Metropolitans of Moscow since the division of the All-Russian Metropolis into two halves

1. Theodosius * 2. Philip II The successor of St. Jonah, by his election and by the council’s determination, was appointed one of the eldest among the Russian hierarchs, Archbishop of Rostov, Theodosius. The motivation for such an election was the desire to eliminate all sorts of unrest and perplexity in the succession to the throne of the metropolis: because then in southwestern Russia there appeared its metropolitan, Gregory, a disciple of Isidore, sent from Rome, and the King of Poland Casimir offered V. Prince of Moscow to accept him in the place of the elderly Jonah 1. After the death of St. Jonah, the shepherds of the Great Russian Church, did not hesitate to gather in Moscow for the installation of Theodosius (May 9, 1461), and those who were absent sent their letters of freedom for this purpose 2 . At the same time, they repeated this during the life of St. Jonah's obligation not to deviate from the union with the Moscow Church and not to enter into any relations with the illegal metropolitan who appeared in Lithuanian Rus' 3. The number of dioceses remaining under the Moscow Metropolitanate was small: but their archpastors remained invariably faithful to their vow. Among them, the first place was occupied by the Archbishop of Novgorod, St. Jonah. Another archbishopric, in Rostov, was given to the Spassky abbot in Moscow, Trifon, who, while still the abbot of the Kirilov Beloezersky Monastery, showed his zeal for V. Prince Vasily Vasilyevich, during his struggle with his rebellious nephew. “Then came the bishops. Philip of Suzdal, who later took the place of Metropolitan Theodosius, - Euphrosynus of Ryazan, - Gennady of Tver, - Gerontius of Kolomna, future successor of Metropolitan Philip, - Vassian of Sara, who at that time had a stay in Moscow on Krutitsy, and St. of Perm. Jonah. It is known about the previous ministry of Metropolitan Theodosius 4 that he was the archimandrite of the Chudov Monastery 5 for about ten years, and then was elevated to the Rostov See (1454). The next year after his installation, he was condemned for the fact that on the eve of Epiphany, which then happened on Sunday, he allowed the laity to eat meat, and the monks to eat cheese, eggs and fish. Metropolitan, St. Jonah, having called the bishops to the Council in Moscow, threatened to remove the rank of archbishop of Rostov for such a deviation from the church charter. But Theodosius’s voluntary humility and the Grand Duchess’s intercession for him averted the fulfillment of this threat. Theodosius brought repentance for his offense before the council and promised to continue to invariably observe the rules of the charter 6. The strict exactingness of the Russian High Hierarch, without a doubt, made the Archpastor of Rostov even more attentive in monitoring his flock. He demanded from the clergy entrusted to him that they come to him to receive instructions about their duties. And noticing over the course of four years little diligence in fulfilling this demand, he finally appointed in one of the cities of his vast diocese, in Belozersk, a private Council for all abbots, priests and deacons in January 1459, under the threat of excommunication for disobedience. Theodosius was especially outraged by the clergy’s free permission for third and fourth marriages in his diocese 7 . As a teaching shepherd, Theodosius did not stop admonishing his flock with instructions even in the metropolitan department. Glorifying God, who works miracles through his saints, he announced to the Church in lengthy words how the monk of the Miracle Monastery Naum, who had long had one leg crooked and withered, after a seven-year stay in the monastery of St. Alexy, and through fervent prayer before his holy relics, rose from weakness in strength, and began to control his sore leg as well as his healthy one 8 . Two more of his words are known: one for the Nativity of St. Mother of God, another for St. Day. Apostle Peter and Paul 9. During the short reign of the metropolis, the care of the archpastor was most aroused by the affairs of the Novgorod Church. Novgorod was then living out the last years of its freedom and, in an anxious state, could not always maintain peaceful relations with both the great princes and its allies. The Archbishop of Novgorod himself had to seek protection of his rights from the Metropolitan. Upon the accession of Prince John Vasilyevich to the throne of V., when the Archbishop of Novgorod appeared in Moscow, Metropolitan Theodosius 10 received him in peace. Seeing in him the support of good agreement between Novgorod and Moscow, and for his part taking care of maintaining the Novgorod hierarchy behind his metropolis, he approved the hierarchical rights of the archbishop by letter, obliging the clergy to be in constant obedience to their saint, and at the same time approving all its possessions for the See of Sophia 11. Two God-glorified men, guardians of Novgorod and Moscow, were appointed guarantors of peace between Novgorod and Moscow: in Moscow they established the celebration of St. Varlaam of Khutynsky, especially remembering his last miracle, which took place in the presence of the Grand Duke 12, and they erected a chapel in the name of St. Varlaam at the Church of St. John the Baptist built by V. Prince at the Borovitsky Gate 13. And St. Jonah, returning to Novgorod, built a church in the name of St. Sergius in his city 14. And as long as this archpastor remained on the throne of Novgorod, until then he held back the storm that was already ready to break out over Novgorod. Metropolitan Theodosius defended the rights of the Archbishop of Novgorod in relation to Pskov. Enmity with the Germans and not receiving help from Novgorod, meanwhile, due to their hierarchical relations to Novgorod, obliged to deliver to the archbishop a certain tribute and various incomes from the lands and waters in the Pskov region, the Pskovites, judged by his governor, decided to break their alliance with Novgorod: they stopped the collection of income from the archbishop's possessions, and sent to ask the V. prince to allowed him to give them his bishop 15. The Grand Duke, in response to their desire to have their own bishop, after consulting with the Metropolitan, replied that he could not agree to their will, because from time immemorial there had been no bishop in Pskov, and Pskov had not yet had a throne. – And Metropolitan Theodosius, based on the archbishop’s complaints, sent a strong letter to Pskov against violators of due obedience to the archpastor. Imagining that the possessions of the Novgorod see, whether purchased or acquired as a gift, are church acquisitions, dedicated to God, designated for the performance of a bloodless sacrifice for the departed fathers and forefathers and for the living, he says: if anyone offends his brother by violence and robbery, he, in revenge for unrighteousness, will be subjected to cruel punishment according to the city law. So God will not leave his Church to offend unrighteous judges, but will give them vengeance. The Church of God does not offend anyone, and should not tolerate offense from anyone 16. – The residents of Pskov finally expressed their submission to the Archpastor of Novgorod. But it was not only external affairs that occupied the Metropolitan’s attention. He also cared with ardent zeal for the internal improvement of his clergy. With his strict moral character, he demanded from the clergy both strict adherence to their high duties and careful monitoring of the flock entrusted to them. Every week he gathered Moscow priests to his place and offered them spiritual instructions. He looked with displeasure when a clergy title was chosen only because it was easier in terms of the means of maintenance. Moreover, he could not tolerate it when sacred persons insulted their dignity with shameful lives. In particular, widowed priests and deacons were subjected to reproaches from him. By ordering them to go to a monastery, or by dismissing them from their places and subjecting unworthy living to significant penalties, he irritated many against him. There were many churches, but he did not see many worthy of being altar servers. As a result, several churches remained for quite some time without priests. Neither the laity nor the clergy could be satisfied with this 17. The first concerns about the correction of the clergy caused a strong murmur in the capital. Theodosius, noticing the dislike towards himself, decided to leave his throne and retired to the cell of the Chudov Monastery (September 13, 1464). Here he took into his care one paralytic, followed him, washed his scabs. At the end of his life he moved to the Sergius Lavra, where Spiridon, who received monastic education at the Chudov Monastery, was the abbot at that time. Theodosius spent about nine years after his removal from the throne in humble exploits and died in the Sergius monastery 18. The short reign of Saint Theodosius was marked by some other remarkable events in the history of the Russian Church. After the Perm Saint Pitirim was killed in Ust-Vym by the wild Voguls, 19 Jonah, whose memory is also worthily honored by the Church, was elevated to his throne, stained with the blood of a martyr. Continuing the feat of the High Hierarch Stephen of Perm, he spread the faith of Christ in Perm the Great, on the banks of the Kama, baptized the Prince of Perm and established churches and monasteries there 20. In Yaroslavl, in the Spasopreobrazhensky Monastery, the incorruptible relics of St. became famous for their miracles (1463). Theodore Rostislavich Cherny, Prince of Smolensk and Yaroslavl, and his children Konstantin and David 21. But a particularly noteworthy event for the Russian Church was the installation of a metropolitan in the Holy Land, the only one in our chronicles, to the see of Caesarea Philippi. At the beginning of 1464, Joseph, brother and protosyncellus of Patriarch Joachim of Jerusalem, arrived in Moscow, who had sent a letter of permission and blessing to Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich. “We know about you,” the patriarch wrote, “that you are a pious and Orthodox man, the heir and successor of Orthodox and Christ-loving parents, and a close son and friend of the Church of Christ. And since you always appeared to her obedient by faith, humility and respect: then we have you, blessed by God and forgiven." 22. - Now, under V. Prince John Vasilyevich, the same Patriarch Joachim himself went to Russia to seek assistance for the restoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which suffered a lot from the earthquake that happened in Jerusalem. The top of this church fell. The Sultan of Egypt, under whose rule Palestine was then, taking advantage of this misfortune, demanded a large payment from Christians for permission to rebuild the Holy Church, and finally, he barely agreed to the amount of 5,500 Venetian gold. As collateral for payment of this amount, he took many sacred things from the patriarch. - But having reached Kafa, Patriarch Joachim fell ill here and died, and only managed to send letters of petition to the V. Prince of Moscow and to the Metropolitan, both about assistance to the Holy Sepulcher, and about the installation of Joseph, who was named to the metropolis of Caesarea. “The darkness of the lawless,” wrote the patriarch, “forcibly embraced the pious faith and the holy. places ranging from the city of Jerusalem to St. city ​​of Konstantinov. With them, the beasts and many other countries that had previously helped the saint were covered in darkness. Christ's Sepulchre, such as: the land of Bulgarian, Serbian, Trebizond and others. But we have heard that our holy true faith is observed inviolably in the Russian land, and from the time of God-enlightened Vladimir it shines with piety, like the light of the sun.” – Fulfilling the will of the patriarch, Metropolitan Theodosius consecrated Joseph as metropolitan on March 4 and sent out warning messages about alms throughout his metropolis. “Hurry to behold the face of the Lord,” wrote Theodosius, “like those holy myrrh-bearing wives who flocked to St. Christ's tomb. Give, instead of peace, alms for the redemption of Christ’s tomb and for the creation of God’s holy Church. This alms is not to the beggar, but to the Most High Creator, Christ” 23. – Joseph, having collected alms, set out from Russia to Palestine through Constantinople, but died before reaching his diocese 24. – Who was the Patriarch of Jerusalem? In all likelihood, this was the same high priest Joachim who, together with the patriarchs Philotheus of Alexandria and Dorotheus of Antioch, rejected the imaginary union of churches at the Council of Florence by a conciliar letter (1443) 25 . The steadfastness of the Grand Duke of Moscow, Vasily Vasilyevich, in Orthodoxy could be especially precious in the eyes of this shepherd, because he himself, in constraint and need, rejected all temptations from the union. The Lord did not destined him to see with his own eyes Orthodoxy blossoming in Russia, but his coffin remained in the land, which, by Divine Providence, was intended, although not yet soon, to be the property of the Orthodox state. In place of Theodosius, who had renounced the metropolis, the Council of Russian Saints elected Bishop Philip of Suzdal. This council was attended by Archbishop Tryphon of Rostov, Philip of Suzdal himself, and the bishops of Kolomna and Sarsky. Others sent their “freedom” letters 26. November 11, 1464 Philip was elevated to the high priestly throne. The integrity of the Moscow Metropolis is again protected by the obligation of the Russian rulers not to retreat from the see of St. Peter