Обращение к Святой Христовой Церкви прп. Никодима и иеромон. Агапита

Pidalion of the Most Holy, God-governed and tenderly loving Mother of all Orthodox Christians, the Holy Great Church of Christ, with deep reverence, filial and together slavish, we offer worship Into your sacred embrace, O common Mother of the Orthodox, the Holy Great Church of Christ, the Pidalion (Headmaster) of the Catholic Church is given - a book of interpretations of divine rules, and this offering is the most suitable and fitting in all justice. After all, I am sure that everyone, without exception, will agree: just as sailors need a nautical compass, and ships need a helm, so a collection of sacred rules, this mental compass and spiritual helm, is absolutely necessary for you, a spiritual and sacred ship, a prototype of the universal and universal Vessel of the Catholic Church. And indeed, this book of rules is a kind of helm and spiritual compass, because only it is truly, accurately and unswervingly turned to the pole, that is, to heaven itself, and with its help, as with the help of a helm, the entire Church of Christ can, in complete confidence and security, direct the path of its voyage to the truly quiet pier of a blessed and immaculate death. This spiritual helm was prepared in ancient times by the Holy Spirit through the wise apostles, Ecumenical and Local Councils that met at different times, and individual great church hierarchs. And after that, many others, co-workers and assistants of the first, becoming helmsmen, together corrected it and interpreted incomprehensible passages, bringing into perfect agreement what seemed contradictory. Having borrowed their interpretations and collected them together, as briefly as possible, we bring you, the Divine Mother, this work, written in simple language. Open, O Divine Mother, your most sacred embrace, like an ancient subordinate priest, and accept our work with joy, like a sheaf of freshly harvested and most sacred ears. Take your helm, O Ship that accommodates thousands, that Ship which, according to the inflower, goes from afar on trade affairs and gathers wealth for itself (Proverbs 31:14). And if we take a more suitable example, just as in ancient times the virgin martyr Euphemia, having embraced the tomos of the Holy IV Ecumenical Council, preserved it from all enemy slander, so you, who keep within yourself as a treasure the myrrh-streaming relics of that same all-praised Euphemia, accept this book into your bowels. After all, it contains definitions and rules not only of the fourth, but also of all holy Councils, Ecumenical and Local, as well as individual fathers. Having taken it under your protection, preserve it from all slander of slanderous people, and present what is read in it by the authority of your conciliar and apostolic judgment as worthy of trust and indisputable for all the peoples named after Christ. This is what we pray for. Together with us, all the souls who love God pray for this, sailing through the sea of ​​this troubled and troubled life to that serene residence in our blessed fatherland. May the hopes of all of us come true! The sacred monastery of Pantocrator on Holy Mount Athos. Your Most Holy One, Ecumenical and the smallest of God-glorified Majesty in the Lord and most humble children, two friends in Christ Hieromonk Agapius and monk Nicodemus