What is an Orthodox parish? What is a parish? Definition and Essence How Family People Can Participate in the Life of the Temple

There is a lot of controversy about this. Muslims say that the authentic Bible gave clear predictions about the appearance of the prophet Mohammed to the world. The current Bible, according to the Islamic view, is distorted. However, the following quotation from the Bible is cited) and is considered to be a prediction of the Prophet Mohammed:

“A prophet from among you, from among your brothers, like me, the Lord your God will raise up for you, listen to him. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and I will put My words in His mouth, and He will speak to them whatever I command Him. And whoever does not listen to My words, which the Prophet will speak in My name, I will exact from him. (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, 19).

This is the speech of the Lord to Moses. The arrival of Mohammed is predicted as if by Jesus on the eve of his execution:

“And I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Comforter to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him and does not know Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. But I tell you the truth: it is better for you that I go; for if I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you, and He will come and convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak from himself, but he will speak what he hears, and he will announce the future to you. He will glorify Me, because He will take from Mine and declare to you. All that the Father has is Mine; therefore I said that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” (Holy gospel from John, 14:16-17; 16:7-8,13-15).

Jesus predicts the coming of Mohammed in the Qur'an:

“So Isa said to his people: O sons of Israel, I have been sent to you by Allah to confirm what was in the Torah and to inform you of the good news that Ahmad, another messenger of God, will come to you after me. Jesus appeared to people with obvious signs, but people considered them to be witchcraft. (Sura 61)

Here is such a "source material" for our investigation - three documents. Several questions immediately arise:

1. Why is the second passage not about a prophet, but about the Comforter?

2. Why can't the world accept a future prophet?

3. How can we understand that the disciples of Jesus knew the future prophet?

4. Why Ahmad? Why not Mohammed?

Muslim scholars answer the first question as follows: the word Paracletos, which in Greek means Comforter, appeared in the Bible as a result of a deliberate distortion of the word Periklutos, which translates as “exalted”, and the name Mohammed means “exalted”.

The answer to the second question is this: for brevity, Jesus did not say the word "today" - they say, at the time of pronouncing these words, the world could not accept the new prophet, because they did not see him and did not know him.

The third question cannot be removed in any way: the apostles, according to Jesus, knew the future prophet. It's straight out and there's nothing you can do about it. Do not eliminate the fourth question.

So, after "filtering" there are two questions left:

1. Why does the Quran speak of the prophet Ahmad, while Ahmad and Mohammed are completely different names?

2. What about the fact that the disciples of Christ knew the future prophet, whereas, if it is Mohammed, the apostles simply could not know him, since he would be born 600 years later?

Why, after all, "Ahmad"? Agree that a seditious thought for Muslims can creep in: was a certain Ahmad supposed to be the next prophet after Jesus, and Mohammed impersonated him? And then God's saying about false prophets, spoken to Moses, can be remembered:

“But the prophet who dares to speak in my name what I did not command him to say, and who speaks in the name of other gods, put such a prophet to death.” (Deuteronomy 18:20).

While the Muslims pondered what they had heard, their opponents leafed through the Bible again and found these words of Jesus:

“But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I have said to you.” (Holy Gospel of John 14:26).

And they also found that Jesus, according to the Bible, after death and subsequent resurrection appeared to the people, and ...

"Having said this, he breathed, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit." (Holy gospel of John, 20:22).

It turns out that we are not talking about a prophet, but about the holy spirit, the "spirit of truth."

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Catholic priest David Benjamin Keldani, who converted to Islam, argued that the word Paracletos does not mean "comforter", which is the expression Jesus "and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter" should be translated as "I will go to the Father, and He will send you another apostle, whose name will be Periklitos",

and "Periqlytos" in Greek means "glorified, praised." The word Muhammad, translated from Arabic, also means "glorified, praised." With the help of such inferences, Keldani comes to the conclusion that Jesus meant Mohammed.

Another Muslim Bible scholar A. Didat, on the contrary, does not deny the meaning of the word paracletos, as "comforter", "holy spirit", but claims that these words apply specifically to Mohammed. Because, they say, the word "comforter" is a holy prophet, namely, Mohammed.

Now let's focus on the names Ahmad and Mohammed. They are similar, but not the same. The Prophet Mohammed was never called Ahmad. On the contrary, there is a legend that in childhood he was first called Kotan, which means "plow", then his grandfather gave him a second name - Mohammed.

However, the Qur'an says in the name of Jesus that a messenger named Ahmad will come in his place. Apparently, this gave rise to the emergence of the Ahmadis sect (it exists in England and Pakistan), its adherents believe that after Mohammed there was a prophet named Ahmad on earth.

Let's think about something else: does the word "comforter" fit the personality of Mohammed? Did he comfort people with his coming, did he bring them to peace? Did he fulfill Jesus' prophecy - "and he will remind you of all that I have told you"? Alas, the answer of history to these questions cannot be positive.

So this dispute ended in nothing and remained open. Let everyone complete it for himself in his soul.

The atheists said to the believers: if the Qur'an were good, then we would believe in it, but it is an old fabrication.

Before the Qur'an, a scripture was sent down to Musa, and the Qur'an confirms it in Arabic. This is good news for the righteous and a warning to the unrighteous. Those of you who say: our Lord is Allah, will not know fear and sorrow, he will live in paradise.

We entrusted man to do good to his parents. It is not easy for a mother to carry it and give birth, and the pregnancy and feeding of the child lasts thirty months. When he reaches maturity, then forty years old, he says: inspire me, Lord, with gratitude for Your mercy. You have blessed me and my parents by creating me. Make, Lord, my descendants righteous. I am surrendered to You.

Such people will settle in paradise, because We forgive them the worst of what they have done and accept the best.

And there are such children: they spit after their parents and say: are we really going to be punished by God? Fathers and mothers ask God for help: Lord, make him be merciful! And he replies: all this is a fairy tale. Such a one will be punished by Us.

Everyone has their own stage of deeds in life. Allah will reward everything, He will do justice. On the day when the godless stand before Him, they will be told: You have ascended on earth without right, now your recompense is fire.

We sent jinn to you (there is a version that we are not talking about jinn, but about people from wild tribes) to listen to the Koran. They listened and said to their brothers: We heard the scripture that came after the scripture of Musa, it confirms the earlier scriptures. Agree with the one sent to you and believe in Allah! And if anyone does not agree, he is in error.

Are the unbelievers not afraid of the day of resurrection? On the day when they stand before the fire, they will be told: here it is, the truth, taste the torment for unbelief!

Endure, messenger, as your predecessors, who were strong in spirit, endured. Do not rush Me with their punishment. Earth life short-lived, no one will be destroyed and humiliated by me, except the wicked.

Being interested in the question of what a church parish is, first let's figure out how it differs from a temple. The people often use the words "parish" and "temple" as synonyms, but the difference between them still exists. It is believed that the temple is just a building for religious purposes, and the parish is the people who come to the temple, who are called parishioners. And they make up a whole parish, the Gospel explains very well, in which there are such words spoken by Jesus himself: "Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them." This suggests that people go to the temple for worship in order to communicate with the Lord and with each other.

What are parishes?

The definition must be sought in history. Let's try to figure out how parishes arose, and what contributed to this. Let's start with the fact that until 313 Christianity was banned in the territory of the Roman Empire. True believers gathered secretly for worship in separate places - in caves or houses.

After the cessation of persecution for their services, the ancient Christians began to re-equip and consecrate the former pagan temples. This is how the very concept of a parish gradually arises as the primary structure of the Church and a form of self-organization of church life.

Who is a parishioner?

The Bible says that the Church is the mystical body of Jesus Christ, and the parish is a cell of one large organism. A truly believing person should feel his involvement in the Universal Church precisely through such a community. This communion is mainly carried out through the sacrament of the Eucharist, where the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ takes place (through these holy gifts, the Orthodox are united with the Lord), and through Him there is a union with the entire Ecumenical Church. The very understanding of "being a Christian" first of all includes participation in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Mission and charity

However, parish life is not only worship, it also includes non-church forms of activity - mission and charity. Missionary activity implies the education and upbringing of new members of the community. It is followed by charity: it is helping the sick and infirm, the elderly, the disabled, orphans and widows.

worship

You can come to the temple every day, stand in the service and participate in the sacraments, not forgetting about yourself and your salvation, as well as the salvation of your relatives, but at the same time you cannot remain indifferent and not be interested in what is happening in your community.

It is difficult to call such people members of a parish or community. A true member will be one who recognizes community life as a common cause. This is the Liturgy, which is not only part of the liturgical circle, it includes everything: church services, missionary work and charity.

In the question of what a parish is, it should also be noted that a parish is not something separate and self-sufficient, it must necessarily be closely connected with the Church.

Service in the church

Every believer should try to penetrate as deeply as possible into the activities of the entire Christian Orthodox Church. Only then can a correct answer be given to the question of what a parish is. And here it is also important to understand that the Church, as the body of Christ, is in its own way a huge living organism, in which, in addition to the main organ (heart), other organs must also work - the head, arms, legs, liver, etc. And if the priest does not preach, then the community has no language, if there is no help for relatives, then it is armless, there is no training in the basics of the Christian Orthodox faith - it is headless.

