Is it possible to enter the temple in shorts. Can men go to church in shorts? The opinion of theologians, priests and the principles of general morality

Curiously, even contemporaries did not understand what kind of person Filaret Drozdov was. The liberals considered the metropolitan a reactionary, the conservatives - a freethinker and a politically dangerous person. This is perhaps the best proof that Filaret was actually neither one nor the other.

The article is based on the material of the "Brothers" program of the radio station "Echo of Moscow". The broadcast was conducted by Nargiz Asadova and Leonid Matsikh. You can read and listen to the full original interview here.

As they wrote about Filaret Drozdov, in childhood he was a rather gentle and touching child. “It would seem that the more the self-consciousness of an adult grew in him, the more the feeling of independence should have increased. But the opposite was observed, writes his biographer. "And whenever material or moral difficulties arose before him, he immediately turned to his parent for advice."

I must say that his father was not an easy person. He had a tremendous influence on Filaret, and until the end of their lives they were in some very delicate spiritual connection, which rarely happens between a father and a son.

Here is one of the letters that Vasily wrote to his father before being tonsured a monk: “Father! Vasily will not be here soon; but you will not lose your son: a son who understands that he owes you more than his life, feels the importance of upbringing, knows the value of your heart. "

Filaret was a man touchingly attached to his family, although from an early age he realized that he would not have his own family: he chose the path of the black clergy.

By nature, Vasily was amazingly gifted. In addition, he had an absolutely fantastic performance since teenage years... He perfectly learned German and French. I wrote to my father: “Daddy, I now spend eight pieces of bread a day, because I save everything. But I bought myself Kant. "

He bought Kant in German (these books were then very expensive) and read it in the original. Filaret read a lot until the end of his days, and in terms of the amount of reading he had no equal in the empire, and even more so in the church. He was an absolutely insatiable reader, a "devourer" of books. This was one of his main consolations.

Read the future metropolitan and ancient philosophers, and contemporaries - theologians, historians of religion - including those with whom he later argued. He knew languages perfectly. By the way, Filaret was one of the few people in Russia at that time who knew Biblical Hebrew. (Only he and the priest Gerasim Pavsky knew this language, who then began translating the Old Testament into Russian).

Philological flair, extraordinary textual training, the ability to think in theological categories - all this manifested itself very early, while still a student, and very sharply distinguished Filaret Drozdov among all his classmates.

Filaret Drozdov was a person touchingly attached to his family

How did it happen that he joined the "brotherhood"? As you know, in Alexander's time, Freemasonry was the most fashionable intellectual fad. It was somehow even indecent not to be a member. "Who is not a Mason today ?!" - says one of the heroes of Karamzin's composition with some condemnation. But then it was so accepted. And Filaret may have succumbed to this element too. But deep things led him there, of course. As a man of extraordinary intelligence, he understood everything very quickly and well: both the entire weakness of the church as an institution (they talked a lot about this), and the need for church reforms. Filaret believed that he should protect the church, and protection without reforms is a doomed business.

Our hero joined Labzin's box "The Dying Sphinx", which combined all the best, the most fashionable, the most talented and creative that was then in St. Petersburg, in the capital. He joined Speransky's "Polar Star" lodge, since Speransky was Alexander's favorite at that time. And he was a member of the "United Friends" lodge - the numerically largest lodge in St. Petersburg. That is, Filaret attended the meetings of three lodges at the same time. And in Freemasonry, by the way, he never saw anything bad.

In the first years of the reign of Alexander I, “the days of the Alexandrovs were a wonderful beginning,” Filaret Drozdov was familiar with many outstanding Masons. For example, he was friends with Labzin, helped him in the publication of the famous "Zion Bulletin", was friends with Golitsyn, the chief prosecutor of the Synod. They were friends with the latter that both Golitsyn and young Filaret understood the need for reforms and agreed on one very important point - the clergy should not make indulgences on the sole reason that these people wear a cassock, they should not be relieved of responsibility for their misconduct.

And Filaret always, in all his activities, no matter what posts he held in the church hierarchy, pursued the same line - to tighten discipline, to increase demands, to strictly observe the rules and statutes. This earned him great respect. What distinguished him from many reformers was that, as his biographer remarkably put it, "he preached what he professed."

Metropolitan Philaret in his cell, 1850

If we talk about the Petersburg period of Filaret, then in 1812 he was appointed rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. Then he became a member of the Bible Society - their joint brainchild with Golitsyn. Filaret was a member of this society until 1826, when it was closed. And I must say that in 1814 he became director of the Bible Society, and in 1816 - vice president. And moreover, add that in 1856, 30 years after the closure of the Bible Society, Filaret was the person who resumed its activities: both the organizational structure and the main work of his life as a scientist - the translation of the Bible into modern Russian. The latter is generally a real scientific feat.

After the closure of the Bible Society, the translation of the Holy Scriptures was also stopped. In 1856, the question of a new discovery, a new stage and the need to translate the Bible into Russian was debated. It must be said that Alexander II was inclined towards the opinion of opponents of the translation into Russian. And then Filaret Drozdov wrote a large letter to the emperor, in which he convinced him, and the translation was resumed.

It is curious how and to whom this idea came to translate the Bible, which was then written in Old Church Slavonic, into modern Russian? The initiators were people who came from England, because the Bible Society originated there, in the homeland of Protestantism. But the idea seemed very sensible, and Golitsyn and Filaret Drozdov immediately understood all the benefits that it promises. First, one could begin to really compete with the Protestant confessions, which began to spread in Russia with increasing force. To compete is not a ban, not an administrative resource, as the church has always got used to, but it is real to compete. In addition, Filaret, it should be noted, was a minister of the Word. By the way, it was he who suggested the interpretation of the famous phrase that went into folklore, “In the beginning was the Word”.

Filaret Drozdov served the Word all his life: and the incarnate word, as he called Jesus; and the word as a logos, that is, a certain philosophical category that embodied all wisdom for him; and the Russian word, which he perfectly knew and believed very much. He did not accept common folk expressions, areal dialects, he could speak excellent Russian, was a man of exceptional eloquence and rhetorical skills. He was called in those cases when it was necessary to explain to the people the most significant, the most fateful things for the people.

The Gospel of John known to us - translation by Filaret Drozdov

Filaret wrote a manifesto on behalf of Alexander I during Napoleon's invasion. The famous words: "We will not hesitate to appear in all the might of the royal greatness" - his words. He also wrote a manifesto signed by Alexander on the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and already under Nicholas participated in laying the stone, delivered a speech there. He calmed the crowd when, under Nicholas I, they began to demolish the Alekseevsky monastery and a misfortune happened - a man fell from the bell tower. The people saw this as a bad omen. Who went out to the crowd? Metropolitan Filaret. And the people obeyed him and dispersed, there was no bloodshed. He wrote a manifesto for the emancipation of the peasants.

It is absolutely wrong to say that he was against peasant liberation, he was always against serfdom. Filaret simply believed that after the long reign of Nicholas, such radical innovations should not be quickly introduced. He generally believed that one should hurry slowly. Filaret was convinced that if after such a “freezing effect” that Nicholas had on everyone, a sharp “thaw” ensued, then this could lead to disastrous consequences: was afraid. In addition, he was an elderly person, and in old age such fears increase. But all his life Filaret was a supporter of slow, consistent actions, he did not like to rush.

