Consecration to the Deacon is performed at the liturgy, in the altar, from the moment of the exclamation "And let there be mercy ..." (i.e., after the anaphora) and before the litany "All the saints having remembered ...". This moment was appointed because deacons are called only to serve during the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist, but they are not given the right to celebrate it. In view of this, they are ordained at the end of the canon of the liturgy, i.e. after the conversion of St. gifts. On the same basis, it is permitted to ordain deacons at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. In this case, the ordination takes place after the transfer of the gifts to the throne (great entrance) and before the litany: “Let us fulfill our evening prayer to the Lord ...”.

Consecration as a presbyter performed at the altar during the liturgy. The time of the celebration is the moment of the liturgy after the great entrance, at the end of the Cherubic Hymn. Ordination is performed at this time so that the newly deceased can participate in the offering of a bloodless sacrifice.

Church rules do not determine the time of the commission episcopal consecration, to any specific days, but since in the apostolic decrees, an indication is given that the consecration in the bishop. It was performed on the "day of the Lord" i.e. on Sunday, therefore, this day takes precedence over other days for ruling in ep. But since these requirements are not binding, then consecration in ep. Can be done on any day. Consecration should always be performed in the temple, in the altar. According to Canon 5 of the Council of Laodicea, consecration is performed only at the liturgy. The moment of consecration is the small entrance, after which, before the reading of the apostle, consecration is performed. At this time, ordination is performed because the bishop can not only consecrate gifts, but also perform ordination over priests and deacons. According to the 1st Apostolic Canon, consecration must be performed by a council of bishops, consisting of at least 2 bishops. Such an order is because all bishops are equal among themselves in their hierarchical powers, and therefore not a single bishop. in itself does not have the right to supply other bishops. This right belongs only to their council, for according to the word ap. Paul - "the lesser is blessed by the greater" (Heb.7.7).

Literature: Neselovsky A. “The ranks of consecrations and consecrations (the experience of historical and dogmatic research) Kameney - Podolsk 1906 (pp. 166,167; 212; 375, 375).

Option 2 (Chinese Order).

Deacon ordination takes place after the consecration of the gifts, after the "Our Father". Since the deacon does not celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist, but only serves at it. The ordination over him takes place after the consecration of the Gifts, namely after the words of the bishop: “And may the mercies of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ be with you all” (that is, after the anaphora) and before the litany “All the saints have remembered ...”. At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, ordination to the deacon is performed after the great entrance before the litany: "Let us fulfill our prayer to the Lord."

The serving deacon loudly proclaims: “Command!”. Two deacons come out of the Royal Doors, take the protege by the arms, lead him through the Royal Doors (he enters for the first time through the Royal Doors) into the altar, bring him to the Throne and to the bishop. The bishop usually sits on the left side of the Throne. Two deacons lead the protege around the Altar, they go around the Altar three times, each time the protégé kisses the Altar at the four corners and, going around the Altar, bows to the bishop. And at this time, those troparia are sung that are also sung in the Sacrament of Marriage: “Holy Martyrs”, “Glory to Thee, Christ God”, and then “Isaiah, rejoice”.

This rite is often called "the wedding with the Throne." It is customary in the Russian Church that the bishop removes the wedding ring from the protege's hand and places it on the Throne. The deacon or priest never wears this ring again, as a sign that from now on he no longer belongs to his family completely, as before. Now his family is receding, as it were, into the background, and his first family is the Church, so that he is now, first of all, betrothed to the Church. This is a very characteristic moment. You remember that in the Epistles of the Apostles the Church is called the Bride of Christ, and Christ is called the Bridegroom of the Church. And so, if a priest becomes engaged to the Church, this means that he takes on the image of the Bridegroom of the Church, i.e. image of Christ.

After he is circled three times around the Throne, he kneels at the right corner of the Throne, and the bishop lays hands on him and reads the consecration prayer. There are very wonderful, significant words in this prayer: “Divine Grace, always healing the infirm and replenishing the impoverished, prophesies (i.e. consecrates, ordains) the most reverent subdeacon (the name of the rivers) to the deacon. Let us pray for him, that the Grace of the Holy Spirit may come upon him.”

And after this ordination, another prayer is read, loudly, aloud. Then the people, and now it is usually the choir and the clergy, sing "Axios", this is a very solemn last moment of the Sacrament. The bishop takes the newly appointed deacon (or priest) to the pulpit, puts on him separate parts of the appropriate vestment, each time showing them to the people, and exclaims:

"Axios" ("worthy" - Greek), and all the people sing: "Axios, axios, axios." This is a sign of the participation of the people in the ordination, which means that the people accept it. The people must necessarily perform what is called reception, i.e. By accepting this Sacrament, he, as it were, certifies this Sacrament.

And the ordination of a priest is performed in the same way, only earlier - at the beginning of the Liturgy of the faithful after the Great Entrance. The ordained immediately participates in the liturgy. Ordination to the priesthood is performed only at the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom or St. Basil the Great, but does not occur at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

The service begins after the transfer of the Holy Gifts from the altar to the throne at the end of the Cherubic Hymn, so that the ordained person can participate in the consecration of the Gifts.

Consecration of a bishop It takes place on a feast day with a large gathering of the believing people. Since the bishop can not only consecrate the Gifts, but also perform the ordination to the deacon and priest, the ordination to the bishop is performed before the reading of the Apostle. After entering with the Gospel and the Trisagion Hymn, the protopresbyter and protodeacon lead the consecrated person to the royal doors, and he is "accepted from the bishop into the holy altar, before the holy meal." Here, taking off the miter, making three bows before the throne and kissing it, he kneels directly against the middle of the throne, folds his hands crosswise and lays them on the edge of the holy meal, and the head between them, falling directly to Christ, invisibly present here. On his head is laid the open Gospel written down, as an image of the hand of the Lord, calling to preach the word of God, elevating and subordinating him to the gospel law. The hierarchs lay their hands on top of the Gospel, and the leader pronounces the sacramental prayer: "... by the election and trial of the most God-loving hierarchs and of the entire consecrated Council, Divine grace ..." and so on, as during the consecration to the presbyter and deacon.

72. Explain the literal meaning of the Greek word "consecration". What does the exclamation at the beginning of the ordination mean, “Command…, command…, lead, Most Reverend Vladyko”?

Consecration to the degree of clergy (deacon, presbyter, bishop) is carried out through the Sacrament of the Priesthood, which is called the sacramental ordination, or consecration(Greek ceir - hand, tonew - to elect by raising the hand). Priests belong to the highest levels of the church hierarchy, into which they can be ordained only after they have served in the positions of the lower levels of the clergy. (Committed at the altar).

Consecration to the degree of a clergyman (reader, singer, subdeacon, as well as the elevation to the sacred ranks of a protodeacon, archpriest, abbot and archimandrite) is carried out with the blessing of the bishop through the church rite of laying on of hands, called chirothesia(Greek ceir - hand and titemi - to lay, appoint, laying on a hand). The clergy belong to the lower levels of the clergy, they receive the grace of God for participation in church services, and in all their actions in the Church they are subordinate to the clergy. The main liturgical elements of which are blessing, laying on of hands, prayer and naming. Unlike consecration, consecration to the ranks of clergy - ordination - is not a mysterious ordination of the Priesthood, but is a sacred action that is performed by a bishop's blessing and laying on of hands as a sign of confirmation in a church position. This laying on of the hand does not utter the mysterious words of invocation of grace. (Performed outside the altar).

ordained two subdeacons lead from the middle of the church (when ordained a deacon) or protodeacon and deacon (at the consecration to the presbyter). They lead him among themselves, each holding his hand with one hand, and laying the other on his neck, bending him. At this time, the deacon proclaims in the altar: "Led" asking the consent of the people of God for the ordination. On the way to the altar, another deacon proclaims: "Command" asking the consent of the clergy to accept a new clergyman. The newly appointed one is brought to the royal doors and bowed before the bishop, the protodeacon says: "Command, Most Reverend Vladyko," asking the consent of the bishop for ordination.

Literature: Prot. Gennady Nefyodov "Sacraments and Rites of the Orthodox Church", Moscow 1999 (pp. 200, 204); Table book of the clergyman v.4. Russian Orthodox Church publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate 2001 (pp. 348, 350).

Orthodox dogmatic theology on the Sacrament of the Priesthood: "consecration" in the Ancient Church, election and ordination in the ancient Church, the essence and consummatory words of the Sacrament.

The pastoral service in the Church was discussed in the section on the "Church Hierarchy." It was shown that the hierarchy in the Church was established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, that it was inseparable from the existence of the Church, and that in the apostolic period it received a three-level organization.

But the hierarchical ministry in the Church, especially the episcopal and presbyter, is a special, exclusive ministry: it is a grace-filled ministry. Here is the shepherding of God's flock, the highest model of which the Lord gave in His earthly ministry: I am the good shepherd, and I know Mine, and Mine know Me... The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep... Here standing before the Lord in prayer is not only for themselves, but also for the people. Here is the guidance of the souls of people on the way to their attainment of the Kingdom of Heaven. The clergyman offers, on behalf of the whole people, a bloodless Sacrifice in the Divine Liturgy. And if in every good deed we ask for God's blessing and help, then even more so, when entering the pastoral ministry for life, God's grace is called, blessing this feat, assisting and strengthening the future shepherd. The blessing is sent down to the one who approaches with trembling to accept the gift of clergy in the sacrament of the priesthood, through ordination from the bishop, who himself bears the grace of the priesthood by succession, during the prayer of the cathedral of clergy and all the people at the service. It is also called the sacrament of ordination.

Holy Scripture gives direct and clear indications that consecration to the degree of the priesthood is the communication of a special, grace-filled, mystical gift, without which this service cannot be fulfilled.

"Chirotonia" in the ancient Church. It can be seen from the book of Acts how the Apostles did everything according to the instruction of Christ and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and when it became necessary for them to appoint deacons in the Church to help themselves, they proposed to choose from among the disciples seven men filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and when they were placed before them, then they prayed and laid hands on them (Acts 6:2-6). Here, two different acts are distinguished with complete clarity: the election of famous persons for the diaconal ministry and their prayerful ordination. Election is like a simple human affair, while ordination is like a special sacrament for this purpose and an action of divine grace.

In the same book of Acts, we find an indication of the laying on of hands, as a sacred act, by which presbyters were appointed for the primordial Church. Book writer, St. app. Luke tells how the apostles Paul and Barnabas, passing through the cities of Asia Minor with a sermon, multiplying the number of Christians in them: having ordained (hirotonisondes) for them presbyters to each church, they prayed with fasting and committed them to the Lord (Acts 14:23). This ordination was of particular importance, as it was performed by the apostles Paul and Barnabas themselves. This was testified by ap. Paul in farewell conversation with the elders of the Ephesian church. He put it this way about them: Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit (through the apostolic ordination) has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of the Lord and God, which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

Finally, in the epistles of St. Paul to Timothy, we have a direct indication of ordination, as a blessed priesthood through which bishops were ordained. So in the first epistle to Timothy, the former bishop of the Ephesian church, the apostle writes: Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the priesthood (4:14). In the second epistle to him he writes: I remind you to kindle the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands (1:6). From a comparison of one place with another, it is clear that Timothy was ordained by the priesthood and by the apostle himself. Paul, or what is the same, the council of the oldest clergy under the leadership of St. Paul, and that by this the gift of God was communicated to Timothy, which has to remain with him forever, as his property. Only one thing is required of him - not to neglect him, but to warm him up. That episcopal ordination is meant here is fully confirmed by further instructions to him: from them it is clear that he is invested with the authority to ordain others (1 Tim. 5:22), has the right to supervise the presbyters in his jurisdiction (1 Tim. 5:17 and 19) and in general is a builder "in the house of God, which is the church of the living God" (1 Tim. 3:15).

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Succession list of Orthodox hierarchs of the Constantinople and Russian Orthodox Church- Nikolay Varzhansky
Episcopate of the Russian Orthodox Church - currently living bishops in the order of ordination and episcopal consecration- Patriarchy.Ru
Orthodox Church and sectarians. Priesthood and temple- Archpriest Dmitry Vladykov
Memo to the shepherds- Archbishop of Kharkov and Bogodukhovsky Stefan Protsenko
- Archpriest Mikhail Pomazansky
Words from the Oath of a protege before ordination to the rank of deacon and priest- Patriarchy.Ru
Why are priests needed?- Leonid Vinogradov, Irina Lukhmanova
The temptations of a young priest- Anthony Skrynnikov
Myths about priests- Boring Garden
To avoid trouble- Priest Mikhail Vorobyov
Appointment of a bishop: how is it done?- Archpriest Maxim Kozlov
How does a bishop receive grace?- Archpriest Maxim Kozlov

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Election and Ordination in the Ancient Church. The foregoing leads to the undoubted conclusion that the apostles, by the authorization of Christ, established three hierarchical degrees and that ordination was used for the elevation in them, which communicated grace for their ministry. It goes without saying that the successors of the apostles, the bishops, had to exactly fulfill the apostolic decrees of ordination, in the same apostolic meaning and meaning. So it was in the Church in later times.

Although in the ancient Church the ordination to the priesthood took place after their general election and the consent of the church community or the local church, this ordination itself was an act completely separate and different from such election and was performed by persons equal in their powers to the apostles, who were their successors. Bishops were and remain such persons. From early evidence of this, one can point to the words of St. Irenaeus (2nd century), who says: “It is necessary to follow the presbyters, (in the sense of the “oldest” - bishops) those who in the Church have succession from the apostles, and along with the succession of episcopacy, by the good pleasure of the Father, received the gift of truth. " This obviously speaks of the grace-filled gift received upon ordination.

The same thought can be found in Tertullian, and in Clement of Alexandria (3rd century) there is already a definite indication that "election" is far from being what is given by appointment through ordination. This, just as Christ's election of the apostles (among which Judas was) was not equal to the "appointment," which the apostles subsequently received through the breath of Christ. The selection of famous persons for the priesthood is the work of people, while their ordination is not a human work, but God's. The “Apostolic Canons” command: “Let two or three bishops appoint a bishop; let one bishop appoint a presbyter, deacon and other clergy (1st and 2nd right). Here the uniqueness of consecration (ordination) is established:“ or a presbyter or deacon accepts a second ordination from someone, let him and the ordainer be deposed from the sacred rank, unless it is still known for certain that he has ordination from heretics "(68 right). Thus, the grace given in the consecration of the priesthood, is recognized as unchanging and indelible, like the grace given in baptism.However, the grace of ordination is special and different from the grace given in baptism and in the sacrament of chrismation.

The Essence and Perfecting Words of the Sacrament. So, the sacrament of the priesthood is such a sacred action in which, through the prayerful laying on of episcopal hands on the head of the chosen person, Divine grace descends on this person, sanctifying and placing him on a certain level of the church hierarchy and then assisting him in the passage of his hierarchical duties. The ordination prayer reads as follows: Divine grace, always healing the weak and replenishing the impoverished, prophesies (such and such) most reverent subdeacon to become a deacon (or a deacon to become a presbyter). Let us pray for him, that the grace of the All-Holy Spirit may come upon him.

In contrast to the sacrament of ordination, the placement of a clergy (reader, subdeacon) in the lower degrees is called ordination.

The celibacy of bishops. - There is an obligation of celibacy for a bishop. In the first centuries of Christianity, such a requirement was not obligatory, but already from apostolic times, bishops were allowed to evade marriage for the sake of the feat of abstinence. This custom was strengthened, and the 6th Ecumenical Council made it a legal rule. As for priests and deacons, the Church decided not to impose such a mandatory burden on them and to follow the ancient rule, forbidding clergymen to marry upon their receipt of consecration, but allowing persons already married to the sacrament of the priesthood, and even considering it normal. Those who are second-married, as well as those who have a wife in a second marriage, cannot be ordained. In the Roman Church in the 4th-6th centuries, celibacy also began to be introduced for priests and deacons. This innovation was rejected by the 6th Ecumenical Council, but this prohibition was ignored by the popes.

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Age qualification of a candidate for the priesthood: historical and legal analysis. Part I. Church canons and practice of the ancient Church- Anatoly Kolot
Age qualification of a candidate for the priesthood: historical and legal analysis. Part II. Age requirements for a candidate for the priesthood and the practice of ordination in the Russian Church (988-1918)- Anatoly Kolot
Age qualification of a candidate for the priesthood: historical and legal analysis. Part III. Norms on the Age Qualifications of a Candidate for the Priesthood and the State of the Practice of Ordinations in the Russian Orthodox Church in the Newest Period (1918-2008)- Anatoly Kolot

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Protestants rejected the priesthood as a "sacrament." Their pastors are chosen and appointed by the people, but do not receive any special gracious consecration, and in this sense do not differ from the ordinary members of their congregations. Historically, this is explained by the protest against the abuse of their rights by the Latin clergy at the end of the Middle Ages. The Protestants put forward as a theoretical justification the fact that the ordination to the priesthood received the name of the sacrament only at a later time. But such an excuse is priceless. We see from the teaching and practice of the apostles and from the everlasting belief of the Church that consecration from the beginning is a sacramental rite of grace, and therefore, calling it a sacrament at a later time, did not introduce anything new, but only more accurately expressed its essence. This is similar to how the term omousios, adopted at the First Ecumenical Council, did not introduce anything new into the ancient church teaching about the Divinity of the Son of God, but only defined and approved it. Unfortunately, the Protestants, defending their false position, continue to stubbornly derive the concept of the Christian sacraments from the pagan mysteries.

Michael Pomazansky, archpriest

dogmatic theology. – Wedge:

Christian Life Foundation, 2001

The Sacrament of the Priesthood, or Consecration (ordination - Greek), is performed at the elevation to the holy rank. There are three holy orders - deacon, priest and bishop. Accordingly, the Sacrament of the Priesthood is of three degrees: deacon ordination, priestly (priestly) and episcopal ordination.

All six Sacraments, which have already been told, have the right to perform the priest. This, the seventh, is only a bishop. It is also called the Ordination, because when it is performed, the bishop places his hands on the head of the one who should become a priest, and the grace of God descends on the person through the hands of the bishop, consecrating him to the holy rank.

This Sacrament is performed especially solemnly in the church at the liturgy in the presence of the people, as if confirming the words of the bishop "Axios!", which means "Worthy!"

Who is the sacrament performed on?

Only a man can be a priest in the Orthodox Church. Without detracting from the dignity of a woman, this reminds us of the image of Christ, which is represented by the priest during the performance of the Sacraments. But not every man can be a priest. The Apostle Paul in his epistle to Timothy names the qualities that a clergyman should possess: he must be blameless, once married, sober, chaste, honest, must love to receive wanderers' homes, must be able to teach the people. He should not be a drunkard, should not engage in assault, should not be quarrelsome, disinterested, quiet, peaceful, should not love money. He must also manage his family well, so that his children will be obedient and honest, because, as the apostle notes, “He who does not know how to manage his own house, will he care about the Church of God?”

It is forbidden to appoint priests from among the converts, "not to be proud." The priest must also be respected not only by the members of the Church, but also "external", to "Don't get reprimanded."

The Meaning of the Sacrament

Through the position of the hands of the bishop, the Holy Spirit descends on the one chosen in the Sacrament of the Priesthood and bestows on him a special priestly grace.

For a deacon, this means serving during the Sacraments, helping the priest and the bishop.

For a priest (priest) - this is the opportunity to perform six Sacraments of the Church, except for one - Ordination. The priest performs the Sacraments if he has the permission of the bishop to do so, and not of his own free will.

Finally, during the hierarchal ordination, the grace of God allows the one appointed to the bishopric to perform all the Sacraments, including priestly ordinations, and to oversee order and piety in the Church. A bishop in a cathedral with other bishops may also ordain a bishop. He cannot do this alone. These are the church rules.

In the ancient Church, bishops and priests were chosen by the people. But this does not mean that the priestly power to govern the people, to teach them and stand before the Lord for them, is given to the priest by the people in elections, as deputies. This power is given to the priest by the Lord in the Sacrament of Ordination. The apostolic ordinances state that the bishop must be elected by the whole people. It is forbidden to ordain as bishops those who are appointed by secular authorities.

Performing the Sacrament

There are three degrees of priesthood: deacon, priest and bishop. Depending on the degree of priesthood in which the ordination takes place, it refers to one or another moment of the liturgy.

The ordination to the bishopric takes place immediately after the reading of the Apostle (see "The Service"). The ordination of a priest takes place after the end of the Cherubic Hymn and the transfer of the Holy Gifts from the altar to the throne, and the ordination of a deacon takes place after the consecration of the Gifts, after the words: "And may the mercies of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ be with you all." Since only subdeacons are ordained deacons, if a candidate for deacon has not been ordained a subdeacon, he or she is ordained before the start of the liturgy.

Ordination to the priesthood

The protodeacon asks the bishop for consent to the ordination by exclaiming: Lead, His Grace Vladiko. The Lord blesses the initiate, and he circles around the throne three times with the same hymns that are laid down during the performance of the Sacrament of Marriage: "Holy Martyrs…», “Glory to Thee, Christ God…”, “Isaiah, rejoice…”. Bowing three times to the throne, the initiate bows his head to it, the bishop covers his head with the edge of the omophorion, puts his hands on top and reads a prayer: “ Divine grace, which always heals the weak and replenishes what is depleted, with my hands ordained the most reverent deacon to the presbyter. Let us pray for him, that the grace of the All-Holy Spirit may descend upon him.

After the prayers, the bishop gives the priest in turn all the details of the priestly clothing: the epitrachelion, the belt, the phelonion, and also the service book. At this time, the choir on behalf of the faithful sings “Axios!”, that is, “Worthy!”. Then the newly initiated stands in a row of other priests as an equal.

Ordination to the Deacon takes place after the call "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ... be with you all." Basically, it is similar to the priestly ordination. After the Consecration, the deacon takes the ripida in his hands and leads it crosswise over the Holy Gifts standing on the throne.

Ordination to the bishop. This is a solemn event for the entire Church. Bishops are all equal among themselves in holy order, therefore one bishop cannot perform ordination, but only two or more, that is, conciliarly. There is a rite of naming a future bishop in advance, when the council of bishops first announces this.

On the very day of the Ordination, the chosen one, in the presence of the bishops and the people, before the liturgy, reads the Creed and promises to observe the rules of the Church, to observe the peace of the Church, to obey the Patriarch, to be in harmony with all the bishops, to govern the flock with the love and fear of God. He promises that he will not do anything against church canons, even under the threat of death, not to interfere in the affairs of other dioceses. In conclusion, he undertakes to fulfill all the civil laws of his Fatherland. The text of this promise, signed by him, he gives to the first of the assembled bishops.

The ordination itself takes place immediately after the reading of the Apostle. The assembled bishops lay their hands on the head of the initiate, and the eldest of them reads two prayers, then the initiate puts on the hierarchal robes and takes part in the divine service already as a bishop.

What creed a priest has and whether anyone can be ordained, Archimandrite Dosifey (Mikhailyuk), a teacher of KDAiS, knows for sure.

A priest must have a soul purer than the very rays of the sun,
so that the Holy Spirit never leaves him without himself,
and so that he could say: I live not to anyone,
but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

"Six words about the priesthood" St. John Chrysostom

– What is the Sacrament of the Priesthood?

– There are seven Sacraments in the Orthodox Church, which are an integral part of the life of every believer: Baptism, Confirmation, Repentance, Eucharist, Marriage, Unction, Priesthood. Of course, each Sacrament is special in its significance, and an Orthodox Christian can proceed to anyone. But not to the Sacrament of the Priesthood, for not everyone is worthy of such a fate by the Lord. As Jesus Christ says: “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16).

It should also be noted that the purpose of every Sacrament is to sanctify a person, to make him a partner in church life, a member of the Church of Christ, which leads all its faithful children to salvation and for the sake of which these Sacraments are performed. The Sacrament of the Priesthood has a completely different goal: not the sanctification and salvation of a protege - he is ordained in order for other people to be saved through him. Therefore, in this Sacrament, the general church service is in the first place. This is the fundamental difference between ordination.

The Priesthood itself was not formed in the New Testament Church with the advent of the Savior into the world, but has Old Testament roots. As the Holy Scripture tells us, since the time of the prophet Moses, at the direction of the Lord, men from the tribe of Levi were chosen for priestly service, whom the Lord separated from all God’s chosen people, “to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, stand before the Lord, serve Him and bless in His name” (Deut. 10:8).

Having come into the world, the Savior also chose twelve disciples, and later seventy more, whom he sent to preach to mankind about the coming of the Savior into the world, about His sufferings, death and Resurrection, about the Kingdom of God. On the day of Holy Pentecost, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit upon them, and with this Lord's blessing, they gained the ability to bring God's saving grace to others and rule the Church. Later, when the need arose for the worthy management and instruction of the faithful, the holy apostles, following the example of Jesus Christ and by the will of the Holy Spirit, chose their successors and disciples. Through ordination, they consecrated them to the service of the Church and handed over to them the succession of pastoral ministry. This ordination is an uninterrupted spiritual bond that, through all the centuries, unites the modern priesthood with the apostles, and through them with Christ Himself. Such a continuous connection is an indication of the canonical dignity of the priesthood, of their apostolic succession, which is especially important now - in the era of schisms, heresies and other attacks on the Holy Apostolic Catholic Church.

- What is consecration? What is the mystery of this action?

- Consecration is ordination to one of the degrees of the priesthood. There are three degrees of priesthood: diaconal, priestly and the highest degree - episcopal, through which the apostolic succession is preserved in the Church.
The ordination of a deacon takes place at the end of the Liturgy, after the consecration of the Holy Gifts, a priest is ordained after the Great Entrance, and the consecration of a bishop takes place after the singing of the Trisagion. As we can see, the higher the degree of priesthood, the earlier it is celebrated at the Liturgy.

The Sacrament of the Priesthood has always evoked joy and delight in all those present, both in the altar and in the church. Of course, this Sacrament causes special joy among priests who rejoice for their new brother. It should also be noted that all those present in the temple in some way participate in the consecration of a protege, since each of them responds to the exclamation of the bishop “Axios” with a triple exclamation of “Axios”. The word "axios" in Greek means "worthy", and when the people say these words, they confirm the worthiness of the chosen candidate, giving their consent to his pastoral ministry. With this exclamation, people show that they are ready to trust the work of their salvation into the hands of the newly appointed shepherd and follow him to Christ.

What is the priest's credo?

– Every priest is a pointing sign on the path of salvation. He must always be ready to show every believer that narrow but true path that will lead him to Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven. At the same time, the priest must act as a teacher and spiritual doctor, guided by their principles. A priest, as a doctor, has no right to harm, but as a teacher, he must put his whole life on the altar of spiritual science, but teach and illuminate the path of salvation with his teaching. "Aliis inserviendo consumer" ("Shine to others, I burn") - this creed as a symbol of self-sacrifice and should be at the head of the life of every clergyman.

What should a priest be like?

– Being a priest is the greatest mercy, but it is also a very big responsibility, because a priest is a shepherd, followed by a flock. And in order to bring it to salvation, you need to make much more effort towards yourself. Answering this question, we, of course, turn to the holy fathers, to those ascetics of piety who, by word and by their own example, showed how one should be and how worthily one should carry this high title.

One such striking example is the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, who places great emphasis on self-development: “In order to manage others, one must first learn to manage oneself; in order to teach others, one must acquire knowledge oneself… When all sorts of passions play with me, it’s better for me not to undertake to manage others…”

The mission of a priest in this world is difficult. But the holy fathers instruct: no matter what test the Lord sends, He will always give strength to pass it, if a person completely believes in Him. This mission is not easy even now, in the modern world. I recall the sermon of Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil, in which he says that it was not easy to be a priest at all times and this requires enormous, inhuman strength from us. But in order to become a worthy servant of God, it is necessary first of all to put the Lord in the first place in your life.
Interviewed by Natalya Goroshkova

About sacraments. Sacrament of the Priesthood

THE CONCEPT OF THE MYSTERY

Priesthood is a sacrament in which, through hierarchal ordination (consecration), the Holy Spirit descends on the rightly chosen one and appoints him to perform the sacraments and shepherd the flock of Christians (Catechism).

The sacrament of the Priesthood, like other sacraments, has two sides: external and internal.

outer side sacraments constitutes the laying on of hierarchs with prayer. The use of ordination as a symbol of blessing and the transfer of authority received from God to another is found in the Old Testament (Gen. 48:14; Numbers 27:23; Deut. 34:9). In the Christian Church, from the very beginning of its existence, ordination has been a necessary part of the sacrament of the Priesthood. The holy apostles, having received power from Jesus Christ Himself, did not pass it on to their successors otherwise than through the laying on of hands (Acts 6:6; 13:3; 14:23), and commanded them to do the same in their turn (1 Tim. 4 14; 5:22; 2 Timothy 1:6). The Orthodox Church has always followed this commandment with all strictness.

The inner side of the sacrament constitutes the grace of the Holy Spirit, taught to persons ordained to the office of deacon, priest and bishop. The Holy Scripture already speaks of the election of certain persons to these ministries and the giving of the Holy Spirit to them through the laying on of hands (Acts 6:10; Eph. 3:2; 1 Tim. 4:14; Acts 8:29; 13:2, etc.). .). And the Church has always confessed that in the sacrament of the Priesthood, the ordained person is given the special grace of the Holy Spirit for the service of the Church, and she expresses her faith in the prayers used during consecration to various degrees of the priesthood.

ESTABLISHING THE MYSTERY

This sacrament was established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who chose the apostles from among His listeners and disciples and gave them the power to teach and perform the sacraments, and after the ascension sent down to them the Holy Spirit, who clothed them with the powers necessary for their service (Acts 1, 8; 2, 4). Since then, the lit Divine fire of the grace of the Holy Spirit has been kept in the Church and is successively passed on from generation to generation. A clear and symbolic sign of this successive connection between the gifts of grace and the authority of the priesthood is the laying on of hands, which is used to bring down on the consecrated persons the grace of the Holy Spirit.

THE CONCEPT OF THE PERSONS OF THE CHURCH CLEAR:

PRIESTS AND CHURCH MINISTERS

Persons over whom the Mystery of the Priesthood is performed - clergymen - are in the Church of three degrees: bishop, priest and deacon.

Initiation into these degrees of the church hierarchy is accomplished after passing through the lower degrees of the clergy, which are, as it were, preparatory. To persons of the lower degrees of the clergy, or so-called. clergymen belong: a reader, a singer (priest-bearer) and a subdeacon.

THE CONCEPT ABOUT HIROTONY AND HIROTESYA

The Sacrament of the Priesthood performed through ordination is also called ordination (this word comes from the Greek heir - hand and teino - I spread). The consecration is always performed by the bishop during the liturgy, and, moreover, in the altar.

Initiation to the lower degrees of the clergy: a reader, a singer (priest-bearer) and a subdeacon is performed through the blessing of the bishop - through the rite of laying on of hands, called chirotesia (from the Greek heir - hand and tifimi - I lay, I appoint). The ordination is performed by the bishop outside the altar, in the middle of the temple and not at the liturgy (usually before the liturgy).

DEDICATION INTO CHURCH SERVICE POSITIONS

Initiation (chirotesia) into a reader and a singer. The position of a reader or singer is to read, sing and canon in church, as well as to carry a candle before the Gospel, at the great entrance before the Holy Gifts, to serve at the altar (the duties of a sacristan), and so on. Therefore, in the rank of initiation into a reader and a singer, the initiate is called by the same name "seat-bearer."

The initiation into a reader and a singer takes place in the midst of the church before the beginning of the liturgy, immediately after the bishop's vestments (before or during the reading of the hours). Initiation can be performed simultaneously not on one, but on several elected to this position. The subdeacons lead the chosen one (or the chosen ones) to the position of reader or singer in the middle of the temple, together they make three bows to the altar and then to the bishop. Approaching the bishop, the initiate bows his head, and the bishop, having overshadowed him with the sign of the cross, lays hands on him and reads the first prayer. In it, he asks God's blessing for the service of the initiate as a priest-bearer, asks God:

“Your Servant, go before the priest-bearer with Your Holy Sacrament, who has deigned, adorn Your undefiled and immaculate clothes: yes, enlightened, and in the future, meeting the age, will receive an incorruptible crown of life, rejoicing with Your chosen ones in everlasting bliss.”

After this, troparia are sung: to the apostles, Saints John Chrysostom, Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian. (According to the Rule, the troparia are preceded by "Blessed be our God" and the usual beginning if the dedication is not made during the reading of the hours.)

At this time, the bishop consecrates the reader and singer through cruciform tonsure, saying the words: “In the name of the Father (the protodeacon and the one who is ordained say: “Amen”) and the Son (the same: “Amen”) and the Holy Spirit (the same: “Amen”) .

The very tonsure of the consecrated, according to the explanation of blessed Simeon of Thessalonica, means his consecration and total donation to the service of God. The cruciform tonsure, with the pronunciation of the name of the Most Holy Trinity, serves as a reminder that the Lord Jesus Christ sanctified the entire universe with His incarnation and Cross, and the Triune God is the Creator and Perfecter of everything.

After this, tonsure is no longer repeated, although after that the reader or singer is elevated to the highest degrees of priesthood.

As a sign of dedication to God and separation from the society of ordinary believers, after tonsure, the reader and singer puts on a short phelonion, which is the "beginning of sacred garments" and "the beginning of the priesthood." She puts on a “neck”, as a sign that “he comes under the yoke of the priesthood and, consecrated to the service of God, enters under the protection of God Himself” (Archbishop Benjamin, New Tablet).

After that, the bishop, having blessed the head of the initiate three times and laying his hand on it, reads the second prayer for him, as a reader and singer.

The bishop prays: “Lord God Almighty, choose this servant of yours, and sanctify him; and give him, with all wisdom and understanding, the teaching and reading of your divine words, keeping him in a blameless dwelling.

At the end of this prayer, the initiate (after bowing to the bishop and turning his face to the east) reads a part from the Apostle as a sign that his first duty is to read the Holy Scriptures.

After that, the phelonion is removed from him and, with a triple blessing by the hand of the bishop, the surplice is put on. Before putting on the surplice, the bishop blesses the surplice (above the cross) and the initiate, who kisses the cross on the surplice and the bishop's hand.

After vestment, the bishop tells the newly consecrated teaching about the duty of a reader - the first, lower, degree of priesthood.

After the lecture, the bishop says:

“Bless the Lord! Behold the servant of God (name) reader of the most holy church (name), in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

And they give him a candlestick with a candle, which he wears in front of the bishop and with which he stands in a certain place (near the iconostasis) in front of the bishop.

Consecration (chirothesia) as a subdeacon. The consecration to the subdeacon is also performed in the midst of the church, before the liturgy, immediately after the vesting of the bishop. Sometimes this initiation happens on the same day as the initiation into the reader and the singer. Sometimes, if the latter was already performed on another day, the consecration to the subdeacon takes place before the consecration of this person on the same day at the liturgy to the deacon.

If the initiation into a subdeacon follows the initiation into a reader, then immediately after the singer is dressed in a surplice, the subdeacons bring the orarion (“sticharian belt”) to the bishop. The bishop blesses the orarion, and the initiate, taking it, kisses the orarion and the bishop's hand. The subdeacons encircle the initiate with a cruciform.

The subdeacon depicts the ministry of angels; therefore, at the initiation, he is given an orarion, with which he girds himself crosswise, to represent the wings with which the Cherubim are covered, standing before the Throne of God. The subdeacon is girded with an orarion (according to Simeon of Thessalonica) and as a sign that “from now on, by humility, chastity of his loins and purity, he must acquire for himself a garment of spiritual purity: why can’t he marry after that.” But he can remain in matrimony if, before initiation, he entered into marriage - in a legal way.

After girdling with the orarion, the bishop blesses the initiate three times with his hand on the head of the initiate and, laying his hand on his head, reads a prayer in which he asks God's blessing for the service ahead of him - "to the service of the Holy and Undefiled Mysteries."

The bishop prays: “This Thy servant is worthy to be, to serve the Saints of Thy Church, the Lord Himself is immaculate in all. And let him love the splendor of Your house, stand by the door of Your holy temple, kindle the lamp of the village of Your glory. And plant it in Your Holy Church, like an olive tree, bearing the fruit of righteousness, and show Your servant at the time of Your coming, those who are pleased with You to receive retribution.

At the end of the prayer, the protodeacon proclaims, “Let us pray to the Lord,” and the washing of the hands of the bishop, which is required after vesting, is performed. For this, the subdeacons give a tub to the newly consecrated and lay a towel on him. The newly consecrated subdeacon pours water on his hands and then, like the other subdeacons, kisses the bishop's hand and departs to the altar. (Here, according to the Charter, reading in himself what prayers he knows, he holds “a tub and a hand-washer with a robe” to the Cherubic one).

When the Cherubic Hymn is sung, the initiate is led to the royal doors and again serves while washing the hands of the bishop. (According to the Charter, at the great entrance, he walks behind everyone with a tub and a “handle”). After the great entrance, the subdeacon stands at the royal doors “in the appointed place according to the order”, and at the cry of the bishop: “And let there be mercy”, the subdeacons are taken to the altar and, having accepted the blessing from the bishop, stands with the subdeacons.

The duty of a subdeacon, according to the interpretation of Simeon of Thessalonica, Vlastar and others, includes: to clothe the bishop, to attend to him during divine services, to prepare vestments and sacred vessels for the sacred service (a subdeacon can only touch empty sacred vessels when they do not contain the Holy Mysteries), keep the sacred vessels, keep the covers and lamps on the throne and the altar clean, light the lamps on the throne, etc.

ORDINATION (ORDINATION) AS A DEACON

Before being ordained as a deacon, as the first degree of priesthood, the protege fasts and undergoes the so-called protege confession with the confessor appointed by the bishop. Here he confesses for the rest of his life.

Deacons are made only from subdeacons. Therefore, according to existing practice, in most cases, the ordained deacon is first ordained a subdeacon on the same day (if he has not been ordained earlier).

In accordance with the original establishment and purpose of the diaconal dignity back in the apostolic time (Acts 6:1-6) and in all subsequent times, the Church has always assigned to the deacons only the duties of serving during the performance of sacred rites, but not the performance of them itself. The rite of ordination to the deacon is also based on this understanding of the diaconal service. Since the deacon does not celebrate the Eucharist, the ordination to the deacon takes place at the liturgy after the consecration of the Gifts, namely, after the exclamation of the bishop: “And may the mercies of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ be with you all” (forecast: “All the saints who have remembered .. .").

Dedication to the deacon can be at the liturgies of St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great, as well as at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Ordination to the priesthood can only take place at the first two, and does not take place at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

After this exclamation, two subdeacons lead the ordained (who is in the same rank) from the middle of the church to the royal doors with the exclamation:

“Lead” (addressed to the people, from whom consent is being asked for the upcoming initiation).

"Command" (to the church clergy).

At the entrance of the initiate through the royal doors into the altar, the protodeacon says:

"Lead me, Most Reverend Vladyka."

In the royal gates, the initiate is received by the protodeacon and the deacon, in whose rank he enters, they take the person who enters by the hands and lead him before the throne.

The bishop, sitting on the chair set at the left (northern) side, in front of the throne, blesses the protege bowing to him to the ground.

Then the protodeacon circles the ordained person around the throne three times. The ordained one, going around the throne, kisses all four corners of the throne, and also, after each circumambulation, bows to the ground to the bishop, kisses the end of the omophorion (after the first circumambulation), the club (after the second circumambulation) and the hand of the bishop, and then again bows to the bishop in the ground.

By circumambulating the throne three times, the ordained expresses a vow to forever devote himself to the service of the throne of God, being in uninterrupted union with the Church; by kissing the corners of the throne, the ordained expresses his reverence for the holiness of the throne and his ardent love for God. By kissing the omophorion, club and hand of the bishop, he expresses filial obedience, gratitude and reverence to the bishop, through whom God's grace descends on him.

During the three-time circumambulation around the throne, the troparia of marriage are sung, first in the altar, then in chorus.

In the first troparion: “Holy martyrs, who suffered well and were married ...” - passion-bearers are called, as our prayer books before God and together high teachers of the preservation of faith and purity, and examples of selfless passage of their ministry.

In the second troparion: “Glory to Thee, Christ God, praise of the apostles and joy of the martyrs,” it is proclaimed to the ordained that, following the example of the apostles and martyrs, the preaching of the ordained should be the Consubstantial Trinity, and that he serve Christ God in word and deed, with readiness, according to their example, lay down your life for the truth.

In the third troparion: "Isaiah, rejoice, the Virgin in the womb and give birth to the Son of Immanuel," it is indicated that the basis of the priesthood in the Church was the incarnation of the Son of God, Whom one should magnify, pleasing the Holy Virgin. These hymns are sung in a different order than at marriage, because the union of Christ with the Church is glorified here in the highest way.

After going around three times, the bishop rises from the pulpit (which is removed) and stands in front of the throne to its right side. The ordained, after the third circumambulation, venerates the throne three times, saying:

“God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (at the same time, for the third time, he does not kiss the omophorion and the club of the bishop), then, standing on the right of the throne at the front corner, he bows one right knee, on his hands (putting them with their palms down crosswise on the throne) bows his head .

The initiate goes down on one knee as a sign that he is not entrusted with the full priestly service, but only with the Holy Mysteries, but not with them. The bowing of the head on his hands means that he devotes all his strength of soul and body to serving at the throne of God.

At this time, the bishop places the edge of the omophorion on the head of the consecrated, signifying that the consecrated one is also preparing to be a participant in the pastoral burden and, blessing the ordained three times and laying his hand on his head, after the protodeacon proclaims: “Let us listen,” in the hearing of the whole church (exciting all prayer) says the prayer of dedication.

"DIVINE GRACE, ALWAYS WEAK (weak), MEDICINE AND WEAK (missing) FILLING, PROVIDES (name), THE MOST BLESSED SUBDEACON TO THE DEACON: LET US PRAY FOR HIM, MAY THE GRACE OF THE ALL HOLY SPIRIT COME ON HIM."

In the altar they sing: “Lord, have mercy” three times, and the choir three times “kirie eleison”. The choir sings slowly while the bishop reads the prayers.

The bishop, having blessed the ordained three times and laying his hand on his head, secretly reads the remaining two prayers: “Lord our God” and “God our Savior”, in which he prays our Lord Jesus Christ to preserve the ordained “in all honesty” and to grant him faith, love, grace-filled forces and holiness for a worthy passage of this ministry.

During the reading of these prayers by the bishop, the protodeacon pronounces in an undertone a peaceful litany about the bishop and the work of his hands and about the "now prophesied deacon." (The litany is printed in the Bishop's Official in letters reversed to the letters of the prayers, and it is read by the protodeacon from the Official, simultaneously with the bishop reading the secret prayers, himself standing in front of the bishop behind the subdeacon holding the Official.)

After the end of the prayers, the ordained one stands up, and the bishop “allows” the orarion, girded over both shoulders, lays it on the left shoulder, and also gives the ordained cuff and ripid, which the ordained kisses. When these robes are laid on and the ripida is presented, first by the bishop, and then on the kliros, it is pronounced: “Axios” (axios - worthy).

This proclamation is an announcement that the ordained one is worthy to be clothed in the visible signs of his rank and ministry (orarion, handrails and ripida) and that he, having received the grace of the Holy Spirit, has become worthy to perform the ministry entrusted to him.

Taking the ripida, the ordained kisses the bishop's hand and shoulder, stands on the left side of the altar and holds the ripida over the paten until the exclamation: "Holy to the saints", that is, until the time of communion. (Usually, the ordained one sets aside the ripida at the litany before the Our Father.)

The newly appointed deacon is the first of the deacons (following the protodeacon) to receive Holy Communion, receiving this preference for the sake of renewing Divine grace (priesthood) on him that day.

After the transfer of the Holy Gifts to the altar, the newly appointed deacon appears at the pulpit to the people and pronounces the litany "Forgive me, have you."

By this he shows his new ministry - to make petitions, to call people to prayers and lift them up to God.

ORDINATION (ORDINATION) AS A PRIEST

The appointment of priests, as well as deacons, has always been considered by the Church as the proper right of bishops. This right was communicated to the bishops by the apostles themselves, as is clear from the words of St. Paul to the bishops: Titus (1:5) and Timothy (1 Tim. 5:22). The laying on of the episcopal hand and the bishop's prayer have always been a necessary attribute of the presbyter's appointment.

At present, ordination to the priesthood (presbyter) takes place after the Cherubic Hymn and the transfer of the Holy Gifts from the altar to the throne, that is, even before the consecration of the Holy Gifts, so that the ordained priest can participate in the consecration of the Gifts.

During the Great Entrance, the deacon, who is ordained to the priesthood, performs the deacon's service, carrying air instead of paten on his head. He walks in the great entrance in front of everyone (following the priests), holding the air on his head by the front ends with both hands, leaves the salt and stands behind the priests.

After the great entrance (when all the priests enter the altar), the ordained one gives air to the deacon, thereby postponing the deacon's service, and stands in the middle of the temple.

After the end of the Cherubic hymn, before the blessing of the bishop of the people with the trikirion and dikirion and the singing of Ispolla, the ordained person makes three prostrations, and he is led from the middle of the church by the protodeacon and deacon, and not by the subdeacons, and then the consecration is performed in the same way as consecration to the deacon, with the difference that: 1) in the altar, the priests receive the ordained, in whose face he enters; 2) it is not the protodeacon who encircles him around the throne, but the eldest of the priests (an archpriest or archimandrite). 3) The one who is ordained to the priesthood bows before the throne not one, but both knees, as a sign that he accepts both a greater ministry and a higher gift than a deacon. At the same time, the exclamation “let us listen” is pronounced by the incoming priest (and not the protodeacon). After "let's hear" the bishop reads the prayer of fulfillment.

"THE DIVINE GRACE, ALWAYS WEAK HEALING AND WEAKENING FILLING UP, PROVIDES (name), THE MOST RELIGIOUS DEACON TO THE PRESTER: LET'S PRAY FOR HIM, MAY THE GRACE OF THE ALL HOLY SPIRIT COME ON HIM."

“Lord, have mercy,” the whole church proclaims three times. Protodeacon: Let us pray to the Lord. The bishop blesses the ordained head three times, puts his hand on his head and reads two secret prayers, and the senior priest (and not the protodeacon) reads the peaceful litany in an undertone.

In the first secret prayer: “God, without beginning and without end,” the bishop prays to the Lord to keep the newly ordained “in undefiled habitation and unwavering faith.”

The second prayer is the concluding and ending of the perpetual prayer. Still holding the omophorion and hands on the head of the initiate, the bishop prays:

“God, great in strength and unsearchable in mind, wondrous in councils more than the sons of men, Himself, Lord, and this, whom you deigned to ascend the presbytery degree, fill Your Holy Spirit of the gift, that he may be worthy to stand immaculately at Your altar, proclaim the Gospel of Your Kingdom to celebrate the word of Thy truth, to offer Thee gifts and spiritual sacrifices, to renew Thy people through the font of the second birth.

Like this, having met in the Second Coming of the Great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Your Only Begotten Son, he will receive the reward of the good economy of his rank, in the multitude of Your grace. - And praise.

In this prayer, an image of pastoral work is outlined: the continuation of the good, blessed, God-human economy (“economism”) of the salvation of people in the Church, accomplished by the grace of Christ through the shepherd.

Five forces, five actions are indicated here and are understood in the priesthood:

stand before the altar of atonement, having your life as a sacrifice;

to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, to affirm faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as the true Judge and Savior of the world;

to proclaim the Divine truth and the truth of Christ, to show it in relation to all cases and circumstances of life;

to bring spiritual gifts and sacrifices: to celebrate the liturgy; offer a bloodless sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for everything;

to show God's fatherhood to the world (the priest bears the name of the "spiritual father" as a symbol of this work), to baptize with water, the Holy Spirit and the fire of faith in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, to give birth to people into a new life, to serve their spiritual rebirth.

After reading the prayers, the bishop gives the ordained priestly robes: epitrachelion, belt and phelonion, as well as the Missal as a guide for the sacred service. Accepting what is given, the ordained kisses what he receives, and then the hand of the bishop.

When serving priestly robes and the Missal, the bishop proclaims: "Axios." The clergy and choir sing "axios" three times. After all, the newly ordained one kisses the omophorion and the hand of the bishop, departs and kisses the co-servants on the ramen, thereby expressing the fellowship and love that should unite them all, after which he becomes one of the priests.

After the consecration of the Holy Gifts, the bishop gives the newly-consecrated on another diskos the upper part of the Holy Bread (“XS”), saying:

“Accept this pledge and keep it whole and unharmed until your last breath, about it imashi was tortured to be in the Second and terrible Coming of our Great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The priest, taking it, kisses the bishop's hand and, moving away, stands behind the throne, remaining bowed over the Most Pure Body of Christ lying on his hand, reads the 50th psalm and prays to the Lord of strength for strengthening in the great and terrible priestly service that lies ahead.

Before the exclamation “Holy to the saints,” he returns the Holy Bread to the bishop.

The ordained priest proceeds to communion as the first of the priests (according to the usual practice, after the first archpriest), receiving preference for the grace of renewal from the Divine Spirit.

Before the dismissal, he also reads the prayer behind the ambo, thereby showing the people his entry into the degree of priesthood. The newly-consecrated, after ordination, celebrates liturgies for seven consecutive days, in accordance with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, from whom he received the grace of the priesthood.

ORDINATION (ORDINATION) AS A BISHOP

The Church in the deepest antiquity appointed only persons of presbyter dignity as bishops. Proper election and legal ordination was required for the very appointment to the bishopric. In ancient times, the election was considered correct when, if possible, all the bishops of the region participated in it, as well as the people, who, for their part, testified to the dignity of the chosen one. The election was followed by the consecration itself, which was performed exclusively by the council of bishops through the laying on of hands and the Gospel on the head of the delivered, with the utterance of prayers.

The appointment of a bishop at the present time. After a candidate for bishop is elected and approved by the patriarch and the Holy Synod, he is named bishop in the building of the patriarchate (or exarchy).

The naming to the bishop consists in the fact that one or several days before the ordination itself, in the presence of the patriarch and members of the Synod (or in the presence of the exarch of the region and bishops), after the usual beginning, the singing of the troparion and kontakion in honor of the Holy Spirit, a short litany and dismissal On the day of Pentecost (the usual beginning, litany, and dismissal, he pronounces, putting on himself an epitrachelion, a patriarch, or a leading bishop), the manager of the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate (or exarchy) reads a decree on his election to the one who is called a bishop. The chosen one replies: “I thank and accept, and in no way contrary to the verb.”

And having then said a speech, he takes a blessing from the patriarch and from the rest of the bishops. The rite of naming ends with many years.

Episcopal ordination at the present time is usually performed by a council of bishops headed by a patriarch, or at least by a council of three, and not less than two bishops (Apostolic Canon 1st).

Trial of a Newly Chosen Bishop happens on the very day of consecration before the liturgy. Before the end of the hours, the bishops who are to consecrate the betrothed, accompanied by the clergy, leave the altar in full vestments and sit on their seats on the pulpit in the middle of the temple.

The protopresbyter and the protodeacon, having taken the blessing from the patriarch, go to the altar, take the delivered one, dressed in all the priestly clothes and, having bowed (three times) in front of the throne (two half-length and one to the ground), bring him before the pulpit to the middle of the temple, placing him on the edge big eagle. The protodeacon says:

“The most God-loving, chosen and approved consecration is brought to the bishop of God-saved cities (name).”

The patriarch then asks:

“Why have you come for the sake of it, and what do you ask from our dimensionality? And what do you believe?

The initiate replies: "Consecration of bishop's grace...", and then confesses the Symbol of the Orthodox Faith.

After the second and third questions: “how do you confess the properties of the three hypostases of the incomprehensible Deity” and “even about the incarnation of the hypostatic Son and the Word of God?” - the initiate sets out in detail the confession of faith about the three hypostases of the Triune God and especially sets forth the doctrine of the incarnation of God the Word. After each answer, the initiate receives a blessing from the patriarch. Then he promises to keep the laws of the holy apostles, the seven Ecumenical Councils and the nine local and other canons, to obey the patriarch and the Synod.

Upon accepting this promise, signed by the hand of the newly-consecrated bishop himself, the patriarch blesses him, saying:

“The grace of the Holy Spirit, through my dimensionality, produces thee, the most God-loving archimandrite and hieromonk (name) of the chosen bishop of God-saved cities (name).”

After that, having received the blessing of the patriarch, the ordained one bows three times to the bishops and kisses the hand of each.

Then there is perennialism, which the ordained listens to with his face to the east, standing between the protopresbyter and the protodeacon. After this test, he

is taken to the altar, and the liturgy begins in the usual manner.

Samo ordination to the bishop happens after a small entrance, before the reading of the Apostle, since the bishop can not only teach people and consecrate the Gifts, but also ordain priest and deacon.

After a small entrance with the Gospel during the singing of “Holy God”, namely, before the singing of the final “Holy God” and the ascent of the bishops to the high place, the protopresbyter and the protodeacon bring the consecrated person before the royal doors, and from here he is received by the bishop on the altar before the throne. Here, taking off his miter and bowing to the throne three times and kissing it, he stands before the throne on both knees, placing his hands crosswise on the throne and head, thereby testifying to his obedience to the will of God.

Then the unfolded Gospel is placed on his head with the letters down, supported on all sides by the bishops - this is, as it were, the hand of the Lord Himself, elevating the consecrated and at the same time subordinating him to the law of the Gospel.

The patriarch (or the leading bishop) aloud to everyone proclaims the sacramental prayer of the sacrament:

“By the election and temptation of the most God-loving bishops and the entire consecrated cathedral, Divine grace, always weak in healing and impoverishing in replenishing, prophesies (name), the most reverent archimandrite as a bishop: let us pray for him, that the grace of the All-Holy Spirit may come upon him.”

In the altar, the clergy sing "Lord, have mercy" (three times), and the choir sings "Kyrie, eleison."

After that, the leading bishop blesses the one who is consecrated on the head three times, saying: "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Bishops place their right hands on the head of the ordained. Then two secret prayers are read to the leaders, and one of the bishops quietly pronounces a peaceful litany.

The recited secret prayers (“Master, Lord, our God” and “Lord, our God”) contain a petition to the Sovereign Lord to “strengthen the ordained by the power of the Holy Spirit, show his bishopric to be blameless and holy, make him an imitator of the true Shepherd, who laid down His life for the sheep,” “Yes, having perfected the souls entrusted to him in this life, he will stand before the Throne of God shamelessly.”

After prayers, when the gospel is removed from the head of the consecrated, the cross and phelonion are removed from him, and the subdeacon brings him the sakkos, omophorion, cross, panagia and miter. Having taken each of these robes, he kisses it, brings it to each bishop, receives a blessing, kisses each hand and dresses. When laying on the omophorion as a distinctive garment of a bishop, it is proclaimed: "axios", but in sakkos, as a substitute for the priest's phelonion, he puts on without proclaiming "axios". After the vestment, the bishops kiss the ordained one, and he goes with all the bishops to the high place (during the final singing of the Trisagion).

During the reading of the Apostle, the newly ordained bishop “sits on the throne” (on a seat in a high place) among the bishops and “peaces to the Apostle” at the beginning and end of the reading.

At the great entrance, he accepts a chalice from the archpriest, and during communion he gives the holy chalice to the presbyters.

After the end of the liturgy, when all the bishops are undressed in the altar, the leading bishop lays on the newly appointed, with the fall of his hands, the bishop's cassock, panagia, mantle (with springs), klobuk, and hands him a rosary ("rope"). Finally, all the bishops and the newly initiated go to the middle of the church, and here, among the people, the newly initiated is introduced into the service of the archpastor by handing him the pastoral baton as a symbol of pastoral power. Upon handing over the wand, the newly-appointed bishop is given a proper instruction.

After that, the newly initiated blesses the people.

ELECTION (CHIROTESIA) TO THE RANK OF PROTODEACON, ARCHPRIEST, ABOUT AND ARCHIMANDRITE

The elevation to all these church ranks takes place at the liturgy during the small entrance with the Gospel and takes place outside the altar, through blessing and laying on of hands, prayer, naming to the rank being performed and the exclamation: “axios”.

Produced into one of the indicated ranks, the protodeacon is usually brought from the middle of the temple to the throne, makes three bows to the earth there and is led to the bishop in the middle of the temple, bowing to him three times. The bishop, seated, blesses his head three times, and, rising, puts his hand on his head. The protodeacon proclaims: “Let us pray to the Lord,” and the bishop lifts up a prayer for the initiate, corresponding to the rank into which he is initiated.

When consecrating an archdeacon or protodeacon, the bishop prays:

“You yourself clothe the grace of this archdeaconry inherent in your servant (name), and adorn it with your honesty (dignity) at the beginning (at the head) of the deacons of your people and the image (example) of his goodness being by him. Create and in old age achieve veneration, glorify Your magnificent name ... "

At the consecration to the archpriest (protopresbyter), the bishop prays:

“Dress yourself with Your grace and our brother (name) and honesty adorn him at the beginning of the presbyters, and his image is good to be with him. And with reverence and honesty in old age, do a good life, and all of us, as God is good, have mercy, as You are the Giver of wisdom and You sing all (creation) creation ... "

Then the bishop marks the consecrated with a cross and puts his hand on his head, proclaiming: "axios."

If the person being promoted to archpriest did not have a loincloth, then he puts it on, and a miter, a cross and a mantle with tablets are placed on the person ordained archimandrite (without repeated singing of “axios”). After that, the newly consecrated archimandrite kisses the bishop's omophorion on the right and left frames.

After this, the liturgy continues: all the clergy, while singing “Come let us worship,” go to the altar through the royal doors in order.

Liturgy: Sacraments and Rites.

02 / 03 / 2006