The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is also called the Moscow Patriarchate. This is the largest autocephalous local Orthodox church in the world. But are you familiar with the decoding of the term "patriarchate"? What is it, can you explain in simple words? Believers need to have a concept about the structural features of building the system to which they rank themselves. Otherwise, you can get confused and fall into the traps of villains who seek to lead a person astray. Let's see, patriarchy is what it is.
Definition
First of all, when studying an unfamiliar concept, you should look for it in dictionaries. Patriarchate is a system of hierarchical church government, written in them. It has its own distinctive features, they are visible from the name. The Russian Orthodox Church is led by the patriarch. For living believers, this is a given, since people did not know a different state of affairs. However, patriarchate is not a constant. There were times when church life was organized differently. So, Orthodoxy came to Russia from abroad. For quite a long time the temples were subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople. However, the community was growing. The conditions for the establishment of autocephaly ripened by the end of the XVI century. Then the patriarchate in Russia was first established. This means that the local church has become independent. All parishes received leadership not from Constantinople, but from Moscow. Such an event cannot be overestimated.
Russian patriarchate: significance
Religion has always played a huge role in the life of states. Temples unite people, contribute to the preservation of civil peace. At the same time, the church has the ability to influence the country's positioning in the international arena. Now this factor is not so relevant. And at the time of the establishment of the patriarchate, the Russian Orthodox Church was the only local church associated with the Orthodox state. Separation from Constantinople was determined historically. The country in those days was ruled by the king, the heir to the emperors of the Romans. But the separation of the church from Constantinople was problematic. The patriarch was offended by the Russian Orthodox Church for the desire for autonomy. Without his recognition, autocephaly would be considered illegal. But all the obstacles were overcome by the end of the 16th century, during the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich. The establishment of a patriarchate made the local church more influential. She became equal to Constantinople. Now the patriarchs jointly worked out important decisions regarding faith.
Internal device system
The ROC approved the charter, according to which, the supreme church bodies are allocated. They are the cathedrals:
- Local, solves general issues, chooses the patriarch.
- The Bishop's is the highest organ of hierarchical management of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its structure includes only bishops.
In addition to these organs, the system includes:
- The Supreme Church Council (VTsS), created in March 2011. This is an executive body led by the patriarch. He organizes church life.
- The Patriarch is the first among the bishops.
Establishment history
Separation of churches is not a quick matter. The establishment of the patriarchate began with the visit of the Antiochian Patriarch Joachim to Russia in 1586. At that time, Boris Godunov, the brother-in-law of the tsar, dealt with state policy. He conceived a small intrigue, as a result of which Joachim fell into the Assumption Cathedral, where Dionysius, the then Metropolitan of Moscow, served. Godunov sought to impress the Patriarch of Antioch, which he fully succeeded. Dionysius in solemn vestments, surrounded by the Russian clergy, looked very impressive, as should be the rector of the largest Orthodox church. But the intrigue did not end there. As soon as he entered the temple, Joachim received a blessing from Dionysius, which was against all the rules. In addition, the current patriarch was not invited to head the service. In this way, it was shown that foreign church leaders are asking for help from the Russian Orthodox Church. This created some dissonance, because in Moscow only the metropolitan sat. Godunov took upon himself further negotiations with Constantinople. As a result, the patriarchate in Russia was established.
Some historical features
According to the charter, the patriarch is elected. The first in 1589 was Job. However, the institution of patriarchate itself lasted only until 1700. Peter the First forbade the election of a new head of the Russian Orthodox Church after the death of Hadrian. He established another governing body of the church - the Holy Synod, which worked until 1918. He was part of the state system and carried out the functions of regulating religious issues. The emperor led the synod. He is called the “extreme judge of this college.” In 1917, by the decision of the All-Russian Local Council, the patriarchate was restored. At the head of the Russian Orthodox Church was the then Metropolitan of Moscow Tikhon.
Thus, the patriarchate is a special system of church life management. Now it applies to the religious communities of the Russian Federation and Ukraine.