Archimandrite Anthony Sevryuk. About imaginary ecumenism, the newly appointed Bishop Anthony (Sevryuk) and the norms of etiquette that are higher than Christian conscience

I met with the charm of autumn, haze over the Roman Forum and horses slowly wandering along it, flocks of migratory starlings circling over the Capitol, splashes of the Trevi Fountain, touching the grandeur of the Eternal City ... and complete loss in it from the realization that this year I will live here, far away from home and country.

On the eve of the patronal feast, I asked for a blessing to help in the refectory of the Russian Catherine's Church. The priest, who saw me for the second time in his life, replied: “Well, you are your own, of course.”

Probably, for someone who has never been to a foreign land, it is difficult to understand how one indifferent word said at the right time can warm! And on the day of the holiday itself, Bishop Nestor of Korsun spoke from the pulpit about this amazing gift of Father Anthony - to combine skillful leadership with an attentive attitude towards people.

Once upon a time, it was not easy for Father Anthony to move to serve in Rome: “Leaving Moscow, I was forced to tear off a huge layer from myself, which, as it seemed to me, is my whole life.” Within a year, Rome and Catherine's Church became a home for Hieromonk Anthony. Everyone who crosses its threshold feels at home in the Catherine's Church in Rome.

Hieromonk Anthony (Sevryuk) was born on October 12, 1984 in Tver. In 2002 he graduated from the Tver Lyceum with a gold medal. While studying at school, he carried out the obedience of an altar boy and subdeacon in Voskresensky cathedral Tver. In 2002, he entered the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, where he carried out the obediences of an employee of the SPbDA website and a teacher of an optional English language course.

In 2006 participated in the seminar youth organization Syndesmos in Brussels. In 2004–2007 annually, as a leader and translator, he accompanied a Russian-speaking delegation to a summer youth camp in Potamitissa (Cyprus). In March 2007, he was sent for an internship at Orthodox branch Faculty of Theology, University of Joensuu (Finland).

On June 17, 2007, he graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary in the first category and was awarded the Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nikodim (Rotov) Prize. Since October 2007, he has been an assistant to the chairman of the DECR MP, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad (now His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia).

Since February 5, 2009 - Personal Secretary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. On March 5, 2009, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill was tonsured into monasticism with the name Anthony in honor of the Monk Martyr Anthony of Valaam. From April 2009 to April 8, 2011 - Head of the Personal Secretariat of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

On April 3, 2010, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, he was ordained a hieromonk with the laying of a loincloth. On June 5, 2010 he graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy in the first category.

On March 22, 2011, he was appointed cleric of the St. Nicholas Stauropegial Parish in Rome. On May 30, 2011, he was relieved of his post as cleric of the St. Nicholas Church in Rome and appointed rector of the stavropegial church in honor of St. Catherine the Great Martyr in Rome.

Since July 12, 2011 Secretary of the Parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy. Has awards: medal "1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia" 1st class. (2008), Cross of the Holy Apostle Mark (Alexandrian Orthodox Church) (2010), etc.

For the readers of Pravmir, Hieromonk Anthony (Sevryuk), Rector of the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine in Rome and Secretary of the Administration of Russian Parishes of the ROC MP in Italy, talks about why a new Russian diocese is being created in Italy Orthodox Church how a dialogue between Orthodoxy and Catholicism takes place in Rome, which helps a person to do everything even in the most difficult obedience.

On the way to a new diocese

– On May 21, 2012, the Administration of the Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy received the official status of a legal entity. What is the significance of this event for the Russian Orthodox Church?

– We have been going to this event for a long time. The number of parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Italy over the past decade has increased to 50 (back in the 1990s, there were several parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy, their rapid growth occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s), and today there is a real need legally regulate the relations of our communities with the Italian state.

In each parish, situations constantly arise that require us to enter into legal relations with the authorities, with local structures of the Roman Catholic Church, and municipalities. Even to pay current utility bills, the parish must have real legal representation in the eyes of the authorities. For this, among other things, it was necessary to create a centralized structure that has a legal status. Thank God we got it.

On Easter days at the parish of the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women in Venice. Archpriest Maxim Kozlov visiting Rector Priest Alexy Yastrebov

Russian parish in Ravenna

– “Administration of the parishes of the ROC MP in Italy” – what is it?

– This term was introduced in relation to the church structure of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy in 2007. Prior to this, the parishes were part of the deanery of the Korsun diocese with the center in Paris.

But due to the fact that now there are more parishes in Italy than in all the countries that the Bishop of Korsun takes care of (and these are France, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland), His Holiness the Patriarch and the Holy Synod decided that a a separate structure of the Moscow Patriarchate, which will be headed by a bishop with the title of Bogorodsky.

–But Bogorodsk is located near Moscow?!

-Yes. But even in England our bishop has the title of Sourozh, and in France - Korsun. In practically all the dioceses of the Russian Church that are outside the territory of the countries traditionally served by it, the bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate do not have the titles of the cities in which they actually reside. In the meantime, a bishop has not been appointed, the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Italy are temporarily administered by the Bishop of Korsun.

Yesterday and tomorrow of Russian parishes in Italy

-About 50 parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy - that's a lot! What are these parishes?

– I would divide the current parishes into three categories. The first category includes historical parishes in Rome, in Merano (Merano is one of the centers of the Russian presence in Italy, a resort town in the Alps, where Russian aristocrats came to be treated on the water, this parish has recently been revived), in some other cities.

Further, I will name the parishes created by Italian priests (with the participation of Metropolitan Anthony (Blum) and Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov)) in the 1970s-1980s of the twentieth century. Most of their parishioners are Italians.

And, finally, the largest part of the parishes was formed in the late 1990s - early 2000s, during the mass emigration of the children of the Russian Church to the countries of Western Europe. It's about not only and not so much about Russians, but about Ukrainians and Moldovans who came to Italy in search of work.

