Requirements for clergy. their rights and obligations. Profession Orthodox priest So, who serves in the temple

All persons who have assumed the clergy rank, in addition to acquiring grace-filled gifts for serving in the Church, are also endowed with certain rights and obligations in church-legal terms. A person who is in a sacred rank is surrounded by special reverence on the part of believers. But at the same time, one should not forget that the central Person in the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ (and the Holy Trinity as a whole). It is to the Most Holy Trinity that it is worthy to give the highest degree of worship.

The rights of the clergy

The whole system of rights for clergy took shape over many years after the birth of the Christian Church. Naturally, the development of the legal relations of the clergy was influenced by various historical epochs and those states in which the Orthodox Church existed.

1. The canons protect the inviolability of the person of a bishop with special prohibitions for those who encroach on it. Canon 3 of the Council of Hagia Sophia forbids a layman to raise his hand against a bishop under threat of anathema (church excommunication). According to the laws of the Byzantine Empire, and later the Russian state, insulting a clergyman while serving them was regarded as a qualified crime. Modern civil legislation does not provide for this privilege of the clergy, equalizing the rights of clergy and laity.

2. Both in Byzantium and in Russia, the clergy were often subject only to the ecclesiastical authorities (even in criminal cases). In the Russian state, this privilege was almost completely abolished during the era of the Holy Synod, and after the separation of the Church from the state, it was completely abolished. At the same time, it should be noted that according to the canons of the Church, any privilege can be used at any time if the laws of the state comply with it. It is important to understand that the Church stands above the state and therefore its canons are not subject to the trends of this or that historical epoch, or this or that political regime.

The clergy deserve special veneration within the Church. According to the tradition established in the Church, the laity, clergy and deacons ask for blessings from presbyters and bishops, and presbyters from bishops. In mutual relations between clergy, the privilege of honor belongs to the one who is in a higher rank of service. For clerics who are in the same sacred rank, according to the 97th canon of the Council of Carthage, the primacy of honor is determined by the eldership of consecration. This tradition has spread widely in Russia. With all this, it is worth noting that, according to the canons of the Church, lower clerics are forbidden to show respect to higher spiritual ranks through immoderate signs of respect that are contrary to the very spirit of Christianity. First of all, there should be simply a respectful and respectful attitude towards a person of a spiritual rank (highest rank).

Responsibilities of the Clergy

In addition to certain rights, clergy must also fulfill certain duties. These duties are connected with the way of their life and with the moral standards of behavior that they must observe. The basic rule of conduct for clergymen is the following: everything that is forbidden to be done by a candidate for the clergy is forbidden to be done by an already active clergyman.

All the rights of clergy are strictly regulated by various Church Councils and rules.

So, the 42nd and 43rd canons of the Holy Apostles are strictly forbidden for all church clergymen to indulge in wine drinking (drunkenness) and gambling. For violation of these rules, a clergyman may be defrocked.

Canon 62 of the Council of Trulli forbids clergy (as well as laymen) from participating in pagan festivities, dressing up as the opposite sex, and donning masks.

The 27th canon of the Holy Apostles forbids clergy to raise a hand against a person, even a delinquent.

A number of church canons forbid clerics from participating in certain reprehensible events, such as: horse racing and various "disgraceful games" (canon 24 of the Trullo Council), visiting drinking establishments (canon 54 of the Holy Apostles), arranging riotous feasts at home (canon 55 of the Laodicean Council), widowed or unmarried clerics - keeping outside women at home (canon 3 of the First Ecumenical Council), etc.

A number of canons are devoted to the appearance of a clergyman and are mandatory. So, according to the 27th rule of the Trullo Council, a clergyman is forbidden to dress in indecent clothes. This rule reads: “Let no one who is in the clergy put on indecent clothes, either while in the city or on the way; but let each of them use the garments already determined for those who are in the clergy. If anyone does this, let him be excommunicated from the priesthood for one week. Further, according to the 16th canon of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, clergymen are forbidden to walk in luxurious costumes: “All luxury and decoration of the body are alien to the priestly rank and state. For this reason, bishops or clerics who adorn themselves with bright and magnificent clothes, let them correct themselves. And if they remain in that, subject them to penance, who also use fragrant oils.

The Church takes seriously family life clergyman. Unmarried priests are prohibited from marrying. As the 26th Apostolic Canon says, “We command that of those who have entered the clergy, the celibate, those who wish, only readers and singers enter into marriage.” Canon 10 of the Council of Ancyra allowed deacons to marry even after ordination, but on condition that such an intention was announced to the bishop before ordination. However, Canon 6 of the Council of Trulli strictly forbade marriage not only for deacons, but even for subdeacons after their appointment. Clerical marriage must be strictly monogamous. The second marriage of widowed clergymen and clergymen is unconditionally prohibited. For a cleric, the so-called passive bigamy is also unacceptable. The 8th Canon of the Neo-Caesarean Council reads: “If the wife of a certain layman, having committed adultery, is openly convicted of that, then he cannot come into church service. If, after the ordination of her husband, she falls into adultery, then he must divorce her. If he cohabits, he cannot touch the service entrusted to him. If the violation of marital fidelity by the wife of a clergyman is incompatible with the priesthood, then the violation of it by the clergyman himself, as well as the fornication of a celibate clergyman, is all the more unacceptable.