to Metropolitan Gregory of Lithuania. On the contrary, Bishop Euthymius of Chernigov and Bryansk passed from the Metropolitan of Lithuania to the Moscow Metropolis, to whom M. Philip gave his former bishopric of Suzdal 27 . Gregory of Lithuania, not entirely satisfied with the relationship with the bishops of his metropolis and trying to extend his influence to the Great Russian dioceses, turned to Patriarch Simeon of Constantinople and wanted, having won him over to his side, through him to subjugate the entire Russian Church. To do this, he sent his ambassador, Deacon Manuel, to him with rich gifts and the promise of even greater ones. But the patriarch, with all his poverty, with all the embarrassment from the people of other faiths, refused the gifts and did not give Gregory’s blessing for the intended work. However, he agreed to send his ambassador to Moscow along with Grigoriev to propose restoring the former unity of the metropolis. This is how Joseph, who was ordained in Moscow by Theodosius to the metropolitanate of Caesarea, wrote to the Grand Duke from Constantinople. But Prince V., after consulting with his metropolitan and bishops and with his mother and brothers, decided not to accept any ambassadors either from Constantinople or from Gregory 28 . Church affairs in Pskov and Novgorod required the special attention of Metropolitan Philip, as was the case under his predecessors. The Pskovites, having not received consent from Metropolitan Theodosius to establish a special episcopal see among them, although they submitted to the decision of the authorities, were dissatisfied with their relations with the Archbishop of Novgorod and wanted to correct some of the unrest with their orders. The clergy became jealous of the suppression of the unrest that had long been lurking within its own members. They also complained to Metropolitan Photius about the insolence of some widowed priests who, contrary to church rules, entered into a second marriage 29 . But the evil was not stopped by the prohibitions of the high priest. The severe disasters that befell the Pskov land in recent years forced the Pskovites to pay more strict attention to themselves. For two years at a time (1465–1466), a pestilence raged throughout the lands of Pskov and Novgorod, starting in the fall and continuing until deep winter. In those same years, two severe fires devastated the city of Pskov. In July 1468, they barely had time to reap the harvest from the fields when the rains began and continued continuously until October. The harvested bread rotted in the fields; the grass was carried away by the water; the lands remained unplanted the following summer. Seeing the wrath of God, the monks and priests of Pskov, from all five councils, in October of the same year appeared at a meeting with the prince and the mayors and declared: “You also see for yourself, spiritual children, what mercy the Lord sends to us from heaven, awaiting our and your conversion. Now we have decided to support the life of the clergy, which has fallen due to the weakness of some. But here there is no ruler above us: he is far away in Novgorod. We ask for your help, be our supporters. There is also a reproach against you: sometimes you intervene in church affairs inappropriately. We want to support our spiritual rights over you too.” The prince and the mayors answered: “This is your business, God’s priesthood. And we are your champions for every good advice.” Having received such an answer, the Pskov clergy compiled an extract from the nomocanon on the rules of life for the church clergy, and in particular decided to remove widows from the priesthood; This decree was placed in a public “chest” for storage 30, and two Pskov priests were elected to oversee the execution of this sentence. But things soon went wrong. One of these priests, rightly or unjustly accused of violating his duty, fled to the archbishop in Novgorod and revealed to him the unauthorized orders of his flock. Archbishop Jonah did not hesitate to appear in person in Pskov to take his measures. Having called the mayors and the clergy to him, he began to reprimand them: “Who dared to make such rules without my knowledge? I want to judge your cases myself.” “You are not here for long,” the mayor and clergy answered him, “and such disorders as have taken root in the clergy and which confuse the Church of God cannot suddenly be corrected. We cannot even tell you to what impudence lawlessness reaches. And these are the last times. Moreover, according to the agreement recently concluded with you, we are given the right to manage all church affairs here, on the basis of the nomocanon, with your vicar from among us.” As a result of such ideas, the definition or charter of Pskov was not destroyed: the Archbishop of Novgorod himself admitted that the matter required attention, but did not dare to proceed with anything without the permission of the metropolitan. In Moscow, perhaps remembering the turmoil that the severity of Metropolitan Theodosius caused in the clergy, they were in no hurry to resolve the difficult issue. M. Philip brought this to the attention of the Grand Duke, communicated once again with the Archbishop of Novgorod and, after satisfied reflection, decided: to cancel the unauthorized order of the Pskovites, as incompatible with the hierarchical order; the letter should be destroyed, and supervision of the life and morals of the clergy, as before, should be left to the apxbishop. With this decision, a boyar was sent to Pskov from the V. prince, and another ambassador from the metropolitan, and a third from the archbishop of Novgorod. The Pskovites delayed for another three months to fulfill the determination of the highest hierarchical authority, and finally on January 5, 1470. They took their letter out of the chest, tore it up and soon sent the mayor and boyars to the archbishop with the announcement that they relied in everything on the order of their saint. “Vladyka Jonah actually sent a demand to Pskov that widowed priests and deacons come to him. But the Pskovites complained that this demand had no consequences other than new fees for the benefit of the archbishop's treasury. Widows began to be given special certificates for the right to perform sacred functions with a contribution of a certain amount 31 . It was difficult with any general order to satisfy, on the one hand, strict jealousy, and on the other, the no less legitimate demands of justice. The order by which all widows were deprived of the right to perform sacred acts was as far from a just decision as the condescending relief for those living uncleanly in widowhood. But the complaints and displeasures of the Pskovites soon fell silent before the terrible judgments that took place over Novgorod. His long-standing enmity with the Moscow grand princes was revealed in full force after the death of the peace-loving Archpastor Jonah (November 5, 1470), friend and like-minded person of St. Metropolitan Jonah. Dissatisfied with the Grand Duke of Moscow, the Novgorodians decided to look for a patron in the Polish King Casimir. One of the main members of this party was the former key keeper of Archbishop Jonah, monk Pimen, who unjustly managed to enrich himself with the treasures of the archbishop's treasury. And, since with the separation from the Grand Duke of Moscow it was impossible for the seeker of the throne of Novgorod to hope for ordination from the Metropolitan of Moscow, he agreed to be ordained by Gregory: “Send me to Kyiv at least,” he said to his followers, “I will get ordination there too.” - But the lot by which archpastors were elected in Novgorod did not favor him. Theophilus, who was sacristan under Jonah, was elected, and on November 15 he was elevated to the archbishop's court. They sent him to Moscow for a “dangerous” letter to bring him to the initiation 32; Pimen himself was expelled with dishonor. But the side of the prudent and cautious did not triumph for long. Relations with the King of Poland were resumed and an agreement was concluded with him, in which we also meet the name of Theophilus, who was named to the archbishopric. Protecting his faith, Novgorod demanded from the king that his governors in Novgorod must be of the Greek faith, that he should not intervene in the courts of the rulers, and that he should not erect Roman churches in the entire Novgorod region. As for the installation of an archbishop, the agreement said: “And where we, Veliky Novgorod, enjoy our Orthodox peasantry, we will install a ruler” 33. Hearing about the plans of the Novgorodians, Metropolitan Philip, at the word of the Grand Duke, tried to reason with the Novgorodians and calm them down with his letters. “I am surprised to hear,” he wrote to Novgorod, “that lawless thoughts are coming into your heart: forgetting the Grand Duke’s and my favor towards you, neglecting old customs, you are approaching the sovereign of an alien, Latin faith. Remember, children, did not the reigning city of Constantine stand unshakable until then, as long as piety shone in it like the sun? And how did he abandon the truth, how did the king and patriarch unite with the Latins for the sake of gold, did not Constantinople fall into the hands of the filthy - is not it still in the hands of the Turks? And are you not afraid of the same punishment from God? - How many years did your great-grandfathers and fathers relentlessly adhere to the great princes of the Russians; and now, at the end of the last times, when it would be especially necessary to take care of the salvation of your soul in Orthodoxy, you, leaving everything, want to surrender to the Latin sovereign. “You, my son, Theophilus, and you, the archimandrites and the entire priestly rank, admonish your spiritual children, do not lead Christian souls into destruction” 34. – But the Metropolitan waited in vain for the voluntary conversion of the Novgorodians; I waited in vain for Theophilus to arrive in Moscow; there was not even any news from him about the confusion that had occurred. A few months later, Philip wrote to Novgorod for the second time; - notifying that the Grand Duke had long wanted to “mount a horse” and take revenge on his insults to Novgorod, but was begged by the intercession of the Metropolitan and his mother, V. Princess, - that in vain the free men of Novgorod allow themselves to be carried away by the plans of young people, “who have not learned the good old days to stand for piety.” The shepherds will also give an answer for the single sheep that died from their negligence; and here not one, not two, but countless Orthodox people are being led into temptation” 35. - When this pastoral admonition was neglected, the Grand Duke moved his regiments. But the high priest, who hoped for the triumph of a just cause, did not stop interceding with the Grand Duke on behalf of the guilty when they submitted. The Novgorod and Moscow regiments had not yet met in battle when the Metropolitan sent his letter to the Grand Duke on the campaign, in which he wrote: “You sent your thunderstorm, your sword to the land of Novgorod, and you yourself mounted a horse to punish those who sensitively stood before you. We pray to the Lord God and the Most Pure Mother of God, may the Lord fulfill all your requests, but also may he appease your most honorable heart. We ask you, Sovereign: when your fatherland, the great Novgorod, repents and asks for mercy, do not despise our prayer, satisfy your anger, accept their petition, keep your sword from shedding Christian blood. We remind you of the word of the Lord: be merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful." 36 The Battle of Shelonskaya decided the just cause of the Grand Duke of Moscow (July 14). In order not to increase bloodshed, he did not go to Novgorod, held a trial over the main culprits of the indignation, took the payback and concluded a new agreement, in which the first condition was decreed: not to surrender to the Polish kings and not to accept any princes from them. And about the election of the archbishop it is said: “We, the great Novgorod, shall elect for dominion according to our ancient times, and shall be installed for our Lord in the house of the Most Pure One at the tomb of St. Peter the Wonderworker, in Moscow, with you, with the great princes, and with your father, with the Metropolitan, who is the Metropolitan with you, with the great princes in Moscow; “We shouldn’t install a Master anywhere, except the Moscow Metropolitan.” To this was added: “And collect the Metropolitan’s fee from the Bishop according to the old times, and do not add anything unnecessary” 37 . Having humbled the sedition, the Grand Duke returned to his capital and was solemnly greeted by the Metropolitan and all the clergy (September 1) as a winner. Three months later, Theophilus also appeared in Moscow to be installed as archbishop, and on December 15, the Metropolitan and the Council of Russian Bishops elevated him to this rank. But this was already the last Lord, elected by Novgorod itself according to its old customs. The young state of Moscow grew and became stronger under the sovereign hand of John; disparity was destroyed. The beginnings of government took on a more correct form; external enemies came into fear. The time was coming when Russia, having thrown off the yoke that had weighed on it for two and a half centuries, had to take an honorable place among the European states, in order to subsequently have on them the influence intended in the destinies of Providence. The Lord Himself raised and prepared her for high service through a series of disasters - the rise of the house of the princes of Moscow - and the care of the vigilant shepherds of the Church. With the fall