These people needed spiritual support. Little by little communities gathered. The priest turned to the local Catholic bishop, and he provided the temple. This is how parishes arose throughout Italy, mostly in the north of the country.

- So, many parishes were formed as a result of economic turmoil in Ukraine and Moldova, which forced the inhabitants of these countries to go to work. What do you think: everything is formed in their homeland, they will return home. What will happen to income? Is the decision to create a special diocese in Italy justified?

- Absolutely justified. At any parish (I can speak by the example of our Catherine's parish in Rome) there is a backbone of permanent parishioners. Moreover, many of them came to Italy in search of work, but they have already found families here. They had children.

I recently attended a conference in the Italian Cabinet of Ministers where issues related to the integration of the second generation of emigrants (from the former Soviet Union, Bangladesh, Thailand and other countries) into Italian life were discussed. This is the reality faced by Italian society today.

The emigration of the second wave is children and adolescents born in Italy, for them their native language is Italian, but ethnically and religious grounds they belong to other groups. There are many emigrants of the second wave among our parishioners.

Incidentally, the Romanian Church already has its own diocese in Italy. It includes 163 parishes, in which several thousand baptisms take place every year. Can you imagine?!

Temple in a foreign land

– As rector of the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine and Secretary of the Administration of Russian Parishes of the ROC MP in Italy, you communicate a lot with Italians. What is the attitude towards Russians and Russia in Italy?

- The attitude of ordinary people towards Russia and towards Russians is very good. This is probably due to the fact that Italians and Russians are similar in many ways. Therefore, for me, who lived my life in Russia, it is easy in Italy. I never felt misunderstood by the Italians.

And recently I talked with a businessman who has his own small business in Italy, and he also said that he is always sure that his words will be perceived by Italians exactly in the meaning that he puts into them. Maybe that's why so many Russians go to Italy. If you walk through the center of Rome, you will hear Russian speech all around.

Our parishioners work in families, take care of the elderly, babysit children, and Italians always say that Russians are conscientious, that Russians can be trusted. I was told by my Italian teacher that her little children had a Russian nanny, and she was the best nanny she ever found for children.

Of course, working conditions in families are not easy, but according to Italian law, Thursday afternoons and Sundays are the days when “badants” (from the Italian word badante – one who cares for the elderly – A.N.) have free time. As a rule, they go to the temple, where they meet with other parishioners and can talk in their native language over a cup of tea.

I have seen how one of the parishioners stopped coming on Thursdays. I ask why? Because the family invited me for dinner or for a walk by the sea. Moreover, it happens that the employer allows you to bring your relatives to Italy. And this solves one of the most painful issues of our flock here - the break with the family is being restored.

History reference about the church Catherine in Rome: For the first time the idea of ​​building a Russian Orthodox church in Rome was expressed in late XIX in. Archimandrite Kliment (Vernikovsky), rector of the Russian embassy church from 1897 to 1902.

Already in 1898, on his initiative, fundraising began. In the autumn of 1913, Emperor Nicholas II allowed donations to be collected throughout Russia. By 1916, there was the necessary amount - about 265 thousand lire. But the revolutionary events that began in Russia prevented the implementation of the project.

In the early 1990s again they started talking about the need to build a Russian church in Rome. This initiative was blessed by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. In 2001, on the territory of the Russian embassy villa Abamelek, which before the revolution belonged to the head of the Construction Committee, Prince S.S. Abamelek-Lazarev was allocated a plot for construction.

On January 14, 2001, Archbishop Innokenty of Korsun, in the presence of Russian Foreign Minister I.S. Ivanov consecrated the foundation stone at the site of the future temple of the military center. Catherine.

In June 2002, a license was obtained for construction, which has been underway since the summer of 2003. On May 19, 2006, the Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad - now His Holiness Patriarch Kirill - performed a small consecration of the Catherine Church. Since October 8, 2006, regular Sunday services have been held in the church.

– One of the most tangible problems of the flock of Russian churches abroad, whether they are economic emigrants or students, is a break with the family, fatherland, native culture. What ways of filling this lack do you find?

– Abroad, I saw something that you don’t often see in your homeland – abroad, the parish is not only a place of worship, but also a place for people to meet and communicate.

Both at the St. Nicholas parish and at our St. Catherine's Church, we always pay great attention to what is often called "the liturgy after the liturgy." Because the liturgy is a “common cause”, but in other words, it is our fellowship. This is our communion in Christ at the Eucharist, but it is also our communion after the Liturgy.

A temple in a foreign land is always a platform for communication. AND important place in this communion the shepherd is involved. Therefore, always after Sunday meals, we arrange conversations with the priest. And if there is time left before the evening service, then we can watch films together, talk about what people are interested in. Our parishioners spend the whole Sunday in the church.

–What is the most important thing for a priest who carries out his ministry abroad?

To understand that his life does not belong to him. His Holiness the Patriarch after his consecration told me that from the moment the bishop's hands are laid on the head of the ordained priest, his life does not belong to anyone: not to his family, not to his relatives, but to God. If God is in the first place, everything else will be fine.

In the life of a priest, the vertical must be correctly built. There is a wonderful image that describes the relationship of a person with God and neighbors: the closer the rays, by which we mean people, are directed closer to the center of the circle, to God, the closer the points of the radius touch each other, the closer people become each other.

The same with the priest. Very important is the willingness to sacrifice one's time, rest, the desire to do what one loves and always prefer all this to the opportunity to communicate with parishioners. From my personal experience, I was convinced that a piece of kindness, a piece of warmth given to people, returns a hundredfold to the priest.

East and West: points of contact

– A Russian person in Italy finds himself face to face with reality Catholic world, and it is important for him to correctly build his relationship to this world and with this world, so similar to ours (one Christ, one Gospel, and sometimes the differences seem insignificant). How do you explain the question of our attitude towards Catholicism to the priesthood of the parishes of Italy, parishioners, pilgrims?