In general, it should be noted that there are quite a lot of these rules and canons, but they are all aimed at achieving one result - preserving the purity of the priestly ministry and warning the laity from falling into various worldly temptations.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the rights and obligations of clergy in their participation in the divine services of the Church.

Deacon service is the initial stage of the priesthood in the Church. In this regard, the deacon, in many ways, is an assistant to higher priestly ranks in the performance of divine services. According to their original meaning, deacons serve at the Lord's Supper, that is, at the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. According to church canons, the deacon during the celebration of divine services is completely subordinate to the presbyter or bishop. The main functions of a deacon are: to prepare sacred vessels, to offer prayers both in private and in public, with the permission of the presbyter, to teach and instruct the laity in the faith, to interpret for them various places from Holy Scripture. A deacon does not have the right to perform any divine service without the participation of a presbyter or bishop, since he is, first of all, an assistant. It should also be noted that a deacon, without the blessing of a priest, cannot put on his vestments before the start of the service. Without a presbyterian or episcopal blessing, a deacon does not have the right to burn incense and pronounce litanies. As for marital status, a deacon can be married, but only once, and before the Sacrament of Hirotonia. This rule is connected with the fact that in the Sacrament of Consecration a person (candidate for clergy) enters into a spiritual marriage with the Christian flock.

The second, in terms of importance, place in the church hierarchy is occupied by presbyters. Presbyters also have their own specific rights and duties in the performance of divine services. The main rights of the presbyter are the ability to perform the following actions: the right to perform Church services and the Sacraments (except for the Sacrament of Consecration), to teach the faithful the pastoral blessing and to teach the laity the truths of the Christian faith. The priest receives all these rights from the bishop in the sacrament of ordination to presbyter. A presbyter who is under prohibition is deprived of the right to perform divine services. A presbyter who has been transferred to the clerkship, temporarily deprived of his rank or under prohibition, has no right to wear a cassock, other insignia of priestly distinction, a priestly cross, and also cannot bless the faithful.

The highest level of the priestly hierarchy is the episcopal office. According to the gifts of grace, all bishops are equal among themselves, i.e., all have the episcopal degree and are bishops, the sovereign distributors of gifts of grace, the first and main performers of divine services. Only the bishop, as the successor of the apostolic authority, has the right to celebrate the Sacrament of the Priesthood, to consecrate the chrism for the Sacrament of Chrismation, and the thrones or antimensions for the celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In his diocese, he has the right to appoint clergy and clergy to parishes and move them, as well as to reward or exact.

The bishop from the first centuries of Christianity was the head of the Christian community, as evidenced by the books of the New Testament (see Acts 20:28; 1 ​​Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:6-7). Later, in the process of becoming a church legal statute, they received more names: patriarch, metropolitan, archbishop and vicar. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the patriarch has the right to wear a white hood with zions, metropolitans wear a white hood with a cross, archbishops wear a black hood with a cross, and bishops wear a black hood without a cross.

How to become a priest, where to study for him, the duties of a clergyman

On the eve of Orthodox Christmas, we will talk about such an unusual profession, or rather, a vocation, as a priest. A priest (priest, presbyter) is a clergyman of the second degree of priesthood (higher than a deacon and lower than a bishop), who is ordained by the bishop to perform the sacraments and conduct divine services. The priest works in the temple - serves general and private services (requirements), helps people lead a righteous life, introduces them to faith in God, and also takes care of the temple entrusted to him. Parishioners address the priest as "father" or "father".

It is not customary to talk about a priest as a profession, you will not find it on a job site, nevertheless, classifying it as a profession is terminologically correct. The labor activity of a priest is paid, like other specialties, and in order to become a priest, spiritual education is necessary. So today we'll figure it out how to become a priest in Russia what qualities he needs to serve people and God, and how his professional everyday life is arranged.

Responsibilities of a Priest
The work of a priest is to conduct church rites, these include:
✔ General worship. The daily circle of services can consist of 9 services, although in the modern rhythm of life, only 2-3 services are usually served during the day - Liturgy, Vespers, Matins. On some days, the priest serves memorial services and prayer services.
✔ Private worship- "requirements", as they are made on demand, by order of the parishioners. If a person wants to baptize a child, bless an apartment or car, take communion at home, then he turns to the priest. The requirements include wedding ceremonies, burials, prayers, which the priest performs at the request of private individuals.

In addition to divine services, the priest may have the following duties in a temple or monastery:
✔ Confession of parishioners
✔ Communion
✔ Conducting categorical conversations - explaining the teachings of the church for those who wish to be baptized
✔ Conducting educational activities, including the organization of the work of the Sunday school and the church choir
✔ Organization and support religious processions and pilgrimages
✔ Organization of assistance to those in need
✔ Organization of exhibitions, trips to nature, sports competitions for youth
✔ Publishing newspapers and maintaining sites on the Internet to spread the Christian faith

The life of a priest cannot be called calm, he performs many tasks inherent in other specialties, and his work schedule is not standardized. Today, in addition to caring for the flock, the priests are often engaged in the construction of a parish church, a church, and repairs in the monastery. That is, they play the role of a foreman. Therefore, if he has his own family (that is, he belongs to the white clergy), then it is not always possible to pay attention to her.

