Eastern Christian churches. Parishes and communities of the Russian Greek Catholic Church Eastern Catholic Churches

The jurisdiction of the Ordinariate and the corresponding decanal structures includes Catholics of the Byzantine rite of all traditions on the territory of Russia.

Decanal administration for Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in the territory corresponding to the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Our Lady in Moscow

Dean (protopresbyter):
Archpriest Evgeniy Yurchenko SDB (- April 4, 2007)
Archpriest Andrey Udovenko (4 April 2007 -

Parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Andrew (Moscow)

The community was created in 1991 (the first Greek Catholic community in Russia). It was under the canonical subordination of the head of the UGCC, then was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Latin archbishop of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God with its center in Moscow. Since the establishment of the Ordinariate for Catholics of the Byzantine rite in Russia, it has been under the jurisdiction of its Ordinariate. In the community chapel, there are 30-40 people at Sunday liturgy (as of 2006), and up to 80 people at Easter. Rector: Father Andrey Udovenko [b. 1961; accepted into communion from the Russian Orthodox Church in March 1991] (1991-

The arrival of the holy martyr. Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch (Moscow)

The parish was founded by decree of Bishop. Joseph Werth dated February 7, 2006.
Parish Rector:
O. Evgeniy Yurchenko SDB (February 7, 2006 - April 4, 2007)
O. Sergey Nikolenko (April 4, 2007-
vicar priests - Fr. Alexander Simchenko (in 2005), Fr. Kirill Mironov (-April 4, 2007). The parish previously for some time cared for pastoral centers (branch communities), which no longer exist in 2012: St. Olga (responsible priest - Father Kirill Mironov), St. Lazarus (responsible priest - Father Sergiy Nikolenko), Nativity of the Virgin Mary (responsible priest - Father Alexander Simchenko). Approximately 40 parishioners as of mid-2006.

Community in honor of St. Clement, Pope of Rome (Obninsk)

The community was created in 2004 by Abbot Rostislav. Established as a parish by decree of Bishop Joseph Werth of February 26, 2006. Rector: Abbot Rostislav (Kolupaev) [accepted into communion from the Russian Orthodox Church in 2004] (2006 - April 4, 2007)
O. Kirill Mironov (April 4, 2007 - 2009)
Father Alexander Samoilov (2009 - September 2010)
Since December 2010, Father Valery Shkarubsky visits the community once a month. The community still does not have a permanent building, and the faithful gather in private apartments, receiving a priest one by one. The number of parishioners is about 10.

Community In the Name of St. Equal to the Apostles Methodius and Cyril, Slovenian teachers (St. Petersburg)

In fact, the first community of laymen of the Eastern rite appeared in the fall of 2001, when a group of believers belonging to the all-Catholic votive community of laity “Knights of the Holy Cross of the Lord” began to hold prayer meetings of the Eastern rite approximately once every two weeks. The community was named “in the name of St. Archangel Michael,” and it was headed (like the knights) by Pavel Parfentyev. The first liturgy for the community was celebrated on January 31, 2002 by the priest (Fr. Sergius Golovanov). After half a year, individual meetings of the knights of the Eastern rite were stopped, only sometimes, at the request of the community, liturgies were held by visiting priests (the most regular were from mid-2004 to mid-2005 - approximately once every 3 months). In August 2005, lay people who did not want to join the knightly community formed the community of “St. Methodius and Cyril” and regular liturgies began in September. In November 2005, the “Community in the name of St. Archangel Michael” liquidated itself, and its members joined the community of St. Methodius and Cyril. The community numbers approximately 25 people. Since the beginning of 2013, the community began to hold services in the Belarusian language.
Headman Alexander Smirnov (spring - November 2006)
Community Guardian: Father Evgeniy Matseo VE (September 2006 - April 4, 2007)
O. Kirill Mironov (April 4, 2007 - 2014)
O. Alexander Burgos (up. 2015 -

Community of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk (Kaliningrad)

The community was created in 2010. Services are held every other weekend at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family. Nurturing. Father Kirill Mironov from St. Petersburg. At the first services there were 13-14 people, 10 of whom were Belarusians. In 2015, the community was already cared for by Hieromonk Andrei Zalewski.

Decanal administration for Catholics of the Byzantine Rite on the territory of the Preobrazhensk diocese with its center in Novosibirsk.

Dean (protopresbyter) – Fr. Ivan Lega

Parish of the Blessed Martyrs Olympia and Lawrence (Novosibirsk)

In October 2015, after a six-month break, regular services resumed (held in the chapel of the Blessed Martyrs Olympia and Lawrence in the lower, “Byzantine” church of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The community is a little more than a dozen people. The rector is Father Ivan Lega.

Parish in the name of St. Cyril and Methodius (Sargatskoe)

The parish was established by decree of Bishop as a parish of the Byzantine rite of the Slavic-Russian tradition. Joseph Werth as a local hierarch of the Latin rite in 1997 (fol. Proletarskaya, 14). The first priest sent to Sargat, Father George (who converted from the Russian Orthodox Church), was beaten by the Cossacks, after which he left the community and the Catholic Church.
Abbots:
O. Georgy Gugnin (1994-1996)
O. Sergey Golovanov (1997 - December 2005)
O. Andrey (Yuri) Startsev VE (2006-?)
Hieromonk Dmitry Kozak (2015 -

Temple of the Blessed Confessor Leonid, Exarch of Russia

Communities seeking canonical recognition

Community of the Holy Blessed Archimandrite Clementy (Sheptytsky) (Krasnoyarsk)

In April 2009, Father Konstantin Zelenov, anticipating the collapse of the VCU ORC, separated from it (some of the parishes and communities of the VCU ORC, including those previously cared for by Father Konstantin, entered the Russian Orthodox Church, but did not stay there), transformed the community into a Greek Catholic and unilaterally began to commemorate the Pope. The community belongs to the Slavic-Russian tradition, exists with the knowledge of Bishop Joseph Werth and strives to obtain official canonical status. On October 13, 2011, Father Constantine received an antimension and holy chrism from Bishop Joseph Werth. As of the summer of 2012, the community consisted of 18 people. For some parishioners, a liturgy is held according to the old rite.

Communities leading monastic life and seeking canonical recognition as monastics

As of mid-2006, these communities had not yet received official approval from the Church as monastic communities and are thus communities that privately lead monastic life and strive for church approval.

Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya Community of Monks of St. Basil the Great

Hegumen Philip Maizerov. Hieromonk Father Alipy Medvedev [accepted into the Catholic Church from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1999]. After being accepted in 1999, the monks studied in Rome. They came to Russia in 2004 and settled in the village of Sargatsky, where in December 2004 an underground (unregistered) Greek Catholic monastery was created. Participated in an attempt by a group of priests to revive the church structures of the Apostolic Exarchate for Russian Catholics of the Byzantine rite in Russia, which was not successful. In February 2006, the monastery was closed and the monks were expelled from the premises. After the monastery was closed, the fathers moved to Slovakia and joined the Presov diocese, where they served for several months, after which they returned to Russia (in October 2006 - January 2007 they lived in Ukraine). They lived in the Russian Federation as private individuals and served in their homeland only privately (for their community). Father Alypiy died of a stroke on December 22, 2012. Hegumen Philip lives in St. Petersburg and has a civilian job.

Community of Sisters in the Name of St. Nil Sorsky (Moscow)

Founded by Abbot Martyry Bagin (a former priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, where on September 15, 1998 he was banned from serving (he released a voice recording with Patriarch Alexy II), in 1999 he joined the Catholic Church; from 2000 to 2010 he served in Germany, confessor of the Collegium Orientale seminary in the Bavarian city of Eichstatt), who is the confessor of the community. Includes sisters leading monastic life and several novices, located in Moscow. The community helps laity and families in spiritual life and conducts ecumenical work. Community of Sisters in the Name of St. Nila Sorsky exists with the knowledge of Bishop Joseph Werth and strives to obtain canonical status as a monastic community.

Lay communities of a private nature

The communities represented in this list do not have official status. Some of the represented communities strive to receive it, the rest maintain a private character, which is permitted by the canon law of the Catholic Church.

Communities in the name of St. Philip Metropolitan of Moscow (Moscow)

The community was created in 1995 by an initiative group of Greek Catholics. The house church was equipped in the apartment of the elder Vladimir Belov [d. March 7, 2004] (Filyovsky Boulevard, building 17). Fr. served in it. Stefan Caprio (Russicum graduate who served as rector of the Roman Catholic parish in Vladimir). After the expulsion of Father Stefan in April 2002, the community was left without nourishment for some time and lost some of its parishioners. The community's home church, at its invitation, is sometimes served by Abbot Innokenty (Pavlov) (a cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church who was fired as a staff member and did not formally join the Catholic Church).

Community of St. Sergius of Radonezh (Serpukhov)

In 2003, the Edinoverie (Donikon rite) community of the ROCOR, led by priest Kirill (Mironov), joined the Catholic Church. In 2005, the majority of the community members refused to join the established structures of the Russian State Catholic Church and went to various Orthodox jurisdictions of the old rite established in the city of Serpukhov, as a result of which the community ceased to function, and Kirill (Mironov) began serving in the parish of the holy martyr. Ignatius the God-Bearer.

Community of St. Andrew the First-Called (Nizhny Novgorod)

It was created on the initiative of Nikolai Derzhavin (the head of the community and included several lay believers. Currently, there is no information about the existence and activities of this community.

Community of the Holy Confessor Leonty, Exarch of Russia (Zhukovsky, Moscow region)

It was created on the initiative of Alexander Shvedov (community elder), a parishioner of the parish in the name of the Holy Martyr. Ignatius of Antioch. There is currently no information about the activities of the community.

Community in the name of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Pavlovsky Posad)

Rector: Priest Alexander Simchenko. The community ceased to exist.

"Community in the name of Blessed Leonid Fedorov"

In 2001, a website of a certain “Community in the name of Blessed Leonid Fedorov” in St. Petersburg appeared on the Internet. In reality, such a community never existed; the “Community in the Name of Blessed Leonidas” website was an individual initiative of one person. According to available information, the creator of the site is currently a member of the Russian Orthodox Church MP.

Operating 1908-1937

Parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Moscow)

In 1894, priest Nikolai Tolstoy joins Rome and, returning to Moscow, sets up a chapel in his house where Catholics gather secretly. Soon the Synod found out about this and Father Nicholas was defrocked and prohibited from holding services. Actually, the Parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established in 1918 by Exarch Leonid Fedorov. In 1922, only about 100 believers remained.
Abbots:
O. Nikolai Tolstoy (1894 - ?)
O. Vladimir Abrikosov (May 29, 1917 - August 17, 1922) (arrested on August 17, 1922; expelled from the USSR on September 29, 1922, lived and was active in Rome until 1926, after which he retired and lived in Paris, died on July 22, 1966)
O. Nikolai Alexandrov (August 17, 1922 (ordained January 1922) - November 13, 1923)

Parish of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (Petrograd)

In October 1905, Fr. comes to St. Petersburg. Alexei Zerchaninov (converted to Catholicism in 1896, after which he was imprisoned and then in exile) and begins to serve the Liturgy in his room. In 1909 Fr. arrives. Evstafiy Susalev (Old Believer priest of Belokrinitsky Consent, who converted to Catholicism a year earlier). In the house where Fr. lived. Zerchanov (Polozova St., 12) a home church, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, is being established (consecrated on March 28, 1909, closed in 1914). Father Eustathius heads a group of “Old Believers who accept communion with Rome.” On April 15, 1911, the chapel was converted into a parish church. Due to the increase in the number of flocks, a new building was found, which was consecrated on September 30, 1912. In 1914, after the sealing of the Church of the Holy Spirit, small groups were formed around the priests - Father Alexei, who served in the Latin Church of St. Catherine (30 people came to the services -40 people), Father John Deibner (gathered in the sealed Church of the Holy Spirit on Barmaleeva), and Father Gleb Verkhovsky, who came in 1915 (served in an apartment and then in the Church of St. John the Baptist on Sadovaya Street), the total number did not exceed 300 Human. The Parish of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was officially established with the establishment of the Exarchate on April 2, 1917 on Bolshaya Pushkarskaya. In 1918 there were about 400 believers. On September 14, 1921, the beginning of the monastic community of the Holy Spirit was laid (sisters Justinia Danzas and Eupraxia Bashmakova). On December 5, 1922, all Catholic churches in the city were sealed. In 1922, only about 70 believers remained. In 1923, the newly ordained and appointed vicar of the parish, Fr. Epiphanius is arrested. After liberation, he served in various churches in Leningrad for two years (1933-37).
Abbots
O. Alexey Zerchaninov (1905-1914)
O. Leonid Fedorov (1917-1922)
O. Epifaniy Akulov (August 1922 - 1923 and 1933-1937) (executed on August 25, 1937)
Served: Fr. John Deubner (1909 - November 17, 1923)
O. Alexey Zerchaninov (1914- June 1924)
O. Evstafiy Susalev (1909 - June 1918)
O. Gleb Verkhovsky (1915 - July 1918)
O. Diodorus Kolpinsky (converted from the Latin Rite) (1916 - 1918)
O. Trofim Semyatsky (1917 - ?)
Deacon Nikolai Targe (-1918)
O. Nikolai Mikhalev (1927-1929 and July 1934 - May 1935)

Parish of the Kazan Mother of God (Nizhnyaya Bogdanovka settlement, Lugansk region, Ukraine)

On June 29, 1918, the parish Edinoverie priest, Hieromonk Potapiy (Emelyanov), together with his parish, joined the Catholic Church. Before that, he was twice elected by the local gathering as rector of the church, although earlier (February 8, 1918) he was banned from serving in the previous parish. Due to the refusal to confirm him by the rector of the church, a transition to the Catholic Church took place. The old rite was used in worship. The parish in the first period of its existence (1918-1919) numbered approximately 1 thousand people. In October-December 1918 and September-December 1919 he was imprisoned (he was released by the red units). After his return to Nizhnyaya Bogdanovka, he was unable to return the temple, even despite the decision of the liquidation committee (in May 1922 the temple was officially transferred to the Greek Catholic community, but until the end it remained in the hands of the Orthodox). Father Potapiy served in a small private house. In 1924, there were 12 people in the parish. On January 27, 1927, Father Potapiy was arrested and exiled to Solovki (died in 1936) and the community virtually ceased to exist.

Odessa

In the 1920s, Fr. served in Odessa. Nikolai Tolstoy (-1926)

in 1917 there were communities without priests in Vologda, Petrozavodsk, Arkhangelsk, Yaroslavl. In 1922, only a community of 15 people remained in Saratov and individual believers (about 200 people) in other settlements (many believers had been beaten or emigrated by this time, about 2 thousand people left the Russian State Catholic Church).

Foreign parishes

Parish (Berlin)

It was formed from Russian White émigrés in 1927, when the newly ordained priest Father Dimitri was sent to Berlin. At first they served in the chapel of the Carmelite monastery. In 1926-34, services were performed on the Latin altar in the chapel of St. Thomas, then the services were moved to a small house chapel on Schlüterstrasse 72 (where it was even impossible to install an iconostasis). In 1932 Fr. Demetrius (transferred to Louvain as confessor of the Studites) was replaced by Fr. Vladimir (ordained in 1930). Publishing of the parish bulletin began. There were laymen "Brotherhood named after St. Nicholas the Wonderworker." In total, in the mid-30s there were just over 110 parishioners and another 20 people in the province. The community lived according to the Gregorian calendar. In 1943, a bomb hit the house with the chapel, and Father Vladimir was arrested by the Gestapo (released after the war). After the war the community became very small and after the death of Father Vladimir it ceased to exist.
Abbots: Fr. Dimitry Kuzmin-Karavaev (1927-1931)
O. Vladimir Dlussky (1932-1943 and 1945-1967)

Parish (Munich)

In 1946, a small but active parish was formed, creating a house church. However, after some time, the community ceased to exist, and on its basis there is now only a pastoral point.
Rectors: Father Methodius (1946-1949)
Father Karl Ott (1949-2002)
O. Yuri Avvakumov (200*-

Parish of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brussels)

In 1951, Bishop Pavel, who moved to the city, formed a community and began to serve in the house church. In 1954, the house where the Annunciation Church was built (avenue de la Couronne. 206) was rented. Father Anthony was appointed rector (Bishop Paul remains a trustee). 10-15 people are present at liturgies.
Rector: Bishop Pavel Meletyev (1951-1954)
O. Antony Ilts (1954-
Deacon Vasily von Burman served (1955-1960)

Parish of the Holy Trinity (Paris)

The first liturgy was celebrated in 1925 by Hieromonk Alexander Evreinov. In 1927, a parish was created and a building was purchased on Avenue Ser Rosalie (the church was consecrated in 1928). In 1934 a new building was purchased (Rue François Girard 39). In 1936, the service was transferred to a new style. Until 1954, the Russian parish was assigned, then it became independent. Quite a large and stable parish.
Abbots:
O. Alexander Evreinov (1927-1936)
Abbot Christopher Dumont (1936-1954)
O. Pavel Grechishkin (January 30, 1954 -1964)
O. Alexander Kulik (1964-1966)
O. Georgiy Roshko (1966 - 1997)
O. Peter (Bernard) Dupier (April 5, 2000 - (in 1997-2000, responsible for affairs)
Served
O. Mikhail Nedtochin (1936-194*)
O. Pavel Grechishkin (1947-1954)
O. Georgy Roshko (1957-1966)
O. Henri Ptigean (1966-18 October 1974)
O. Joel Courtois (2001-

Parish (Nice)

In 1928, a small house church of the Byzantine rite was created (20 Avenue de Pessicard). Rector Fr. Alexander Deibner (1928-1930) (converted to Orthodoxy in 1930). The community ceased to exist and the believers were left without nourishment.

Parish of St. Irenaeus of Lyons (Lyon)

In 1930, the community began to be organized by Fr. A lion. On December 18, 1932, the house church on rue Auguste Comte was consecrated.
Abbots
O. Lev Zhedenov (1930-1937)
O. Nikolai Bratko (1937 - April 3, 1958)

Parish of St. Anthony (Rome)

Since 1910, the Church of St. Lawrence operated (near the Troyan Forum), which was closed and destroyed in 1932 (due to work on the reconstruction of the city). On October 20, 1932, a new church was consecrated - St. Anthony at the Russicum collegiate.
Abbots:
Father Sergei Verigin (1910-1938)

Parish (Vienna)

The community received a place in the chapel of the Cathedral of St. Archangel Michael, which was completely redone and an iconostasis was installed. The parish numbered up to 100 people. After the war it ceased to exist.
Rector Fr. Pavel Grechishkin (1931-1947)

Parish of St. Ap. Andrew the First-Called (San Francisco)

The community began to be organized by Fr. Michael, invited by the Latin archbishop to work among the Molokans. The church was consecrated on September 27, 1937. In 1939, a new abbot arrived, an Englishman, who tried unsuccessfully to continue the conversion of the Molokans. Later he transferred to the Ukrainian Basilian Order. In 1955 we had to part with the old premises. Temporary services were held in the cemetery chapel. On December 12, 1957, the parishioners found a new temple - the former Latin Church of St. Anthony in El Segundo. In the 1970s, the majority of parishioners became English-speaking, and services also switched to English. On June 17, 1979, parishioner Gabriel Seamore was ordained as a permanent deacon (and served as the actual minister for the parish during the first half of 1985 and from 1986 to 1987, when there was no permanent priest). As of 2019, the community numbered approximately 40 people.
Abbots:
O. Mikhail Nedotochin (1935-1939)
O. John Ryder (1939-1954)
O. Fionan Brannigan (1954 - June 1972)
O. Theodore Wilcock (1972 - January 25, 1985)
O. Lavrenty Dominic (July 1985 - July 1986)
O. Alexiy Smith (June 28, 1987 -

Parish of St. Mikhail (New York)

Fr., who arrived in New York in 1935, took up the creation of the community. Andrey. In 1936, a chapel was established in the parish school at the old St. Patrick's Cathedral in the cemetery in New York (services were held daily). After the death of the first rector, for 10 years the parish was cared for by Jesuits from the Fordham University community. One of the largest and most stable communities of the Russian Byzantine rite.
Abbots:
O. Andrey Rogosh (1936 - October 17, 1969)
O. Joseph Lombardi (1979-1988)
O. John Soles (1988-

Parish of Our Lady of Fatima (San Francisco)

The community was formed by Fr., who came from Harbin in 1948. Nicholas, in 1950 Father Nicholas began serving the liturgy in the Church of St. Ignatius. In 1954, an independent parish was created and a church-chapel was built (101 20th Avenue). Now the parish is multinational, the service is held according to the synodal rite, the chants are sung in English. Until 2005, the community was cared for exclusively by Jesuit priests. In 2012, the community moved to a new location.
Abbots:
O. Nicholas Bock (1948-1954)
O. Andrei Urusov (Andrei Russo) (1954 - July 1966)
O. Karl Patel (9 March 1967 -) (second priest 1958-1967)
O. John Geary
O. Steven A. Armstrong (1993-1999)
O. Mark Ciccone (- October 9, 2005)
O. Eugene Ludwig (October 9, 2005 -
O. Vito Perrone (- 2013)
O. Kevin Kennedy (2013 -
Served:
Theodor Frans Bossuyt (January 1969 -)
Deacon Kirill (Bruce) Pagach (August 2005 -