-Italy is the heart of the Catholic world, it is a country with a huge percentage of the believing Catholic population. And, of course, for every Orthodox Christian who comes to Italy for a long time, there is a problem of communication with the Catholic world.

Every day after the service, pilgrims come up to me and ask how they should behave in those churches where there are shrines that are revered equally by Catholics and Orthodox.

It is important to remember that we do not have liturgical and prayerful communion with the Catholic Church. Although in Italy the Russian Orthodox Church often turns out to be a guest of the Catholic Church: we serve in churches provided by Catholics. Catholics allow us to celebrate liturgies and prayers at the greatest shrines of all Christendom.

A classic example is the city of Bari, where hundreds of Orthodox pilgrims flock to the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (to the Catholic church). Every Thursday, and sometimes more often, an Orthodox liturgy is served on the altar under which these relics rest.

Most recently, we served in upper temple, in a huge cathedral erected over the relics of the saint, and several thousand Orthodox prayed there thanks to good attitude to us from the Catholic Church.

As rector of the Catherine Church and a representative of the Administration of the ROC MP parishes in Italy, I regularly attend important Catholic worship. By the way, at all important holidays of our parish there are always guests from the Catholic Church. But, of course, we do not pray together, and what I said above is only a sign of our good attitude towards each other.

– What other shrines have you already served in Italy?

- In Rome: on the relics of the Apostle Peter in the Cathedral of St. Peter, on the relics of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril in the Basilica of Saint Clement. It is very important for us that the relics of our heavenly patron, His Holiness the Patriarch, for whom we always pray here, rest in Rome. Also on the relics of St. Martin the Confessor in San Martino i Monti, on the relics of the man of God Alexius and the martyr Boniface on the Aventine Hill.

In Milan - on the relics of St. Ambrose of Milan in the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio. So far, we have not received a single refusal to hold services. We are always being met. And it pleases.

– And what is the attitude of Catholics to Orthodoxy, to Orthodox culture?

– Interested. Our Church of the Great Martyr Catherine was built in the traditions of Russian church architecture. It is visible from afar and does not look quite usual in the context of Eternal Rome, which was built, let's say, in a slightly different style.

When our pilgrims ask how they can find Catherine’s Church, and give the street and house number, they hear in response: “Ah, so this is a Russian church, you need to go there, there and there ...” Both taxi drivers and local residents know our temple as chiesa russa, the "Russian Church", which became the meeting point of the Catholic West and the Orthodox East.

Many people from ordinary Italians to high-ranking cardinals come here and it is here that they discover the Russian Orthodox Church, discover Russia - often for the first time in their lives. Recently, a film "Russian House on the banks of the Tiber" was filmed about our temple.

Rome: life on display

-Students help at the altar in Catherine's Church. The students sing in the kliros. Most of them study at the famous Pontifical Universities and Institutes - Gregorian, Biblical, Oriental. You graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. What is the difference between the education system in theological schools in our homeland and in the Pontifical universities?

– I can only judge this from the outside, as a priest who communicates with students from the Russian Orthodox Church sent to study in Rome. They really help us both on the kliros and in the altar.

Our students study at different Catholic universities, and these universities are extremely different from each other both in their approach to organizing the educational process and in the burden placed on the shoulders of students. The choice of university is determined by vacancies: there is a vacancy for a scholarship, the student is going. It seems to me that this is a good opportunity for them to improve their qualifications, because the system of theological education in Rome has evolved over the centuries.

The difference between Russian theological schools, it seems to me, lies in the integral connection between the educational and upbringing processes. The seminary prepares the church and clergy. And if a person wants to receive a theological education in order to broaden his horizons, then it is wrong for him to go to a seminary, where he will be presented with requirements associated with the canonical requirements for a candidate for the priesthood. In some Catholic universities, women study on a par with priests.

Much depends for our students on which college (dormitory - A.N.) they will get during their studies. There are colleges belonging to Catholic monasteries, with stricter, actually monastic, hostel rules. And there are colleges where questions privacy students receive less attention.

And in this situation it is extremely important for a student to have an unbending moral core inside. After all, once in the world capital, the center of tourism, a graduate of the Russian theological school finds himself in unusual conditions for him, faces a different way of life, which can lead to new temptations. And he needs to be himself. And the moral core, that is, faith, helps to remain oneself.

I am very glad that those who in the Vatican structures are responsible for the stay of Russian students in Rome treat this with understanding. Russian students are not required to attend Mass, as Catholic students are supposed to, and are even released from classes on Orthodox holidays.

– I have often heard from Orthodox people that educational programs for Russian students in the Pontifical universities are part of the proselytizing policy of the Vatican: students break down in Rome, become philocatholics… How would you comment on this point of view?

– We just talked about rods. If you have a core, then studying at both the Orthodox seminary and the Catholic Pontifical University will do you good. We know many graduates of the Pontifical universities who, having returned to their homeland, serve for the benefit of the Orthodox Church.

Of the living Orthodox bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, some studied in Rome. Also several teachers of my native St. Petersburg Theological Academy. Therefore, I think it is wrong to say that proselytizing work is being carried out among our students. Moreover, our students, living in a Catholic environment, provide an opportunity for Catholics to get to know Orthodoxy better.

I myself came across the fact that if I introduce myself to unfamiliar Italians as an Orthodox priest, they immediately begin to ask me the most unexpected questions: Do the Orthodox also believe in Christ? Do they read the Bible? Do they even have saints? You understand: who are the Orthodox, the Catholics-inhabitants know little. Therefore, the stay of our students in Italy is a living testimony of Orthodoxy.

Film "On the banks of the Tiber"

We are here in the window. They look at us as living bearers of the Orthodox faith, Orthodox tradition, Orthodox culture. And by us, who are Orthodox here, they judge what the Russian Church is.

I always repeat in my sermons that our stay in Italy places a great responsibility on us. Including students, because they live in Catholic colleges, eat at the same table with Catholic seminarians, and from them they form their impression of what the Orthodox are like. Often our students have good friends among Catholic seminarians.

On our patronal feast dozens of future Catholic priests look at the hierarchical service. We invited them to a meal, during which they asked many lively questions about our faith. I see in such communication an opportunity for a mutually enriching dialogue.

The art of doing everything

– Father Anthony, every time I open your wonderful website http://www.stcaterina.org, I simply marvel: divine services in different parts of Italy, attendance at protocol events in the Vatican, participation in conferences and cultural events in the capital, meetings with diplomats, representatives of the Russian and Italian creative and scientific intelligentsia. How do you all manage? You also post news on the site yourself ...

– It is very easy to overcome all difficulties when there is a living example in front of your eyes. Once a well-known priest spoke to the students at SPbDA. And someone asked him: “Father! Seminary is so hard to learn. How to walk the chosen path to the end with dignity? And he advised me to choose a "guiding star" from classmates or teachers. And looking at how that person copes with difficulties more successfully than we do - take an example from him.

I, in my life, was very “lucky” (although I don’t like this word, it depersonalizes the will of God in relation to a person). For four years I had the opportunity to be the personal secretary of the then Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, and then of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. And during these years I saw closely how His Holiness the Patriarch lives and works. He doesn't have a single minute for himself.

He came early in the morning to the Patriarchy and returned from there late, late in the evening to the residence, loaded with three or four suitcases of documents that he had to work out during the night. You know, my heart always bled because I had to put these suitcases in his car. In the morning he came - all the documents were read, studied, analyzed, all had the appropriate resolutions.

Is it humanly possible?

– The Lord never places the primatial cockle on someone who is not able to bear it. And he always chooses people who are able to stand at the helm of the church, and Himself gives them special, in human understanding, supernatural powers. I still have not given myself an answer to the question: how can a person who physically needs at least a minimal rest, can endure this?

The most powerful charge of energy His Holiness the Patriarch communicated to us, his entourage. And I am very used to constantly being in such a rhythm of life. The personal secretary has many responsibilities, this work requires the utmost effort and concentration. I understood perfectly well that I had no right to make a single mistake, otherwise I would let the Patriarch down.

– The Lord has given you incredible encounters with incredible people in your life that we can only learn about from books or the media. What do you value most in people?

––Ability to remain human. One of the most important advantages of any person is the ability to remain himself, regardless of his position and position. If a person is simple and accessible, if he is able to be true friend, then for me it is a criterion of humanity. And this is what I especially appreciate in people.

“All night long I read your testament”

– Why did you, having graduated from the best lyceum in Tver with a gold medal, decide to devote yourself to the entire service of the Church? After all, you could just as brilliantly graduate from the University and successfully follow the secular path!

This choice was completely conscious. I was baptized at the age of 11 (my parents were not church people then). I began to think about God when I was in grades 3-4. When they explained the Big Bang theory to us, I asked the teacher: “What exploded, since it was such a big explosion?” Quite natural questions arose before me, but no one could give me an answer to them.

And then in 1995, when I finished primary school, The Ministry of Education of the Tver Region launched a pilot project. A lyceum was opened in the center of the city, where those who graduated with honors from the lower grades were admitted. They took me. The director of the lyceum tried to educate us as comprehensively educated people - the program even included ballroom dancing and other unusual subjects, among which the history of religions occupied a special place. It was led by a secular teacher.

At the very first lesson, she told us: “Children, you are all smart here, so you understand very well that we will study fairy tales.” When we got to Christianity, she asked us to buy a children's Bible from the bookstore. I bought it, read the chapter on the Annunciation that we were asked. And I remember well that I did not sleep that night, because I had read the book to the end.

I got great amount questions that the next day after the lesson I began to ask the teacher. But she only condescendingly remarked that this topic was not worthy of my attention. And the parents offered to read the English textbook once again.

What happened next was an event that, looking back, I regard as a miracle. One spring, guys from my yard rang at our door and invited us to a Sunday talk about faith and the Church (they were led by a priest at my first school). I went with the guys and for the first time in my life I saw a man dressed in a cassock, tall, handsome, elderly (he was then 78 years old). I was struck by his posture. He went through the whole war.

I asked for classes. But the priest invited me to come the next year, because it was March outside - classes were coming to an end. However, I was persistent, said that I had read the entire children's Bible, and offered to check me out. He could not refuse and allowed me to attend. And when he asked questions that no one could answer, I answered.

From the school to the tram stop, from where the priest left for his home, it was about fifteen minutes walk, and after every Sunday conversation I saw him off. I remember that 10-15 trams left, and we all stood and talked (later I found out that he was the senior priest of the Tver Cathedral). In May he baptized me.

My parents were sympathetic to my decision. The next Sunday after baptism, I went to the cathedral. Father Nikolai introduced me to the bishop, and on the same day Vladyka Victor blessed me to wear a surplice. I was 11 years old. Vladyka said that by putting on a surplice, I become a warrior of Christ. And I remembered it, and began to go to the cathedral constantly.

Immersed in a wonderful church environment, new to me and very interesting, I became an active participant in it. He was a subdeacon of Vladyka. Whenever he came to the cathedral, I held his staff or walked around with the trikirium. And somehow by itself I began to think that I, too, would like to become a priest.

It was a time when the Church gained freedom, and then there was still a shortage of educated priests. In the cathedral in Tver at that time there were few priests who had a spiritual education. As a rule, they all studied a long time ago, and the same Father Nikolai, in response to my question about what is needed to enter the seminary, answered: “Learn “Our Father”, “I Believe” - and you will do it.

My grandmother lived in Petersburg. I visited her every summer. And the next summer, I asked my grandmother to take me to the seminary. She did not know where it was, and I found the seminary myself, and I liked it there so much (I ended up at the vigil near Kazanskaya) that I was set on fire with the idea of ​​doing it at all costs. I really wanted to become an educated priest, to study, to read, to learn.