of Constantinople, there was no worthy representative of the Orthodox faith among the European states. The providence of God apparently handed this high lot to Russia through those who were least inclined to contribute to the rise of Orthodoxy. One of the brothers of the last emperor of Constantinople, Thomas Palaiologos, who owned a weak area in Morea, after unfortunate quarrels with his brother Demetrius, finally seeks refuge in Rome (1460), where Vissarion, enlightened, but not firm in Orthodoxy, betrayed him at the Council of Florence, invested with the power of attorney of the popes, uses all his influence to through them incite the peoples of the West to crush Mohammedan power. The continuous successes of Magometov's weapons make the sovereigns of Europe fear for their personal safety. Pope Pius II, with his appeals at the Councils and through legates, manages to collect funds for the war with the Turks, convene crowds of new crusaders, beg ships from Venice for the sacred campaign, wants to go with them himself against the enemy of the faith and the enslaver of peoples; but in Ancona, where this new militia was supposed to board the ships, he dies (Av. 15, 1464). His successor, Paul II, although not with such zeal, nevertheless supports this cause. Vissarion continues to act with all zeal in favor of his compatriots. When Thomas Palaiologos died in Rome (May 12, 1465), his orphaned family, two sons and a daughter, continue to receive from the pope the same allowance for maintenance that their father enjoyed. “But dependence on dad led to another temptation. Vissarion ordered that young children be taught to live in everything in accordance with Roman customs; so that they have Latin priests with them, go to Latin churches, kneel not only before the pope, but also before the cardinals 38. The pope granted the eldest of the brothers the title of despot, and their sister Sophia unexpectedly had the lot to rule in a country where the faith in which the princess was raised was freely professed. Vissarion, occupied with the thought of uniting as many large forces as possible against the Turks, offered Sophia’s hand to the Grand Duke of Moscow John, who had lost his first wife (April 25, 1467). Arriving from Rome with this proposal, the Greek Yuri Trachaniot (February 11, 1669) announced that the princess, out of love for her faith, refused to marry a non-religious sovereign, and thereby eliminated doubts regarding her Orthodoxy. The Grand Duke, after a conference with Metropolitan Philip and his mother, did not reject the proposal made, but, to explain all the circumstances of the case, sent to Rome Ivan Fryazin, a coin merchant who lived in Moscow and accepted the Orthodox faith from Venice. Received kindly by the pope, Ivan Fryazin brought the Grand Duke a picturesque image of the princess, demanding that an honorary embassy be sent for the bride. But not earlier than two years later an embassy was sent from Moscow for the princess. Recently, disagreements with Novgorod, and then the war, could distract the attention of the Grand Duke. In January (5 p.m.) 1472, he released Ivan Fryazin to Rome again with letters to the pope and Vissarion; and after that he sent his ambassador, Prince Theodore 39. But, while passing through Polish possessions, the ambassador was detained in Kyiv by King Casimir and died there. Ivan Fryazin came alone to the pope with a letter of faith from the Grand Duke. He no longer found Paul II alive (died on July 26, 1471); His successor was Sixtus IV. Vissarion was then so respected that he was almost elected to the throne instead of Sixtus. One of the first tasks of the new pope was to equip the Fleet against the Turks under the command of Cardinal Caraffa. With such preparations, the pope very willingly accepted the desire of the Grand Duke of Moscow. Having announced this intention at the meeting of cardinals (May 22), Sixtus persistently reflected the doubts of some present about the orthodoxy of the Grand Duke of Moscow. He asserted that Russia had shown an example of its commitment to the Roman throne by sending its metropolitan to the Council in Florence and then accepting another in his place (Gregory in Lithuanian Rus'); that, in order to eliminate further disagreements with the Roman Church, she is ready to accept a legate who can examine church rites on the spot and show those who are mistaken the path of truth. - Judging by the Latin news, which alone describes the reception of the Moscow ambassadors, Ivan Fryazin, who did not reveal to the Romans the change in his faith, greatly strengthened and supported the pope in such ways. And this was all the more convenient for him because the Grand Duke’s letter allowed him to reveal the Grand Duke’s personal views and intentions. On June 1st, Sophia was betrothed to the representative of the Grand Duke in the Church of St. Petra. And then, in a new meeting of cardinals (June 12), they began to discuss, together with the ambassador, about the ways in which the Grand Duke of Moscow could help the general enterprise of the Western sovereigns against the Turks, and to achieve this main goal of all papal relations with the Prince of Moscow 40. In October 1472, Sophia entered the domain of her future husband. She was accompanied by the Pope's legate Anthony and the Greeks. Her commitment to the Orthodox Church, contrary to the suggestions of Vissarion, was expressed in the very first city of the Orthodox confession, in Pskov. Greeted by the clergy and mayors with a procession of the cross, she entered the Cathedral of St. Trinity, listened to the prayer service, venerated the cross and the holy icons, and even forced the legate to venerate the image of the Most Holy Theotokos. Anthony entered the city with the distinctions assigned to his rank, namely in purple clothes and in front of the crucifixion, and seduced the people by entering the cathedral church and not paying veneration to St. icons, and was not marked by St. cross 41. Rumors of this soon reached Moscow. The Grand Duke asked his mother and the boyars for advice on whether to allow Anthony to come to Moscow with a crucifix? Some did not want to argue against it; others said: it has never happened in our land that the Latin faith has enjoyed such honor; Only Isidore did this, and he died. “Then the Grand Duke proposed the question for the permission of Metropolitan. Philip. The Russian High Hierarch answered firmly: “It is impossible for a legate to enter the city with such honor. If you allow him to enter like this, then he will enter through one gate, and I will leave the city through another. He who praises another’s faith is not his own friend.” - So, still 15 miles away from Moscow, they sent to tell the legate to hide his “kryzh”. On November 12, Sofia arrived in Moscow. The Metropolitan met her in the church temporarily built over the relics