In addition, he is responsible for the interaction of parishes within the country, the implementation and observance of Christian canons and orders, and the adoption of the most important organizational and financial issues.
The Holy Synod is engaged in the popularization of the Orthodox faith not only among residents within its own country, but also abroad, carrying out such work only within the limits of state legislation. Suppressing attacks by representatives of other religions and inciting ethnic hatred on the basis of religion also lies on his shoulders.
History of the creation of the Holy Synod
The need to create a governing body of church power was initiated by Peter I back in 1700, after the death of Patriarch Adrian. According to the Russian Tsar, the continued existence of Orthodoxy without proper governance was impossible, since the solution to pressing issues was not organized and church affairs were inevitably moving toward decline.The first “representative” of church authority was the so-called Monastic Order, which was renamed the Spiritual Order in 1718 and received its own charter - the Spiritual Regulations. And just three years later, the governing body of Russian Christianity was recognized by Patriarch Jeremiah III of Constantinople and received its current name - the Holy Synod.
Everyone who was present in this high-ranking assembly or became a member of it was required to take an oath, which in its significance was equivalent to a military one, and its violation was severely punished. A little later, the Holy Synod received more extensive and significant provisions and was in charge not only of church affairs, but also of the palace, some powers of the treasury and the state chancellery, and the royal one was also under its jurisdiction.
Holy Synod of our time
In the modern Orthodox Christian Church, the Holy Synod performs the same functions as in Russia, with the exception of carrying out matters of national importance. The diplomatic, financial and economic affairs of the Russian Patriarchate remain in his charge; he is involved in making decisions on ranking leadership positions, distributing positions and strengthening international relations, but only within the framework of religion.The Holy Synod was in the past the highest governing body for the affairs of the Orthodox Church. Operated from 1721 to 1918. At the Russian Orthodox Church in 1917 - 1918, the patriarchate was adopted. At the moment, this body plays only a secondary role in the affairs of the church.
Early Church
The Russian Orthodox Church was founded in 988.
The clergy adopted the original hierarchical structure in Constantinople. Over the next 9 centuries, the Russian Church was largely dependent on Byzantium. During the period from 988 to the metropolitan system was practiced. Then, from 1589 to 1720, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church was the patriarch. And from 1721 to 1918 the Church was governed by the Synod. Currently, the sole ruler of the Russian Orthodox Church is Patriarch Kirill. Today the Synod is just an advisory body.
Rules of the Universal Church
According to the general rules of world Orthodoxy, the Synod can have judicial, legislative, administrative, supervisory and administrative powers. Interaction with the state is carried out through a person appointed by the secular government. For the effective work of the Synod, the following bodies are created:
- Synodal Office.
- Spiritual Education Committee.
- Department of Synodal Printing Houses.
- Office of the Chief Prosecutor.
- Spiritual School Council.
- Economic management.
The Russian Orthodox Church is divided into dioceses, the boundaries of which coincide with the boundaries of the regions of the state. The resolutions of the synod are mandatory for clergy and recommended for parishioners. To adopt them, a special meeting of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church is held (twice a year).
Creation of Spiritual Regulations
The spiritual regulations were created by order of Peter I by Metropolitan Feofan Prokopovich. This document reflects all the ancient church rules. Having encountered resistance to the ongoing reforms from the clergy, this Russian Emperor became the initiator of the abolition of patriarchal power and the creation of the Synod. There is no doubt that it was after this, as well as after the introduction of the post of chief prosecutor, that the Russian Orthodox Church lost its independence from the state.
Official reasons for the church's acceptance of synodal governance
The prerequisites for which this particular form of government was once adopted in the Russian Orthodox Church (by the command of Peter I),
indicated in the Spiritual Regulations and consisted of the following:
- Several clergy can establish the truth much faster and better than one.
- The decisions of the conciliar authority will have much greater weight and authority than the decisions of one person.
- In the event of illness or death of the sole ruler, affairs will not be stopped.
- Several people can make a much more impartial decision than one.
- It is much more difficult for the authorities to influence a large number of clergy than to influence the sole ruler of the church.
- Such power can arouse pride in one person. At the same time, it will be difficult for ordinary people to separate the church from the monarchy.
- The Holy Synod can always condemn the unlawful actions of one of its members. To analyze the wrong decisions of the patriarch, it is necessary to call eastern clergy. And this is expensive and time-consuming.
- The Synod is, first of all, a kind of school in which more experienced members can train newcomers in the management of the church. Thus, work efficiency increases.
