISHOP
"Capital repairs were carried out in the Church of the Nativity in Ternopol ,
which was built at the beginning of the 17th century. The building, which was
half destroyed during the war, was fully restored with the help of offerings
of the faithful and of Moscow Patriarchate. On September 5, 1954 Archbishop
Pancras of Lvov and Ternopol consecrated the restored church." (Journal of
Moscow Patriarchate No. 1, 1955.)
REPAIRING THE FRONT OF THE
CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION, NOVO-
DEVICHI MONASTERY, MOSCOW
In the Journal of Moscow Patriarchate we can read with what respect and
love the Orthodox faithful surround their priests and bishops. Some they
heartily congratulate on their patronal feast, others they honour with prayers
on the occasion of their sacerdotal jubilee, others again they accompany with
tears to their last resting place. Here are some instances:
"On July 17, 1955 the parishioners of the Church of St. Michael the Ar
changel in Pyatigorsk, Stavropol diocese, honoured Archpriest Vasili Sereb-
ryakov, their pastor, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his ordina
tion to the priesthood. Besides the clergy of the parish, clergy from other
76
churches in the town attended the celebration. All the congratulatory speeches
made to the Archpriest in the name of the clergy and parishioners underlined
his merits and zealous service of the Church of God. A telegram of congratula
tions was received from Archbishop Antonius of Stavropol." (No. 1, 1956.)
ARCHIEPISCOPAL SERVICE AT THE CATHEDRAL OF
THE ASSUMPTION, VLADIMIR
"November 27, 1955 marked the forty-fifth anniversary of the ordination
to the priesthood of Bishop Nicholas of Ryazan and Kasimov. Ryazan Cathe
dral was overcrowded with faithful on this occasion. Congratulatory speeches
were made by the dean of the Cathedral, Archpriest Skvortsov and the sacris
tan in the name of the clergy and parishioners. In his reply Bishop Nicholas
warmly thanked those present for their prayers, their good wishes and their
kind attitude to him. Bishop Nicholas received the following greetings from
His Holiness Patriarch Alexis: Forty-five years service of the Church of
God in the priesthood is a notable anniversary for any cleric whom the Lord
judges worthy to reach that day. That is why, sending him my greetings on
this occasion I pray that Bishop Nicholas may zealously serve the Church
of God many years more for his salvation and that of the flock entrusted to
him ." (Journal of Moscow Patriarchate, No. 2, 1956.)
MONASTERIES
Monasteries and convents play a great role in the history of the Russian
Orthodox Church. Their origin is related to Christian asceticism. History
shows that from ancient times the adoption of Christianity in Russia, our
spiritual enlightenment was guided and nourished to a considerable extent by
the ideal of asceticism illustrated in the writings of the Fathers of the Church
and in the lives of the saints. The first "new fathers of the faith" who sowed the
seed of religious enlightenment in ancient Russia were brought up on ascetic
works and on the living examples of that ideal. The large number of saints
and holy ascetics who founded and inhabited the Russian monasteries is an
irrefutable proof that the teachings of the Fathers of the Church did not remain
a dead letter in Russia, but profoundly influenced our life.
At present there are 69 monasteries and convents in the Soviet Union,
giving refuge to those who strive for ascetic life. Among them are glorious
ancient monasteries and lavras* such as Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra (Monastery
of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius), Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra, Pochayev-
skaya Lavra, venerable convents as the Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery and
other quite "young" ones, hardly fifty years old, such as Pukhtitsa Convent
for women near the ancient town of Narva in the Estonian S.S.R.
It is obvious that we cannot here give the history and a description of each
of the monasteries existing today. And besides, they have much in common in
their life and organization. That is why we will confine ourselves to brief
information on some of the most outstanding monasteries of the Russian
Orthodox Church.
* Lavras (Lauras) the most important monasteries in the Eastern Orthodox
Church.
78
By its historical and spiritual significance and because of the conditions
of the life of the Church in our country, the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra has the
first place among the Russian monasteries. It was founded by Saint Sergius,
Higumen of Radonezh (1314-1392) and has since attracted the hearts not only
of those who seek ascetic fervour but of all Russian Orthodox faithful, who
come in great numbers to venerate its sanctuaries and relics. On monastery
feastdays it is also visited by guests from abroad. Numerous excursions are
organized to see its architectural monuments and unique works of ancient Rus
sian iconography.
There are at present about 100 monks in the community of Troitse-Ser
giyeva, including novices preparing to take monastic vows. In accordance with
the ancient statutes (dating from 1775) His Holiness Alexis, Patriarch of
Moscow and All Russia, who bears the title of "Holy Archimandrite of Troitse-
Sergiyeva Lavra" is the head of the brotherhood. Before the re-establishment
of the Patriarchal See, in 1918, the head of the monastery was the Metropolitan
of Moscow. Practically the monastery is directed by a Patriarchal Substitute
with the title of Archimandrite (now Archimandrite Pimen).
The oldest of the monastery s churches is the Church of the Holy Trinity,
built in white stone, which was founded in 1422-1423. The inside is decorated
with frescoes (the original ones have not been preserved). The iconostasis bears
many icons painted by the famous Russian masters Andrei Rublyov and Daniil
Chorny, who were monks in Moscow Andronnikov Monastery (1360-1430).
The relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh repose under a silver dais in a silver
shrine. In 1548 another chapel was built and dedicated to St. Nikon, a disciple
of St. Sergius who succeeded him as higumen.
The Church of the Holy Ghost, situated not far from that of the Holy
Trinity, was built in 1554 by order of Tsar Ivan Grozny on the site of the former
brick Church of the Holy Trinity, which was built in 1476 to replace an ancient
wooden one displaced by St. Nicon when he undertook the building of the Church
of the Holy Trinity to receive the relics of St. Sergius.
The Church of the Assumption was begun towards the end of the reign of
Ivan Grozny and consecrated on August 15, 1585. It has five cupolas and six
columns inside. It was built after the model of the Moscow Cathedral of the
Assumption (with a few differences in details). The interior is decorated with
splendid frescoes of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin. On the left of the
entrance inside the church is the tomb of Boris Godunov and his family.
79
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ANCIENT CHURCH OF THE TRINITY IN THE LAVRA (15TH CENTURY)
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ICONOSTASIS IN THE CHURCH OF THE TRINITY
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CATHEDRAL OF THE ASSUMPTION IN THE LAVRA
CHURCH OF THE HOLY GHOST IN THE LAVRA
REFECTORY CHURCH
IN THE LAVRA
CHURCH OF ST. MICHEAS IN THE LAVRA
CHAPEL OVER THE SOURCE IN THE LAVRA
The most remarkable of the other monuments of Russian church architec
ture in the monastery are: the Refectory Church of St. Sergius (1686-1692),
the Church of St. Micheas (1734), the Chapel of the Fountain and the Chapel
of St. John the Precursor over the Holy Gate (1693-1699), the Church of.Our
Lady of Smolensk and the monastery belfry, which was completed in 1769
according to the plans of the distinguished Russian architect Ukhtomsky. The
obelisk between the Church of the Holy Trinity and the belfry is also of inter
est: its four, faces bear inscriptions on memorable events which took place
in the monastery. It was raised in 1792 for the 400th anniversary of the death
of St. Sergius. The Patriarch s palace is next to the Refectory Church.
Moscow Theological Academy, founded in 1814 and Moscow Seminary,
founded in 1742 with their Church of the Protection of the Holy Virgin, are
within the precincts of the monastery.
The most ancient Russian monastery is Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra. It was
founded at the very beginning of the llth century, when St. Anthony settled
in the small cave of St. Hilarion the Hermit, who was later elected Metropolitan
of Kiev (in 1051). St. Anthony was joined soon by the priest Nikon, named the
Great for his work in spreading Christianity in Russia, and then by St. Theodo-
sius, who was received as a monk by St. Nikon. SS. Anthony and Theodosius
are considered as the founders of monastic community life in Russia. Since
then they have cast unfading glory on Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra.
The Upper Lavra, with its famous churches and other monastery build
ings, was considerably destroyed by the Nazi invaders.
A path leads direct from the Upper Lavra to the caves of Saints Anthony
and Theodosius, the Nearer and the Farther Caves, as they are called. The two
churches, that of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (1700) with a chapel to the two
holy Pechersky hermits and the Church of the Conception of St. Anne (1810)
together with some old monastery buildings, comprise the monastery inhab
ited by the monks, whose superior is the Holy Archimandrite, Exarch of All
Ukraine, Metropolitan John of Kiev and Galich, and which is administered
by his substitute.
The monastery caves are the oldest sanctuary of Russian Orthodoxy. Here
repose the relics of many Pechersky hermits. Their names are to be found in the
"Lives of the Saints who lived in Russia" and in historical works. In 1956
our country celebrated the ninth centenary of the birth of Saint Nestor the
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Chronicler who is buried in the caves of the monk St. Theodosius, and to whom
we owe the true history of the foundation of Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra.
Every day, and sometimes several times a day, groups of pilgrims and
tourists go down to the caves. According to the ancient custom, based on the
natural necessity of lighting the way down under the ground, the pilgrims
go through the caves holding a lighted candle in their hand. As they listen
to the monk, who acts as their guide, they are impressed with reverence for the
great work and holy life of the hermits who rest in peace there.
The third most venerated of the Russian Orthodox Monasteries, the Monas
tery of the Assumption of Pochayev, dominates the Volynia plain and can be
seen for miles. It was founded in the 13th century, during the Tartar invasions
POCHAYEVSKAYA LAVRA OF THE ASSUMPTION
(TERNOPOL REGION, UKRAINIAN S.S.R.)
of Russia. Tradition tells us that a number of monks from Kievo-Pecherskaya
Lavra, hiding from the invaders who had ransacked Kiev, got lost in this dis
trict. They were tormented by thirst, but in answer to their fervent prayers
the Holy Virgin appeared to one of them and showed him a fountain on
Mount Pochayev. This source, named the "Footprint of the Mother of God,"
still exists, and a church of rare beauty and dimensions, the Church of the
Assumption, has been erected over it. It has two chapels, one of St. Nicholas,
built in 1842, and the other of St. Alexander Nevsky, built in 1859.
90
In the Assumption Cathedral very high up above the altar of the Main
Chapel hangs the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Pochayev, of which it is known
that it was "painted by the hand of a Russian" and brought from Moscow
by Metropolitan Niphont of Kiev in 1597. On solemn feastdays the icon is
lowered on blocks so that the faithful can approach to venerate it.
BELFRY AND TRINITY CATHE
DRAL, POCHAYEVSKAYA LAVRA
In the lower church of the monastery, called the "Cave Church," lie the
relics of St. Job, a superior of the monastery who died in 1651. He did great
work for the prosperity of the monastery, the defence of Orthodoxy and the
good of the surrounding population.
During its long history Pochayevskaya Lavra, which stands on the
boundary between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, was several times invaded
and ruined. However, the sanctuary and objects of reverence of the Orthodox
monastery always remained undamaged. ...
91
The Lavra has seven churches. After that of the Assumption the largest
is the Church of the Holy Trinity. It was founded in 1911 according to the
plans of Academician Shusev, but the building was interrupted by the First
World War, and its inside decoration was not finished.
On the patronal feastdays, when thousands of pilgrims flock to the monas
tery, there are divine offices in every one of the Lavra churches.
The peal of the monastery bells is unforgettable: the biggest of them weighs
over eleven tons.
The thickly wooded shady garden with the lime-trees planted by St. Job
is one of the sights of the monastery. Besides an orchard, the monks also culti
vate a vegetable garden and a plot of ploughland sown to various cereals. The
monastery has its own power station, a circular saw and a joiner s workshop.
The very name "of Pskovo-Pechersky" testifies that this monastery was
founded by monks who lived in caves, but it has not been established exactly
when they settled there. The reliable history of the monastery begins with
the year 1470. In a cave over the entrance of which was already the inscription
"Cave created by God," settled the priest John, a Muscovite by birth; he took
the tonsure under the name of Jonas. St. Jonas spent three years of hard work
digging out a cave for a church. The latter was consecrated in 1473 and dedicat
ed to the Assumption of the Holy Virgin.
The almost five centuries of the monastery s history contain many trials
and hardships which the monks had to suffer as a result of foreign invasions.
The monastery is in a deep vale between two mountains on the bank of the River
Kamenets. Before Peter I the frontiers of the Russian state were not far away
and the monastery was a natural fortress on the approaches to the Moscow
state. That was why a high wallj was built round it from 1558-1565. In 1701
Peter the Great had the monastery fortified by a wall and moat and had six
bastions built with a battery at the main entrance. After the peace of Niestadt
in 1721, the state frontier was advanced further from the monastery and the
monks lived a normal life.
From the 16th century to our times the Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery has
been a bulwark of Orthodox enlightenment in the North-West. The prosperity
of the monastery grew with its fame. The Cathedral of the Assumption with
the chapels of Saints Anthony andTheodosius, the Pechersky Hermits, was en
larged, faced with brick and decorated with holy paintings. The church con
tains many ancient icons and the relics of St. Cornelius in a silver shrine.
92
St. Cornelius (1502-1570) was superior of the monastery for forty years.
It was under him that the Church of the Annunciation (1541), the Church of
the Protection of the Blessed Virgin (1559) and the Church of St. Nicholas
(1565) were built. Much later, in 1792, the Church of St. Lazarus was built and
the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel was built in memory of the^War
of 1812. The Church of the Purification was built in 1870 for the fourth cente
nary of the monastery.
THE HOLY GATE OF PSKOVO-PECHERSKY
MONASTERY
The rel ics of the Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery are dear to the hearts of Or
thodox faithful: among them are the icon of the Assumption, the miraculous
Vladimir icon of Our Lady, an ancient icon of St. Cornelius in the Cathe
dral of the Assumption; a life-size carved figure of St. Nicholas in the
Chapel of St. Nicholas the Doorkeeper at the Gate Church and the Cave Church
of the Resurrection which was not fitted out until 1939. Over the altar is
93
PSKOVO-PECHERSKY MONASTERY. IN THE BACKGROUND THE CATHEDRAL
OF THE ASSUMPTION
PSKOVO-PECHERSKY MONASTERY. SACRISTY AND BELFRY
a remarkable white marble sculpture of the Resurrection and the church
contains an iconostasis in bronze with very fine artistic work.
Throngs of pilgrims and many tourists are attracted to Pskovo-Pechersky
Monastery by its sanctuaries and relics, its ancient churches and even its
picturesque location.
BISHOP JOHN OF PSKOV AND PORKHOV AMONG THE MONKS
OF PSKOVO-PECHERSKY MONASTERY
Pilgrims go to the Vilnius Monastery of the Holy Ghost to venerate the
relics of three Vilnius martyrs, Antonius, Johan and Eustace wno acquired
eternal glory by their sufferings for the Christian faith. Tradition has it that
they were thrown into a dungeon, condemned to death and hanged in 1342.
In 1347, under Prince Olgerd of Lithuania, the Church of the Trinity was
erected on the site of their martyrdom. The church was repeatedly destroyed
and restored during the following two centuries. In 1584 the community of the
Holy Trinity came and settled there and in 1597 a new magnificent stone church
dedicated to the Holy Ghost was built there, and the religious community
changed its name to that of the Holy Ghost. Such was the origin of the monastery.
95
It is located in the old part of the capital of Lithuania, which was sometimes
called Ostraya brama or gate, or the Russian quarter or Rossa, having since
times immemorial been the place of habitation of Russian traders and soldiers.
The Monastery of the Holy Ghost attained prosperity and splendour
towards the beginning of the 20th century. Its decline began with the First
MONASTERY OF THE HOLY GHOST,
VILNIUS (LITHUANIAN S.S.R.)
World War. It was very much damaged by Nazi bombs and fire in the Second
World War and has only recently been restored. The church is now completely
restored, thanks to the help of Moscow Patriarchate.
On Sundays and feastdays there are pontifical services attended by Orthodox
and other Christians.
96
Pukhtitsa in Estonian means "holy place." The origin of this name dates
back to the time before Peter the Great. The Russians in this region suffered
for a long time from foreign invaders. On one occasion, during the blessing
of the water, the invaders drowned a priest named Isidore and seventy-two
parishioners of the local Orthodox church in the river Omovzh or Embach.
Then, tradition says, on the mountain now called the Mount of the Holy
Virgin, a miraculous icon of the Assumption appeared to the surviving
faithful.
CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY IN CONVENT FOR
WOMEN, RIGA (LATVIAN S.S.R.)
Peter the Great liberated these lands, but Orthodox people still did not
feel free there for a long time. The Mount of the Holy Virgin belonged to one
of the German barons and it was not until 1891 that it was bought from him and
that a convent for women was founded there.
The convent has four churches: the Church of the Assumption, having three
altars, the Refectory Church of St. Simeon and St. Anna the Prophetess, the
7 33K33 W 172 97
Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh and the cemetery Church of St. Nicholas
and St. Arsenius the Great.
Outside the precincts of the convent, not far from the cemetery church,
grows an ancient oak where, according to tradition, the Holy Virgin appeared
to Orthodox shepherds and here was found the miraculous icon. At the foot
of the Mount of the Holy Virgin is a source to which processions are made on the
days of the blessing of the water.
There are now 120 nuns and novices in the Convent of Pukhtitsa. Besides
prayer their pursuits include agriculture and the industrial picking of mush
rooms and berries in the surrounding woods. During winter they engage in
needlework.
The Monastery of the Assumption, which was founded in 1824, is twelve
miles south of Odessa. It was formerly an archiepiscopal residence.
This monastery is now the summer residence of His Holiness Patriarch
Alexis of Moscow and all Russia. The number of monks in the monastery
is equal to 50. They cultivate the vine.
The Monastery of the Assumption has two churches the Cathedral of the
Assumption of the Holy Virgin and the Refectory Church of St. Nicholas.
Processions are made to a local chapel on the Mesopentecost Days, the feast
of the Saviour and Epiphany Day.
Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church and of other autocephalous
Orthodox Churches are frequently invited by His Holiness Patriarch Alexis
to this monastery. Among other guests there have been: the Pope and Patriarch
of Alexandria and All Africa, Christopher, Patriarch Alexander III of Great
Antioch and all the Orient, the late Catholicos-Patriarch Callistratus of All
Georgia, the present Catholicos-Patriarch Melchisedech, Patriarch Justinian
of All Roumania and other patriarchs of autocephalous churches and church
figures of other confessions.
The majority of the present monasteries and convents in the Russian
Orthodox Church are community living convents. The Soviet state acknowl
edges their right according to the present general civic laws to own lands, cattle,
the necessary implements, craft workshops and agricultural and industrial
establishments.
98
All work in the monasteries and convents whether prayer or physical
labour, intellectual or artistic pursuits, is considered as a matter of obedience,
a necessary condition and at the same time a means of spiritual education of the
individual. That is why there is usually exemplary order in all the temporal
organizations of our monasteries.
KIEVO-FLOROV CONVENT FOR WOMEN,
CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION
Besides agriculture, many monasteries have flourishing crafts and artistic
handwork. Florovsky Convent for women in Kiev, for instance, is famous for
its beautiful embroideries on light materials. Kievo-Pokrovsky Monastery has
sewing, matress-making and bookbinding workshops and an iconographical
workshop. The nuns of the Convent of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin in Byelo
russia are skilled in making church vestments, shrouds and other articles for
the church.
99
CONVENT OF THE PROTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD, KIEV,
CATHEDRAL OF ST. NICHOLAS
CONVENT OF THE PROTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD, KIEV,
CHURCH OF THE PROTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD
CATHEDRAL OF THE TRINITY,
CHERNIGOV CONVENT FOR WOMEN
KIEV CONVENT OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE HOLY VIRGIN
101
NIGHT VIGIL AT ZHABSKY CONVENT FOR WOMEN
(DIOCESE OF KISHINYOV)
The reason for the existence of monasteries and convents is naturally not
their economic activity but the perfection of the religious potential of Christian
life and constant intercession for mankind by people who have renounced the
temptations of the world.
THEOLOGICAL ACADEMIES
AND SEMINARIES
The priest s mission in the Church is a great and responsible one, it is the
continuation of Christ s work of saving that which was lost (Mat. 18, 11).
St. Paul enjoins the priest to be an example of the believers, in word, in con
versation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity (1 Tim. 4, 12). That is why
the training of priests has always been the object of special care on the part
of the higher church authorities.
The main task of secondary and higher theological educational institutions
is the training of educated and enthusiastic clerics of the Orthodox Church
priests by vocation, able to awaken the moral forces in man and thus to con
tribute to the inner strengthening and prosperity of the Church.