The topic “What is a parish” can be summed up as follows: a church community, a parish is a single whole, a kind of completeness in its own way. And if something is missing, the parish does not fulfill its spiritual functions.

interview with Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov

What is a church parish and how does it differ from a church?

- Often the words "temple" and "parish" are used as synonyms, but there is a difference between them, and a big one. The temple is just a building, and the parish is the community, the people who come to the temple. That's what they are called - parishioners. In the Gospel, Christ says: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them." That is, people come to the temple for worship in the name of Christ, to communicate with God and with each other.

In the first three centuries of the existence of Christianity, for objective reasons, there were no temples - after all, until 313, Christianity was prohibited in the Roman Empire. Believers gathered for worship in private homes. After 313, Christians began to use the former pagan temples and basilicas for services, they were converted and consecrated. Thus, the notion of arrival gradually arose. Strictly speaking, a parish is a form of self-organization of church life, the primary structure of the Church. One can draw such a parallel: the Bible says that this is the mystical Body of Christ. So the parish is a cell of a large church body.

Is a parishioner only one who constantly goes to church?

– First of all, a person needs to realize his involvement in the Universal Church precisely through this community. Objectively, such communion is carried out at the divine service, in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, where the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ takes place. By accepting the Holy Gifts, all the people who have gathered in this place are united with Christ, and through Him with the entire Universal Church. In general, to be a Christian means to participate in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

But parish life is by no means limited to worship, or, to put it better, should by no means be reduced to this. The life of a parish is everything that happens within a given community.

– Including the so-called non-liturgical life?

– Firstly, it is missionary activity – church upbringing and education of new members of the community. Secondly, charity: taking care of widows, orphans, the sick, the elderly, the disabled. In fact, the entire non-liturgical parish life can be put into these two forms: mission and charity.

You can even come to the temple every day, pray and even participate in the Sacraments, but at the same time remain indifferent to everything except yourself, your personal salvation or the life of your family, not being interested in what is happening in the community. It is unlikely that such a person can be called a member of the parish, community. A member of a community is one who realizes the life of the community as a common cause, that is, as a Liturgy. Usually the Liturgy is perceived as part of the liturgical circle. This is not true. Liturgy is the fullness of all church service: liturgical, missionary, and charitable.

— You are the pastor of several parishes. Tell us about their lives.

— The life of these parishes just illustrates the fact that the parish is not something separate, self-sufficient. The parish is connected with the whole Church. There is one rector, and the priests of the temples serve in all parishes in turn. Despite the fact that each church has its own "backbone" of active parishioners, we have a common center, and it guides the life of all churches. In fact, this is one community.

As for worship, these are regular morning and evening services in all churches, an obligatory live sermon after the service, several church choirs made up of parishioners, a singing school, a small seminary, from which twenty-five clergymen have already graduated. For those wishing to be baptized, we have courses where they briefly teach the basics of the Christian faith.

Now about the mission. These are two weekly radio programs, a website on the Internet, the largest Russian-language Orthodox Internet library, a regular television program, a publishing house, a chain of stores distributing spiritual literature, a monthly fifty-page newspaper, Sunday School, gymnasium.

If we talk about charity, then these are two orphanages, a patronage service for the care of lonely old people, a sisterhood - that is, sisters of mercy who help the sick in the 50th city hospital, a fund for helping large families and orphans. All services are carried out by the parishioners themselves.

- There is a very widespread opinion that the place of active activity of a believer should be limited to the territory of the temple. A secular state begins behind the fence, where there should be no place for church charity, and even more so for missionary work. How do you feel about this opinion?

“To limit missionary work and charity within the walls of a church and to reduce church life only to divine services is the same as forbidding bread to be eaten anywhere except a bakery. This was carried out with a certain degree of success under the Soviet regime. The goal of the Bolsheviks was to eradicate the people's faith. To do this, it was necessary to drive them into the ghetto, to reduce the entire parish life to worship. Even the content of sermons was strictly controlled. Talented preachers were removed from the central temples, sent to serve in remote villages. In fact, "selection work" was carried out in relation to the clergy. The priest had to be silent, uneducated, constantly rushing home, and even better if he drank and was completely uninterested in pastoral activities, not to mention any initiatives of the parishioners. It was precisely in those years that such wild and unacceptable practices for the Church arose, such as, for example, a general confession, when a priest pronounces the names of sins from the pulpit, and the parishioners automatically “repent”: “Yes, they are sinners in this.” There was rudeness towards people who had just entered the temple. Some shepherds really took care of people, but there were only a few of them.

When today some people assert that “the place of the priests is in the temple,” this is reminiscent of the same Bolshevik logic. Such people can be reminded of the words of their beloved atheist Voltaire: "I do not agree with your thoughts, but I am ready to die for your right to confess them."

A person today, thank God, can hold any opinion, Russia fought for this for a long time. Everything a Christian does is naturally an extension of his faith. For example, there is an Orthodox website. He doesn't force anything on anyone. But if a person needs it, he can go there and ask a question that interests him, see the church's outlook on life, and get the necessary information. Moreover, the Constitution of Russia allows any association of people to express their views, if they do not contradict the law.

Confessing your faith means talking about it, glorifying God in yourself, with your deeds. First of all, this is done, of course, in worship. But you can glorify God silently, without any loud words, caring for lonely old people or orphans.

We often receive letters in the editorial office where people tell how they, their relatives or friends, leave the Orthodox Church for various sects and Protestant communities, because they do not find a place for themselves in the Church. Orthodox parishes cannot satisfy their thirst for activity, reducing the whole Christian life only to worship. Do you think such a problem really exists?

- Of course, there is such a problem. This, too, is a legacy of Soviet times, when any activity of believers outside the church was prohibited. Therefore, unfortunately, the bulk of the Orthodox clergy, who grew up under the Bolshevik regime, are unaccustomed to such activities. The ministry of many priests is aimed only at the implementation of liturgical activity. The Liturgy, the Eucharist, is truly the heart of the life of the parish. It is clear that the heart is the most important organ, you cannot live without it. But after all, the body is not reduced only to cardiac activity, other organs are also needed.

But the Church is also a living organism, the body of Christ. He, in addition to the heart, must have a head, and a liver, and hands, and legs ... If the priest does not preach, then the community does not have a language, if it does not help its neighbors, then it does not have hands, if there is no training in the basics of faith - means the head is missing. A church parish, a community is fullness. If something is not there, it is a disabled person - “a person with disabilities”. In the twenties of the last century, all parishes turned into such invalids. Fifteen years ago, I had to start almost from scratch, restoring, “sewing on” severed organs.

— Is there any difference between pre-revolutionary and modern parishes, except for the fact that churches were built then, and now they are restoring them?

- Undoubtedly. First, every priest before the revolution was a government official. On the one hand, the state protected the Church, for example, from blasphemy. For the theft of an icon, they were given much more years of hard labor than for a stolen bag. Today this is not the case. The state does not distinguish simple theft from sacrilege - the robbery of a temple. If an icon is stolen from a church today, the first thing the police will ask is how much the icon costs.

But on the other hand, until 1917 the state constantly intervened in church life and regulated it. Now the Church and its parishes have real freedom. This is an unprecedented phenomenon in the history of Russia. The fullness of the life of the Church depends solely on our initiative. And, unfortunately, it is still underdeveloped. His Holiness the Patriarch constantly calls on parishes to be active. And he himself, despite his age, is unusually active. In the Orthodox Church, such active people, unfortunately, are few and far between. The Patriarch is really the leader of the revival of the non-liturgical life of the parishes.

– Are there any obligations of the parish towards its parishioners, and vice versa, obligations of the parishioners towards the parish?

— Of course, all this is written in the charter of the parish. The rector, together with a group of twelve people - the parish council - should organize the life of the parish - liturgical, missionary and charitable. As for the duties of the parishioners, they are exclusively informal in nature - whether it is raising funds for the upkeep of the temple or missionary and charitable activities.

—Is it possible to say that a person participating in the life of a parish is a true Christian?

- To be a Christian, you need to fulfill the gospel commandments. After all, anyone can be a social worker. When I was in America, I observed this form of social service. Many Catholic and Protestant churches turn churches into canteens after services, gather the homeless and feed them for free. Anyone can take part in this service: Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, atheists… That is, just kind people who want to realize themselves, but who have nothing to do with Christianity. It is wonderful. But only a person who fulfills the Gospel commandments, regularly participates in the Eucharist and tries to live the way Christ lived can be called a Christian. A Christian must engage in missionary work. At the same time, it is not necessary to take to the streets with posters. Just where you live, live differently than everyone else: don't drink, don't engage in debauchery, don't swear with people...

- Communities - active people are in synagogues and mosques. Can these communities be called parishes, temples - churches, and abbots - priests?

- Both Muslims and Jews have people who have left the worldly life and are engaged exclusively in the affairs of the community. It is conditionally possible to call these communities a church in the original meaning of the word, because the Greek eclessia (meeting) means precisely some kind of community of people. But Christianity calls the Church a gathering of people who are united by love for Christ, by the Sacraments, by faith that Christ is the Messiah, the Savior. With convention, one can call the heads of both synagogues and mosques priests. But a Christian priest differs from them in that he does not bring a sacrifice to God, but God brings a sacrifice for people - he brings it on the Cross. At the Liturgy we only partake of this Sacrifice.

interviewed by Roman Makhankov

“I feel like a stranger in the parish. The service ends, people disperse, only a group of “initiates” communicate with each other, the rest simply don’t know each other” - such complaints can be heard among Orthodox Christians. How can you join a parish and find your place in it?
Nine common questions about the parish are answered by the rector of the church in the name of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky at MGIMO Archpriest Igor Fomin.