Community of St. Cyril and Methodius (Denver)

In 1999, an initiative group appeared in Denver that created a community of Russian Catholics of the Byzantine rite. In 2003, the Denver Roman Catholic parish of St. Catherine of Hungary appointed a married Eastern Rite priest, Father Chrysostom Frank (who was a priest in the OCA, joined the Catholic Church in 1996), who founded the community of St. Cyril and Methodius, as rector. and began to serve the liturgy weekly. Initially, a separate area was allocated for the Eastern Rite community, but by 2006 the entire interior of the church was refurbished to meet the needs of both communities. The Latin Rite Mass is celebrated at 9 am, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (in English) at 12. In June 2016, the Russian Catholic community was moved from the Church of St. Catherine to the chapel of St. John Francis Regis (Jean-Francois Regis), which is located at the private Jesuit Regis University (father Chrysostom continued to minister).

Parish of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple (Montreal)

In 1951 Fr. was appointed to Canada. Roman Caccutti. In 1956, the community began construction of a church, which was consecrated in 1959. The parish was small, and after the death of the rector it did not last long and ceased to exist in 1997.
Abbots
O. Joseph Leddy (died 1956 - February 2, 1986)
O. Leoni Pietro (1986-1995)

Parish of St. App. Peter and Paul (Buenos Aires)

The community was organized by Philip. A church was built (Guemes 2962) in an ordinary house. At the end of the 40s, the community numbered 250 people, by 1953 it grew to 300. Later, another church was built - Transfiguration. The parish is under the jurisdiction of the Ordinariate for the Faithful Oriental Rites in Argentina.
Abbots:
O. Philippe de Regis (1946-19 February 1954)
Archimandrite Nikolai Alekseev (-23 April 1952)
Served:
O. Valentin Tanaev (1947-195*)
O. Alexander Kulik (1948-1966)
O. Georgy Kovalenko (January 12, 1951 -1958)
O. Pavel Krainik (1957-?)
O. Domingo Crpan

Parish of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sao Paulo)

The community was organized by Fr. Basil. In 1954, a building in Ipiranga was received from Brazilian Catholic nuns, in which a church was established. In August 2013, the parish came under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Abbots:
O. Vasily Bourgeois (1951 - April 8, 1963)
O. Fedor Wilcock (1963-1966)
O. John Stoisser (1966-2004)
Served:
o John Steusser (1955-1966)
O. Fyodor Wilcock (1957-1963)
O. Vikenty Pupinis (196*-1979)
O. Vasily Ruffing (1981-?)

Community (Santiago)

Rector Fr. Vsevolod Roshko (1949-1953)

Community of St. Nicholas (Melbourne)

In 1960, Fr. arrived. Georgy Bryanchaninov, who organized the community, services are held in the Church of St. Nicholas. Father George is still the rector of the parish. In 2008 the community moved to Victoria. The second priest was the Dominican Father Peter Knowles from the 1960s until his death on March 11, 2008. On December 25, 2006, Father Georgy Brianchaninov retired and lives in a nursing home, and the full care of the parish fell on the shoulders of priest Lawrence Cross (who was ordained a priest on June 25, 2001). A year later, the community was forced to leave the old place in Melbourne; from February to July 2008, services were held in the chapel of the University of Melnur. In August 2008, the community moved to new premises located in the town of North Fitzroy.

Community (Sydney)

In 1949, most of the believers from Harbin arrived in Australia. In 1951, Father Andrew arrived from London and services were held in the Cathedral of St. Patrick.
Abbots
O. Andrey Katkov (1951-1958)
O. Georgy Bryanchaninov (1957-1960)
O. Georgy Arts (1963-

Spiritual mission to help Russians of Lithuania (Kaunas)