The main feature of the Russian Synod
A characteristic feature of the newly created Russian Synod was that it was recognized as hierarchically equal by the Eastern patriarchs. Similar bodies in other Orthodox states played only a secondary role under a single dominant person. Only the Greek Synod had the same power within the church of its country as the Russian one. The Houses of God of these two states have always had much in common in their structure. The Eastern Patriarchs called the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church “brother beloved in the Lord,” that is, they recognized its power as equal to their own.
Historical composition of the Synod
Initially this governing body consisted of:
- President (Stefan Yavorsky - Metropolitan of Ryazan);
- Vice-presidents in the amount of two people;
- Advisors and assessors (4 people each).
The members of the Synod were elected from among the archimandrites, bishops, city archpriests and abbots. The Church adopted rules protecting freedom of expression. Thus, abbots and archpriests with the bishops standing above them should not have taken part in the work of the Synod at the same time. After his death, the position of chairman was abolished. From that moment on, all members of the Synod had equal rights. Over time, the composition of this body changed periodically. So, in 1763 it consisted of 6 people (3 bishops, 2 archimandrites and 1 archpriest). For 1819 - 7 people.
Almost immediately after the decision to create the Synod was made, the monarch ordered the membership of an observing secular person in this body. This representative of the state was elected from respectable officers. The position given to him was called “Chief Prosecutor of the Synod.” According to the instructions approved by the monarch, this man was “the eye of the Sovereign and the attorney for state affairs.” In 1726, the Synod was divided into two parts - spiritual and secular economic.
A brief history of synodal administration from 1721 to 1918.
In the first years of his reign, Bishop Theophan had great influence on the decisions of the Synod. Not a single church book could be published without his approval.
This man was friends with Bismarck and Osterman and all the bishops, one way or another, were dependent on him. Theophanes achieved similar power after the fall of the Great Russian party in the Synod. At this time, the Soviet government was going through hard times. The confrontation between Anna Ioannovna and the daughters of Peter the Great led to persecution of those who sympathized with the latter. One day, all the members of the Synod except Feofan, following a denunciation, were simply dismissed, and others were appointed in their place, much more loyal to him. Of course, after this he achieved unprecedented power. Feofan died in 1736.
In the end, Elizabeth did ascend to the throne. After this, all the clergy exiled during Theophan’s time were returned from exile. The period of her reign was one of the best for the Russian Orthodox Synod. However, the Empress still did not restore the patriarchate. Moreover, she appointed a particularly intolerant chief prosecutor, Ya. Shakhovsky, who was known as a zealous zealot for state affairs.
During the time of Peter III, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was forced to tolerate German influence, which, however, ended with the accession of Catherine II to the throne. This queen did not introduce any special innovations into the Synod. The only thing she did was close the savings board. Thus, the Synod became united again.
Under Alexander I, Prince A. N. Golitsyn, who in his youth was known as the patron of various kinds of mystical sects, became chief prosecutor. As a practical person, he was even considered useful to the Synod, especially at first. Filaret, who was elevated to the rank of metropolitan by the emperor in 1826, became a prominent church figure during the time of Nicholas I. Since 1842, this clergyman took an active part in the work of the Synod.
“Dark Times” of the Synod of the early 20th century
The main reason for the return to the patriarchate in 1917-18. there was interference in the affairs of G. Rasputin’s church management and an aggravation of the political situation around this body.
The Synod is the inviolability of the hierarchs. The events associated with the death of the leading member of this body, Anthony, and the appointment in his place of Metropolitan Vladimir, and subsequently Pitirim, led to the intensification of unacceptable passions in the highest church administrative echelons and the creation of a heavy atmosphere of mistrust. most clergy considered him a “Rasputinist.”
Considering that by the end of 1916 many other members of the Synod were followers of this royal henchman (for example, Chief Prosecutor Raev, the manager of the chancellery Guryev and his assistant Mudrolyubov), the church began to look like almost the main opposition to the royal throne. Members of the administrative body who did not belong to the selected circle of “Rasputinists” were afraid to once again express their opinion, knowing that it would be immediately transmitted to Tsarskoe Selo. It was no longer, in fact, the Synod of the Orthodox Church that was managing affairs, but G. Rasputin alone.
Return to patriarchal rule
After the revolution in February 1917, the Provisional Government, in order to correct this situation, issued a decree dismissing all members of this body and convening new ones for the summer session.