1. What is a parish and why should you be a part of it?

Parish is family. At what plan? In the sense that it is the family that prepares a person for a great life. So, we live with parents who are obliged to prepare us for some accomplishments, that is, to give us a ticket to adulthood so that we can confidently step into it without fear of anything. And the parish - it teaches a Christian to live in this world, fearing nothing. He gives a person the knowledge that he aspires to, and the joy that naturally comes from unity with loved ones, helps him heal the ailments and infirmities of his soul.

And a person comes to this family on his own, he himself shows activity and a desire to be in it, and decides for himself what place, what niche, if you like, he will occupy there. At some stage, it is enough for him to simply go to services, and then he will want something more - to help in some way, to learn something new.

And there can be no coercion. The choice always remains with the individual.

2. How to choose "your" temple?

It seems to me that there are two ways here: you can walk and choose the parish yourself, or you can simply make a strong-willed decision - close your eyes, step into the unknown, that is, come to some temple and stay there forever. In a parish family, a person should feel comfortable and comfortable. One needs attention, he needs to be run around, and the other, on the contrary, needs a stern hand; one needs to be adjusted to him, the other knows how to adapt to external circumstances. And everyone, based on this, chooses independently.

3. How to join the parish?

I have never heard of parishes that would repel, reject a newcomer. And I can’t imagine such a situation that you, for example, approached the rector and said: “I want to wash the floors in the church free of charge!” - and they wouldn't give you a mop or a rag. In general, with any questions it is better to contact the rector or the headman.
Most often, it happens like this: a person begins to go to confession to one priest and after a while he himself begins to ask him what he can participate in, how to join any business in this parish.

(Attention! This and all other pictures with "portraits" of parishes can be viewed in a large size. Click on the photo with the left mouse button).

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh in London was arranged like this: there are parishioners who simply pray at divine services and do not participate in anything else, and this is their choice; there are those who are ready to participate in various events, affairs, to be responsible for their parish; and there is an asset of the parish that coordinates all this work, who already bears the legal responsibility for the parish. A person filled out a questionnaire, and if he wanted to participate in the activities of the parish, he left his coordinates, wrote what he could be useful for, what he would like to do. Naturally, there were regular meetings when plans were outlined, a report was given on the work done, etc. This is an active parish, alive!
A lot of people come to our temple and offer their services, their skills. For example, a woman recently came and said: “I have been working with children at a music school all my life, let me try to do something similar on your Sunday?”
In any case, the passive position of a person will definitely not bring him closer to an active parish life.

4. What can be done in the parish?

Any parish has a social ministry - correspondence and assistance to prisoners, orphans, charity bazaars to raise money for seriously ill people. Sunday school for children, less often for adults, circles for the study of the Holy Scriptures.

There is missionary service - for example, the distribution of the Gospels at Easter. There are simply sincere meetings - tea parties with the priest, where you can ask any question, offer something. Pilgrimage tours for the entire parish. Our parish, for example, gathers not just in a small group of 10 people - the whole bus is packed! There are cultural events - concerts, performances, charity fairs and the like. There is a lot to do! You can, for example, take part in decorating the nativity scene for Christmas, help in preparing for the Patronal Feast - this is not only cleaning, cooking, but also creating a festive atmosphere for others!

Preparing a poem with the children is also the business of the parishioners.

The main principle - do not be shy, offer! What is interesting to you will certainly be interesting to someone else in the parish. Are you interested in studying the church charter? You want to sing in a choir - there will definitely be someone else who will be captured by this idea. Try, take on this responsibility - and you will see that in this way you will wonderfully join the parish.

Now the parishes are growing so much that it is impossible for the rector to control all the processes, so he delegates powers - part of the duties, of course, falls on the shoulders of the parishioners. The creation of a Sunday school, the organization of some kind of trips, games, and the like. And if the parish doesn’t need some kind of undertaking, then the rector will fight like a fish on ice, and nothing will come of it. The main thing is that people should not be indifferent! And everything else will follow.

5. Is there a danger of becoming isolated in the parish "party"?

There is such a danger, but in order to avoid it, the rector or pastor must watch his parishioners, make sure that no one has the desire to turn the parish into a closed circle. Because the purpose of the parish is not isolation, not isolation from the outside world, but the preaching of Christ. We see a vivid example of this in the Gospel, when the Lord chooses twelve disciples, teaches them, sends two to preach, and then they carry the teachings of Christ, gaining new followers. Such a spiritual pyramid is obtained. And this is a correct, healthy situation: the parish should be open to any person, to accept anyone who comes. And the priest, relatively speaking, "marries" the parish - it must be accessible to everyone, open to everyone. Not without reason, before the Sacrament of ordination to the priesthood, the future shepherd takes off his wedding ring and puts it on the throne in the altar - as a sign of his full dedication to serving God and people.

It is also very important that a person who joins parish life does not push his family into the background, does not leave a husband or wife, children. This should be clearly monitored by the rector and other parishioners. If this happens, it often indicates that a person is rushing about and does not bring anything he has started to the end. Most likely, he will leave his parish as a result!

Here you have been given a family, but you did not believe that this was a gift, that it was from God. I played, tinkered, realized that it was hard, I realized that I was tired, we need some new “adrenaline” events in life, new tasks. I went to the parish and you think: “Well, this is already something real, capital!” But here you will play, and, time will pass, go away. I think we need to reason differently: you are given a family - therefore, there is no reason why you could prefer something to the family. Yes, you can “pick up” some activities for yourself, but you need to correctly prioritize and understand what is most important.

6. How can family members participate in the life of the temple?

Every parent wants their child to be educated, so many are involved in the life of the children's Sunday school. We are accustomed to entrusting the education of our children to someone else - something to kindergarten, then to school, then to grandparents. There shouldn't be anything like this! Mom and dad should actively participate in both upbringing and training. You are a parent, which means that Sunday school will live when you take part in its life. When parents take care of how and what to feed their children after the service, before classes, where to take them, how to organize this or that holiday, then there will be a living life. No one, except ourselves, will bring up our children, will not teach!

7. Is it normal to go to one parish, have a confessor in another?

I don't see any problems here. Spiritual nourishment is a very peculiar thing, therefore, each confessor, together with his spiritual child, must himself regulate such moments. If he sees any harm from such a scheme, then he may well say: “Listen, dear / dear, this is not useful for you, it’s better to travel here or go to that parish, and then choose one.”

Before the revolution, a person went all his life to the temple to which he was “attached” at the place of residence. And very often the first priest to whom he confessed remained his confessor for the rest of his life. This is completely normal and creates a healthy atmosphere in the parish. And the priest until his death led one parish, growing on it.

Today, more and more churches are being built in residential areas, within walking distance, so that many local residents are "attached" to nearby parishes. And then it is up to the rector to make sure that these people feel comfortable living a parish life, so that they do not go anywhere.

8. How do you deal with criticism that a newcomer to the temple might face?

Once, during Great Lent, I performed parastas in the evening - I read the psalter, standing in the middle of the temple, and watched one child who came out between the pulpit and the memorial table, doing something of his own, reasoning with himself, walking and the like. All of a sudden, what I thought were “pious thoughts” crept in on me: this child is distracting me! And then I suddenly realized that it was not he who was distracting - it was I who could not concentrate! If I don’t know how to pray, then I look for a reason, I look for someone who allegedly hinders me in this.
Therefore, I am sure that if a person came to pray, he will pray anyway. If they say to him: “Go away,” he will calmly go away, because for him to stand in one place or another is not a primary task: he came to pray. When children are distracting - yes, sometimes it is difficult to concentrate, difficult, but possible! I think that you just need to look into your own world.
At the same time, I am opposed to any reproaches in the church and warned all my parishioners that our parish is a territory free from reproaches: whoever comes, whenever they come, no matter what they come in, everyone must be allowed in, accepted. He warned everyone: if you are suddenly reproached, offended, speak directly to me. It's such an educational moment.

9. Does a person have to be comfortable in his arrival?

It should be comfortable, but there will be no ideal conditions anywhere: you will definitely have to sacrifice something. Something will definitely not suit you somewhere: the time of the beginning of the services, the duration of the service, the “trains” of grandmothers “God Save”, children running around the temple, or at least the fact that it takes 2 hours to get to the temple. There will definitely be some inconvenience! But we ask God for patience, He gives us circumstances in which we can cultivate both patience and humility.
To a person who cannot find his parish, where everything is without a hitch, I would say this: because of Judas, we did not leave the Church of Christ, why are we spoiling the work of our salvation because of some trifles? It seems to me that we should love everything, rejoice in everything! And when a person learns to enjoy everything, neither children nor grandmothers will annoy him!

