Visit to the Academy by Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod V. K. Sabler

On May 16, the Academy was visited by Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod V.K. Sabler. On this day at twelve o'clock in the afternoon V.K. Sabler arrived from Moscow on a pilgrimage to the Lavra. Called to a high, responsible post, before starting his work, he hurried to the national Russian shrine to ask for heavenly help from the prayer book of the Russian land, Rev. Sergius. V.K. Sabler listened to a prayer service in the Trinity Cathedral, mingling with the crowd of ordinary pilgrims, of whom there are always many near the relics of St. Sergius. Among the worshipers there were also students of the Academy, who, having learned about the arrival of the Chief Prosecutor, even abandoned their urgent work for a while. At one o'clock in the afternoon, the distinguished guest went to the Academy, to the chambers of the Eminence Rector, where he was met by the Eminence Bishop Theodore. Soon the Chief Prosecutor wished to see the students of the Academy. Immediately, students, gathered almost in full force, filled the hall of the rector's chambers. The distinguished visitor kindly and affectionately greeted everyone entering, expressing sincere joy that a young squad was growing before his eyes. With special attention to V.K. Sabler welcomed numerous monastic students to our Academy. When the students had gathered, Mr. Chief Prosecutor addressed them with a speech, saying approximately the following: “Greetings to the Academy, dear to me for many memories! I came here to pray at the tomb of St. Sergius, where all Orthodox Rus' draws spiritual strength, moral strength and power, and I am glad to see your young squad. By the will of our Sovereign, I am called to serve the Orthodox Church. You yourself know what a difficult time our dear homeland and our common mother, St. Orthodox Church. A lot of strength is needed, a lot of leaders are needed to serve the Church in our days. That is why I especially greet you, a young and full of strength squad. We look at you, gentlemen, with hope, faith and hope. We wish and hope that you will devote your pure youthful strength, your ardent idealism, your desire to work to the service of the Orthodox Church, to the service of our dear long-suffering people. Youthful hearts are always full of selfless idealism - and here is the best, most noble and rewarding field for your activity - the Church and the people. Our Russian people are much happier than other peoples: we have the Orthodox Church. This Church has preserved for our people the Christian truth, as defined in St. Ecumenical Councils, preserved the truth in its pure form, without the admixture of human lies. This Church has preserved for the people pure morality, genuine Christian Orthodox morality, and not Jesuit morality, not the counterfeit of Christian piety that Catholicism gives to other peoples. With these church forces, our people are not afraid of barbarians, they are not afraid of any external enemies - more terrible, much more terrible for them are internal enemies, spiritual enemies who want to take away from the people the priceless treasure of their soul - the Orthodox faith. Militant Catholicism attacks. Jesuits were discovered in the old sovereign Moscow. The terrible waves of Baptistism, the Shtunds, rush violently onto the cliff of the people's faith. It is these enemies of the people who threaten to deprive the people’s soul of its great shrine, and it is especially necessary to protect the Russian people from these enemies. For such and such service to the Church and the people, both strength and people are now needed. This is the church service we expect from you. And know that only this service can give you complete moral satisfaction: in this only service you will find your happiness. Happiness is not in serving for the sake of ranks, orders, buttonholes and bright buttons: happiness is in ideological service, selfless service to the Church, happiness in the consciousness of fulfilled duty. The people will follow you if you teach them faith and piety, because faith and piety are dearer to the people than anything else, dearer than all cultural successes, dearer than all conquests and acquisitions. Other peoples, with all the splendor of their external life, have lost pure truth and pure morality. But neither brilliant external conquests nor successes in cultural development will save a people who have lost their faith. Only those peoples are capable of fulfilling their world calling who live in the light of faith. Without faith, when national morality falls, no nation can be strong. Our people are still strong in their faith, which was nurtured in them by church services and spiritual hymns. Everything good, old, must be supported and strengthened with all our might, and new good must be created. The Russian people, this Russian Church, must be taught. The Church is always strong and firm not by external force, but by Christ’s truth. The Word is the church sword with which the Church wages a peaceful but fierce struggle. For this struggle, first of all, a strong character is needed, and then there is a need for unity, solidarity of all workers, all church leaders. Without unity, without common solidarity, there can be no success. The enemies of the Church are united and organized. What is Catholicism strong and famous for, if not for its iron discipline. We also need unity: we must remember that there is strength in unity. Once again I greet all of you, especially those completing the course. I may not have to be Chief Prosecutor for long, but I