Metropolitan Filaret. Portrait by Vladimir Hau, 1854

Returning to the translation of the Bible into modern Russian. For translation, the original was taken, of course, Hebrew (in science it is called "Masoretic" (from the Hebrew "Masorah" - "legend"). But the problem was that in Russia then practically no one knew ancient Hebrew. when they wrote another denunciation against Filaret, and he was the absolute record holder for the number of denunciations that can be written against one person in general, then a certain Magnitsky, a renegade Mason, wrote that “these scoundrels from the Bible Society decided to translate from Hebrew, which is only one Priest Pavsky knows. ”And in the margin of the same denunciation, Filaret made a remark with his own hand:“ So that's the horror! ”He tried to make the Russian clergy as educated as possible. that we need to catch up with the Protestant, especially Catholic clergy in terms of secondary education.

And he convinced everyone that the Holy Scriptures should be translated not from translation, but from the original. And Filaret worked tirelessly, just like everyone else. But the opponents still had the audacity to accuse them that the translation was entrusted to some students who did not understand anything about it. No, the most qualified experts, monks-intellectuals - the learned elite, the gold reserve, the salt of the earth of the entire Russian clergy - worked. And Filaret was, in modern terms, a scientific editor. He tried to concentrate them in one place - in the Moscow Donskoy Monastery, from which he slowly began to make the intellectual center of the Russian clergy.

Metropolitan Filaret attended meetings of three Masonic lodges at the same time

How did it happen that, despite all the anonymous letters and great amount enemies, Filaret was able not only to stay in the highest church hierarchy, to live up to 84 years old, but even to receive the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called from Nicholas? He told everyone the truth, never backed down from it. In addition, in all his long life, under all the most difficult circumstances, he never spoke ill of anyone. This was a unique person. He never offended anyone, although what various villains, envious people, “best” representatives of the human race said about him, defies description. But Filaret always managed to be above that. And this was very much appreciated by everyone. He loved Derzhavin's words: "And speak the truth to the tsars with a smile." Derzhavin spoke "with a smile," but he - with reproaches, with condemnation. But he spoke in such a way that all the kings listened to him, quarreled with him, but understood that Filaret Drozdov was the smartest man of the era, and resorted to his advice.

A few words about the enemy of Filaret, the odious renegade Mason Magnitsky. Magnitsky wrote denunciations with a fantastic speed: even now it would be difficult to write in such quantities, given the modern multiplying technique. He believed (or pretended to ascribe to himself such a role as a vigilant guardian of state interests) that demons were everywhere. Magnitsky was a nobleman of Polish origin from a fairly noble gentry. He joined two Masonic lodges, was expelled for absurdity and quarrelsomeness. (This happened to the "brothers", but not all of them later embarked on such a vile path of denunciations and knocking as Magnitsky).

In addition, he wrote some things (possibly true), say, about the order that exists in the lodges. He did not reveal any terrible secrets, but it was simply not accepted: he was taking the oath. Most of his fabrications were just slander, vile slander and some kind of monstrous, semi-paranoid invention. Enemies are all around, etc. It is interesting that Nicholas I, who was a sane man with all his sergeant-major intelligence, imposed such a resolution on another pile, a pile of Magnitsky's denunciations: "I have already denounced all of Russia from you." Like this.

That is, they knew the price. But he also wrote about the evil villains who entrenched themselves in the Bible society. Filaret, Golitsyn and everyone else he represented as the devil.

Donskoy Monastery in 1882. Photo from N.A.Naydenov's album

I wonder how Filaret felt about Pushkin? Did they have any kind of relationship in the last years of the poet's life? There is truth and there is a myth. Pushkin was a man of exceptional freethinking, and there were very few authorities for him. And when he was young, he also wrote semi-obscene verses in Voltaire's spirit about the Bible: the famous "Gabrieliad", for example, and others that do not honor his genius. But then he changed. This was facilitated by conversations with the masons Vyazemsky and Chaadaev, and the influence of Filaret. With the latter, they had a kind of poetic dialogue, they were not personally acquainted. But who was Pushkin then? Writer! And Filaret was the Metropolitan of Moscow. Now, for us, Pushkin is a paramount figure, and all the rest are his contemporaries. But then it was perceived differently: Filaret was the prince of the church, and Alexander Sergeevich was just a hack.

However, Filaret perfectly understood the scale of Pushkin's personality, and he entered into a poetic dialogue with him. On his birthday, Alexander Sergeevich wrote the poem "A vain gift, an accidental gift ...", and Countess Khitrovo, daughter of Kutuzov, the owner of the most fashionable Masonic salons in Moscow, brought it to Filaret. And he, in tune with Pushkin, wrote a stylized answer:

Not in vain, not by chance
Life is given to us by God,
Not without the will of God a mystery
And she was sentenced to death.

He refuted Pushkin's somewhat childish, infantile pessimism. And he did it in a magnificent poetic form and with absolutely unshakable faith. And Pushkin, who came to listen to the sermons of the Metropolitan, dedicated to him the poem "Stanza" - an absolutely magnificent work.

In hours of fun or idle boredom,
It used to be my lyre
Entrusted the pampered sounds
Frenzy, laziness and passion.

But even then the strings of the crafty
I interrupted the ringing involuntarily,
When your voice is dignified
I was suddenly amazed.

I poured out streams of unexpected tears
And the wounds of my conscience
Your fragrant speeches
The pure oil was delighted.

And now from a spiritual height
You extend your hand to me
And by the strength of meek and loving
You subdue wild dreams.

Your soul is warmed by your fire
Rejected the darkness of earthly vanities,
And hears Philaret's harp
The poet is in sacred horror.

Very few of the clergy, contemporaries of Alexander Sergeevich, received such respect from him. Pushkin listened to Filaret. By the way, it was the Metropolitan who insisted that the poet marry not where he planned, in the house church of Prince Golitsyn, but in the Church of the Great Ascension. And Alexander Sergeevich listened to him. So their relationship was very unusual: it was a relationship of spiritual guidance. Pushkin listened to very few people as he did to Filaret. They mutually understood the scale of each other's personality, both the poet and the saint.

Pushkin's poem "A vain gift ..." prompted Filaret to take up the pen

As mentioned above, Filaret really perfectly expressed his thoughts. He has a lot of wonderful phrases. For example, he said a great quote: "The earthly partitions do not reach the sky." This is what a truly great Mason and a great leader of the church can say. And here is another beautiful phrase from his repertoire: “The creative word is an adamant (diamond) bridge thrown over two abysses - over the abyss of God's incomprehensibility and over the abyss of our own insignificance. On this bridge we, like creatures, also abide ”. Fabulous!

I wonder what happened to the enemies of Filaret, Photius and Magnitsky? Photius died in exile in honor of the Yuriev Monastery, which he set up for himself with the money of Countess Orlova-Chesmenskaya. And Magnitsky died like an ordinary, useless, unclaimed official. They were not ashamed, as we would have liked, but they did not receive their anonymous, vile writings. Both Alexander I and Nicholas I knew perfectly well the value of these vile souls and understood the height of the soul of Filaret Drozdov.

