Letters from clergy and secular persons to Metropolitan of Moscow Philaret (Drozdov)

Contents XXXIX. Letters from Bishop Smolensky Antonia Amfiteatrov CCXLV CCLXVI CCLXVII XL. Letter from the Infantry General Count N.N. Muravyov-Amursky CCLXVIII XLI. Letters of Archimandrite Antoninus CCLXIX CCLXX CCLXXI CCLXXII CCLXXIII CCLXXIV XLII. Letter from Archbishop Eusebius of Irkutsk CCLXXV XLIII. Letters from Archbishop Platon of Riga and Mitau CCLXXVI CCLXXVII CCLXXVIII XLIV. Letter from d.s. With. N.V. Elagina CCLXXIX Letters from t.s. K.S. Serbinovich CCLXXX CCLXXXI XLVI. Letter from Bishop Alexy of Tula CCLXXXII XLVII. Letter from Archimandrite Sergius CCLXXXIII XXXIX. Letters from Bishop Smolensky Anthony Amfitheatrov Anthony, in the world Yakov Gavrilovich Amfitheatrov, son of a priest of the Orenburg diocese, was born on October 15, 1815; studied first at the Kaluga seminary, then at the Kyiv Academy; December 31, 1839 – master and bachelor of the Kyiv Academy; 1840 September 12 – tonsured, 14 – hierodeacon, 15 – hieromonk; July 19, 1841 – inspector of the Kyiv seminary; March 12, 1845 – rector of the Kyiv seminary; April 15 of the same year - archimandrite; February 11, 1848 – rector of Kiev-Nikol. monastery; November 22 of the same year – Doctor of Theology; January 10, 1851 - rector of the Kyiv Academy and abbot of the Kiev-Brotherly Epiphany Monastery; March 1, 1858 – Bishop of Chigirinsky, consecrated. – March 30; October 31, 1859 – Smolensk; November 9, 1866 – Kazan; December 29, 1876 – honorary. Member of the Academy of Sciences. passed away November 8, 1879 Your Eminence Vladyka, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father! The all-joyful feast of St. Churches are the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who brought saving renewal to the human race and the whole world. With filial boldness, I place myself mentally before your holy face and, together with your closest and dear children, inherent in you, I bring to your Eminence the most zealous congratulations and together with good wishes, so that the Lord, who became incarnate for our sake, will give you from the inexhaustible treasure of His grace everything you need for temporary and eternal life and renew your strength in the coming new year for new labors and deeds for the benefit of the holy church. I offer my deepest gratitude to Your Eminence for providing quick consolation to us orphans in the sorrow that has befallen us, 1 which turns the upcoming bright holiday into pity for us. I bowed to the ground to the coffin of the deceased in Bose, and conveyed your wish, but I confess - with the addition of my own desire, so that your wish will not be fulfilled for a long time. May the Moscow lamp shine upon us and please us with its light, even when the Kiev lamp has already gone out. Live longer though you, holy Master, when our Master has abandoned and orphaned us all. The deceased also wished this for you, who during his last illness, in the midst of his grave sufferings, often turned his thoughts to you and expressed his deep devotion and lively sympathy for Your Eminence and the close spiritual union of his soul with yours. He told me and instructed me to write to you, after his death, about a dream he had at the very beginning of his illness. “I saw,” he said, “as if I was coming to the chambers of the Moscow Vladyka. In my hands I have the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, all shining with rays. The Master comes out to me and I greet him in a pleading tone with the words spoken: Holy Master, pray to the Lord God to receive my spirit in peace. Following this, the Lord seemed to rush towards me, crying with a bitter sob, and I woke up.” “It’s true,” he added, “this is my last illness and I won’t get up again.” And so it came true. Shortly before his death, he found among his things a panagia that he had forgotten, given to him by you when he was rector of the Moscow Academy, when you came to inspect this academy. He ordered this panagia to be placed with him in the tomb, which was done. He fell ill with catarrh on December 7, but recovered early, so that on the 14th he was already busy with business. And in the evening he suddenly became terribly ill and barely survived the night. Medical benefits helped him somewhat, but the inflammation that affected his right lung was beyond his age. For exactly a week he suffered grievously, and on all days he received communion of the liturgical Gifts, putting on himself in a small vestment and getting up, first in the church, and then in the bedroom in an armchair, and only for the last time he received communion on the bed, but still in vestments. You should have seen how he hugged the cup brought to him, how he kissed it and pressed his lips to it! .. His suffering continued after that from one o'clock until nine o'clock. But, remembering all this, I don’t have the strength to write... His will let us know that he had long ago accepted the schema and was named Theodosius in it. Having first dressed him in the bishop's vestments, we, according to his will, placed the schema on him in addition to the vestments. On the 22nd they carried it into the church, and on the 26th or 27th we are thinking of performing the burial, expecting 2 for this Right Reverend of Podolsk. With the deepest filial humility and devotion, I throw myself at your feet and kiss your right hand. Your Eminence Rector Academician Archimandrite Anthony. Your Eminence Vladyka, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father. I bring to Your Eminence my most ardent filial greetings on the upcoming bright feast of the holy church and the coming new year, and I unite my prayers with the prayers of the eternal children of your flock, so that our Lord Jesus Christ, who was incarnated for the renewal of the human race and, of course, already imagined, according to the Apostle, in your soul, through faith, love and good deeds, promotes more and more days of your life and will give you more and more new strength, so that the hour of illumination of your holy church and our joy about it will last longer and longer! So we celebrated a year-long commemoration of the lamp of the Kyiv church, which went out last year on these very days. Our tears of sadness, during the funeral chanting, were dissolved by living consolation from the true and undoubted hope that the one who had truly died had now, during the past year, put off all the remains of the earthly, corruptible and old man, with all the infirmities and sins characteristic of every mortal, and truly it is his lot to be holy! For all who knew the deceased, especially in his last years and days, this conviction is as clear as day... The Lord would grant that such lamps would not become scarce in the Russian Church now and in the future! For the present time, despite the general cries about enlightenment, progress and civilization, is very dark and disappointing in terms of spiritual and religious matters. So, little by little, an alien spirit is making its way into our hitherto completely serene and modest circle... A strong spirit is needed in the workers of the Lord's grapes, so that it creates grapes, and not thorns, and we definitely need some kind of movement in the present statu quo... May the Lord help those who are called to this, and we will pray for help from above for them. But forgive me, Holy Master, for speaking too much and bless me, unworthy, with a fatherly blessing; and with the deepest filial devotion I kiss your right hand. Most Gracious Archpastor and Father Anthony, Bishop of Chigirinsky. Kiev. I bring to Your Eminence my most lively filial gratitude for your merciful and precious lines with which you consoled me on January 10th. I also take comfort in your fatherly blessing for my proposed visit to Moscow. I will look forward to this time as a true holiday for myself, and pray to the Lord to make my path prosperous. Fulfilling the will of Your Eminence, which is sacred to me, I am transmitting a note on the selection of dean 3, compiled by me in response to the note you sent to me on this subject 4. I am also enclosing something that was not asked for. A copy of my project on the transformation of the educational part, which the Holy Synod allowed me to carry out in the seminaries and schools of the Smolensk diocese. Therefore, a review from Your Eminence would be a true reward for me, even if it contained the most severe judgment... We need communication and advice with each other now, like our daily bread. But unfortunately, we are too unaccustomed, or better yet, not at all accustomed to this matter. It is heard that it is supposed from above to give us the motivation and opportunity to do so. God willing! I most humbly ask your holy prayers for my unworthiness, and with feelings of the deepest filial veneration and devotion I am and will remain Anthony Bishop of Smolensk. XL. Letter from the General of the Infantry, Count N. N. Muravyov-Amursky Nikolai Nikol. M. gen. Aug 11 1809; studied in the page corps; in 1824 - Kam.-page; in 1827 he entered service in the Life Guards. Finnish p.; in 1833 he retired; 1838 with the rank of major. for special charge to the commander of the Caucasus, dept. bldg.; in 1840 - colonel; in 1841 - major general; in 1845 - ranked. to min. internal, affairs; in 1846 - Tula military officer. and citizen governorate; in 1847 – governor general. eastern Siberia; in 1858 – Adjutant General, Inf. General, Count of Amur; in 1861 - member. State Sov. Died on November 19. 1881 Your Eminence! I had the honor to receive your most respected letter with deepest gratitude for the kind attention of Your Eminence to me. I hasten to answer with the first courier and, first of all, to confess that I did not warn you with the news of an event in which you have always deigned to take such a lively part 5. I can’t make excuses, because I had to write about this to Your Eminence, despite any political considerations and secrets, but I only hoped that St. Innocent 6, with whom we together made our successful voyage along the Amur this year, would inform you about everything that was happening there. I accept your blessing for the establishment of a new region as the surest guarantee of success, and in due time I will not fail to bring to your attention the consequences of our undertakings there, when God allows me to personally introduce myself to Your Eminence in Moscow. Meanwhile, having barely finished the previous one, a new struggle lies ahead of me and, although not bloody, as the previous one was, it is almost more difficult, for the degree of exaltation 7 to which the sovereign’s mercy elevated me, without protecting me from the clerks, only made me new envious people among them, and, consequently, enemies: therefore, Your Eminence Vladyka, both God’s help and your blessing are necessary for me in my difficult field of service to the fatherland even more than before. Lord, when will you save Russia from the clerks? With the deepest respect and boundless devotion, I have the honor to remain gr. Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky. XLI. Letters of Archimandrite Antonin Archim. Antonin, in the world Andrey Iv. Kapustin, studied first in Perm. seminar, then to Kiev. spirit. academician, which he graduated in 1843 with a degree, master's degree; in 1843 defined. Academy Bachelor; in 1845 - tonsured. and ordained in hiero.; in 1850 - rector ambassador, c. in Athens; in 1853 - archimandrite; in 1860 - rector Konstantin. embassy c.; in 1866 - present, Jerusalem mission, where he remained until the end of his life, which followed on March 23, 1894. Your Eminence, I most humbly ask permission to appear before you and fulfill a long-standing and deep desire of my heart - to ask you for a blessing for myself. The insignificance of my face and position did not allow me to bother you until now without a good reason. The current occasion, although it is also more my desire than an involuntary accident, I dare to consider it so significant that I am not afraid to use it for a conversation with you, Most Gracious Archpastor! About a year and a half ago, His Eminence Bishop Abramius of Viotia, when he was in Athens as a member of the Holy Synod, asked me to convincingly assist him in the restoration of the ancient church of St., located in his diocesan city of Thebes. Apostle and Evangelist Luke, which has been destroyed since time immemorial, but still retains the tomb of the evangelist. I pointed out to him the Archpastor of Kyiv Philaret 8, of blessed memory, whom I had the good fortune to be personally acquainted with, as a person whom he could hopefully ask for God-loving assistance for himself. As a result, he turned to the late Vladyka with a request. His Eminence the Metropolitan expressed full consent to help the good enterprise, but his unexpected death stopped the matter halfway. Recently, the Most Reverend Vicar of Kiev 9 notified me that the deceased in blessed memory bequeathed 500 silver rubles to the evangelist’s church, which are being sent to them immediately. Based on my communication with the Lord of Thebes, it turned out that the indicated amount may be enough to restore the church from scratch, but to complete the job, at least the same amount of money is needed. After the above, I dare to fall at your feet, Holy Hierarch of God, with the most humble request to complete the work of your namesake, ever-memorable archpastor. Perhaps in Moscow there will be some lover of Christ who, at your word, will not hesitate to donate the desired amount to this praiseworthy cause. I no longer consider myself to have the right to extend my conversation. Asking for myself and my church your archpastoral and paternal blessing, I consider myself happy, having been called Most Gracious Archpastor and Father, the lowest novice Archimandrite Antonin. The past year has unexpectedly revealed to me your hand inherent in my destiny 10 . I kiss her and water her with tears - not only because she is the hand of a saint and benefactor, but also because in her I see another hand, the waves of which for some time began to amaze me with their formidable justice and their consoling mercy more than words 11. I do not dare to go into the details of the circumstance, which gave me a wonderful lesson to look at you, Father and Most Gracious Archpastor, as my helper in the fact that I was called, and did not call myself, for the work of God. I wanted to have confidence in this, but I did not dare to look for it either in my conscience or in the circumstances of my insignificant life, or in the fruits of my still insignificant activity, naturally fearing to be deceived, and, not being convinced, I inevitably hesitated between the jealousy that consumed me to speak in the name of the truth and the fear of saying something from vanity, which no less devours human virtue. Now I know how I need to look at what I need to say (something) to almost everyone, as if fulfilling some duty of my existence on earth. Now I have the gratifying conviction that my weak words and meager deeds do not flow from self-delusion. I am aware of everything that can be presented to me during my self-sought ascension to the department, in a sense, as if teaching. Even from your lips, it was not surprising for me to hear the recognition of the illegality of the right of the “Archimandrite of Athens” to discuss objects of universal ecclesiastical significance. I do not deny that the voice of the Athens Metropolitan would have had more weight. But this metropolitan 12, if he had spoken, would have saddened the Russian church, because of course he would have said the same thing that he once said to me, namely, that “his pious feeling does not allow him to pray to the Russian icon of the Mother of God.” In order not to ever hear a more obvious, if not directly official, reproach for something from the same faith in the East, it is better to preface it with an announcement of what is necessary and useful for all Russians to know, and especially for Russian shepherds. I most humbly ask for blessings and permission to confess to Your Eminence that the impoverished replenishing grace of God has, to a small extent, compensated for all my lack with the blissful opportunity to see, study and love to the point of pity, to the point of jealousy, the sacred cradle of the mother of St. The Church is a land cultivated by the hands of the apostles, watered with the blood of martyrs, warmed by the warm breath of ascetics. This is my talent! - often true, and for many unenviable, but for me invaluable and incomparable with anything else on earth. I dare to think that I am called to buy for them; I have collected in my heart several signs of this calling. So who, in early childhood, in the far north, placed me before a mysterious and still inexplicable vision of Constantinople, and put into my mortal heart (as it seems to me) a feeling of indescribable longing - before the memory of the extinct, first-Orthodox Christian power? Wherever I was later, the image deeply sunk into my soul did not leave me, the vague vision was renewed - and always with the same deep feeling of melancholy, always unexpectedly and always instantly. I was not surprised that by a combination of unforeseen circumstances I was soon moved from north to south, was twice elevated to the chair of the Greek language, and if I did not teach it to anyone, I learned it myself - I became a monk, as if without noticing it, and finally “lost my way,” according to the prophetic expression of the blessed memory of the great elder Philaret, a man of God, that is, he left his academic service. I was surprised when, having looked around Athens, I had reason to ask myself: why am I there, and not in Constantinople, where I was apparently destined to live? But Athens (may the memory of the great universal teachers and your humility forgive me for my arrogant words!) was not a school for me alone. When I, apparently, learned in them everything that needed to be learned - even what I never imagined it necessary to learn, according to your - and at the same time Divine - mania, I now see myself in Constantinople. What time? - when you can already hear the dull roar of the elements fighting in the heart of the earth, ready to shake off the wickedness that exists on the consecrated earth! I dare to think that I have to do something here, what exactly? I don’t know and I can’t predict. But if it were only possible to see the all-pleasing light of His benevolence returning from the throne of the World Ruler to the place of the long-standing, and already, as it were, familiar, outcome of his paths, and, together with thousands of other hands, to stretch out his weak hands to the broken links of Byzantine history in order to link them again, and begin a new history of the Church of Christ - diverging as before from Byzantium, as from the heart, everywhere, but no longer striving to the fragmentation of the body of Christ according to countries, according to peoples, according to languages, according to schools, according to passions, according to prejudices, but to the union of all members into a single life of the spirit, in love, peace and joy in Christ Jesus. You, who have been teaching us to understand the mind of the Lord for more than half a century, will you really deny us this right, or better yet, duty now, when a great voice is heard over Europe: a great voice to him who sits on the cloud: eat your sickle and reap, for the hour of reaping has come. Already the green grass, doomed to destruction, is gone, and the harvesters from all sides are striving for the great sea. Your Eminence Vladyka! You have already once deigned to listen to my words 13. For me, it was a great holiday that day on which I learned that they not only reached your ears, but even called your hand, never weakened in punishments or blessings, to reflect what in them resonated with thinness. Do not refuse your favor again - accept the gratitude of the person to whom your rod is kind; because this is a fatherly rod, as strong as it is light. I was afraid that my word would be passed over by complete indifference. Thank the Lord! The most valuable gaze for me fell on him intently and deeply. I was also afraid, on the other hand, that instead of my words, the one who spoke them would not fall under judgment. My fear in this regard was not completely in vain. Judging by some of the reviews that have reached me about me, I seem to be a liberal and, at the very least, a person who is carried away by everything he sees. Therefore, I consider it my duty to assure Your Eminence that I stand firmly in my small guard of Orthodoxy, and I hope that, while holding it, I have not yet done anything worthy of blame. That I became interested in Greece, there is, but the smallest, grain of truth in this. Not yet knowing Greece at all, I sought to leave the path on which I stood, and which I sought in vain to replace with some other, the path of ambition from the first step on it to the last - at the grave, - the path of non-Christian competition in external differences, - almost undisguised envy and completely open egoism, revealed either by offensive pride or ridiculous vanity, in success - by despotism, in failure - by cowardice - the path the enmity of the so-called white clergy towards the so-called black, - flattery and at the same time hatred of the former for the latter, contempt and at least not love of the latter for the former, - the path of voluntary or involuntary oblivion of monastic duties, - the path of a gradual descent from the heights of consciousness of the dignity of the human soul to the dignity of the formal position in society, - the path of systematic despiritualization of life and science, - the path of pathetic self-delusion and self-indulgence in the greatness of the church before in the face of the blatant protest of a corrupt society - the path of silently following every wave of power and authority, etc. etc. I noticed with fear that I myself often approved of this path, but did not get carried away by it - as a guarantee that I would not get carried away, both in Greece and anywhere else, in anything that diverges from the Gospel. In Greece, I did not encounter such an offensive moral path of honor, I did not find the sad division of the clergy, and I was not struck by the heart-tearing dislike of society for the church. This alone would be enough to explain why one can be carried away by Greece and even give it an advantage over Russia) - to a deep insult to patriotic feelings. And having peered into the details of Greek religious life, I found in it so much more similar to what the ancient biographies of saints and the narratives of chroniclers tell us that I would have denied myself the name of an Orthodox priest if I had kept silent about it in front of my brethren. I also consider it my duty to discuss another possible complaint against me - my neoteristic inclinations. I remember, I don’t know whose comment it was from (I think it was the late Count N.A. Protasov), expressed in the form of bewilderment: “why is it that our foreign clergy is so conveniently inclined towards novelty, and so easily looks at Orthodoxy.” I have no doubt that such a review was caused by concern for Orthodoxy. The same concern could inspire a foreign Orthodox Christian to turn to the Russian clergy with the same bewilderment. The point is in the understanding of Orthodoxy and in the sense of the word: novelty (for example, for Russia it would now be a novelty to serve as an archimandrite without a miter, and for Greece - with a miter. For Greece, a meeting of a priest in the Synod seems blatantly new, and we will call the one to whom it seems so a liberal. A rebellion against sacred antiquity (and perhaps even Orthodoxy itself), both Greece and Russia will call the current senseless the distinction between bishops and archbishops, and yet it is a novelty that will end with the first ecumenical council! As for the reproach against our foreign clergy in particular, I have neither the grounds nor the right to defend its entire composition. But I consider it a duty flowing from my position to testify before the church authority that placed my meager lamp on the candlestick, that I personally have not deviated in any way from what is signified by the Orthodox Church - I have not betrayed the oath of the priesthood, I have not violated (by neglecting) the vows of monasticism, I keep the traditions of my fathers and even simple pious customs of my country, I practice daily morning and evening services, I keep fasts, I don’t eat meat, I don’t smoke, I don’t play with anything or anything (except for one game with a pen, for which I apologize). This is enough not to be afraid for my moral side. But regardless of all this, liberal inclinations could be a consequence of youth and vanity. I bear witness to the conscience of a priest that I do not pursue vain glory, I do not seek distinctions, promotions, or rewards. I am content with my place and