In 1934, Bishop of the Eastern Rite Petras Buchis returned to Lithuania, caring for Russian communities abroad. Despite his own reluctance and lack of government support, under pressure from the Vatican, Bishop Buchis began serving in the Eastern rite - he celebrated his first liturgy in Lithuania on October 21, 1934 in a Jesuit church. It was attended by a significant number of Russian intellectuals. In December, permission was received to serve in the former Orthodox Peter and Paul Cathedral (in 1919, converted into the Garrison Church of St. Michael the Archangel). However, interest in the new initiative quickly subsided, and already in March 1935, Bishop Buchis submitted a request for transfer to America, again to no avail. In the fall of 1935, Bishop Buchis moved to Telšai, regular services in Kaunas ceased, but the bishop visited Russian villages (Orthodox and Old Believers), where he served and tried to preach. At the beginning of 1937, the Congregation of Eastern Churches established the Spiritual Mission of Aid to the Russians of Lithuania, the head of which was appointed Bishop Buchis, who in the summer of 1937 returned to Kaunas and resumed weekly services in the Kaunas Cathedral. In the fall of 1937, Dutch priest Joseph Francis Helwegen and deacon Roman Kiprianovich were sent from Russkikum to help from Russkikum (in the summer of 1938, due to dissatisfaction with his work by Bishop Buchis, who suspected the deacon of dissuading the Orthodox from joining the union and even he himself plans to convert to Orthodoxy, was exiled back to Italy), after whose arrival services became daily. In January 1938, Semyon Bryzgalov, a former psalm-reader at the Orthodox parish of Uzpaliai, accepted the union with his family and joined the mission. In the summer of 1938, a new employee arrived in Kaunas, the Ukrainian Ivan Khomenko, who was ordained deacon by Buchis in December 1938 (returned to Rome in 1940). Also in December, Marian hieromonk Vladimir Majonas, who had previously worked in the Harbin mission, returned to Kaunas from Tokyo. 200-300 people took part in the Sunday liturgy, up to 30 on weekdays, but about a third of those present were simply curious, and the majority were Catholics of the Latin rite who were late for their mass; there were few Orthodox Christians, many of those allegedly wishing to convert were pursuing selfish goals. In July 1939, Bishop Buchis, elected general of the Marian congregation, finally managed to leave for America (and in 1951, after many requests, he was allowed to abandon the Eastern rite). Russikum graduate priest Mikhail Nedtochin, who arrived in Lithuania in August 1939, was appointed the new head of the Mission. In June 1940, after the entry of Soviet troops, Father Mikhail tried to leave the territory of Lithuania, but was arrested. At the beginning of the German occupation in 1941, he was released from prison and deported to Italy. After entering Soviet troops Priest Helwegen was also arrested and taken to Moscow, but soon, as a foreign citizen, he was released and returned to Kaunas. In May 1941, priest Majonas was arrested and later died in custody. In January 1942 (according to other sources in 1943), Priest Helwegen also returned to the Netherlands, having lost his last cleric and without creating a single parish or strong community, the Mission ceased to exist.

Community (Estonia)

The Greek Catholic Russian community was cared for by Fr. Vasily Bourgeois (1932-1945), Fr. John Ryder, SJ (1933-1939) and Fr. Kutner

In the east of the Roman Empire, Christianity began to spread already in the 1st century. At the beginning of the 4th century, under Constantine the Great, the persecution of the Christian Church stopped, and Christianity became the official religion of the Roman state. The west of the Roman Empire was predominantly Latin-speaking, while in the east Greek was dominant (the lower classes of Egypt and Syria spoke Coptic and Syriac, respectively). These languages ​​were used from the very beginning for the preaching of Christianity and for worship: the Christian Bible was very early translated from Greek into Latin, Coptic and Syriac.

The early Christian church was organized as a system of separate and independent communities (churches) with centers in the capitals of countries and provinces and in major cities. Bishops major cities exercised supervision over the churches in the areas adjacent to these cities. Already by the 5th century. A system developed according to which the bishops of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, who were usually called popes, began to be considered the heads of the churches of their respective regions, while the emperor was entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the church and ensuring its doctrinal unity.

The fifth century was marked by the beginning of vigorous Christological debates that had a profound impact on the church. The Nestorians taught that two personalities were united in Christ - divine and human. Their irreconcilable opponents, the Monophysites, taught that Christ has only one personality and that in him the divine and human natures are inextricably fused into a single divine-human nature. Both of these extremes were condemned as heretical by the established church, but many people in Egypt and Syria enthusiastically embraced these doctrines. The Coptic population and a significant part of the Syrians gave preference to Monophysitism, while the other part of the Syrians joined Nestorianism.

At the end of the 5th century. The Western Roman Empire collapsed, and a number of barbarian kingdoms formed on its territory, but in the East the Byzantine Empire continued to exist with its capital in Constantinople. The Byzantine emperors repeatedly persecuted the Monophysites and Nestorians of Egypt and Syria. And when in the 7th century. Muslim conquerors invaded these countries, and a significant part of the population greeted them as liberators. Meanwhile, the gap between the religious culture of Latin and Greek Christians deepened. Thus, the Western clergy began to view the church as a social institution, completely independent of the state, as a result of which, over time, the popes assumed a number of powers of the previous imperial authorities, while in the East - despite the fact that the Patriarchs of Constantinople bore the title of “ecumenical patriarchs”, – the importance of the role of the Byzantine emperor as the visible head of the church constantly increased. Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, was called "equal to the apostles". The schism between the Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) churches is usually dated to 1054, but in reality there was a gradual and long process of division, more due to differences in customs and opinions than doctrinal differences. A truly important event, which caused an insurmountable alienation, can be considered the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders (1204), as a result of which Greek Christians lost confidence in the West for many centuries.