What qualities does a priest need?
First of all, faith in God and the desire to help people are important for a priest. And in order to successfully serve people and be the representative of God on earth, he needs:
✎ Kindness
✎ Tolerance
✎ Emotional Intelligence
✎ Ability to listen
✎ Possession of verbal and non-verbal communication (gestures, facial expressions)
✎ Ability to speak in public
✎ Mentoring

Where to study
A future priest can receive special education at a seminary, a theological academy, or a university. Education in these institutions, unlike secular universities, requires complete dedication, faith and desire to serve God. However, a diploma is not enough to become a priest. They become them only after performing a special rite - the sacrament of ordination to the holy dignity, which is performed by the bishop.
Cases of ordination without seminary training are rare. A person can be ordained if the head of his parish performs ordination.

Higher spiritual education in Moscow and the Moscow region can be obtained in theological universities and theological faculties of secular universities:
1. Moscow Theological Academy (MDA)
2. Orthodox St. Tikhon University for the Humanities (PSTU)
3. Orthodox St. Tikhon Theological Institute (PSTBI)
4. Russian Orthodox University of St. John the Theologian
5. Moscow Theological Seminary (graduates bachelors)

To become a priest, you must choose the specialty "Theology". However, Orthodox universities train the most different specialists: theologians, religious scholars, teachers, economists, system administrators and PR-services specialists.

Where to work
✔ In temples
✔ In churches
✔ In monasteries
✔ In seminaries
✔ In spiritual universities and academies
✔ In hospitals, prisons, nursing homes

Demand and benefits
The profession of a priest can not be attributed to the demanded one. A person who chooses the path of serving God must be prepared for deprivation and self-restraint. The priest is not entitled to time off, social package, and on holidays and weekends he usually works. The priest does not belong to himself and does not leave work, going home. Career building is only available to monastic (black) clergy. In addition, the moral requirements for a priest on the part of the flock are higher than for other people.
To choose this professional path, the desire to become a clergyman must prevail over all external circumstances. However, if the faith is great, then the profession itself will choose a person.

Merry Christmas! We want to find our calling.

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By church law

Rights and obligations of clerics

1. The nature and triplicity of priestly ministry

The rights and duties of clerics flow from the nature of the priesthood. "... The priesthood is the continuation and participation in the one and only priesthood of Christ, which is bestowed on the Church." In the ministry of Christ "... there are three ministries: 1) prophetic, 2) high priestly, and 3) royal." "According to the expression of the Apostle Paul, shepherds are co-workers ... servants of Christ ... mediators and continuers of the work of Christ (see: 1 Cor. 3, 9-10; 4, 1-2, 9; 2 Cor. 5, 20)". They are the vehicles of His threefold action, His spirit. "In the Mystery of the Priesthood, the shepherd receives the gift of bearing the image of Christ; he must be a living icon of Christ." As a living image of Christ, the priest carries out the three ministries of Christ in the community, the priest at the level of the parish, and the bishop - the dioceses. The tripartite ministry of a priest consists of: 1) preaching the word of God, 2) celebrating the Sacraments, and 3) managing (a parish or a diocese). The essence, i.e., the inner content, of the priestly ministry is the grace-filled mediation of the shepherd for the flock before God in the matter of the rebirth of people, and its main task and ultimate goal is to restore the connection of a person with God and other people. The ministry of a priest consists in the creation in oneself and in one's community of the Kingdom of Heaven. His main task is to ensure that his tripartite ministry corresponds to its essence and ultimate goal, that is, to perform it "... in the spirit of Christ's priesthood and Christ's Kingdom." in spirit and truth. If the priestly ministry does not correspond to its essence and its purpose, then from the great power of sanctifying the world it turns into a great power of temptation. For "every sacred action is a great spiritual reality, the incarnation of the Spirit of Truth." "External, formal, soulless use of sacred objects, actions and words (that is, the performance of priestly duties - author's note) accumulates deadly negative energy in the world." The priesthood is the power of the love of the cross, poured out into the world by our Savior and poured out on the faithful through the priests, on whom it descends in ordination. If priestly service is performed not in the spirit of Christ's love for people and not in truth, then it turns into a graceless priesthood. A priest who does not have the spirit of Christ does not bring people to Christ, but drives them away from Him. Placed to be a mediator between the Lord and the faithful, such a priest becomes a whitewashed wall (that is, fine in appearance) between the Lord and the people. In order for the tripartite ministry of the priest - preaching, secret action and administration - not to be reduced to simple teaching, fulfillment of demands and management, its content and goal must be Christ and His invisible Kingdom. Therefore, the first duty of a priest is to take care of his inner state, to strive for Christ and be in Him. All Christians are called to this, but the priest, in view of his position in the Church, bears a special responsibility for this.

2. Basic Pastoral Virtues That Make Priestly Service According to Its Nature

The main pastoral virtues by which the spirit of life in Christ is acquired are prayerfulness, love, humility and patience. The life of a shepherd should be prayer. "... The home prayer for a shepherd should be the breath of his soul, without which he could not live." The priest "...should primarily before the flock live in conversation with God and communion with Him." He must develop in himself “a filial attitude to prayer, not forced, but free standing before God…”, “to compel not to the rule, but to prayerful standing, to begging for the gift of prayer itself.” Without a personal deed of prayer, "... it is impossible for a single shepherd to kindle in himself the grace of ordination, or to be inspired by a pastor." "The shepherd-prayer brings great public benefit, raising the general prayerful mood in the flock." “In all activities of the shepherd-prayer, the Lord Savior and bringing people to the salvation of God become the motive of labors.” If the priest does not carry out the feat of personal prayer, then he does not gain the experience of living communion with God, but “from the pastor’s inability to lead the prayer feat of the faithful, from the inability to inspire them to communion with God, the fire of grace goes out in them…”