Date of Birth: March 21, 1935 Country: Belarus Biography:

Honorary Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus

Grandfather, Alexander Ivanovich, a famous Yaroslavl merchant, since 1913 was a hereditary nobleman. Father, Varfolomey Aleksandrovich (1904-1984), teacher at the Gnessin School of Music at the Moscow Conservatory, author of the textbook "Elementary Theory of Music". For compiling a textbook of church singing for theological schools, he was awarded the Order of St. Prince Vladimir II Art. Mother, Alexandra Feodorovna Vakhromeeva (1903-1981), and older sister, Olga Varfolomeevna Vakhromeeva (1925-1997), were also teachers of Moscow music schools.

In 1953 he graduated from high school No. 557 and, at the same time, a music school in the class of choral singing and double bass.

In 1957 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary and entered the Moscow Theological Academy.

On April 3, 1959, in the second year of the academy, the governor archimandrite Pimen (Khmelevsky) tonsured a monk with the name Filaret in honor of the holy righteous Philaret the Merciful.

In 1961 he graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a PhD in Theology for the essay "Pastoral counseling of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, according to his letters." Remained as a professor scholar at the Moscow Theological Academy. In November of the same year, he was appointed teacher of the Moscow Theological Academy, and on December 14, at the Divine Liturgy at the cross church of St. Righteous Philaret the Merciful in the Patriarchal Apartments of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, was ordained to the rank of hieromonk by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy.

In September 1962, he was appointed senior assistant inspector of the Moscow Theological Academy; from June 1963 - inspector of the Moscow Theological Academy.

On August 4, 1963, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, he was elevated to the rank of hegumen with the laying of a cross with decorations and a club. In the same year, on October 8, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy elevated him to the rank of archimandrite.

Since September 1963, he was in charge of the postgraduate course opened at the Moscow Theological Academy.

He was named bishop on October 23, 1965 in the home church. Khirotonisan on October 24 at the Divine Liturgy in the Trinity Cathedral. Divine services were performed by Archbishop of Perm and Solikamsk Leonid (Polyakov), Archbishop of Kherson and Odessa Sergiy (Petrov), Archbishop of Minsk and Belarus Anthony (Melnikov), Bishop of Kirov and Sloboda Ioann (Ivanov), Bishop of Vologda-Vologda and Vologda and Melebedevodsk.

In 1961-1965. - Secretary of the Commission of the Holy Synod for Christian Unity.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of May 14, 1966, he was appointed Bishop of Dmitrov, vicar of the Moscow diocese, and rector of the Moscow Theological Academy.

On November 28, 1968, he was appointed Second Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.

On March 20, 1969, he was included in the Commission of the Holy Synod on Christian Unity. On December 16 of the same year, he was included in the Commission for the study of the canonization of Archbishop Nicholas of Japan. Visited Japan.

From September 6, 1971 to August 25, 1972, he was the temporary administrator of the Kalinin diocese.

On December 23, 1980, he was appointed a member of the Holy Synod's commission for organizing the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of April 14, 1981, he was appointed chairman of the Department for External Church Relations and a permanent member of the Holy Synod. On July 22 of the same year, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Commission of the Holy Synod for the preparation of the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.

On December 19, 1983, he was elected chairman of the Public Commission for Relations with Religious Circles advocating for peace.

On February 1, 1984, he was relieved of his post as Exarch of Western Europe, according to a petition. April 19, 1985 entrusted with the care of Orthodox parishes in Finland.

On March 24, 1985, he was awarded a commemorative panagia depicting the Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God. On July 4, 1988, he was awarded a personalized Panagia for active participation in the preparation and holding of anniversary celebrations dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.

In 1988, at the founding conference of the Association of Creative Intelligentsia "World of Culture", he was elected its vice-president. On December 15, 1988, he entered the election commission for the election of USSR People's Deputies from the peace movement united by the Soviet Peace Committee and from the United Nations Assistance Association in the USSR.

On October 16, 1989 he was appointed Exarch of Belarus with the title “Metropolitan of Minsk and Grodno, Patriarchal Exarch of Belarus”.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of November 13, 1989, he was released, according to the submitted petition, from the duties of the chairman of the DECR with the preservation of permanent membership in the Holy Synod until this issue is resolved at Bishops' Council.

By the decision of the Council of Bishops on January 30-31, 1990 - Metropolitan of Minsk and Grodno, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus.

1990-1995 - Deputy of the Supreme Council of Belarus, member of the Commission on Education, Culture and Preservation of Historical Heritage.

In 1990, he was elected a member of the Council of the Belarusian branch of the International Foundation for Slavic Writing and Slavic cultures, Chairman of the Commission of the Supreme Soviet of the BSSR on parliamentary ethics.

On July 16, 1990, he was appointed chairman of the Holy Synod's commission to assist efforts in overcoming the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

From January to December 1991 - People's Deputy of the USSR.

Since February 18, 1992 - Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Holy Archimandrite of the Dormition Zhirovitsky monastery.

On December 28, 1993, he was appointed chairman of the Commission for Christian Unity.

From December 28, 1996 to July 17, 1997 he was a temporary manager, from February 28 to July 4, 2002 he was a temporary manager.

Pastoral counseling of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, according to his letters (candidate's essay).

Russian attitude Orthodox Church to Western heterodox Churches. ZhMP. 1963, no. 11.

The ending school year in theological schools. ZhMP. 1965, no. 8.

Speech when naming the Bishop of Tikhvin. ZhMP. 1965, no. 12, p. 10-12.

Stay in Moscow of the delegation of the Church of Constantinople. ZhMP. 1966, No. 5, p. 12-17.

Greetings to the participants of the meetings of the KMK Working Committee at lunch on July 3, 1967. ZhMP. 1967, no. 8, p. 52-53.

With a visit of friendship (About a trip to the island of Cyprus in 1968). ZhMP. 1969, no. 1, p. 16-18.

Church-liturgical veneration of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius in Russia. (A lecture read on May 8, 1969 at the St. Kliment Ohridsky Sofia Spiritual Academy). ZhMP. 1969, no. 6, p. 51-52; No. 7, p. 41-46.

Moscow theological schools under the leadership Holy Patriarch Alexia. ZhMP. 1970, no. 2, p. 17-22.

Patriotic appearance of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. ZhMP. 1971, No. 4, p. 66-69.

About Filioque (For a discussion with the Old Catholic Church). The report was read at a meeting of the Inter-Orthodox Theological Commission for Dialogue with the Old Catholic Church, held in Bonn from June 22 to June 28, 1971. 1972, no. 1, p. 62-75.

Speech at the opening of the 2nd theological interview on December 12, 1971 ZhMP. 1972, no. 2, p. 53-55.

Speech at the graduation ceremony at Moscow Theological Schools on June 15, 1972. ZhMP. 1972, no. 7, p. 11-12.

Theological basis for the peacemaking activities of the Church. Theological works, 1971, collection 7, p. 215-221.

Speech at a reception on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen of Moscow and All Russia. ZhMP. 1981, no. 8, p. nine.

Report at the International Interreligious Meeting in Moscow, October 1, 1981 WMP. 1981, no. 12, p. 36-44.