of St. Petra. Kolomna Archpriest Hosiya performed the wedding 42. A few days later the legate expressed a desire to talk with the metropolitan about the reasons for the disagreement between the Roman and Greek churches. But Philip had already prepared for the debate, having studied from books the most important Orthodox answers to Latin opinions. We knew then the writings of the Patriarchs of Constantinople: Photius, Michael Cerullarius and Germanus, Peter of Antioch, and also Nicetas Stiphatus, in which the teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit and from the Son, about the celebration of the Eucharist on unleavened bread, about fasting on Saturday, about the wifelessness of priests, etc., was refuted. Metropolitans John, Nicephorus and others also had their own experiences in debate with the Latins. Recent events that disturbed the peace of the Orthodox: the betrayal of Isidore at the Council of Florence and the claims of Gregory of Lithuania to rule the entire Russian Church, all this constantly kept our shepherds in readiness to act with the weapon of the word against the false wisdom of the Latins. – In addition, the Metropolitan summoned one scribe to reason with the legate, i.e. Nikita Popovich, who was well acquainted with books of this kind, and partly using his words, partly himself entering into a debate with the legate, brought Anthony into a defenseless position, so that he stopped the dispute, declaring: “I have no books with me.” The most harmless interpretation of such an answer, of course, would be that Anthony did not have with him such books as the Latins tried to prove their doctrine of the Holy Spirit at the Council of Florence. But the symbol of faith intact, the church rules exposing all the apostasies of the Latins, the strong conviction of the Russians in the immutability of the Orthodoxy they profess, brought up over the centuries, were an irresistible weapon against later inventions; he could not be defeated by any books, especially damaged ones. So, the legate, sent to study the rites of our faith on the spot, had to return to Rome with unfavorable news: neither the princess heeded the lessons of Vissarion, nor the Russian Church expressed its readiness to follow Roman opinions. And the campaign against the Turks did not take place. In the last part of his life, Metropolitan Philip was busy with the construction of a new cathedral church in Moscow. Created by Saint Peter, the church began to fall into disrepair: its vaults were cracked, it was necessary to support them with wooden supports. In addition, the 1st August happened. In 1471, a fire that destroyed almost all the buildings in the Kremlin damaged one of the chapels of the Assumption Cathedral in honor of the faith of St. Apostle Peter, so that this limit, three days after the fire, collapsed 43. Prompted by such circumstances, Metropolitan Philip that same autumn began to prepare the necessary materials for the huge structure 44 . Not having sufficient funds for this in his treasury, he imposed a certain amount on monasteries and churches for the construction of a cathedral church and then invited the zeal of princes, boyars and merchants to support the good enterprise with their voluntary donations. He entrusted all the work to two Russian masters: Krivtsov and Myshkin. The model for them was to be the Assumption Cathedral Church in Vladimir, created by Andrei Bogolyubsky and disseminated by his brother Vsevolod Georgievich: but at the same time, Metropolitan Philip wanted the new church, in accordance with the larger population and dignity of Moscow, to exceed the Vladimir Church in all sizes. In the spring of the following year they began to dig ditches, strengthen them with piles and fill them with stones. On April 30, having dismantled the porches and altar wall of the church, which had stood for 146 years, the Metropolitan, in the presence of the Grand Duke, his mother and brothers, with the gathering of a nationwide crowd, solemnly laid the foundation for a new church, one and a half fathoms longer and wider than Vladimir’s. According to the accepted dimensions for the new church, it was necessary to touch also the shrine, in which the relics of the first Moscow hierarchs rested: St. Peter, Theognostus, Cyprian, Photius and Jonah. A month after the founding of the church, when the building was already a fathom high and it was planned to build a platform for the church at this height, the Metropolitan began to move St. relics in their new places, or arks, arranged for the cancer. On May 29, together with Bishop Prokhor of Sarsk and the council of clergy, in the presence of the Grand Duke and the entire Grand Duke's house, having first performed a funeral service for the deceased, he ordered the reliquaries with the relics of Saints Cyprian and Photius to be transferred to a newly built chamber for them on the right side of the church near the wall. Then they proceeded to the tomb, which hid the remains of St. Jonah, who died 11 years ago. The feeling of living witnesses of his holy deeds was especially excited when, after the upper deck of his coffin was removed, his body was found incorrupt, and the familiar image of the saint again appeared before their eyes, and a fragrance filled the entire church. The flesh adhered to the bones of the righteous man, but the composition of his body did not collapse. With tears of joy, everyone blessed God, who glorified his saints. The power of God was revealed even more clearly in the healings that were then accomplished from the relics of St. Ions 45. “They placed it on the left side of the church. Further examining the church, we found St. Great Martyr Demetrius, the body of Grand Duke George Danilovich, killed in the horde, which was the builder of the cathedral, St. Peter, laid it in the church he was newly building. Metropolitan Philip, having performed a funeral service over him, gave him a place in his new church in the same place where the Dmitrievsky chapel was intended to be. The time was approaching to build the wall at the altar, where the tomb of St. stood. Peter Metropolitan. Metropolitan Philip reported to the Grand Duke about his desire to remove the saint’s relics from the ground and place them in a new church in the same place, but on the surface. The Grand Duke replied: “This is not our business, but yours. You yourself know what needs to be done. Gather the bishops to you." Having sent for the bishops, the Metropolitan meanwhile summoned the saints who were in Moscow, as well as the archimandrites and priests, the most intelligent, to a conference. And when everyone agreed with his opinion, on June 14 at night he came with the clergy to the church and ordered the priests to dismantle the crypt over the tomb of St. Petra. Everyone, however, was overcome with fear, wondering whether this would please the saint. And