In contrast with the theological schools of old, where the overwhelming
majority of the students were the children of clerics and often had no vocation
to the priesthood, the students in theological schools of today have consciously
selected the vocation of priesthood. Therefore all sections of society are repre
sented among the students of contemporary seminaries and academies.
The training of clergy for the Russian Orthodox Church is now carried out
in eight secondary theological institutions, called seminaries, and two higher
institutions, called theological academies. Here is a list of them with their
addresses:
I.Moscow Seminary (Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra, Zagorsk, Moscow
Region)
2. Leningrad Seminary (17, Obvodny Canal, Leningrad)
3. Kiev Seminary (23, Liver Ulitsa, Kiev)
103
4. Minsk Seminary (Zhirovitsy, Slonim District, Grodno Region)
5. Odessa Seminary (66, Ulitsa Chizhikova, Odessa)
6. Saratov Seminary (64, Universitetskaya, Saratov)
7. Stavropol Seminary (67, Ulitsa G. Golenova, Stavropol
in the Caucasus)
8. Volynia Seminary (5, Ulitsa Plekhanova, Lutsk)
9. Moscow Theological Academy (Troitse-Sergiyeva
Lavra, Zagorsk, Moscow Region)
10. Leningrad Theological Academy (17, Obvodny
Canal, Leningrad).
SUBJECTS STUDIED IN SEMINARIES
1. Biblical History (Old Testament)
2. Biblical History (New Testament)
3. The Holy Scripture (Old Testament)
4. The Holy Scripture (New Testament)
5. Catechism
6. Dogmatic Theology
7. Moral Theology
8. Apologetics
9. Comparative Theology
10. Practical Guidance for Priests
11. Homiletics
12. Church Regulations
13. The Ritual
14. General Church History
15. History of the Russian Church
16. Analysis of the doctrines of the Russian Schism and sects
17. Constitution of the U. S. S. R.
18. Church Slavonic
19. Greek
20. Latin
21. English]
22. German} (optional)
23. French J
24. Church singing
25. Russian (at choice)
104
MOSCOW THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY AND SEMINARY
PATRONAL FEAST IN THE CHURCH OF MOSCOW THEOLOGICAL
ACADEMY
7*
SOLEMN SITTING AT MOSCOW THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY
CHOIR OF MOSCOW THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY
LIBRARY, MOSCOW THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY
READING-ROOM, MOSCOW THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY
LENINGRAD THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY AND SEMINARY
LENINGRAD THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY. A LECTURE
MINSK SEMINARY (ZHIROVITSY, BYELORUSSIAN S.S.R.)
KIEV SEMINARY
A LESSON AT KIEV SEMINARY
HOME PREPARATIONS AT KIEV SEMINARY
SARATOV SEMINARY
LESSONS AT SARATOV SEMINARY
STAVROPOL SEMINARY
TEACHERS AND PUPILS OF STAVROPOL SEMINARY
GHURCH OF ST. PANTELEIMONOS,
ODESSA SEMINARY
PART OF VOLYNIA SEMINARY (LUTSK)
8 33K33 Jfo 172
PUPILSOF VOLYNIASEMINARY GOTO THE CATHEDRAL SERVICE
PUPILS OF VOLYNIA SEMINARY AT EVENING PRAYERS
Teaching in the seminaries is according to the lesson system, with assign
ments for individual work and subsequent questioning in class. In each class
of the seminary students write 5 to 7 essays and in the last two classes one
sermon a year in addition.
After completing the first two classes, students free from canonical impedi
ments are entitled to serve in parishes as readers or deacons; after completing
the fourth class they may be ordained to the priesthood and appointed to par
ishes. Students who have completed the whole seminary course are admitted
to higher theological studies in one of the theological academies.
1. The Old Testament
2. The New Testament
3. Patrology
4. Apologetics
5. Dogmatic Theology
6. Moral Theology
7. Pastoral Theology and Ascetics
8. Homiletics
9. Liturgies
10. Church archaeology in connection with the History of Christian Art
11. History of the Ancient Church
12. History of the Russian Church
13. Byzantology and History of the Slav Churches
14. History and analysis of Western Confessions
15. History and analysis of the doctrines of the Russian Schism and sects
16. Canon Law
17. Constitution of the U. S. S. R.
18. Church singing
19. Hebrew
20. Greek
21. Latin
22. English)
23. German | (optional)
24. French J
115 8*
Teaching in the Theological Academies is according to the lecture system.
In the first three years students write three essays and one sermon a year, in the
fourth year, a candidate thesis.
Students having completed the course but not graduated as candidates
leave the theological Academy with the title of "accomplished" students.
Students having completed the course and received the degree of candidate
with first class honours are entitled to submit (not three years after completing
the Academy) a thesis for the degree of Master of Theology without any further
examinations.
The better of the first-class graduates who show an inclination for scientif
ic work are entitled to remain at the Academy as "aspirants." After one year s
study they are allowed to teach at the Academy.
OTHER FORMS OF EDUCATION FOR PRIESTS
Moscow and Leningrad Theological academies have non-residential courses
for priests and deacons working in parishes. Non-residential students are
dispensed from attending the lectures but they pass the required examinations
at the Academy and thus receive higher theological education.
Moreover, Leningrad Theological Academy has a Correspondence Section
on the seminary and academy courses. This section is open to priests and deacons
working in parishes and desirous of acquiring secondary or higher theological
education. They study individually using manuals composed by the Academy
professors and textbooks recommended by them. The correspondence students
meet at the academy three times a year for examination and consultation ses
sions lasting ten days, during which they attend recapitulation lectures by the
professors, receive advice on the more difficult questions of the subjects studied,
pass examinations and select literature for their papers. Between sessions they
correspond with the professors on matters contained in the syllabus.
There are several hundred students in the Correspondence Section and
during the short time that this section has been in existence, more than a hun
dred have successfully completed the seminary and academy courses. A number
of correspondence students are working on their candidate theses.
THE LIFE OF A THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL
The basis of training and education of the future pastors of the Church is
prayer, labour and the rules of Christian community life. There are prayers
116
morning and evening, before and after each lesson, before and after meals,
and the divine office in church on Sundays and feastdays. Work is daily and
compulsory and consists in studying and assimilating the sciences taught
in the theological school. Community life is based on the spirit of Christ
ianity.
The students of seminaries and theological academies usually live in
hostels, where they are supplied with food, clothing and bedding. They more-
SEMINARISTS DURING FREE TIME
over receive a stipend which is increased by 25-50% for excellent students.
Students from the local population are allowed to live in their homes only if
conditions of domestic life are satisfactory.
The school day in the theological school begins with mass, the morning
office, celebrated usually by a group of students in rotation, and common prayer
in church. Then comes breakfast followed by six hours of school work in the
classrooms or lecture halls. The students then have dinner, during which
the life of the saint of the day is read aloud. After dinner they are free for three
117
hours, which they may spend even outside the school. Then comes tea, after
which a group in rotation performs the evening office in church while the
others work individually in the classrooms, reading-rooms in the library, or
rooms specially reserved for the purpose. After this they have supper,
then a short recess, and finally they say evening prayers and retire for
the night.
Some theological schools have leisure rooms in which there are lectures
on religious or general educational subjects, film shows, exhibitions of students
work (for example the work of the icon-painting groups) organized by the
teachers or concerts. Various groups also work there in free time: choirs, orches
tras, amateur photography, icon-painting and other groups.
During the holidays most of the students go home, but some are sent to
parishes to help their pastors and others remain in the school to attend to the
church.
The church is of special importance in the education of future priests.
Experience has shown that the daily services (morning and evening), with
compulsory attendance of the students as readers, singers or attendants at the
alter, are the best practical school for future clerics and that sermons preached
by the tutors or senior students of the school are in the best tradition of
Orthodox Church teaching methods. If to this we add the beauty of the ritual
services, the well organized religious life of the parishioners with the constant
attention of the priests for their spiritual and material needs, the exemplary
performance of pastoral duties and many other features of Christian community
life, we will see that the theological school of today is not only a centre of theo
logical education, but a luminary of Orthodox godliness.
Instilling into the students the Orthodox Church spirit, the theological
school must at the same time form in them exemplary members of the commu
nity, true sons of their people and model members of the state, their duties
to which are: "to love as it behoves, to value it and be devoted to it out of grat
itude and godliness, far from thinking or doing anything to harm or humiliate
it, on the contrary to promote its prosperity by every possible means, to have
concern and attention for it, to rejoice with it and grieve over all that is contrary
to it... to guard the character of their own people, venerate it, raise themselves
to it, to defend it and to guard unconditionally all good customs of their country
and try to root out all those that are not good, above all those that are opposed
to Christianity." (Bishop Theophanus Zatvornik.)
CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF KAZAN, KOLOMENSKOYE,
NEAR MOSCOW
CHURCH OF THE PROPHET ELIAS, CHERKIZOVO, MOSCOW
CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY, CHASHNI KOVO, MOSCOW DIOCESE
CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS, NIKOLSKu Yt, MOSCOW DIOCESE
CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE, LVOV CHURCH OF V THE HOLY TRINITY,
KAZANSKAYA, KRASNODAR DIOCESE
VILLAGE CHURCH IN THE DIOCESE OF CHERNOVITSY
CHURCH OF THE PROPHET fELIAS,
ILYINSKO-ZASODIMSKOYE, DIOCESE
OF VOLOGDA
CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE
PRECURSOR, TALLINN
(ESTONIAN S.S.R.)
CHURCH OF ST. VARLAAM KHUTYNSKY, ZVANITSA, PSKOV (1495)
BELFRY
IV
INSTITUTIONS
OF MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE
In the Supreme Church Administration, concentrated in Moscow Patriar
chate (5, Chisty Pereulok, Moscow), are the following institutions: the Adminis
tration Department, the External Church Relation Department, the Instruc
tion Committee, the Publishing Department, the Pension Committee and the
Temporal Administration Department. By means of these institutions the Moscow
Patriarchate carries on its activity in the corresponding fields of church life.
I. The Administration Department, as an adminis
trative body, carries out the dispositions of the supreme Church Authority
(the Patriarch and the Holy Synod) and maintains contact with the dioceses
of the Russian Orthodox Church. The head of the Administration Department
of Moscow Patriarchate attends the sittings of the Holy Synod and keeps
a record of its decisions.
II. The External Church Relation Department
serves for the contact of the supreme Church Authority with Exarchates, dio
ceses parishes and missions abroad. It is through this department that the
Russian Orthodox Church maintains contact with all local Orthodox churches
and non-Orthodox Christian communities by correspondence and exchange
of delegations.
III. The Instruction Committee of the Holy
Synod manages secondary and higher theological educational establishments.
These include eight seminaries and two academies.
IV. The Publishing Department of Moscow] Pa
triarchate attends to the publishing of a monthly magazine, Bibles,
text-books for theological schools, Patriarchal Messages and other texts.
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V. The Pension Committee of Moscow Patriar
chate considers requests for pensions and grants to aged and deserving
members of the clergy and their widows, workers in theological schools and
other church institutions. The pension fund is made up out of monthly pay
ments from the revenues of each diocese, which collects this money from the
parishes.
VI. The Temporal Administration of Moscow
Patriarchate runs the temporal life of the dioceses and parishes. It
controls church funds, which consist exclusively of voluntary offerings of the
faithful to the parish churches. The Supreme Church Administration with all
its departments is maintained from these payments effected to diocesan man
agements which in their turn pay certain contributions to the Patriarchate;
these funds serve to cover the expenses for the convening of Councils and church
conventions, for the reception of foreign church delegations and journey abroad
of delegations of the Russian Orthodox Church, the maintenance of theological
schools and repair and restoration of churches, monasteries and other church
buildings.
MAKING CANDLES AT THE CANDLE FACTORY
WORKSHOP FOR THE MAKING OF CHURCH REQUISITES
WORKSHOP FOR THE MAKING OF CHURCH VESSELS
SAMPLES OF CHURCH REQUISITES MADE IN THE DIOCESAN
WORKSHOP
SAMPLES OF PRIESTS VESTMENTS AND CHURCH VESSELS
Operating under the Temporal Administration are a candle factory provid
ing candles for the churches of Moscow, Moscow diocese and the other dioceses,
and workshops producing church requisites, bishops insignia, priests crosses
and crucifixes for the faithful, incense and other objects for use in church.
In the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra and other convents there are icon workshops.
Building and other materials and also raw material for the manufacturing
of church requisites, candles, and so forth, are received by the Temporal Admin
istration of the Moscow Patriarchate on a planned basis from State stock
against payment by Moscow Patriarchate.
In describing the temporal activity of Moscow Patriarchate one must
note the restoration work carried out in the ancient churches of Troitse-Ser
giyeva Lavra, the churches of the Assumption in Pochaevskaya Lavra (XII cent),
in the Cathedral of the Assumption in the city of Vladimir, the Cathedral
of St. Vladimir in Kiev, the St. Nicholas, Transfiguration and St. Vladimir
churches in Leningrad, the Trinity Church (Alexandro-Nevskaya Lavra), and
in the churches of the Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery, the cathedrals in the cities
of Kishinyov, Zhitomir, Rostov-on-Don, Cheboksary and others, on the buildings
of Moscow Theological Academy and other theological schools; Moscow Patriar
chate expended tens of millions of rubles on this work.
LEADING PERSONALITIES OF MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE
Nicholas Metropolitan of Krutitzy and Ko
lomna is at the head of the External Church Relation Department and of
the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate in the capacity of
chairman.
The chairman of the Temporal Administration and the Pension Committee
is Archbishop Makarius of Mozhaisk.
Protopresbyter N. F. Kolchitsky is the chairman of
the Instruction Committee of the Holy Synod. He also fulfils the duties of secre
tary of the Holy Synod, heads the Administration Department of Moscow
Patriarchate and is dean of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Epiphany.
V
EXARCHATES, DIOCESES,
MISSIONS AND OTHER BODIES
OF THE RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH ABROAD
The Russian Orthodox Church governs considerable congregations in
various countries. These congregations form numerous Russian Orthodox
parishes abroad, [which are grouped, according to different local conditions,
into Exarchates (Exarchate of Western Europe, Exarchate of North and
South America), dioceses (in Belgium for instance) or church districs (in
Austria, in Hungary). Besides, the Russian Orthodox Church has church
missions in some countries (like the Russian Church Mission in Jerusalem)
and residents or [Church Mission branches (in Beirut, Belgrade, Sofia).
Branches and representations^ abroad have been kept by the Russian
Orthodox Church in different countries from the early t days of Russian
Christianity.
In times gone by, Russian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, Mount Athos
and other famous sanctuaries of the Orthodox world became monks there and
built monasteries and churches. It is mentioned in the life of Saint Euphrosi-
nia of Polotsk that while in Jerusalem in the seventies of the 12th century she
lived "in the house of Our Lady a Russian convent." The fate of this cloister
is unknown. The Acts of Mount Athos for the middle of the 12th cen
tury testify to the existence of a Russian monastery of Our Lady of Xylurgu
on Mount Athos. In 1169 Russian] monks received the monastery of St. Pan-
teleimonos to which was later annexed the small monastery of Katsari. In
1849 the Russian community of St. Andrew was opened on Mount Athos, and
at the beginning of the present century there were up to four thousand monks
in the Russian monasteries there. But during the First World War some of the
monks were forced to leave Mount Athos and return to their country.
Russian churches appeared in Western Europe in the 17th century and
since then their number has continually increased owing to the extension of
diplomatic, trade and cultural relations between Russia and West-European
countries. Orthodoxy began to spread to China at the end of the 17th century.
137
The first Russian church in Constantinople was built in the beginning of the
18th century and later five Russian Orthodox churches were erected in the
city and its suburbs. At the end of the 18th century Orthodoxy was introduced
to North America and a century later to South America. A Russian private
chapel was opened in Athens in 1833, and in 1852 the Russian Orthodox Church
acquired the ancient Church of the Holy Trinity there. The Russian Church
Mission in Jerusalem was instituted in 1847. Russian Orthodox missionary
activity began in Japan in 1870 and twenty-seven years later Orthodoxy ap
peared in Korea. 1898 saw the institution of a Russian Church Mission in Urmia,
(Persia) for the confirmation in Orthodoxy of the Syro-Chaldean Christian-
Nestorians who had joined the Russian Orthodox Church. Before 1919 there
was a Russian Orthodox Diocese in Finland, but when Finland received its
independence the Finnish Orthodox Church passed to the jurisdiction of the
Constantinople Patriarchate and in 1957 this jurisdiction was recognized by the
Russian Orthodox Church.
Thus, at present the Russian Orthodox Church has a number of parishes
abroad. As time passed some of these parishes transferred to the jurisdiction
of other local Orthodox churches, some received an independent admini
stration, most of them flourish under the Russian Orthodox Church;
but a certain number are still not in communion with their Mother
Church.
In 1920 an obstacle arose to the canonical organization of Russian Church
life abroad in the form of the so-called "Supreme Russian Church Administra
tion Abroad," founded by a group of emigrant bishops on their own authority;
it adopted a hostile attitude towards the Russian Orthodox Church and the
Russian people. The Russian Orthodox Church represented by His Holi
ness Patriarch Tikhon, condemned the activity of this "Administration."
However the latter would not submit to the decision of the supreme church
authority and created a schism known as "Karlovci," from the Yugoslav
town of Srijemski Karlovci, where a "Council" of schismatic Russian clergy
took place from October to December 1921.
Although the self-appointed church administration succeeded in disorgan
izing the canonical structure of some of the Russian Church parishes abroad,
many of them remained faithful to their Mother Church. As a result of the
efforts made by the Russian Orthodox Church for reunification, a large number
of Russian Orthodox clergy and laity returned to the fold of the Holy Church
13X
in 1945. His Holiness Patriarch Alexis s appeals and Metropolitan Nicholas
of Krutitzy s trip to Paris in August and September 1945 were of great impor
tance in this respect.
The Department of Foreign Church Relations under the Holy Synod of the
Russian Orthodox Church was instituted in April 1946. Its task is to direct
the church life of Russian Orthodox Church institutions abroad. Metropolitan
Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna was appointed chairman of this department.
Since then the direction of Russian Orthodox Church institutions abroad
is carried out by Metropolitan Nicholas, who at the same time performs episco
pal duties in respect of church bodies which do not have their own bishop.
At present the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church extends to a num
ber of parishes abroad. -
THE AUTONOMOUS ORTHODOX CHURCH OF CHINA
The history of Orthodoxy in China dates to 1685, when Father Maxim
Leontiev founded the Chapel of St. Nicholas in the Chinese capital for the
satisfaction of the spiritual needs of the Russian kazakhs in the service of the
Emperor of China Kan-Si and of the Russian merchants living in Peking.
The Church of "Saint Sophia the Wisdom of God" in Peking was consecrated
in 1695. The first Church Mission (17151718) arrived in Peking in 1714 headed
by Archimandrite Hilarion (Lezhaisky) and was welcomed with great honour
and regard by the Chinese authorities. When the Church of "Saint Sophia -
the Wisdom of God" was destroyed by an earthquake the Church of the Assump
tion was built to replace it and was consecrated on August 15, 1732.
Among the heads and members of the Russian Church Mission in China
there have been many prominent figures who pursued the study of China s
language, history and culture. One of the fruits of their activity was the trans
lation into Chinese of more than 40 liturgical books. At the same time, Ortho
dox churches, schools and monasteries were built in towns and in localities
in different provinces of China. In 1903, for instance, a convent for women was
opened under the Russian Church Mission in Peking. In spring 1899 Father
Alexander Zhuravsky founded the first Russian Orthodox Church in Manchu
ria, after which Russian churches, schools and chapels appeared in various
places in Manchuria.
By decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church dated
December 27, 1945, the Orthodox parishes of Manchuria were united into the
East-Asia Church District under the administration of Metropolitan Melethius
of Kharbin and East Asia. After his death on April 6, 1946, the East Asia
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Church District was reorganized into an Exarchate; Archbishop Nestor was
appointed Exarch and raised to the dignity of Metropolitan of Kharbin and
Manchuria. In the same year the dioceseof Pekingwith the vicariate of Shanghai
under the administration of Archbishop Victor, head of the Russian Church
Mission in China, was incorporated in the Exarchate.