ORTHODOX CHURCH

The word “Orthodoxy” (Greek: orthodoxia) means “correct faith.” The church bases its faith on Holy Scripture, on the teachings of the ancient church fathers - Basil the Great (d. about 379), Gregory of Nazianzus (d. about 390), John Chrysostom (d. 407) and others, as well as on Church Tradition preserved primarily in the liturgical tradition. Strict dogmatic formulations of this creed were developed ecumenical councils, of which the Orthodox Church recognizes the first seven. The First Council of Nicea (325), condemning Arianism, proclaimed the divinity of Jesus Christ. The First Council of Constantinople (381) recognized the divinity of the Holy Spirit, completing the trinity of the Holy Trinity. The Council of Ephesus (431) condemned the Nestorians, recognizing the hypostatic unity of Christ. The Council of Chalcedon (451), in contrast to the Monophysites, recognized the distinction of two natures in Christ - divine and human. The Second Council of Constantinople (553) confirmed the condemnation of Nestorianism. The Third Council of Constantinople (680–681) accepted the doctrine of two wills, divine and human, in Christ, condemning the teaching of the Monothelites, who - with the support of the imperial authorities - tried to find a compromise between orthodoxy and Monophysitism. Finally, the Second Council of Nicaea (787) recognized the canonicity of icon veneration and condemned the iconoclasts, who enjoyed the support of the Byzantine emperors. The most authoritative body of orthodox doctrine is considered An accurate statement of the Orthodox faith John of Damascus (d. about 754).

The most significant doctrinal difference between the Orthodox Church and Latin Catholics was the disagreement over the problem of the so-called. filioque. The ancient creed, adopted at the First Council of Nicaea and amended at the First Council of Constantinople, states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father. However, first in Spain, then in Gaul, and later in Italy, the word filioque, meaning “and from the Son,” began to be added to the corresponding verse in the Latin Creed. Western theologians viewed this addition not as an innovation, but as an anti-Arian clarification, but Orthodox theologians did not agree with this. Some of them believed that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son, but, although this statement could be interpreted in the same sense as the Catholic addition of the filioque, all Orthodox theologians, without exception, considered it unacceptable to include in the creed a word that was not sanctioned by the Ecumenical Council. Photius (d. 826) and Michael Cerularius, two patriarchs of Constantinople who played a major role in the Greco-Latin church disputes, spoke of the filioque as the deepest error of the West.

Although the Orthodox Church was distinguished by extreme conservatism in matters of dogmatic purity, especially those related to the divine Trinity and the Incarnation of Christ, the field of activity for the work of theological thought still remained very wide. Maximus the Confessor (d. 662), Theodore the Studite (d. 826), Simeon the New Theologian (d. 1033), and Gregory Palamas (d. 1359) made enormous contributions to the development of Christian theology, especially in the field of monastic spirituality.

Monasticism played an extremely important role in the life of the Orthodox Church. Monasticism can be defined as withdrawal from the world for the sake of a life of prayer, either in hermitage or in community with other monks. Monks do not marry, do not own personal property, and most often impose severe restrictions on food and sleep. The first Christian monks appeared in the Egyptian desert at the turn of the 3rd and 4th centuries. The desire to escape persecution and, perhaps, imitation of non-Christian (in particular, Buddhist) models may have played a certain role in the emergence of the monastic movement, but from the very beginning the core of Christian monasticism was the desire for unity with God through the renunciation of all other objects of desire. Basil the Great in the 4th century. compiled a monastic charter, which - with minor modifications - still regulates the life of Orthodox monasticism. The monastic movement very quickly captured Syria, Asia Minor and Greece. The prestige of monasticism was especially strengthened during the iconoclastic disputes of the 8th and 9th centuries, when monks resolutely resisted the attempts of the Byzantine emperors to remove icons and sacred images from churches, and many monks were persecuted and suffered martyrdom for the Orthodox faith. In the Middle Ages, the major monastic centers were Mount Olympus in Bithynia and Constantinople, but the main center of Orthodox monasticism was and remains to this day Athos in northern Greece - a mountainous peninsula on which, starting from the 10th century. Dozens of monasteries arose.

The first great theorist of monastic spirituality was Evagrius of Pontus (d. 399), who believed that the human soul was united with the flesh as a result of the Fall and that it was the flesh that was the cause of the passions that distract man from God. Therefore, he considered the main goal of monastic life to be the achievement of a state of dispassion (apatheia), through which knowledge of God is achieved. The Second Council of Constantinople condemned the Origenist doctrine that the flesh is alien to true human nature. Subsequent theorists of monasticism - in particular, Maximus the Confessor - tried to cleanse the teachings of Evagrius from unorthodox elements, arguing that the whole person (and not just his soul) is sanctified by cultivating love for God and neighbor. Nevertheless, Orthodox asceticism remained predominantly contemplative. In the 14th century - mainly under the influence of the teachings of Gregory Palamas - hesychasm is being established among Orthodox monks, which includes, first of all, a special technique of prayer, which implied control of breathing and prolonged mental concentration on a short prayer addressed to Jesus Christ (the so-called Jesus Prayer). According to the teachings of the hesychasts, this kind of “smart” prayer allows one to gain spiritual peace, and later leads to ecstatic contemplation of the divine light that surrounded Christ at the moment of his transfiguration (Matthew 17: 1-8).