position, which I have desired since my childhood days, which allows me quiet and kind studies in science, which provides me with my needs, and is so respectable that I do not want to replace it with another. My youth is no longer the first, I am moving towards 50 years. There remains one more assumption, on the examination of which the solution to many other issues depends. Isn’t my testimony to the Russian Church reflecting the spirit of an era thirsting for change at all costs, which marks progress, almost idolized by modernity, which is allowed with extreme caution in the affairs of the Church! The era is us. If there is a real desire for change in her, then the expression of their need cannot be attributed to someone’s personal whim, and he should not be judged for that. The most dangerous changes are those that follow stubborn resistance. What is prepared from the ground has the opportunity to appear in the form of a conscience that does not disturb the world. Our era is truly an era of change, but in this it fulfills, of course, the commandment given to it from above. As an apology for myself, I could add that what I communicate to the Holy Synod, even if conveyed in the form of desires and judgments, in its essence is nothing more than a notification to it about what is worthy of its information. I have no right to think that the highest church authority considers itself obliged to agree with what is transmitted to it by one of its lowest novices. But I cannot be calm at the thought that, by not bringing to her attention the differences between the two Orthodox churches, I am perhaps depriving her of the opportunity to do something for the benefit of all Christianity. Finally, with my letters I do nothing else, as soon as I fulfill the instructions of the Holy Synod to inform him of everything that I consider worthy of his attention. From this point of view, my letter in question (dated February 2, 1859) to the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, 14, does not contain everything that should be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Russian Church. I hinted at this in it, hoping that the Holy Synod would instruct me (and not only me, but everyone who has the opportunity to see and study the Greek Church) to set out in detail all the differences between the Greek church practice and the practice of the Russian Church, and even generalize this measure to other churches of the East - Orthodox and non-Orthodox. Most Gracious Father and Archpastor! Having honored my letter with condescending attention, deign to listen to my humble expression of feelings, desires and hopes that relates to you personally. First of all, may my prayer be witnessed before the Lord for the continuation of your life, which is necessary for Christianity, for many more years. Among the saddest news for me from the fatherland is the one that sometimes brings to us rumors of your ailments. You must live to see and bless the revival of a single and universal, organically living, strong and sovereign Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ, if it is too early to think about a single universal, pan-Christian church, which the happy birth of the future will see. You have been receiving the tribute of universal reverence for you for more years than I have been alive in the world. And therefore it would be unnecessary and inappropriate for me to testify to you about it on my part. About twenty years ago, crowded with people during a religious procession in Moscow, I was struck by the loudly declared desire of one village woman to see Filaret. To this day I cannot forget the impression made on me then by this so wonderfully expressed desire. The kind soul, of course, was looking to see the Metropolitan, and asked Philaret. What is this from? For the same reason that your unworthy interlocutor wrote this letter to you, almost constantly seeing before him the image of Philaret, and very rarely the Metropolitan. Is this look on your face insolent? The answer makes itself visible immediately, as soon as the question is addressed to the mentioned woman instead of me. Was it impudence that put your name, unclothed with any title, into her mouth? Of course not. That peculiarity, witnessed by everyone, that your face has in Russia, gives me the courage to express to you the desire to see you not only as a patron, but also as a figure in the return movement of the Russian Church to the image of Orthodoxy that it originally borrowed from its mother - the Greek Church, until the hour comes when this image will be compared with the one that preceded it, and more or less differed from it. For it cannot be denied that the times in which we live urgently require a revision of the past. The church begins to put itself in a false position in relation to society, or vice versa. General non-observance of fasts in the highest circles of society (and what kind of fasts? already reduced to the purely external and even casual side of fasting - the type and type of food!) - very noticeable in the same circle - cooling towards divine services (and what kind of divine services? reduced in every possible way, transferred from one hour of the day or day to another - all for the sake of weakness!) - distrust of church tradition (light reviews of the lives of saints, evasive judgments about miraculous icons), the transfer of the helmsman's book and church charter to the archives, the open denial of the need and legality of monasticism, - the weakening of clergy authority, - the constraining interference in the affairs of the church by secular authorities - due to the lack of delimitation of one and another area of state life, and many others. etc. – cannot be tolerated for long. The Church, since its last ecumenical meetings, has made quite a few concessions to the world - under the yoke of certain circumstances. It is necessary either to abolish them, or to recognize them as legal, one thing at a time, in order to pacify the conscience of the priesthood, placed between the hostile forces of duty and need. Not only do I wish from you, but let me implore you, to use all your beneficial influence on the Holy Synod to bring the Russian Church into real, living connection with all individual parts of Orthodoxy. Only true unity, and not nominal, can give strength to the Eastern Church. The less we, coming from the beginnings of Orthodoxy, are inclined to recognize the supreme authority of one person in the church, the more we must take care that the general authority is recognized by everyone as the vital principle of the church, is believed as a dogma, and reflects itself in all the actions of church government, no matter where and by whom it reveals itself, whether by the patriarch, the Synod, or the archbishop. Meanwhile, what does the Eastern Church represent to us? Almost complete separation of its members. Patriarchs. living in the same Constantinople, they act in such a way that one does not know the affairs of the other, and even tries not to know, so as not to have a reason to interfere in them, and, in turn, not to encounter interference from others in their affairs. What kind of unity exists between the patriarchs and synods of Russia and Greece is well known to Your Eminence. Is this the right kind of church? Complaints about the abuse of Greek. The clergy have now become a fashionable topic of conversation among us; almost everyone is an accuser. But have we used even the slightest legal assistance to prevent these abuses? In Greece, the Russian style of icon painting produces a general temptation - our attachment to church splendor arouses sarcastic reviews, but has any of the Greeks raised their voice - again legitimate against our one-sidedness, frivolity, etc.? - No. The same beginning - not to interfere and not tolerate interference, also stubborn separation! And with all this, we have the consciousness of the unity that should be in the Orthodox Church. Based on our official language (Greek-Russian Church), Europe calls our Church Greek, and based on the information received from us and through us, draws conclusions about the entire Eastern Church. She judges this church according to her sound, but not to a sound beginning (in Catholicism) concepts of church unity. He has the right to do so, and gives us a noteworthy lesson. The Greek Church is in conditions unfavorable for acting in the spirit of universal church unity, at least for opening actions of this kind. Just recently, from a conversation I had with one of the most educated Greek hierarchs, regarding the threat of the Bulgarians to pester the pope, I was convinced that the Greek church is not able to move forward, that it can only stand. The sorrowful saint said to me: “Well? let them pester dad too when they like dad more. A great church cannot renounce its rights. Her task is to preserve Orthodoxy, no matter how shy its circle may be. Afanasy V., etc.! Sad confession! It is forced by the unnatural position of the Greek Church among different nationalities. But it also testifies in the most striking way to the destructive effects of disunity in the depths of Orthodoxy. This Church, which once shone throughout the whole world and ruled the world, must be supported by giving it the hand of fraternal union. But this hand must be skillful and strong. Our past and our future call on us to support the decrepit mother who once held us in her bosom. What and how? - not by defaming at least her venerable name, - not by neglecting her real affection for us, which is struggling terribly with her own self-preservation, - under the slander of either us or her by unfriendly elements, - not by coldly deriding her warmest hopes for us, which may be exaggerated, may be selfish from the point of view of nationalities, may not even be useful to her, but always about the name of Jesus Christ placed on us. This orphan of the royal house, impoverished, thinner, even wild, must be caressed and consoled with sincerity worthy of her misfortune. Who knows her future? She has hundreds of thousands of prayer books in heaven! But what can be done for her? Enter into an open alliance with her both here and in Athens, without fearing anything or anyone. We have an indisputable historical, dogmatic, canonical right to this. Much of what I said here, I did not dare to express, if I did not feed myself with the humble hope that from the unworthy words of those like me, informers of what exists and happens outside the Russian Church, you would bring out something worthy of the general attention of its leaders: You decided to confer the priesthood on a person who is not bound by either the vows of monasticism or the bonds of marriage 15 . A blessed step forward, or more precisely: back! It shows an indisputable guarantee of the strict justice of your soul, before which there is nothing to fear from the evidence of truth, no matter what objects it concerns. Asking your Eminence for forgiveness in speaking too much, and especially in speaking about myself, I entrust myself to your blessing, hoping that you will not reject the head who seeks your blessing Gracious Archpastor and Father Gracious Archpastor and Father. Having twice been honored with my reports to the Holy Synod to attract the attention of Your Eminence, at least twice having had the high pleasure of receiving notification from E.S.G. Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, I decide to humbly ask you for permission to testify to you my deep gratitude for the honor shown to me 17. The spirit of Your Eminence's feedback on my reports assures me that in the opinion of the Holy Synod I am considered a slave, if faithful in some ways, then at the same time obstinate. Not wanting to be a hireling in the house of God, I would really slavishly want to serve in it, and I am glad, therefore, to work at every opportunity where I am assigned, and in what I am called to do. In addition to the human fate of falling into errors in new judgments and difficult situations, my thoughts encounter another special temptation from the fact that they must appear in court in positions that are immeasurably different, the defendant and the judge. Moreover, truth, not having a language dedicated to itself, from the height where reverence for it places it, conveniently steps on the tone of heartfelt, trusting simplicity - whenever a quiet and kind fatherly image appears before the gaze of the soul, calling it to the word. This tone, again, is not eliminated from more or less disapproving excesses. But on the other hand: the Lord of the harvest even left the tares to grow in His field for the sake of a good shoot. Moreover, he did not cut off the weak ears. I believe that by the grace of God the granary of the Russian Church is full, and my meager class will not enrich it. I still don’t think it’s possible to replicate, in our Christian times, the bitterness that once followed a rejected offering, but I can’t overcome the grief that along with the unwanted sacrifice, the offerer is also rejected, and not only is he rejected, but he is also accused of the offering. I have already tried to defend myself before Your Eminence. I feel the burden of repeating something that once upon a time it would have been easier not to say. I have never tried to weaken in myself the memory of that fire that must one day tempt the work of every person who exists. Guided by this memory, I find support and consolation in it. One useful book writes: “At a time when a person is seeking instruction for eternal life, it is difficult to suspect him of deliberate hypocritical self-praise before his mentor.” The memory of the said fire assures that I am not alien to the ideas of eternal life, in the name of which I turn to Your Eminence with a prayer not to suspect me of any form of self-love, and to judge me not for my word and address, but for my thought and deed. At the same time, I beg you, Gracious Archpastor and Father, to forgive me the unpleasant feeling that, contrary to my wishes, my reports to the Holy Synod arouse in you. Circumstances indicated to me the need to supplement my report to the Holy Synod dated March 6 of this year. Since Your Eminence has more than one simple information about this report, then, according to the voice of the filial heart devoted to you, I decided to send additional comments to the said report through your holy hands, having the power not to present them to the Holy Synod, unless you consider them worthy. The greatest consequences are often achieved by small and simple means. What if, for the consolation of all Orthodoxy, your shrine was moved to worship St. places, and saw the “East” with my own eyes? About how many and what consequences this, even the briefest, personal observation by you of what occupies so much of your caring soul would be the cause! 18. Asking for your saintly and paternal blessing, Most Gracious Father and Archpastor, I have the high honor to be Gracious Archpastor and Father. On the 29th of last month, the consecration of a new Roman Catholic church took place in the Constantinople suburb of Kadikioi (Chalcedon). The “apostolic vicar” who consecrated it, Archbishop Brunoni, under the influence of papist ideas about the Council of Chalcedon, concocted a pitiful demonstration in favor of the papacy. Considering such an invention worthy of the attention of Your Eminence, I decided to forward to you a description of the consecration of the said church, published in the last issue of the newspaper: “Courrier d’orient” 19. Taking this opportunity, I ask permission to outline before you the general course of church affairs in Constantinople at the present time. Undeterred by any setbacks, Latin propaganda is intensifying in every possible way to support the local Bulgarian unites. The hierodeacon who remained at the Bulgarian-Unite church was recently ordained as a priest by the Latin bishop, so that services can open again at the church. In the regions, propaganda also does not cease to take advantage of the Bulgarians' displeasure with the Greeks. It is most active in Adrianople. Until now, its successes were stopped by the hope of the Bulgarians to achieve some kind of independence from the Greek Church. If there is no room for this hope, then one can fear that the Bulgarians will be seduced into the union by large masses; although, to the consolation of Orthodoxy, one can hope that this seduction will not be either sincere on the part of the Bulgarians or long-lasting. In the last issue of the newspaper "Courrier d'Orient" strange news was reported in the following words: Une nouvelle scission s'opère dans l'Eglise grecque. Une partie du clergè demande à s’unir à l’Eglise romaine en conservant le rite oriental. Des démarches en ce sens ont déja été faites secretement à Rome, et nous avons eu, hier sous les yeux le texte original a’une supplique signée par quatre évêques et par huit prétres, qui demandent l’appui d’une grande ambassade pour consommer l’union. Les prélats ont derriere eux une population de 50,000 âmes, prête à suivre leur exemple 20 . I was unable to gather any explanatory information regarding this news. The relations of the non-Unit Bulgarians to the great church of Constantinople remain the same. At the Church of St. Stephen, the service continues, at which Hilarion is still commemorated instead of the patriarch. The Metropolitans of Philippolis, Kestendil and Preslav (all Bulgarians - installed by the patriarch without the consent of the dioceses) still live here, not daring to go to their dioceses. The metropolitans of Sofia and Vrakansky, who previously went to their sees, continue to fight with the population that does not accept them. Almost everywhere in Bulgaria the usual monetary contribution to bishops has been stopped. The patriarch's treasury is emptying; and imminent and important difficulties are foreseen in the course of the affairs of the great church. The Bulgarian representatives living here submitted a petition to the Porte, setting out in 8 articles everything that the people wanted from the patriarch. Porta informed the patriarch; and the latter was followed by a decisive refusal on all counts. The matter remains on this for now. The government continues to feed the Bulgarians with vague hopes. The latter claim that it even demanded concessions from the patriarch in terms of the desires declared by the Bulgarians. I have the honor to present the said petition of the Porte representatives to Your Eminence in the Bulgarian translation, as it was published in the magazine “Bulgarian Books”. For some time now, deep disagreement has been noticed in the Synod of the Great Church, predicting new difficulties for it. The Geronts (permanent members of the Synod and the finance ephors of diocesan bishops) are indignant at His Holiness for his arbitrariness. The main reason for the election of Patriarch Joachim to the ecumenical throne was the Geront’s conviction that he, a hitherto zealous adherent of the system of gerontism, would be under their complete influence. But his 8-month reign showed that he consulted with the Geronts and the Synod only on minor matters (relating mostly to his own diocese); the most important ones (for example, the appointment of bishops) are decided by him alone. About two weeks ago, in the full presence of the Synod, a strong attack was made on him by the Geront. In response to this, he expressed a desire for the government to quickly approve the position of the people's assembly on the expulsion of the geronts to the dioceses. Some of these latter spoke insolently to him for this and, embittered, left the meeting. Their thoughts tend to choose a new patriarch; whereby again everyone’s eyes turn to Anthimus (from Ephesus), who has already been patriarch twice, and now lives in St. grief. In the Armenian Church of Constantinople there is even greater confusion, the reason for which was the appointment of the Armenian Archbishop of Jerusalem. The majority of the people demand the overthrow of the current Patriarch Serkis. Recently ordained Metropolitan of Halen (formerly the third patriarchal hierodeacon). His diocese consists of 150 people. The Great Church will provide him with support from its own funds. The new ruler condemns himself to a great feat. In addition to the cruel Muslim fanaticism, he will have to fight with the 7,000 Catholic residents of the city. They have repeatedly approached me here with a request to intercede with Your Eminence to send a bell to the local church of the Life-Giving Spring (Balukli). Due to the considerable distance of the church from the city, a bell with a sonorous voice is desired. Isn’t there someone in the Christ-loving Russian capital who is inspired by a warm feeling of compassion for Constantinople? With permission for Christian churches within Turkey to ring, it is desirable for Russia to share as generously as possible with the humiliated Church of the East her beloved spiritual consolation, which louder than any other means proclaims the triumph of the holy faith in the ears of the infidels. Asking myself most humbly for the Archpastoral and paternal blessing of Your Eminence, with filial devotion, I have the honor to be yours Most Gracious Father and Archpastor There is news that Austrian agents are inciting the Bulgarians to recognize the power of the Karlowitz Patriarch over themselves. Your Eminence Vladyka, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father. I have the honor and filial joy to bring you Happy New Year greetings. Russia and the entirety of the Orthodox are sending diligent prayer to the Lord for the extension of the days of Your Eminence, which are always and irreplaceably needed by the Church of Christ. I also add to the general chorus of prayer books my weak voice, worn out by a feeling that is all the more alive and ardent, the more another voice is heard in my soul, year after year, of the increasing need for a personal conversation with you, which may I be granted, with your blessing, in the coming year. I flattered myself with the hope that with the end of the past year I would be able to tell Your Eminence some comforting news about the great church. My hope was not justified. There is much that is deeply sad in the situation of this Mother See of Orthodoxy. Its two powers - the Holy Synod and the People's Council - juxtaposed against each other to facilitate each other, entered into open confrontation with each other, useful, perhaps, in an armchair examination of the truth, but disastrous in the public investigation of affairs. This confrontation manifested itself most sharply on the issue of electing bishops. Since May, 9 metropolitan sees remain unfilled. According to the previous order of affairs, the appointment of a new bishop depended on the mutual agreement of the patriarch - and the geront, almost exclusively - on the terms of the monetary contribution of the appointee, which went into the general division of the voters, with the largest share in the hands of the patriarch. Under the new code, such a procedure for selecting and appointing bishops cannot take place. The person honored with the episcopate may not be liked by the patriarch, at least not be one of those whom he desires, and in any case does not promise anyone any gain. According to the general belief here, this double loss of moral significance and material benefit forced her. Patriarch Joachim to act to abolish the article of the code “on the selection and appointment of bishops” and insist on the old order, in which the Holy Synod (i.e., the geronts) elected three candidates (two for form), and the patriarch approved one of them at his own discretion (in fact, according to a preliminary deal with the geront, whose client was the one being elected, or - according to the same deal directly with the elected one, secretly from geront). The reason for such a return to the old order of things, His All-Holiness indicated his duty to stand for the inviolability of church rules, allegedly violated by the Code (at another time, which served as the basis for him to expel the opposing geronts from the capital). Naturally, no one believed the jealousy declared by the patriarch. As he tried to give his actions the highest legality, they tried to accuse him of double-mindedness and pursuing goals that did not agree with any law. A regrettable squabble opened between the patriarchal party and the council party, which advocates for the inviolability of the code. The Synod was divided between one side and the other. The mutual embitterment of the parties led them to the inevitable consequence - the intervention of V. Porta, who naturally took the side of the council, which defended the resolutions it approved. There is no more room for disputes; but reconciliation between the disputants, despite this, did not follow. In addition to obvious statements of hostility through newspapers, more or less instilling moderation in the party, for greater convenience of attack, they, unfortunately, resorted to the last resort