In July 1950 Archbishop Victor of China and Pekin arrived in Moscow
accompanied by Archpriest Theodore Du to report on Church affairs and took
part in the current session of the Holy Synod. By decision of the Holy Synod,
Archpriest Theodore Du (in religion Simeon) was consecrated bishop and appoint
ed to the See of Tien-Tsin.* The consecration of the first Orthodox bishop of
Chinese nationality took place in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Epiphany
in Moscow on July 30. By decision of the Holy Synod, dated August 17 of the
same year, Archbishop Victor, head of the Russian Church Mission in China,
was appointed Patriarchal Exarch of East Asia.
In June 1956 Archbishop Victor left for home and handed over the adminis
tration of church affairs to clerics of Chinese nationality headed by Archimand
rite Basil (Shuan), who was appointed to the episcopal See of Peking by a decree
of His Holiness Patriarch Alexis and the Holy Synod, dated December 23,
1956. At the same time the Holy Synod approved the Statute of the Autono
mous Orthodox Church of China. On May 17/30, 1957 Archimandrite Basil
was consecrated Bishop of Peking in the Church of the Transfiguration in
Moscow.
THE EXARCHATE OF WESTERN EUROPE
The first Russian Orthodox Church in Western Europe was consecrated
in the Russian House of Trade in Stockholm in 1640. As a result of the livening
of Russia s trade and diplomatic relations with West-European countries under
Peter I, temporary and later permanent Russian Orthodox churches began to
appear in many European capitals. Divine service began to be held in the church
attached to the Russian Embassy in London in 1716, in Berlin about 1718,
and in Paris in 1720.
The building of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe was
particularly intensified in the second half of the 19th century. Churches were
built with the blessing of the diocesan bishop of St. Petersburg, who directed
Russian Church life in Western Europe. Thus, in 1855 the Church of St. Eliza
beth was consecrated in Wiesbaden, in 1861 the Church of the Holy Trinity and
* On September 30, 1950 Bishop Simeon was appointed to the See of Shanghai.
141
EASTER PROCESSION AT THE ORTHODOX[PARISH IN BERLIN
EASTER 4 MATINS AT THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN BERLIN
. Alexander Nevsky in Paris, in 1866 the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy
Cross in Geneva, in 1874 the Church of St. Simeon the Stylite in Dresden, in
1876 the Church of St. Alexandra the Martyr in Ems, in 1882 the Church of
the Transfiguration in Baden-Baden, in 1883 the Church of St. Alexander
Nevsky in Copenhagen, in 1892 the Church of the Protection of the Blessed
Virgin and of St. Alexander Nevsky in Biarritz, in 1899 the Church of St. Nicho
las in Vienna, in 1902-1903 the Church of the Nativity and St. Nicholas in
Florence and in 1912 the Church of St. Nicholas and St. Alexandra in Nice.
All these churches were built to satisfy the spiritual needs of Russian Orthodox
people living in the respective West-European countries.
Among Russian Church institutions in Western Europe the Orthodox Broth
erhood of St. Vladimir deserves special mention for its activity. It was foun
ded in 1890 by Archpriest Alexis Maltsev, dean of the Church of St. Vladimir
in Berlin, in order to assist the Russian subjects and Orthodox believers living
in Berlin and other places in Germany in need of help without discrimination
of their nationality. From 1890 to 1914 the Building Committee of the Brother
hood erected seven churches: that of St. Constantine and St. Helena at Tegel
(consecrated in 1894), of All Saints at Bad Homburg (1899), of St. Sergius of
Radonezh at Bad Kissingen (1901), of St. Michael the Archangel at Herbersdorf
(1901), of St. Nicholas in Hamburg (1901), of St. Innocent of Irkutsk and St.
Seraphim of Sarov at Bad Nauheim (1908), and of St. Mary Magdalene at Bad
Briickenau (1908). By 1910 there were as many as 70 Russian Orthodox Churches
in Western Europe, not counting private chapels.
The First World War and the Civil War caused a temporary weakening
of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian parishes
in Western Europe, but as early as March 1921 His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon
appointed Archbishop Eulogius (Georgiyevsky) of Volynia temporary admin
istrator of the Russian Orthodox parishes in Western Europe.
After the First World War the number of Russian Orthodox Churches in
Western Europe grew considerably. The necessity to appoint priests for these
churches compelled Metropolitan Eulogius to open a Russian Orthodox Theo
logical Institute in Paris in 1925. The activity of the Brotherhood of St. Vla
dimir, interrupted by the war, was resumed. The number of bishops governing
the West-European parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church increased. But,
unfortunately, there were vacillations in Metropolitan Eulogius attitude to the
supreme church authority and in 1931 he transferred to the jurisdiction of the
Patriarchate of Constantinople. The direction of the West-European parishes
which remained faithful to the Russian Mother Church was confided by Metro-
143
politan Sergius, locum tenens, to Metropolitan Eleutherius (Bogoyavlensky)
of Lithuania and Vilnius. Bishop Benjamin (Fedchenkov) in France, remained
true to the Russian Church with a number of priests and a large group of laity;
so did Archpriest G. Prozorov, Dean of the church of St. Vladimir in Berlin
and his parishioners.
METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS PREACHES AT BERLIN CATHEDRAL
Since then, church life in the West-European parishes which remained loyal
to the Russian Mother Church has become gradually more vigorous. In March
1931 the high altar of the daughter church of The Three Bishops (Basil, Gregory
and John Chrysostom) in Paris was consecrated. In June 1936, with the bless
ing of Metropolitan Eleutherius, Father Michael Belsky founded the Franco-
Russian Orthodox parish of Our Lady "Consolation of the Afflicted" and St.
Genevieve in Paris, which was joined by a large section of the French commu
nity of the Exarchate of Metropolitan Eulogius. In 1936 the ex-Roman Catholic
priest Father L. Vinart, head of the so-called Catholic-Evangelical Church (Old
Catholic) was received into the fold of the Orthodox Church, and in 1937 his
community was also united to the Church and formed the parish of the Ascension
144
of Occidental rite in Paris, now headed by Archimandrite Denis Chambault.
In 1937 the church district of the western Orthodox parishes was formed and
Father M. Belsky was placed at its head, and in March 1939 the united Church
District of the West-European parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church was
instituted and headed by Abbot Stephan (Sve^ozarov) . In 1944 Father Luc
Chambault, in religion Denis, founded the first French Orthodox monastic
community under the rules of St. Benedict of Nurcia.
A DELEGATION OF ORTHODOX PARISHIONERS FROM THE WEST-EUROPEAN
EXARCHATE
During the Second World War Metropolitan Eulogius adopted a patriotic
attitude and decided to return to the fold of the Russian Mother Church. In
August 1945 a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Metropolitan
Nicholas visited Paris and received into canonical and spiritual communion
Metropolitan Eulogius, Archbishop Vladimir and Bishop John. After several
meetings and talks with Metropolitan Nicholas, Metropolitan Seraphim
(Lukianov), leader of the West-European diocese of the Karlovci schism, and
his parishes also joined the Mother Church.
10 33K33 X 172
145
Subsequently the Holy Synod confirmed Metropolitan Eulogius in the
dignity of Exarch of the Moscow Patriarchate in Western Europe. In August
1946 Metropolitan Eulogius died and His Holiness Patriarch Alexis appointed
Metropolitan Seraphim to succeed him.
However, in the same year some members of the clergy of the Exarchate
headed by Archbishop Vladimir broke away from their Mother Church and
subordinated their parishes to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In November
1949 Metropolitan Seraphim was succeeded as Exarch by Archbishop Photius
of Lithuania and Vilnius and two years later Archbishop Boris (Wick) of Ber
lin and Germany was appointed substitute of the Exarch of Western Europe.
Since 1954 the West-European Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate is gover
ned by Archbishop Nicholas (Yeremin) of Clichy.
Besides parishes in France, England, Switzerland, Morocco and Algeria,
the West-European Patriarchal Exarchate includes parishes in Germany and
Holland with the rights of church districts.
The divine services in some of the parishes of France are performed in
French, in Germany in German and in Holland in Dutch.
Since 1950 the Council under the Exarchate publishes in Russian and
French a quarterly journal called "Messenger of the Russian Patriarchal
Exarchate in Western Europe," which, besides official information, contains
articles on theology. Moreover, an information bulletin called "Chronicle of the
Life of the Russian Orthodox Church in Western Europe" is also published in
Paris.
For the training of the clergy the Exarchate has two-year courses iritheology
and pastoral duties in Paris.
The Exarchate gives particular attention to the education of children of
Orthodox parents outside school and organizes summer camps for them every
year in France and Holland. The Berlin Brotherhood of St. Vladimir has again
resumed its activity. It is now headed by Archpriest Sergius Polozhensky,
dean of St. Vladimir s Church in Berlin.
THE EXARCHATE OF NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA
In 1793 the Holy Synod instituted a Russian Church Mission for the satis
faction of the spiritual needs of Russian merchants in Alaska and the Aleutian
and Kuril Islands and for the propagation of Christianity among the heathen
population. The work of the Mission was successful and in 1797 the first Ortho
dox Church, that of the Resurrection, was consecrated on Kodiak Island.
146
In 1824 Father John Venyaminov, later Metropolitan Innocent of Moscow
and Kolomna, who may rightly be called the apostle of "Russian America",
arrived on the Island of Unalashku. Besides being a zealous missionary, he was
an outstanding ethnographer and linguist. When he was widowed he took
monastic vows under the name of Innocent and on December 15, 1840 he was
consecrated Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kuril and Aleutian Islands. In 1845
the Right Reverend Innocent founded a seminary in New-Archangelsk.
By decision of the Holy Synod the diocese of the Aleutians and Alaska
was formed in 1870 and Bishop John (Mitropolsky) was appointed to it. As
the Russian population in the western states of the U.S.A. increased, Russian
Orthodox parishes were created there and in 1872 the Holy Synod transferred
the episcopal See to San Francisco, whence in was moved to New York in 1905.
In 1898 this bishopric was entrusted to Bishop Tikhon, the future Patri
arch of the Russian Orthodox Church, who did a great deal for the oraniza-
tion of the diocese. Two years later the diocese was given the name of the
Aleutians and North America. In 1905 the need for parish priests made it
necessary to transform the missionary school in Minneapolis into a seminary.
At the same time the monastery of Saint Tikhon for men near Scranton and the
Canadian Mission were founded and the liturgical books were translated into
English.
Between 1891 and 1914 about 120 Carpatho-Russian Uniate parishes-
joined the Russian Orthodox Church in America and by 1918 our American,
diocese had 271 churches and 51 chapels with 257 clerics, and included the-
Syrian, Serbian and Albanian Orthodox Missions.
The first Russian Orthodox place of worship in South America was
opened in 1889. In was a private chapel in Buenos Aires. In 1901 the Church
of the Holy Trinity was consecrated in the same city. It was built on offerings
made by Russian Orthodox faithful for this purpose. The Russian church sati
sfied the spiritual needs of many Orthodox parishioners of other nationalities -
Greeks, Arabs, and Serbs living in the capital of the Argentine and its
suburbs and also other Orthodox colonies in the Argentine and Brazil.
In 1924 owing to the schismatic activity of the so-called "Supreme Russi
an Church Administration Abroad" the North American diocese under Metro
politan Platon (Rozhdestvensky) broke away from the Mother Church and de
clared the Russian Orthodox Church in America temporarily self-governing.
Then, on November 22, 1933, Archbishop Venyamin(Fedchenkov)Vas appointed
to administer the North American parishes which remained true to the Mother
Church and was given the title of Archbishop of the Aleutians and North Ame-
147 10*
rica, Exarch of Moscow Patriarchate in America. For his labours in the reuniting
o
of a number of clerics and whole parishes with the Mother Church he was
elevated to the dignity of a Metropolitan.
By decision of the Holy Synod, dated July 29, 1946, four archiepiscopal
sees were instituted on the territory of the Exarchate: in Philadelphia headed
by Archbishop Adam, in Argentine headed by Bishop Theodor, in New York
headed by Archbishop Makarius and in San Francisco headed by Bishop Antony.
It must be said that the overwhelming majority of the clergy and laity
of the so-called metropolitan district is continuing the fight for canonical and
religious communion with the Russian Mother Church. Thus, for example,
the Seventh All-American Council, which was held in Cleveland in Novem
ber 1946, decided to request His Holiness Alexis, Patriarch of Moscow and
All Russia, to unite the Metropolitan district to the Russian Mother Church on
the basis of autonomy. In January 1947 His Holiness the Patriarch approved
the reception of Metropolitan Theophilus and his clergy into religious commu
nion with the Russian Orthodox Church, but that did not prevent Metropolitan
Theophilus or his successor Metropolitan Leontius from continuing their
schismatic activity.
On August 21, 1947, Metropolitan Venyamin was appointed to the See
of Riga and Latvia. In his place was appointed Archbishop Makarius of New
York, who received the title of Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America
on March 22, 1948, and the dignity of Metropolitan on July 31, 1952. His appeal
to the schismatic Russian Orthodox parishes in America to return to religi
ous and canonical communion with the Holy Mother Church of Russia met
a willing response and the Patriarchal Exarchate was further extended.
In 1947 the Exarchate started the publication in Russian and English of
a monthly official organ "One Church".
On November 12, 1953, Metropolitan Makarius died and Metropolitan
Hermogen (Kozhin) was appointed his successor to the Exarchate. Under him
the Second Congress of Clergy and Laity of the Exarchate was held in New
York from 17 to 19 March 1954. After the death of Metropolitan Hermogen
on 19th May, 1954, Archbishop Boris of Berlin and Germany was appointed
to the Exarchate. On his arrival in the U. S. A. he began to organize church
life in the Exarchate but the refusal of the U. S. State Department to prolong
his residence visa broke off his activity and communion with the flock.
The Vice-Exarch Archbishoppionysius (Dyachenko) is maintaining contact
with the Mother Church by correspondence and visits of its representatives to
Moscow Patriarchate.
148
ARCHBISHOP DIONYSIUS, PATRIARCHAL VICE-EXARCH OF THE RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA
THE RUSSIAN CHURCH MISSION IN JERUSALEM
In 1847 the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church instituted a
Russian Church Mission in Jerusalem to strengthen the ties between the
Churches of Russia and of Jerusalem and for the satisfaction of the spiritual
needs of Russian pilgrims. The first head of the Mission was Archimandrite,
later Bishop, Porphirius (Uspensky) a theologian distinguished by his studies
of the Christian Orient. Under him and his successors the Russian Church
did much to develop Orthodoxy in Palestine.
During the twenty-nine years (1865 1894) that Archimandrite Antoninus
(Kapustin) headed the Mission, the Russian Orthodox Church, thanks to
the offerings of the faithful, acquired plots of land on which churches, hotels
for pilgrims, refuges, schools and residences were built. In 1864 the Church of
St. Alexandra the Martyr, on the premises of the Russian Church Mission, was
consecrated. In 1872 His Beatitude Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem consecrated
149
IheMission s Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Jerusalem. In 1868 Archimandrite
Antoninus acquired a plot near Hebron on which the Church of the Holy
Trinity and Saints Abraham and Sarah was built. In 1886 the Church of the
THE RUSSIAN CHURCH MISSION CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY TRINITY,
JERUSALEM
Ascension ; at the summit of the Mount of Olives was consecrated, followed
in]1888 by the consecration of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene at the foot of
the same mount. In 1871 Archimandrite Antoninus founded the Convent of
Our Lady of Kazan for women on the Russian concession at "The Hill Country"
(Gornaya) (Luke 1, 39) near Jerusalem. Then he established a community for
women attached to the Church of the Ascension on Mount Olives.
In 1903 Archimandrite Leonid (Sentsov) was appointed head of the
Russian Church Mission. He also acquired plots on which he erected various
buildings. By 1914 there were eight churches, several houses of prayer, two
convents for women, accommodation for pilgrims and other buildings on the
37 plots of the Mission.
150
During the First World War the members of the Russian Church Mission
in Jerusalem temporarily left the Holy Land and at the beginning of the
twenties the Mission was temporarily removed from the jurisdiction of the
Russian Orthodox Church. But in 1948 Moscow Patriarchate resumed the ad
ministration of those of its possessions which were on the territory of the state
of Israel. A mission headed by Archimandrite Leonid (Lobachev) was then
sent to Jerusalem.
As the dissidents who had had control of the property of the Russian Church
Mission in Jerusalem for more than 20 years had completely ruined its
economy, the new Mission had first of all to engage in restoration work. Under
Archimandrite Leonid and his successors capital repairs were carried out on
all the Mission s churches and buildings; the citrus gardens and the lands and
territories of Gornaya Convent were restored to order. Divine service began to
be performed in all the churches of the Russian Church Mission.
By strengthening the fraternal ties between the Russian Orthodox Church
and the Church of Jerusalem and thus promoting ecclesiastical unity, the Rus
sian Church Mission in Jerusalem at the same time re-established the traditio
nal friendly relations with the local representatives of the Armenian, Copt
and Abyssinian Churches.
The work done by the Mission for the good organization of Gornaya
Convent is worthy of special mention. In August 1955, this Convent was joined
by nuns from different convents of the Soviet Union.
The Russian Church Mission in Jerusalem is successfully continuing the
glorious traditions of its founders and deservedly enjoys the respect of the
Holy Mother Church of Sion and the Christian Churches of the Orient.
THE DIOCESE IN BELGIUM
The diocese in Belgium is headed by Archbishop Alexander (Nemolovsky)
of Brussels and Belgium. It unites Russian Orthodox people living in Belgium.
THE CHURCH DISTRICT IN AUSTRIA
Since June 1946 the Russian Orthodox Church in Austria was headed by
Archbishop Sergius (Korolyov), vicar of the West-European Exarch and after
his appointment to the See of Berlin and Germany in 1948, the direction of the
parish of St. Nicholas in Vienna was entrusted to Archimandrite Arsenius
(Shilovsky) with the dignity of dean of the Church District. By a definition
of the Holy Synod on December 27, 1950, the Moscow Patriarchate Church
District in Austria was made directly dependent on the Holy Synod.
151
f
THE RUSSIAN CHURCH
OF ST. NICHOLAS, VIENNA
THE CHURCH DISTRICT IN HUNGARY
In 1949 a number of Orthodox parishes which had arisen in various towns
of Hungary requested Moscow Patriarchate to accept them under the jurisdic
tion of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Holy Synod granted this request
and formed out of those parishes a Church District at the head of which Arch-
priest John Kopolovich was appointed.
Since August 1954 by decision of the Holy Synod Archpriest Feriz Berki
of the Church of St. Nicholas in Budapest has been head of the Orthodox pa
rishes in the Church District of Hungary and he is continuing the work of this
predecessor [or the good organization of church life in Hungary. He has writ-
152
ten a number of books including translations of the liturgical books of the
Orthodox Church into Hungarian.
Since 1952 the Church District in Hungary publishes the "Church Chro
nicle."
THE PARISHES IN HELSINKI
The Russian Orthodox community of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin
in Helsinki, capital of Finland, was founded in 1926, when the Finnish Govern
ment approved the Statutes of the private Orthodox community of Vyborg
which was transferred to Helsinki in 1940. The newly instituted community
was under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Eulogius, administrator of the Rus
sian West-European parishes. In 1927 the private Orthodox parish of St.
Nicholas in Helsinki was founded, its first head being the pastor of the commu
nity of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin, Father Gregory Svetlovsky. These
two Russian communities in Finland were separated from the Mother Church of
Russia from 1931 to 1945 together with the other parishes of Metropolitan Eulo
gius. They rejoined it in October 1945 and were under the administration of
Metropolitan Gregory of Leningrad and Novgorod until December 1954.
After the death of ArchpriestG. Svetlovsky on June 19, 1948, the community
of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin acquired a plot of land in a district
of Helsinki and built the Church of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin on it.
This church was consecrated on February 1, 1953. The Church of St. Nicholas
was also enlarged by the building of a new chapel, which was consecrated on
December 17, 1950.
Since December 1954, the administration of the Russian Orthodox pari
shes in Helsinki is carried outj by Metropolitan Nicholas of Kjutitzy and Ko
lomna.
RUSSIAN CHURCH MISSION BRANCH IN BEIRUT
The Russian Orthodox community in Beirut was founded in 1946. With
the blessing of Metropolitan Elias Salibi of Beirut it was attached to the Church
of the Annunciation and is served by a priest of the Church of Antioch.
RUSSIAN CHURCH MISSION BRANCH IN BELGRADE
Up to 1954 the Russian Orthodox parishes in Yugoslavia were united in
a Church District depending directly on the Holy Synod and administered by
Archpriest I. Sokal up to 1950 and then by Archpriest Vitalius Tarasiev.