On August 5, 1917, the post of Chief Prosecutor was abolished and the Ministry of Religions was established. This body issued decrees on behalf of the Synod until January 18, 1918. On February 14, 1918, the last resolution of the Council was published. According to this document, the powers of the Holy Synod were transferred to the patriarch. This body itself became collegial.
Features of the structure and powers of the modern Synod
Today the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church is an advisory body under the Patriarch. It consists of permanent and temporary members. The latter are summoned to meetings from their dioceses and dismissed in the same way without being awarded the title of member of the Synod. Today this body has the right to supplement the Spiritual Regulations with legalizations and definitions, having previously sent them to the Patriarch for approval.
Chairman and permanent members
Today, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church is headed (and holds the position of chairman) by Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev.
Its permanent members are the following metropolitans:
- Kyiv and all Ukraine Vladimir.
- Ladoga and St. Petersburg Vladimir.
- Slutsky and Minsky Filaret.
- All Moldavia and Vladimir Kishinevsky.
- Kolomensky and Krutitsky Juvenaly.
- Kazakh and Astana Alexander.
- Central Asian Vincent.
- Managing Director of the Patriarchate of Moscow, Metropolitan Barsanuphius of Mordovia and Saransk.
- Chairman of the Department for External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.
Location
Immediately after its establishment, the Synod was located in St. Petersburg on City Island. After some time, meetings began to be held in In 1835, the Synod moved to Senate Square. From time to time, meetings were moved to Moscow. For example, during the coronation of monarchs. In August 1917, the Synod finally moved to Moscow. Before this, there was only a Synodal office here.
In 1922, the patriarch was arrested. The first meeting of the Synod was held only five years later, in 1927. Then Metropolitan Sergius of Nizhny Novgorod managed to achieve the legalization of the Russian Orthodox Church.
He organized a temporary Patriarchal Synod with him. However, in the spring of 1935, this body was again dissolved on the initiative of the authorities.
Permanent Synod
In 1943, a permanent Synod was elected, whose meetings began to be held in house No. 5 in Chisty Lane, provided by I. Stalin. From time to time they were transferred to the Patriarchal chambers in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Since 2009, meetings have been held in different places at the choice of the head of the Church. In December 2011, the Synodal Residence of the Patriarch was opened and consecrated in the reconstructed St. Daniel Monastery. It was here that the last meeting to date took place, opening on October 2, 2013.
Last meeting
At the last meeting (held in October 2013), much attention was paid to the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the baptism of Rus'. Quite important for the church is the resolution of the Synod on the need to continue the tradition of holding ceremonial events for each anniversary in cooperation with government bodies. authorities. Also at the meeting, questions about the establishment of new dioceses in different regions of the country and the appointment of clergy to new positions were considered. In addition, the clergy adopted the Regulations on programs related to the education of youth, as well as on missionary and social activities.
The modern Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, although not a governing body, still plays an important role in the life of the church. Its decrees and decisions are binding in all dioceses. The position of Chief Prosecutor does not currently exist. As everyone knows, church and state are separated in our country. And therefore, it does not have much influence on politics, both internal and external, despite patriarchal rule and modern independence. That is, it is not a government body.
), is the governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church in the period between Councils of Bishops.
Personal composition of the Holy Synod at present
Chairman
- Kirill (Gundyaev) - Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'
Regular members
- Vladimir (Sabodan) - Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine
- Vladimir (Kotlyarov) - Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga
- Filaret (Vakhromeev) - Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus
- Yuvenaly (Poyarkov) - Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna
- Vladimir (Kantaryan) - Metropolitan of Chisinau and all Moldavia
- Barsanuphius (Sudakov) - Metropolitan of Saransk and Mordovia, manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate
- Hilarion (Alfeev) - Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate
Temporary members
- Agafangel (Savvin) - Metropolitan of Odessa and Izmail
- Lev (Tserpitsky) - Archbishop of Novgorod and Staraya Russian
- Jonathan (Tsvetkov) - Archbishop of Abakan and Kyzyl
- Elisha (Ganaba) - Archbishop of Sourozh
- Markell (Miheescu) - Bishop of Balti and Falesti
Institutions and commissions
The following Synodal institutions are accountable to the Holy Synod:
- Academic Committee;
- Department of Catechesis and Religious Education;
- Department of Charity and Social Service;
- Missionary Department;
- Department for interaction with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies;
- Youth Affairs Department;
- Department for Church-Society Relations;
- Information Department;
- Department of Prison Ministry;
- Committee for Interaction with the Cossacks;
- Financial and economic management;
- Synodal Library named after His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II.
Also under the Synod there are Synodal commissions, such as:
- Synodal Biblical Theological Commission;
- Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints;
- Synodal Liturgical Commission;
- Synodal Commission for Monasteries.
During the synodal period (-)
As such, he was recognized by the Eastern Patriarchs and other autocephalous Churches. Members of the Holy Synod were appointed by the emperor; the emperor's representative in the Holy Synod was Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod.
Establishment and functions
The Patriarchal orders were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Synod: Spiritual, State and Palace, renamed synodal, Monastic order, order of church affairs, office of schismatic affairs and printing office. A Tiunskaya office (Tiunskaya Izba) was established in St. Petersburg; in Moscow - the spiritual dicastery, the office of the synodal board, the synodal office, the order of inquisitorial affairs, the office of schismatic affairs.
All institutions of the Synod were closed during the first two decades of its existence, except for the Synodal Office, the Moscow Synodal Office and the Printing Office, which existed until .
Chief Prosecutor of the Synod
The Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Governing Synod is a secular official appointed by the Russian Emperor (in 1917 they were appointed by the Provisional Government) and was his representative in the Holy Synod.
Compound
Initially, according to the “Spiritual Regulations,” the Holy Synod consisted of 11 members: a president, 2 vice-presidents, 4 advisers and 4 assessors; it included bishops, abbots of monasteries and members of the white clergy.
Protopresbyter Georgy Shavelsky, who was a member of the Synod in the pre-revolutionary years, while in exile, assessed the oldest members of the Synod of that time and the general situation in it: “The metropolitan area is unparalleledly poor in its composition<…>in a certain respect, characterized the state of our hierarchy in pre-revolutionary times.<…>A heavy atmosphere of mistrust reigned in the Synod. The members of the Synod were afraid of each other, and not without reason: every word openly spoken within the walls of the Synod by Rasputin’s opponents was immediately transmitted to Tsarskoye Selo.”
By resolution of the Holy Synod dated April 29, 1917, No. 2579, a number of issues were removed from the Synod’s office work “for final resolution to diocesan administrations”: on the removal of holy orders and monasticism on petitions, on the establishment of new parishes using local funds, on the dissolution of marriages due to the inability of one of them. spouses, on the recognition of marriages as illegal and invalid, on the dissolution of marriages due to adultery - with the consent of both parties, and a number of others that were previously within the competence of the Holy Synod. On the same day, the Synod decided to form a Pre-Conciliar Council to prepare issues to be considered at the “Church Constituent Assembly”; the main task was the preparation of the All-Russian Local Council.
Notes
Literature about the Holy Synod
- Kedrov N. I. Spiritual regulations in connection with the transformative activities of Peter the Great. Moscow, 1886.
- Tikhomirov P.V. The canonical dignity of Peter the Great's reforms on church governance. // « Theological Bulletin, published by the Imperial Moscow Theological Academy" 1904, No. 1 and 2.
- Prot. A. M. Ivantsov-Platonov. About Russian church administration. St. Petersburg, 1898.
- Tikhomirov L.A. Monarchical statehood. Part III, ch. 35: Bureaucracy in the Church.
- Prot. V. G. Pevtsov. Lectures on church law. St. Petersburg, 1914.
- Prot. Georgy Florovsky. Paths of Russian theology. Paris, 1937.
- I.K. Smolich Chapter II. Church and State From History of the Russian Church. 1700-1917 (Geschichte der Russische Kirche). Leiden, 1964, in 8 books.
- Shavelsky G.I. Russian Church before the revolution. M.: Artos-Media, 2005 (written in the mid-1930s), pp. 56-147.
- Higher and central government institutions of Russia. 1801-1917. St. Petersburg: Nauka, 1998, T. 1, pp. 134-147.
see also
Links
- A. G. Zakrzhevsky. The Holy Synod and Russian bishops in the first decades of the existence of the “church government” in Russia.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
In the Orthodox East, by the 15th century, the formation under the primates of local Churches of the institution of a permanent council of bishops, called in Constantinople Σύνοδος ενδημούσα (“permanent council”) or “small synods” in other Churches, was completed.
By their decrees, under the chairmanship of the Patriarchs, decisions were made on the most important issues. In Russia, the establishment of the Synod is associated with the reign of Peter I. Among the transformations of Peter I, the most important in its consequences was the reform of church government.
Reform of Peter I
Initially, Peter did not intend to change the established church order for centuries. However, the further the first Russian emperor advanced in carrying out state reform, the less desire he had to share power with another person, even a spiritual one. Peter I was rather indifferent to the Orthodox faith itself.
Patriarch Adrian died in 1700. Peter immediately took advantage of this circumstance. He does not see any worthy candidates for the Patriarchate among the representatives of the church hierarchy.
The Patriarchal throne remained vacant, and Locum Tenens Metropolitan of Ryazan Stefan Yavorsky was appointed to govern the diocese of the Patriarch. The locum tenens was entrusted with the management of only matters of faith: “about schism, about the oppositions of the church, about heresies”
On January 24, 1701, the Monastic Order was restored, under whose jurisdiction the Patriarchal Courtyard, bishop's houses, monastic lands and farms were transferred. Boyar Ivan Alekseevich Musin-Pushkin was placed at the head of the order.
In all important cases, the Locum Tenens had to consult with other bishops, whom he was asked to summon alternately to Moscow. The results of all meetings were to be submitted to the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne for approval by the sovereign. This meeting of successive bishops from the dioceses was called, as before, the Consecrated Council. This Consecrated Council in spiritual matters, and boyar Musin-Pushkin with his Monastic Order in others, significantly limited the power of the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne in governing the church.
Since 1711, the Governing Senate began to operate instead of the old Boyar Duma. From now on, all government, both spiritual and temporal, had to obey the Decrees of the Senate as Royal Decrees. The locum tenens of the Patriarchal Throne could no longer install a bishop without the Senate. The Senate begins to independently build churches and itself orders bishops to install priests. The Senate appoints abbots and abbesses to monasteries.
In 1718, the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, temporarily staying in St. Petersburg, received a Decree from His Majesty - “he should live in St. Petersburg permanently and the bishops should come one by one to St. Petersburg, contrary to how they came to Moscow.” This management was clearly temporary. However, about twenty years passed before Peter brought his ideas to life. To implement them, he needed a like-minded person in the church environment. The process of the birth of church reform took place in complete secrecy from the Church and its hierarchy.
Feofan Prokopovich
The key figure in the organization of the Theological College was the Little Russian theologian, rector of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy Feofan Prokopovich, whom Peter met back in 1706, when he gave a speech welcoming the sovereign at the foundation of the Pechersk fortress in Kyiv. In 1711, Theophanes was with Peter on the Prut campaign. On June 1, 1718, he was named bishop of Pskov, and the next day he was consecrated to the rank of bishop in the presence of the sovereign. Soon Prokopovich was entrusted with drawing up a project for the creation of the Theological College.
By 1721, Feofan Prokopovich completed the drafting of the Spiritual Regulations - a document that determined the existence of the Theological College. Feofan openly expressed the reasons for replacing the Patriarchate with a spiritual college in the “Spiritual Regulations”: “So that the common people would not be tempted to see in the patriarch some kind of second person in the state, almost equal to the first, or even superior to him...”
This document was presented by Peter for discussion in the Senate and only then brought to the attention of the Church Council of six bishops who found themselves in St. Petersburg. Under pressure from the secular authorities, they signed the document and assured that everything was “pretty well done.” Over the course of the year, signatures were collected from those bishops who did not participate in the Acts of the Council, as well as from the abbots of the most important monasteries. Often, government officials used force to obtain the required consent.
Holy Governing Synod
After the establishment of the Theological College, the question arose: how to make a prayerful proclamation of the new church government? The Latin word “collegium” in combination with “Holy” sounded dissonant, so different options were proposed: “assembly”, “cathedral”. Finally they settled on an acceptable Greek word for "synod" - the Most Holy Governing Synod. Synod or cathedral (from Greek Σύνοδος - “meeting”, “cathedral”; lat. consilium - council, consultation). In order to maintain the canonicity of the new spiritual government, Peter turned to the Patriarch of Constantinople Jeremiah for a blessing. The Patriarch's response was as follows: “Our moderation... affirms and consolidates that the Synod established by the most pious autocrat Peter Alekseevich is and is called our brother in Christ...”
Similar letters were received from other Eastern Patriarchs. Thus, the Synod was recognized as a permanent Council, equal in power to the Patriarchs, and therefore bearing the title of His Holiness.
On January 25, 1721, Peter signed a manifesto on the establishment of the Theological College, which soon received the new name of the Holy Governing Synod. On February 14, 1721, the grand opening of the new church administration took place.
Composition and structure of the Holy Governing Synod
The patriarchal orders were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Synod: spiritual, state and palace, renamed synodal, monastic order, order of church affairs, office of schismatic affairs and printing office. A Tiunskaya office (Tiunskaya Izba) was established in St. Petersburg; in Moscow - the spiritual dicastery, the office of the synodal board, the synodal office, the order of inquisitorial affairs, the office of schismatic affairs.