Speech at the IV meeting of the Mixed Theological Commission on Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue. ZhMP. 1981, no. 12, p. 55.

Speech at the presentation of the bishop's baton to the Bishop of Dusseldorf Longin on October 11, 1981 WMP. 1982, No. 1, p. 12.

Speech at the opening of the World Conference "Religious Leaders for Saving the Sacred Gift of Life from Nuclear Catastrophe." ZhMP. 1982, no. 6, p. 4.

Report at the meeting of Heads and representatives of Churches and religious associations in the Soviet Union, dedicated to summing up the results of the Conference (Trinity-Sergius Lavra, July 6, 1982). ZhMP. 1982, no. 9, p. 38.

Speech at the presentation of the bishop's baton to Bishop Clement (Kapalin). ZhMP. 1982, No. 10, p. eight.

Speech at the opening of the World Conference. ZhMP. 1982, no. 11, p. 39.

Greetings to the participants of the VI General Conference of ABKM. ZhMP. 1982, no. 12, p. 99.

Opening remarks at the round table. ZhMP. 1983, no. 5, p. 40.

Speech at the presentation of the Order of St. Prince Vladimir Gerald Getting. ZhMP. 1983, no. 8, p. eleven.

Speech at the ecumenical jubilee meeting in Thomaskirche in Lepzig on the occasion of the 500th birthday of Martin Luther 11 November 1983. ZhMP. 1984, no. 3, p. 59.

Speech at the presentation of the diploma of Doctor of Theology "Honoris Kausa". ZhMP. 1984, no. 4, p. 54.

Opening remarks at the opening of the round table conference on April 2, 1984 WMP. 1984, no. 6, p. 36.

Interreligious peacemaking activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. (Report at the symposium of the College of Doctors of the Debrecen Reformed Academy on August 22, 1984). ZhMP. 1985, no. 3, p. 45.

Opening remarks at the opening of the round table conference on February 11, 1985 WMP. 1985, no. 4, p. 37.

Greeting message to young Christians from socialist countries (who arrived for the meeting in Suzdal). ZhMP. 1985, no. 8, p. 58.

Speech at a round table meeting in the Soviet Committee for Solidarity of Asian and African Countries on October 9, 1985. ZhMP. 1986, no. 5, p. 39.

Establishment of Christianity in Russia (Speech at the presentation of the diploma of Doctor of Theology "Honoris Causa" at the Evangelical Theological Faculty in Bratislava on June 14, 1985). ZhMP. 1986, no. 5, p. 64-68, no. 6, p. 65-69.

Speech at the ceremony dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the DECR (Moscow, March 28, 1987). ZhMP. 1986, no. 7, 20-21.

Strength in Unity: Interview with Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Exarch of All Belarus // Orthodox Moscow. 1998, No. 16-18.

Awards:

Church:

1968 - Order of the Holy Sepulcher with a particle of the Life-Giving Tree II Art. (Jerusalem Orthodox Church);
1969 - Order of St. equalap. book Vladimir II degree;
1971 - Order of St. equalap. book Vladimir I st .;
1982 - Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 1st century;
1985 - Order of St. equalapp. Mary Magdalene I Art. (Polish Orthodox Church);
1985 - Order of Sts. equalapp. Cyril and Methodius I Art. (Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia);
1990 - Order of St. blgv. book Daniel of Moscow I st .;
2003 - Order of St. Andrey Rublev, 1st degree;
2003 - Order of St. St. Nestor the Chronicler I Art. (UOC);
2005 - Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, 1st degree;
2008 - ap. and ev. Mark (Orthodox Church of Alexandria);
2009 - St. Innocent of Moscow, 1st degree;
2013 - St. ap. Andrew the First-Called (UOC);
2015 - St. Alexy of Moscow I st .;
2015 - St. equalap. book Vladimir I Art. (UOC);
2018 - schm. Vladimir Hirasko I Art. (Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechesis of the BOC);
2018 - a medal in honor of the Maryinogorsk Icon of the Mother of God (Borisov diocese of the BOC).

Secular:

Awards of the Republic of Belarus

1995 - medal of Francisk Skaryna, “for many years of fruitful activity in the revival, preservation, development of the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Belarusian people”;
1995 - diploma of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus, "for fruitful state and public activities to revive, preserve and develop the spiritual and cultural heritage";
1998 - Order of the Fatherland, III class, “for a great personal contribution to the spiritual revival of the Belarusian people”;
2000 - Certificate of honor of the Council of Ministers of Belarus, “for great services in strengthening friendship between peoples, in honor of the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity and in connection with the 65th anniversary of his birth”.
2003 - Order of Francis Skaryna, “for a great contribution to spiritual revival, strengthening of friendship between peoples” (in connection with the 25th anniversary of archpastoral service in White Russia);
2005 - Order of Friendship of Peoples, "for a great contribution to the strengthening of friendship and fraternal ties between peoples, the development of interfaith dialogue";
2006 - Hero of Belarus, “for many years of personal contribution to the spiritual revival of the Belarusian people, strengthening friendship and fraternal ties between peoples, developing interfaith dialogue”;
2008 - Order of Honor;

Awards of the RSFSR and the Russian Federation

1988 - Certificate of honor of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, “for active peacekeeping activities and in connection with the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus”;
2003 - Order "For Services to the Fatherland", 4th century, "for a great contribution to the revival of spiritual and moral traditions and the strengthening of friendship and cooperation between peoples";
2013 - Alexander Nevsky;

USSR awards

1971 - Certificate of Honor from the Soviet Peace Committee;
1981 - Medal of Honor of the Soviet Peace Fund, "for services to the movement of supporters and fighters for peace, for a great personal contribution to the strengthening of peace among peoples";
1982 - badge of honor of the Soviet Peace Fund;
1985 - Medal of Honor of the Soviet Peace Committee "For Peace Fighter";
1985 - Certificate of honor of the Belarusian branch of the Soviet Peace Fund;
1985 - Order of Friendship of Peoples;

Poland awards

1985 - Medal of the KhOA "Blessed are the Peacemakers";
1987 - Commander of the Order of Merit;
1988 - Prize of the society "Pax" them. Boleslav Pyasetsky, “for active work in the field of ecumenical and peacemaking work”;

Honorary Citizenship

2003 - honorary citizen of Minsk;
2004 - Honorary Citizen of Polotsk;
2013 - Minsk region;

Honorary degrees:

1970 - Honorary Member of the Leningrad Theological Academy;
1974 - Honorary Member of the Moscow Theological Academy;
1982 - Honorary Doctor of Theology of the Presov Theological Orthodox Faculty (Czechoslovakia);
1983 - Honorary Doctor of Theology of the Faculty of Theology of the University. Martin Luther (Halle, East Germany);
1985 - Honorary Doctor of Theology and Golden Doctoral Chain of the Slovak Evangelical Theological Faculty (Bratislava, Czechoslovakia);
1986 - Honorary Doctor of Theology, Faculty of Theology. Jan Amos Komensky (Prague);
1993 - Honorary Doctor of the Belarusian State University;
2001 - Honorary Doctor of Grodno State Medical University;
2002 - Honorary Doctor of Theology of St. Vladimir Theological Academy and Doctor's Cross (Crestwood, New York, USA);
2002 - Honorary Professor of Vitebsk State University;
2003 - Honorary Doctor of Theology of St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute (Paris);
2007 - Honorary Doctor of the Christian Theological Academy in Warsaw;

Other awards

1978 - Medal of Honor of the National Council of the National Front of the GDR;
1985 - gold medal named after Otto Nuschke - the highest award of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany;
1985 - badge of the Polish-Soviet Friendship Society "For Brotherly Aid and Cooperation";
1985 - gold medal of the Czechoslovak Society for International Relations, "for services in the development of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Czechoslovakia and the USSR";
2007 - Annual Prize of the Foundation. the faithful prince Konstantin of Ostrog (Poland);
2013 - State of Ukraine "For Merit" III Art.

