Metropolitan is ... Metropolitans of the Russian Church

The Metropolitan is a high-ranking clergyman in the Christian church. The first official mention of the title was recorded in the documents of the First Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea in 325 AD. There he was ordered his place in the hierarchical ladder.

Church hierarchy

In the Roman Empire, the main cities of the provinces were called metropolises. The bishop, who has a pulpit, that is, his residence, was called metropolitan in the metropolitanate.

Metropolitan is the highest title of bishop. And the bishop (supervising, overseeing), in turn, has the highest third degree of priesthood, after a deacon and presbyter (he is a priest, he is a priest). Therefore the bishop is often called a bishop. "Archie" is a particle that came from the Greek language and serves to denote a high church rank. The bishops ruled the dioceses and submitted to the metropolitan. If the diocese was large, then the bishops or bishops, its managers, were called archbishops. In the Russian Orthodox Church this honorary title follows immediately the metropolitan.

External differences

These higher ecclesiastical ranks are externally distinguished by a headdress - a hood. Bishops wear black, archbishops - black with a cross of precious metals and stones, and the metropolitans wear white hoods with the same cross. They differ in their robes. Thus, in bishops and archbishops they are lilac or dark red, in the metropolitan - blue, the Patriarch wears a mantle of green color. In Lent, all the robes of the episcopate are black. Metropolitan is an honorary title. Assignment of such a title is a kind of reward, a distinction, given for merits. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the priests of archbishops and metropolitans receive bishops for their personal services to the church. They are also given for long service.

One of the most ancient

It should be noted that the metropolitan is the most ancient title in the Christian church. Some church researchers believe that the apostles were metropolitans, others refer to the emergence of this jurisdiction by the second century, when it became necessary to centralize church authority. And in 325 and 341 at the Bishops' Council this dignity was simply finally established. Authorities were registered, which significantly increased in volume. Everything was legalized and regulated, there should no longer be any disputes. The Toledo Council, which was held in 589, further expanded the rights of the metropolitan - now he could punish the bishops subordinate to him. In general, the Christian doctrine was formed at the Councils of the fourth and eighth centuries. The following years did not bring any significant changes.

The very first

Russia was baptized at the end of the 10th century under Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich. In most cases it is asserted that in 988, but some historians call also 991. Also, there is no exact information about the first Kyiv Metropolitan. But since the XVI century, it is commonly believed that they were Michael. He also had the name of a Syrian, because by nationality he was either a Greek or a Syrian.

It is believed that Metropolitan Michael and the monks who came with him built the Zlatoverkho-Mikhailovsky and Kiev-Mezhegorsky monasteries. The primacy is disputed by Metropolitan Leonty, some sources call it his first metropolitan with the same dates of rule - 992-1008. Then came Theophylactus, John I, Theopemptus, Cyril I the Greek. The dates of the reign of each of them are disputed. It should be noted that they were all foreigners.

First Russian

And only who accepted this order in 1051 and ruled the church until 1054, Metropolitan Hilarion (Rusin) was a compatriot. He died about 1088. He headed the church during the time of Yaroslav the Wise. Glorified as a saint - in the Orthodox Church it is the saints of the episcopal rank. He is the author of The Words of Law and Grace, written by him in 1030-1050. In addition, he wrote "Prayer", "Confession of Faith".

Metropolitan Hilarion also wrote a praise to Yaroslav the Wise. Very little information about the life of Hilarion, but in the "Tale of Bygone Years" indicates that the construction of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra began in 1051, that is, during the reign of Hilarion. In the Novgorod II Annals it is indicated that in 1054 the Metropolitan of Kiev became Ephraim. This makes it possible to assume that right after the death of Yaroslav the Wise, Illarion was removed in 1054.

Prelate and Wonderworker

A very significant figure in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church was Metropolitan Alexy. He is the heavenly patron of the two famous Moscow and All Russia Patriarchs - Alexy I (Sergei Vladimirovich Simansky, Patriarch from 1945 to 1970) and Alexy II (Alexei Mikhailovich Ridiger, Patriarch from 1990 to 2008).

He comes from a boyar family, the son of Fyodor Byakont, the ancestor of several noble families, such as Pleshcheyevs and Ignatievs. All Russia, the miracle worker and prelate of Moscow (canonized 50 years after his death), Metropolitan Alexy during his lifetime achieved significant success as a major statesman and subtle diplomat. With him were considered in the Principality of Lithuania and the Horde, with whom he had contacts and another kind - Alexis healed hansha Taidula from eye disease. Since 1354, the patriarch appointed by the Patriarch of Constantinople to the post of Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia, Eleutherius Fedorovich Byakont (in the world) was in this field until his death in 1378. He founded several monasteries, including Chudov Monastery in the Kremlin. The Kremlin itself began to rebuild in stone with it. In addition to this monastery, he founded the Spaso-Andronikov, Simonov, Vvedensky Vladychny and Serpukhov monasteries. His pen belongs to several church works. The holy relics of the miracle-worker were transferred to the Elokhovo Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow in 1947, where they are buried to this day.

Metropolitans-compatriots

From the time of the baptism of Rus to the fourteenth century, the country was one metropolis, whose head was appointed in Constantinople. Naturally, the most often sent metropolitans were not Russian. The princes wanted to see compatriots on this post, because before the patriarchate was introduced into Russia in 1589 , the metropolitans stood at the head of the church hierarchy, and much depended on them. The first Russian Kiev head of the church was Clement (Smolyatich, years of reign 1147-1156). Then on this post there were also Greeks, and Bulgarians. But from the time of the reign of Theodosius (1461-1464), during which the period of complete autocephaly of the Russian church began, at the head of it were mainly Russian metropolitans, who from that time began to be called "Moscow and All Russia".

Prominent church figure and publicist, who left behind a significant literary heritage, Feodosy (Byvaltsev) is famous for being the first Moscow metropolitan appointed by the Russian prince, not by the Patriarch of Constantinople. This highest ecclesiastical order of the Russian Orthodox Church is the Metropolitan of Moscow, before the patriarchate was confirmed from the time of the reign of Theodosius, Philip I and Gerontius, Zosima and Simon still wore. And also Varlaam and Daniel, Joseph and Macarius, Athanasius and Philip II, Cyril, Anthony and Dionysius were awarded in turn. Moscow Metropolitan Job was already the first Patriarch.