My parents did not agree with me. They believed that I could have a great secular future, especially with a gold medal I could enter many educational institutions. But I said that my decision is conscious. A year later, my mother went with me to St. Petersburg. And she liked it so much in the seminary that she stood and cried during the whole service.

And so I began to prepare for admission. And already at that time it was not easy to enter (in my year the competition was 3 people per place). It was necessary to know many special church disciplines, but I was self-taught, I studied from books that the priests from Tver willingly shared with me. And I spent all my pocket money on books.

And he entered the seminary. When I was a first-year student, Father Nikolai fell seriously ill: he developed gangrene, his leg was taken away, and he could not serve. It was terrible for him, because service was the only part of his life. And we have a very close relationship with him. The priest had two children, but one died in infancy, and the second was killed a few days after he applied for admission to the seminary. And I actually became his grandson.

And so I, a young seminarian, came to him during the very first holidays, right in the cassock. The nun who cared for Father Nikolai said that the priest was in a coma, he did not regain consciousness. But when I came in and sat down by his bed, he suddenly opened his eyes and sat up. The nun fainted, and I tried somehow to bring her to her senses.

Father Nikolai was very weak, but he recognized me and began to talk to me. He kept repeating: "Take my books, take my books." He asked the nun to bring the Typicon from his desk, a 17th century edition, and he blessed me with it: "Take this Typicon and all my books."

I felt uneasy, I kept repeating: “Father, why are you! You still have to live and live." Then he said goodbye and promised to come back the next day. I left the house (and this is a private sector of Tver) and slowly wandered along Tikhvinskaya street. Suddenly there was a scream. I ran back. The nun told me: "Father Nikolai is dead."

I really took the books of Father Nikolai. He had collected the entire selection of magazines of the Moscow Patriarchy from the 1950s to 2000. Now it is a real library - in those years, the ZhMP published very interesting articles. This is history in person...

-On that night, when you did not sleep and read the whole Gospel, what struck you so much in this book, in the Orthodox faith?

– I found answers to all the questions that worried me: how the world came into being, how man came into existence. These answers seemed so convincing to me that they left no shadow of doubt in my soul. Then I was struck by the wonderful church environment in our cathedral in Tver. Leaving it, I always wanted to return as soon as possible again.

I found the priests of the old formation and saw how they live. Father Nikolai already at 7 in the morning (and I tried to come to the church very early in order to prepare everything for the service), dressed, he took out particles for all his relatives, friends, according to the synodics written by them back in the 1950s. He had such an ecclesiastical bearing! And I really wanted to be involved in this life, although I thought that I was not worthy of it.

His Holiness Patriarch

We are what our parents, teachers, mentors instilled in us. Who formed your core?

The Lord so controlled everything in my life that, after graduating from the seminary in June, in September I became a member of the Department for External Church Relations, without thinking about it myself. Before graduating from the seminary, I spent half a year in Finland, at the University of Joensuu, where I was sent from SPbDA to write my thesis “Eschatology in World Religions”.

Returning back, I received an invitation to go to study in Greece and agreed with great joy, because I spent almost 5 years for 2-3 months in an Orthodox camp in Cyprus as the head of a group of Russian students, I loved Cyprus, I learned the modern Greek language.

Soon, Metropolitan Kirill, chairman of the DECR, summoned me to his office.

– Was this your first meeting with His Holiness the Patriarch?

“Of course, I have seen him at divine services before, but I have never even had the opportunity to take his blessing. Metropolitan Kirill received me in his office, and I still remember our conversation. I went to this meeting with great trepidation. I understood that I would get to know a person whom I see every Saturday in the program "The Word of the Shepherd" and who causes me great reverence.

From the very first minutes, the warmth of the reception dispelled my excitement. I remember: I, a seminarian, go into his office, he gets up from the table and comes towards me. Then I learned that he always did this, no matter who came to him: whether it was a minister or a simple seminarian. The metropolitan's manner of communication, the timbre of his voice, his speech soothed me so much that literally in a minute it seemed to me that I had known Vladyka for a very long time.

He told me that before going to Greece, I need to work hard in the DECR communications service. I got a job but only worked for a month. This was followed by our second meeting with the Metropolitan. He handed me an order that he appointed me as his personal assistant. Studying in Greece has receded into the background. And my life became connected with serious church obediences.

His Holiness the Patriarch is a man who made a monk and a priest out of me, a simple seminarian. The desire to become a monk was absolutely natural for me, I thought about it in the seminary, I tried to lead an appropriate lifestyle, I understood that for me this was the only possible way to serve God - to give myself entirely to the service of the Church.

Maybe I'm talking "high calm" now, but I'm sincere. I was the first monk to be tonsured by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill after his election to the throne of the Moscow Primates. The Patriarch gave me a great experience and the greatest opportunity to see how the Church should be served.

-How?

- Selflessly and with full dedication, sparing neither strength nor health. Just like he works. And knowing that everything, if we work for the Church, everything is in the hands of God. Without being embarrassed by anything, you need to work, work and believe, pray and serve.

Rome and Russia

– In the Villa Borghese, on the monument to N.V. Gogol, his words are engraved: “I can write about Russia only in Rome. Only there it appears to me all, in all its bulk. Has your attitude towards Russia changed in Italy?

“Here, like never before, I began to understand that we should really appreciate what we have in life. Now, coming to Russia, I look at my country with different eyes, at its nature, at people, at the possibility of sincere brotherly communication with those with whom I am now separated by thousands of kilometers.

Here, with particular acuteness, I feel that, being abroad, in a different cultural space, it is very important to preserve one's identity. And always remember who we are, where we come from, what a great culture - Orthodox culture, we are, first of all, bearers of.

- One of our university professors said that Rome is the only city in which he would like to live all his life! What does Rome mean to you, life in this Eternal City?

- When I left for Italy, I was very worried. To be honest, I thought: well, after such an interesting and intense life that I had in Moscow, how can I get used to the unhurried rhythm of life in Italy. And most importantly, I was forced to tear off a huge layer of my life from myself, which ... it seemed to me that this is my whole life.

The first time I visited the Eternal City, I accompanied Metropolitan Kirill on one of his trips. Rome immediately captivated me with its beauty. We spent three days here. I accompanied the metropolitan on the official program, but as soon as I had a free minute, I ran out of the hotel and could not breathe the Roman air. I looked at living stones that just screamed about Christian history.

I understood that I was standing on the ground on which the apostles Peter and Paul once stood and the most important events took place. historical events. And on my very first short vacation, I flew to Rome for a few days and walked, walked, walked along these streets. Piazza Navona, the Pantheon - this is the area of ​​the city where you breathe Rome. So I have always loved Rome. But it is one thing to come here as a tourist, and another thing to understand that you are going at least for a long time.

And so, having found myself in Rome already in a new capacity, I decided to conquer my "experienced period" in myself by actively cognizing the City, its history and its amazing beauty. I really like the small Roman streets that live their own lives, I like to walk and watch how ordinary Italians communicate with each other.

During the first two months of my stay in Rome, I walked it all the way and across. And now with eyes closed I navigate the historical center and show it to the guests myself, without resorting to the help of guides. I traveled almost all of Italy and I can say that every city in Italy is beautiful in its own way, but I can’t compare Rome with anything! This is a city that you either do not like, or you fall in love with it with your head.

San Pietro

– What is your favorite place in Rome?

-Saint Paul's Cathedral. I'll explain why. When I was just appointed rector of the Catherine's Church, Father Philip (Vasiltsev), my predecessor, suggested that I go with him to St. Peter's Cathedral. Not where tourists come, but to the crypt where the relics of the Apostle Peter are located. And not even in the crypt itself, but behind its wall, in the back.

We went down: everyone knew Father Philip, nobody knew me. And suddenly the following happened: the keeper opened the door with a key, took out the sarcophagus, which I saw close up for the first time in my life, gave it to me in my hands and said: “Hold and pray.” And together with Father Philip, we sang a moleben to the Apostle Peter.

I was holding in my arms the greatest shrine of the Christian world, and during these three minutes that we sang, my whole life flashed before my eyes. I prayed about many things then, and this prayer made me feel like a place. Now, whenever I see St. Peter's Cathedral, I make the sign of the cross over myself. And even the driver who was taking me by once said to me: “Father, how you love this temple!”

Just a lot for me is connected with the apostle Peter. This is probably a very personal thing that I am talking about now, but whenever I have free time, especially in the evenings, I like to walk around the City and I will never pass by St. Peter's Cathedral. I will always come as close as possible, I will pray, because for me this place is really special.

In general, Rome for Orthodox people is not only one of the centers of Christian history and not only a very beautiful city, but it is the Holy Land. Maybe as holy as Palestine.

Biography of Hieromonk Anthony (Sevryuk) - from the site www.patriarhia.ru Historical information about the Church of the Great Martyr. Catherine and the film "Russian House on the Banks of the Tiber" - from the site http://www.stcaterina.org Photos - Hieromonk Anthony (Sevryuk), Hieromonk Abel (Usachev), Zhanna Budaeva.

October 23, 2015, after all-night vigil on the eve of the celebration of the Cathedral of the Venerable Optina Elders, in the Cathedral of the Entry into the Temple Holy Mother of God Vvedensky stauropegial monastery Optina PustynHis Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia led the rank of naming Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) as Bishop of Yegoryevsk, Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and Archimandrite Anthony (Sevryuk) as Bishop of Bogorodsk, Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Patriarchia.ru reports.

The rite of naming took place in accordance with the definitions of the Holy Synod of October 22, 2015 (journals Nos. 62, 63).

His Holiness was co-served by: Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Kliment, Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church; Archbishop Pesochensky and Yukhnovsky Maximilian; Archbishop of Sergiev Posad Feognost, chairman Synodal department on monasteries and monasticism; Bishop Sergius of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate; Bishop of Kozelsky and Lyudinovsky Nikita.

Favorites to hierarchical ministry the clergy addressed His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the archpastors who served with His Holiness with puppet words.

The word of Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) at the naming of Bishop of Yegorievsk

Your Holiness, Most Holy Bishop and gracious father! Your Eminences and Graces, God-wise archpastors!

Now, with hope in the infinite mercy of God and your holy prayers, I stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and you. In sincere recognition of my weakness and unworthiness, with awareness of the height and great responsibility of the upcoming calling, I completely entrust myself to the guidance of the incomprehensible and all-good Divine Providence. I find encouragement in the words of the spiritual patron of our holy monastery, the Hieromartyr Hilarion, Archbishop of Vereya: “May the Merciful Lord accept my soul, this small contribution, tossed into the treasury of the Church for use for the common good. May the will of the Lord be done” (From the speech at the naming).

Mentally looking back at the path we have traveled to this day, I can only offer thanks to the Lord for the undeserved and great blessings bestowed upon me and for the people through whom these graces were manifested.

Thirty-three years ago the Lord granted me to receive holy baptism, which regenerated my whole life, and immediately after that brought me to the Pskov-Caves Monastery, which became my spiritual homeland. From the bottom of my heart, today I would like to thank the then - and those who have departed to the Lord, and who are now alive - the inhabitants of this ancient monastery, and first of all, Archimandrite John (Krestyankin). They opened for me the infinite love of God for His creation and an incomparable feeling of the presence of the almighty Divine Providence in our world. By their very lives, these ascetics showed what a person can and should be: a Christian, a witness of Christ and His sincere disciple; a monk who finds God in the ways of repentance, prayer and humble obedience to the Divine Will; and, finally, a true shepherd - living undividedly for the sake of Christ and His Holy Church, a selfless servant of the Kingdom of Heaven and the people of God.

I would like to remember and thank Metropolitan Pitirim (Nechaev), under whose leadership the Lord judged me to continue my church obedience. He opened for me a completely new Moscow church life, where in churches and in state offices of synodal institutions I was fortunate to meet amazing selfless and modest workers of the Church, who in the most difficult atheistic decades of our history sacrificially served the cause of preserving the word of God among the people.

I sincerely thank the governors under whom my monastic life: Archbishop Gabriel (Steblyuchenko) and the late Archimandrite Roman (Zherebtsov), abbots of the Pskov-Caves Monastery, as well as Archimandrite Agafodor (Markevich), abbot of Moscow Donskoy Monastery.

From the bottom of my heart I thank my brethren, the inhabitants of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery, as well as pupils and teachers of the Sretensky Theological Seminary, many of our parishioners. For twenty-two years now, the Lord has given me the happiness to be with them, pray and participate in the revival of our beloved monastery.

I would like to express my feelings of deep gratitude to the late Patriarch Alexy. To thank Metropolitan Laurus, who has reposed in the Lord, and the now living bishops and priests of our Church in Russia and abroad, with whom I had the opportunity to work in the cause of church reunification.

In those unforgettable years, when long and difficult negotiations were being held with the Church Abroad, the Lord vouchsafed me to get to know you better, Your Holiness. Then I saw how calmly, not paying attention to any, even the most active, external factors, you fulfilled the mission entrusted to you with full dedication. Frankly, in those days, some participants in the negotiations, including myself, could not immediately understand and appreciate all the wisdom, consistency and far-sightedness of your approach to solving the problems of the Church. Sometimes it seemed: maybe something is becoming too complicated, something can be ignored at all, something can be done faster. And only now, when more than eight years have passed since the signing of the canonical Act of Reunification, do you suddenly understand: thank God, but nothing during this time could darken our relations with the Church Abroad! And this became possible thanks to your wise insight and benevolent, but adamant perseverance in solving issues and problems that we then either did not see or did not betray them.

Your Holiness! Allow me to express deep filial gratitude to you for the great honor of being elected bishop of Church of Christ. I will do my best to justify your trust and the trust of the Holy Synod. I ask you to lift up your hierarchical prayers so that I may worthily carry out the archpastoral service in the Church of Christ.

In 1991-1995 studied at secondary school No. 19 in Tver. In 1995 he entered the municipal educational institution "Tver Lyceum", which he graduated in 2002 with a gold medal.

While studying at school, he carried out the obedience of an altar boy and subdeacon at the Resurrection Cathedral in Tver.

April 3, 2010 in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior His Holiness Patriarch Kirill as a hieromonk with the laying of a loincloth.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of March 22, 2011 () he was appointed cleric of the St. Nicholas Stauropegial Parish in Rome.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of May 30, 2011 () he was relieved of his post as cleric of the Nicholas Church in Rome and appointed rector of the stavropegic church in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine in Rome.

On July 12, 2011, by decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, he was appointed secretary of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of December 28, 2017 () the administrator and dioceses with the title "Vienna and Budapest" and retaining the position of head of the Office of the Moscow Patriarchate for Institutions Abroad. Also, by the decision of the Synod, the temporary administration of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy was entrusted. Archimandrite Anthony (Sevryuk) when he was named Bishop of Bogorodsky.

Church:

• 2008 - medal "1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia" 1st class;
• 2008 - Order "1020th Anniversary of Baptism" Kievan Rus"(UOC);
• 2010 - Cross of the Holy Apostle Mark (Alexandrian Orthodox Church);
• 2012 - Order of St. Paisius Velichkovsky II Art. (Moldavian Orthodox Church);
• 2019 - St. blgv. book. Daniel of Moscow III Art.

8.11.2015
Nikolai Kaverin

I

Many zealots out of reason, who misunderstand the very essence of ecumenism, for some reason are very worried about the prospect of the possibility future meeting Patriarch of Moscow and Pope of Rome. In this they see an insidious "apostasy" of the Russian Orthodox Church and almost a betrayal of Orthodoxy.

In fact, no apostasy in the very meeting of the Patriarch and the Pope, if such a meeting takes place and at the same time there is no joint concelebration or the performance of any joint church rites, questions will not be raised about the revision of the canons or doctrinal truths of Orthodoxy (and this is the essence of ecumenism!) of course not. Are we really afraid that our Patriarch, at such a diplomatic summit at the highest church level, will accept the Catholic faith and declare a union? - "Don't tell my slippers," as the American journalist Michael Bohm, an "expert" in Russian proverbs and sayings, likes to say. Truly, the psalmist edifies such unfortunate zealots, “ there being afraid of fear, where there is no fear».

So let the Patriarch of Moscow meet with the Pontiff of Rome at an auspicious time, let them talk, for example, about the inadmissibility same-sex marriage, about the ever-increasing dictate of the Euro-Atlantic gay community, about the strengthening of the international practice of adopting Russian children by same-sex couples, about interference in the state, public and family ways of nihilist non-governmental commercial organizations manipulated by American networks and special services, about all this liberal totalitarianism of the Sodomite West with its European "values" against which Russia became the hope of the world and the last stronghold of true Christianity, opposed to the satanic project of the destruction of the human race as such. After all, the Masonic Project of the All-Planet Liberal Idea, which is increasingly turning into a liberal-fascist dictatorship with its humanitarian bombings in order to plant democracy in all parts of the world, was conceived in the West, nourished for many centuries by the Vatican. Yes, and all three EU aggressions on the historical territories of Russia (1812, 1941, 2014) took place under the noble guise of European integration of Eastern schismatics, Soviet Untermensches, quilted jackets and Colorados into Western European Christian civilization with their primordially European values: freedom, equality and fraternity, national -socialism and fascism, liberalism, gay parades, Charlie Hebdo and other sodomite tolerance without borders.

