Fifth of August 1867: [50th anniversary of the ministry of Moscow Metropolitan Philaret]

The day of the fifth of August will forever remain a memorable day in the Russian hierarchical chronicle: Providence destined the first Moscow Bishop to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his Hierarchal service. None of the Russian Hierarchs was worthy of the spiritual sweetness of offering a bloodless sacrifice in the rank of Bishop for half a century about the Russian Tsars, about the Russian land, about the Orthodox world. 1 And the Orthodox world appreciates the holy elder, and the pious Russian people love him. Already yesterday, in the evening hour - the beginning of the church day - prayers were offered up in the churches of Christ's universal Church for the Chrysostom teacher, not only in Rus', but also in the foreign countries of America, and among the Slavs, Greeks, Arabs: his theological, church-historical works, teachings, catechisms, denunciations of schisms and heresies, penetrated beyond all the borders of Russia in translations in Greek, Arabic, English, French and other languages. Now, at one o'clock in the morning and at the hour of the Liturgy, thanksgivings and petitions to the Triune for him again began. A touching and unprecedented spectacle was seen now in Rus' when, after the Liturgy and prayer service, representatives of all classes, both noble and ignorant, both powerful and subordinate, were transported through the waves of the people from the churches of God to the receiving church of the Metropolitan Chambers; when, pressed by a cathedral of those who came from the East and West, from the South and North, the Saints and servants of the Church of Christ 2, laboring and leading in the Monasteries; when, pressed by a host of civil and military congratulators, scientists and educational, artistic and literary, charitable and trustee, Societies and Institutions, advanced in years, but cheerful in humility and powerful in spirit, the chosen one and warrior of Christ, listened to the words of love and reverence, from the words of the Tsar to the words of the common people. His bright face reflected the sensations of a soul pure from the vanity of the world. A sincere and modest greeting brought a smile of gratitude to his lips; enthusiastic praise, although from the fullness of the soul, brought a slight silence of embarrassment and silent foam to his brow. Thus, rejecting the laudatory exclamations of some and thanking for the congratulations of others, he extracted from the depths of his heart answers to each and every one: to whom a word of gratitude, to whom a word of careful instructiveness. It was touching to see him distributing and receiving blessings - the sacred panagia from the Tsar and holy icons from the zeal of many people 3 . He did not hesitate to place his second panagia on the Persians; looked lovingly at the faces of the three Emperors, handed to him, with a letter from the Tsar who favored him, by the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Governing Synod, Count D. A. Tolstoy. Greetings flowed from our own and from strangers, from near and far: from the cradle of Orthodoxy and Vyatka 4, from the borders of the Kyrgyz steppes and Great Britain, from Warsaw and from Mount Athos, from the All-Russian Council, from the Metropolitan of Serbia and from the Ecumenical Patriarchs. Not everyone, of course, had time to congratulate him during the hours of celebration and celebration; many reviews were received during the day, many will be received tomorrow and in a few more days 5. So, now, before evening, the electric conductor of thoughts and feelings pleased the Metropolitan with congratulations from Taurida to the Sovereign and Empress; he was touched by the attention shown to him from different sides by members of the Royal Family; The unexpected award to the Doctor and Secretary of the Order of St. Vladimir Equal to the Apostles 6 also consoled me. The reception of expected and unexpected guests lasted more than two hours. In conclusion, the Vicar, His Eminence Leonid, Bishop of Dmitrov, read in his mellifluous and sincere voice the Vladyka’s word to the visitors 7: it will, of course, be published in all timely publications; His word to the Metropolitan was also felt. After the spiritual meal, a sumptuous dinner was offered for 300 people, if not more. How much cordiality was shown by the highly venerable and deeply revered Viceroy of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra Archimandrite - Archimandrite Anthony, adorned with gray wisdom and piety! After dinner, some of those who were treated returned to the Metropolitan Chambers to look at the loving and all-beloved shepherd and thank him for the treat. I found many of the spiritual visitors in the reception room, and among their guests were the Saints. He blessed each of them with a sacred icon, and each took the found shrine to his home, as a pledge of grace, in memory of August 5th. Oh, may God grant him and us to celebrate this unforgettable day more than once!... May the Lord look upon the unanimous desire of the flock to learn from his deeds of piety and charity, on guard of prayer and fasting, and from his hierarchical, service, preaching, scholarly, and written activities! How much in the works of the oldest High Hierarch in Russia, with the depth of thought, with the movement of feeling, how much lofty poetry worthy of the immortal psalmist! I appreciated harmony, clarity, strength, conciseness, euphony, majesty in them! Yes, “the language of the Filarets has hardened into its granite outlines and will remain forever the language of the Orthodox Church, native and understandable to the Russian people and the entire Slavic brethren in the whole world.” Trinity-Sergius Lavra. List of members and deputies of clergy who arrived on AUGUST 5, 1867 at the Trinity St. Sergius Lavra 8 I. By the Highest command 1. Archbishop of Ryazan Irinarch. 