On November 12, 1954, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church
decided to abolish the Church District in Yugoslavia and transfer its churches,
153
clerics and parishioners to the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Serbia,
reserving the church and residence of the Holy Trinity in Belgrade for Moscow
Patriarchate with Archpriest Vitalius Tarasiev as dean.
RUSSIAN CHURCH MISSION BRANCH IN SOFIA
By a decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church dated
November 10, 1952, the Russian parishes in Bulgaria and their clergy and also
the Russian monastic communities were transferred to the jurisdiction of the
Orthodox Church of Bulgaria. Moscow Patriarchate reserved for itself the admin
istration of the filial church of St. Nicholas in Sofia, the present dean of which
is Abbot Sergius (Kalabeyev).
THE JAPANESE ORTHODOX CHURCH
The Russian Orthodox Church Mission in Japan was founded in 1870 by
the famous "apostle of Japan," Hieromonk, later Archbishop, Nicholas (Kasat-
kin), who was appointed dean of the Russian Orthodox Church attached to the
Russian Consulate in Hakadota in 1860. Having learned Japanese and Chinese
he translated the Holy Scriptures and the liturgical books into Japanese and
for more than half a century he tirelessly preached the word of God in Japan.
A seminary and several schools for catechists were opened in Tokyo for the
training of priests. The majestic church of the Resurrection in Tokyo, built
from voluntary offerings, was consecrated in 1891. By January 1, 1904, there
were 260 Orthodox Church communities in Japan having attached to them 39
clerics, 36 of whom were of Japanese nationality.
From 1912 to 1940 the Orthodox Church of Japan was headed by Bishop,
subsequently Metropolitan, Sergius (Tikhomirov) who worthily continued the
apostolic work of this glorious predecessor. On September 4, 1940, as a result
of a law passed at that time by which Japanese religious organizations had to
be headed by Japanese, Metropolitan Sergius was obliged to discontinue his
guidance of the Orthodox Church of Japan and remained only Head of the Rus
sian Church] Mission in Japan, church administration being taken over by
Bishop Nicholas (Ono).
After the death of Metropolitan Sergius in 1945 there was a split in the
administration of the Orthodox Church of Japan into opponents and supporters
of Bishop Nicholas. Considering the requests of the representatives of the Or
thodox Church of Japan, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church
adopted the decision to send to Tokyo representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate
to find out on the spot the situation of church affairs and put them in order.
154
However, as a result of the interference of the American Occupation Authorities,
the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church was not granted entrance visas
to Japan. At the same time, in 1946, an extraordinary Council of the Orthodox
Church of Japan, as a result of the efforts of the anti-canonical group connected
with Metropolitan Theophilus, then head of the "Metropolitan District" in
America, took the decision to break off filial ties of the Orthodox Church of
Japan with the Mother Church of Russia and to subordinate her to Metropoli
tan Theophilus. It is known that this decision was not approved by the clergy
and laity of the Orthodox Church of Japan who knew well that the ties with
the Russian Orthodox Church were indissoluble and hoped that spiritual and
canonical communion with her would soon be re-established. This was expres
sed by the parishes in Tokyo and the parish of Musa (Hokkaido Island) who
maintained their canonical ties with Moscow Patriarchate.
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH MISSION IN KOREA
The Russian Church Mission in Korea was founded in 1897. The missionary
activity of Archimandrite Paul (Ivanovsky) later Bishop of Nikolsk and Ussuri,
who translated the books of the liturgy into Korean, was especially successful.
From 1917 to 1930 the Mission was headed by Archimandrite Theodosius (Pere-
valov) who worked tirelessly with the help of the Korean priest Father L. Kim
to strengthen the Orthodox faith among the Korean flock. In 1936 Metropolitan
Sergius locum tenens sent Hieromonk Polycarp (Primak) to Seoul. He was
appointed head of the Russian Church Mission in Korea and raised to the
dignity of Archimandrite in 1941.
In their desire to seize the property of the Mission, the enemies of the
Russian Orthodox Church made a number of attempts to incline Archimandrite
Polycarp in their favour. As their efforts were vain, Archimandrite Polycarp
was prevented by force from fulfilling his duties in the Mission by the
South- Korean police authorities; he was arrested and, after being submitted to
mockery during repeated imprisonment, expelled from South Korea in June
1950. The property of the Mission was illegally handed over to Metropolitan
Theophilus, head of the "Metropolitan District" in America.
VI
THE RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH
AND
THE CHRISTIAN WORLD
RELATIONS
OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
WITH THE ORTHODOX
AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCHES
The Russian Orthodox Church is one of the fourteen autocephalous, self-
governing, interindependent churches forming the One Oecumeuical Church.
All autocephalous Orthodox churches are related by unity of faith, sacraments
and canons, and are in spiritual and canonical communion with one another.
This communion is expressed, first and foremost, in the daily liturgical
offices and prayers for the "prosperity of the Holy Churches of God." The ful
ness of church communion is attained in the joint celebration of the holy
mass by the bishops or priests of the local Orthodox Churches.
The autocephalous Orthodox Churches, in the persons of their Heads, fre
quently exchange correspondence. Thus, the Patriarch of Moscow and All
Russia, like his predecessors, every year exchanges messages of greetings with
the Heads of other autocephalous Orthodox Churches for the feasts of the
Nativity of Christ and Easter and sends congratulatory messages on the occa
sion of important events in church life enthronements, jubilees, patronal
feasts, etc.
The necessity for epistolary and personal exchange between the heads of
the autocephalous Orthodox Churches arises also from the various needs of
c hurch life, important for several or all of the churches, such as dogmatic,
canonic, administrative matters, questions of mutual help, the canoniza
tion of saints, Orthodox missions, and the recognition of church acts changes
] n forms of church administration, the condemnation of heresies and schisms,
159
the granting of autocephaly to daughter churches, the election of a new head
of the church, the appointment of dignitaries at residences, missions, and dio
ceses located on the territory of other local churches, etc.
PATRIARCHS CHRISTOPHOR OF ALEXANDRIA, MELCHISE-
DECH OF GEORGIA, JUSTINIAN OF ROUMANIA, AND MET
ROPOLITAN MAKARIUS, HEAD OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
OF POLAND, VISIT PATRIARCH ALEXIS
Thus, after the re-establishment of the Patriarchate of the Russian Ortho
dox Church in 1917, His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon informed all Heads of
autocephalous Orthodox Churches of this event and thus entered into spiritual
and canonical communion with them. When, in 1943, the Council of Bishops of
the Russian Orthodox Church elected the locum tenens of the Patriarchal See
Metropolitan Sergius Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, he, too, sent the
Heads of the local Orthodox churches official notification of his election. His
Holiness Patriarch Alexis did likewise. The Russian Orthodox Church simi-
160
larly answers the messages of other autocephalous Orthodox churches, fulfils
all its canonical duties towards them and acknowledges all the acts legally
accomplished by them. An example of this is the Holy Synod of the Russian
Orthodox Church s decision to note in the Church Calendar the name of St.
Nichodemus theStylite ofMt. Athos. [He was canonized by decision of the Holy
Synod of the Church of Constantinople on May 31, 1955.]
Communion between the local Orthodox Churches is illustrated also by
agreements to admit representatives of other local churches into theological
schools. Thus, before the First World War many representatives of the churches
of Antioch, Serbia, Bulgaria, Roumania and others studied at the theolog
ical academies of the Russian Orthodox Church. Many of those who completed
the course of our higher theological institutions later became prominent person
alities in Orthodoxy. Among them were: His Beatitude Alexander III,
Patriarch of Antioch and All Orient, and Metropolitan Michael Yovanovich,
Archbishop of Belgrade and Head of the Church of Serbia (1898), the Head of
the Church of Hellas, Metropolitan Prokopius III Ekonomidisof Athens, Phila-
retus Scriban, the great luminary of the Church of Roumania and many others.
Representatives of the Orthodox Churches of Antioch, Georgia, Roumania,
Poland and Czechoslovakia are now studying at theological schools of the
Russian Orthodox Church.
Illustrations of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4,3) are
the frequent meetings of the Heads of the local Orthodox Churches. During
these meetings joint services are celebrated, i. e. there is liturgical communion;
urgent questions of church life are often discussed. There have been many
such meetings in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, especially in
recent years. In 1945 the following were the guests of Moscow Patriarchate:
Patriarch Christopher of Alexandria, Patriarch Alexander III of Antioch, the
Catholicos-Patriarch Callistratus of All Georgia, and representatives of the
Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Jerusalem, Serbia and Roumania; in
1946: Patriarch Nicodim of Roumania; in 1948: the Catholicos-Patriarch Cal
listratus of All Georgia, Patriarch Gavriil of Serbia, Patriarch Justinian of
Roumania, Metropolitan Stephan, Exarch of Bulgaria, representatives of the
autocephalous Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Antioch, Hellas, Alba
nia, and Poland; in 1950: Patriarch Justinian of the Church of Roumania,
Archbishop Paisius, Head of the Church of Albania; in 1951: Patriarch Alex
ander III of Antioch, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Callistratus,
Patriarch Justinian of the Church of Roumania, Metropolitan Cyril of Plowdiw,
Vice-Chairman of the Holy Synod of the Church of Bulgaria; in 1954: Patri-
11 33K33 N 172 16 1
arch Alexander III of Antioch, Patriarch Cyril of the]Church of Bulgaria, Metro
politan Eleutherius, Head of the Orthodox Church in Czechoslovakia; in 1955:
Patriarch Christopher of Alexandria, the Catholicos-Patriarch Melchisedech of
All Georgia, Patriarch Justinian of Roumania, Metropolitan Makarius, Head
of the Orthodox Church of Poland; in 1956: Patriarch Vincentius of Serbia and
Metropolitan John, Head of the Orthodox Church in Czechoslovakia.
In their turn representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church have re
peatedly visited other local Orthodox Churches in recent years. For instance,
His Holiness Patriarch Alexis visited the Churches of Alexandria, Antioch and
Jerusalem in May and June 1945, the Church of Bulgaria in May 1946, [the
Church of Roumania in May and June 1947, and the Church of Georgia in Au
gust 1956. In June 1948 a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church led by
Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna visited Roumania to take part
in the solemn enthronement of Patriarch Justinian of the Church of Roumania
and went to Czechoslovakia in December 1951 to the solemn proclamation of
the authocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Czechoslovakia. In May 1953 a
delegation] from our Church led by Metropolitan Gregory of Leningrad and
Novgorod attended the solemn enthronement of Patriarch^Cyril of the Bulgar
ian Orthodox Church and in October 1955 the solemn canonization of new
saints of the Orthodox Church of Roumania. In September and October 1957
Patriarch Alexis accompanied by assistants visited Bilgaria for attending
church celebrations and Jugoslavia to repay the visit to the Head of the
Serbian Orthodox Church.
The Russian Orthodox Church takes an active part in the joint work of
the local Orthodox Churches for the solution of problems of local and general
orthodox significance. Thus, in July 1948 there was a conference in Moscow of
the Heads and representatives of the Orthodox Churches of Alexandria, Anti
och, Russia, Georgia, Serbia, Roumania, Hellas, Bulgaria, Albania and Poland
to discuss questions of modern church life. In 1949 His Holiness Patriarch Alex
is sent a circular letter to all Orthodox Churches requesting them to inform the
Russian Church of the names of all saints canonized by each local Church in
order to continue the verification of the Church Calendar with a list of Saints;
in answer to this letter lists of Saints of the sister churches have then been
received. Moreover, in recent years the Russian Orthodox Church has several
times taken part in discussions on questions concerning relations of the Ortho
dox Churches to the Oecumenical Movement and to the problem of the union
of the Anglican Church and Orthodoxy. Exchange of opinions on other questions
of current church life takes place likewise at meetings and by correspondence.
162
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE
In her relations with autocephalous Orthodox Churches the Russian Ortho
dox Church proceeds from the desire to "keep unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace". (Eph. 4,3.) This can be appreciated from the examples of our Church s
communion with other Local Orthodox Churches, and first and foremost with
her Mother Church, the Church of Constantinople, headed by the Oecumenical
Patriarch Athenagoras.
At the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1945, Metropolitan
Germanos of Thyatira was present as a guest of honour. The solemnities of the
fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church were attend
ed, at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Alexis, by a delegation of
the Patriarchate of Constantinople consisting of Metropolitan Germanos of
Thyatira, Metropolitan Timothy of Rhodes, and Protopresbyter Constantine
Maroitakis.
There were also meetings of representatives of the Russian Orthodox
Church and the Church of Constantinople during trips abroad made by Rus
sian Church delegations. In June 1954, for example, Metropolitan Nicholas of
Krutitzy and Kolomna met Metropolitan Germanos of Thyatira, Exarch of the
See of Constantinople in Western Europe in London; in July 1954, at the solemn
celebration of the golden jubilee of His Beatitude Patriarch Alexander III
of Constantinople a delegation of the Russian Church headed by Archbishop
Pitirim of Minsk and Byelorussia had meetings with the delegation of the
Church of Constantinople led by Metropolitan Thomas of Chalcedonia.
In countries where parishes and dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church
are neighbours of parishes and dioceses of the Church of Constantinople, the
clergy of the two Churches are in constant contact. Moreover, contact between
the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of Constantinople is maintained
by correspondence between their Heads.
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA
His Beatitude Patriarch Christopher II of Alexandria and All Africa was
guest of honour at the 1945 Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in
Moscow. During his journey to the Orient in May and June of the same year
His Holiness Patriarch Alexis visited His Beatitude Patriarch Christopher in
his residence in Alexandria. In November 1946 Metropolitan Gregory of Lenin
grad and Novgorod and those accompanying him visited His Beatitude Patri
arch Christopher. The Patriarchate of Alexandria was represented at the solem-
163 11*
nities of the fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church
and the Conference of Heads and Representatives of the Local Orthodox
Churches in Moscow in July 1948 by a delegation of the Church of Antioch
empowered by His Beatitude Patriarch Christopher of Alexandria. The cele
bration of the feast of St. Sergius in July 1955 was marked by the participa
tion of His Beatitude Patriarch Christopher, who came to Moscow with a large
PATRIARCH CHRISTOPHOR OF ALEXANDRIA AT THE SOLEMNITIES
AT TROITSE-SERGIYEVA LAVRA
suite. In October 1946 Archimandrite Calixtus Mukkisidis, appointed dean of
the newly instituted Mission* branch of the Church of Alexandria in Odessa,
arrived in Moscow.
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF ANTIOCH
A vivid illustration of the fraternal ties between the Churches of Antioch
and of Russia is the lively exchange of delegations. Thus, His Beatitude
Alexander III, who succeeded Gregory IV as Patriarch of Antioch and All
164
A DELEGATION OF THE CHURCH OF .ANTIOCH HEADED BY PATRIARCH
ALEXANDER III VISITS PATRIARCH ALEXlb
METROPOLITANS OF THE CHURCH OF ANTIOCH, IGNATIUS
OF EPIPHANUS, ATHANASIUS OF HAURAN AND ALEXANDER OF EMESSA,
AT THE CHURCH OF LENINGRAD THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY
Orient, accompanied by Metropolitan Theodosius of Tyre and Sidon and Metro
politan Alexander of Emessa, was guest of honour at the Local Council of the
Russian Orthodox Church in 1945. Then, in May and June the same year His
Holiness Patriarch Alexis visited the Church of Antioch and was the guest of
His Beatitude the Patriarch. In November 1946 the Church of Antioch again
received a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Metropolitan
Gregory of Leningrad and Novgorod. In November 1947 Metropolitan Elias of
MOSCOW THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY STUDENTS FROM THE PATRIARCHATES
OF ANTIOCH AND ROUMANIA AT THE EXAMINATIONS
Mount Lebanon visited Moscow. In July 1948 a delegation of the Church of Anti
och headed by His Beatitude Alexander III attended the celebrations of the
fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church and the
Conference of Heads and Representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches. In
June 1950 a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Metropolitan
Gregory of Leningrad and Novgorod presented His Beatitude Patriarch Alex
ander III with the doctor s cross and the diploma of honorary member of
Moscow Theological Academy. In July 1951 His Beatitude Patriarch Alexan
der III accompanied by Metropolitan Alexander of Khom again visited the Russian
166
Church. In May 1953 Metropolitans of the Patriarchate of Antioch, Ignatius of
Epiphanus, Athanasius of Hauran and Alexander of Emessa visited Moscow.
In July 1954 a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Archbishop
Pitirim of Minsk and Byelorussia took part in the celebration of the golden
jubilee of His Beatitude Patriarch Alexander III and in August and Septem
ber the same year His Holiness Patriarch Alexis received in his residence near
Odessa His Beatitude Patriarch Alexander III, as well as Metropolitans Theodo-
sius of Tripoli and Niphon of Zahleh and Elias of Mount Lebanon who
accompanied His Beatitude. In July 1955 Metropolitan Niphon of Iliopolis and
in June 1956 Abbess Maria of the Convent of Sednai were guests of the
Russian Church.
In June and July 1956 our Church received a visit from Metropolitan
Elias Salibi of Lebanon, and in June and July of the same year from Metro
politan Paul of Tyre and Sidon. Finally, in August 1956 a group of clergy
from the Patriarchate of Antioch headed by Archimandrite Sergius Faran and
Misail Hanjar paid a visit to the Russian Orthodox Church.
In May 1946 a residence of Moscow Patriarchate was opened in Beirut and
in July 1948 the residence of the Patriarchate of Antioch in Moscow was given
the administration of the Church of the Archangel Gabriel and St. Theodore
Stratilat. Archimandrite Basil Samakha, who was appointed dean of the resi
dence of the Patriarchate of Antioch in Moscow, has completed the Moscow
Theological Academy and was consecrated Bishop of Sergiopolis in February
1956. Representatives of the Church of Antioch are at present studying at
Moscow Theological Academy and Moscow Seminary.
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF JERUSALEM
Metropolitan Athenagoras of Sebastieh attended the Local Council of the
Russian Orthodox Church in June 1945 as guest of honour from the Church of
Jerusalem. During his journey to the Orient in May and June the same year
His Holiness Patriarch Alexis visited the Holy City of Jerusalem and met His
Beatitude Patriarch Timothy of Jerusalem and All Palestine. In November
1946 Metropolitan Gregory of Leningrad and Novgorod and those accompanying
him visited the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and were received by His Beatitude
Patriarch Timothy. In 1948, when the Russian Church Mission in Jerusalem
resumed its activity , direct contacts were established between the Russian
Orthodox Church and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
167
ARCHIMANDRITE PIMEN, HEAD OF THE
RUSSIAN CHURCH MISSION IN JERUSALEM,
VISITS PATRIARCH BENEDICT I OF JERUSALEM
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF GEORGIA
The Catholicos-Patriarch Callistratus of All Geogria was guest of honour
at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1945. The following
year too, His Holiness Alexis frequently entertained the Catholicos-Patriarch
Callistratus and his successor, His Holiness Melchisedech. On their side, the
Heads of the Church of Georgia displayed the traditional hospitality to the
Head of the Russian Orthodox Church during his repeated visits to Tbilisi.
In July 1948 His Holiness the Catholicos-Patriarch Callistratus took an
active part in the solemnities of the fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the
Russian Orthodox Church and the Conference of Heads and Representatives of
the Local Orthodox Churches. In August 1950 His Holiness Alexis visited
the Church of Georgia. When His Holiness Callistratus died, a delegation of the
Russian Orthodox Church headed by Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and
Kolomna took part in his funeral. A delegation of the Russian Church headed by
Metropolitan John of Kiev and Galicia was also present at the IX Church
168
Council of All Georgia which was held in April 1952 to elect a new Catholicos-
Patriarch. The same delegation attended the enthronement of the 143rd Cathol-
icos-Patriarch of All Georgia Melchisedech. His Holiness Melchisedech took an
HEADS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CHURCHES OF ALEX
ANDRIA, ANTIOCH AND GEORGIA AT THE CHURCH OF THE
RESURRECTION, SOKOLNIKI, MOSCOW
active part in the work of the Conference of all churches and religious associ
ations in the U.S.S.R. for the defence of peace which was held in May 1952 at
Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra (Zagorsk, Moscow Region).
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF SERBIA
The Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1945 was attended
by a delegation of the Church of Serbia headed by Metropolitan Joseph of
Skoplje, locum tenensoi the Patriarch of the Church of Serbia. In April, the same
year, a delegation of the Russian Church headed by Bishop Sergius of Kirovo-
grad visited the Church of Serbia. In October 1945, the candidate of theology of
Moscow Theological Academy Bishop Vladimir Raich of Mukachyovo brought
to Moscow the decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Serbia to transfer
the diocese of Mukachyovo to the jurisdiction of the Russian Church. In Febru
ary and March 1946 a delegation of the Russian Church headed by Bishop
169
Sergius of Kirovograd visited again the Church of Serbia. In March the same
year agreement was reached on the transfer of the parishes of the Church of
Serbia in Czechia and the diocese of Presov (Czechoslovakia) by the Church of
Serbia to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. In December 1946
PATRIARCH ALEXIS OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
AND PATRIARCH VICENTIUS OF SERBIA CELEBRATE
A PONTIFICAL MASS JOINTLY AT THE PATRIARCHAL
CATHEDRAL OF THE EPIPHANY
Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna had several meetings in
Belgrade with Patriarch Gavriil of Serbia. In June 1948 Patriarch Gavriil of
Serbia headed a delegation of the Church of Serbia to the solemnities of the
fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church and the
Conference of Heads and Representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches in
Moscow. In November 1954 in agreement with the Holy Synod of the Church of
Serbia, the Churches, clergy and parishes of the Church District of Moscow
Patriarchate in Yugoslavia were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Church of
Serbia. In October 1956 the Russian Orthodox Church received His Holiness
Vicentius, Patriarch of Serbia, who came accompanied by personalities of the
Church of Serbia.
/ 70
PATRIARCH VICENTIUS HANDS PATRIARCH ALEXIS THE ICON
OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "TROYERUCHITSA"
PATRIARCH ALEXIS AND PATRIARCH VICENTIUS GREET EACH OTHER
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF ROUMANIA
Bishop Joseph of Arges of the Orthodox Church of Roumania was a guest
of honour at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1945. In
May the same year a delegation of the Russian Church led by Bishop leronimus
of Kishinyov and Moldavia visited the Church of Roumania. In October 1946
Patriarch Nichodemus of the Orthodox Church of Roumania arrived in Moscow
and in May and June the following year His Holiness Patriarch Alexis visited
MEETING PATRIARCH JUSTINIAN OF
MOSCOW AIRPORT
ROUMANIA AT
Roumania. Bishop Nicholas of Oradea (Church of Roumania) spent some time
in Moscow in March 1948. In June 1948 a delegation of the Russian Orthodox
Church headed by Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna attended the
enthronement of the newly elected Patriarch of the Church of Roumania, Jus
tinian. In July 1948 a delegation of the Church of Roumania headed by His
Beatitude Patriarch Justinian took part in the celebrations of the fifth cente
nary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Conference of
Heads and Representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches. In March 1950
172
Bishop Theoktist of the Church of Roumania came to Moscow, and on the feast
of the Holy Trinity the same year His Beatitude Patriarch Justinian of the
Church of Roumania was again the guest of the Russian Church and took part in
the solemnities at Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra. On the feast of St. Sergius, founder
of Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra, 5/18 July 1951 and 1955, His Beatitude Patriarch
Justinian, accompanied by bishops and priests of the Church of Roumania,
took part in the solemnities of the Russian Church. In September 1954 the
Theological Institutes of the Orthodox Church of Roumania in Bucharest and
MEETING METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS AT CLUJ
Sibiu presented Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna with the
highest degree of Doctor of Theology. In October 1955 a delegation of the Rus
sian Church headed by Metropolitan Gregory of Leningrad and Novgorod took
part in the solemnities of the 75th anniversary of the autocephaly and the 30th
anniversary of the Patriarchate of the Church of Roumania and the celebrations
in honour of the newly canonized Roumanian Saints. In December 1955
Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna, visiting Roumania at the in
vitation of the Protestant Institute of Theology of Cluj, had meetings with His
Beatitude Patriarch Justinian and other personalities of the Orthodox Church
of Roumania.
173
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF BULGARIA
In 1945, through the mediation of His Holiness Patriarch Alexis, the Holy
Synod of Constantinople absolved the Church of Bulgaria from schism. In
April 1945 a delegation of the Russian Church led by Archbishop Gregory of
Pskov and Porkhov visited the Church of Bulgaria. In June the same year a
RESIDENCE OF THE CHURCH OF BUL
GARIA IN MOSCOW. CHURCH OF THE
ASSUMPTION
delegation of the Church of Bulgaria led by the Exarch Metropolitan Stephan
of Sofia came to Moscow. In May and June during the celebration of^the mille
nary of the death of St. Lohan Rylsky, His Holiness Patriarch Alexis visited
the Church of Bulgaria. In December the same year Metropolitan Nicholas- of
Krutitzy and Kolomna had a meeting in Sofia with the Exarch Metropolitan
Stephan. In July 1948 a delegation of the Church of Bulgaria took part in
174
the solemnities of the fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the Russian Ortho
dox Church and in the Conference of the Heads and Representatives of the
Local Orthodox Churches. In July 1951 representatives of the Church of Bul
garia headed by the substitute of the Holy Synod Metropolitan Cyril of Plow-
diw took part in the religious solemnities at Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra.
In May and June 1952, Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna vis
ited Bulgaria on the occasion of his being awarded the degree of doctor of
theology of Sofia Theological Academy. A delegation of the Russian Orthodox
Church headed by Metropolitan Gregory of Leningrad and Novgorod attended
the solemn enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Cyril in May 1953. In
July 1954 a delegation of the Church of Bulgaria headed by Patriarch Cyril was
entertained by the Russian Orthodox Church. In July 1948 a residence of the
Orthodox Church of Bulgaria attached to the Church of the Assumption of the
Mother of God in Gonchari, was opened in Moscow. From 1950 to 1955 this
residence was headed by Archimandrite Maxim Minkov, now Archbishop of
Branitz, General Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Bul
garia.
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF CYPRUS
Relations between the Churches of Russia and of Cyprus are fraternal and
are maintained by regular correspondence between the Heads of the two
Churches.
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF HELLAS
Relations between the Churches of Russia and of Hellas are conducted in
a spirit of Orthodox unity and fraternal love in Christ. All questions concerning
them are settled by correspondence between their Heads. A delegation of
the Church of Hellas headed by Metropolitan Chrysostom of Philipp and Naples
attended the celebration of the fifth centenaty of the autocephaly of the Rus
sian Orthodox Church.
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF ALBANIA
In January 1948 a delegation of the Orthodox Church of Albania headed by
Archimandrite Paisius Voditsa arrived in Moscow at the invitationof His Holi
ness Patriarch Alexis. In April the same year the visit was returned by a dele-
gationof the Russian Church led by Bishop Nestor of Uzhgorod and Mukachyovo
who, on the request of the Holy Synod of the Albanian Church, took part in the
consecration to the episcopate of Archimandrite Paisius. In July 1948 a delega
tion of the Albanian Church led by Bishop Paisius of Korcha took part in the
175
solemnities of the fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox
Church and in the Conference of Heads and Representatives of the Local Ortho
dox Churches in Moscow. In August 1950 the Russian Church again received
a visit from the Head of the Church of Albania, Archbishop Paisius of Tirana
and Durazzo and all Albania.
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF POLAND
In June 1948 a delegation of the Orthodox Church of Poland headed by
Archbishop Timothy of Bialystok and Biela arrived in Moscow requesting auto
cephaly. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church acknowledged the
legitimacy of this request and passed it on for confirmation to the
PATRIARCH ALEXIS AND METROPOLITAN MAKARIUS,
HEAD OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF POLAND, AT THE
PATRIARCH S SUMMER RESIDENCE NEAR ODESSA
176
Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church. An Act of His Holiness
Patriarch Alexis dated November 22, 1948, confirmed the autocephaly
of the Orthodox Church of Poland in accordance with the decision of
the Council of Bishops. While the delegation of the Orthodox Church of Po
land was in Moscow the consecration of Protopresbyter Mikhail Kedrov, a mem
ber of the delegation, as Bishop of Wroclaw, took place in the Patriarchal
Cathedral of the Epiphany. In July the same year a delegation of the Orthodox
Church of Poland headed by Archbishop Timothy took part in the solemn
ities of the fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox
Church and the Conference of the Heads and Representatives of the Local Ortho
dox Churches in Moscow. In June 1951 the Council of Bishops of the Ortho
dox Church of Poland appealed through its delegation to the Holy Synod of
the- Russian Orthodox Church to release to the jurisdiction of the Orthodox
Church of Poland a cleric capable of becoming the Head of the Polish Church.
By decree of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church dated June 15,
1951, Archbishop Makarius of Lvov and Ternopol was released to the jurisdic
tion of the Orthodox Church of Poland and the same year in July elected to the
vacant See of Primate and Head of the Orthodox Church of Poland with the
title of Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland. In July 1955 he took part in
the solemnities at Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra.
RELATIONS WITH THE CHURCH OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA
In January 1946 the Czech Orthodox Church presented a request to His
Holiness Patriarch Alexis through a special delegation to receive it into the
jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. With the full consent of the Patriar
chate of the Church of Serbia, in whose jurisdiction the Czech Orthodox Church
had been so far, the request was granted. At the same time the Holy Synod
decided to unite the Orthodox parishes on Czechoslovak territory into an Exer-
chate of Moscow Patriarchate. Bishop Eleutherius of Rostov and Taganrog was
appointed Exarch with the title of Archbishop of Prague and Czechia. Under
his direction church life in the Exarchate began to develop rapidly: the number
of parishes and of bishops in the Exarchate increased, besides the official jour
nal "The Voice of Orthodoxy," published in the Czech language, the publication
in Russian of the "Messenger of the Orthodox Exarchate of Moscow Patri
archate in Czechoslovakia" began, the "Statutes of the Orthodox Church in
Czechoslovakia" were drawn up and approved, and an Orthodox Theological
Academy was instituted in 1948.
12 33K33 N 172 777
In July 1948 a delegation of the Exarchate of Moscow Patriarchate in
Czechoslovakia headed by Archbishop Eleutherius took part in the solemnities
of the fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the Russian Church and in the
Conference of Heads and Representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches in
Moscow. In April 1950 a remarkable event took place in the life of the Ortho
dox Church the Council of Greco-Catholic clergy and laity of Presov Region
PROFESSOR DR. KACHUR flOF PRESOV THEOLOGICAL FACULTY
(CZECHOSLOVAKIA) PRESENTS THE DIPLOMA AND GOLDEN
CHAIN OF DOCTOR TO METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS
jn Czechoslovakia decided to break off ties with Rome and to return to the
fold of the Orthodox Church of their ancestors. In October 1951 a newly insti
tuted Orthodox Theological Faculty began to function in Presov. By this time
the Exarchate of Moscow Patriarchate in Czechoslovakia had four dioceses:
Prague, Olomouc-Brno, Presov and Mikhailovsk. There soon came an appeal
from the Council of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in Czechoslovakia to His
Holiness Patriarch Alexis to grant it autocephaly, which was done by decree of
the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church dated October 8, 1951.
178
The solemnities of the proclamation of the autocephaly of the Orthodox
Church in Czechoslovakia in December the same year were attended by a delega
tion of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy
and Kolomna. The Exarch Metropolitan Eleutherius of Prague and All Czecho
slovakia was elected Head of the new Local Church. In July 1952 His Beati
tude Eleutherius visited His Holiness Patriarch Alexis and in July 1954 he took
part in the solemnities at Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra. In December 1954, at the
METROPOLITAN JOHN, HEAD OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA, VISITS METROPOLITAN ELEUTHE
RIUS OF LENINGRAD
invitation of His Beatitude Metropolitan Eleutherius, Metropolitan Nicholas
of Krutitzy and Kolomna visited the Orthodox Church in Czechoslovakia and
took part in the celebration of the third anniversary of its autocephaly whereby
the insignia of doctor of theology of the Orthodox Theological Faculty in
Presov were solemnly conferred on him.
On the retirement of His Beatitude Metropolitan Eleutherius from his
appointment as Head of the Orthodox Church in Czechoslovakia, the Second
Local Council of this Church, which took place in May 1956, elected Bishop
John of Zatec to replace him. Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna
179
12*
attended this Council and the solemn enthronement of the new Head of the
Church. In July the same year His Beatitude Metropolitan John of Prague
and All Czechoslovakia visited the Russian Church and attended the solemni
ties on July 5/18 at Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra on the occasion of the feast of
the Invention of the relics of St. Sergius.
An illustration of the fraternal ties between the Orthodox Churches of
Russia and of Czechoslovakia is the fact that Czechs and Slovaks are studying
at Moscow and Leningrad Theological academies.
RELATIONS
OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
WITH CHRISTIANS
OF OTHER CONFESSIONS
The Russian Orthodox Church s relations with associations of other con
fessions are determined by compliance with the Saviour s precept: "one fold
and one shepherd" (St. Jo. 10,16) and are based on brotherly love in Christ,
which, precluding proselytism as well as indifference, arouses the desire for
rapprochement.
This attitude to other confessions is common to all the autocephalous
Orthodox Churches and is defined by the corresponding decisions of the local
and inter-church councils of bishops.
Co-operating in the desire that Christians of other confessions manifest
for church unity, the Russian Orthodox Church corresponds with them in the
appropriate spirit, warmly welcomes their delegations and sends them its
representatives, exchanges literature on theology and takes part in their
theological conferences. It likewise devotes great attention to the development
of the Oecumenical Movement.
In recent years many Christian churches and associations have displayed
particular interest in the life and situation of the Russian Orthodox Church,
and in its turn, the latter has endeavoured to establish the most friendly
relations with them. Such relations have been established in one form or an
other with the following churches and associations: the Armenian, Anglican
and Old Catholic Churches, the Episcopalian Church in America, the Copt
and Ethiopian Churches, the Evangelical-Lutheran Churches in Denmark,
181
Iceland and Finland, some Evangelical and Evangelical-Lutheran Churches in
Germany, the Churches of Sweden and Scotland, the United Lutheran Church
of America, the Lutheran Church of Hungary, the Reformed Churches of
Hungary and Roumania, the Czechoslovak National Church and the Society of
Friends (Quakers). Friendly contacts have been established with Christian
organizations such as the British Church Council, the Oecumenical Council of
Churches of Holland, the United Church of Canada, the National Council of
Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. and the National Council of Protestant
Churches of Czechoslovakia. Contacts are maintained with the World Council
of Churches, the International Society of Friends of Conciliation (Pacifists),
the English Society of Friends of Conciliation, the English inter-church "Christ
ian Action" and the American Biblical Society.
One can judge of the character of the Russian Orthodox Church s rela
tions with Christian societies and associations of other confessions by the fol
lowing examples.
The Russian Orthodox Church s relations with the Church of Armenia
have always been friendly, but they have become especially cordial in recent
years and have been expressed by annual congratulatory messages for the
feasts of the Nativity of Christ, Easter and others, by correspondence on
matters of interest to both Churches, by exchange of delegations and literature.
In 1948 the Patriarch-Catholicos of Armenia George VI attended the solem
nities of the fifth centenary of the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church
and the Conference of Heads and Representatives of Local Orthodox Churches
in Moscow as a guest of honour and he concurred in the conference s decisions
on "The Vatican and the Orthodox Church" and "The Oecumenical Movement
and the Orthodox Church." In August 1950 His Holiness Patriarch Alexis
visited Echmiadzin where he was entertained by His Holiness the Patri
arch-Catholicos George VI. On the death of His Holiness George VI, a dele
gation of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Archbishop Pitirim of Minsk
and Byelorussia, attended his funeral. The same delegation attended the
enthronement of the new Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos of All Armenia Vaz-
gen I, which took place in October 1956 and through the intermediary of
Metropolitan Pitirim of Minsk and Byelorussia it greeted the new Head of
the Church of Armenia and presented him, on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch
Alexis, with a precious panagia. His Holiness the Patriarch-Catholicos Vaz-
gen I visited His Holiness Patriarch Alexis in Moscow in February 1957.
182
SUPREME PATRIARCH-CATHOLICOS
VAZGEN I OF ALL ARMENIANS
Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Anglican Church
date back to the first half of the 18th century. They became especially brisk
in the second half of the 19th century when the General Convention of the
Episcopalian (Anglican) Church of America decided to set up a special commit
tee for negotiations with the Russian Orthodox Church on the union of the
two churches. In 1863 a committee for rapprochement with the Orthodox
Church was also set up in Britain under Canterbury Convocation. Then, in 1865
there was a meeting between members of the Orthodox and Anglican Churches
on unification. In ensuing years several prominent representatives of the
Anglican Church made personal acquaintance with the life of the Russian
183
Church in visits to Petersburg and Moscow, and in 1897 Archbishop Antonius
(Vadkovsky) of Finland and Vyborg spent some time in London.
In 1897 the Lambeth Conference again affirmed the desire of the Anglican
Church to continue the rapprochement with the Orthodox Church. The
society for the "Unification of the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Churches,"
founded in 1906 in Britain, was joined by many representatives of the Rus
sian Orthodox Church. The patron of the society was Archbishop Nicholas
(Kasatkin) of Japan. The solemn translation of the relics of St. Euphrosinia
from Kiev to Polotsk in 1910 was attended by the general secretary of the
society, the Rev. Fines-Clinton.
In 1912 the Russian Orthodox Church received Dr. D. Eden, Bishop of
Wakefield, Dr. Williams, Bishop of Bangor, Dr. Robertson, Bishop of Exe
ter and Dr. Bernard, Bishop of Ossory, representing the Anglican Church.
They were accompanied by John W. Birkbeck, well known for his activity
for the rapprochement of the Anglican Church with the Orthodox Church.
In January 1912 the "Society for the Rapprochement of the Anglican
Church with Orthodoxy" was opened under the auspices of the Holy Synod
of the Russian Orthodox Church. The first chairman of the society was Bishop
Eulogius of Kholm, replaced in 1913 by Archbishop Sergius of Finland, who
later became Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1913 Archbishop
Thomas Davidson of Canterbury and Archbishop Cosmas Long of York were
elected honorary members of this society.
In September 1943 the Russian Church was visited by a delegation of the
Anglican Church led* by Dr. Cyril Garbett, Archbishop of York. Since then
relations between the Russian and the Anglican Churches have been much
brisker and have been marked by exchange of correspondence and delegations.
In 1944 the Anglo-Orthodox Friendship Society of St. Alban the Protomartyr
and St. Sergius was founded in London. Among its members were representa
tives of the Russian Orthodox Church. When in 1945 the Local Council of the
Russian Orthodox Church elected Metropolitan Alexis of Leningrad and
Novgorod Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the Anglican Church sent him
cordial greetings. In June the same year a delegation of the Russian
Orthodox Church led by Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna
visited the Anglican Church.
In 1947 Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher of Canterbury sent His Holiness
Patriarch Alexis a request that the Russian Church should study the validity
of ordinations in the Anglican Church and in July 1948, on the initiative of the
Russian Church, this question was studied by the Conference of Heads and
184
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH DELEGATION HEADED BY METROPOLITAN
PITIRIM OF MINSK VISITS THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
ARRIVAL AT MOSCOW AIRPORT OF DR. BLAKE, HEAD OF
THE DELEGATION OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF
CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN AMERICA
PATRIARCH ALEXIS RECEIVES A DELEGATION OF THE NATIONAL
COUNCIL OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN AMERICA
METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS RECEIVES A DELEGATION OF THE NATIONAL
COUNCIL OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN AMERICA
Representatives of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches in Moscow. Further
exchange of opinions by correspondence between Russian Orthodox and Angli
can Church personalities developed in July 1955 into fraternal conversations
of their representatives in London. Representatives of the Russian Church
then had a number of meetings with Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher of Canter
bury and many bishops, clerics and laymen of the Anglican Church.
AN AMERICAN DELEGATION ATTENDS A LECTURE ON DOGMATIC THEOLOGY
AT MOSCOW THEOLOGICAL ACADEMY
To show the profound interest that the Anglican Church takes in Orthodoxy
it is sufficient to list the visits paid by Anglican clergy from November 1954,
when a group of religious personalities from Britain headed by Canon Dr.
Charles Raven visited the Russian Orthodox Church. Then in May 1955 a
a delegation of the English "Christian Action" led by the Rev. Horace Stuart
visited our Church. A month later Moscow Patriarchate entertained a group
of Anglican priests headed by the Rev. Stanely Evans. In March 1956 Bishop
Dr. Henry Sherrill, President of the Episcopalian (Anglican) Church in America
visited the Russian Church with a delegation of the U. S. Council of Churches
187
of Christ and in June the same year Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy
and Kolomna headed a delegation of Christian Churches in the Soviet Union
invited to the U.S.A. by the National Council of Churches of Christ and had
meetings with personalities of the Episcopalian (Anglican) Church in
America.
A DELEGATION OF THE "CHRISTIAN ACTION" MOVEMENT
IS RECEIVED BY PATRIARCH ALEXIS
A month after this visit there were talks in Moscow between Russian
Orthodox and Anglican theologians on the initiative of the Russian Church.
Among the members of the Anglican delegation were: Dr. M. Ramsay, Arch
bishop of York, Dr. A. Rawlinson, Bishop of Derby, Dr. G. Carpenter, Bish
op of Oxford, Canon G. Woddams, secretary of the Foreign Relations Depart
ment of the Anglican Church, the Rev. Dr. Chadwick, the Rev. G. Williams,
the Rev. P. Taylor, the Rev. D. Findlaw and Dr. P. B. Anderson, observer
for the Episcopalian Church of America. The conversations were opened on
July 16 by Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna. The Russian
delegation included: Bishop Mikhail of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh, Bishop
Sergius of Starorussa and a number of professors and teachers of Moscow and
Leningrad Theological academies. Unity of theological views was established
on a number of questions, offering bright prospects for future unification.
188
A DELEGATION OF ANGLICAN THEOLOGIANS HEADED BY
DR. RAMSAY, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, METROPOLITAN JOHN,
HEAD OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND
METROPOLITAN PAUL OF TYRE AND SIDON (PATRIARCHATE
OF ANTIOCH) ARE RECEIVED BY PATRIARCH ALEXIS
PARTICIPANTS IN THE THEOLOGICAL TALKS BETWEEN THE
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX AND THE ANGLICAN CHURCHES
ANGLICAN PRIESTS VISIT METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS
A DELEGATION OF THE EVANGELICAL-LUTHERAN CHURCH
OF GERMANY IS RECEIVED BY PATRIARCH ALEXIS AT TROITSE-
SERGIYEVA LAVRA
Great attention was once given to the Old Catholic Movement by the
Society of "Lovers of Theological Enlightenment," reprersentatives of which
Protopresbyter I. L. Yanyshev, the Slavophile Lieutenant-General A. A. Ki-
reyev and Professor I. T. Osinin of the Petersburg Theological Academy-
took a direct part in all Old Catholic conferences and congresses from 1879
to 1910. A special theological commission was instituted in 1892 by decree
of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to study the possibilities
of uniting the Old Catholics to the Orthodox Church. On its side the Old
Catholic Church instituted the Rotterdam Commission and charged it with
elaborating the same questions. During their 25 years work the two commissions
had three exchanges of opinions on theological questions, but agreement was
not reached. During that time some of the greatest theologians of the Russian
Orthodox Church devoted their work to the study of old Catholic problems.
After the First World War, which had interrupted contacts between
the Old Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, correspondence
with the leaders of the Old Catholic Church was resumed in 1946. Since then
the Russian Orthodox Church maintains relations with Old Catholic personal
ities in Switzerland, Holland and Austria, exchanging correspondence and
literature with them. In September 1953 the XVI International Congress
of Old Catholics took place in Munich and Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy
and Kolomna sent it a special message on behalf of the Russian Orthodox
Church. Representatives of our Church have been invited to the XVII Inter
national Congress of Old Catholics.
* * *
The Russian Orthodox Church s first contacts with the Jacobite Church
date to the first half of the 19th century. Contacts with the Church of Ethiopia,
then included in the Copt Patriarchate, arcse a little later. Permanent exchange
between the Russian Church and the. clergy of the Copt Church and other
Orthodox Churches of the Orient was established with the foundation of the
Russian Church Mission in Jerusalem in the middle of the 19th century.
Much has been done by Russian theologians for the study of the ancient
Oriental Churches and their rapprochement with the Russian Orthodox Church.
These theologians enriched the Christian world with outstanding studies
on the Christian Orient.
Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Copt and Ethio
pian Churches are now expressed in fraternal correspondence and friendly
contacts of their representatives.
191
The Russian Orthodox Church came in contact with Protestantism imme
diately after its arising in the 16th century. Russia s all-round connections
with Western Europe and the many journeys made by craftsmen, traders,
apothecaries, artists and military specialists to Russia promoted the mutual
acquaintance of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Protestant associations.
METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS IN CONVERSATION WITH PASTOR NIE-
MOLLER (FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY)
In the 19th century many prominent Russian theologians made a thorough
study of Protestantism. Personal meetings of Russian Orthodox Church clerics
and tneologians with representatives of the Protestant associations became
frequent at that time. In their work Russian Orthodox theologians made use
of the achievements of Protestant scientists.
The Russian Orthodox Church at present maintains direct relations with
many Protestant .associations. This can be seen from the correspondence be
tween church personalities and also the exchange of delegations and theological
literature.
192
In recent years the Russian Orthodox Church has received visits from
many representatives of the Protestant world. In January 1952 Dr. Martin
Niemoller, President of the Hessen (FRG) Evangelical Church, paid a visit
to Moscow Patriarchate; in June and July 1954 came a delegation of the Evan
gelical Church of Germany headed by Dr. Gustav Heineman, President of the
Synod; in August the same year visits were paid to Moscow Patriarchate by
A DELEGATION OF ENGLISH RELIGIOUS PERSONALITIES HEADED BY
REV. CHARLES RAVEN
pastor Sima Keranti and Mauno Myakinen, representatives of the Evangelical-
Lutheran Church of Finland; ir June 1955 the Russian Church received a
visit from a delegation of the Oecumenical Council of Churches of Holland
including the General Secretary of the Synod of the Reformed Church Dr.
Emmen, Professor Dr. de Graaf of the Utrecht University and President
Huising of tke Union of Baptist Communities of Holland; in August and
September the same year Moscow Patriarchate received a visit from a delega
tion of the Evangelical Church of Germany headed by Dr. Heinrich Held,
President of the Church in Rhine Province and Dr. Ernst Wilm, President
13 33K33 JVo 172
193
DELEGATION OF THE OECUMENIC COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
OF HOLLAND VISITS METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS
DELEGATION OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA AT THE
CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION, MOSCOW
of the Church in Westphalia and in November and^December from a delegation
of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Denmarkheaded by the Primate, Dr. Hans
Fogelsang Damgord, Bishop of Copenhagen; in March 1956 Dr. FranklinJC.
Frey, President of the United Lutheran Church of America, came to the Soviet
Union with a delegation of the National Council of Churches of Christ in
America. In August the same year representatives of the Protestant Asso
ciations in Canada came with a delegation of the United Churches of Canada
and in September the same year Bishop Asmundur Gudmundsson, Head of the
Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Iceland.
BISHOP ASMUNDUR GUDMUNDSSON, HEAD OF THE
EVANGELICAL-LUTHERAN CHURCH OF ICELAND
ATTENDS THE SERVICE -AT SCORBYASHCHENSKY
CHURCH, MOSCOW
The Protestant Churches and Associations have in turn repeatedly received
visits from representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and surrounded
them with the corresponding attention. In February 1950 the Jan Huss Theo
logical Faculty of the University of Prague solemnly conferred on Metropoli 1
tan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna the insignia of Doctor of Theology.
In October 1953 the Synod of the Hungarian Reformed Church adopted the
795 13*
THE REV. KENNETH INGRAM OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, MR.
MCKUIRE, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS
OF CONCILIATION AND THE REV. FAULKNER, QUAKER, ORGAN
IZING SECRETARY OF THE FRIENDS OF CONCILIATION, VISIT
MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE
THE METHODIST PRIEST E. COLLOCOTT, VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS WITH THE U.S.S.R.
VISITS MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE
suggestion of the Board of Professors of the Theological Academy of Debrec-
zin to confer the honorary title of Doctor of Theology on Metropolitan Nicholas
of Kmtitzy and Kolomna, and in January and February 1954 Metropolitan
Nicholas was the guest of the Reformed Church of Hungary. In March
and April 1955 a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Metro
politan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna visited Western Germany on the
invitation of Dr. H. Held, President of the Evangelical Church of Rhine
Province and Professor Dr. H. Iwand, Dean of the Theological Faculty of the
University of Bonn. In April the same year Professor L. N. Pariisky of Lenin
grad Theological Academy and Decent V. I. Talyzin of Moscow Theological
Academy took part in the Conference of the Church Confraternity of the
Evangelical Church of Rhine Province. In December 1955 Metropolitan Nicho
las of Krutitzy and Kolomna was 1 the guest of Cluj Protestant Institute of
Theology in Roumania and was awarded the title of Doci or of Theology ho
noris causa. In June 1956 a group of Russian Orthodox C hurch theologians
led by Professor L. I. Pariisky of Leningrad Theological Academy delivered
a series of lectures and reports at higher theological schools of the Evangelical
Church of Rhine Province and Westphalia.
Moreover, in June 1955 Moscow Patriarchate received a delegation of
the Oecumenical Council of the Churches of Holland led by P. J. Jans. In July
1955 representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Metropolitan
Pitirim of Minsk and Byelorussia visited England and Scotland at the invi
tation of the British Church Council. In December 1955 a delegation of the
Russian Church led by Archbishop Boris of the Aleutians and North America
paid a visit to Canada at the invitation of the United Church of Canada, and
in August 1956 a delegation of the United Church of Canada headed by Dr.
George Dorey, Moderator of the General Council, was entertained by the
Russian Church. In March 1956 a delegation of the National Council of
Churches of Christ in America headed by its President, Dr. Eugene Blake
visited the Russian Church. A delegation of the Russian Church and other
Christian churches and associations in the Soviet Union headed by Metropol
itan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna returned the visit in June.
All these contacts and relations of the Russian Orthodox Church with
Christian Churches of other confessions testify to her desire to share with them
the spiritual treasures of Orthodoxy and thus to promote Christian unity.
VII
PATRIOTIC ACTIVITY
OF THE RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH
DURING
THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR
On June 22, 1941, on the very first day of the war, Metropolitan Ser-
gius, locum tenens of the Patriarch, sent the Orthodox clergy and flock a his
toric message clearly defining the position of the Church. "The Orthodox
Church," the message said, "has always shared the fate of the people. She
has suffered with the people and been consoled by the people s successes. And
now, too, She will not abandon her people. She blesses with a heavenly
benediction the impending feat of the whole people." 1
This message aroused great enthusiasm among the faithful, and the whole
moral might of the Russian Orthodox Church was directed in an instant towards
the saving and the welfare of the Motherland. The war imposed upon us became
a sacred war to the Russian Orthodox faithful and no temporary successes
of the Nazi invaders could weaken the general confidence in victory.
Inspiring the Orthodox people with this confidence, Metropolitan Alexis
of Leningrad drew attention to the indisputable law that he who takes up the
sword unjustly shall perish by the sword. His messages to the clergy and faith
ful convincingly propounded the Christian attitude toward the war which
"is terrible and destructive for him who undertakes it without need, without
truth, with thirst for plunder and enslavement... But war is sacred for those
who are compelled to undertake it by necessity in defence of truth and their
Motherland...." 2
Thus, from the very beginning of the war the Russian Orthodox Church
proved to be the source of living patriotic feeling and sentiments for the
1 Compendium of Church Documents "The Russian Orthodox Church and the Great
Patriotic War." Message of Metropolitan Sergius of Moscow and Kolomna, locum tenens,
June 22, 1941, pp. 3-5.
2 Compendium of Church Documents "The Russian Orthodox Church and the Great
Patriotic War." Appeal to the Faithful by the Metropolitan Alexis of Leningrad, July 26,
1941, pp. 51-54.
201
Orthodox faithful. Sharing the people s bitter chalice of suffering, she opposed
to the enemy the force of prayer not relenting for a day and her unceasing
solicitude for the bereft and suffering, for sustaining courage and faith in
victory, for the unity of the Orthodox family.
When in October 1941, the menace of the Nazi attack hung over Moscow,
Metropolitan Sergius, locum tenens, cheered the Moscow flock with a message
in which he recalled that it was not the first time the Russian people had to
receive the baptism of fire in order to save their native land, and that "with
the help of God our people will in this time of trial, too, stand fast as of old
and sooner or later drive away the foreign invader." 3 Guarding the Russian
faithful against pusillanimity by this hope, the locum tenens called on each
one to stand courageously at his post, to work for the defence of the Mother
land and zealously guard the precious precepts of our Holy Orthodox Faith.
And the appeals of the Church did not remain vain. As early as the fifth
month of the war, Metropolitan Sergius, then in Ulyanovsk, again sent the
people a message on the nearness of the hour of victory. He wrote: "It is cheer
ing to realize that the seed sown by Moscow Patriarchate is sprouting vigor
ously. Quite recently we called on our flock to arouse patriotic feeling, and
now patriotism has risen like a mighty tidal wave menacing the foe; the hour
is already near when it will sweep the brown evil from the earth. It is cheering
that the parishioners of many churches are organizing collections to strength
en the defence of our Motherland." 4
Indeed, in the development of military events the patriotic upsurge among
the clergy and the faithful began to manifest itself in considerable sacrifices
for the needs of the war. In all churches regular collections of money and
objects for the disposal of the State were started. For the first anniversary
of the war, for instance, the Moscow churches collected more than three million
rubles, besides warm clothing, for gifts to the armed forces. And the church
community of Nizhny Novgorod, faithful to the memory of Kozma Minin,
gave more than a million rubles for gifts, and up to a hundred thousand rubles
worth of warm clothing. The lists of generous offerings continually grew and
as the war went on this form of patriotic activity of our Church acquired
a wide scope.
3 Compendium of Church Documents "The Russian Orthodox Church and the Great
Patriotic War." Message of Metropolitan Sergius, locum tenens, October 1/14, 1941,
pp. 6-7.
4 Ibid. Message of Metropolitan Sergius, locum tenens, November 11/24, 1941,
pp. 8-10.
202
But from the beginning of 1942 another task faced the Church: that of
maintaining the moral of Orthodox people in territory temporarily occupied
by the enemy. They had to be reminded that being captives of the enemy they
must not forget their national dignity and must remain faithful to their Church
and Motherland. "May every tempting hope be far from you". Metropolitan
Sergius instructed his flock, in captivity, "of buying prosperity by betraying
Church and Country, or humiliating your Motherland and yourselves by
pusillanimous obedience to the enemy." 5
By these reminders our Church afforded immense moral support to its
flock in occupied territories and inspired it to resist the enemy behind whose
lines partisan units were effectively operating. The Orthodox faithful were
called on to help them and stand fast against the enemy, "courageously and
unfalteringly maintaining faith and loyalty."
But these same calls were condemnations of the pusillanimous and actual
traitors to Church and Country. Among these was Bishop Polikarp Sikorsky
of Vladimir- Volynsk, who proclaimed himself head of the Orthodox Church
in the then occupied territories of the Ukraine. In connection with his dissen
sion from the Mother Church, which was motivated by political aims, Metro
politan Sergius, locum tenens, twice 6 appealed to the faithful of the Ukraine
not to enter into any communion with the violator of the canons of the Church
whom the Council of Bishops had interdicted to celebrate divine service.
Metropolitan Nicholas of Kiev and Galich, then Exarch of the Ukraine, wrote
the same in his message to the faithful of the Ukraine. 7
Six months later the locum tenens was obliged to condemn the treacherous
activity of Metropolitan Sergius (Voskresensky) of Lithuania, who, with
other Baltic bishops, sent a telegram of greeting to Hitler. Assuming that
this conduct of the captive bishops was the result of Nazi methods of influenc
ing them, the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church sent a message to the
flock in this connection saying that any Russian who did not want to betray
his nation and its historic traditions and aims must not side with the enemies
5 Compendium of Church Documents "The Russian Orthodox Church and the Great
Patriotic War." Message of January 1942, pp. 11-12.
6 Ibid. Messages of Metropolitan Sergius, locum tenens, February 5 and March
28, 1942, pp. 13-17.
7 Ibid. Message of Metropolitan Nicholas of Kiev and Galich, March 29, 1942,
pp. 66-69.
203
of the Soviets, for the Soviets head our Russian national State and fight for
its world and international importance. 8
This exhortation of the Head of the Russian Church was engraved in the
consciousness of the Russian Orthodox faithful; it strengthened their patriot
ism and their hope in the speedy and final shattering of the enemy. "God
is with us!" "Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in
pieces... for God is with us!" (Is. VIII, 9, 10) wrote His Holiness Sergius in
his Christmas Message in 1942. Disclosing the meaning of this song of victory
from the experience of our history, he depicted the war in forceful terms as
a feat of the whole people, a feat of valour, loyalty and sacrifice, penetrated
with faith in final victory, that faith which has its root in the knowledge of the
justice of our cause: "We did not start the war, we were forced to take to arms
to defend our Motherland..."
Meanwhile our gallant army was already driving the enemy out of our
country and the incessant word of the Church continued to inspire the hearts
of believers with firm faith in the nearness of victory. "The bows of the mighty
men are broken, and they that stumbled are girt with strength." (I. Samuel,
2, 4), said the message of the locum tenens,* "Stand fast in the faith, quit you
like men, be strong," (I. Cor., 16, 13) said the Metropolitan Nicholas of Kiev
and Galich, repeating the words of St. Paul in his message to the Ukrainian
faithful. "Not long will you have to suffer the fangs of the beast of prey in
your flesh. We know the indubitable word of God about such violence:
To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide indue time;
for the day of their calamity is at hand.... " (Deut. 32, 35.) lc
The successes at the front aroused emulation among the people for collec
tions of offerings for the decisive battle against the Nazi invaders, for the
quickest possible ending of the war. In this time of nation-wide patriotic
enthusiasm Metropolitan Sergius, locum tenens, in the name of the Russian
Orthodox Church called on the faithful to send our army for the impending
battle our prayers and blessings and also material proof of our share in the
general feat: the Dimitry Donskoy tank column, built from offerings of the
churches. 11
8 Compendium of Church Documents "The Russian Orthodox Church and the Great
Patriotic War." Message of Metropolitan Sergius, locum tenens, September 22, 1942,
pp. 32-34.
9 Ibid. Message of December 25, 1942, pp. 37-38.
10 Ibid. Message of December 20, 1942, pp. 72-74.
11 Ibid. Message of December 30, 1942, pp. 41-42
204
Metropolitan Alexis of Leningrad inspired his flock with faith in the
nearness of victory. Remaining in the besieged city, he shared with the in
habitants all the hardships of the long blockade, celebrating divine service
and keeping up the spirit of Orthodox citizens by his sermons. In the most
difficult days the Leningrad faithful concurred in the cheerful and confident
strain of the message of their bishop and responded to his appeal to keep
a cheerful spirit and to intensify it by the knowledge of our Tightness and to
"continue to the end the genuinely nation-wide feat of standing for our be
loved Motherland in the expectation of the happy day when the Lord, hearing
the voice of our supplication will create wonders with us and exalt our hearts
by victory over the foe, a decisive victory which will be the guarantee of en
during peace between peoples and universal prosperity for the glory of God...." 12
Upholding the spirit of the faithful people in the fight against the enemy,
our Church did not cease its motherly solicitude for the Orthodox people in
captivity or freed from captivity. It called upon the former to help by all
means the partisan movement behind the enemy lines and reminded the lat
ter of the need to restore our country. "Having experienced what Nazi inva
sion brings with it," the locum tenens wrote to the liberated Rostovians, "you
cannot desire a repetition of it and therefore you must... restore your spiritual
unity with the great Russian people and its greatest sanctuary, the Orthodox
Patriarchal Church. In this unity is the guarantee of the expulsion of the
enemy and the restoration of the country to its former beauty and well-
being." 13
In all the complex situations of the great war the Russian Orthodox
Church never ceased to promote the moral unity of our people, without which
victory would have been inconceivable. When in April 1943 the fascists trans
ferred their troops from the European fronts to ours and again attempted an
attack, Metropolitan Sergius calmly and ( firmly preached to his flock unshake-
able faith in the coming victory. For the] second anniversary of the war he
raised the spirits of the faithful by a new appeal to intensify prayer and mate
rial help for the Red Army. At the same time the Church did not relax its
solicitude for Church unity and immediately sent bishops to the regions
liberated from the enemy.
In its patriotic activity our Church did not confine itself to our country;
it strived to establish and strengthen fraternal ties with the Orthodox faithful
12 Compendium of Church Documents "The Russian Orthodox Church and the Great
Patriotic War." Message to the Leningrad flock, March fc942, pp. 55-58.
18 Ibid. Message of March 20, 1943, pp. 43-45.
205
in the Western countries suffering under Hitler s yoke. For this purpose
Metropolitan Sergius and Metropolitan Nicholas appealed in the name of
the Russian Church to the Orthodox Roumanians in November and December
1942 to denounce the alliance with Hitler which had been forced on them. 14
Before Easter 1943 the locum tenens addressed similar appeals to all Christians
in Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Greece and other countries. 15 On the second
anniversary of the war came an appeal to our Slav brothers. Metropolitan
Nicholas wrote to them about the proximity of the hour of great events on
the war fronts, about the imminent decisive battles, and called on them to
cooperate in the shattering of the common enemy. 16 These appeals of the
Russian Church did not fail to evoke a response, and the Orthodox world
began gradually to unite in the struggle against fascism.
Thus did our Church help the people and the State in the struggle against
the common enemy who had invaded our country.
On September 8, 1943, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox
Church elected the locum tenens, Metropolitan Sergius, Patriarch of Moscow
and all Russia. The same Council condemned the traitors to faith and country
and raised its voice in defence of the common Christian ideals which fascism
had trodden under foot, "for freedom, happiness and culture for all humanity."
Expressing the idea of the great brotherhood of peoples, this remarkable appeal
still has its importance in the struggle that the Russian Orthodox Church is
waging in defence of peace.
The election of the Patriarch had a favourable effect on the situation
and prosperity of our Church: her unifying activity was intensified, the reform
ist schism declined, church life became more vigorous.
This event evoked great satisfaction all over the Christian world, not
to speak of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches with which our close con
nections began to be restored.
A deeper sense was given to the patriotic activity of our Church too, and
this was of great importance for the moral and political unity ot" the country
in its struggle against the external enemy. Orthodox people listened with
14 Compendium of Church Documents "The Russian Orthodox Church and the
Great Patriotic War." Message of November 22, 1942, pp. 77-79.
15 Ibid. Message of April 23, 1943, pp. 83-86.
16 Ibid. Message of June 22, 1943, pp. 87-89.
206
renewed enthusiasm to the prayers, consolations and appeals of their Patriarch,
were penetrated with faith in the nearness of victory and multiplied their
labours for the welfare of their country.
Meanwhile, the Soviet forces, liberating ruined towns and villages, contin
ued to drive the foe westwards. It was clear to all that final defeat was await
ing the Nazis. To bring it nearer and to accelerate it, was, therefore, the main
aim of our army and our people.
The Church, having engaged on the path of interior organization, contin
ued to afford help in the liberation of the country from the enemy and in the
final victory. This help was mainly moral and was therefore especially effec
tive. "With one mouth and one heart" the Orthodox faithful raised their
prayers to the Almighty for victory. Feats of arms and of labour, human
sufferings and even death itself were given a superior justification by the
Church. The Church rejoiced with those liberated from enemy occupation
and called on those still captive to hope.
The material aid given by the Church was also uninterrupted. In March
1944, Metropolitan Nicholas handed to the Red Army the Dimitry Donskoy
tank column built on offerings of church people. Of itself this column could
not, of course, add much strength to our army, as were the two monks, sent by
the Saint Sergius to the battle of Kulikovo Pole (1380) unable to decide its
issue by the part they took in it. But on the other hand, they brought the
Russian troops the blessing of the Church for the sacred cause of the salvation
of Russia. In exactly the same way the tank column was a blessing of the
Church for the shattering of the enemy of the Cross of Christ, as the national
Council of 1943 called the fascists.
Patriarch Sergius also started the unmasking by the Church of Nazi
ideology, and with his characteristic spiritual penetration defined it as an
anti-Christian ideology. From the Patriarch s messages and the sermons of the
clergy the Orthodox faithful got to know the connection between the theory
of fascism and its striving for world mastery. The cruelty of the fascists and
their practice of mass murder were tangible proofs of this.
The work of the Journal of Moscow Patriarchate was carried on also in
the same direction. Issue after issue, messages, sermons, articles and notes
contrusted the heroism of our people and its sacrificing feat to the treachery
of fascism and its destruction of international and Christian moral. The moral
assessment of the fascists felony roused the thought of the dark source of
the fascist policy and became the menacing condemnation of history, unmaskirg
the anti-Christian substance of fascism before the whole world.
207
Not long before the third anniversary of the beginning of the war Patriarch
Sergius died 17 but his patriotic behests continued to inspire the bishops,
priests, and laity. Metropolitan Alexis of Leningrad and Novgorod, appointed
locum tenens, called on the faithful to intensify their prayers for victory and
their material help for the war requirements. In view of the imminent ending
of the war, subscriptions were opened throughout the Church for assistance to
the children and families of Red Army soldiers. The Orthodox faithful of
our country heard calls for a spirit of courage and unshakeable faith in the tri
umph of truth and the victory of our just cause.
It must not be forgotten that in his attack on our country the enemy intend
ed to dislocate the unity of the peoples inhabiting it, to evoke discontent
with Soviet power; it hoped also to oppose our Church to the Soviet State,
but it was thwarted in its expectations; in the face of danger the peoples of the
Soviet Union rallied more firmly together and the Russian Orthodox Church
joined its fate to that of its flock for life or death. Helping the country to achieve
victory over its enemy, our Church acted "not in hope of profit," "not through
the crafty calculation that victory was assured for our country, but in ful
filment of the duty laid upon it as a mother, the sense of whose life is to save
her children." 18
This idea is closely interwoven with the whole of the patriotic activity
of the Russian Orthodox Church. Always praying to be delivered from the
sword as from a calamity, She blessed the war to defend the Motherland because
the latter was attacked by Nazi Germany. In defending ourselves we had to
restore the trampled rights of our people, to defend its material and spiritual
heritage, to ensure victory. How could justice otherwise have triumphed?
And our Church, together with our people, began to fight for the victory of
its just cause, for the triumph of justice, which was also to give the peoples
a just peace.
At present the Russian Orthodox Church, in union with its people and
other peace-loving peoples, is devotedly and actively taking part in the great
est and most noble task of defending peace in the whole world, She calls with
out tiring not only on Christians but also on the followers of] other religions
in all countries for this cause. Fulfilling her duty She will continue in the
future to march with her people, sharing all its joys, troubles and trials.
17 His Holiness Patriarch Sergius died on May 15, 1944.
18 The Truth about Religion in Russia, p. 12.
VIII
THE RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH
IN THE STRUGGLE
FOR PEACE
H 33K33 Xs 172
The Second World War ended in the brilliant victory of the Soviet people
and other freedom-loving peoples over Nazi Germany and militaristic Japan.
For the religious mind this victory signified "the just judgement of God over
the wicked enemies of mankind" and an opportunity to establish a universal
and just peace for the benefit and tranquillity of all nations.
HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH ALEXIS DELIVERS A SPEECH AT THE
FIFTH ALL-UNION CONFERENCE OF PEACE SUPPORTERS IN MOSCOW
IN 1955
However, with the cessation of hostilities, this just peace, which had
seemed so near at hand, somehow receded before new division between peoples,
211
14
who defined their attitude towards peace in different ways. The people, who
had specially experienced the horrors of war and their grievous consequences,
awaited a peace that would secure for them full scope for their creative forces
.and the means for solving all international problems in a spirit of mutual agree
ment. But a section of the people, very small though powerful through the
positions they held in a number of countries, understood the long-awaited peace
in their particular way in the sense of their right to predominate and,
consequently, to impose that way of life which they direct.
This difference in the conception of peace grew more acute, the spirit of
alliance gave way to a new enmity, and, instead of peaceful competition, a
frontier of estrangement and suspicion arose between the old capitalist world
and the new world of socialism here. Even the United Nations Organization,
whose mission it is to strengthen peace and international security, was subject
to baleful dissensions and became help less before the division of the world, which
continued to be aggravated by the unilateral violation of international agree
ments, intervention in the internal affairs of other states, and the waging
of "cold war" against the Soviet Union.
As a result of such unilateral acts there arose a direct threat to world peace
reflected in the arms race, war propaganda and a series of hostile acts against
the freedom and independence of nations.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which together with the people had only
just experienced the horrors of the Second World War, could not remain an
impassive observer of preparations for another even more destructive war.
Having helped the Motherland to defeat its enemies during the last war, it
had to do everything possible to help its country achieve a just peace.
That is why when, in 1948, eight autocephalous Orthodox Churches sent
their representatives to the celebration of the fifth centenary of the autocephaly
of our Church, they appealed to Christians throughout the world "to hear
our voice calling for brotherly love, humanity, justice and truth" and "to rally
in a firm resolve to oppose all undertakings and acts which are contrary to
our Christian calling and which are attempting to make us if we were not
united instruments of evil forces...." 19
This appeal clearly answered the question of Christian duty in such stormy
times the duty of serving the cause of peace, of helping its success by evan
gelical unity of mind and devotion in order to render powerless "all attempts,
all plans for a new war conflagration." The participation of the Church of
19 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1948. Special number, p. 31.
212
Christ in the defence of peace was defined as the uniting of Christians "in the
spirit of peace, love and truth," as the illumination of these Christian ideals
all over the whole world "to the glory of God and for the general prosperity of
His favourite creation Man."
Naturally, the preparations for another world war, even more destructive
than the last, aroused the indignation of world opinion, and as a counterpoise
to the plans of the enemies of peace a widespread movement for the defence of
peace began to arise. This movement had as its aim the prevention of war and
the appeal to all countries to solve international disputes in a peaceful manner.
Uniting defenders of peace of all nationalities, faiths and political views,
it quickly assumed a world scale.
The Russian Orthodox Church at once gave its blessing to the movement
for the defence of peace because it recognized in it a free uniting of people of
goodwill combining their forces with the inner conviction that it is fully pos
sible to solve any sort of conflict in a spirit of higher justice and friendship,
without resorting to mutual destruction. That conviction alone permitted the
movement for the defence of peace to be considered as compatible with Christi
anity, the religion of love and peace.
This compatibility, of course, does not imply identity of ways, but our
Church understood its task in this manner: to help those who travel with us
in the search for that land or heaven "wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Pe
ter., 3, 13), conceiving of that help, above all, in the sense of moral responsibil
ity for the fate of the world and of mankind, for the desertion of God by our
fellow-men, for the perversion of Christianity and in general for that moral
disorder which serves as a hindrance to the establishment of peace among the
peoples. To understand that meant to come out against warmongers with the
fully-armed Christian authority, with the prayers, sanctity and unity of all
believers. And that the Russian Church did.
When the International Committee of Cultural Workers proposed the conven
ing of a World Peace Congress, Hiss Holiness Patriarch Alexis, in the name
of the Russian Orthodox Church, addressed all fraternal autocephalous Ortho
dox Churches with the call "to lift their voice against all attempts and actions
directed against the violation of peace," 20 and gave his blessing to the unity
of all defenders of peace. Metropolitan Nicholas of Krutitzy and Kolomna was
delegated to the World Congress in Paris as the representative of the Russian
Church.
20 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1949, No. 2, p. 3.
213
At that time a considerate number of personalitiesoftheChristian churches
of the West regarded the peace movement as a political measure propitious
to the Soviet Union. But when Metropolitan Nicholas testified from the tribune
of the Congress to the love of peace of the Russian people and reminded his
listeners of the horrors and consequences of the last war, many religious people
in the West turned to the peace movement and understood that it was their
duty to oppose with all their efforts the insane instigators of new destruction
of human life, the danger of which should unite against it all peoples irrespec
tive of their religious or political convictions.
At that Congress Metropolitan Nicholas was elected a member of the Per
manent Committee of the "World Peace Council.
In each of her statements against the threat of war the Russian Orthodox
Church tried to disclose the genuine Christian attitude towards war and peace.
In her central publication, "the Journal of Moscow Patriarchate", this attitude
was placed in direct connection with the mission of Christianity in the modern
world and international peace was imposed on Christians as a moral task.
In pastoral messages, in articles published in the journal, in speeches and ad
dresses, very real grounds were produced that demanded the unity of Christians
in the defence of peace.
When Metropolitan Nicholas, speaking at the First U.S.S.R. Conference
for the Defence of Peace in Moscow, 21 warned "many thousands of honest Cath
olic and Protestant priests and ministers and many millions of simple believers
in their flocks" against betraying their Christian duty, many of them, appreciat
ing the example of the Russian Church, understood how important and neces
sary it was for the cause of Christ "to resist the temptations of Cain s fratricide
and to exert all efforts to strengthen a peace that is pleasing to the Lord."
In order to protect mankind from a fresh conflagration the cause of Christ re
quired Christians to struggle against the anti-human philosophy of war and
ideas of world hegemony.
Extending her cares to all Christians in the world, our Church continued
to contribute to the moral unity with the people in the defence of peace. On
International Peace Day, October 2, 1949, Russian Orthodox believers gath
ered in churches to join in common prayer "for the peace of the world" and to
hear a new message from their Patriarch 22 about the ways for church-goers to
21 The First U. S. S. R. Conference for the Defence of Peace took place on August 26,
1949.
22 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1949, No. 10.
214
help the strengthening of peace. Prayer and work for the welfare of their Mother
land, those are the weapons of the Church which its flock should use to defend
peace together with the peoples. "Redouble your prayers to the Saviour of the
world for the gift of peace to the world... and devote all your strength to the
cause of peace, to the cause of strengthening general security by means of
selfless work by each in his own sphere of activity for the welfare of the Mother
land" that was a call to all Russian church-goers to combine their patriot
ism with the universal cause of pacification.
But to that great cause other local Orthodox Churches had to add their
Christian hopes. That is why at the beginning of March 1950 our Patriarch
addressed to their Heads an appeal "to create peace on earth" and to unite
all Orthodox forces for that work. "The clergy of our Russian Orthodox Church,"
the message ran, "have already come to a decision on that question. They have
taken their stand for the defence and strengthening of peace.... It is time that
all of us together the shepherds of Christ s flock should say openly and
publicly that international problems should never more be settled by the de
struction of millions of lives...." 23
The Patriarchal appeal did not fall on deaf ears. The Heads of the auto-
cephalous Orthodox Churches, one after the other, expressed to our Patriarch
their readiness to serve the cause of peace, which was essential for the spiritual
and material welfare of mankind. Their replies said that not every peace is
acceptable to the Christian mind, that peace could not be considered stable if
it were based on conquest by force, that one could have no confidence in a peace
founded on an unlimited arms race. That is not the kind of peace for which
the Church of Christ calls. She calls people to create a real indestructible peace....
That is peace with God, a peace that binds people with bonds of love, a peace
which should be preceded by the victory over evil in private, social and inter
national life.
That was the general tenor of the replies received from the Heads of the
fraternal Churches. In their concord mankind received moral support in the
struggle for peace and social justice. The unanimity of the Orthodox Patriarchs
had a salutary influence on the development of the general Christian movement
in the defence of peace.
When the Permanent Committee of the World Peace Council at its Stock
holm Session issued its appeal for the prohibition of atomic weapons it received
the support of still wider Christian circles. The Russian Orthodox Church
23 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1950, No. 3.
215
was among the first to join in the demand to ban atomic weapons and called
on all other Orthodox Churches to do the same. During the campaign for collect
ing signatures to the Stockholm Appeal his Holiness Patriarch Alexis signed
himself and bestowed his blessing on bishops, ministers and laymen of our
Church, to sign in the name of Chrisi s love commandment that historic docu
ment. 24
The unanimous support given by Orthodox believers to the Stockholm de
cisions testified once more to their conviction that all nations have a single
origin, a single aim, a single moral law the lawof love and peace. "In condemn
ing atomic weapons," Metropolitan Nicholas said in one of his speeches, "the
Russian Orthodox Church is fulfilling her duty, the duty of a religion of love
and peace; She considers it her sacred obligation to appeal to all Christians to
fulfil that duty."
METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS AND THE RT. REV. HEWLETT JOHNSON, DEAN
OF CANTERBURY, AT THE CONFERENCE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN DEFENCE OF PEACE AT LUHACOVICI, CZECHO
SLOVAKIA
And in condemning atomic war the Orthodox churches of Bulgaria, Rou-
mania, Albania, Poland and other lands came out in turn. So too did cardinals
and archbishops of France and many representatives of Protestant churches.
24 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1950, No. 6.
216
In some countries the Christian clergy organized conferences in the defence
of peace. In July 1950, such a conference took place in Czechoslovakia. It was
attended by representatives of various Christian faiths, including Metropolitan
Nicholas, representing the Russian Orthodox Church. His speech was a call
for Christian unity in the defence of peace. "The time has come," he said, "when
the Lord calls you, who are divided between yourselves by different faiths
to unite in the universal cause of the defence of peace and of social truth. We
need to show now, not in theory but in deeds, our faith in Christ and our help
to humanity in overcoming the evil of war. Our help is the more necessary be
cause the threat of new destruction comes from among Christian lands. If we
fail to be united, this circumstance cannot but draw upon us the just condem
nation of non-Christian peoples, who might appear to be right in denying our
ability to put the tenets of our Christian religion into practice." 25
Appealing to all Christians to unite in the defence of peace, our Church
made use of every occasion to remind them of the sanctity of this Christian
duty. A further reminder was contained in the Declaration of the Patriarchs
of the Russian, Georgian and Armenian Churches, of August 5, 1950, at a mo
ment of tense struggle for the uniting of all people of good will under the Stock
holm Appeal for a ban on the atom bomb. "Associating themselves with this
decision," we read in this Declaration, "the Christian world... will endow it
with such moral force which will make it effective against the very initiators
and supporters of the idea of war." The idea of Christian participation in the
struggle for peace was revealed as a justification of our faith which demands
"that the great idea of general peace should triumph over the realm of discord
and contention and that all... followers of Christ be not only true to the prin
ciples of peace in their words but the real creators of peace peacemakers
worthy of the name as Christ promises of the sons of God." 26
The Address of the three Patriarchs evoked a multitude of noble expressions
of sympathy on the part of religious-minded people in our country. Many
foreign Christians, Orthodox and others, responded to it too. The text of the
Address, in full or in part, with or without comments, was widely published
in the press of various lands and served to arouse a feeling of responsibility
for the -international movement for the defence of peace.
Meanwhile still closer links and relations were being forged between the
local Orthodox Churches, and this enabled them to make joint declarations in
25 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1950, No. 7, p. 15.
26 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1950, No. 8.
15 3a K a 3 N 172 217
the defence of peace. The visit to Moscow in May 1950 of Patriarch Justinian
of the Orthodox Church of Roumania was marked by the signing of an Act of
Cooperation between the Russian and Roumanian Churches in the cause of
the defence of peace. A similar Act was signed with the Head of the Albanian
Orthodox Church by Archbishop Paisius, who visited Moscow Patriarchate
in August that year. In both cases it was agreed to act jointly in
questions of the defence of peace on an international arena, to exchange 1 in
formation about all internal measures in defence of peace and to intensify the
corresponding endeavours among religious people in their respective countries.
METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS AT THE SECOND ALL-UNION
CONFERENCE OF PEACE SUPPORTERS
In proportion to the development of international events this church work
was enhanced. The Churches supported the social measures of the partisans of
peace and took part in national organizations and conferences in the defence
of peace. The Russian Orthodox Church had her representative in the Soviet
218
Peace Committee and sent her delegations to the All-Union conferences con
vened by this Committee.
The Russian Church sent a delegation headed by Nicholas, Metropolitan
of Krutitzy and Kolomna to the Second U. S. S. R. Conference for the Defence
of Peace. 27 Addressing the Conference, Metropolitan Nicholas threw light on
the practical and theoretical attitude of our Church to war and to the current
tasks in the struggle for peace. He condemned aggression saying: "Aggression
is violence. The Orthodox Church condemns all forms of violence by man
against man and all the more sternly condemns violence by one state against
another." 28
The same idea was touched on again at the Second World Congress of the
Partisans of Peace in Warsaw, when Metropolitan Nicholas spoke of the insane
arms race. But then he devoted main attention to the task of the united Chris
tian resistance to the forces of war, because many Christians of the West
persisted in maintaining a negative attitude to the peace movement. It was
necessary to explain to these Christians that a stable peace could be based not
on the predominance of force, but on mutual tolerance and respect; that, while
speaking of love and mercy, it is impossible to engage in the destruction
of civilians and in oppression of colonial peoples. That is why Metropolitan
Nicholas spoke to the Congress about the services of our Church to the cause-
of peace, about her desire to introduce into that peace the spirit of evangelical 1
mercy and love; he spoke of the love of peace of our country and of the fact
that it had no intention to attack any other land but wished to co-operate
with all lands of the world, irrespective of their social and political systems. 29
The testimony of the Russian Church always attracted general interest
and greatly assisted the expansion of the circle of Christian champions of peace.
And not only among Christians: the words of peace of our Church were followed
attentively by the faithful of all religions of the world. And in 1950, with the
election of Metropolitan Nicholas to membership of the World Peace Council
our Church received anew the permanent occasion to express her attitude to>
events before broad circles of world opinion.
Having received this occasion, our Church revealed the Christian attitude-
towards war and peace and defined thus the position of believers in the present
27 The Second U.S. S.R. Conference for the Defence of Peace took place on October
17, 1950.
28 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1950, No. 11, p. 10.
29 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1950, No. 12.
219 15*
distribution of forces. From the tribune of the first session of the World Peace
Council, 30 Metropolitan Nicholas called on Christians to close their ranks in
order to put an end to the war in Korea, against the remilitarization of Western
Germany and Japan, against weapons of mass destruction, and for a progressive
reduction in armaments. All these demands received a high moral sanction
in the statements of the Russian Church.
The idea of a Peace Pact between the Five Great Powers was also supported
by our Church. In July 1951, Patriarch Alexis of Moscow and All Russia
invited to Moscow the Heads of the Antioch, Georgian, Roumanian and Bul
garian Orthodox Chruchesto attend the feast of Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra. There
they decided to send a joint address to the Christians of the world with a fresh
appeal "to multiply your efforts in the cause of defending peace throughout the
world, and by the fulfilment of your daily duty of faith and conscience, love
and reason, to render impossible the intrusion of the hell of another world
war into our life." 31
The Address referred to the necessity of supporting the demands of the
people for the conclusion of a Pact of Peace between the Great Powers as to one
of the requirements of Christian duty. This support was named in the Address
"the profession of our faith in the future triumph of peace which the Lord
Jesus Christ commanded us (John 14, 27) and a condemnation of those who
callously manufacture A- and H-bombs, microbes and poisons, asphyxiating
gases and other means of destroying millions of people, not heeding the warning
of the Lord: they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. " (Mat.
26, 52.)
At the beginning of the campaign for the Peace Pact the Russian Orthodox
Church unanimously supported our people in that just demand and, in the
person of the Patriarch, the bishops, the priests and laymen, signed the Appeal
of the World Peace Council for the conclusion of a Pact of Peace between the
Five Great Powers, considering this Pact the most reasonable and dignified
solution of the world crisis.
Taking part, in the person of Metropolitan Nicholas, in the second session
of the World Peace Council, 32 our Church together with representatives of other
30 The first session of the World Peace Council took place in Berlin from February
21-26, 1951.
31 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1951, No. 8.
32 The Second session of the World Peace Council took place in Vienna from Octo
ber 1-7, 1951.
220
Christian faiths, testified to the justice of the decisions of the Council and
again called on Christians who were not yet alive to their Christian duty to
join the great army of defenders of peace "in the name of Christ whom we con
fess." This Appeal did not go unheeded and many Christians of the West,
convinced by the strictly evangelical position taken up by the Russian Church r
became active fighters for peace.
The Russian Orthodox Church spoke her word at the Third U.S.S.R
Conference for the Defence of Peace too, 33 which received from His Holiness
Patriarch Alexis the confirmation that "our Church... considers that it is her
duty to assist the strengthening of peace by the education of believers in the
spirit of loyalty to their civil duties and considers moral meritorious peaceful
work for the benefit of fellow-men and the Motherland." 34
Orthodox believers have been constant in their belief that "the Peace
of God, which passeth all understanding granted to people, is ready to inspire
not only the soul of any man who is desirous of receiving it," as was said in
the Patriarch s Christmas Message, but "is ready to descend to the outer world
too, and to suffuse both city and state and wipe out from the face of the earth
any hostility." 35
Thus, not lapsing into silence, our Church continued to preach the peace of
Christ while seeking to strengthen by this too the human, international peace.
In the Easter Message of 1952 the Patriarch combined with the joy of Easter
deep satisfaction at the leading role played by our country in the Christian
cause of the defence of peace. Jealous of being faithful to the Scriptures, the
Church constantly called upon other Orthodox Churches and all Christians to
take part in the struggle for peace.
The sharpening of the international situation aroused the idea of mobiliz
ing all the moral forces of humanity for averting the threat of war. This
unity could be started from our country. For that reason His Holiness Patriarch
Alexis decided to convene in May 1952 a Conference of representatives of all
Churches and religious associations in the U. S. S. R., devoted to thequestion
of the defence of peace.
This Conference, which was held in the town of Zagorsk near Moscow, in
the ancient Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra, heard and considered a report by Metro-
33 The Third U.S.S.R. Conference for the Defence of Peace took place from No
vember 27-29, 1951.
34 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1951, No. 12.
35 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1952, No. 1.
221
politan Nicholas on the subject "The Church Together with the People in the
Struggle for Peace" and adopted an Appeal to churches, religious associations,
clergy and believers of all religions of the world. Addressing in the first place,
Christians and then believers of other religions, the Conference called upon
them to unite in the struggle for peace with the people of their lands and "to
create a moral barrier to the violence of passions, incensing people to attack
their peaceful neighbours, and to condemn in advance aggression as a crime
against humanity and morality...." 36
The materials of the Zagorsk Conference, published by Moscow Patriarchate
in Russian, French, English, German and Arabic, evoked the most favourable
echoes in all parts of the world. The Appeal of the Conference was published
in the periodical press of many countries and studied at meetings of believers of
various religions.
Six weeks after the Zagorsk Conference, there took place in Berlin an
emergency session of the World Peace Council, 37 at which the representative of
the Russian Orthodox Church spoke of the duty of believers to struggle for
peace. Revealing the Christian ideology of that struggle, Metropolitan Nicho
las pointed to the present tasks of the Church, which lays an obligation upon
Christians to defend a peace which is not unseparable from freedom and justice,
from confidence and co-operation between nations. 38 This appeal of our
Church was heard with great sympathy by the representatives of religious cir
cles from many lands, present at the session.
Soon after the Berlin session of the World Peace Council the Congress of
Peace Supporters of Asian and Pacific Countries was held, and then, at the
beginning of December 1952, the Fourth U. S. S. R. Conference for the De
fence of Peace took place in Moscow. Our Church delegation was headed by
Patriarch Alexis. In his authoritative speech before the Soviet people he bore
witness to the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church in the past had never
stood aside from the national and state life of the people and that She was not
doing so now in conditions of separation from the State because She found
ample opportunity for assisting believers, and through them the whole
people, in the struggle for peace, truth, and life, and to serve Christ by
acting thus. With that aim our Church constantly calls also upon all Chris-
36 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1952, No. 5, p. 22.
37 The emergency session of the World Peace Council took place in Berlin from July
1-6, 1952.
38 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1952, No. 8, p. 21-26.
222
tians to defend peace, for She considers mankind as a single family and extends
her hopes over the whole world. 39
At the Fourth U. S. S. R. Peace Conference Metropolitan Nicholas of
Krutitzy and Kolomna was elected member of the, delegation for the Vienna
Congress of the Peoples in 1952. 40 There, in personal contact with representa
tives of various countries and beliefs, he successfully expounded the idea of
the necessity of a union of the moral forces of mankind capable of inspiring
resistance to the evil of war. To those Christians who were still not attached to
the peace movement, he pointed out the impermissibility of distorting Christ s
teaching plain to every child and crystal clear with which no Christian aggres
sive war, no Christian murder is compatible and that the use of force in the
name of supposed saving Christian civilization is unthinkable. These words of
our Church sank deeply into hearts of the faithful and, of course, did not fail
to bear fruit.
Exceptional attention to the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church
was paid by the participants and guests at the Budapest session of the World
Peace Council, which was held in June 1953. Metropolitan Nicholas, who attend
ed this session, had occasion to hold many conversations with individuals
and with whole delegations on the most vital themes and to grant over twenty
interviews with representatives of the Western press. At the request of repre
sentatives of Greece, Italy and France he broadcast to the peoples of those
lands an Appeal for joint work to strengthen international peace. Some partici
pants at the session invited him to speak in their countries.
These facts show what authority our Chirch enjoys among the peoples of
all lands and especially in religious circles, not excluding the non-Orthodox
ones. Their attention to the word of the Russian Church may be explained only
by the moral strength that She revealed in the defence of her Motherland and
in her selfless efforts to smooth down the path to peace for her people and for
all mankind.
On August 31, 1953 these endeavours compelled Metropolitan Nicholas to
address a broadcast appeal to the believers in Western Germany Catholics
and Lutherans "to turn away from dangerous temptations and to adopt the
path of a peaceful solution of the problem of reunifying Germany." In Septem
ber that year, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, in the persons
of Archbishop Pitirim of Minsk and Byelorussia, Archbishop Philaret of
Riga and Latvia and Bishop Nektarius of Kishinyov and Moldavia, spoke at
39 See Journal of Moscow Patriarchate for 1952, No. 12, p. 3.
40 The Congress of the Peoples took place from December 20-22, 1952.
223
plenary meetings of republic peace committees in approval of the decisions of
the Budapest session of the World Peace Council, calling for a peaceful settle
ment of international problems. And at the regular session of the World Peace
Council, which took place on November 23-28, 1953, in Vienna, Metropolitan
Nicholas delivered a powerful speech in which he expressed the aspiration of
the Russian Orthodox Church to join Christians of the West in the defence of
peace, calling upon them: "confronted with the great danger... to understand
one another as well as possible, so as to endow mankind with one image: the
image of love and peace, the image of Christ...." "We should not distort the
idea of peace by our fears and suspicions, "said Metropolitan Nicholas, "we ought
not to worry and doubt about the very possibility of that peace. On the contra
ry, the peace for which we are striving now must be utterly cleansed from in
sincerity and distrust, we must extol it by mutual understanding and friend
ship, we must warm it up with our inner Christian attitude, so that it should
become a true consequence of the Peace of Christ which we Christians preach."
This speech of the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church made a deep
impression on Western Christian circles and evoked many sympathetic re
sponses.
The decisions of the extraordinary session of the World Peace Council,
which took place in Berlin from May 24-28, 1954, were also taken with the
participation of the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropol
itan Nicholas, who spoke against the threat to resort to the use of atomic weap
ons during the days of the session at the Conference of Evangelical-Lutheran
clergy of both sectors of Berlin, and when analysing the decisions adopted at
the session he broadcast to the Christians of the U.S.A., Britain, France and
Italy an appeal to broaden the front of the champions of peace.
The Russian Orthodox Church also contributed to the decisions of the
International Conference for the Relaxing of Tension in International Rela
tions, which took place in Stockholm on June, 21, 1954. To the question: "Can
a policy that considers the A- and H-bombs as guarantees of peace be justified
from a religious point of view?" Metropolitan Nicholas replied in the negative,
because at the basis of the policy of force lies violence, which is contrary to
the human spirit. Of course, in the search for peace one must take into account
economic and political factors, but "politics and economics... are in the
hands of men whose acts are motivated by one or another moral stimulus.
And if the latter is founded on the spirit of justice and love, then there is no
need to use the argument of force or superiority in armaments in the solving
of international problems."
224
Endeavouring to unite Christians in the decision of the questions of war
and peace, the Russian Orthodox Church did not let slip any opportunity to
make her voice heard in favour of this unity. "For the Christian conscience
uniting believers in Christ regardless of distance and national distinctions,"
Metropolitan Nicholas said in his Address to the Conference of the Christian
Democratic Union of the German Democratic Republic, "the aggressive nature
of a closed alliance of several countries opposed to other ones is obvious, for
that opposition signifies war. But nations, like people, are called by God not to
enmity but to love, and they ought to help one another instead of deceiving,
robbing and insulting the weaker."
The representative of our Church went on sowing the seed of this idea at
international conferences and assemblies in the defence of peace. When in
November 1954 Metropolitan Nicholas addressed a session of the World Peace
Council, he reminded the gathering of the following words of St. Augustine:
"Honour and glory to the valiant warriors who endure fatigue and danger to
conquer the unbridled enemy and thus affirm peace in their own land. But greater
is the glory to avoid war by negotiations than to kill people in bloody battles.
Greater is the glory to achieve peace and maintain it by friendly treaties and
not to achieve peace by war measures" (Letters 229, 2). Of course, peace is
unthinkable without confidence, which in the Christian view should be the
main premise to peaceful co-existence between nations, and therefore Metropol
itan Nicholas called upon all Christians to unite for the defence of peace and
thus to create main sources of confidence necessary for victory over the impe
rialistic policy of force and enmity.
Making their way towards one another over all obstacles, Christians have
already achieved much in supporting the efforts of the people in the defence
of peace. On this ground fairly close contacts have been established between
the Christian Churches in recent years. But still far from all of Christians have
firmly adopted the same understanding of their Christian duty; many have
remained prisoners of earthly cares and fears and have not yet spoken out suffi
ciently boldly in the defence of peace. Therefore, the Russian Orthodox Church
warmly greeted the idea of calling a World Assembly of all the peace-loving
forces of mankind, and found it necessary not only to send her representative
but also to draw to it the attention of all Christian Churches. "We are convinced,"
declared His Holiness Patriarch Alexis, "that the Assembly of representatives
of peace-loving forces... will express the inflexible will of the peoples for peace,
will inspire the governments of all lands with it, and at the same time will
show those moral foundations on which international relations should be built."
225
At the Fifth U. S. S. R. Conference for the Defence of Peace the representative
of the Russian Church, appealing for efforts to destroy the causes of enmity,
said: "That work, constantly carried out by the Church, has in our time become
INTERVAL AT THEJFIFTH ALL-UNION CONFERENCE OF PEACE
SUPPORTERS, MOSCOW
the task of all peace-loving people who realize that in order to strengthen peace
it is far more important to assert the community of interests than their diver
gencies and far more useful to reach concord than to isolate oneself in mutual
suspicion."
At the World Peace Assembly which opened at Helsinki on June 26, 1955,
Metropolitan Nicholas, representing the Russian Orthodox Church, again spoke
with power and conviction about the Christian responsibility for the fate of
the world and of a programme of Christian action. Perceiving in it the spiritual
basis of peaceful co-existence, he applied to the Assembly to insist on atomic
energy being put to use to reduce poverty and sickness in the world, to aim
at the substitution of military alliances by a system of general security, and to
build international relations on mutual confidence which is rooted in the natural
tendency of man to see in his neighbour not the worst but the best of his quali-
226
ties, in the tendency to take into account the vital interests of people, that is, in
the practical realization of those principles of life which Christianity constantly
preaches.
METROPOLITAN NICHOLAS SURROUNDED BY MEMBERS OF THE ARAB DEL
EGATION AT THE SESSION OF THE WORLD PEACE COUNCIL IN HELSINKI
This appeal by our Church met with profound understanding in wide
Christian circles and this did much to create a favourable atmosphere during
the period of the Geneva meeting of the Heads of Governments of the Four
Great Powers. At the same time the heads and representatives of the Autoce-
phalous Orthodox Churches invited by his Holiness Patriarch Alexis to the sol
emnities in the Lavra sent the Geneva Conference hearty wishes of success
in establishing peace and appealed to them to turn away from aggressive wars,
to settle disputed problems in a peaceful manner and to terminate the prepara
tions for atomic war.
227
The relaxation in international tension that followed the Geneva meeting
undoubtedly owed something to the manifold contacts which our Church made
with churches and Christian associations of other lands. During the exchange
of delegations and the process of getting to know one another better, Christians
of East and West convinced themselves of the unity of their aims and thus helped
the rapprochement of their peoples. Recalling the events with which the year
1955 served the cause of pacifying the nations of the world, His Holiness Pa
triarch Alexis expressed in his New Year Message the hope that in 1956 man
kind would achieve its hoped-for freedom from the fears of atomic and all
other kinds of wars and would stand firmly on the path of peaceful life.
In 1956, faithful to her duty, our Church continued no less zealously to
serve the cause of strengthening international peace. In the church journal
were published articles and appeals comment ing upon the events of internation
al life and at the end of February 1956, Metropolitan Nicholas undertook
a journey to Norway during which much was done in the cause of bringing
people closer together. In a report on the subject: "Peace and Friendship be
tween the Peoples" delivered on March 2, 1956, at Oslo, he expounded the Chris
tian ideology of the defence of peace, appealed to Christians of East and West
to establish closer contacts with each other and, speaking on the problem of
atomic weapons, linked it with the problem of Christian unity.
A month later at Stockholm an extraordinary session of the World
Peace Council was held, at which Metropolitan Nicholas delivered a power
ful speech in the name of the Russian Church. Declaring the feeling of
brotherhood and spiritual kinship between people to be the best allies in build
ing international peace in modern conditions, he said: "Agreement on peace,
on the prohibition of atomic weapons, on disarmament requires a special atti
tude of the spirit when people unite selflessly, thirsting for justice and ready
for self-sacrifice, when man believes in the good qualities and intentions of
his neighbour, when we see each other as brothers, made to the image of God."
The activities in the defence of world peace of the Russian Orthodox Church
are not exclusively expressed in her work within the World Peace Council,
She also tries to use every opportunity to combine her efforts in that sphere with
those of any other organization and person working for the defence of peace.
An important contribution to the great cause of strengthening peace
and good-will between nations was the exchange of visits between
representatives of our Church and representatives of the National
Council of the Church of Christ in the U. S. A., which took place
in March-June 1956. During these meetings, which revealed an identity
228
of views on many questions of international life, it was established that
agreement on the main questions of the problems of world peace was a fac
tor of great international significance in the cause of uniting Christians for
the defence of peace. The same aims were served also by the meeting
between Russian Orthodox and Anglican theologians in Moscow in August
1956, the visit to the VIII Congress of the German Christian Democratic
Union at Weimar by Michael, Bishop of Smolensk, representing the Russian
Church, and the exchange of letters between Moscow Patriarchate and the
World Council of Churches, etc.
THE REV. RAGNAR FORBECH (NORWAY), LAUREATE OF THE LENIN
PEACE PRIZE, VISITS METROPOLITAN ELEUTHERIUS OF LENINGRAD
In defending peace our Church was not slow to come out on the events in
Egypt and Hungary. In his New Year message, His Holiness Patriarch Alexis
expressed his condemnation of the violators of peace who had plunged peoples
into immeasurable disaster and had broken God s commandment on mutual
love and brotherhood between people and nations. When the fate of Hungary
hung in the balance, Orthodox Christians in our country prayed for a speedy
end to the bloodshed. In certain foreign circles a quite different attitude was
taken at that time: promising the counter-revolutionary rebels help from the
229
West, these circles made every effort to inflame the hostilities and to make
disorder in Hungary, calculating to turn her against the Soviet Union and
to kindle the flames of a third world war. But that plan, happily, did not
succeed and the Christians of the East and West again faced the necessity of
combining their efforts with the aim of pacifying the peoples.
Everything that has been written above about the participation of the
Russian Orthodox Church in the struggle for peace bears witness to the fact
that in those activities her aims stem exclusively from the requirements of
her duty, her calling, her faith. Of all things going on on earth today, the most
essential fact for our Church is man s thirst for peace. In that thirst for peace
the Church sees the requirement of the spirit which suffers from enmity and
therefore She hastens to the aid of people seeking the source to slake their thirst.
And our Church renders this help to people irrespective of any political concep
tions and plans. In her non-participation in politics the Russian Church does
not adopt an attitude of indifference, she always considers politics from the
point of view of their contribution to her cause the cause of the spiritual
salvation of man. Time of peace is the best time for the Church s mission of
salvation and that is why theChurch gives her blessing to the peaceful policy
of the state and helps it in its struggle against the menace of another war.
This blessing of the Church witnesses her moral unity with the people in
the defence of the Motherland and of the cause of peace. We know that strong
in the Spirit of God, the Russian Orthodox Church in the most difficult circum
stances of the history of her people has always been a moral support to Ortho
dox people, a source of their spiritual strength. And, contributing to the unity
of the Orthodox churches of other countries in the defence of peace She has become
an important factor in bringing Orthodox people together and is thus serving
the eucumenical cause of Orthodoxy.
No less important are now and will be in the future the efforts and work
of our Church towards uniting all Christian believers in the defence of peace.
At the same time the position of the Russian Church affords a highly active
example for the believers of all creeds throughout the world.
All that goes to show that the patriotism of the Russian Orthodox Church,
while guarding the inviolability of its spiritual realm, rises to a world-wide
care for the salvation of all mankind in the struggle for international peace.
NOTES
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