Orders and robes of Orthodox priests and monasticism

Until relatively recently, Orthodox nuns and monks frightened children and drew caricatures of them in Soviet magazines, and the majority of the Russian population imagined them in the form of not very neat old men and women with half-crazy eyes and in greasy cassocks. But after the opening of monasteries in the early 90s, the situation changed: monks of a new generation began to flock to monasteries, and we saw that an Orthodox monk is not a marginalized person who sees no other way for existence other than a dependent one, but one who has voluntarily renounced the world for the sake of curbing one's own passions. Church tradition tells that monasticism is a very ancient form of salvation. Already at the dawn of Christianity, many believers went into the desert in order to protect themselves as much as possible from communication with the world, from its temptations and sins. Later, hermits began to gather in male and female communities - it was safer and more profitable from an economic point of view.

In Rus', the first Orthodox monks, and after them nuns, appeared in the 11th century, along with Christianity, and over time, Russian monasteries became centers of not only the spiritual, but also the cultural life of society.

Who are Orthodox monks?

Today, no one is surprised to meet people in long black vestments and hoodies on their heads on the street. And how can we be surprised when several thousand Orthodox monasteries have already been opened in Russia today? Orthodox nuns and monks enjoy special love, of course, among believers. Even with a superficial acquaintance, it becomes clear that these are often very educated, well-read people, and the monastic path is their conscious choice, for the sake of which they abandoned many worldly goods, such as family, children, career, and various pleasures. Why did they have to go to the monastery? When a person asks this question, it immediately becomes clear that he is very far from Orthodoxy, because in his understanding a monastery is a kind of punishment.

In fact, contrary to the widespread stereotype, they become Orthodox monks and nuns not out of unhappy love, but so that nothing vain interferes with getting closer to God.

With all due respect to the saving path of the laity, Orthodox monks quite rightly claim that family man It is impossible to achieve the same level of self-improvement as a monastic - after all, he is burdened with many responsibilities: feeding, raising, clothing children, pleasing his spouse, and, let’s not hide, a huge number of everyday trifles.

How do Orthodox nuns and monks live?

However, one should not idealize the living conditions of monastics: they also do not exist in the most comfortable conditions for salvation. The life of an Orthodox monk is constant work, prayer, fasting, and the complete curbing of one’s will through absolute and unquestioning obedience to one’s confessor, as well as to the abbot of the monastery and, in general, to the entire elder brethren. To test whether a person is capable of carrying out such a difficult feat, he is first accepted into obedience without tonsure and given the opportunity to taste all the “joys” of monastic life. If the novice remains firm in his decision, he is first cut into monastic rank, during which the tonsured person takes vows of non-covetousness and fasting. Then, after a few months, or even years, the monk is tonsured an Orthodox monk, with more serious vows: celibacy and unquestioning obedience, while the tonsured person’s name is changed as a sign of a complete change in life. And only many years later, usually just before death, can an Orthodox monk be worthy of receiving the highest

After seventy years of persecution of the church in our country, not only churches, but also monasteries began to be revived. All more people turn to faith as the only means of finding peace of mind. And some of them choose spiritual achievement and monasticism, preferring the monastery cell to the bustle of life. In the ordinary understanding, a monk is a monk. But in the Orthodox, a person who only accepts monasticism. He is dressed like a monk, but can live outside the walls of the monastery and has not yet taken the monastic vow.

Degrees in Orthodox monasticism

Monks and nuns go through a number of stages throughout their lives - degrees of monasticism. Those who have not yet finally chosen the path of monasticism, but live and work in the monastery, are called workers or laborers. A laborer who has received a blessing to wear a cassock and a scufa and has decided to remain in the monastery forever is called a novice. A cassock novice becomes one who has received the blessing to wear monastic clothes - a cassock, hood, kamilavka and rosary.

Then the ryassophore novice, who has made a firm decision to become a monk, takes monastic tonsure as a ryassophore. A monk is a monk who has undergone the ritual of symbolically cutting his hair and has been given a new name in honor of his heavenly patron. The next stage is the adoption of the small schema or small angelic image. At the same time, the monk undergoes the rite of monastic or mantle tonsure, takes vows of renunciation of the world and obedience, changing the name of the heavenly patron and blessing of monastic robes. The final rite of acceptance of the great angelic image or great schema includes the repetition of the same vows, a symbolic cutting of the hair, and another change in the name of the heavenly patron.

Monasticism as a degree of monasticism

“Monk” is a word that was formed from the Old Russian “in”, which means “alone, lonely, hermit.” This is what Chernets monks were called in Rus'. Currently, in the Orthodox Church, monks are not called monks who have already accepted the small or great schema, but monks who wear a cassock, those who are just awaiting tonsure, the final acceptance of all vows and the naming of a new name. Thus, here a monk is like a beginning monk, and monasticism is a preparatory stage before the tonsure of the mantle. According to the canons Orthodox Church tonsure as a monk can only be done with the blessing of the bishop. Many nuns spend their entire lives in this monastic degree, without taking the next one.

Monk's vow

A person who takes monasticism makes special vows - obligations before God to fulfill and observe the Law of God, church canons and monastic rules for life. After passing the tests - temptations - the degrees of monasticism begin. They differ not only in monastic robes and different rules behavior, but also the number of vows that are given before God.

The three main ones that are given by ryassophore novices upon entering the monastic degree are the vows of obedience, non-covetousness and chastity.

The basis of monasticism, the great virtue, is obedience. A monk is obliged to renounce his thoughts and will and act only according to the instructions of his spiritual father. The vow of non-covetousness is an obligation to live according to God's commandments, endure all the difficulties of monastic life, and also renounce all earthly goods. Chastity, as the fullness of wisdom, represents not only the overcoming of carnal desires, but also spiritual perfections, their achievement, constant abiding of the mind and heart in God. The soul must be chaste for the sake of pure prayer and continuous abiding in Divine love.