2. Archbishop of Tver Philotheus (from the Vicars of the Moscow Bishop). Present in the Holy Synod. 3. Archbishop Anthony of Vladimir. 4. Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod Nektary. Present in the Holy Synod. 5. Bishop of Kaluga Gregory. 6. Bishop Nikander of Tula. 7. Archbishop Nil of Yaroslavl. 8. Bishop of Polotsk Savva (from the Vicars of the Moscow Bishop). 9 . Bishop of Dmitrov Leonid. 10. Bishop of Mozhaisk Ignatius. 11. Bishop Zephaniah of Novomirgorod, Vicar of Kherson 9. 1. From the Holy Governing Synod 1. Archpriest John Vasilyevich Rozhdestvensky. Present at the Holy Synod. 2. Rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, Archpriest John Yanyshev. 3. Rector of the St. Petersburg Seminary Archimandrite Pavel. 4. Viceroy of the Alexandronevsk Lavra Polycarp. 5. Cathedral Archpriest of Bells. 6. Archimandrite Theoktist, Housekeeper of the House of Bishops. 7. Rector of the Kazan Theological Academy Archimandrite Innocent. 8. Cathedral Archpriest Vishnevsky. 9 . Rector of the Seminary Archimandrite Pavel (from the Masters of the Moscow Academy). 10. Rector of the Seminary Archimandrite Justin. 11. Viceroy of the Pochaev Lavra. 12. Cathedral Archpriest Khalkolivanov (12th year Master of the Moscow Theological Academy. 13. Cathedral Archpriest Stefan Kashmensky. 14. Cathedral Archpriest Metaniev. 15. Cathedral Archpriest Moskvin. 12. From Moscow University 16. Professor Archpriest Nikolai Sergievsky. 13. From Novorossiysk University 17. Professor Archpriest Pavlovsky. 14. From the Court Department 18. Dean Archpriest of the Verkhospasky Cathedral Stefan Korolkov. 19. Annunciation Cathedral Sacellary Archpriest Methodius Smirnov. IV. Spiritual representatives of the Moscow flock 1. From the Moscow Theological Academy 1. Rector Archpriest Alexander Gorsky, Doctor of Theology. 2. Inspector of the Academy Archimandrite Mikhail. 3. Professor Archpriest Filaret Sergievsky. 4. Professor Cathedral Hieromonk John. 2. From the Moscow Seminary 5. Rector Archimandrite of the Epiphany Monastery, Nikodim. 3. From Spaso-Bethans Seminary 6. Rector, Archimandrite of the Znamensky Monastery, Sergius. 4. From the Moscow Consistory 7. Danilovsky Archimandrite Iyakov. 8. Cathedral Archpriest Peter Pokrovsky. 9 . All Saints Archpriest John of Zagorsk. 10. Predtechensky, near Bor, Archpriest John Rozhdestvensky. 11. Spasky, in Nalivki, Archpriest John of Blagoveshcheisk. 5. From the Guardianship of the Poor ecclesiastical rank 12. Nikitsky Church Archpriest Platon Kapustin, Superintendent of the School for Girls of the Clergy. 13. Trinity Church, on Listy, Priest Pavel Sokolov. 14. Pyatnitskaya Church Priest Vasily Romanovsky. 6. From the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment 15. Danilovsky Archimandrite Iyakov. 16. Forerunner, which is under the pine forest, Archpriest John of the Rozhdestvensky. 7. From Deaneries in the Capital 17. Peter and Paul Archpriest Peter Ternovsky, Doctor of Theology. 18. Sofia Archpriest Alexander Nechaev. 19. Archpriest at the Church of All Who Sorrow Joy Pavel Lyapidevsky. 20. Novopimenovsky Archpriest Alexander Nikolsky. 21. Archpriest at the Church of St. Nicholas the Revealed Stefan Zernov, Teacher of the Law of the Nicholas Institute. 22. Vvedensky, in the former Novinsky monastery, Archpriest Theodore Florinsky. 23. Znamensky, in Pereyaslavskaya Yamskaya Sloboda, Archpriest Nikolai Ternovsky. 24. Voskresensky, in Taganka, Priest Konstantin Uspensky. 25. Zlatoust Archimandrite Gregory (from the Masters of the Moscow Theological Academy). 26. Nikolo-Ugreshsky Archimandrite Pimen. 27. David's Abbot Joseph. 28. Savvinsky Viceroy Hegumen Galaktion. 9 . From all County towns 29. Archimandrite Tikhon of the Novoglutvinsky Trinity Monastery. 30. Kolomna Assumption Cathedral Archpriest and Rector of the School Mikhail Sandyrevsky. 31. Church of the Epiphany Priest Nikolai Vinogradov. Member of the Board. 32. Trinity Church Priest John Lebedev. 33. Archimandrite of the Luzhetsky Monastery Victor. 34. Cathedral Archpriest Dobronravov. 35. Cathedral Archpriest Levitsky. 36. Cathedral Archpriest Solovyov. 37. Cathedral Archpriest Vishnyakov. 38. Cathedral Archpriest of Theology. 39. Ascension Priest of Thebes, Member of the Board. 40. Cathedral Archpriest Modestov. 41. Petropavlovsk, on the Klyazma, Archpriest Tikhon Kolychev. 42. Dean Priest from the village of Biserova Nikolai Solovyov. 43. Cathedral Priest Nikolai Kosminkov. See “List of Grand Dukes and Tsars of Moscow, All-Russian Metropolitans and Patriarchs” in the “Appendix to the Index for viewing the Moscow Patriarchal Library”, the venerable work of Archimandrite, now Bishop of Polotsk and Vitebsk, Savva. Ancient Orthodox and Edinoverie. In the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in memory of August 5, 1867, a church is being erected in the name of St. Philaret the Merciful: all these icons (more than 30) will be placed in it. In the Dioceses of Kiev, Vologda, Vyatka, Yaroslavl and others, on August 5th there was a Divine service in all churches. So far, 80 telegrams have been received, if not more. D.S.S.Vl. Iv. Rakhmanov 3rd and N.V. Danilov 4th degree. Another Vicar, the Most Reverend Ignatius, Bishop of Mozhaisk, performed divine services on this day in the large Assumption Colony; in the evening, however, he managed to bring heartfelt congratulations to our Master to the Lavra. I really regret that I did not have any opportunity to collect the names of all the other deputies, not of clergy rank. Some more of the Right Reverends also wished to personally greet the Moscow Saint, but some were deprived of this pleasure by distance or circumstances.