Illustrations provided by the Parsuna group

The creative association "Parsuna" creates portraits of parish and monastic communities in the interiors of their churches. After the Sunday liturgy, the project participants ask all parishioners (up to 500 people) to turn their faces to the camera, take detailed pictures of faces, icons, frescoes and other details of the church interior, in order to then recreate the image of their Sunday.
The paintings are created in the style of medieval iconography, using modern technologies of digital painting and image reproduction. For three years of work, the exhibition collection of the project amounted to 25 paintings.
Project authors: Konstantin Dyachkov, Sergey Kozhara, Alexander Shvets and
Vladimir Pavlov.

Archpriest Mikhail Pitnitsky

Neither Christ nor the apostles traded, did not perform their ministry for money, and the whole early one did not know trade and prices in churches, and yet the church existed and developed. The Apostle Paul says: We have nothing, but we have everything". And in the Apostle Peter we read the following: We don’t have money, but we give what we have (). This fully characterizes the early church, its complete non-acquisitiveness.

Christ's command: Do not take with you any gold, or silver, or copper in your belt, or two robes, or a bag ...()”, said for the apostles and for all the archpastors and pastors, no one canceled. If this ideal is too high, then one should strive for it, and not reject it.

The late Patriarch Alexy II raised this topic very intelligibly, but, unfortunately, not persistently enough at diocesan meetings with the clergy. He not only advocated, but, one might say, fought for the cessation of the “spiritual trade” in churches, which we inherited as an “evil habit” from the Soviet past. Addressing the clergy, he said: “In many churches there is a certain “price list”, and you can order any requirement only by paying the amount indicated in it. Thus, there is an open trade in the temple, only instead of the usual one, “spiritual goods” are sold, that is, I’m not afraid to say it straight out, the grace of God… Nothing drives people away from faith as much as the greed of priests and church servants. (Diocesan meeting 2004)

Holy fathers about trade in the temple

Now let's see what the holy fathers say about trade in churches and about the prices for services.

To begin with, let us recall once again the quote from the Gospel with which this book begins: “ And Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all those who sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and said to them: It is written: “My house shall be called a house of prayer”; and you with made it a den of thieves.”(). These verses are the great saint and father of the church blessed. (347-420) interprets as follows: “Indeed, a robber is a person who makes a profit out of faith in God, and he turns the temple of God into a cave of robbers, when his service turns out to be not so much a service to God as money transactions. This is the direct meaning. And in a mysterious way The Lord daily enters the temple of his Father and casts out all, both bishops, presbyters and deacons, as well as the laity, and the whole crowd, and considers both those who sell and those who buy equally criminal, for it is written: Received as a gift, give as a gift. He also knocked over the tables of the coin changers. Pay attention to what because of the love of money of the priests, the altars of God are called the tables of the coin-changers. And knocked over the benches sellers of doves, [i.e.] selling the grace of the Holy Spirit". Pay attention to the underlined words, which say that the priests engaged in trade in temples are like robbers, their altars are the tables of money changers, and the performance of trebs for money is like the sale of doves. (For a more complete quote see here http://bible.optina.ru/new:mf:21:12)

True clergymen, on the contrary, should be non-possessive and modest, in their financial position be at the level of their flock, and not above it.

The luxury of the clergy was also condemned by the saints, for example, the saint: “What is the use of this for him (the priest), tell me? Wearing silk clothes? Accompanied by the crowd, proudly strutting around the market? Riding on a horse? Or builds houses, having a place to live? If he does this, then and I condemn and do not spare him I even recognize him as unworthy of the priesthood. How can he really convince others not to engage in these excesses when he cannot convince himself? (Commentary on Philippians 10:4).

The late Patriarch Alexy II also spoke on this topic: “The formal or even “commercial” approach of a priest to people who come to the Church for a long time, if not forever, pushes away from the temple, inspires contempt for the greedy clergy. The church is not a store of spiritual goods, “trade in grace” is unacceptable here. “Give it to the tuna, give it to the tuna,” Christ commanded us. Anyone who turns his pastoral ministry into a means of bad profit is worthy of the fate of Simon the Magus. It is better that such people leave the confines of the Church and do business in the markets.

Unfortunately, some of our clergy fall under the influence of the "zeitgeist", striving for a "beautiful" lifestyle. Hence the desire to outdo each other in fashionable clothes, competition in pomp and abundance of festive tables. Hence the boasting of foreign cars, cell phones and other things.

Firstly, such a lifestyle is essentially sinful, non-Christian, since God is forgotten, service to mammon comes, insensitivity to the tragedy and temporality of earthly life. This is perhaps one of the most striking manifestations of neo-paganism. Secondly, such a life of the clergy for ordinary, ordinary parishioners, the vast majority of poor people, is a temptation and is associated in their minds with the betrayal of Christ's poverty, with the secularization of the Church. Isn't that why some parishioners leave churches and look for a place for themselves in various sects, new religious movements, where they are met with understanding, care and love? It’s another matter whether it’s sincere or insincere, but with love” (Diocesan meeting, 1998).

15th rule.From now on, let the clergy not be assigned to two churches: for this is characteristic of trade and low self-interest, and is alien to church custom. For what happens for low selfishness in church affairs becomes alien to God. For the needs of this life, there are various occupations: and with them, if anyone wishes, let him acquire what is necessary for the body. For the apostle said, "These hands have ministered to my demand, and to those who are with me." ( ). And keep this in this God-saved city: and in other places, due to a lack of people, allow withdrawal.

In this canon, it is repeated in the essential canons 10 and 20 of the IV Ecumenical Council that any sacred person can serve only in one church. It happened that individual bishops did not strictly adhere to these rules and gave one or another priest two churches (in the strict sense, current parishes) to serve. As can be seen from the meaning of this rule, the priests did this, referring to their disastrous economic situation and the small income that they received from one church (parish). They were justified by the need to increase the means of their maintenance by serving in another church. This rule says that it is characteristic of trade and low self-interest and anti-canonical, and therefore determines that this should be completely stopped, and every priest is obliged to observe only one church. And if the parish cannot satisfy the material needs of the rector, then there are other activities that he can engage in, and let him acquire as much as necessary for existence in this way, looking at the example of St. Pavel (). At present, this rule is being violated, there are even cases when two large churches in a city with a significant staff are managed by one rector: a bishop or a priest.

4th rule.Forbids the bishop to demand money or any other material from his subordinate clerics, priests, monks or laity.

At present, this rule is violated by the so-called diocesan contribution. For each parish, a tax is imposed from the bishop according to the strength and capabilities of the parish. The richer the parish, the higher the tax. Of course, there is doubt that the diocese really needs such big money, because the bishop is always the rector of the main and largest church in the diocese, which brings a generous income. But a luxurious life requires more and more money ...

Who should financially help the poor to the rich or the rich to the poor? The rural parish doesn't know what to do with the pennies it has, whether to repair the roof or pay for heating. And the dioceses abound in luxury and demand the latter from a poor rural priest.

Arguments of those who support trade in the temple

Many priests say: “The fact of prices in the temple has already existed for many, many years, and did not interfere with the salvation of people. It happens that they baptize a child and feel sorry for donating, but they spend more than one thousand on festivities, and they spend on vodka at burials in order to commemorate them. Such priests simply justify themselves, accusing others saying “what do you judge us, you look at others”, but this sin does not cease to be a sin, we will not be able to justify ourselves at the Last Judgment with the words: “Lord, we are not the worst, there are worse than us »

Others say: “The Church needs to live on something, pay salaries, utilities, etc.” To this we say in the words of Christ: « Why are you so fearful of little faith?», after all, the church existed for centuries without prices for services and trade, and the Lord took care of her, will he really leave her now? God is always and everywhere the same, only our faith is different. And if you honestly look at the income of the temple and its expenses for salaries, utilities, etc. - then they will differ significantly. And even if not, the Lord will not leave. Here it is appropriate to recall the words of Patriarch Alexy II “Despite the church need, it is necessary to find such forms of accepting donations that will not give the impression to those who come to the temple that there is a store of spiritual goods and everything is sold for money.” (Diocesan meeting 1997).

I will give one example. My priest friend had prices in the temple, and the income of the temple was 1000 gr. in a month, when he removed the prices, although in such a situation it seemed crazy, income increased 4 times, you only need to trust God and not be ashamed. Moreover, the Lord soon sent a sponsor, and the temple was painted in 40 days.

Others try to justify the prices for the requirements with the words of an. Paul: " Worthy presbyters should be given double honor, especially those who labor in word and doctrine. For the Scripture says: do not stop the mouth of the threshing ox; and: the worker is worthy of his reward»(). But, firstly, it is said here that the reward of elders is honor, not money. Secondly, in order to better understand this verse, let's turn to the ancient church monument of the early 2nd century - the Didache: “ let the apostle take nothing but bread, as much as is needed to the place of lodging for the night, but if he demands silver, he is a false prophet” (Didache 11:6). And further: " But a false prophet is every prophet who teaches the truth, if he does not do what he teaches, ... But if anyone in the Spirit says: Give me silver or something else, you should not listen to him ”(Didache 11:10, 12). Yes, it is worth saying that the Didache says that one must take care of teachers and prophets, give them from the firstfruits of the fields, flocks, clothes and silver, but this donation must be voluntary, and not established or forced. If teachers or prophets require or assign a sum of donations, then they are false teachers and false prophets.

And some say this: “It is almost impossible to correlate the episode with the expulsion of merchants from the temple with modern church shops, because. in the gospel story we are talking about a completely different situation, because in modern churches there are no currency exchange operations and the sale of livestock. Let us note that in the church canons and in their interpretation by the holy fathers, any trade and any purchase and sale in the temple is prohibited.

There are those who claim the following: "The purchase of candles behind a candle box is a form of donation for the needs of the temple." These words are lies and slyness, because donation cannot be fixed, but must be only voluntary. And it turns out that if a person does not have enough money for a candle, then he will not be able to put it on.

Others say: “As for the Church Sacraments and rites, only the recommended amount of donation can be indicated on them, and for the poor, the priest is obliged to perform the rites for free.” But, firstly, how many cases there were, I was personally told that priests refused to perform rites for free. Secondly, few people out of shame will be able to admit that they are poor, and therefore they will infringe on themselves in everything just to pay the specified amount. And thirdly, the canons forbid even indicating the approximate amount of the donation.

Question about tithing

Now they often talk, especially priests, about collecting tithes (a tenth of all income) from parishioners. But on what basis? After all, this is a ritual prescription Old Testament was canceled in the New Testament at the Apostolic Council of 51 years (), and also see (), (), (), because no one now observes all 613 ritual commandments of Moses, on the contrary, ap. Paul wrote more than once in his epistles that he did not burden anyone with anything: “ We were looking for you, not yours “But now, on the contrary, the main thing is to pay for baptism, funeral, notes, etc., and then what happens to these people, why they no longer come to the temple after baptism, this is secondary. One can only guess who benefits from promoting the doctrine of tithing in the church.

In no canons, ancient manuscripts of the first Christians, works of the holy fathers, we find the doctrine of tithing, on the contrary, many times it is said about voluntary donation. Let me remind you of the words about donations to the temple: “Everyone monthly, or whenever he wants, contributes a certain moderate amount, as much as he can and as much as he wants, because no one is forced, but brings voluntarily.” So, the first Christians did not have any tithe, and each donated as much as he wanted without coercion.

In the 39th word of St. John Chrysostom there is approval to give tithes to the poor, widows and orphans. And there is not a word about paying tithing for the church. Moreover, Christians have not even heard of the temple tithe. In this conversation, Chrysostom says: “And someone said to me with surprise: “So-and-so pays a tithe!” Let us note that the interlocutor of the saint surprised when he found out that someone was paying tithing. If Christians paid tithes for the temple, he wouldn't be surprised! So, tithes did not exist in the time of Chrysostom.

Another argument that Christians never had to pay tithing. If the tithe had been established by the apostles in the Church, then it would have been preserved in at least one of the local Churches, and since we do not find this, it means that it never existed.

There is an opinion that the tithe church in Kyiv was proof of the existence of tithes in Russia, they say, because it is called tithes because it was supported by tithes from income. And that the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich showed an example of paying tithes for a church. But the tithe church is not proof, since the annals do not mention the reason for its name, and the tithe of Prince Vladimir is a hypothesis of historians. You can come up with other hypotheses. But even if everything was just so, then it was the voluntary will of the prince, which cannot be the rule for everyone. After all, if some saint was a monk, this does not mean that all Christians should be monks.

Some say, “Tithing, if done right, is good practice. All the requirements for those who pay it are free. This is ideal – and people learn to separate a small part from themselves for God, and questions do not arise for the Church.” But there is slyness in these words, because all the requirements should be free of charge. The Church for two thousand years did not know the tithe and did not force anyone to donate. And it is necessary to teach people to separate a part from themselves for God by preaching and by their own example.

How things should be

What does the New Testament say about church donation: Each give according to the disposition of the heart, not with grief and not with compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.()". This means that donations should be voluntary, not established. Christ did not forbid the apostles to carry the donation box that Judas Iscariot carried. Elsewhere we read how Jesus sat near the Jewish temple and watched people throw their money into the temple carnival. He did not condemn this donation, but on the contrary, he praised the poor widow who gave everything she had, all her livelihood. In every temple there is a box for donations there and people should throw as much as they want and do it in secret, so that only God knows who put in how much, so that the commandment would not be violated: “Let your charity be in secret, and God, seeing the secret, will reward you openly.” It is not necessary to give money into the hands of the priests, because then this commandment is violated, and almsgiving is no longer secret. True, there are situations when the priest performed the rite outside the church, and people want to thank him here and now, then the priest can accept alms in his hands. But this is more the exception than the rule. Ideally, the donation should be taken to the temple where the priest you want to thank serves.

Patriarch Alexy II also spoke about the fact that there should be no trade in the sacraments in the temple, but only a voluntary donation: “In some Moscow churches, the “fee” for making trebs has been canceled. The person sitting behind the box explains to those who come that there is a sacrifice for the temple, which everyone makes according to their ability, and this sacrifice is accepted with joy. This experience, based on pre-revolutionary practice, is quite worthy of imitation” (Diocesan Assembly 2003).

Let us now turn to the question of the sustenance of the priesthood. The power of the apostles is equal to that of the high priests, and the Lord said to Aaron: all the first products of their land that they bring to the Lord, may they be yours (). Ap. Paul says “If we have sown spiritual things in you, how great is it if we reap what is corporeal from you? If others have power over you, do we not more? However, we did not use this authority, but we endure everything, so as not to put any obstacle to the gospel of Christ.(). In the other place: " We did not eat bread for free from anyone, but we were engaged in labor and work night and day, so as not to burden any of you - not because we do not have power, but to give ourselves to you as a model for us to follow.» (). Don't you know that the priests are nourished from the sanctuary? That those who serve the altar take a share of the altar? So the Lord commanded those who preach the Gospel to live from the gospel (). Instructed by the word, share all good things with the instructor (). Or... do we not have the power not to work? What warrior ever serves on his payroll? Who, having planted vines, does not eat of their fruit? Who, while shepherding the flock, does not eat milk from the flock? (6-7)". In the Gospel, the Lord gave the command to his disciples: “Stay in that house, eat and drink what they have, for the worker is worthy of his reward for his labors ... and if you come to any city and receive you, eat what they offer you, for the worker is worthy of food”(, ). « Wives served Christ with their property "(). " I caused costs to other churches, receiving from them maintenance for serving you ... my lack was made up for by the brothers who came from Macedonia ”(). From the quotations above, we see that priests are entitled to some share of church donations, but how much? This already determines the highest hierarchy and the conscience of the priests themselves. But knowing our power and right, we should not carelessly forget the words of the holy Apostle Paul, who warns us not to be a temptation to others: Being careful not to be reproached by anyone with such an abundance of offerings entrusted to our service; for we strive for good, not only before the Lord, but also before people». ()

Unfortunately, rich priests justify their luxury with their “right”, and do not even want to think about how this interferes with the work of preaching, and how many people, because of their greed, bypass the church and go to death. Here, a clear example, in the city of Boguslav, Kyiv region, there are two churches, one of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the other - schismatic, "Kyiv". And so, in the temple of the Moscow Patriarchate, prices for trebs are set and trade is conducted, and in the temple of the “Kyiv Patriarchate” there are no prices for trebs and candles. Many, as they themselves told me, moved from the canonical church of the Moscow Patriarchate to the “Kyiv” one for this reason alone. And who will answer for these souls?

The priest should be an example and not a temptation

The Holy Apostle Peter writes: I implore your shepherds, co-pastor and witness of the sufferings of Christ and partner in the glory that must be revealed: shepherd God's flock, which is yours, overseeing it not under compulsion, but willingly and pleasing to God, not for vile self-interest, but out of zeal, and not dominating over the heritage of God, but setting an example for the flock…”(). From these words it is clear that the main task of the shepherd is to be a leader and an example for his flock. You don’t need to look for any material benefit from your parishioners, but take care more about their salvation, look at people through the eyes of Christ, and make every effort to save those for whom you will have to answer at the Last Judgment. How the apostles did it: We do not stumble anyone in anything, so that service is not reproached, but in everything we show ourselves as servants of God, in great patience, in calamities, in needs, in difficult circumstances, under blows, in prisons, in exiles, in labors. , in vigils, in fasting, in purity, in prudence, in magnanimity, in goodness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in the word of truth, in the power of God, with the weapon of truth in the right and left hand, in honor and dishonor, with censures and praises: we are revered as deceivers, but we are faithful; we are unknown, but we are recognized; we are reckoned dead, but behold, we are alive; we are punished, but we do not die; we are grieved, but we always rejoice; we are poor, but we enrich many; we have nothing, but we have everything.” ().

Unfortunately, there are priests who are far from such an ideal and instead of an example they have become a temptation for many, but one should not forget that “ woe to him through whom temptations come»(). Ap. Paul wrote: If I eat meat and it offends my brother, then I will not eat meat forever, for the Lord will ask me for the soul of a weak brother”(), so eating meat is not a sin, but the apostle is ready to refuse it if it tempts at least one, and how many souls are tempted by prices in the temple? How many people have left Orthodoxy, and how many do not even want to cross the threshold of the temple because of the trade in the church, and won't we priests give an answer to God for these souls of the weak brethren?

In a letter to Titus, the same apostle Paul writes: “In everything, show in yourself an example of good deeds ... so that the enemy would be put to shame, not having anything bad to say about us”(). And elsewhere: Give no offense to either Jews or Greeks or Church of God… ” () And how many sectarians and atheists are now accusing our church of the love of money and the luxury of the priesthood?

Patriarch Alexy II spoke about this more than once: “With a feeling of particular chagrin and grief, ordinary believers turn to Us about the price tags hung out in a number of churches for the performance of the Holy Mysteries and rites, as well as about refusals to perform them for a minimal fee ( for the poor). I would like to remind you that even at a time when the Church was under the control of specially created state structures, the temple administration did not allow itself to set prices for the performance of the Sacraments and rites. It is superfluous to talk about the non-canonicity of these deeds and about how many people our Church has lost and is losing because of this.

The most frequent are complaints about extortion in churches. In addition to paying for the church box, priests, deacons, singers, readers, bell ringers require an additional fee. And it is not surprising that people who are robbed in the church, in the future, bypass any Orthodox church” (Diocesan Assembly 2002).

Christ said: Can't serve God and mammon”, which is why now there is such a low spiritual level of the priesthood, there is no that grace of the early Christian period. And the words come true. Paul: " The root of all evil is the love of money».

I will also quote the words of the Lord from the prophet Ezek. 34:1-15 “And the word of the Lord came to me: son of man! prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who fed themselves! Shouldn't shepherds tend the flock? You ate fat and clothed yourself in a wave, you slaughtered the fattened sheep, but you did not herd the flocks. The weak were not strengthened, and the sick sheep were not healed, and the wounded were not bandaged, and the stolen were not returned, and the lost were not looked for, but they were ruled with violence and cruelty. And they were scattered without a shepherd, and scattered, they became food for every beast of the field. My sheep wander over all the mountains and over every high hill, and My sheep are scattered over all the face of the earth, and no one searches for them, and no one seeks them. Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. I live! says the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will seek My sheep out of their hand, and I will not give them any more to feed the sheep, and the shepherds will no longer feed themselves, and I will pluck My sheep out of their jaws, and they will not be their food. For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I myself will seek out my sheep and examine them. As a shepherd examines his flock on the day when he is among his scattered flock, so will I examine My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will feed My sheep, and I will give them rest, says the Lord God."

Isn't that what we see now, in our day? How some priests got rich on their sheep, they only shear their poor ones, but they don’t want to graze and take care of them. Many came to them with their problems, troubles, mental traumas, but alas, the priests did not care, they did not warm those who came to them with love and care, they did not even devote time to them. With their sinful life, cruelty and dominance, many were seduced and expelled from the church. How many people have gone into sects or lost their faith altogether. If a sheep leaves the flock, they do not look for it, but say: "God Himself will bring whoever is needed." Yes, the Lord will lead, but woe to those shepherds who did not themselves look for the lost. When some kind of grief happens to them, they do everything to solve it and do not say: “God Himself will decide everything”, as for the salvation of others - then they wash their hands.

The good shepherd leaves 99 not lost sheep and goes to look for one lost one. The priest must not only minister to those who are in the church, but go in search of the lost, go to missionary work. Unfortunately, this is almost non-existent. The priesthood separated from the people and hid behind high wall iconostasis. All they care about is temple income. Rectors of churches submit only financial reports to the deans, as if this is the most important activity in the parishes. People are less interested than money. What does the Lord say: "You cannot serve God and mammon." And the words of Christ come true: "When I come, will I find faith on earth."

What else does the Bible say in denunciation of the negligent priesthood: For the mouth of the priest must keep knowledge, and they seek the law from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you deviated from this path, for many you served as a stumbling block in the law, you destroyed the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts. Therefore I will also make you despised and humiliated before all the people, because you do not keep My ways, you show favoritism in the works of the law. (Malachi 2:7-9)" Indeed, the words of the prophet came true, many of the current shepherds have become a temptation for people with their luxury, love of money and many other offenses, which is why they are in “contempt and humiliation before all the people.”

In the work “Modern Practice of Orthodox Piety” there is a statement “The mockery and violence of the atheists cannot shake the faith. It will be shaken only by the unworthy deeds of believers” (I’ll add “and their shepherds” on my own behalf).

Examples of incomes that have abandoned prices

In Europe, there is no trade in churches, but in our country this reverent veneration of the house of God can be found much less often, but, thank God, there are such examples. Here are some of them.

In Ukraine, in the Khmelnitsky region, Archpriest Mikhail Varakhoba decided that not only candles, but also sacraments would be free for parishioners.

Here is what he himself says: “Not everyone supported me at the beginning. After my blessing to remove the prices, my mother and the cashier stood in front of me like that, folding their hands crosswise, and they say: “What is it that you, father, came up with this?”.

On the same day the first christening. From the same house, two families simultaneously decided to christen children. People are not poor. After the baptism, a representative of the family comes up to me and asks what happened to them. “If you want to donate something, it's up to you,” I tell them. “But we have decided not to charge for the ordinances.”

They go to the cashier, she voiced the same thing, so they donated 20 hryvnia, they didn’t even pay the cost of the crosses.

I say to my mother: “It's nothing. The Lord is merciful, He will give everything that we need. We leave the temple, a girl runs towards us, her father (a local businessman) was taken to intensive care, asking to pray.

We went back to church with her, knelt down and prayed. Meanwhile, mother and the cashier are waiting in the porch. Having changed my clothes, I go out to them from the altar, and they lowered their heads. I ask, what kind of grief happened to them during this time? And they answer puzzled like this: “The daughter donated ten thousand for a seriously ill father.” Well, this is how many christenings she "paid" for?

Over time, we realized that this is how it should be. We need to remove the price tags. God will never allow His House to be unfinished. Indeed, it happens that nine people do not sacrifice anything, and the tenth will come and cover everything with his sacrifice.

In vain they say that nothing can be done without money. Yes, it really will not work if you put them in the first place. And if we are guided by the words “Not to us, not to us, Lord, but to Your name…”, then everything will work out.”

And now the example of Archpriest Mikhail Pitnitsky, rector of the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in Severodonetsk.

Father Mikhail says: “After we removed prices from the temple, the income of the temple tripled. In our temple there are candles, small books, icons - everything is free, take what you want, the donation is voluntary. Also notes, magpies, requiems, etc. All requirements are also for a voluntary donation.

And we keep the temple and the choir and the workers, and the painting was done, and the well was drilled, and slowly we buy everything for the temple, I choose not expensive, cheaper, without luxury. And so can others, only you need to choose either "the commandments of Christ Jesus or the bread of taste."

A week after the removal of the price tags, one person comes in and was very surprised at the lack of prices and asked what we need, what we dream about. I replied that I would like to paint the temple, but there are no funds. He replied: "Paint, I'll pay." And if we "traded", we would never allow ourselves such a luxury. With faith, everything is possible."

Here is another examplepriestValeria Logacheva. Father Valery says: “I have had to give explanations to criticism about my attitude to the prices of trebes more than once. More than once I had to listen to such accusations of hypocrisy, “unmercenary” (this has become a curse in our Church, as I understand it?), etc. Therefore, I had to conduct some research to confirm my position.

I have been serving since 1998. Until 2010, I was rector of the Intercession parish with. Kardailovo. All the years of my rectorship in the parish there were no prices for trebs; when performing trebs in the villages, I never asked for a certain amount, I always relied on the will of God. When they asked me how much to pay, I always answered - how much you think is necessary. Often in poor families, after performing the rites, he tried to simply leave before they tried to give something.

Once, at a meeting of the Tashli deanery, the dean demanded that I introduce prices, but I refused even under the threat of reprimands, and at the request of the dean, I wrote a letter in which I substantiated my understanding. I understand this: I must serve God in good conscience, and the Lord, through the parishioners, will reward me with what I need for life. "Search first for the kingdom of God, and all the rest will be added to you." They say that if you do not set prices in the city, they will steal everything. There is an example: Preobrazhensky parish in the city of Orsk, Orenburg region. Starting from scratch to rebuild the ruined temple, Fr. Oleg Toporov did not set prices on principle - and this is in a city that was considered gangster in our region. And as a result, the temple was rebuilt in record time, the church was full of parishioners, and relations in the parish are not like in the household service - i.e. “Pay - I will serve”, namely church ones - I serve God from the bottom of my heart, and the Lord rewards me as He sees fit. Now about. Oleg serves in the village of Zaporizhzhya Krasnodar Territory. I was visiting him. The picture is the same there: in a village with a population of over one thousand, a large and beautiful temple was built in record time, which can accommodate almost half of the village. It's about. Oleg supported me during a difficult period, when the local priests wrote complaints to the bishop and deans that I was “beating off their CLIENTS” by not setting prices (that’s what they wrote in the complaints!). There are no CLIENTS in the Church. They are only in the household service.

Active Orthodox Christian Svyatoslav Milyutin, head of several Orthodox websites, said: “When we held Orthodox exhibitions-fairs in Khanty-Mansiysk in 2008, the ever-memorable Patriarch Alexy II issued a decree that there should be no price tags at Orthodox exhibitions-fairs, but there should be inscriptions” for a voluntary donation. And, for example, when I visited an Orthodox exhibition-fair in Perm in August 2008, the administrators there strictly demanded that all participants replace the price tags of treb, candles, and books with “voluntary donation” signs based on this decree. So, if replacing price tags in churches with signs “for voluntary donation” is a good practice and blessed by the decree of the patriarch, then why not spread it more widely, to all churches?