A person who has embarked on the path of monasticism must renounce everything worldly in order to develop the power of spiritual life and fulfill the will of his mentors. Renunciation of the old name, renunciation of property, voluntary martyrdom, life in hardship and hard work far from the world - all these indispensable conditions must be met by the monk for the further acceptance of angelic images.

The editors of the Pravoslavie.Ru website continue to publish diplomas of graduates of Sretensky Theological Seminary, which began several years ago. Diplomas of graduates of previous years: Hieromonk John (Ludishchev), Yuri Filippov, Maxim Yanyshevsky and others, who raised important problems for our time and were written with the use of archival materials, aroused great interest among readers of the site. The series of publications of diplomas of SDS graduates is continued by the work of Hierodeacon Nikon (Gorokhov), a 2009 graduate, resident of the Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersk Monastery, “Entering Monasticism and Exiting It” ( scientific adviser- Archpriest Vladislav Tsypin), dedicated to extremely relevant and topical problems of modern church life. At the same time, the author in his work not only relies on the works of the Church Fathers, canonical decrees and studies on the history of the Church, but also takes into account the rich experience of the elders and confessors Pskov-Pechersk Monastery, the entire structure of monastic life in it.

There is probably not a single person who does not know or see monks, who does not encounter them in churches, monasteries or in everyday life. Many have monks as relatives, and even more people have confessors or simply acquaintances among monastics. Outer side The activities of the monks, thanks to the media, are quite well known, but some aspect of their life remains completely unknown in the world. This gives rise to either riddles, or common conjectures, or implausible stories.

The opening of many new monasteries and farmsteads in Russia over the past 20 years has led to the fact that these monasteries began to quickly fill with monks and nuns, which in itself is very gratifying. But, on the other hand, premature tonsures, ill-considered entry into monasticism, the real difficulties of reviving monasteries and an acute shortage of experienced confessors led to the fact that monastic monasteries began to quickly fill with inhabitants who were random and poorly prepared. Many took monastic vows thoughtlessly, without calculating their strength, without testing themselves, without reasoning, trusting in fleeting feelings or the persuasion of strangers, and in general, as it turned out, by mistake. This immediately affected the spiritual level of modern Russian monasteries.

Such omissions were not in vain. Many of the monks began to leave the walls of the monasteries and return to the world, completely neglecting the previously given vows. Unfortunately, this process continues to this day. That is why the purpose of this work, in addition to its historical and canonical aspects, is also to help those entering monasticism determine their life path, and remind everyone who accepts monasticism of the high responsibility that they take upon themselves.

Formation of the monastic tradition

What is monasticism, monk, monastery? Every person has to face these questions. But different people form completely different, sometimes opposing, opinions about monasticism. These ideas depend on many factors: on religious beliefs and position in society, on education and upbringing, on everyday and religious experience, etc. In photographs, from the pages of magazines and newspapers, from television and cinema screens, the faces of monks flicker every now and then, on the Internet you can find sites dedicated to monasteries and monastics, and, finally, there is a rich patristic writing, where almost everything is said about monasticism, but the trouble is The problem is that most people don’t have enough time for deep research.

The common man, of course, is content with what the media offers him, and sometimes believes that he already knows everything or almost everything about monasticism. Much less common are thoughtful people who begin to read books and special literature on monasticism. And even rarer are those who research the topic to the end, to the primary sources, to the very basics. Usually these people are either the monks themselves, or specialists in the field of monastic writing, church history and culture.

The Holy Fathers call monasticism the science of sciences. Does this mean that monasticism is some kind of secret knowledge, that is, a special kind of science that is taught in monasteries? Or should this expression be understood allegorically? It all depends on who will speak. If a Protestant theologian talks about monasticism and completely denies its value, then we will hear one judgment, but if a person talks about it, he himself past the path monk, then we will hear something completely different.

When equating monastic work with the highest creativity or with a special kind of science, the holy fathers were not mistaken. Because monastic work relates to the most intimate, most important and beautiful thing that is in a person - to his soul. And not only to the soul, but also to the entire composition of man: the education of the spirit, the purification of the soul and the asceticism of the body. In a word, to the transformation of the whole person, or, as the holy fathers said, to his “deification.”

Who are monks? If we give a definition based on one name, it will mean: a person living alone. But such a definition does not mean anything, because there are many people who live alone, but, alas, there are no monks. The word "monk" contains more than just the life of a solitary person. Here, for example, is what St. John Climacus says: monks are those who are called to imitate life ethereal forces, these are those who in all actions must be guided by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures, these are those who must constantly force themselves to every good deed, these are those who must keep their feelings from sinful impressions, and their minds from sinful thoughts. Of course, this enumeration cannot exhaust all ideas about monasticism.

“Those who attempt to ascend to heaven with their body truly require extreme compulsion and incessant sorrow. For labor, truly labor, and great hidden sorrow are inevitable in this feat, especially for the careless.” The Monk John Climacus, the author of a famous book on monasticism, warns the frivolous against rashly entering the monastic path, which he calls cruel and narrow, because those who enter this path seem to plunge themselves into the fire of unforeseen sorrows and temptations. It is better for the weak not to follow this path, otherwise they can suffer greatly, even to the point of death, and instead of benefiting, receive harm: “All those who approach this good deed, cruel and difficult, but also easy, should know that they have come to be thrown into the fire, unless they want an immaterial fire to take possession of them. Therefore, let everyone tempt himself and then eat from the bread of the monastic life, which is with a bitter potion, and let him drink from this cup, which is with tears: let him not fight against himself. If not everyone who is baptized will be saved, then... I will remain silent about what follows.”

A monk is a warrior of the Heavenly King who fights on the front line and, one might say, in the vanguard. It is impossible to retreat, to leave the field - especially: behind - God and the Kingdom of Heaven, ahead - hordes of invisible enemies and a mortal battle, the length of the battle is a lifetime, at the beginning - renunciation of the world, in the middle - a feat, at the end - a reward or disgrace. “Monasticism is the assumption of lifelong torment, the perception of the consciousness of a martyr, which, of course, rejoices in the struggle and is never satisfied with what has been achieved.” This is what the path of monastic life is.