“... The highest of all earthly callings, the most responsible of all kinds of ministries - the priesthood - is primarily a ministry of love ... The priest, the first of all the disciples of Christ, must put on love, which, according to the word of the Apostle, is the totality of perfection (see Col. 3 , fourteen)". In consecration, the priest is given the gift of pastoral love, i.e. the ability to overcome one's individualism, to transfer one's life into others and for the sake of the Lord to live in them and for them. This gift is manifested in the fact that the priest's consciousness "... of the duty to take care of others more than of himself" becomes aggravated. He is now obliged to take care not only of his own salvation, but of the salvation of all entrusted to him by the Lord. This gift is warmed up mainly by self-compulsion to love. The priest is obliged to put the spiritual benefit of the parishioners above his own personal benefit, even if it is spiritual. He must learn to willingly sacrifice his peace, time and strength for their sake, in spite of selfish feelings of discontent, to force himself to moderate outward courtesy and affection. Through this activity, genuine responsiveness gradually increases in him and passes into a sincere mood. “The source of pastoral love for people lies in love for God, for the sake of which every true shepherd strives to purify himself from passions.” An important means of kindling grace-pastoral love is prayer for the grace-filled strengthening of love. “Especially at the beginning of the service, every pastor-primate, according to Lestvichnik, “should also pray that everyone should have compassion and disposition in proportion to their dignity.” The Pharisees are a clear evidence of the need for a shepherd to love. They fulfilled “... the formal requirements of the law, while losing sight of its essence, which consists in love for God and neighbor. Exposing themselves as judges and defenders of the law…”, in the name of the law they misinterpreted, they raised the Giver of this law to the Cross. That is, if the shepherd neglects love, he becomes its persecutor and crucifier.

Humility is the basis, foundation and depth of love. "In time of spiritual discovery, it precedes love." “The essence of humility lies in self-denial and renunciation of self-will, which is absolutely necessary for pastoral ministry.” If the priest does not have a sense of his own unworthiness, then gradually he begins to place himself, instead of Christ, at the center of the life of the community, “to spread his human influence around himself” and “dominate with authority over those around him.” Rising in his opinion above the parishioners and becoming more and more alienated and moving away from them, the priest breaks spiritual unity with them and turns into a leader.

Patience of sorrows for a priest is not just a general Christian commandment, but a pastoral duty. “...By taking upon himself the sins of his parish and outsiders who give themselves to its leadership...”, the priest becomes a partaker of Christ's sorrow for the whole world. The task of the pastoral ministry is to free and protect oneself and people from the devil. He enters into a sharper fight against evil. Therefore, “sorrows are a direct distinction of pastoral ministry.” "... To be a truly good shepherd is a cross of crosses." But in these sorrows he is internally renewed. "... A pastor not only should not run away from sorrows or grumble at them, but joyfully endure them with faith in God's help and with confidence in their salvific necessity."

3. The tripartite ministry of clerics

1. Pastoral teaching. Word teaching. The Lord proclaimed the truth to the people and gave the apostles the commandment: "...go and make disciples of all peoples..." (Matt. 28:19). Therefore, "the truth and preaching it to people is the fundamental task of pastoral ministry." The sermon is "... an integral part of the priestly ministry." According to the teaching of the word of God, church canons and the instructions of the church charter, the preaching of the word of God is the main duty of pastoral ministry. Truth exists as a word about God, i.e. as a theoretical teaching, and as a life in God. The word about God is the most important, but the initial degree of knowledge of the truth. Its goal is to come to an experiential knowledge of God, which alone is true knowledge of God, for Christ is the truth and He is known only through communion with Him and the fulfillment of His will. The task of the priest is to convey to believers the truth about God, to call them to an experiential knowledge of God and to help them in acquiring this experience of life in God.

In order for the word of the priest to edify those who hear, the following is necessary:

what he says, he must understand and assimilate from his personal experience. For “the Tradition of the Church cannot be understood rationally, through external knowledge, but only on the basis of personal experience. Only in the communion of faith is it possible to internally, personally assimilate its foundations and unite with the Teacher of faith. As the Savior said: “The words that I speak to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63), so the words of a shepherd should be an expression of his experience of life in God;

“... his word, just inspired and heard or prepared in advance” should come “... from the heart, from the fullness of faith, from the sweet desire to console, strengthen, enlighten and warm a person”;

the shepherd himself must experience what he is talking about, for “only that pastoral word enlightens and strengthens, which enlightens and strengthens the shepherd himself, is a lesson for him.” That is, he really must speak from the heart. Then his word will be received by the heart;

the shepherd must humbly realize that the only true Teacher is the Lord, and if He does not act through his word, then the priest himself cannot be of benefit to those who listen.

