The Old Believer Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia Cornelius (the worldly name is Konstantin Titov) is the spiritual shepherd of about two million Old Believers living in Russia and the world. According to the deep conviction of the adherents of this religious movement, they are the ones who preach true, pure Orthodoxy, which was not distorted by the unjustified church reforms of the seventeenth century.
The history of the Old Believers seems to be one of the saddest pages in the Russian church. After all, the hasty transformation of Nikon divided the Russian people along one of the most important signs for the Slavs - Faith in God. The split led to irreconcilable rivalry and mutual hostility of former co-religionists, who suddenly became enemies.
Old Believer Church - historical excursion
The Old Believers arose in the second half of the 17th century, after the great church reform, which was carried out by Patriarch Nikon from 1653-1666 . Changes affected worship, rituals, texts of holy books. For example, the three-pointed sign of the cross replaced the two-pointed, the spelling of the name Jesus replaced the former spelling of Jesus, the triple praise of “hallelujah” became the norm instead of double.
A rather impressive part of the population and the clergy did not accept these innovations. So there was a schism and the Old Believers arose, which was also divided into two parts: the Bespopov’s, which did not recognize the clergy at all, and the priests, who believed that priests were nevertheless needed for rites and worship. Popovtsy were also called runaways because they became a haven for runaway priests who deny Nikon's reforms.
The authorities began severe persecution against the Old Believers and especially against their leader, Protopope Habakkuk, whom the present Metropolitan Korniliy honors. Habakkuk was once a close associate and assistant of Nikon, but did not accept his reformist reforms and devoted himself to the struggle for true Orthodoxy. The Protopop denounced the godly innovations, wrote passionate petitions to the Tsar, even in the face of death he was stubborn and did not give up his views. Habakkuk was burned in the spring of 1682, becoming for the Old Believers a holy martyr for the real Faith.
The authorities softened their attitude towards the Old Believer church only two centuries later, when Alexander the Second signed a decree according to which the Old Believers were allowed to perform free services, travel abroad, open schools, and hold public office. And in 1971, the Council of the Orthodox Church recognized the illegality of the "split", which was adopted at the Councils of 1656 and 1667.
Metropolitan Cornelius - biography
The future Metropolitan Korniliy (Titov Konstantin Ivanovich) was born on August 1, 1947 in the town of Orekhovo-Zuev, near Moscow. Both parents were Old Believers. His family did not live well, so young Costa had to go to work at the local cotton mill in 1962, after eighth grade, where he worked for 35 years.
Konstantin Ivanovich constantly studied on the job. At first I studied at an evening school, then at a technical school, and in 1972 he graduated from the Automotive Institute in Moscow. Diligence and a craving for education helped him to go from a student to the head of the Quality Control Department (technical control department).
The beginning of the spiritual path
Since 1991, the future Metropolitan Cornelius became the head of the church council of the city community of Old Believers. His mentor and spiritual teacher was the priest and rector of the Orekhovo-Zuevsky Church of the Virgin - Leonty Pimenov, who had a great influence on his student. In many ways, it was Father Leonty who convinced him to become a priest.
Church service
In the spring of 1997, Konstantin Titov gave celibacy dinner and was ordained deacon by the Old Believer Metropolitan Alimpiy. In March 2004, Deacon Constantine was elevated to the rank of priest by Metropolitan Adrian. The newly made priest became the second priest in the church of the Holy Virgin, in the very one where he took his first steps in church service under the leadership of Leonty Pimenov.
Already in October 2004, Priest Konstantin was named among the candidates for the dignity of the bishop of the Kazan-Vyatka diocese. In March 2005, Konstantin took the tonsure of a holy monk and was named after Cornelius. And two months later, on May 7, Metropolitan Adrian ordained Constantine to the high rank of bishop. But he did not stay long in this dignity. On October 18 of the same year, the 58-year-old bishop received the archpastoral title after the third vote - Metropolitan Korniliy of the Old Believers. In just eight years, this single-minded and energetic person climbed the church ladder from the rank of deacon to the highest church rank.
Views and activities
Metropolitan Cornelius of Old Believers in religious views and actions adheres to the course of Metropolitan Adrian - his predecessor. His ideas are simple and clear. First of all, it is necessary to overcome the spiritual and cultural isolation of the Old Believer church in the life of Russia. People should learn more about the purest Orthodox faith of the forefathers, a faith that Nikon reforms did not touch. In addition, the Old Believers is a treasury of Russian common culture, preserving for centuries the elements of the Old Russian tradition: spiritual poems, songs, words.
During archpastoral activity, Metropolitan Kornilii ordained three bishops and dozens of priests, reciters, and deacons. During the year he visits all the dioceses subordinate to him. Actively communicates with local and federal authorities. In the spring of 2017, he met with Vladimir Putin, to whom he spoke about the problems and aspirations of the Old Believer church. According to the metropolitan, the president will try to help solve such important issues as allocating money to return foreign Old Believers to their homeland and transferring churches to the Old Believer church.