These are just allegories, but in life everything is much simpler and more imperceptible, but at the same time more complex. Real monastic life can be very different from what you can read about in books, and everyone who wants to follow this thorny path should definitely know about this.

Most often it happens that modern man who comes to the monastery is shocked by the difference that arises between the ideas that have formed about monasticism in his head and the reality that he actually sees: “People often came to the monastery, shocked by something, who did not get along with the surrounding world, tired of life's struggles and hardships, disappointed, looking for consolation, peace and spiritual freedom. But when the monastery gates closed behind them, most often they found neither one nor the other, nor the third. For a person, remaining a person, brought his weaknesses and imperfections with him to the monastery... And in the monasteries life went on as usual, very different from secular life, but not in everything coinciding with the ideals of monastic service.” Unfortunately, modern monasticism is far from the ideal of monastic life, but modern youth are not Anthony and Pachomius, not Sergius and not Seraphim. As the famous proverb says: “As the world is, so is the monastery.”

This work is intended, rather, to sober up the frivolous part of young people who strive to find a simple way out of their problems in monasticism, or that part of them who, having not found a use for themselves in the world, thinks to find it in a monastery. For true monasticism a vocation is necessary. For only “he who is able to contain, let him contain.”

Foundations of the monastic lifestyle

It is necessary to say a few words about the reasons for the emergence of monasticism in the Orthodox Church. From church history it is known that monasticism as an institution did not arise immediately after the preaching of the Savior, although it is recognized as indisputable that the institution of virgins, which preceded monasticism, arose simultaneously with the Church itself. It was in the mouth of the Divine Teacher that words sounded that predicted the phenomenon in the Church that was to appear in the future: « For there are eunuchs who were born like this from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who are castrated from people; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven. He who can contain it, let him contain it" (Matthew 19:12) . Of the three types of eunuchs (people deprived of the ability to bear children) listed by the Savior, the last, in the opinion of the holy fathers, indicates monasticism. Thus, monasticism is that type of people who take upon themselves voluntary virginity (abstinence from marital cohabitation) for the sake of acquiring the Kingdom of Heaven.

Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow in “Rules for the improvement of monastic brotherhoods of Moscow stauropegial monasteries” points to the Holy Scripture as the only and absolute basis for monastic vows:

1. one who takes a vow of obedience and renunciation of his own will and his own wisdom must base it on the word of the Lord: “Then Jesus said to His disciples: If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew .26:24);

2. one who takes a vow of chastity must heed the word of Christ: “He who is able to contain, let him contain” (Matthew 19: 12.) - and the word of the Apostle: “He who is not married cares for the Lord, how he may please the Lord.” (1 Cor. 7:32);

3. The one who takes a vow of non-covetousness must be confirmed in the word of Christ: “Jesus said to him: if you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give it to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me” (Matthew 19:21).

Saint Philaret was not the first to claim that this way of life is based on Holy Scripture. For example, Saint Basil the Great, when he was looking for an example of a perfect gospel life, he concluded that it was actually a monastic life. Saint Ignatius of Caucasus made the same conclusions: “The fulfillment of the Gospel commandments has always been and is now the essence of monastic work and residence”; “true Christianity and true monasticism lies in the fulfillment of the Gospel commandments. Where this fulfillment does not exist, there is neither Christianity nor monasticism, whatever the appearance." And here are the words of St. Macarius of Optina: “What does monasticism mean? The fulfillment of Christianity, which consists in fulfilling the commandments of God, is also the love of God: if anyone loves Me, he will keep My word (John 14:23), said the Lord.” Or here is the opinion of the rector of the Athonite monastery of Simonopetra, Archimandrite Emilian, our contemporary: “The monastic community is the most vivid embodiment of evangelical perfection, achieved through renunciation of everything, daily erection of one’s cross and following the Lord. First of all, such a community is a search for the Kingdom of God, and everything else will be added from God.”

The Tradition of the Orthodox Church includes the holy Forerunner of the Lord John, the holy prophet of God Elijah, the holy apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, and the Most Pure Virgin Mother of God among the founders of monasticism. For Christians they have been and will be examples of complete dedication to God.

But as a mass phenomenon, with its own rules, orders and a very special philosophy of life, monasticism appeared at the end of the 3rd - beginning of the 4th centuries. Until this time, the Church knew only isolated cases of asceticism, when, out of a desire for perfection, some Christians took vows of virginity or voluntary poverty, and some devoted their lives to unceasing prayer or all kinds of abstinence. Such ascetics were called ascetics. Over time, such ascetics became more and more numerous, but they were still quite scattered., but they spent their lives among fellow believers and did not form separate communities, did not go into the desert

Reasons for the emergence of monasticism

Various reasons contributed to the emergence of monastic communities. Some historians, for example, even name the very persecutions that befell the Church by the pagan authorities. In particular, the persecution that began under the Roman Emperor Decius (249-251). It prompted many to flee to desert places, including ascetics. These ascetics who remained to live in the desert began to be called anchorites, or heremits. Soon the persecution ended, and Emperor Constantine the Great came to power in Rome, who declared freedom of religion for all religions on the territory of the Roman Empire (Edict of Milan; 313) and, first of all, for Christians. "After a long struggle with the Church, the empire finally capitulated". And by the end of the 4th century, Christianity was finally established as the official religion of the Roman Empire.

But the main impetus for the emergence and development of such a strange and unusual community as monasticism became was not persecution, but just the opposite - the sudden peace and prosperity of the Church. The mass monastic movement arose as a reaction to the secularization of the Church and church society.