The composition of the Holy Synod was determined according to the regulations of 12 “government persons”, of which three must certainly bear the rank of bishop. As in the civil colleges, the Synod consisted of one president, two vice-presidents, four councilors and five assessors.
In 1726, these foreign names, which did not fit in well with the clergy of the persons sitting in the Synod, were replaced by the words: first-present member, members of the Synod and those present in the Synod. The President, who is subsequently the first person present, has, according to regulations, a vote equal to the other members of the board. Metropolitan Stefan was appointed President of the Synod.
A man devoted to Peter, Theodosius, bishop of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, was appointed vice-president. In terms of the structure of the office and office work, the Synod resembled the Senate and collegiums, with all the ranks and customs established in these institutions. Peter also took care of the organization of supervision over the activities of the Synod. On May 11, 1722, a special chief prosecutor was ordered to be present at the Synod.
Colonel Ivan Vasilyevich Boltin was appointed the first chief prosecutor of the Synod. The main responsibility of the chief prosecutor was to conduct all relations between the Synod and the civil authorities and vote against the decisions of the Synod when they were not consistent with the laws and decrees of Peter. The Senate gave the chief prosecutor special instructions, which were almost a complete copy of the instructions to the prosecutor general of the Senate.
The Chief Prosecutor was subject to trial only by the sovereign. At first, the power of the Chief Prosecutor was exclusively observational, but little by little the Chief Prosecutor becomes the arbiter of the fate of the Synod and its leader in practice.
Until 1901, members of the Synod and those present in the Synod, upon taking office, were required to take an oath, which, in particular, read: I confess with the oath of the extreme Judge of the Spiritual Collegium of the existence of the All-Russian Monarch of our most merciful Sovereign
As a result of Peter's reform, the Church completely lost its independence from secular power. All resolutions of the Synod until 1917 were issued with the following stamp: "By order of His Imperial Majesty." In state papers, church authorities began to be called, along with other departments such as military, financial, and judicial, the “Department of the Orthodox Confession.”
Alexander A. Sokolovsky
This article is about the body of church-state administration of the Russian Church in 1721-1917. For the modern governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church, see Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Holy Governing Synod(Russian doref. Holy Governing Synod) - the highest body of church-state administration of the Russian Church during the synodal period (1721-1917).
The Holy Synod was the highest administrative and judicial authority of the Russian Church. He had the right, with the approval of the supreme power of the Russian Empire, to open new sees, elect and install bishops, establish church holidays and rituals, canonize saints, and censor works of theological, church-historical and canonical content. It had the right of the court of first instance in relation to bishops accused of committing anti-canonical acts, and the Synod also had the right to make final decisions on divorce cases, cases of removal from clergy, and anathematization of the laity; issues of spiritual enlightenment of the people were also under the jurisdiction of the Synod:238.
Legal status
As such, it was recognized by the Eastern patriarchs and other autocephalous churches. The members of the Holy Governing Synod were appointed by the emperor. The emperor's representative in the Synod was Chief Prosecutor Holy Synod.
The Governing Synod acted on behalf of the Emperor, whose orders on church affairs were final and binding on the Synod:237.
Story
During 1720, the signing of the Regulations by bishops and archimandrites of sedate monasteries took place; The last to sign, reluctantly, was Exarch Metropolitan Stefan (Yavorsky).
Until 1901, members of the Synod and those present in the Synod, upon taking office, were required to take an oath, which, in particular, read:
I confess with the oath of the last Spiritual Judge of the Collegium the existence of the All-Russian Monarch of our most merciful Sovereign.
Until September 1, 1742, the Synod was also the diocesan authority for the former Patriarchal region, renamed Synodal.
The patriarchal orders were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Synod: spiritual, state and palace, renamed synodal, monastic order, order of church affairs, office of schismatic affairs and a printing office. A Tiunskaya office (Tiunskaya Izba) was established in St. Petersburg; in Moscow - the spiritual dicastery, the office of the synodal board, the synodal office, the order of inquisitorial affairs, the office of schismatic affairs.
All institutions of the Synod were closed during the first two decades of its existence, except for the synodal office, the Moscow synodal office and the printing office, which existed until 1917.
In 1888, the journal “Church Gazette”, the official printed publication of the Holy Synod, began to be published.