"Each successor of apostolic grace receives in the sacrament of the priesthood a special gift of preaching - from heart to heart, from mouth to mouth." The priest is obliged to kindle in himself this gift of grace through the study of the truth and teaching it to believers. Ap. Paul commands St. Timothy always learn in the word of God (1 Tim. 4, 13-16) and be a teacher (2 Tim. 2, 24). The 2nd canon of the VII Ecumenical Council prescribes that “... whoever has to be elevated to the bishopric knows the psalter, so that in this way he will instruct his people ... So that he will be tested ... whether he wants to read the sacred rules, the Gospel, the book of the Apostle and all divine Scripture. Read with interpretation, so that you know the meaning of each word and be able to teach the people entrusted to him ... ”According to Canon 19 of the VI Ecumenical Council,“ the primate of the church, mainly on Sundays, must teach dogmas, and interpret them not from himself, but as understood by the Divine Fathers. According to the 58th Apostolic Canon, a bishop or priest, if he does not care about the teaching of the people, is excommunicated, and if he does not fulfill this even after excommunication, then he is subject to expulsion. Deacons have the right to participate in the ministry of the word.

The bishop, or priest, must always be a preacher of the truth. “To rite the Truth: to manifest it in relation to all cases and circumstances of life. Witness the truth of Christ in all human ways. And in order to be a witness to the truth, he must live according to this truth. "Preaching without reinforcing it in your life is like a picture of bread instead of bread." Just as Christ is the incarnate truth, so the priest, being the living image of Christ, must embody the truth in his deeds and in his life. "The priest must be a teacher of holiness and a teacher of repentance, a bearer of grace and a living proof of the relentless sojourn of God in the world."

There are three main forms of preaching the word of God: liturgical (during public or private worship), lectures (outside the church), and private conversation. Private conversation archbishop. John (Shakhovskoy) calls the witness form of preaching - "... in houses (and during the years of persecution in courts)". The lecture form of preaching (or teaching the law) consists in the systematic teaching of the Law of God to children or adults, that is, the foundations of faith and morality. The most convenient and common form for this is Sunday school. “...Sunday school is the foundation of the parish, our future, the future of the entire Church, largely depends on the activities of Sunday schools.” Therefore, teaching the law is “one of the important and most responsible duties of a priest…” “The clergy, as a grace-filled ability to guide people in spiritual life, is not an institutional, but a rare, personal gift from God.”

According to the Book of the Offices of Parish Elders, there are five types of teaching that a pastor must carry out in his work: 1) teach the faith and perfect the parishioners in it, 2) expose and eradicate the godless, heretical and superstitious, 3) correct those corrupted in lawlessness 4) to instruct and affirm the faithful and honest in a virtuous life, 5) to console and uplift the sad and despairing.

"The chief of today's disasters is the massive moral corruption of youth and children." Therefore, "every priest should consider it his first duty to preach an uncompromising opposition to moral corruption." One of the main tasks of pastors is to work with youth. “Pastors need to learn to talk to the youth and not shy away from this dialogue.”

Self-education. Self-education is one of the duties of a priest, for ignorance is the cause of many mistakes, delusions and sins. The Lord said through the prophet Hosea: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: since you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from serving as a priest before Me…” (Hosea 4:6). “... Every priest, more than any other Christian, must constantly work on his education and replenish his spiritual baggage, improve his knowledge in accordance with the demands of the time. You need to be well-read in spiritual literature, to know the ancient holy fathers and the remarkable Russian spiritual writers close to us in time, the saints, the elders, who left us great spiritual treasures. You need to know about the main achievements of modern church-historical, dogmatic science, biblical studies, liturgical theology. In our time, “a clergyman must have a broad outlook, deep knowledge in various fields, the ability to delve into even those issues that go beyond his “professional” interests and duties.”

Execution of the Mysteries. In consecration, the bishop receives from God the authority to perform all seven Sacraments of the Church, the priest - six (except for the sacrament of the Priesthood), and the deacon - to officiate during the performance of the Sacraments. The bishop and the priest also receive the right to preside at divine services. In the full sense of the word, "... the priest is not the performer, but the performer of the Sacraments." priestly ministry cleric

The priest and the deacon are obliged to know the teaching of the Church about the Sacraments, the order and features of their celebration, set forth in the Handbook of the Holy Church Servant, compiled by S.V. churches of the saints to perform and prepare for the priestly service ... ”The Sacraments must be performed reverently, attentively and thoughtfully, with deep faith and lively prayer to God acting in the Sacraments. During the performance of the Sacraments and rites, "... first of all, Baptism, Repentance and Marriage, as well as the rite of burial ... the heart of a person in a special way is open to the saving action of the grace of God." If a priest performs a sacred act without reverence, without attention to God and man, then by such an attitude he can alienate a person from the Church. Before the Liturgy, i.e. before the divine service, during which the highest of all the Sacraments, the Eucharist, is performed, the priest is obliged to prepare himself with fasting and prayer established by the Church. “Great is the significance of the sacramental ministry of the priest. This is truly a divine service done by Christ Himself. But in order for the grains of God's grace to bear abundant and corresponding fruits, it is necessary to prepare the soil for sowing, it is necessary to teach the flock to worthily receive the grace-filled gifts of the Sacraments, it is necessary to teach the flock the ways to achieve unity with God. That is, the priest is responsible for ensuring that the believers, for whose sake he performs the Sacraments, consciously and worthily participate in them. The task of a pastor is to help his flock gain experience of life in the Church, "... which is acquired mainly through participation in the liturgical, Eucharistic life of the Church."

Church administration ministry. The bishop and priest (rector of the parish) is responsible for church administration. The ultimate goal of this ministry is to build the Kingdom of Heaven in the community entrusted to the shepherd. “... A bishop is first and foremost a ... pastor and tenderly loving father, and not an administrator and boss who exercises impersonal and cold leadership that is not based on love and does not develop the fellowship of personalities.” “The bishop must show love to the clergy who are under him, and they, in turn, are obliged to obey him as a “father”, “for the people of the Lord are entrusted to him, and he will give an answer for their souls.”