Many pagans flowed into the Church, which began to be filled with neophytes. If by the arrival of Constantine the Great the number of inhabitants of the empire who professed Christianity, according to modern historians, ranged from 7 to 10% of the total population of the empire, then by the end of the 4th century there were already more than 50%. Many became loyal to Orthodoxy, looking at the emperor, and some came to the Church for selfish (opportunistic) reasons, for a speedy career advancement. The empire, however, continued to live its usual life, which meant that many pagan customs continued to exist. For example, horse racing was often held in stadiums, and theatrical performances in amphitheaters, the authors of which were pagans. Various festivals in honor of numerous pagan gods amused and entertained the population of the empire. The Olympic Games and other sports and other competitions enjoyed universal respect. For example, participation in esoteric mysteries or in solemn processions accompanying some pagan cults was considered honorable. In some intellectual centers of the empire, pagan schools continued to function, in which pagan philosophical teachings were taught, and among the common people many rituals and superstitions were preserved, which were very poorly combined with a pure Christian life .

Kinovia - an ideal Christian hostel

With the massive arrival of pagans in the Church, morals in Christian communities began to decline, and as a reaction to this secularization, the opposite process began to occur - the separation and isolation of communities of ascetics who desired moral perfection. “Ascetics began to move away from cities and villages to desert places and forests”. This is how the first monasteries and monastic communities began to form.

“At its origin, monasticism was not an official church institution, but a spontaneous movement, an impulse, and it was precisely lay movement “,” emphasizes Archpriest Georgy Florovsky in his work “Empire and Desert”. It was the laity who longed for the fulfillment of Christian ideals on earth and did not want to put up with the licentiousness of morals within Christian communities; it was they who, by leaving for the desert, wanted to emphasize the idea of ​​the otherworldliness of the Church, relying on the words of the Apostle Paul: “We are not imams of the city that abides here, but we seek the one to come.” (Heb. 13:14).

The Monk John Cassian the Roman describes the formation of the first cenobitic monasteries from the words of Abba Piammon (in his 18th interview “On the Three Ancient Kinds of Monks,” Chapter 5): “So, the kind of life of the Cenobites began from the time of the apostolic sermon. For such were the whole multitude of believers in Jerusalem.” . The Monk Piammon believes that the formation of cenobitic monasteries was modeled on the first Christian community that arose in Jerusalem during the time of the apostles. He says that over time, after the death of the apostles, gradually the first zeal among Christians began to disappear, and it was replaced by coldness and indifference, but not everyone wanted to be like that. Those who wanted to live according to the Gospel and not make any concessions to the world, gradually began to move further and further into deserted places and form hostels similar to the early Christian community. Communities of such zealous Christians began to be called konovii, and their inhabitants - konovites .

The ideas of the emergence of such communities as the “early Christian community” and as a “strict cenobitic monastery” were absolutely the same, because the life of all members of the community was built exclusively on the Gospel commandments, but the historical origin of the cenovites was somewhat different from that of the early Christian community. However, we can assume that both were the result of God’s Providence.

Founders of Eastern and Western monasticism

The flourishing of monasticism occurred almost simultaneously in Egypt, Syria and Palestine. In all three named areas, monasticism arose independently of each other, but Egyptian monasticism is considered the oldest. The founder of Egyptian monasticism is considered Venerable Anthony the Great. As early as 285, he withdrew into the depths of the desert to Mount Colisma. In Thebaid, he “founded the monastery of Pisper and a number of other monastic settlements, which continue to exist after his blessed death.” Another strong center of monastic life formed in the Nitrian desert. Its true founder should be considered the Venerable Ammonius of Nitria, who came to this place around 320. Not far from the Nitrian Mountain there was a desert called “Cells”, where Macarius of Alexandria (city) labored, and even further from the Nitrian Mountain there was the “Skeet” desert, founded by the Monk Macarius the Great (of Egypt) in 330. Around the same time (c. 323-324) Venerable Pachomius the Great founded the first communal monastery in a place called Tavennisi, on the banks of the Nile River, in its middle course. In Palestine the founders of monasticism were Venerable Chariton the Confessor- builder of the Faran Lavra (330s) and St. Hilarion the Great - builder of the Lavra at Mayum (338). In Syria - Venerable James of Nizibia and his student Venerable Ephraim the Syrian.

The rules of monastic life came to the West thanks to the activities of the Monk Benedict of Nursia, who founded a cenobitic monastery near Naples with a charter similar to the charter of the Monk Pachomius the Great. He adapted the rules of the Egyptian monks for Italian monasticism. Monasticism found favorable soil here and began to develop rapidly. Several more daughter monasteries branched off from the main monastery of St. Benedict . The monasteries that arose in the Western provinces of the Roman Empire took as their model the statutes brought to Rome by the Venerable John Cassian, and these were the famous statutes of the Pachomian monasteries.

The appearance of the first monastic rules

Monasticism, which originated in the earliest period of Christian history, had no statutes. It was born, as it were, intuitively from the Gospel commandments and from fiery love for Christ. The first monks were burned by zeal for piety, and they had absolutely no need for written regulations. Each of the ascetics was his own charter. But over time, jealousy weakened, and the number of monks grew.

When monasticism greatly increased in number and became a massive new phenomenon in the Roman Empire, then the imperial administration had a need to regulate the lives of such a large number of people (the inhabitants of many Egyptian monasteries numbered in the thousands), living according to different laws than the majority of the inhabitants of the Empire lived. These laws began to appear from the pens of emperors, but this began to happen much later - somewhere in the 6th century.

Initially, the monastics themselves began to develop certain rules, which they considered necessary to maintain order in their ever-increasing ranks.

The name of St. Anthony the Great is associated with the rules developed by the monk for his monks and the so-called “Spiritual Instructions.” They were first published in 1646 by the Western scientist Abraham of Angelen. For this work, the author chose from these rules those that relate to entering (and leaving) monasticism. For example, canon XV, as edited by Abraham of Angelenos, states the following: “If temptation occurs because of any young man who has not yet put on the monastic robe, then do not put on him; he should be thrown out of the monastery.” The expression (“do not clothe”) is addressed to the abbot of the monastery, who alone has the power to admit or refuse admission to the monastery. The abbot had every right to expel from the monastery those who gave rise to temptation. Since the moral level of monasticism at that time was very high, the requirements for candidates were very high.