of hitting each other with nameless pamphlets. The first in their series was known by the initial word called: “Brothers”. It exposed the patriarch’s deliberate opposition to the law for self-interested reasons. The answer to it was: “one complaint,” directed primarily against the Art Metropolitan of 21 (chairman of the council). The brochure concerned the private life of the Eminence, and made very offensive hints to his honor. Quite recently, an answer to it also appeared under the name: “Many complaints,” in which, unfortunately, or better yet, unfortunately, the face of Patriarch Joachim was consigned to a shame that rarely can be compared with. In all likelihood, the matter will not stop there. One may fear that with the Patriarch’s further attempt to touch someone else on the opposing side, “many complaints” will be expressed in print, to the temptation of the Church and Constantinople, the subject of which has long been ready in hundred-year-old rumors. The general voice of the Orthodox population of the capital is that a change of patriarch is inevitable for the good of the church. In recent days, a new one has been added to the previous displeasure against His All-Holiness - for the sequestration of income from the properties of the Greek monasteries of the Holy Mountain, Sinai, St., located in the principalities, by the Moldovan government. Coffin and Rumelia. This case is also attributed to patriarchal intrigue or oversight. The Bulgarian-Greek commission did not reach the end of the question of the composition of the members of the Holy Synod. On the part of the Bulgarians, in order to equalize the Greek and Slavic elements in the Synod, it was proposed to divide all the dioceses of the Patriarchate of Constantinople into 6 parts, of which each would constantly have two representatives in the Holy Synod. Since in this case the Slavic regions (together with Erakia and Macedonia) would constitute 3 parts, and all of Asia Minor one, it seemed possible to somehow equalize both nationalities in the Synod. The Greeks responded that it was impossible to introduce a new order for the dioceses, especially since the existing one was approved by the Sultan along with the code. By mutual agreement of both parties, invited to mediation, the Porta evaded a court that did not belong to it, advising the commission to find a way to reach an agreement. This is where the matter stopped for now. The Bulgarian-Unite Church remains as before, without a head. There is a rumor, however, that a reliable person is being carefully searched among the Bulgarians for ordination to the rank of bishop and for managing the affairs of the community. The Bulgarian Catholic priest who had ruled it until now (Paulician) is promoted to bishop of his co-religionists, and will go from here to his flock. The Greek-Unite bishops (Meletius and Benjamin) continue to serve here from time to time in Catholic churches according to the Orthodox service book, no longer making any impression on the people, who know very well their tribal weakness to trade not only in every word, but also in every deed that does not come from the heart. Metropolitan of Aleppo, the poorest of all the rulers of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, asked me to forward his letter to Your Eminence. Of its 150 houses, its diocese is worthy of merciful contemplation. Most humbly asking for myself and my church your saintly and paternal blessing, I have the honor to be yours, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father, Knowing that His Eminence Patriarch Sophronius notified the Holy Synod with a peace message about his accession to the Ecumenical Throne (to which he expected a response), and having found in the Greek press the response of the Holy Synod of Greece to the same patriarchal message, I considered it appropriate to present it to Your Eminence in translation for the information of the Holy Synod. The form of greeting used in this response by the Holy Synod of Hellas is most consistent with the ancient veneration of the Greek Church. The Patriarchal greeting to the Synod is not faithful to the accepted model. Surprisingly, it is not even syntactically correct 22. The message itself hardly differs from what was written by His All-Holiness to the Holy All-Russian Synod. Your Eminence's response to the society of lovers of spiritual enlightenment 23, published in translation in one of the local Greek newspapers (Βυzαντίς ἀε. 758), made a good impression on the Orthodox public of Constantinople with its deeply peaceful character, and at the same time - a painful one - with Your Eminence's hint that it is no longer possible for you to provide satisfactory assistance to society. Even recently, with the appearance of the famous book by E. Renan, there was a general conviction that Your Eminence would not fail to refute the evil writer, “for no one else can take on such a task.” That's what they said then. From the 25th of this month, in accordance with the new charter, 6 members of the Patriarchal Synod (Ephesus, Mytilene, Arta, Rasko-Prizno, Velegrad and Carpathian) return to their dioceses. Their place should be taken (for two years) by the metropolitans of Nicomedia, Ensk, Crete, Skopia, Bosnia and Moglen. The first 4 have already arrived in the capital. The latter refused due to old age, and will be replaced by Debra. Kritsky will preside over the people's council. 4 members of this council - from secular persons - are also replaced by others. The learned commission of ecclesiastical and secular Greeks, formed to discuss the Bulgarian question, has not yet announced the fruits of its labors, and the Bulgarian case is considered to be in the same state. They do not agree either to the multiplication of the Bulgarian dioceses or to the division of the Patriarchate into 6 districts. With the disrespect of our educated society for the Chetia-Menaea growing day by day, and with the complete unsuitability for office reading of our Prologue, was it not considered useful and opportune to begin translating into a clear and pure Russian language the Greek synaxarions laid down for each day of the month in the Greek Menaion and which, as one can assume, served as the basis for Metaphrast’s “arrangements”, of which for the most part our great Chetia-Minea was formed. These synaxarii, with their brevity and complete artlessness of presentation, testify to the deep antiquity of their origin, and thereby take away the reason for prejudiced people to be skeptical about them. We now have excellent editions of the lives of Russian Saints. One might consider the lack of a readable and universally verifiable publication of the lives of the Greek saints, which have existed from ancient times in the general use of the church, to be an unforgivable omission. I find it difficult to understand how the Greek Sinaxari did not end up in the Slavic Menaion 24. I have not met them in any handwritten Slavic Menaion that I have seen on St. Woe, although they are found in the form of separate synaxar collections in the libraries of the Slavic monasteries of Gora. There are many examples of Greek handwritten Miles with synaxarions (XI-XV centuries). But in addition, there are many separate synaxarical collections of Greek manuscripts, which, of course, served as a model of the same kind for Slavic publications and our Prologue. If it were decided to begin translating the said Synaxarions into Russian, it would be necessary, I think, to turn to manuscripts, both Greek and Slavic, for information, so that the publication, while satisfying the pious needs of the reader, would at the same time have the dignity of a scholarly work. Equipping a commission of translators (of at least three persons) to send to Mount Athos could be considered a very suitable measure for carrying out the task. The sad circumstances of my brother, crushing my soul to the point of hopeless despondency, force me to fall at the feet of Your Eminence, and beg you, with the fullness of fatherly love, to look upon his impoverished house and bless it with the protective word of the prayer calling of the Lord of hosts, so that the faithful servant of Christ does not lose heart. His own fervent and my unworthy prayer turn out to be powerless before the right hand of God, open for punishment. Asking for myself and my church your paternal and saintly blessing, with the deepest respect and filial devotion I have the honor to be Your Eminence’s most humble novice, Archimandrite Antonin. Constantinople. XLII. Letter from Archbishop Eusebius of Irkutsk Archbishop Eusebius, in the world Evfimy Polikarpovich Orlinsky, the son of a deacon of the Tula bishop, studied first in the Tula seminary, then in Moscow. academies; in 1832 - master; May 29 of the same year - tonsured, July 1 - hierodeacon, July 3 - hierode., Aug. 29. – Insp. Bethany semin..; 25 Nov 1834 – Insp. Moscow semin.; Aug 21 1838 – Bachelor and Inspector. Moscow academic; same year Oct. 15 – archim.; November 17, 1841 - rent. washers, academician; Apr 9 1842 – rector of Moscow. epiphany, m.; Aug 31 1845 – present, Vysokopetrovsk. m.; 17 Jan 1847 – bishop. Vinnytsia, nastoyat, shargorod. Nikolaev, metro and river. Petersburg, academician, consecration. March 9; December 10, 1850 – bishop. Samara; 3 Nov 1856 – bishop. Irkutsk; March 31, 1858 – archbishop; Aug 29 1860 – Archbishop. Mogilevsky; 16 Apr 1878 – member. S. Synod; Oct 6 1882 "dismissed" to retire with the title of member of the S. Synod of Conch. 21 Feb. 1883 In my mind I visit Moscow so often, and I see you so often, dear Archpastor, that I don’t know if a day has passed during my entire stay here when this has not happened. The best days of my service passed under the canopy of your Holy Protection; That’s why it’s natural that this is a living remembrance of the best past in my life. And on bright holidays, this revival of the past is all the more natural, the more freely the soul can and wants to combine the comforting present in thoughts with a similar one - the best in the past with mixed feelings. “It is so natural for my soul to mentally appear before the face of Your Eminence on bright holidays with filial greetings and good wishes.” Accept, Your Eminence Master, my sincere greetings on the approaching bright holidays to the glory of Christ the Savior and God, who for the sake of our salvation was deigned to be born in the Bethlehem den and appear in the form of a servant and with Divine glory on the Jordan. May the heavenly light that shone upon the Bethlehem shepherds on the blessed night of the birth of the Savior of the world shine in your soul and fill you with angelic joy and joy, to the glory of the Creator of all the hopes and true joys of saved people. Only two days have passed since I returned from my last trip this year, which extended to the north-west of Irkutsk along the Moscow highway, up to 1,400 versts in both directions. I was supposed to go there in the second half of summer; but an unexpected trip to Kyakhta prevented the assumption from being fulfilled. On some days, frosts that reached over 30 degrees made travel quite difficult. However, with God’s help, except for one day, on all days I celebrated the liturgy in rural churches, which were warm everywhere, and in other villages I celebrated the all-night vigil. The entire retinue that was with me - choristers and deacons - consisted of ten people. The special purpose of my trip was to get acquainted with one newly elected Taisha, a Lamai who took the place of his father, who was baptized and promised a lot of good influence in converting his department of Buryats to Christianity. The new Taisha received me and my retinue cordially. An all-night vigil was celebrated in his house. The next day, in the neighboring church where the body of his parent was buried, after the liturgy, which I celebrated, a memorial service was celebrated for the deceased Taisha in the presence of his pagan son. This pleased him very much. And in the house of the local priest he shared a meal with me. It was nice to see that the purpose of my visit to Buryat Taishi was achieved in hope. Taisha not only does not show a hostile disposition towards the sacred cause, but, apparently, he himself fully understands the holiness of the Orthodox faith and the benefit of the Buryats turning to it, realizing, however, that this suddenly cannot be done. If the hope that was aroused by the words and some orders of this Taisha is justified, then, it seems, in the spring I will again need to go