"... A parish is not a temple building, but a church community united by Christian love and organized by the power of the grace of the Holy Spirit." “The parish life is a ladder to the Kingdom of God. The upbringing of this Kingdom and the teaching of this Kingdom is in the thoughts, feelings and will of a person. The task of the priest is to unite the parishioners around him into one friendly family. For this, “the priest, who, by the gift of the grace of the priesthood, is the image of Christ, must remember that each person who came to the temple was called by Christ Himself, and with each he is obliged to find personal contact.” The priest has the right (and according to Patriarch Alexy II and Patriarch Kirill, this is his duty) to organize catechism, missionary and social activities at his parish. “Through charitable works, members of the Church feel like one family in Christ.”

Appearance of the shepherd

A priest is not a profession, it is a calling to serve God and in God to each neighbor, it is a way of life and disposition of the soul corresponding to this calling. This should be consistent with its appearance. The shepherd wears priestly clothing, which for him is a constant reminder of grace, the holiness and purity of his ministry, keeping him from sin and worldly deeds, and for people this is a reminder "... that the priesthood does not end in the temple." “According to the 16th canon of the VII Ecumenical Council, clerics are forbidden to be swanky and pompous in clothing…” it is allowed for us and clerics…”

Pastoral Purity

Pastoral purity is "... the correct behavior of a shepherd in the world, corresponding to his ministry." According to the canons, clerics are forbidden drunkenness and gambling (42nd Apostle canon), visiting innkeepers (54th Apostle canon), usury (4th right of the Laod Council) and worldly trade, especially wine (18th right. Karf. Sob.; 9th right. Trull. Sob.). Clerics are forbidden to raise a hand against a person, even a delinquent, to arrange feasts at their homes (canon of the 55th Council of Laodicea), to hold public and state positions (6th, 81st Apost. right; 11th right. Dvukr. Sob.), engage in entrepreneurship (3rd canon of the IV Ecumenical Council). Everything that is incompatible with their calling to be a direct conductor of God's actions and a living witness of God's presence in the world must be eliminated from the life of clergy. Clerics do not have the right to marry after ordination. The sacrament of ordination is performed in the same way as Marriage: with the singing of the same troparions. Only the protege does not go around the lectern, but around the throne. This is a sign that he is receiving the grace that betroths him to the church community. Now he serves the Lord and people in Him. The throne becomes the center of his life. After that, he can no longer enter into the Sacrament of Marriage, which would oblige him to please his wife. According to the canons, if a cleric commits a serious sin: murder, even involuntary, fornication, adultery, theft, he is deposed from his rank. Passive bigamy is also unacceptable for a cleric, i.e. cohabitation with a wife who has fallen into adultery (8th right. Neokesar. Cathedral). Priests are forbidden to eat food alone with women (22nd canon of the 7th Ecumenical Council).

Veneration of shepherds

The Apostle Paul teaches in the Epistle to Timothy: “It is worthy that elders who lead should be given double honor…” (1 Tim. 5:17). Blessings are taken from bishops and priests. Priests have the right to bless deacons and laity, while bishops have the right to bless priests. Priests are called "fathers" because they show God's Fatherhood to the world, they are conductors of love for the world of the Heavenly Father, Who sent His Son and the Holy Spirit to earth to save people. Respecting the priests “... people respect first of all the grace of God and - themselves, resorting to this source of grace. The unforgivable mistake of a shepherd is to attribute this respect of people to himself and nourish his self-esteem with this respect. Just as the Lord performs the Sacraments through a priest, so He also receives through Him the honor bestowed upon the holy dignity. The task of the priest is to pass it on to the Lord, and not to appropriate it for himself and thereby not bring condemnation upon himself. Any disrespect must be attributed to oneself as a reminder of one's unworthiness, and any respect to the Lord, as a reminder that He also acts through unworthy priests.

Clerics must honor each other as well. The primacy of honor for bishops is determined by the seniority of consecration and the significance of the chairs they occupy, and for presbyters, deacons, and lower clerics, by rank, award, position, seniority of consecration (or ordination) and education. "The advantages of certain episcopal sees, recognized by the sacred canons, are not the advantages of domination and power, but - services that are freely determined by necessity itself." Thus, the honor given to clerics indicates their service.

List of used sources and literature

I. Sources

Bible. Books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament / In Russian translation with parallel passages. M., Russian Bible Society, 1995.

Rules of the Holy Ecumenical Councils with Interpretations. Part 1. Council Rules 1-7. - Tutaev: Orthodox Brotherhood of the Holy Princes Boris and Gleb, 2001. - Reprint of the publication of the Moscow Society of Spiritual Enlightenment Lovers. - 1438 p.

II. Literature

Aksenov Roman, priest "Feed My Sheep": The Teaching on the Shepherd of St. John of Kronstadt. - Klin: Christian Life Foundation, 2002. - 142 p.

Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Church and spiritual revival of Russia. Words, speeches, messages, appeals (2000-2004). T. 3. Part 1. - M.: Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2004. - 544 p.

Veniamin (Milov), bishop. Pastoral theology with asceticism. - M.: Publishing House of the Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 2002. - 350 p.

Vladimirov Artemy, prot. Evangelical Mercy in the Life of a Shepherd. - M.: Publishing House of the Orthodox Brotherhood of St. Filaret of Moscow, 2001. - 31 p.

George (Kapsanis), archim. Pastoral ministry according to the sacred canons. - M .: Publishing House "Holy Mountain", 2006. - 301 p.

John (Shakhovskoy), archbishop. San Francisco. Philosophy of the Orthodox Pastor. - Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 2007. - 159 p.

Konstantin (Zaitsev), archim. Pastoral Theology: A Course of Lectures Delivered at Holy Trinity Theological Seminary. - with. Reshma, Editorial "Light of Orthodoxy", 2002. - 364 p.

What the priest has no right to do.

A priest has no right to tell anyone what he heard in confession. He has the right, however, to tell, explaining or for the purpose of teaching, some details of the confessions of individual people, but then he must certainly “depersonalize” these details - certainly in such a way that none of the people could even guess who exactly they are talking about. . That is, if you heard the priest say to someone: “One person confessed to me in such and such a sin, and there is only such and such a way to overcome this sin!”, And you (only you!) suddenly in “one person » recognized themselves - do not rush to the priest with reproaches. He did not violate anything, and did not reveal your secret of confession.
I note that the priest is legally exempt from disclosing the secret of confession even before the bodies of inquiry, investigation and court. This rule is enshrined in paragraph 4 of part 3 of Art. 56 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation and paragraph 3 of part 3 of Art. 69 Code of Civil Procedure of the Russian Federation (a clergyman cannot be interrogated as a witness about the circumstances that became known to him from confession).

The priest does not have the right to conduct any sacraments (with the exception of Baptism) and ceremonies regarding an unbaptized person. Not a single priest will give communion, or marry, or bury, or even serve a prayer service for the unbaptized. All church sacraments and rituals are only for the baptized, for members of the church. For everyone else, only Baptism is available - as an Entrance. And no arguments (like “Yes, he really was going to be baptized, but somehow he didn’t have time!”) Do not pass. So for the unbaptized, there is only one way - to accept Baptism (if there is a desire) and not delay with it. Or (if all the same "I was going to and did not have time") - homemade ( cell room) prayer of relatives and friends. It is quite possible.
Another, close, but not identical, situation is excommunicated and suicidal.
Excommunication from the church does not mean “baptism” or “cancellation of baptism”, but it excommunicates a person from church requirements, excludes the possibility of performing them. Removal of excommunication ( prohibitions) is possible only during the life of a person, through Repentance ( confession). Moreover, it is not necessary that the same priest excommunicate and lift the ban. And a few words about anathema. Contrary to popular belief, an anathema is just a public all-church announcement of the fact of excommunication from the church, and not a “curse”, “a wish for evil”, etc. The only difference is in the general denunciation, and in the fact that it is precisely widely known people, mainly heresy teachers, who are anathematized, with the simple goal that all Orthodox people know for sure that the teaching of this person is false ( heresy). Anathema, like simple excommunication, is also removed only through lifetime Repentance (and, if deemed necessary - penance, church punishment). But the process of both imposing and lifting the anathema is longer, and these questions are usually decided by the Council - precisely because of publicity: it is necessary to exclude both the erroneous imposition and the erroneous removal of the anathema, to bring both to the attention of all priests, etc.
Suicides (who succeeded) are not buried in the church and memorial services are not served for them (you can, of course, “cheat” and not mention suicide, only then a serious sin will fall on the “cunning one”) for one simple reason - the suicide voluntarily abandoned the most God's great gift is life, thereby rejecting the Giver and excommunicating himself from the church. Moreover, he loses the possibility of lifetime repentance (unlike the failed suicides, they can repent of a suicide attempt and thereby return to the church). There is one exception - if the suicide was committed impulsively, without long and / or careful thought, in a "clouded mind" - with a mental illness, in a state of passion, or in alcohol, toxic or drug intoxication. At the same time, the church recognizes drunkenness or drug addiction as a sin, but at the same time, a special kind of mental illness. Permission for the funeral service (and, consequently, for the subsequent commemoration in the church, the service of memorial services for them) is given by the ruling bishop. There is a hope and a desire to prove suicide in darkness - dear to you to the bishop.

A priest will never perform any rituals on animals. Not because animals are "unworthy", but because church requirements are aimed at saving the one for whom they are performed from sin. And animals, not having free will (freedom of choice - with God or against Him), do not have sin. Therefore, the requirements for them do not make sense. A little apart are sometimes encountered requests “to consecrate a cat (dog, hamster, rabbit, ...)”. The point here is that only the fruits of human labor are subject to consecration. A built house, a boat, a car (a chariot - and who can prove that a car is not a chariot?), a cultivated field, etc. An animal, as a creature, originally created by God and further fruitful and multiplying according to the laws established by Him, is not the work of human hands applies. After all, man has not yet managed to create a single living creature “from scratch”. Cloning and games with "gene modification" do not count - this is, in fact, a "pirate" use of the possibilities inherent in the cells of a living organism for completely different purposes.

The priest has no right to do business. That is, "a candle factory in Samara and drink some liqueur" is an out of the question. An exception, with the permission of the ruling bishop, is only for two types of "outside" activities - teaching (as a rule, ecclesiastical disciplines) and scientific activity (usually also in the ecclesiastical sphere). And permission is given only when this "outside" activity does not interfere with the main activity - Service.
However, I note that it is activities aimed at personal enrichment that are prohibited. But no one will forbid starting the same candle factory and directing profits from it to the needs of the temple, but usually in such enterprises the priest is not the head or owner of the business.

The priest has no right to engage in politics. In no form - to participate in political parties, to be elected to any government body, etc. This demand has always been unspoken, fixed on paper, if I am not mistaken, by the resolution of the Local Council of 1917-1918, and has now been confirmed.
However, this requirement does not exclude the right of a priest (and even a bishop) to make statements about certain events in political and public life, except for statements that give rise to “disturbance”, that is, unrest and bloodshed in one form or another. A priest can also participate in a rally or demonstration - but only as an ordinary participant, and not among the organizers. And such participation does not mean that the church supports the goals of the rally, nor condemns it. Such participation is only the personal position of this particular priest.

The priest has no right to violence. Any. Even if he is beaten, he does not have the right to strike back (but must actively embody “If you hit on the left cheek, turn the right one!”). Therefore, many priests do not drive themselves - an accident, even an accident, is still violence.

What a priest may or may not do.

A priest, in addition to serving the church, can also engage in public or social service. There are a lot of options - from taking care of the army, helping the sick (including raising money for operations and general treatment), helping large families or orphans, to working with prisoners (I know a former "inmate", now an electrician in the temple). This activity is optional, but usually it is still carried out in one of the directions, to the best of our ability, capabilities and the availability of the necessary specialists among the parishioners - since it is carried out by the forces of the parish community, and the priest helps, organizes, breaks through, negotiates.

What should priests do?

First of all, the priest must serve in the church. That is, literally - to serve the service, and first of all the most important - Divine Liturgy . Moreover, they are not only should to serve, the very meaning of the priesthood lies precisely in the service of the Liturgy. At least every Sunday. Plus Easter (Easter night proper, or Easter Sunday morning), the Twelfth Feasts (these are the twelve great holidays: the Nativity of the Virgin, the Exaltation of the Cross, the Entry into the Temple of the Virgin, Christmas, Baptism, Meeting, Annunciation, Transfiguration, Assumption of the Virgin, Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Ascension , Trinity), Plus feasts of the patronal - the days celebrating the events in honor of which the throne (thrones) of the temple in which the priest serves are consecrated.
The only exception is for retired priests. Usually these are either very seriously ill or very old priests. They, as a rule, are not assigned to any temple, and, if possible and able, serve from time to time in one of the nearby churches, of course, in agreement with its rector.

Second, the priest must, as it is called in the church language, send requirements, which include sacraments and rites.
Sacraments- this is Baptism, Chrismation, Repentance (confession), Communion, Consecration of the Sick (Unction), Marriage (wedding). AT Orthodox Church there is another, seventh, sacrament - the Priesthood or Consecration (consecration), but it is always performed conciliarly, with the participation of priests and bishops, and not by one priest.
Rites- these are small prayer services: a prayer service (the purpose can be very different - the consecration of objects, buildings, icons; a general prayer for the weather - a message of rain or vice versa, its cessation, etc.; intensified prayer for the health of a sick person, for one who is on a difficult journey , about the successful accomplishment of some important matter - study, for example), memorial service (prayer for the repose of the soul of the deceased), funeral service, burial, etc.
Trebes are so called because, unlike regular services, they are performed at the request of one person or a group of people. Accordingly, the need for a request must be explicitly reported (ordered). And it’s better not just to come and ask for the trebs, but to know at least a little in advance when it can be ordered. So, memorial services are not served every day (they are not served, for example, on Bright Week - the week immediately following Easter), it is not always possible to immediately go to consecrate a house or apartment, even the Baptism of infants (and even more so, adults) is not carried out everyday.
However, there are some exceptions - the requirements of "fear for the sake of death." This is Confession, Communion, Unction and Baptism of a seriously ill or dying person. These requests are made, if possible, immediately, immediately after the person asks to send them. The words “if possible” have a literal meaning - if a person came to ask to send such a demand, and there is a free priest in the church, then he immediately goes (or goes) to send it. Postponement - only if the Liturgy is currently taking place, or if there is not a single priest in the church now. Then the priest leaves soon after its completion, or upon arrival at the temple of the first priest. Therefore, if a seriously ill relative or friend asks to bring a priest, do not hesitate. Otherwise, it may turn out sadly - today they forgot, tomorrow there is no time, the day after tomorrow they went to call - and the priest had already left for someone. And while they were waiting for him, the patient died without waiting for what he wanted. In such a case, the one who hesitated takes upon himself a very serious sin.
The priest cannot refuse to send such an urgent request, however - attention! - he can postpone it - for example, if he has already received a similar request before. In this case, arguments can be made - for example, it may turn out that the relative of the one who asked earlier is simply seriously ill, and the relative of the one who came a little later is dying. Then the priest will first of all go to the one who is in a more serious condition. However, the last word, the decision where to go earlier, remains with the priest, and he is not obliged to motivate you. If you are denied priority, you have a choice. You can rely on the Lord and His Will and wait for the same priest. And you can turn to another priest of the same temple, or even to another temple. Sometimes (for example, if the case takes place in a small village, where there is only one temple and one priest), it remains only to trust in the Lord.
I repeat once again - all other requirements are not urgent, and it is worth agreeing on their departure in advance.