Website: www.church.by

Publications on the Patriarchia.ru portal

Metropolitan Filaret's speech at the opening of the conference "The Baptism of Rus in the Fates of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine: Choosing a Civilizational Path" (Minsk, June 6, 2013) [Greetings and messages]

Metropolitan of Minsk Filaret's address to the participants of the conference "The Significance of the Edict of Milan in the History of European Civilization and Topical Issues of the Relationship between Church and State in Modern Conditions" [Greetings and messages]

Testimony: the path from silence to word and from word to silence. Report of Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk at the XII International Dormition Readings [Article]

December 2 is the commemoration day of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow. On that day, the parish priest Vladimir Putintsev performed the festive divine service in the Trinity Church of the Makarya settlement.

THE LIFE OF SAINT FILARET

Saint Philaret of Moscow (in the world Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov) was born on December 26, 1782 in the city of Kolomna. The saint's father and mother came from a hereditary clergy. On December 20, 1791, the future saint was enrolled in the Kolomna seminary. Rare natural talents were combined with excellent zeal. Soon, in connection with the transfer of the Kolomna seminary to Tula, the young man, fulfilling his father's will, went to the Lavra school in the monastery of St. Sergius. Moving to the Lavra filled his soul with unspeakable joy.

At the beginning of 1802, Vasily was appointed senior over the seminary hospital. Caring for the sick, he learned compassionate love for his neighbors, learned the weakness and perishability of a person's bodily nature, his soul learned to constantly remember death.

In April of the same year, a new obedience was entrusted to him - preaching in the Refectory Church of St. Sergius.

Metropolitan Platon of Moscow (Levshin, + 1812) drew attention to the talented student. most time near the Lavra - in the Bethany skete.

At the end of the course in August 1806, the future saint was appointed to the vacancy of a poetry teacher. At the same time, Metropolitan Platon appointed him a preacher of the Lavra. A famous preacher himself, he recognized the superiority of his pet's homiletic gift over his own. “I write in a human way,” said the magnanimous archpastor, “and he writes in an angelic way.” The preoccupation with teaching and preaching obedience did not muffle the young teacher's prayer. The world weighed on him.

On November 16, 1808, the future saint was tonsured and given a name in honor of Saint Philaret the Merciful. Five days later, Metropolitan Platon ordained him to the rank of hierodeacon.

The newly tonsured hierodeacon was going to spend his whole life in the Lavra Life-giving Trinity... But in connection with the transformation of theological schools, the Commission of theological schools demanded that northern capital the most capable teachers from different educational institutions... Hierodeacon Philaret was summoned from the Trinity Seminary.

A new, reformed academy was opened in St. Petersburg. The old academy was turned into a seminary. Father Filaret was appointed her inspector and bachelor of philosophy class. In February 1810, Hieromonk Philaret was transferred from the seminary and school to the reformed St. Petersburg Academy with a bachelor of theological sciences, teaching at the same time church history. From 1810 to 1817, he developed an almost complete course in theological and church history, taught at the academy. Saint Philaret was the first at the St. Petersburg Academy to begin lecturing in Russian. In St. Petersburg, Hieromonk Philaret preached a lot. His sermons attracted the attention of the capital; they started talking about him in court circles as a new bright light.

On March 11, 1812, the Synod appointed him rector of the academy and professor of theological sciences; and soon after that he was appointed abbot of the ancient monastery - the Novgorod St. George Monastery. In 1812 Russia was hit by the disasters of the Napoleonic invasion. Together with all the clergy, Archimandrite Filaret donated from his salary for military needs. Three years after the end of the Patriotic War, Archimandrite Filaret, on the instructions of the Synod, composed a thanksgiving prayer for the salvation of the Fatherland, which began to be performed annually on the day of the Nativity of Christ.

The spiritual state of Russian society in the Alexander era was alarming. On the one hand, the disasters experienced by Russia during the Patriotic War deepened religious sentiments. But on the other hand, in their spiritual quests, people who lagged behind the basic principles of Russian life often turned not to the faith of their ancestors, but to the books of Western theologians and mystics.

Archimandrite Filaret saw the delusions of his contemporaries, but he did not believe in the benefits and reliability of harsh prohibitive measures, he was in no hurry to knit and condemn. He always distinguished from delusion a person who is delusional, and he treated with goodwill every sincere movement of the human soul. In the mystical dreams themselves, he felt a genuine spiritual thirst, spiritual anxiety, which only pushed him to illegal paths, because "the legal path was discontentedly arranged ..."

That is why he took an active part in the translation of the Bible into Russian. The responsibility for the translation of the Bible was assigned by the Synod to the Commission of Theological Schools, and personally to Archimandrite Filaret. The saint himself selected the translators. He took upon himself the translation of the Holy Gospel of John. He also drew up the "Rules" for translation. In 1819, the translation of the Four Gospels was completed and published. But this was not the end of the saint's efforts to translate Holy Scripture. He was deeply convinced that translation was needed to satisfy "the gladness of hearing the word of God." But he also well understood that only a full-fledged benign translation, and not hasty experiments, can satisfy this hunger.

On August 5, 1817, by decree of the Holy Synod, Archimandrite Philaret was ordained bishop of Revel, vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese, in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

On March 15, 1819, Bishop Filaret was transferred to an independent Tver see with the elevation to the rank of archbishop and appointment as a member of the Synod. In Tver, he often performed divine services: both in the cathedral church and in parish churches; during the divine services he preached tirelessly.

He spent much of his time traveling around the vast diocese. Once, during one of these trips, Archbishop Filaret asked the driver the name of the village through which the road lay. “The village is Bad,” the driver replied. "Still there, tea, will there be good people?" - “Apparently there will be. Otherwise, God would not have tolerated sitting down. " “Here,” he said at the end of his conversation with me, his biographer writes, “I wanted to teach the coachman, but it turned out the other way around - the coachman instructed me.”

On September 26, 1820, the saint was transferred to Yaroslavl, where he stayed for about a year. In 1821, the Providence of God judged Archbishop Philaret to take the chair of the chief priests of Moscow. In May 1823 it was printed "Christian Catechism of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Greek-Russian Church." The book was sold like hot cakes, and already before the end of 1823 it was necessary to publish a second edition. The Catechism has been translated into Greek, English and other languages.