to this part of the Buryat population - if God wills it. Each of my travels brings me to encounter unpleasant and difficult cases, showing the insufficiency of our care for a beneficial influence on foreigners. In the mentioned country of the Buryat population there are up to 10 thousand Buryats of both sexes, and I did not find a single priest around them who cared or had the opportunity to comfortably take care of their education; but, on the contrary, I met two people who should have been immediately removed from their places, as they were harmful to the Buryats by their treatment of them. Although I don’t mean completely reliable ones, I will at least eliminate the unreliable ones, and I will give instructions to new ones when appointing them to places - not to act according to the example of their predecessors. They write to me from afar that I am needlessly burdening and exhausting myself with long journeys along difficult Siberian roads. Such a word could have reached the ears of Your Eminence. It is true that I could have shortened my travels a lot: the law could not have required me to travel up to 14 thousand miles along the local difficult roads, in summer and winter, after I took over the administration of the Irkutsk diocese. But I did it out of a sense of duty and out of conscience. When I was sent to this difficult place, it was certainly not so that I would care about the comforts of my position. If they wanted to show me leniency in this regard, they would not have sent me here. Having previously served according to my conscience, I now want to fulfill my duty according to my conscience. They say: I could entrust the survey of distant parts to one of the priests. But I don’t have such people around me. Moreover, such reviews cannot notice the bishop’s. And each time, returning from a trip, I realized the need for a fulfilled review more than when I undertook it: each time a lot of things were revealed to me that, perhaps, even at ten years old I would not have known from afar, if I had not decided to be on the spot, and therefore would not have done, or would not have tried to do, what was necessary at the request of the circumstances. On the eve of December, I served the all-night vigil to righteous Philaret in a rural church 270 versts from Irkutsk; after the all-night vigil he moved to another village 35 miles away from the one mentioned above; in this other village, by the name of Lozarinskoye, I celebrated the liturgy on December 1st, and prayed to the Lord God, may His almighty power keep you in strength and prosperity for the good of His holy church. I humbly request your holy blessing with filial respect and devotion, and have the honor to be Your Eminence, most devoted novice XLIII. Letters from Archbishop Platon of Riga and Mitau Archbishop Plato, in the world Nikolai Ivan. Gorodetsky, son of the priest. Tversk ep., studied first in Tver. seminar, then to St. Petersburg, spirit. academic; 17 Sep. 1829 – master; 25 Sep. 1829 – Bachelor of St. Petersburg. academic; May 17, 1830 - tonsured, May 25 - hierodeacon, May 26 - hierome; 1831 Oct. 5 – inspector Petersburg. acad., 6 Nov. – archim.; 20 Dec 1837 – rect. Kostroma semin. and the rector of the fire. Epiphany, m.; 28 Apr 1839 - present, Vilensk. Svyato-Dukhova m.; July 3, 1843 – bishop. Kovensky, ordination. 8 Sep; 6 Nov 1848 – bishop. Riga; 21 Apr 1850 – archbishop; March 9, 1867 – Archbishop. Don; April 25, 1877 – Archbishop. Kherson; 4 Feb. 1882 - Metropolitan Kyiv and member Holy Synod. passed away 1 Oct. 1891 Most Gracious Archpastor, Father and Benefactor. Taking advantage of the permission given to me by you to write to Your Eminence, I have the honor to congratulate you, Most Gracious Archpastor and Father, on the holiday of the Nativity of Christ the Savior and the upcoming New Year. The King of Ages, the Lord of life and death and our Savior, may he keep your precious life in perfect health and prosperity for countless years, and with each new year may he renew your strength and send you new gifts of his grace, and when His providence is pleased to call you from the present - temporary to eternal life, may he vouchsafe you the blessed inheritance of those saved in His heavenly kingdom. Sincerely desiring this, I most earnestly ask Your Eminence to strengthen me with your holy prayers in the works of my ministry and to extend your former favor towards me in the new year, which I value as the love of the Father. With feelings of deepest respect and filial devotion, I have the duty and honor to be most humble, servant and novice, Platon Archbishop of Riga and Mitau. PS. Being confident that you, the most valiant Archpastor and zealot of the Orthodox Church, take an active part in the situation of Orthodoxy in our semi-infidel land, I consider it my duty to inform Your Eminence that Orthodoxy in Livonia is threatened by no small misfortune. Namely: the Livonian nobility, with the assistance of the Governor-General 25, seeks that Orthodox Estonians and Latvians, in addition to the dues to the landowners for the land they rent, serve various duties in favor of the Lutheran church and pastors, on an equal basis with the peasants of the Lutheran confession. Having been in St. Petersburg last year, I rejected this advance; but this year, as I heard, a resolution was passed in the Baltic Sea Committee and a resolution was approved so that Orthodox Estonians and Latvians would serve the said duties in favor of the Lutheran Church and pastors not directly, but through their landowners, paying the latter what should have been given to the pastors and the church. This is somewhat easier than working directly for an alien church; but still constitutes a heavy yoke for Orthodox peasants, which is therefore more unpleasant for them because it was repeatedly announced to them in 1845 and 1846 by the Highest command that they, having accepted the Orthodox faith, were exempt from all duties in favor of the Lutheran Church and its pastors. I even fear that the Orthodox peasants will become agitated (there is murmur among them) and decide to return to Lutheranism (to which some are already deviating), under the pretext that our priests deceived them when they told them in the name of the Sovereign Emperor that upon conversion to Orthodoxy they would be free from all duties to pastors. On this subject, I recently sent a proper presentation to the Holy Synod and I hope that it will come to the position of the poor Orthodox peasants, with which the good of the Orthodox Church in Livonia is closely linked; but I most humbly ask Your Eminence, help, as far as possible, to avert the misfortune that threatens us. Our situation in Livonia is difficult and bleak: God grant us patience! Gracious Archpastor, Father and Benefactor. Celebrating now with St. To the Church the glorious birth in the flesh of the eternal Son of God, Christ our Savior, I filially congratulate Your Eminence on this great and most beneficial event for us, and together I most humbly ask you, Most Gracious Archpastor, to accept this congratulation of mine with paternal favor. – May the most good God, born for the sake of our salvation, keep your precious life in perfect health and prosperity, not only in the coming new year, but also in many other years, and every year send you new strength and means to lead the flock entrusted to you along the saving path to eternal bliss, and successfully promote the good of the entire Church of Christ. Committing myself to your holy prayers and asking for your archpastoral blessing, with true high veneration and complete devotion I have the honor to be PS. Many of the ancient Orthodox residents of the Riga diocese almost completely do not understand not only the Slavic, but even the Russian language. Therefore, my predecessor, Eminence Philaret 26 *), asked the Holy. Synod permission to conduct services for such Orthodox Christians in German, which they understand well; and the Holy Synod ordered him to communicate on this subject with the former Baltic Governor-General, Prince A. A. Suvorov. This prince, fearing that the Germans would consider the performance of our divine services in their language as propaganda of Orthodoxy and would be very dissatisfied with it, did not want to agree to perform our divine services in the German language, not only in the presence of my predecessor, but even in my presence, despite my repeated relationships with him and personal explanations with him on this subject. When, instead of an Orthodox prince, a Lutheran, Baron Diven, became governor-general of the Baltic Sea, he immediately responded to me that he did not find any obstacle to performing our divine services in German. I reported this to St. Synod; but here a new difficulty was encountered. The leading member of the Holy Synod 27 came up with the idea that holding our services in German would have a harmful effect on the Riga schismatics and therefore he considered it necessary to consult about this with Your Eminence, which he did, according to him, in the middle of last year. I do not at all share the above-mentioned thought and cannot share it because the Riga schismatics know well that the Orthodox Church from ancient times has allowed services to be performed in all languages, and they themselves see that in the Riga diocese our services are performed not only in Slavic, but also in Estonian and Latvian; Moreover, they do not neglect the German language, but respect it and many speak it perfectly, like natural Germans. Therefore, I humbly ask Your Eminence to express your consent that in the diocese entrusted to me, in case of need, divine services will be performed in German. It seems to me that the opinions of two Riga bishops (former and current), who know the circumstances and needs of their diocese better than anyone else, deserve respect. At the same time, I consider it not superfluous to inform Your Eminence that not only the priests of those parishes in which there are Orthodox who do not understand the Slavic language, but also some Germans who are married and wish to marry Orthodox Christians ask for permission to perform our divine services in the necessary cases in German. And now I have a report from the dean of Dorpat on my table, in which it is reported to me that the groom, an Austrian subject of the Latvian confession, earnestly requests that when he is married to an Orthodox girl, at least something is sung and read in German, so that he “can consciously participate in church prayers.” If, for some reason, Your Eminence does not want to express consent to the fact that in the diocese entrusted to me, our services are performed in German, then please, at least, say something in response to the question made to you on this subject by the eminent. Metropolitan Isidore. The case on this subject is being carried out, or, better to say, it has lain in vain without movement for more than 15 years, it’s time to finish it! 28. I have the filial honor to congratulate Your Eminence on the bright feast of the Resurrection of Christ our Savior, and I earnestly pray to the Risen Life-Giver, may He strengthen your strength, prolong your precious life for many years and help you to successfully bring about your salvation and the flock entrusted to you. Committing myself to your holy prayers and asking for your Archpastoral blessing, with feelings of deepest veneration and filial devotion, I have the honor to be P.S. I am in great grief: the diocese entrusted to me is upset!... The Livonian Estonians and Latvians, who joined the Orthodox Church in thousands in 1846 and 47, are now en masse declaring a desire to return to Lutheranism. Their main motivation for this is that 1) they accepted the Orthodox faith without conviction; - in hopes of earthly benefits that they did not receive; 2) observing the statutes of the Orthodox Church, especially fasting, is very difficult and even impossible for them; 3) neither churches nor schools have been built in their parishes, and therefore they have nowhere to pray or teach their children. – The real reason for their deviation into Lutheranism is the intrigues of Lutherans, especially pastors, some of whom, according to reports from priests, personally and through their agents encourage Orthodox peasants to declare a desire to be Lutherans again. I can’t find any way to keep these peasants in Orthodoxy, because the incitement of the Lutherans ruling in Livonia is stronger than our exhortations. Pray, Holy Master, to the Lord God, that He will strengthen