Monastic robes could be worn by anyone who wanted to live like a monk at his own discretion, using the choice of clothing, cut and color to match those clothes that were accepted in a particular monastery. And this is not surprising for hermit monasticism, because it recognizes a significant degree of freedom for the ascetic from external forms and restrictions. However, freedom should be understood only in the direction of greater asceticism, and not in the direction of excesses and indulgences of the flesh.

“Anyone who entered the monastery of St. Anthony could take off his secular clothes and replace them with monastic ones, but he could also ask the abbot of the monastery to clothe him in monastic clothes, if a greater religious uplift in the person accepting monasticism depended on this participation of the abbot.”

At the monastery of St. Anthony, the monks wore their own special attire, which distinguished them from the laity. “They put it on when entering the monastery as monks who had irrevocably renounced the world and forever decided to connect their lives with the monastery. They were deprived of their monastic robes when, for one reason or another, they had to return to the world." Such simple rules receptions to the monastery of the Monk Anthony existed first in oral tradition or in oral tradition, and then, after the death of the founder of monasticism, they were committed to writing and came down to us.

Consent to be accepted into the ranks of the monastery brethren was determined by the abbot solely according to his own conviction as to whether the famous person was capable of leading an ascetic lifestyle or not. From the life of St. Paul the Simple, one can see how easy the test was during admission to the monastery under St. Anthony. “Antony did all this in order to test Paul’s patience and obedience. And he did not grumble at all about this, but with zeal and diligence he carried out all the commands of Anthony. Finally, Anthony became convinced of Paul’s ability to live in the desert and said to him: “Now you have already become a monk in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Paul began to asceticize not far from the Monk Anthony. He did not pronounce any solemn vows.

No hair cutting, no solemn vows, no solemn renunciation of the world, no change of name and dress were required of the first monks. All that was needed was firm determination, confirmed by deeds. The very first difference between monks and clergy and laity was, of course, their way of life. Very soon differences in clothing appeared. Thus, from the life of the Monk Pachomius, we see how at the beginning Abba Palamon did not want to accept him as his disciple, citing his youth and the difficulties of asceticism, but when he was convinced of the firmness of Pachomius’s intentions to follow the monastic way of life in everything, he accepted him into his disciples and immediately changed his clothes from secular to monastic: “And from then on, driven by love for God, I sought (how) to become a monk. And when they told him about a hermit named Palamon, he came to him to lead a solitary life with him. And when he got there, he knocked on the door. Palamon did not want to take Pachomius, but after he firmly stated: “I believe that with God’s help and your prayers I will endure everything that you told me,” Palamon opened the door of his cell and let Pachomius in and immediately put on his him monastic robes . The Arabic version of the life says in this place that Palamon tested Pachomius for three months before putting him in monastic robes (τό σχήμα τών μοναχών).” It is difficult to say exactly what this clothing was, but one must think that Saint Pachomius, when he became the abbot of many monasteries, took as a model for the clothing of monks the clothes in which Abba Palamon himself dressed him.

Among the first to compile written rules of monastic life were St. Pachomius the Great and St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. These rules formed the basis of almost all subsequent monastic regulations. They have reached our time. And already in them we see how the issues of entering monasticism are resolved and how leaving it is sharply condemned.

If earlier, before the formation of the strict cenovic structure of monasteries, anyone could consider himself a monk if he lived in solitude and worked in piety, then with the emergence of community life, rituals appeared indicating that this or that person, entering the monastic brotherhood, was obliged to lead another Lifestyle. In order to somehow indicate this otherness, signs were established by which the life of a monk differed from life in the world. Firstly, these were internal regulations, which were called monastic vows, and secondly, external differences were also accepted (in clothing, food and behavior), distinguishing monks from the laity: //theolcom.ru/doc/sacradoc/4_08_Polskov. pdf.

Savva, Archbishop Tverskoy and Kashinsky . A collection of opinions and reviews of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, on educational and church-state issues. St. Petersburg, 1885. T. 3. P. 419.

Sagarda N.I. Lectures on patrolology of the 1st–4th centuries. M., 2004. P. 639.

Ignatius (Brianchaninov) , St. Collection of creations: In 6 volumes. T.4. An offering to modern monasticism. M., 2004. P. 71.

Macarius of Optina, Rev. Soulful teachings/ Comp. archim. John (Zakharchenko). M., 2006. P. 330.

Emilian, archim. Words and instructions. M., 2006. P. 205.

“This is quite clear to me from the fact that even the way of monastic life was unknown to the divine and holy apostles” (Rules of the Holy Ecumenical Councils with interpretations. Tutaev, 2001. Part 1. P. 698).

“All these hermits and even their communities, due to their small numbers and lack of popularity, for the most part did not completely break with the previous way of life and did not influence the development of worship” ( Skaballanovich M. Explanatory Typikon. M., 1995. P. 198).

“Before the Monk Anthony, hermits were not uncommon, but they labored near their villages, so that the monk did not yet know the great desert” (Ibid. p. 198).

Florovsky G., prot. Dogma and history. M., 1998. P. 262.

“Social life in the Roman Empire, full of pagan memories and customs, was especially dangerous for the salvation of the soul, therefore the zealots of Christian perfection retired to the desert and there founded a new community, completely Christian” ( Sidorov A.I. At the origins of the culture of holiness. Orthodox monasticism and asceticism in research and monuments: Monuments of ancient church ascetic and monastic writing. M., 2002. P.16).

Suvorov N. Church law course. Yaroslavl, 1890. T. 2. P. 366.

Florovsky G., prot. Dogma and history. P. 276.

“They... due to the severity of their lonely and secluded life, were called monks, living together. From this it followed that, based on their joint residence, they were called Cenobites, and their cells and residence were called Cenobites" ( John Cassian the Roman, Rev. Scriptures. M., 1993. P. 498).

"Across all the ancient Christendom monasticism spread from one common root, which is Egyptian monasticism" (see: Palmov N. Consecration into monasticism. Orders of monastic vows in the Greek Church. Kyiv, 1914) .

“In its homeland, in Egypt, monasticism arose first in the form of hermitic asceticism, and then appeared in the form of communal asceticism. Representatives of hermit monasticism were Rev. Pavel of Thebes and Rev. Anthony the Great" (See: Ibid.).

Sidorov A.I. At the origins of the culture of holiness. P. 17.

Right there. P. 18.

Right there. P. 19.

“The main founder of monastic life in the West was St. Benedict, Count of Nursia, who founded many monasteries, of which one, under the name of Monte Cassino, near Naples, was considered as the founder monastery and drew up the charter of the monastic community" ( Suvorov N. Church law course. P. 367) .

“They lived among the rest of the members of the Church, not having any special rights and obligations assigned to them by the Church and considering their lives only with those strict moral requirements that they set for themselves” (Ibid. p. 366) .

“Once it appeared, asceticism could not help but develop and grow not only in volume, but also in degree and strength” ( Skaballanovich M. Explanatory Typikon. P. 201) .

“This mountain was already densely populated by monks, for Palladium counts them as approx. 5000"; “in the city of Oxyrhynchus there were 20,000 nuns, in the city of Antinoe there were 12 women’s monasteries”; “this monastery, not mentioned in Greek sources, by the time of Shenoute’s death (466) had become one of the most famous and populous in Egypt: it had more than 2,000 inhabitants” ( Nikodim (Milos), ep. Orthodox church law. St. Petersburg, 1897. P. 652) .

Every Orthodox person meets with clergy who speak publicly or conduct services in church. At first glance, you can understand that each of them wears some special rank, because it’s not for nothing that they have differences in clothing: different colored robes, hats, some have jewelry made of precious stones, while others are more ascetic. But not everyone is given the ability to understand ranks. To find out the main ranks of clergy and monks, let's look at the ranks of the Orthodox Church in ascending order.

It should immediately be said that all ranks are divided into two categories:

1. Secular clergy. These include ministers who may have a family, wife and children.
2. Black clergy. These are those who accepted monasticism and renounced worldly life.

Secular clergy

The description of people who serve the Church and the Lord comes from Old Testament. The scripture says that before the birth of Christ, the prophet Moses appointed people who were supposed to communicate with God. It is with these people that today's hierarchy of ranks is associated.

Altar server (novice)

This person is a lay assistant to the clergy. His responsibilities include:

If necessary, a novice can ring bells and read prayers, but he is strictly forbidden to touch the throne and walk between the altar and the Royal Doors. The altar server wears the most ordinary clothes, with a surplice thrown over the top.

This person is not elevated to the rank of clergy. He must read prayers and words from scripture, interpret them to ordinary people and explain to children the basic rules of Christian life. For special zeal, the clergyman can ordain the psalmist as a subdeacon. From church clothes he is allowed to wear a cassock and a skufia (velvet cap).

This person also does not have holy orders. But he can wear a surplice and an orarion. If the bishop blesses him, then the subdeacon can touch the throne and enter through the Royal Doors into the altar. Most often, the subdeacon helps the priest perform the service. He washes his hands during services and gives him the necessary items (tricirium, ripids).

Church ranks of the Orthodox Church

All of the church ministers listed above are not clergy. These are simple peaceful people who want to get closer to the church and the Lord God. They are accepted into their positions only with the blessing of the priest. Let's start looking at the ecclesiastical ranks of the Orthodox Church from the lowest.

The position of deacon has remained unchanged since ancient times. He, as before, must help in worship, but he is prohibited from independently performing church services and representing the Church in society. His main responsibility is reading the Gospel. Currently, the need for the services of a deacon is no longer required, so their number in churches is steadily decreasing.

This is the most important deacon at a cathedral or church. Previously, this rank was received by a protodeacon, who was distinguished by his special zeal for service. To determine that this is a protodeacon, you should look at his vestments. If he wears an orarion with the words “Holy! Holy! Holy,” that means he’s the one in front of you. But at present, this rank is given only after a deacon has served in the church for at least 15–20 years.

It is these people who have a beautiful singing voice, know many psalms and prayers, and sing at various church services.

This word came to us from the Greek language and translated means “priest.” In the Orthodox Church this is the lowest rank of priest. The bishop gives him the following powers:

• perform divine services and other sacraments;
• bring teaching to people;
• conduct communion.

The priest is prohibited from consecrating antimensions and performing the sacrament of ordination of the priesthood. Instead of a hood, his head is covered with a kamilavka.

This rank is given as a reward for some merit. The archpriest is the most important among the priests and also the rector of the temple. During the performance of the sacraments, archpriests put on a chasuble and stole. Several archpriests can serve in one liturgical institution at once.

This rank is given only by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' as a reward for the kindest and most useful deeds that a person has done in favor of the Russian Orthodox Church. This is the highest rank in the white clergy. It will no longer be possible to earn a higher rank, since then there are ranks that are prohibited from starting a family.

Nevertheless, many, in order to get a promotion, leave worldly life, family, children and go into monastic life forever. In such families, the wife most often supports her husband and also goes to the monastery to take monastic vows.

Black clergy

It includes only those who have taken monastic vows. This hierarchy of ranks is more detailed than those who preferred family life monastic.

This is a monk who is a deacon. He helps clergy conduct sacraments and perform services. For example, he carries out the vessels necessary for rituals or makes prayer requests. The most senior hierodeacon is called "archdeacon."

This is a man who is a priest. He is allowed to perform various sacred sacraments. This rank can be received by priests from the white clergy who decided to become monks, and by those who have undergone consecration (giving a person the right to perform the sacraments).

This is the abbot or abbess of a Russian Orthodox monastery or temple. Previously, most often, this rank was given as a reward for services to the Russian Orthodox Church. But since 2011, the patriarch decided to grant this rank to any abbot of the monastery. During initiation, the abbot is given a staff with which he must walk around his domain.

This is one of the highest ranks in Orthodoxy. Upon receiving it, the clergyman is also awarded a miter. The archimandrite wears a black monastic robe, which distinguishes him from other monks by the fact that he has red tablets on him. If, in addition, the archimandrite is the rector of any temple or monastery, he has the right to carry a rod - a staff. He is supposed to be addressed as “Your Reverence.”