when the relics of the saint were revealed, shining like light and spreading fragrance throughout the entire church, then the whole congregation was filled with indescribable joy. The amazement and joy were all the more solemn because the saint’s coffin was found completely disintegrated from the fire, and even the vestments with which the saint was clothed were scorched over the body, but the very relics and the clothes that were under them were all preserved intact. “Glory to your ineffable destinies, Master,” exclaims the modern narrator. The stone could not withstand the power of the fire: but the relics of your holy saint, in assurance of your Divine power, were preserved unharmed by the fire” 46. – The destruction of the stone coffin by fire was explained at that time as follows: when Tokhtamysh took Moscow by deception, then he destroyed the saint’s coffin, hoping to find hidden gold or silver in it. But having found nothing and leaving Moscow, the Tatars set the city on fire. Then the saint’s coffin was probably exposed to fire. – From the tomb destroyed by fire, Metropolitan Philip transferred St. relics into a new shrine and, for the time being, placed them near the relics of St. Jonah, to solemnly transfer them to the designated place, together with the council of bishops. On July 1, the Metropolitan opened the solemnity of the Translation with Archbishop Vassian of Rostov and four bishops: Suzdal, Ryazan, Kolomna and Sarsk. The day before, Vespers was performed at the tomb of the saint, and then prayer singing to the Most Holy Theotokos and the saint, in the presence of the Grand Duke, his son, mother and brothers. At night, Christ-loving princes and other reverent laymen, one after another, came to the cathedral to offer their secret prayers to the saint of God. Early in the morning they struck for matins. The service was performed the same as in memory of the repose of the saint (December 21). At the end of Matins, the Grand Duke himself, his son John and the brothers, picking up the sacred relics of their spiritual father, transferred them to the prepared place while the people chanted: Lord have mercy and censing the saints 47 . “The spectacle was so touching,” says a contemporary, “that even the stone-hearted man could not help but cry.” After the presentation, a prayer service was again performed to the saint: everyone tried to venerate his relics, which were open at that time. And some reverent priests, the entire time the relics were being opened, saw a dove hovering above them 48 . The Liturgy could not be celebrated in a dismantled church: the Metropolitan celebrated it in his Church of the Deposition of the Robe, and the other bishops in the Archangel Cathedral. But for the future, so that the offering of a bloodless sacrifice would not be interrupted here, and to honor the saint, a small wooden church was built inside the church under construction, which included the shrine of St. Peter's - and here the liturgy was celebrated every day. Meanwhile, to commemorate the celebration and for subsequent times, it was customary to annually celebrate the transfer of the relics of St. Peter on July 1st everywhere, and the monk of Svyatogorsk Pachomius Serb, who at that time lived in the monastery of St. Sergius, and who became famous for compiling the lives and canons in honor of many Russian saints, was entrusted with compiling the word and service for the presentation 49 . The High Hierarch of Moscow was jealously concerned about the speedy construction of the magnificent church: but neither the church builder nor the building itself was destined to wait for its completion. At the beginning of the next spring, precisely on April 4, during Lent, a big fire broke out in the Kremlin at night. The flame quickly reached the metropolitan house and destroyed it completely. The Metropolitan had to retire to the monastery of St. Nicholas on Nikolskaya street. By morning, when the fire began to subside, he came to the small wooden church of the Assumption Cathedral and began to sing a prayer service with tears at the tomb of St. Petra. Having learned about this, the Grand Duke also came here and, thinking that the Metropolitan was grieving over the loss of his home and property, consoled him with the promise of his help. But Saint Philip, apparently, felt within himself a different impulse to tears; his soul heard a call to another world. Exhausted in body, he began to ask the Grand Duke to let him retire to a monastery. The Grand Duke, rejecting him from such an intention, suggested, for temporary reassurance, the Epiphany courtyard of the Trinity St. Sergius Monastery, which was located right there in the Kremlin and survived the fire. The exhausted elder was brought here and immediately demanded his spiritual father, the saint communed. mysteries and was sanctified by St. oil. Having thus prepared himself for the exodus into another life, he turned his thoughts to the building, which he was supposed to leave unfinished. He began to ask the Grand Duke only that the begun church be completed, and in particular ordered the treasurer of the Grand Duke Vladimir Grigoryich Khovra and his son Ivan Golova to take care of the successful completion of the work 50. “Everything is ready,” said the dying archpastor, “just take care,” and he died at night. Death revealed a new feat of the deceased saint. Heavy iron chains were found on his body, and no one knew about this feat of self-mortification, not his spiritual father, not even his cell attendant. In vain did the Grand Duke inquire who made his chains: from one blacksmith, baptized from the Tatars, he only learned that the Metropolitan ordered him to chain one link to the chain. But even for this disclosure of the secret, the culprit suffered punishment: it seemed to him in a dream that the saint himself, having exposed his immodesty, beat him with chains. Rising from sleep, the punished man felt pain all over his body, from which he got rid of no earlier than a month through prayer to the saint he had offended 51 . In the nature of the management of Metropolitan Theodosius one could notice more severity: the reign of Philip represents more meekness and condescension. We have reached his message to the abbot of the Trinity Sergius Monastery, Spyridon, about the forgiveness of Elder Pamva, who had somehow offended the brethren of St. monastery. The Metropolitan does not exercise authority, but through persuasion and request he tries to persuade the rector to leave the guilt to the sinner. “By the grace of God, by the will of the Grand Duke and by my blessing, you entered through the doors into the great fence of the flock of Christ; with our blessing he became a good shepherd of the verbal sheep. But one must be attracted to spiritual understanding by the wisdom of good words, and not by ferocity and cruelty. Therefore, I am writing to you, my son, about Elder Pamva, who has sinned against you, and I bless you to show mercy to him, for the glory of God and for my sake. Command him to resolve it, give him forgiveness for his guilt and make peace with your brethren, with the elders, and the property taken from him, for the sake of my request, give him everything.”52 More details about this are said in the biography of St. Ions. Additions to the edition of the Works of St. Fathers. 