Last years (1912-1918)
After the death of the leading member of the Synod, Anthony (Vadkovsky), in 1912 and the appointment of Metropolitan Vladimir (Epiphany) to the St. Petersburg See, the political situation around the Synod worsened significantly, which was associated with G. Rasputin’s intervention in the affairs of church administration. In November 1915, by the Highest Rescript, Metropolitan Vladimir was transferred to Kyiv, although he retained the title of leading member. The transfer of Vladimir and the appointment of Metropolitan Pitirim (Oknov) in his place was painfully received in the church hierarchy and in society, which viewed Metropolitan Pitirim as a “Rasputinist.” As a result, as Prince Nikolai Zhevakhov wrote, “the principle of the inviolability of hierarchs was violated, and this was enough for the Synod to find itself almost in the vanguard of the opposition to the throne, which used the said act for common revolutionary goals, as a result of which both hierarchs, Metropolitans Pitirim and Macarius were declared “Rasputinists.”
Protopresbyter Georgy Shavelsky, who was a member of the Synod in the pre-revolutionary years, while in exile, assessed the oldest members of the Synod of that time and the general situation in it: “The metropolitan area is unparalleledly poor in its composition<…>in a certain respect, characterized the state of our hierarchy in pre-revolutionary times.<…>A heavy atmosphere of mistrust reigned in the Synod. The members of the Synod were afraid of each other, and not without reason: every word openly spoken within the walls of the Synod by Rasputin’s opponents was immediately transmitted to Tsarskoye Selo.”
At the end of 1915, the discussion in the Synod of the “Varnavinsky case” acquired a scandalous character ( see Tobolsk scandal), as a result of which A.D. Samarin was forced to resign from the post of chief prosecutor. About the situation in church administration by the end of the reign of Nicholas II, Protopresbyter Shavelsky wrote: “At the end of 1916, Rasputin’s proteges actually already had control in their hands. Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod Raev, his comrade Zhevakhov, manager of the office of the Holy Synod Guryev and his assistant Mudrolyubov were Rasputinists. Metropolitans Pitirim and Macarius professed the same faith. A number of diocesan and suffragan bishops were Rasputin’s clients.”
On March 1, 1916, according to the report of the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod Volzhin, the Emperor “was most mercifully pleased to command that in the future, reports of the Chief Prosecutor to His Imperial Majesty on matters relating to the internal structure of church life and the essence of church government should be carried out in the presence of the leading member of the Holy Synod, for the purpose of comprehensive canonical coverage of them." The conservative newspaper Moskovskaya Vedomosti, calling the Highest Command of March 1 “a great act of trust,” wrote: “They report from Petrograd that in church circles and in the Synod the great act of royal trust is experienced as a bright holiday, that A. N. Volzhin and Metropolitan Vladimir they receive greetings and expressions of gratitude from everywhere.”
On the night of March 2-3, 1917, Emperor Nicholas II abdicated the throne. But on the afternoon of March 2, the Synod decided to enter into contact with the Executive Committee of the State Duma. The members of the Synod actually recognized the revolutionary power even before the abdication of the tsar. Despite the general absence of a legal abdication of the throne of the House of Romanov, the Synod, by its resolutions of March 6, ordered the correction of all liturgical rites in which the “reigning” house was commemorated. Instead of prayers for the de jure reigning house, petitions for the “Blessed Provisional Government” should have been offered.
On March 9, the Synod addressed a message “To the faithful children of the Orthodox Russian Church regarding the events currently being experienced.” It began like this: “The will of God has been accomplished. Russia has entered the path of a new state life.
By resolution of the Holy Synod dated April 29 (May 12), No. 2579, a number of issues were removed from the Synod’s record keeping “for final resolution to diocesan administrations”: on the removal of holy orders and monasticism upon petitions, on the establishment of new parishes using local funds, on the dissolution of marriages by inability of one of the spouses, on recognizing marriages as illegal and invalid, on dissolution of marriages due to adultery - with the consent of both parties, and a number of others that were previously within the competence of the Synod. On the same day, the Synod decided to form a pre-conciliar council to prepare issues to be considered at the “Church Constituent Assembly”; The main task was the preparation of an All-Russian local council.
On March 24/April 6, 1918, by decree of Patriarch Tikhon, the Holy Synod and the All-Russian Central Council No. 57, the Petrograd Synodal Office was closed.
Compound
Initially, according to the Spiritual Regulations, the Synod consisted of eleven members: a president, two vice-presidents, four advisers and four assessors; it included bishops, abbots of monasteries and members of the white clergy.