This rank belongs to the category of bishops. At their ordination, they received the highest grace of the Lord and therefore can perform any sacred rites, even ordain deacons. By church laws they have equal rights, the most senior is the archbishop. According to ancient tradition, only a bishop can bless the service with an antimis. This is a quadrangular scarf in which part of the relics of a saint is sewn.

This clergyman also controls and guards all monasteries and churches that are located on the territory of his diocese. The generally accepted address to a bishop is “Vladyka” or “Your Eminence.”

This is a high-ranking clergy or the highest title of bishop, the oldest on earth. He obeys only the patriarch. Differs from other dignitaries in the following details in clothing:

• has a blue robe (bishops have red ones);
• white hood with a cross trimmed precious stones(the rest have a black hood).

This rank is given for very high merits and is a badge of distinction.

The highest rank in the Orthodox Church, chief priest countries. The word itself combines two roots: “father” and “power”. He is elected at the Council of Bishops. This rank is for life; only in the rarest cases can it be deposed and excommunicated. When the place of the patriarch is empty, a locum tenens is appointed as a temporary executor, who does everything that the patriarch should do.

This position carries responsibility not only for itself, but also for the entire Orthodox people of the country.

The ranks in the Orthodox Church, in ascending order, have their own clear hierarchy. Despite the fact that we call many clergy “father,” every Orthodox Christian should know the main differences between dignitaries and positions.

We have already touched upon the topic of Orthodox monasticism more than once, publishing in our publication conversations with monastics about the essence of a renounced lifestyle, about the necessary virtues of a monk, and about the problems faced by inhabitants of modern monasteries. However, the conversation about monasticism always seems interesting to us - in view of the fact that each interlocutor shares not only thoughts and knowledge gleaned from books, but also his invaluable, unique, intimate experience of life in Christ. Therefore, we plan to continue to cover this topic in the hope that the publications will serve to strengthen and edify not only monastics, but also those who are still thinking about choosing a close and at the same time heavenly joyful monastic path in our time of chanting base values and freedom of vice.

Today we bring to our readers a conversation with monk Victor, a resident of one of the Russian monasteries.

- Father Victor, please tell us about monasticism. How and when did it arise, how did it develop?

According to Church Tradition, the first nun was Holy Mother of God. It is no coincidence that She appeared to many reverend Fathers in the form of an abbess. Her icon “Abbess of the Holy Mountain” is also known. She in Herself showed all subsequent monks and nuns a model, an ideal of monasticism. One of the first monks was Saint John the Baptist. Of course, he was not tonsured modern understanding, but it was he who set an example for all subsequent hermits, and we consider him our patron.

And the hermit monasticism that we now know arose in the first centuries of Christianity. Fleeing from pagan persecution, Christians, as Christ commanded, hid in the mountains and deserts. It was from their midst that the Monk Paul of Thebes, the senior contemporary of the Monk Anthony the Great, emerged.

The Monk Pachomius the Great is the founder of cenobitic monasticism. One day an Angel of the Lord appeared to him and gave him a detailed charter for monastic life. Therefore, it is no coincidence that monasticism is called the angelic life.

-Who is a monk, and who can become one?

Venerable John Climacus says: “ A monk is one who, being clothed in a material and mortal body, imitates the life and state of the bodiless. A monk is one who adheres only to God’s words and commandments in all times, places, and deeds. The monk is the ever-present compulsion of nature and the unflagging preservation of feelings. A monk is one who has a purified body, clean lips and an enlightened mind. A monk is one who, while grieving and sick in soul, always remembers and reflects on death, both in sleep and in vigil." These words complement Venerable Macarius Optinsky, who teaches that “the image of monasticism is the image of humility.” A Reverend Ambrose Optinsky said this: “ Monasticism is bliss" So, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, a monk is the fulfiller of all the commandments of God and, first of all, the commandments of humility.

Any Orthodox Christian who is free from marriage and has a calling from God to do so can become a monk.

- Why do people go to monasteries?

Exist different reasons, according to which a person can go to a monastery, but not all of them are equal in the eyes of God. Some become monks out of love for God, for the sake of achieving spiritual perfection. Others - to bring active repentance for previously committed sins. " All who have diligently abandoned the things of life, - says the Monk John Climacus, - without a doubt, they did this either for the sake of the future kingdom, or because of the multitude of their sins, or out of love for God. If they did not have any of these intentions, then their removal from the world was reckless. However, our good hero is waiting to see what the end of their course will be.”

- What is the main work of an Orthodox monk?

The main activity of a monk is certainly the Jesus Prayer. Venerable Seraphim of Sarov said: “A monk who does not have the Jesus Prayer is a burnt brand.” And the Monk Barsanuphius of Optina once said to his disciple the Monk Nikon: “The enemy will give you everything - hieromonasticism, abbotship, and even the patriarchate, but he will not give you the Jesus Prayer. So he hates her.”

But the main duty of all monastics is to firmly guard the purity of Orthodoxy. For without true faith, no virtues will save a person and will not be able to bring him spiritual perfection. In the Lives we see that the Holy Fathers - hesychasts, hermits, hermits - when necessary, left prayerful solitude and went to the cities to defend Orthodoxy. We read about this in the lives of Saints Anthony the Great, Theodosius the Great, Maximus the Confessor, Joseph of Volotsk, Saints Gregory Palamas, Mark of Ephesus, Gennady of Novgorod and many others.

From here the saying of our great contemporary, the blessed elder Archimandrite Gabriel of Tbilisi, becomes clear: “A monk must roar like a lion for Orthodoxy.”

- What are the features of Russian monasticism?

In general, Russian monasticism is the same as Jerusalem, Serbian, Georgian or Athos. There are no fundamental differences. We are one brotherhood in Christ. But, of course, over the centuries of the existence of Orthodoxy in Rus', our people introduced some features of their character into monasticism. For example, it more clearly expresses the desire to preserve the integrity of the faith. This distinctive feature intensified the persecution of the Church in the twentieth century. In addition, since Moscow is the Third Rome, i.e. guardian of Orthodoxy in the universe and from the 15th century Russian Tsars became the main guardians of purity Orthodox faith, then Russian monasticism did not focus exclusively on prayer, but under certain conditions tried to influence state affairs. For example, when the heresy of the Judaizers captured the capital city, the Monk Joseph of Volotsky considered it his duty to rebel against it, and for twenty years he waged this struggle. In his monastery, he trained zealous guardians and defenders of Orthodoxy for the cathedral departments.

- Are there any significant differences between female and male monasticism?

There is no significant difference between male and female monasticism. The Lord said: All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew or Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:27-28). But there are some peculiarities in the spiritual education and growth of monks and nuns. Accordingly, they leave an imprint on the monastic structure of male and female monasteries.

- What can you say about modern monasticism? How does a monk in Russia of the 21st century differ from the ancient monastics who lived at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century (before revolutionary events)? To what extent have monastic traditions, rules, and spirit been preserved after the 70th anniversary of atheism? Can we say that monasticism is being revived today?

Of course there is a difference. The Father of modern monasticism, Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), wrote about this in the middle of the 19th century. Firstly, in ancient times people were much stronger spiritually and physically. Modern man, in comparison with them, is weak in both flesh and spirit. This cannot but affect monasticism, because a monk does not “fly” to the monastery from heaven, but comes there from modern world and carries within itself features characteristic of our time and society.

Another point is the extreme impoverishment of spiritual mentors. This was felt already in the 19th century, but especially in our time. For example, before the revolution, such centers of eldership still existed as Sarov, Optina Pustyn, Valaam, Glinskaya Pustyn, Diveevo. In these monasteries there were real leaders in spiritual life, and the traditions of eldership were passed on from the elder to his disciple. But in the twentieth century, the spiritual outposts of eldership were destroyed, and to this day Russian monasticism has not yet been able to overcome the consequences of these destructions and the decades of atheism that followed them. Now the eldership has been preserved, perhaps, only in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and even in Pochaev. From convents can be called Svyato-Bogolyubsky. But still, Russian monasticism is being revived. Some elders who survived the years of persecution were able to pass on the precious, unique experience of martyrdom, confession and asceticism to the next generation of monastics.

- What, in your opinion, are the main problems of modern monasticism?

Probably one of the main problems is the lack of a living example. Another difficulty is the implicit, hidden persecution of the Church and Orthodox monasticism. It seems to many unchurched people, and even churchgoers, that there are no persecutions or oppressions now, they are in full swing restoration work, churches and monasteries are being restored, the golden age of Orthodoxy has arrived in our Fatherland. The Church speaks openly in the media and on the Internet. No one is being imprisoned in prisons or camps yet and we are not being shot yet. This creates the illusion of rebirth. But if you dig deeper, it becomes obvious that true monasticism is already being persecuted. As an example, we can point to Elder Peter (Kucher). He went through Khrushchev’s persecution, and in our time he had to experience persecution from the globalists who staged a provocation for him in the media.

Or - Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov). Just as in the 70s he was expelled from the Lavra for fighting against the heresy of ecumenism, so he still wanders “in the mountains and dens.” But it is they, these elders, who show us an example of perseverance and firmness in enduring sorrows and trials. After all, despite all the persecution and persecution, they did not deviate either into heresy or schism.

- What is monastic tonsure? What degrees are there? How much do people change after tonsure, and what does this depend on?

Many saints call monastic tonsure the second Baptism. To a person who takes monastic vows, the Lord forgives all the sins of his previous life and imparts spiritual strength to the feat of Christ. Spiritual growth monkhood occurs in accordance with the following degrees: novice, novice novice or monk, monk, schemamonk. When tonsured, a monk adds vows of chastity, obedience and non-covetousness to the vows of Baptism.

But tonsure does not act “automatically.” Of course, sins are forgiven, strength is given, but if a person is relaxed, if he himself does not make efforts to achieve feats, to fight passions, to acquire virtues, then very quickly new sins and passions come to replace the old ones, and for such a monk it happens that “the last is worse than the first.” "

- Please tell us about prayer. Is continuous prayer a monastic vow? What is the role of mental prayer in modern monasteries? Are there many monks today engaged in smart work? What is this connected with?

In the rite of tonsure there is a moment when the monk is given a rosary with the words “Take, brother, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.” At the same time, he is commanded to constantly pray in his mind and heart. From this it is clear that doing the Jesus Prayer is truly a monk’s vow. And in ancient times, monastic degrees were given to ascetics according to their growth in the Jesus Prayer. For example, ascetics who achieved mental prayer were tonsured into the minor schema. Into the Great Schema - monks who have acquired mental-heart prayer. But if we now apply this principle, then there will be very few monks and schema-monks who meet these highest standards.

But although we are unworthy and have not succeeded in prayer, this does not negate the need to practice prayer. Moreover, the Jesus Prayer is beneficial for the ascetic even in its initial stage, when he does it with his mouth. In the legacy of the Monk Barsanuphius, the elder of Optina, such a case is described. “One day a schema-monk came to me,- says the Elder, - and said: “I am becoming despondent, Abba. For I wear a great angelic image, but have no works of it. After all, the Lord will strictly punish those who are monks or schema-monks only in name. But how to fix it? How to overcome sin within yourself?’” The elder answered him: “And you always read the Jesus Prayer and don’t worry about anything else”.“But what good does it do?”- asked the schema-monk. The monk explained: “Huge. He who continually prays the Jesus Prayer gradually overcomes passions and sooner or later he will be saved.”."Resurrected,- exclaimed the schema-monk, - I won’t be sad anymore.”. Therefore, even the spoken Jesus Prayer is saving. If a monk is meek, humble, patient, and kind, which is a great rarity in our time, then the Lord will grant him both mental and intelligent-heart prayer. He is the same now as in ancient times, only we often cannot, due to our extreme sinfulness and depravity, accept His gifts.

Interviewed Anna SAMSONOVA

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