The modern Elder Schemagumen Joseph (Belitsky) (1960-2012), who throughout his priestly life made "proofreadings" of the possessed, stood for the fact that there would be no price tags in the church, and everyone donated as much as he could. The elder was persecuted many times, went from one monastery to another, wore chains of 12 kg.

What we can do

What can we do? If you are a priest or a bishop, then remove the prices from the temple, just remove the price tags. And to all questions, how much it costs, to have only one answer: "There are no prices, only a voluntary donation according to your capabilities and desire." If you are a layman, ask the rector of the church where you go to gather the parish meeting, that is, all the parishioners. Such a meeting, according to the charter of our church, should meet at least once a year, as often as possible. So, having asked the meeting of parishioners according to the charter, not to tell the rector the reason, but already at the meeting, to sound out to everyone the canons and the teaching of the holy fathers on prices in the temple. And let the decision be made by all parishioners. The abbot will be bound by the decision of the majority. If the rector persists and proves that the parish cannot exist without trade, then demand that the rector comply with the church charter according to the church budget, namely, full control over the finances of the auditing commission, and not the rector (see the charter of the ROC, chapter 16, paragraphs 55-59). Make an experiment, refuse price tags and introduce a voluntary donation. Donation boxes (carnivals) should be sealed and the keys to them should be kept by one of the members of the r revision commission without the keys to the temple. Carnivales can be opened once a month or more often in the presence of the rector and the entire parish council. Write down the amount in a special notebook - "income of the temple." Keep the money in a church safe or, in extreme cases, with the rector. But, in order to have full control over the income and expenses of the temple, auditing commission. It is important that the abbot cannot hide the true amount of income. After living like this for a month or more, it will be seen whether the parish can exist without trade.

If you fail, then your very attempt will be counted by God and the sin of an accomplice and indifferent to you will not be.

Let me remind you of the words of Blessing. , which we cited above regarding trade in the temple: "The Lord considers both those who sell and those who buy equally criminal." So, do not think to justify yourself that this does not concern you or this is not your sin, if you buy, then you become guilty of sinful bargaining. Therefore, if you are afraid to make every effort to clear the temple of trade, then at least do not participate in it. For "simple" notes, as a rule, prices are not set, and submit them by making a voluntary donation to the carnival. If you want to buy something, then you can do it via the Internet or in the market, if you want to put a candle, then buy a package of candles in the market and come to the temple with them, the package will last you for a long time. And, as for candles, do not forget the words of Patriarch Alexy II: “Pleasing God is not at all in burning candles in the temple. There are no concepts of “candle for health” and “candle for repose” in the Church, no matter how scary it is to lose part of the income from the sale of candles.” (Diocesan meeting 2001)

From the reports of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia at the Diocesan Meetings of the City of Moscow (excerpts)

Beloved in the Lord, brother archpastors, all-honorable fathers, monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!

The life of the Church, like the life of every person, is a book sealed with seven seals. They write in this “book of life” or simply leave their autograph in it, and the person himself - with his thoughts and deeds, and many other people whom he meets on his life path, and the Lord God, and holy angels. These Scriptures are often mysterious and obscure, but according to His philanthropic Providence, the Lord never leaves a person in ignorance to the end. At the time pleasing to the Lord, when a person is ripe for understanding, God, through ongoing events and phenomena, “removes the seals”, reveals the hidden and, as it were, says: Go, look and understand everything that has happened and everything that is happening (). And then it becomes obvious and clear that the right hand of God always lies on all the events and phenomena of our life.

The Lord placed us as witnesses and participants in many events in the life of our Church, especially in recent decades. We try to remember good and constructive, creative events, glorify God for them and thank the good people whose labors they were accomplished.

We also should not keep silent about the negative phenomena that sadden us, but speak about them frankly in order to get rid of, overcome the existing shortcomings and vices. It is more useful for us Christians to talk about our shortcomings than to trumpet in the squares about our perfections and virtues - God knows about them. Therefore, today, with anxiety and sadness, again, as in previous years, I will talk more about our problems.

The pernicious influence of secularism is also noticeable among the clergy, and modern pastors are not always strong in spirit in order to resist its onslaught. In part, this is a sad legacy of the God-fighting time that our Church experienced in the 20th century.

Modern pastors are the heirs of the clergy, whose formation took place in the period 1960-1970. The experience of church life of that time is very complex and ambiguous, and, unfortunately, borrowing from the experienced clergy external manners and traditions of service, young clergy do not always perceive the spiritual burning and prayerfulness that accompanied the service of that time.

An alarming sign of the secularization of the Orthodox consciousness, the belittling of churchness, spiritual blindness is the ever-increasing commercialization of many aspects of parish life. Material interest is increasingly coming to the fore, obscuring and killing everything living and spiritual. Often churches, like commercial firms, sell "church services."

Let me give you a few negative examples. In some churches there is an unspoken fee for a drink after Communion, for the consecration of a car. This also applies to the consecration of shops, banks, cottages, apartments. The number of names in memorial notes is limited (from 5 to 10 names in one note). In order to commemorate all relatives, parishioners have to write two or three or more notes and pay separately for each. What is this if not hidden extortion.

During not only the Great, but also all other fasts, weekly general unctions are held. This is most often dictated not by the spiritual needs of the parishioners, but by the thirst for additional income. In order to have more people, they gather not only the sick, which is provided for by the rite of the Sacrament of the Unction, but everyone in a row, including small children.

Covetousness, love of money is a terrible sin, inevitably leading to godlessness. The greedy man always turns his back to God, and his face to money. For those infected with this passion, money becomes a real god, an idol to which all thoughts, feelings and actions are subject.

In many temples there is a certain “price list”, and you can order any kind of requirement only by paying the amount indicated in it. Thus, there is open trade in the temple, only instead of the usual one, “spiritual goods” are sold, that is, I’m not afraid to say it straight out, the grace of God. At the same time, they refer to the texts of Holy Scripture that the worker is worthy of food, that priests eat from the altar, etc. But at the same time, an unscrupulous substitution is made, since the Holy Scripture speaks of the food that is made up of the voluntary donations of the believing people, and never and nowhere does it speak of "spiritual trading". On the contrary, our Lord Jesus Christ clearly says: Tune, give, Tune (). And the Apostle Paul worked and did not even take donations, so as not to put obstacles to the gospel preaching.

Nothing drives people away from faith so much as the greed of priests and church attendants. It is not in vain that the love of money is called a vile, murderous passion, a Judaic betrayal of God, an infernal sin. The Savior drove the merchants out of the Jerusalem temple with a whip, and we will be forced to do the same with the merchants of holiness.

Reading the memoirs of our Russian émigré priests who ended up abroad after the revolution, you are amazed at their faith and patience. Being in a beggarly state, they considered it morally inadmissible for themselves to take payment for performing divine services or services from people like them, poor people. They took civilian jobs and earned their living by doing so. They considered it a great honor to perform divine services.

Today, our clergy is by no means in a beggarly state, although, perhaps, rather modestly. Orthodox people will never leave him without a reward - sometimes they will give him the last.

Abuses, extortion of donations, unfortunately, took place in the life of the clergy even before the revolution. This is what created the image of a greedy, money-loving priest, despised by the working people, that people who at the same time touchingly loved their disinterested shepherds and was ready to share with them all sorrows and persecutions.

The current practice of "church trade" arose after 1961, when control over the material condition of the temple was completely transferred to the "executive body", whose composition was formed by the authorities. These times, fortunately, have passed, but the evil habit of "trading" trebs has remained.

The clergy involved in social service know the poverty in which a significant part of our people lives now. And when a person is asked why he does not go to church, he often answers: “If you go to church, you have to light a candle, submit notes, serve a prayer service, and you have to pay for all this. And I have no money - barely enough for bread. It’s my conscience that won’t let me go to church.” This is the sad reality of our days. In this way, we are losing to the Church many people who could be its full members.

In recent years, with Our blessing, dozens of missionary trips have been made to various dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, including very remote ones. Almost everywhere they stated the existence of significant distrust and even prejudice towards the Orthodox clergy. Very often, in response to the call to be baptized, people did not respond at first. It turns out that they were sure that the visiting clergy wanted to "earn extra money", they came to collect money. When the error was found out, and they were convinced that the missionaries were baptizing and serving for free, there were crowds of people who wanted to be baptized, confess, receive communion, confer or get married. There are many cases when people are baptized by the hundreds, right in the river, just as it was during the Baptism of Russia.

Interestingly, in response to the question: “Why don’t you go to the priests who serve nearby?”, The answer is often given: “We don’t trust them!” And this is not surprising. If in the villages of Karelia Orthodox priests demand 500 rubles from the common people for each person being baptized, and there are many Protestant missionaries nearby, who always and everywhere not only baptize for free, but also give the people plentiful gifts, then is it possible to be surprised that the people go to Protestants?