Since 1726, the President of the Synod began to be called first member, and others - members Holy Synod and simply those present.
In later times, the nomenklatura composition of the Synod changed many times. At the beginning of the 20th century member of the Synod was a granted title, held for life even if the person was never called to sit in the Synod. At the same time, the Metropolitans of St. Petersburg, Kiev, Moscow, and the Exarch of Georgia were, as a rule, permanent members of the Synod, and the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg was almost always the leading member of the Synod:239.
Chief Prosecutor of the Synod
The Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Governing Synod is a secular official appointed by the Russian Emperor (in 1917 they were appointed by the Provisional Government) and was his representative in the Holy Synod. The powers and role varied in different periods, but in general in the 18th-19th centuries there was a tendency to strengthen the role of the chief prosecutor.
Senior members
- Stefan (Yavorsky), President of the Synod (February 14, 1721 - November 27, 1722), Metropolitan of Ryazan
- Theodosius (Yanovsky), first vice-president of the Synod (November 27, 1722 - April 27, 1725), Archbishop of Novgorod
- Feofan (Prokopovich), first vice-president of the Synod (1725 - July 15, 1726), Archbishop of Novgorod
- Feofan (Prokopovich) (July 15, 1726 - September 8, 1736), Archbishop of Novgorod
- By 1738, only one bishop sat in the Synod, besides him there were archimandrites and archpriests
- Ambrose (Yushkevich) (May 29, 1740 - May 17, 1745), Archbishop of Novgorod
- Stefan (Kalinovsky) (August 18, 1745 - September 16, 1753), Archbishop of Novgorod
- Platon (Malinovsky) (1753 - June 14, 1754), Archbishop of Moscow
- Sylvester (Kulyabka) (1754-1757), Archbishop of St. Petersburg
- Dimitri (Sechenov) (October 22, 1757 - December 14, 1767), Archbishop of Novgorod (from 1762 - Metropolitan)
- Gabriel (Kremenetsky) (1767-1770), Archbishop of St. Petersburg
- Gabriel (Petrov) (1775 - October 16, 1799), Archbishop of Novgorod (from 1783 - Metropolitan)
- Ambrose (Podobedov) (October 16, 1799 - March 26, 1818), Archbishop of St. Petersburg (from 1801 - Metropolitan of Novgorod)
- Mikhail (Desnitsky) (1818 - March 24, 1821), Metropolitan of St. Petersburg (from June 1818 - Metropolitan of Novgorod)
- Seraphim (Glagolevsky) (March 26, 1821 - January 17, 1843), Metropolitan of Novgorod
- Anthony (Rafalsky) (January 17, 1843 - November 4, 1848), Metropolitan of Novgorod
- Nikanor (Klementyevsky) (November 20, 1848 - September 17, 1856), Metropolitan of Novgorod
- Gregory (Postnikov) (October 1, 1856 - June 17, 1860), Metropolitan of St. Petersburg
- Isidor (Nikolsky) (July 1, 1860 - September 7, 1892), Metropolitan of Novgorod
- Pallady (Raev-Pisarev) (October 18, 1892 - December 5, 1898), Metropolitan of St. Petersburg
- Ioannikiy (Rudnev) (December 25, 1898 - June 7, 1900), Metropolitan of Kiev
- Anthony (Vadkovsky) (June 9, 1900 - November 2, 1912), Metropolitan of St. Petersburg
- Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) (November 23, 1912 - March 6, 1917), Metropolitan of St. Petersburg (from 1915 - Metropolitan of Kiev)
- Platon (Rozhdestvensky) (April 14, 1917 - November 21, 1917), Archbishop of Kartali and Kakheti, Exarch of Georgia (from August 1917 - Metropolitan of Tiflis and Baku, Exarch of the Caucasus)
see also
Notes
- Tsypin V. A. Canon law. - Ed. 2nd. - M.: Publishing House, 1996. - 442 p. - ISBN 5-89155-005-9.
- St. Zak. Main T. 1. Part 1. Art. 43.
- Decree of Emperor Peter I On the establishment of the Monastic Order... (undefined) . January 24 (February 4)
- Decree of the Tsar and Grand Duke Fyodor Alekseevich On the destruction of the Monastic Order (undefined) . December 19 (29)
- Decree of Emperor Peter I Regulations or Charter of the Spiritual College (undefined) . January 25 (February 5)
- Decree of Emperor Peter I On the naming of the Monastic Order of the Synodal Government as the Chamber-Office (undefined) . 14 (
