20. Замечания Преосвященного Филарета на проект об учреждении Губернских секретных совещательных комитетов по делам о раскольниках

The Secret Committee on Cases of Dissenters sent on November 11, 1838 to Chief Prosecutor Count. Protasov’s extract from the journal dated October 6, 1838, with the following content: the committee reasoned that it would be useful to arrange unity of orders both from the Provincial and Diocesan authorities in general on matters relating to sectarians, schismatics and apostates from Orthodoxy, in order to give more firmness and consistency to the measures taken against their errors, and at this end it would be necessary to make it a duty Diocesan Bishops and Governors of the Provinces should hold personal secret meetings on these matters, and where the Chambers of State Property are open, invite the chairmen of these Chambers for this purpose. Guided by this thought, the Committee, in addition to the prescribed measures in the journal of April 22, so that the clergy, without requiring the local police to carry out investigations into the observed actions of schismatics, first report them to their Diocesan Authorities, proposes to gradually establish in those provinces where there are more schismatics, secret advisory committees on the following basis: 1) The secret advisory committee on cases of schismatics, sectarians and apostates from Orthodoxy is composed of the diocesan Bishop, the Head of the province and the Chairman of the Chamber of State Property. 2) Cases are entered into it by members in the original or in notes extracted from them. 3) A journal is compiled on the subjects of the meeting and the decisions made and signed by the members. 4) The decisions made are executed by the members, according to their affiliation, without mention of the secret committee, except in cases where this matter requires secret representations to the Holy Synod, the Ministers of Internal Affairs and State Property and relations with the Synodal Chief Prosecutor. 5) Committee meetings are kept completely confidential. 6) The committee is not provided with a special office, but, at its discretion and election, it may be appointed from among the clergy or civil officials known for their knowledge, honest behavior and modesty as clerks for its temporary activities. For the first time, open such Committees in Petrozavodsk, Perm and Tambov; about which to issue an order to the Ministers of State Property and Internal Affairs and the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod. For such a situation, ask His Highest Imperial Majesty's permission. The Emperor deigned to look at this magazine and write in his own hand: “I agree, adding a gendarmerie staff officer.” November 3, 1838. Upon review of this journal, Metropolitan Philaret wrote: The precaution against imperfect keeping of secrecy, which Your Lordship rightly wishes to use when ordering the execution of this Highest command, seems to be able to be used in such a way that the following or similar explanation is placed in the relation by which the Highest Command is announced to the Eminence: For the most accurate fulfillment of the Highest will, expressed in paragraph 5, to keep meetings in complete secrecy, I find it necessary to explain that the exception mentioned in paragraph 4 regarding the Holy Synod concerns only the members of it, and does not extend to the office, for which, as well as for other public places, the existence of the secret committee must remain a secret; and therefore, in reports to the Holy Synod in the usual way, although secret, the secret committee should not be mentioned; in special cases, when there is a pressing need for clear references to the actions of this committee, it is necessary to treat with secrecy the First Member of the Holy Synod or me. You might be interested in: