It is quite common to hear statements like this: “I am Orthodox, baptized, but I don’t go to church. I don’t trust priests. But I believe in God in my soul. I wear a cross. I’ve been taught not to steal or wish harm on others. I believe that’s enough. After all, the main thing…
“And without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the better.”— Hebrews 7:7 The word “blessing” (благословение) is composed of two parts: “blago” (good) and “slovo” (word)—that is, speech, teaching, and in this case also consent or permission (for a particular “good”). Thus, in modern terms, a blessing is consent and authorization for a specific, God-pleasing and salvific action. And…
In these present times of corruption and delusion, when the basest passions rage unchecked, man stands alone before God. There is no longer a true priesthood to guide mankind toward the Kingdom of Heaven, and it becomes ever more difficult to preserve unchanged the tradition of our Mother, the Church. The Holy, Catholic, Immaculate, and…
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners! From the canons and commandments of the holy apostles and the holy fathers, a proper enactment in the form of questions of confession Canon 1 Every Orthodox Christian must have a spiritual father, to whom he should frequently confess all his sins and from…
Archpriest Vadim Korovin Our Lord Jesus Christ founded His Church, of which He Himself is both the Cornerstone and the Head, and He summoned all nations “unto the marriage feast” in this Church. The word Church means “assembly.” The Church of God, as defined by Saint Arseny of the Urals, is “the voluntary reception and retention of…
Entering an Old Believer church is not permitted in the following cases: source
(On the Contemporary Disputes over the Names of God)[Moscow, 1913] Introduction A wondrous fate befell the creation of the former Patriarch of Russia, Nikon. The reforms he instituted resemble, in many respects, that house of which Christ speaks in the Gospel—“and great was the fall of it.” “Everyone who heareth these sayings of Mine,” the…
Recently, Bishop Alexei of Taurida, a hierarch of the “dominant church,” declared in a public speech that all is well within the Church: “Our temples are full; the efforts of journalistic lackeys to sow discord in the Church have been unsuccessful.” Clearly, the bishop rejoices that the prophecy of one such “lackey,” V. V. Rozanov,…
To answer this question, we must first examine the meaning of the word “heresy.” Often, words lose their original meanings over time, and people use them in new contexts, leading to confusion. This has also happened with the word “heresy.” Today, it is often used to mean “nonsense” or “absurdity.” For example, one might hear,…
Salvation can only be attained by uniting with Christ. And one can unite with Christ only by becoming part of His mystical Body—the Church. The Heavenly Church and the earthly Church together form one single Body. Such a Body can only be one. “He is the head of the body, the Church.”(Colossians 1:18) Just as…