And the most important thing. Such a meeting can be a real innovation missionary creativity: perhaps another Roman Catholic, after the meeting of the Pope and the Patriarch, will become interested in Orthodoxy and ask to be accepted into the bosom of our Russian Church. And perhaps the Roman Pontiff himself during this meeting will think about the sad fruits of the liberal Western European Sodom "values" generated just Euro-Catholic civilization, about church history, and as a result will revise some of the misconceptions catholic church both in dogmatic terms and in the world historical process. And finally, the cherished dream of our full-time missionaries will come true: the Pope, with all his many, many millions of flocks, will convert to Orthodoxy. And this will already be a completely different geopolitical alignment: "The Vatican is ours"! And no EU sanctions against the ROC will help here!

So why should we miss such a unique missionary chance, which is provided during the meeting of the Russian Patriarch and the Pope!?

N.B. Do you really believe, dear readers, in such a “missionary success” that other church liberals are counting on?

II

But there are also real, not fictitious, ecumenical temptations and dangers. Here is one of them.
On October 22, 2015, the Holy Synod decided to elect a vicar of the Moscow diocese with the title "Bogorodsky" archimandrite Anthony (Sevryuk) , and on October 26 at the Liturgy in Novodevichy Convent His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia led the consecration of Archimandrite Anthony (Sevryuk) as Bishop of Bogorodsky, vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

In connection with this episcopal consecration, let us recall the strange behavior of Father Anthony (Sevryuk) at a reception at the Roman Pontiff on September 29, 2011 as part of the DECR delegation. Then a video appeared on the Internet showing the meeting of the delegation of the Department for External Church Relations, headed by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), with Pope Benedict XVI and the kissing of the papal hand by Orthodox clergy. This video then caused considerable temptation and bewilderment among many Orthodox people.

During that meeting, Orthodox priests kissed the hand of the head of the Catholic Church and accepted a blessing from him, and one of them even asked the pope: Bless me, please (“Bless me, please”).

The video shows how Hieromonk Anthony (Sevryuk), after priest Dimitry Sizonenko (secretary for inter-Christian relations of the DECR), kisses the hand of the pope. Metropolitan Hilarion says: - This is Father Anthony, he is the new rector of the church of St. Catherine in Rome. He was Patriarch Kirill's personal secretary for four years. - This Anthony Anthony in our opinion) says to dad:- If one day you can visit us, it will be a great honor for us.- Thanks dad again and kisses dad's hand.

This situation, which is extremely tempting for many Orthodox Christians, was explained in the program "Church and the World" on the TV channel "Russia 24" dated October 22 by the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) . According to him, “in the Vatican there is a certain etiquette, according to which those who visit the pope kiss his hand. This etiquette exists in many other royal courts. We must not forget that the Pope of Rome is, in addition to being the head of the Catholic Church, he is also the monarch in his state. When I visited him, the members of the delegation accompanying me - there were both priests and laity - asked how to behave. I left it to their discretion,” Metropolitan Hilarion commented on the kissing of the Roman Pontiff’s hand by the Orthodox clergy.

Of course, such an explanation of the metropolitan causes no less bewilderment than the very fact of kissing the papal hand. An Orthodox Christian in his deeds, words and thoughts must, above all, be guided by Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. Of course, the Orthodox in this world live surrounded by both non-Orthodox and non-Orthodox, and both have their own well-established customs and rules of conduct, which form etiquette. The norms of etiquette may also contradict the Orthodox faith and piety, and therefore cannot be self-sufficient for an Orthodox Christian. More specifically, Orthodox Christian should be aware of whether formal adherence to the norms of etiquette will damage his confession and become a stumbling block to his fellows in Christ. So it was from time immemorial. For example, the holy noble prince Mikhail of Chernigov and his boyar Theodore knew perfectly well how official receptions were carried out by the Golden Horde Khan. Etiquette required the guests to pass through the fire (which marked the veneration of this indomitable element and, most likely, was borrowed from Persian cults), as well as the worship of a certain statue. The Holy Martyrs Michael and Theodore were faced with a choice: observe etiquette and thereby renounce Christ, or observe piety and thereby arouse the wrath of the khan. The holy martyrs chose the second, despite the fact that the khan was monarch, - and for this they were rewarded with the reign in Heaven, i.e. true monarchy.

In the Vatican, until recently, there was also a kind of etiquette. Persons invited to the pope or asking for an audience with him were to fall at his feet and kiss his shoe. But since etiquette was deliberately odious (after all, high dignitaries from the Muslim world also visited the pope, who, of course, did not follow this), it gradually had to be abandoned.

Kissing the papal hand and asking for his blessing is a surrogate for a dead norm, which means that it does not carry any mandatory character even for secular persons, and even more so for Orthodox clergy. By the way, neither the President, nor the Head of Government, nor the Minister of Foreign Affairs Russian Federation(and the latter, by virtue of his position and status, is perfectly familiar with all the subtleties diplomatic etiquette) when visiting the Pope in the Vatican, they did not kiss the papal hand and were not afraid to thereby violate “etiquette”.

For the Sacred Tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholicism is wickedness, heresy (as, for example, it follows from the service of the Hieromartyr Patriarch Hermogenes). And in wickedness there is no grace as such, and no pontiff is able to teach it. Don't the Orthodox priests from the DECR know this? And if they do, then why did they approach the Pope for an imaginary "blessing"? Serve as a surrogate? After all, Metropolitan Hilarion himself let slip that this was left to the discretion of the members of the delegation accompanying him. So, this is not a mandatory etiquette at all, but conscience these priests, in particular, Fr. Anthony (Sevryuk), who by this act have already trampled on their authority.

But how alien is this to the precepts of those saints who accepted and observed the Orthodox Faith!

Let us cite Canon 32 of the Council of Laodicea: "It is not fitting to accept blessings from heretics, which are more vain talk than blessings."

The only thing that can be wished to the newly appointed Bishop Anthony of Bogorodsk is the realization of the truth that the higher the rank he perceives, the greater responsibility he will bear before God.

Truly " temptations must come; but woe to that person through whom temptation comes» (Matthew 18:7).

Holy Fire