us in these difficult circumstances and protect His church in Livonia from the collapse to which Lutheranism wants to subject it. There is no hope for anyone except God!.. XLIV. Letter from d.s. With. N. V. Elagina Nikolay Vas. Ate. genus. in 1817 and studied in the 1st cadet corps; from 1841 he was a member of the archaeographer, comm., from 1843 - official. forwarding state loans, tickets, from 1848 to the end of the 50s. member of St. Petersburg qualification, committee, and since 1850 was listed under the Imperial. Human General Sk. Oct 31 1891 He was personally acquainted and was in correspondence with many of our outstanding hierarchs. Letters to him from His Eminence Theophan, former bishop, now published in the St. Petersburg Spiritual Messenger. Tambovsky, indicate that Elagin took a large and active part in various publications relating to the church and clergy. Gracious Sovereign and Archpastor. My good friend, Pavel Dmitrievich Diaghilev, notified me the other day that Your Eminence would deign to take a supportive part in the publication being undertaken to reveal Herzen’s harmful intentions. In recent years, his works have spread throughout Russia and penetrated into the most remote places. Not only in provincial, but also in district towns there are his London editions and are read vying with each other, due to the originality of his ideas and because they are prohibited; to find out what is forbidden, due to the weakness of our nature, is always an attraction. The influence of such reading has become remarkable, and its spread can lead to disastrous consequences; Meanwhile, Herzen’s publications are multiplying and directed towards Russia. At the present time, the printed word cannot be neglected; it has become a powerful driver of events, and harmful ideas spread through books and newspapers can only be dealt with through printed publications. For this purpose, it is proposed, with God’s help, to publish a book from private people, in which it is enough to expose, in clear and convincing words, Herzen’s insidious plans aimed at weakening religion, at the overthrow of sovereigns and order, and at the domination of passions. Dressing up their false teaching in scientific forms, Herzen and his followers constantly repeat that “the hitherto existing principles of social life and religion are again irrevocably oppressed by spiritual and secular power. The people must throw off the shackles that burden them. To transform society, it is necessary to give it not a political or religious, but an economic direction, in which neither governments, nor sovereigns, nor worship will be needed: then a social government of common interests will be formed.” The book is supposed to be published abroad. Revealing the harmful principles of foreign Russian publications, our book will be a collection of correct judgments about the most glorious issues of modern life, in relation to religion and state improvement. Consequently, any article with correct views on human duties and earthly life will be worthy of the collection. We try to ensure that the content of the articles serves as direct exposure. Herzen In terms of money, the publication is quite secure. Pavel Dmitrievich wrote to me that Your Eminence, out of zeal for religion and for the salvation of your neighbors, deigned to order that some extracts from Iskander’s books made by Mr. Diaghilev and the draft of the most loyal report written by him to stop harmful publications be delivered to you. In fulfillment of this, I have the honor to present in a special box the mentioned papers and original editions of Herzen: 3 parts of “The Polar Star”, “From the Other Shore” and 7 brochures. If Your Eminence would make us happy with an enlightened participation in the collection, this would serve as a bright hope for its useful action and would be an adornment of our work undertaken in the name of God 29 . Asking for your holy prayers and blessings, with excellent respect and complete devotion, I have the honor to be Allow us, Your Eminence Vladyka, to submit all the articles to your discretion. Letters from T.S. K.S. Serbinovich Const. Stepan. Serb, studied in the Polotsk Uniate spirit. Academy, which he graduated from in 1818, with a candidate's degree; right after the end of the course it was determined. actuary of the board of foreign affairs; in 1820 he was appointed translator of the collegium and in the same year transferred to the department. spirit. affairs; in 1821 – senior assistant, stolonach; in 1822 - journalist; in 1826 - member. Commission on malicious intent. societies and censor chief. qualification committee; in 1830 - primary III department dept. people, enlightenment; in 1831 - head. II department; in 1833 - editor of the magazine. Min. Nar. Proev.; in 1834 - member. archaeographer, commissions; in 1836 - director. chancellor ob.-proc. Holy Synod and members farms, committee under the Holy Synod; in 1841 – d.s. With.; in 1850 - member. main qualification, management; in 1853 – t.s. and farm director, manager. under the Holy Synod, with retention in previous positions; in 1856 - member. main truth, schools, preserved. former must; in 1857 - director. spiritual-educational management under the Holy Synod; in 1859 - member. commission of petitions, to Vysoch. name of those brought, Sk. 18 Feb 1874 On the occasion of the Most Gracious appointment of me to a new position as a member of the commission of petitions, with my dismissal from the ecclesiastical department, the duty of a grateful heart draws me to Your Eminence, the deeply respected Archpastor, whose favor I had the honor to enjoy throughout my service in this department, and even before, since the first time I introduced myself to you in Moscow, in the rank of editor of the magazine of the Ministry of Public Education. Unforgettable for me are your useful advice at that time and all subsequent signs of constant favorable attention, your touching instructions given to my sister for monastic life and edifying consolations during the difficult trials she encountered there, your caring care for her during the illness that befell her in 1845 in Moscow, your conversations that were gratifying for me in the days of my grief after the sensitive losses of my father and wife, and the letters that You honored me, which always consisted of a precious invocation of God's blessing on me, finally, the affection you showed to my little son, and the good wishes with which you sent us from Moscow - all this, and much, much more, imprinted in my soul, now appears to me all together, and it is sweet for me to pour out before you, Gracious Sovereign and Archpastor, the feelings of my deep gratitude. Accept them favorably, and with your condescension cover the shortcomings that you might have noticed in me during my long-term professional and personal relationship with you. I have always considered it my greatest happiness to serve our holy Orthodox Church with reverence, as the beloved Bride of Christ. I will serve her in whatever way she needs, and in another field. Meanwhile, with this change in department, I hope to have some rest after continuous, intense (as the circumstances of the time required) and often exhausting work, and to have more leisure to raise my son. But for this, as for my new career, heavenly help is needed. Let me ask for this your Hierarchal prayers and Archpastoral blessing for new works. With this earnest request to you, and together with a humble and warm prayer to the Lord God, may He preserve for a long time your precious life for the church and the fatherland, may he strengthen and comfort you, I have the honor, in witnessing the excellent veneration and perfect devotion, to be Your Eminence, The Most Humble Servant of the Gracious Sovereign and Archpastor All Orthodox, all Russians, capable of appreciating your lofty gifts, received from God and entirely used for spiritual edification, with a grateful feeling for His holy providence, greet the day of the half-century of your Holy ministry, which adorned three reigns and constituted a memorable era in the history of the Russian church. On this day, everyone who has had the opportunity in their life to enjoy your personal attention, instruction, care, and to experience their beneficial effects is especially happy. I am so happy that I could enjoy the unforgettable favor of Your Eminence, and with all my heart I thank the All-Bountiful God for the great mercies poured out on you. I will not list everything that, out of duty and from the heart, I expressed in a letter to you over the course of 8 years, leaving the service of the ecclesiastical department. But I cannot help but repeat here how deeply imprinted on me and my sister is the participation that they deigned to take in her upon her entry into monasticism, the advice given to her then, and the consolation in her grave sorrow, and the help in her illness. Both of us, brother and sister, always remember this with warm prayer for you, and now, although in weak words, but with a living sense of gratitude, we respectfully ask Your Eminence to accept our zealous and joyful congratulations. My only regret is that, given the current shortage of available members in the place of my ministry, I cannot be in Moscow to greet you generally on behalf of the Monarch, the Church and the Fatherland. May the Heavenly Hero fill your heart with joy about the holy deeds performed for His glory, and may He preserve your life for the accomplishment of new ones, for which He will also give new strength. Allow me, Gracious Sovereign and Archpastor, on this occasion to present me with a small work that has not yet been published. – Table of the ancient Russian principalities of our western region. Now I’m thinking of replenishing it with Galician and Hungarian Russia. I will value your enlightened view and my contribution for the common good. Earnestly requesting your holy prayers and blessings, with excellent esteem and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Most humble servant of the Gracious Sovereign and Archpastor XLVI. Letter from Bishop Alexy of Tula Ep. Alexy, in the world Rufin Ivan. Rzhanitsyn, son of the archpriest of Vologda. her., studied first in Vologda. seminar, then to the Moscow Academy; 1837 Nov. 12 – tonsured, November 13 - hierodiac; 1838 June 29 – Hieronymus, August 22 – inspection Moscow Semin.. 1 Dec. – Master; 1843 Feb. 8 – rect. Moscow semin. and insist. Zaikonospassk. m., 14 Feb. – archim.; March 14, 1847 – rect. Moscow academic; Aug 25 1853 – bishop. Dmitrovsky, ordination. 20 Sep; July 20, 1857 – bishop. Tula; Aug 29 1860 – bishop. Tauride; 28 Nov 1867 – archbishop. Ryazan; 9 Sep. 1876 ​​– archbishop. Tver passed away June 9, 1877 My Most Beneficent Father and Archpastor. And you will also grieve and feel sorry for me: yesterday I received a letter from Count Alexander Petrovich, which brought to mind the advice of prudence: do not believe every rumor, and the fatherly instruction of your wisdom: let him do the work according to his possible understanding and conscience, and lay it at the feet of the Lord. However, from the letter it is clear that Alexander Petrovich is kind, like a Christian. The only pity is that he talks about the reward (which, no doubt, I have no time to deserve), and not about the support that is needed according to the circumstances. Apparently the Lord is teaching me patience and humility. I listen calmly and with gratitude to the Lord, and I place all my hope in further action among the restless flock on Him. Can't I learn to win with patience and deal with difficulties with indifference? I am afraid of one thing: soon the ruler of Kiev 32 will sit in the Holy Synod 33. The Lord is again giving Your Eminence the work of accustoming the new vicar to the affairs of 34. And let the twelfth 35 not be the last, although it will be more durable than its predecessor 36 . Strange news from St. Petersburg, as if the Kazan rector 37 received a remark from the Holy Synod, and then the Highest approval for the same thing. I ask for holy prayers and blessings to continue in the same spirit of my struggle, according to my conscience, before God My Most Beneficent Father sincere son and novice Alexy Bishop of Tula. XLVII. Letter from Archimandrite Sergius Archim. Sergius, in the world Nikolai Yakovl. Lyapidevsky, son of Archpriest. Tula, studied first in the Tula family, then in the Moscow Academy; 1844 June 24 tonsured, July 20 – hierodeacon, August 6 – hieromon., 30 Oct. - Bachelor of Moscow. academies; Oct 25 1845 – master; 23 Apr 1848 – – Insp. Moscow academic; 15 Jan 1850 – archim.; Oct 4 1857 – rector. Moscow academic; 18 Apr 1858 - present, Moscow. Vysokopetrov. m.; Aug 8 1859 – present washers Zaikonospas. m.; 5 Dec. 1860 – bishop. Kursk, hirot. 