In 1824, the saint's ill-wishers strove to remove him from Moscow. When rumors spread throughout Moscow about his forthcoming move to Tiflis (Tbilisi), he was not embarrassed. “A monk, like a soldier,” he said, “must stand on the clock where he will be placed; go wherever they send you. " - "Really, Vladyka," exclaimed one lady, "you will go to this exile?" “After all, I went from Tver to Moscow,” Vladyka said to her in response. The rumor, however, turned out to be false.

In 1826, the Moscow saint was elevated to the rank of metropolitan.

In 1836 Count N.A. was appointed Chief Prosecutor of the Synod. Protasov. Protasov mastered the belief in the omnipotent possibilities of the clerical method of administration, in the omnipotence of the order. And the members of the Synod soon felt his heavy hand on them. And only the fearless Moscow ruler knew how to put the obstinate chief prosecutor in his place. Once, shortly after being appointed to the post of chief prosecutor, Protasov, having appeared in the presence of the Synod, sat down in the bishop's chair. Metropolitan Philaret turned to him with the question: "How long ago, Your Excellency, were they ordained?" Protasov did not understand anything. "How long have you been ordained?" - repeated the saint and explained that at the table at which he sat down were the members of the Synod. "Where is my place?" - asked Protasov. And Metropolitan Filaret showed him his place: the chief prosecutor's office standing aside.

In 1832, Metropolitan Philaret, on behalf of the Synod, compiled the "Legend of the acquisition honest relics like the saints of our father Mitrofan, the first bishop of Voronezh, and gracious with that signs and miraculous healings". A serious clash between Metropolitan Filaret and Chief Prosecutor Protasov took place in 1842, when the Moscow archpastor, together with the Kiev Metropolitan of the same name, spoke out in the Synod for the resumption of the translation of the Bible. Metropolitan Seraphim did not support his brothers; this was followed by the dismissal of both hierarchs from the presence in the Synod, leaving them with membership in the Synod.

After that, staying permanently in the Moscow diocese, Metropolitan Philaret continued, however, to participate in the activities of the Synod, from where papers were sent to him for recall. Moreover, the Chief Prosecutor N.A.

The authority of Metropolitan Filaret grew in addition to his participation in the solution of synodal affairs. Bishops from all over Russia came to him for guidance. When visiting Moscow, each hierarch considered it his duty to visit the “All-Russian archpastor”. Metropolitan Filaret showed special merit for people who were forcibly rejected or, by mistake, arbitrarily separated from Orthodoxy. He took an active part in the reunification of the Uniates with the Orthodox Church. The saint was inducted into the committee for Uniate affairs and drew up a note, which served as a guide for carrying out preparatory measures for reunification. The saint's enduring grief was the schism of the Old Believers, which dissolved the spiritual and religious unity of the Russian people. In an effort to heal the sad division, in 1834 he compiled Conversations to the Verbal Old Believer. This book of Metropolitan Filaret, his numerous notes on the Old Believer question, his missionary efforts did not remain without good results. In 1865, under the influence of his admonitions, the bishops of the Belokrinitsa Consent joined the Orthodox Church on the basis of unity of faith: Brailovsky Onufry, Kolomna Paphnutiy, Tula Sergius and Tulchinsky Justin.

The saint did not remain indifferent to the fate of the Western christian world... He judged the spiritual state of the heterodox churches with wise caution and prudence, with unshakable faith in the truth of Orthodoxy and Christian love. His biographer conveys the words he said shortly before his death in the following way: “Everyone who is baptized in the name of the Trinity is a Christian, no matter what confession he belongs to. True faith is one - Orthodox; but all Christian beliefs - through the longsuffering of the Almighty - hold on. Everybody has the same gospel; yes, not everyone understands and expresses themselves in the same way. The delusions of those who have fallen away from the Universal Church are not a reproach from birth to those brought up in this or that confession. Simple souls are in simplicity and believe according to the teachings commanded to them, without being embarrassed by religious debates that are inaccessible to them. Their spiritual leaders will answer for them. Learned theologians are found in all Christian nations, and pious people have been and will be both in the Greek Catholic, Orthodox Church, and in the Roman Catholic Church. True religious tolerance is not hardened by the mediastinum separating Christians, but grieves for those who are mistaken and prays "for the unification of all."

“The great archpastor, a pillar of the Russian Church, Metropolitan Philaret was also one of the pillars of the Russian state. Emperors and grand dukes, ministers and senators, governors and generals listened to his experience and wisdom. None of the important political events left him indifferent.

The name of Metropolitan Filaret is closely connected with the reform of 1861 - the liberation of the landlord peasants from serfdom. It was on him that the choice fell when it was necessary to draw up an appeal of the tsar to the people - "Manifesto". The Manifesto, written by the saint, was promulgated on February 19, serving to appease the peasants, excited by the expectation of great changes.

With all his obedience to the law and his readiness to obey the autocrat, the saint refused to fulfill the royal commands when they contradicted his Christian conscience. In 1829, Nicholas I in memory of Patriotic War ordered to erect the Triumphal Gates in Moscow. Metropolitan Filaret performed a prayer service at the foundation of the monument. When the gates were built and the sovereign wished the Moscow archpastor to consecrate them, the fearless saint refused to do so, declaring that "it is impossible for a servant of the true God to consecrate and sprinkle with holy water statues representing pagan false gods." The Emperor was informed of the Metropolitan's refusal and his words were conveyed, Nicholas I remarked, not without irony: "I am not Peter the Great, he is not Mitrofan." The people, however, saw in this act of the archpastor a repetition of the confessional deed of Saint Mitrofan of Voronezh.

For almost half a century, Metropolitan Filaret ruled the Moscow diocese. Mutual bonds Christian love between the archpastor and the flock especially strengthened after the cholera that hit Moscow in 1830. Not doubting the usefulness of medical devices, Metropolitan Philaret, however, more than on earthly doctors, relied on the prayer and mercy of the Heavenly Physician of souls and bodies. He ordered to perform religious processions with prayer singing. In the Kremlin, the Metropolitan himself, together with the brethren of the Chudov Monastery in the open air, on his knees prayed for an end to the pestilence.

At the end of the earthly life of the saint, more than a general pestilence, another popular misfortune disturbed - the widespread spread of drunkenness. The reverent altar minister, Metropolitan Philaret, considered the celebration of the Liturgy to be his most important bishop's duty. Even in a time of feeble old age, he served every Sunday, unless illness chained him to his bed. Despite the low voice, his ministry was filled with prayer and beauty. After the service, no matter how many parishioners there were in the church, he blessed everyone, overshadowing everyone with a leisurely sign of the cross. The consecration of churches brought great joy to the saint; for half a century of service in Moscow, he consecrated more than a dozen newly created churches.

At almost every service, the saint delivered a sermon. He pronounced them in a quiet, weak voice, almost never improvised, did not speak by heart, but read from paper. The viceroy of the Lavra, Archimandrite Anthony (Medvedev), once asked the saint: “Why don't you converse with the people in the church without preparation? And in your ordinary conversation, even write your every word in a book ... "-" You don't have enough courage, "answered the great preacher, who was given a rare gift of speech from God, with humility.

In the administration of the diocese, Metropolitan Filaret did not attach particular importance to formal resolutions. In judicial decisions, which he had to take as a diocesan bishop, the saint was always just, and upon consideration, in some cases he was lenient and merciful, and in others - strict and implacable, being guided not by bias, but by concern for the good of the Church and for the benefit. human souls.

He watched especially closely the state of the Moscow Theological Academy. Without his knowledge, no important business was done at the academy. With his blessing and under his supervision, the professors of the academy began an extremely important work - the translation of the works of the holy fathers into Russian.

The saint's favorite brainchild was the Gethsemane skete, built in 1844 at the initiative of Archimandrite Anthony, the governor of the Lavra. At the consecration of the skete church, Metropolitan Philaret donned the robe of St. Sergius. The saint fell in love with Gethsemane so much that she seemed to him an earthly paradise, the best abode in the world.

The lofty monastic exploits of his contemporaries and manifestations of holiness aroused deep interest and reverence in Metropolitan Philaret. He was an admirer of the Monk Seraphim, about whose amazing life he most often learned from conversations with Archimandrite Anthony, he highly appreciated the spiritual wisdom of the Sarov elder. “The advice of Father Seraphim is wonderful,” he wrote, “not to scold for a vice, but only to show its shame and consequences. May the elder's prayers help us learn how to fulfill it. "

Many sayings of Metropolitan Filaret, spoken in conversations with visitors, amaze with the depth of wisdom and the power of words. One of the interlocutors, in a conversation about frequent falls, philosophically remarked: “What to do? The spirit is cheerful, but the flesh is weak! " “Isn't it the other way around,” objected the Metropolitan, “the flesh is vigorous, but the spirit is weak.”

The saint's day usually began long before dawn. morning rule and the performance of worship or prayer participation in it. After the liturgy, he drank tea - and the official activities began: reports of the secretary and employees in the consistory, reception of visitors; between 2 and 3 pm a light lunch; then an hour or two of rest, which consisted of reading books, newspapers and magazines; and again business - reports, official correspondence.

His home environment in the Trinity courtyard in the Lavra chambers was simple and modest. He considered human praises that reached the ears of the saint to be harmful to the soul and reproached those who addressed him with words of praise, even sincerely spoken. "Do mercy," he wrote, "do not tell me about my humility, which I have not achieved, and do not apply to me names that I am not worthy to bear."

On September 17, 1867, Metropolitan Philaret, at the end of the early Liturgy in the Lavra Cross Church, said to his confessor, Archimandrite Anthony: “I now had a dream, and I was told: take care of the 19th number”. - “Holy Lord! How can you believe dreams and look for any meaning in them? " - Father Anthony doubted. But the saint said with firm confidence: “I did not see a dream - my parent appeared to me and said those words to me. I think from this time on every 19th day to receive the Holy Mysteries ”. On October 19, having received communion in the home church, he again departed for Gethsemane and, having said goodbye to her forever, returned to Moscow to the Trinity courtyard. These days, he did not refuse to admit anyone, but he told those who wanted to visit him once again that they should come before November 19.

Two days before the departure, the saint felt more cheerful than usual, and he himself figured out the reason for the sudden improvement: "Before death," he said, "old people always feel fresh and lighter." On Sunday 19 November 1867, Metropolitan Filaret celebrated the Liturgy at the Trinity Compound. After the service he received visitors. After seeing off the guests, the archpastor moved into the office to do business. The attendant, who invited him to dinner a few hours later, said: “Wait a bit. I'll call". But there was no call. Then the worried cell-attendant entered the office. The Metropolitan was not there. From the study he hurried to a side room - and there he saw the archpastor on his knees near the washstand. The saint was breathless. After washing his face, he gave up his ghost. The funeral service for the Moscow archpastor took place on November 25 in the refectory church of the Chudov Monastery. The relics of Saint Philaret rest in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, together with the relics of Saint Innocent of Moscow.

The great man of prayer and fasting, Saint Philaret, through the exploit of his whole life, acquired the blessed gifts of the Holy Spirit, which appeared through him to people. In one noble family, the brother and sister did not agree on Metropolitan Philaret. His sister regarded him as a seer, and his brother was skeptical about him. One day, the brother intended to test his sagacity by deception. He changed into a poor dress and went to the Trinity courtyard. He told the Metropolitan that a misfortune befell him - the estate burned down - and asked for help. The saint brought him money with the words: "Here's to you for a burned-out estate." Returning home, he boastfully told his sister about the deception, which upset her. And the next day, news of the fire came from his village. Struck by this event, the fire-victim went to the Trinity courtyard to ask forgiveness from the saint.

Even during the earthly life of Metropolitan Philaret, many of the sick and desperate for help sought doctors through him, through his blessing and prayer, for all-powerful help from God. The daughter of a Moscow deacon was dying. The unhappy father, going to church, where he was supposed to concelebrate with Metropolitan Philaret, bade her farewell, no longer hoping to find her alive. Before the Liturgy, the deacon asked the saint to pray for his dying daughter. The saint said: "We will pray together with you," and took out part of the prosphora for it. “Do not be discouraged, the Lord is merciful,” he said, blessing the deacon after celebrating the Liturgy. At home, the deacon, to his great amazement and unspeakable joy, found his daughter out of danger. She soon recovered completely.

A Moscow merchant had an inflammation in his hand and the doctors decided to take it away. On the eve of the operation, a familiar Old Believer came to the patient's wife. Having learned about the grave condition of the merchant, she said with a sneer: "Why don't you turn to your metropolitan, because you venerate him as a saint." The merchant's wife took the wicked mockery for admonition and immediately went to the saint to ask him to pray for her grievously suffering husband. Metropolitan Philaret, having listened to the request, summoned their parish priest and ordered him to commune the patient and commemorate his health for 40 days during the Liturgy. In the evening of the same day, the patient saw in a dream the Metropolitan blessing him. The next day, after the merchant received Holy Communion, doctors came to him to perform the operation, but with considerable surprise they saw a drastic change in the patient's condition, and the need for the operation disappeared.

One peasant on his way to Moscow lost his way and, not finding it due to a severe blizzard, fell exhausted. But now he sees a shadow approaching him and, believing that this beast wants to tear him to pieces, he begins to pray to God for the forgiveness of his sins and calls on all the saints for help. As the shadow approaches, he sees an old man of small stature in a black cassock and a hat, who asks him: "Who are you and where are you from?" And when the peasant explained everything to him in detail, the elder takes his hand, saying: "Why are you so discouraged, get up, I will take you to the village." The peasant, feeling that his strength was renewed, got up, and the two of them easily reached the village. When the elder arrived, he said: "Stay, Lord, with you, now you are out of danger." The peasant with tears of gratitude, falling to his knees, asks: for whom he should pray. The elder speaks. “Pray for Philaret of Moscow,” and with these words he became invisible.

For a long time afterwards this man went to different monasteries in Moscow, trying to find his deliverer and, although he found monastics of this name, he did not recognize them as his helper. Having lived in Moscow for several days, he was already preparing for the return journey. Passing the Nikolsky Gate of the Kremlin, he meets an unknown merchant, who, seeing him sad and believing that he needs help, intended to give him alms, but he did not accept it. When the stranger asked about the reason for his grief, he told about what had happened. After listening to his story, the stranger says: "Probably our metropolitan saved you," and showed him the way to the Trinity courtyard, where the peasant went immediately and came at the very time when the Vladyka, returning from the Synodal office, got out of the carriage. The peasant immediately recognized him and, throwing himself on his knees, exclaimed: "Here is my deliverer!" Vladyka ordered him to shut up and follow him to the rooms, where the peasant told him everything in detail. Having listened to him, Vladyka said: “Do not attribute this to me, but pray to the Monk Sergius- he saved you. " At the same time, Vladyka gave him an icon of St. Sergius.

The memory of Saint Philaret, canonized in 1994, is celebrated on November 19, the day of his blessed death.

Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna Filaret (Drozdov) is undoubtedly the greatest figure in the history of the Russian Church in the 19th century. He was a learned theologian, statesman and canonized ascetic of piety, preacher and poet. Filaret Moskovsky lived long life... According to the historian of Russian theology, Fr. Georgy Florovsky "Literally from the conquest of the Crimea to the great reforms." He was born in 1782 and passed away in 1867. Only at the Moscow cathedra, his ministry lasted almost half a century (from 1821 to 1867), and by the end of his life his authority was such that his contemporaries called him the Metropolitan of All Russia, the “natural patriarch” of the Russian Church.

Metropolitan Filaret left behind more than 200 published works on many issues of theological science, Russian and general church history, clarification of the canons of the Church, preaching (preaching), state legislation and other branches of knowledge.

Metropolitan Philaret (in the world Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov) was born on December 26, 1782 in the town of Kolomna, Moscow province, into the family of a deacon, later a priest.

Since 1791, young Vasily Drozdov studied at Kolomenskaya, and then, since March 1800, at the Moscow Trinity Theological Seminary, from which he graduated on December 21, 1803.

After graduating from the Seminary, from the end of 1803 V.M. Drozdov was appointed teacher of Greek and Hebrew languages in his native Trinity Theological Seminary, from August 30, 1806 - a poetry teacher at the Trinity Theological Seminary and a preacher of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, from January 14, 1808 - a teacher of rhetoric and higher eloquence in Trinity Spiritual Seminaries. November 16, 1808 V.M. Drozdov took monastic tonsure with the name Filaret. On November 21, 1808, the monk Filaret was ordained a hierodeacon, on March 1, 1809, he was appointed inspector of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary and a teacher of philosophy at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. On March 28, 1809, Hierodeacon Filaret was ordained a hieromonk, after which in August 1809 he was appointed rector of the St. Petersburg Alexander Nevsky Theological School, on February 8, 1810 he was appointed bachelor of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy.

On July 8, 1811, Hieromonk Filaret was elevated to the rank of archimandrite, on March 11, 1812, he was appointed rector and professor of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, and on March 27, 1812, he was rector of the Yuryevsky monastery of the Novgorod diocese, while retaining the post of rector and professor of the Academy.

On August 13, 1814, Archimandrite Filaret was recognized as deserving of the degree of Doctor of Theology for a set of scientific works. On August 30, 1814, Archimandrite Filaret was appointed a member of the Commission of Spiritual Schools, in 1816 - a member of the Russian Bible Society, in March 1816 - abbot of the Moscow Novospassky Monastery, retaining the post of rector and professor of the Academy, on June 2, 1816 - a member of the Committee of Judicial affairs of persons of the clergy of the Orthodox confession, on July 16, 1816 - a member of the Council of the Humanitarian Society, on March 3, 1817 - a member of the Construction Committee at St. Petersburg. Theological Academy, April 7, 1817 - a member of the Main Board of Schools. On August 5, 1817, Archimandrite Filaret was elevated to the rank of Bishop of Revel, vicar of the St. Petersburg Diocese, on September 21, 1818 - elected a full member of the Russian Academy, on March 15, 1819 - removed by the Archbishop of Tver and appointed a member of the Holy Synod, on September 26, 1820 - moved by the Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, July 3, 1821 - moved by the Archbishop of Moscow.

On August 22, 1826, His Eminence Filaret became Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, where he remained until his death. Metropolitan Filaret was also elected a full or honorary member of many other scientific, educational and charitable institutions. Metropolitan Filaret in different time was awarded numerous high church and civil awards.

In addition to the above, Metropolitan Filaret is known as an outstanding hierarch of Russian, pan-Orthodox and ecumenical significance, a prominent scholar and connoisseur of universal Orthodox theology, general church history and the canons of the Church, a prominent preacher of his time.

Many important events in the history of the Russian Church and the Russian state of the 19th century are associated with the name of Metropolitan Filaret.

A zealot of Orthodox statehood, Saint Filaret developed many legislative documents of the Russian Empire. In 1823, on behalf of Alexander I, he drew up and kept secret an act on the appointment of Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich Romanov as heir to the throne. For loyalty to the throne in a critical situation, Nicholas I, on August 22, 1826, on the day of his coronation, elevated Filaret to the rank of metropolitan. Speaking on behalf of the Church about the problems of the Church and the state, Metropolitan Filaret, as far as the circumstances allowed, formulated his position and proposed solutions. And they were always so thorough that it was simply impossible not to reckon with the authoritative opinion of this powerful person in church politics. The saint made a direct creative and decisive organizational contribution to the implementation of the Synodal translation of the Bible into Russian.

In addition to sermons and other creations, there is another monument to the complicity of Metropolitan Filaret in the work of Russian literature. This is a verse dialogue between Metropolitan Filaret and Alexander Pushkin. In May 1828, being in a state of some inner joylessness, Pushkin wrote the famous stanzas: "A vain gift, an accidental gift." These verses were transmitted to the Metropolitan by his spiritual daughter Elizaveta Khitrovo. The Saint of Moscow, who appreciated the poet's talent, saw in these verses "the groan of a lost soul, the murmur of self-devouring despair" and, like a spiritual physician, responded with an encouraging message:

Not in vain, not by chance
Life is given to me from God,
Not without the will of God a mystery
And she was sentenced to death.
I myself am a wayward power
Evil has called out from the dark abysses,
I filled it myself soul with passion,
The mind stirred with doubt.
Remember me, forgotten by me,
Shine through the gloom of doom
And it will be created by You
The heart is pure, the mind is bright.

This inspired prayerful outpouring for the poet who is suffering with gloomy thoughts is a living expression of the needs of the soul, which has not yet entered the life-giving light of God forgotten by it and therefore tormented by the darkness of bewilderment and delusion, and at the same time an indication of where the main source of healing is. Pushkin understood this. Touched and sensible, he responded with gratitude to his healer with a poem "In hours of amusement or idle boredom ...":

And now from a spiritual height
You extend your hand to me
And by the strength of meek and loving
You subdue wild dreams.
Your soul is burning with your fire,
Rejected the darkness of earthly vanities,
And hears the harp of Seraphim
The poet is in sacred horror.

The Moscow saint influenced the cultural world of his time, especially such writers as Gogol, Tyutchev, Zhukovsky, Khomyakov and even Dostoevsky.

He was elected an honorary member of the Academy of Sciences on December 13, 1827. He was elected as an ordinary academician of the Academy of Sciences for the department of Russian language and literature on October 19, 1841.