We are aware of numerous cases when local priests and even ruling bishops do not agree to accept missionaries in their districts because they will baptize for free and spoil, so to speak, the market, undermine the economic well-being of the diocese. Is it possible in our time, when the Lord, through the prayers of the New Martyrs, granted us freedom, forget our missionary duty? When will we become missionaries, if not now, after many decades of persecution from militant atheism, which has given rise to generations of people who know nothing about God? When will we start preaching the word of God, if not now, at the moment when our people are perishing from immorality, alcoholism, drugs, fornication, venality and greed?

In response to the disinterested, selfless feat of the priest-pastor, the grateful people themselves will bring him everything he needs and in quantities much larger than the mercenary "trade" in his temple, turned into a trading shop. The people will help the reverent priest, in whom he recognizes a loving father, to repair the temple. The Lord will send him good donors and helpers, and through him he will convert to the faith and save thousands of people.

More than once we had to speak at the Diocesan meetings of the clergy of the city of Moscow about the undesirability of charging any fee for the fulfillment of requirements. First of all, this concerns the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism or Communion at home. This does not mean at all that the work of the priest will remain unrewarded, however, the voluntary donation of the participants in the Sacrament should serve as a reward, but not a strictly defined payment of a bribe, according to the tariff established behind the candle box.

Therefore, we believe that it is unacceptable to charge any fee for the performance of the Sacraments, and especially for Holy Baptism, so as not to answer us at the Last Judgment for hindering the salvation of many people. At the same time, we can and must explain to people that churches are the property of all God's people, and therefore Christians must make all possible sacrifices for their repair and maintenance. But these explanations should not be annoying extortion of money, but only a kind fatherly explanation and reminder.

At present, the world has changed dramatically, new opportunities have opened up for the preaching of faith and the improvement of church life, but not all clergy were ready for this. Under the new conditions, the “unprofessionalism” of pastors brought up in the Soviet era is clearly visible. This often exacerbates existing shortcomings stemming from insufficient educational levels.

Some clergy show lukewarmness, an indifferent attitude to their duties, an unwillingness to follow the call of the Apostle Paul, inscribed on the priestly cross: Be faithful in word, life, faith, love and purity (). (Diocesan Assembly 2004).

Report to the Dean Priest Valery Logachev

Your Reverence! At a deanery meeting, I presented my views on pricing in the parish. As per your instructions, I will put it in writing. The first reason for my not fixing prices for trebs in the parish is the Gospel of Matthew, ch.10, 7-10.

Other grounds - not canceled yet (or am I wrong?) Charter of Spiritual Consistories Art. 184, “On the positions of parish presbyters”, paragraph 89, as well as the IVth Ecumenical Council, rule 23, the Highest approved rules of March 24, 1878, Decree of the Holy Synod of December 11, 1886, Instruction to the deans, paragraph 28, who threaten to ban presbyters, extorting payment for the requirements. In addition, this issue is quite well covered in the courses of pastoral theology by Met. and Protopresbyter Georgy Shavelsky, “Words on the Priesthood” and John Chrysostom, as well as in the brochures “On Pastoring and False Pastoring” and “Where the Church Gets Money” by Deacon A. Kuraev, published with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy.

The saint removed from the parish and defrocked priests who set prices for trebs.

As far as I know, the setting of prices for trebes was demanded by the Soviet authorities during the years of persecution, knowing full well that such setting of prices is contrary to the spirit and letter of the Church, like the Body of Christ, and therefore contributes to the collapse of the Church. Today there is no Soviet power and persecution, which means that everything that was introduced in those years by the godless authorities to humiliate the Church should be eradicated.

During my ordination, my confessor explained the verse () to me like this: I received the grace of the priesthood for free, therefore, I have no right to trade it. This, in my understanding, means that I have no right to demand any payment in advance (and after) when I perform actions related to the grace of the priesthood, i.e. in the performance of official duties. All I can get is voluntary donations, the amount of which depends entirely on the will of the parishioners. This makes me treat my official duties and the whole priestly life with the greatest responsibility, because. at the slightest discrepancy between my actions and my sermon, the parishioners will instantly feel the lie, and I simply won’t be able to feed my family, which, by the way, happened to my predecessor in the parish. How can I talk about non-possessiveness and love for my neighbor, demanding from him (the neighbor) the last ten for the baptism of a child, a funeral service or the consecration of a house? If a person comes to the temple, he first of all looks at the price of the request, and if the price does not correspond to his capabilities, he will leave, condemning the priest (and not the council of the parish or the dean who set the price). I was taught that if, due to the negligence or greed of a priest in a parish, a Christian dies without communion, the mortal sin falls on the priest. Often, it is the price that is an obstacle for the family to call the clergyman to the sick.

Over the years of my service in the parish, the correctness of this position was fully confirmed: the parish was absolutely ruined, the attitude towards the priest was sharply negative, there were no funds. Years have passed - you saw the result yourself. People go to the temple, the library has started working, youth and children are attending the services, we are restoring the temple practically without outside funds, and we are also developing start-up parishes in four neighboring villages, we are holding wonderful holidays in our country and in the villages. People treat a priest not as a mercenary from the household service, but really as a servant of God and a father, knowing that the priest at any time of the day or night will go to fulfill any requirement and will not ask for anything for it, but in a poor family he will also give what can. Seeing such an attitude, people are ready to give the last. And in the end - I do not take a salary from the parish, but parishioners provide my family with everything necessary - from food to clothing - completely voluntarily and without the slightest reminder, and of course, without price lists. My family and I treat any donor not as a debtor, but as a benefactor, considering ourselves unworthy of such victims. When it was necessary to collect potatoes to pay for the frames for the church, the whole village responded, we gathered almost 4 tons of potatoes in a week and paid off the craftsmen. If you need money for a temple, some donate not only their pensions, but also their savings. And further. The pastor is the father of the parish. Can a father demand money from children for raising them, and can children leave their father sire and barefoot and without a roof over their heads? Probably they can, but this happens with bad parents who do not think about children and do not love them. Well, if the father is bad - a drunkard, a miser, a wicked one, then the children will not be better (what a pop ...). But in this case, the father will answer not only for his sins, but also for the children he has corrupted.

Forgive me, Reverend Father, I would like to say a lot on this subject, since I have thought about it a lot. But, as I was convinced, the priest brothers take some statements to heart and are offended, although I personally did not invent or reinterpret any of the above, all this is in Scripture, in St. Fathers, the canons of the Church in the textbooks of psychology and pastoral theology. Unfortunately, our Church is becoming more and more worldly, and the former father-brotherly relations are increasingly moving into the category of commodity-money. Instead of the church “I serve - the Lord will repay” - the principle of “pay - I will serve”, i.e. household services, or funeral services.

Based on the foregoing, I think you understand that in my actions there is no intention of infringing on the interests of neighboring parishes. I do not accept the principle of competition (merchant), but I try to act only for the good of the Kingdom of Heaven, to which I am called. So, for example, if a person comes and does not have the opportunity to donate something, and this greatly confuses him, I always say: when there is money, put as much as you see fit in a mug in any church, and we are evenly matched ...

If, for example, my parishioners, due to my negligence or other reasons, go to another parish for the correction of their needs, I, on the one hand, will be happy for the parishioners that they have at least one step closer to the Kingdom, I am glad for a fellow priest that he found an approach to to people different from mine, and on the other hand, I will start looking for mistakes in my ministry and will think about how to improve it.

I think it follows from this that people who come to me from other parishes are not attracted by the lack of price as such, because according to our observations, they put sums in the mug for trebes, often many times higher than the prices for the corresponding trebs in neighboring parishes, and they also pay for transport. Rather, they are attracted by a somewhat warmer attitude. For example, at baptism we almost always have a choir (2-4 people), I always hold small categorical conversations, in the course of the sacrament I explain almost all my actions, their meaning, at the end I always give parting words to new converts and godparents, often give literature if available, we enter the day of the angel in the baptismal certificates, explain how to celebrate it, etc. If elderly, infirm people come, for example, to perform a funeral service or confess, we will definitely take them to a stop by car, put them on a bus, but if there is no transport, then we will take them to the regional center or another village, without requiring any payment. After long festive services, I take the elderly parishioners who live far away home in my car. We have repeatedly seen that the Lord in such cases repays a hundredfold.

Not only am I sure, but I know that practically none of this is done in a parish whose rector complains about my supposedly unauthorized actions. Unfortunately, visitors often motivate their visit to us with rudeness and some other features of the rector's character, which you seem to have already had the opportunity to get acquainted with.

In addition, the division of villages you have made on a territorial basis leads to negative consequences, first of all, for the parishioners. For example, before the parishioners of "my" villages, in case I could not come to the funeral service, they did the funeral service in absentia and ordered magpies and commemorations in the district center, because. it is much more convenient for them to get to the district center than to our village - collective farm buses regularly go to the district center. I did not (and do not have) anything against such a situation. But now, according to your decision, Father A. will be obliged to send them to me, which will lead to unnecessary spending of money on already poor people and an increase in their dissatisfaction with church orders and, again, Fr. BUT.

I reported my opinion on the issues raised at the meeting. I hope that my point of view will be understood by you. If in these matters I sin in something against Holy Scripture, Tradition, the canons of the Church, please correct me. Maybe, I'm just not aware, and the Patriarch issued other circulars or documents requiring the fixing of prices in parishes. In this case, please let me know where I can find and read them so that I can correct my point of view and not deviate from the fullness of the Church.