1846. p. 263. Act. Historical T.I. N 69. Only three are mentioned at the installation: Suzdal, Kolomna and Sarsky. Sofia. 1. letop. in full Collection Letop. T. 5. p. 273. Act. Historical T. 1. N 275. M. Feodosius was nicknamed Byvaltsev. Another contemporary of Theodosius, Mitrofan Byvaltsev, is glorified by St. Joseph of Volokolamsk as a great elder. About the holy fathers in Russian monasteries, p. 13., in Reading. Histor. society 1847. N 7. As he himself says in the story about the healing of the monk Naum. Full Collection R. Let. T 6. p. 326. Confession of Theodosius before the Council, in Act. Histor. T. 1 N 57. About the petition c. princesses are noted in some chronicles. “and the village of Petrovskoye was taken from him (Archbishop Theodosius) out of sorrow” Complete. Collection Letop. T. 6 p. 181. District charter in the Act. Histor. T. 1. N 64. Full Collection Years. T. 6 p. 325. The homily for the Nativity of the Mother of God begins, “Let every mouth be opened today to praise.” About another word in the news. I. Academy of Sciences no department. Literature T. 2. pp. 321 et seq. Act. East. T. 1 N 73. Novgorod. 2 years. under. 6971 in Nov. Collection Letop. T. 3. p. 141. It was described by the metropolitan clerk Rodion Kozhukh. The description is placed in Soph. 2nd summer Complete collection Let., T. 6. p. 320. About the celebration of Barlaam Ave., ibid., p. 181. Chronicle printer. 1781. p. 259. Novgor. 2 years. under 1463 On withholding income for two years. to Pskov. 1 summer under 1465. About asking for a bishop - in the same place under 1463. Complete. Collection Letop T. 4. Histor. State Ross. T. 6. pr. 629. under 1473 it is noted from the chronicles “the former Metropolitan Theodosius reposed in the Sergius Monastery; put it tighter.” Slich. Historical Description Holy Trinity. Sergius Lavra. 1852. p. 63. Arkhangelsk letop. under 1455 “That same summer, the Vogul prince Asyka, and his son Yumshan, marched from Vogulichi to Vychegda, and killed the lord Pitirim of Perm.” Letop. printer, under 1402. Memory of St. Jonah, who rests with Gerasim and Pitirim on Ust-Vym, is honored on June 6. Residents of the Cherdyn district, Obvinsky and Ilvinsky camps, wrote in 1639 that they had long been subject to duties under Art. Permians, “like Perm, were brought into baptism.” This may indicate the limits of Christian acquisitions under St. Jonah. Act. Arch. Expedition T. 3 p. 435. For the discovery and testimony of these relics, by order of the Bishop of Rostov, see Sophia. 2nd summer page 185. Act. East. T. 1. No. 72 Part XVI. East. State Ross. T. 6 pr. 629 under 1464 History of the Florence Cathedral. M. 1847– p. 190. Letop. typographer, p. 261. Act. Archaeogr. Expedition TIN. 80. Gram. Photius was written around 1427; it has not been published. This was the name of the box in which veche charters, charters and other public affairs were kept. Pskov. 1 summer and 2nd in Full. Collection letop. T. 4. and 5. Print. in the Act. Ist. T I. No. 279. Act. Arch. Ek. T. I. No. 87. Act. Histor. T. I. No. 281; written in March 1471. Act. Histor. T. I. No. 282. Written in June 1471. Act. Arch. Ek. T. I. No. 91. The agreement was concluded on August 11th. Vissarion's letter to their mentor was published by Franza. Histor. Byzantin. ed. Bonn. 1838. p. 416. Tatishchev mentions this. Readings History. General 1847. No. 4. Art. 27. We owe information about the actions of ambassadors in Rome to the church chronicles of Rainald, from which an extract was made in the History of the State. Russian T. 6. Ch. 11. Pskov 1 years. p. 244 et seq. Part XVI So. 3 years. p. 197. In other chronicles, the wedding is attributed to the metropolitan himself. Why the archpriest of Kolomna was called to perform the marriage is explained in the indicated chronicle by the fact that the Moscow archpriests and the confessor himself. the princes were widows. They correctly saw widowhood as an unfavorable omen for those getting married. Full Collection Letop. T. 6. p. 190. Nikonov. Letop. part 6 p. 35. See further about the creation of the church p. 35 – 43. Degrees. book part 2. p. 89. Full Collection Years. T. 6. p. 196. Word (Pachomius) on the transfer of the venerable relics of those like our father, the hierarch of the great wonderworker Peter, Metropolitan of All Rus', in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Moscow. D. Academy No. 96. In the homily for the transfer of the relics it is said: as if the hour of sacred intercession had arisen, then the autocrat himself, with his son and with his brethren, seemed to have decided to subdue the royal power to him (i.e., Saint Peter), or, even more so, to have offended him, with much humility and love, and shedding tears of joy, as it is worthy of the spiritual father and to the saint, - we took the honest and sacred relics, with them many princes and boyars, and then the bishops (i.e., Philip) honestly came before the saint with candles and candles. The multitude of people also followed, shedding tears of joy and saying, “Lord have mercy,” I called. There is a hint of this in the service for the presentation, precisely in the 5th ode of the second canon: “Divine grace in your honest presentation is visible, your sacred children rejoice in great measure, and with a dove-like vision it announces to all those who love you the presence of the Holy Spirit.” This service was subsequently assigned to August 24, i.e., the day of the second transfer of the relics of St. Peter, precisely to the church built by the foreigner Aristotle and consecrated by M. Gerontius in 1479. But even to this day, traces of their original purpose have been preserved in the canons of this day. In the marginalia or acrostic of the canons it is said: “by the command of the pious great prince John of All Russia, with the blessing of Philip, Metropolitan of All Russia, this grateful singing was brought as a gift to the hand of the much-sinful Pachomius Serbin.” – The word Pachomiev was accepted into the Makariev Chetya-Minea and was also placed under the 24th of August, but without the names of the writer and with the addition of the secondary transfer of the relics of St. Petra. Vladimir Grigoryich built the stone Church of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord in Moscow back in 1450. Nikon. Years. part 5. p. 217. Full Collection Letop. T. 6. p. 197. Act. Historical T. I. No. 278. You might be interested in: