Служение Церкви

Professor A. I. Sidorov considers the inaugural lecture of 1912, “On the Churchliness of Theological School and Theological Science,” to be programmatic not only for the creativity, but also for the entire life of the Hieromartyr Hilarion 114. In this lecture he strongly emphasizes the conciliar nature of church activity. Our talents are gifts of God, intended for the benefit of all members of the single body of the Church, which imposes a high degree of responsibility on each. “For the sake of the whole body and each individual member of it is endowed with spiritual gifts” 115. Therefore, any activity of members of the Church, any science, especially theological science, acquires true meaning and significance only in church service. “Ancilla Ecclesiae is the real place of science, which it can only occupy for a person who consciously professes his sincere faith in the Church” 116. Moreover, the question of service takes the form of a strict logical disjunction: “Science is always ancilla or Christ and His saints. Church, or Antichrist, waging constant warfare with the Church he hates.” 117 “Why did I come here? where should I go? and what should I do? - the young teacher asks at the beginning of his first lecture and answers a little later: “To bear Church obedience in obedience to the Church - this is my feasible answer to the questions posed at the beginning of the lecture” 118. And not only does he personally decide to undertake this obedience, but, having briefly described the sad state of contemporary church life, he calls on others to put their strength into protecting the Church from the insolence of its enemies: “We need new people, new warriors who do not spare their lives when they have to suffer “for the laws of the fathers.” We need people who have consciously and confidently taken upon themselves church obedience, church service. We need inspired prophets, not executive ones. officials! They are needed... They are needed... But these “needs" are directed towards us, towards our generation... Love for the Church, devotion to the cause of the Church, a selfless desire to serve the Church to the point of self-sacrifice - these are the stones from which a fence worthy of the Church from enemies must now be created. We need to store up as much of this material as possible" 119 . Professor A.I. Sidorov, comparing the life of Archbishop Hilarion with his calls, writes: “Vladyka Hilarion himself had an ample supply of such “material,” becoming both a “builder of a new wall” of the Church and a “new warrior,” or rather, one of the “new commanders,” who bravely led his warriors against countless demonic hordes and, without flinching a heart who laid down his life for the Mother Church, and a wise church didascal, and a shepherd who fed the milk of the true teaching to many children of heavenly Jerusalem” 120. In July 1912, as part of an academic group, Vladimir Troitsky made a trip to the countries of Western Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France), which filled him with many diverse impressions: “I can confidently say that this July was for me the most interesting month of the 311 months I have lived” 121. Memories of this trip formed the basis of his Letters on the West. This was his second trip outside the Fatherland. Sidorov A.I. His Eminence Hilarion (Troitsky) as a theologian and church scientist // Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop. Essays on the history of the dogma of the Church. – M.: Pilgrim, 1997. P. XVI (1st page) Hilarion, (Archbishop of Vereisky), schmch. Without the Church there is no salvation. P. 361. Sidorov A.I. His Eminence Hilarion (Troitsky) as a theologian and church scientist. P. XIX (1st page). Troitsky V.A. Letter to L.P. Arkhangelskaya dated August 3. 1912 – Archive of A.V. Nikitsky.