1 Jan 1861; 11 Jan 1880 – Archbishop. Kazan; Aug 21 1882 – archbishop. Chisinau; 12 Jan 1891 – archbishop. Kherson; May 15, 1893 – member. Holy Synod; Aug 9 1893 – Metropolitan. Moscow passed away 11 Feb. 1898 I bring you my deepest gratitude for your comments sent on the last eight chapters of the translation 38, for the attached two notes by G. Levison 39, and for your Archpastoral trust in me, on which you deign to demand an opinion regarding the note on the three texts of the Pentateuch. G. Levison, calling the Samaritan text the oldest, adds that this is an indisputable truth recognized by Jews and Christians. It seems that he had more than just Western scientists in mind. In the book of the Right Reverend Macarius 40: “Introduction to Orthodox Theology,” the Samaritan text comes close to the time of almost Moses himself (§ III, at the end, p. 219. 2nd edition, 1852. Proving the authenticity of the Pentateuch, the author of this book points, among other things, to the testimony of the Samaritans: “It is absolutely impossible to allow the Samaritans to borrow The Pentateuch from the Jews... after the captivity of Babylon”: for a) at the first return of the Jews from this captivity, the Samaritans already pose as their co-religionists; b) popular hatred between one and the other does not allow one to believe that one of these peoples could borrow faith from another; c) if the Samaritans had accepted the Pentateuch from the Jews, it would be impossible to explain why they did not want to accept the other holy books. Further, the writer accepts as most probable the opinion that the Israeli priest 41, who enlightened the Samaritans, brought them the Pentateuch. Why only the Pentateuch? Either because the priest did not have time to copy other books for himself, or even because the Israelis, fulfilling only the ritual law and being content with the Pentateuch for this, did not accept other Jewish books (p. 218). From a dogmatic point of view, your comments (I and VI) indisputably show that the Samaritan text does not have the dignity that they want to give it - it does not have it because it is damaged, and even intentionally, and because the words of God could not be entrusted to the schismatics. But how should one look at the historical considerations that are cited in defense of the antiquity of the Samaritan text? – It would seem not unnecessary to weaken the force of these considerations against those who are ready to accept the mentioned text as a guide when translating the Bible. One cannot help but wish that the proposed work to compile a table of differences in three texts was either completely rejected or limited in its scope, in accordance with your VIIth remark. Wouldn't this table reveal that the translation of the Pentateuch made by seventy interpreters is closer to the Samaritan text than to the original Hebrew? Western scholars count up to two thousand places in the Pentateuch in which the translation of the seventy agrees with the Samaritan text. And from such a discovery it is not far from the conclusion 42 that the books of the Old Testament must be translated into the Russian dialect not from the Hebrew text, but from the translation of the seventy. I have nothing more to say, except that, in a feeling of gratitude for permission to read your notes, I submit my weak thoughts to your Archpastoral discretion. Attached are two of your notes and a translated article about the Samaritan text received with them. Asking for your Archpastoral blessing for yourself and the academy, Academician Rector Archimandrite Sergius. On December 21, Kyiv Metropolitan Filaret Amfitheatrov, the author’s uncle, died. Therefore, on occasion, Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow sent the following telegram to Archimandrite Anthony, “I share the sadness not only of the Kyiv flock, but also of the Russian church. I ask you to fall at the feet of the deceased ruler in God, with thoughts of me and with the last kiss on earth from me of reverence and love. Let us pray: may I walk on it in peace.” Metropolitan papers Filareta, t. 53. This note is in boom. M. Phil., t. 39. The note of M. Philaret was published in the Collection. pl. and review, vol. V, p. 809. On May 16, 1858, the Aigun Treaty was concluded, which transferred the entire Amur and Ussuri regions to Russia. Innokenty Veniaminov, archbishop. Kamchatka After the Aigun Treaty, Muravyov received the rank of general, adjutant, the rank of general infantry, the title of Count of Amur and control of the new region that was transferred to Russia. Ep. Chigirinsky Antony Amphiteatrov. Archim. Antonin was appointed rector of the Constantinople embassy church. at the direction of Filaret. By “striking, formidable justice” we mean a strict analysis of the author’s report from Athens dated February 2. 1859 about the differences between the Greek and Russian churches, made by M. Philaret on behalf of the chief prosecutor. See this analysis in Collection. pl. and reviews, vol. IV, p. 397. The Metropolitan of Athens at that time was M. Neophytos. Of course, the report dated February 2. 1859 see note. 2nd. Of course, the ordination to the priesthood (in March 1860) of Prof. Moscow Academy of Alexander Vas. Gorsky. On the original letter by M. Philaret’s hand it is written: “Sept. 4. Responds with a letter addressed to the Holy Synod. At the same time, the letter addressed to Mr. A.P. is also returned.” (gr. A.P. Tolstoy). M. Filaret reviewed and gave his conclusions about two reports from Archimandrite. Antonina, - about the report on the differences between the Greek and Russian churches, dated February 2. 1859, and a report on the Greek-Bulgarian strife, dated March 6, 1861. Conclusion. printed in Collection pl. and review, vol. IV, p. 397, and in Collections. pl. and review on business Orthodox c. in the East p. 261. But about this letter, M. F. wrote to gr. Tolstoy September 4. See Collection. pl. and review on business right c. on Vost., page 300. In the article "Courrier d'Orient", No. 72, Archim. Antonin drew the attention of M. Philaret mainly to the following lines in the description of the church consecration ceremony: “To the right and left of the episcopal seat were representatives of the Greek and Bulgarian church rites, dressed in the clothes adopted for these rites. Anyone interested in the moral and cultural development of the Bulgarian people could see with a feeling of complete satisfaction two Bulgarian clergy who appeared on the side of the pope’s representatives.” In Greek c. a new split is taking place. Part of the clergy demands union with the Roman Church under the condition of maintaining the Eastern Church rite. In Rome secret attempts have already been made in this regard, and yesterday we saw the original petition signed by four bishops and eight priests, petitioning for the support of the great embassy in the matter of the complete completion of the union. These individuals have behind them a mass of 50,000 souls, ready to follow their example. “The Most Holy Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, in Christ God our much beloved and greatly admired brother and co-servant, we give a brotherly kiss in the Lord.” The answer was written on the occasion of the election of M. Filaret as a trustee of the society. Printed in “Read.General.Lub.D.Pr.” for 1868, “The Wanderer” for 1864 and Sochi. M. Filaret, M. 1885, vol. V, p. 557. An attempt at publications of this kind, we present Bozhidarov’s “Collection” (Festive Menaion), has nothing in common with those placed in the Greek. Minee. Note archim. Antonina. Alexander Arkadyevich Suvorov, Prince. Italian, gr. Rym Inca. Archbishop Filaret Gomilevsky. M. F. responded with a letter addressed to M. Isidore (see MP and review of M. F., vol. V, p. 500), in which, with some reservations, he leaned towards the opinion of St. Plato. The book against Herzen was published in 1859 in Berlin under the title: “Iskander - Herzen”. Abbess Euphosinia, abbess of the Polotsk convent. M. Isidor Nikolsky, who was from the Tula bishop. and therefore took matters concerning his homeland to heart. In addition, Rev. Alexy was one of those people who supported the conviction in M. Philaret that M. Isidore, the former vicar of the Moscow Bishop, does not treat this latter with due respect and devotion. In the papers of M. Philaret there is, among other things, one handwritten letter from Bishop of the Caucasus Ignatius Brianchaninov, written by him on November 12, 1858 to Bishop. Alexy of Tula and apparently the latter sent to M. Philaret, where the following is reported: “Reverend. Metropolitan of Kiev (Mr. Isidore), on his journey through the Caucasian diocese (on the way from Georgia to Kyiv), criticized all my actions, even touched upon my behavior. In mid-October I moved into my house, small but very comfortable: it is in the style of the Gethsemane cells of the Moscow Metropolitan. And this old man got it from Isidore! but those present were not tempted by Filaret: they found the harsh criticism of the beneficiary against his benefactor strange. In this regard, Isidore acted in exactly the same way in St. Petersburg, when he visited this capital when he moved from the Moscow vicars to the Polotsk department. F., - so that His Eminence Isidore and Andrei Nikolaevich present me as a defender of non-Orthodox teaching and arm themselves against me with a letter, reasoning and a book. Let it be so, if it pleases God. My neighbors are far away from me, so that those who fear You, and those who know Your testimonies and Letters from M.F. to Murav., K. 1869, p. 230, will turn me.” It was then a question of M. F.’s opinions on the question of the time of application of the Holy Gifts, and such a view of the Metropolitan on the meaning of the actions of his opponents made, according to Muravyov (see “Christ. Reader,” January 1899, pp. 82, 83, 86), a very strong impression on the Reverend. Isidora. Muravyov even wrote: “I ask you to convincingly write to him, without wasting a single minute, a peace-loving letter, because he even told me that the thought of your displeasure confuses him, even during worship.” From the correspondence of M. F. with Bishop Alexy (published in M. in 1883), one can see that the right reverend author was at that time in difficulty regarding the internal affairs of his diocese, which, according to M. Philaret, was generally distinguished by “habits of self-will and complaints against the authorities,” and was “a restless country.” Ep. Dmitrovsky Leonid Krasnopevkov. Ep. Leonid was the twelfth vicar under Metropolitan Philaret. The predecessor of St. Leonidas was Bishop. Porfiry Sokolovsky, who served as vicar for only about 5 months. Rector of Kazan Acad. John Sokolov. Of course, the translation from Greek into Russian of the Gospel of Mark, performed on behalf of the Holy Synod, 1858–9. at the Moscow Academy by a special committee from Archimandrite. Sergius and professors Delitsyn and Gorsky. A note dated September 13, with comments on the Samaritan text of the Pentateuch of Moses and on the view of former prof. St. Petersburg spirit. Academy in the Department of Jewish Literature and German. language you. Andr. Levison, - and a note dated September 14, with comments on Levison’s note about religious societies and sects in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. See Mn. and reviews, vol. IV, pp. 442, 446. Ave. Makariy Bulgakov, at that time bishop. Kharkov On the original letter against the underlined words, M. Philaret wrote: “let us assume that a Jewish priest brought to the Samaritans a copy of the Pentateuch, copied from the original text found in Jossia, or from an ancient copy made at a time when the books of the following prophets had not yet been included in one composition with the Pentateuch. But we do not have this list brought to the Samaritans by the priest, but a photograph taken from it much later, and spoiled after the captivity of the Jews. Far from Moses hitherto.” On the original letter, against the underlined words, M. Filaret wrote: “no, it’s far away, and we won’t get to that. That it is necessary to translate not only from Hebrew, but also from Greek, and we say. But there are places in Greek that, of necessity, turn to Hebrew."