hope that with those who are now completing the course, we will have to work together for the benefit and glory of the Church of Christ. I am always ready to provide help and support to anyone who wants to serve the Church and “work hard for the Lord.” The heartfelt, animated and eloquent word was listened to with deep attention. The Chief Prosecutor’s speech was answered by the Most Reverend Rector of the Academy, Bishop Theodore, who said approximately the following: “Your Excellency! Your affectionate, moreover, loving address to these young men imposes a duty - or rather, evokes an internal need to say a word of gratitude to you. Perhaps I am acting immodestly in taking upon myself this pleasant duty to tell you on behalf of all those gathered here. But we live here as one peaceful and friendly family: the mood of the students is not a secret to me - that’s why, I think, what I say will express your general feeling and mood. Everything that you said in your speech, full of animation and sincere feeling, is perceived by us with a feeling of lively joy. Both the direction of your activity and your expectations from us, as workers in the church field, are clear and definite for us and completely coincide with our own aspirations and expectations. You said that before starting work in that responsible position in which God destined you to become, you wished to stock up on spiritual strength here, at the shrine of St. Sergius. Believe me, too, that the blessed source of spiritual strength from the saint’s shrine invariably strengthens us in everything. During the two years of my service here, I had the opportunity to recognize both in myself and in general academic affairs this constant help of the reverend. And the students of the Academy undoubtedly feel this strengthening power of the reverend. That is why, as I myself know, early in the morning and at 6 o’clock, and at 5 o’clock, and even at 3 o’clock, they love to visit the saint’s shrine: sometimes they even secretly go there during deserted hours, because the religious feeling does not like being shown, but, on the contrary, likes to hide. I may be immodest in lifting the veil of the intimate side of our lives, but I must frankly say and testify that the spiritual fragrance from the saint’s shrine, carried throughout Russia by pilgrims, is also felt in our academic life. That is why your sincere, reverent attitude towards the monk is experienced by us, due to the affinity of the religious mood, very vividly and deeply. We were pleased to hear in your speech, which clearly indicated the principles of your understanding of church activity, echoes dear to our hearts of the principles of conciliarity and canonicity. We are happy to do the work that you call us to do, but still, for those who want to work, they need some kind of perspective and a certain horizon that would indicate a way out for their good desire. It seems possible to speak frankly, especially since we, both in the study of our sciences and in the very course of life, as people already more or less mature, can understand the modern church situation, understand that it nevertheless suffered from the absence of the principles of conciliarity and a clearly expressed canonical consciousness. The latter was replaced, it seems, by a primarily legal beginning We now welcome your entry in the knowledge that the horizon for workers in the church field has become clearer and the prospects more definite. For all of us, and in particular for young men entering life, it is especially gratifying to hear about your readiness to provide support to everyone who wants to work for the benefit of the Church, for it is very important to have not only a good desire, but also favorable conditions that would give the good power the opportunity to fully express itself. And all that remains for us from our sincere hearts is to wish you spiritual and physical strength to work for the benefit of the Orthodox Church “for many years.” The friendly and loud singing of “many years” was the general response from the students. When the sincere and therefore animated singing of the numerous choir fell silent, V.K. Sabler said: - “What can I say to this? And what can I say? I can say one thing: save, Christ God, His Eminence Bishop Theodore, the Academy, its rulers, its teachers and its students for many years to come.” And again, with the same animation, “Many years” was sung. The distinguished visitor praised the powerful singing, and the Most Reverend Rector, in response to this, offered to attend a service in the academic church. V.K. Sabler gladly accepted this offer and promised to someday visit the academic church for worship. Then the distinguished guest, having just as cordially said goodbye to the students, especially the monastics, left the Academy, escorted by the Right Reverend Rector to the exit doors. After the city, the Chief Prosecutor visited the Lavra monasteries, and in the cave church of the Gethsemane monastery he asked to serve a requiem mass at the grave of the elder hieromonk Barnabas, whom he greatly revered during his lifetime and who, as they say, predicted long ago that V.K. Sabler will be the chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod. At five o'clock in the afternoon, the Chief Prosecutor left Posad for Moscow. At the station, together with the Lavra authorities, he was accompanied by the inspector of the Academy, Prof. A.I. Shostin, to whom, when saying goodbye, he instructed to convey to the entire Academy that visiting the Academy gave him only a feeling of joy and pleasure and he thanks everyone for the kind feelings and cordial meeting.