Hesychasm, like monastic spirituality in general, may have been admired, but it was unlikely to become a common practice for ordinary people living in a world of work and carnal love and bound by family ties. However, the church did not neglect their spiritual life, since for the laity, as for monasticism, the center of Orthodox religious practice was the liturgy and the Christian sacraments. Most Orthodox theologians recognize seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, priesthood, marriage, repentance and consecration of oil. Since the number of sacraments was not formally determined by the ecumenical councils, the sacrament of monastic tonsure is sometimes added to the seven listed sacraments. The sacramental (sacramental) practice of the Orthodox Church differs in many details from the Western one. Baptism here is carried out through threefold immersion, and, as a rule, it is immediately followed by confirmation, so that the Sacrament of confirmation in Orthodoxy is performed most often on infants, and not on children who have reached adolescence, as with Catholics. In the sacrament of repentance, greater importance is placed on contrition for sins and spiritual guidance on the part of the confessor, rather than receiving formal absolution. In Orthodoxy, a second marriage of people who are widowed or divorced is allowed, a third is condemned, and a fourth is prohibited. The church hierarchy includes bishops, priests and deacons. Orthodox clergy can be unmarried, but married men can also be ordained to the priesthood and diaconate (which becomes a requirement if they are not ordained), so most parish priests are usually married (although they are not allowed to remarry in the event of widowhood). Bishops must be celibate, so they are usually elected from among the monks. The Orthodox Church is particularly strongly opposed to the idea of ​​ordaining women.

The most important of all Christian sacraments in Orthodoxy is the sacrament of the Eucharist, and the Eucharistic liturgy is the center of Orthodox worship. The liturgy is celebrated in the church, which is divided into three parts: the vestibule, the middle part and the altar. The altar is separated from the rest of the church by the iconostasis - a barrier on which icons (in Orthodoxy sculptural images are not used) of Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints and angels are placed. The iconostasis has three gates connecting the altar with the middle part of the church. The liturgy begins with proskomedia, preparation for the sacrament, during which the priest uses a special knife (“spear”) to remove particles from prosphoras (baked from leavened dough) and pours red grape wine and water into a bowl. Then the Liturgy of the Catechumens is performed, which includes prayers to the saints whose memory is celebrated on this day, singing Trisagion Song(“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us”) and reading the Apostle and the Gospel (that is, the texts from the apostolic epistles and gospels assigned for this day). After this, the catechumens (catechumens, i.e. people preparing for baptism) in ancient times were ordered to leave the church. Then the Liturgy of the Faithful begins. The Holy Gifts - bread and wine - are carried by the clergy in front of the parishioners and taken to the altar, where they are placed on the altar. The priest remembers in prayer the Last Supper, during which Jesus Christ transformed bread and wine into his Body and Blood. After this, an epiclesis is performed, in which the priest prayerfully asks the Holy Spirit to descend on the Gifts and transubstantiate them. Then everyone sings the Lord's Prayer. Finally, the believers receive communion with particles of transubstantiated bread immersed in a cup of transubstantiated wine, using a spoon (“liar”). The most important thing in the liturgy is this very act of communion with the Body and Blood of Christ and unity with Christ.

The ultimate goal of spiritual life in Orthodoxy is considered to be communion with the life of God. Already in the New Testament it is said that the goal of a Christian is to become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). St. Athanasius of Alexandria (d. 373) taught that “God became man so that man could become God.” Therefore, the concept of deification (Greek theosis) occupies a central place in the Orthodox tradition. In the West, Augustine (d. 430) developed the doctrine of original sin, according to which the human will was significantly damaged as a result of the Fall of Adam, and therefore only the sacrificial death of Christ allows a person to escape hell. This teaching remains the basis of the Catholic and, to an even greater extent, Protestant concept of the mission of Christ and the redemption of sinners. However, the Eastern tradition has not developed a similar teaching. In Orthodoxy, the Incarnation of Christ is viewed rather as a cosmic event: having become incarnate, God incorporates all material reality into himself, and having become human, he opens up the opportunity for all people to become participants in his own, divine existence. The believer will be able to enjoy the fullness of divine life only after death, in heaven, but the beginning of this life is the acceptance of baptism, and then it is supported by the communion of the Holy Gifts in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Nicholas Cabasilas (d. 1395) wrote that Christ introduced us to heavenly life by tilting the sky for us and bringing it closer to the earth. Monks take their cultivation in this heavenly life most seriously, but all Orthodox Christians are called—through the sacraments and liturgy—to participate in this life.

The Orthodox Church is sometimes reproached for insufficient attention to the affairs of this world - even those that directly relate to religion, in particular, that the Orthodox Church is not interested in missionary activities. But we must take into account that after the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453 and the subsequent fall of the Byzantine Empire, the Greek Church, naturally, was mainly concerned with surviving under Muslim rule. However, before that, she was very actively involved in the Christianization of the Caucasian peoples, in particular the Georgians. Moreover, she owned the main role in the Christianization of the Slavs. Saints Cyril (d. 869) and Methodius (d. 885) were engaged in missionary work among the Slavs of the Balkan Peninsula, and later in Moravia. Rus' was converted to Christianity during the reign of Prince Vladimir of Kyiv (980–1015). As a result of this missionary activity in the Orthodox Church, representatives of the Slavic peoples currently outnumber the Greeks. The Russian Orthodox Church, which escaped Turkish rule, in turn, actively engaged in missionary work. Thus, Stefan of Perm (d. 1396) converted the Komi people to Christianity, and then work followed among other peoples of northern Europe and Asia. Missions of the Russian Orthodox Church were created in China in 1715, in Japan in 1861. While Alaska belonged to Russia, missionaries also worked in Russian America.

The Orthodox Church has always paid attention to its relations with other Christian churches. In 1274, and then in 1439, the Church of the Byzantine Empire was formally united with the Western Church under the authority of the Pope. Both unions, generated by political considerations and met with hostility by the Orthodox population, were unsuccessful. In the 16th century Contacts began with Protestant theologians in Western Europe, and Patriarch Cyril Lukary (d. 1638) made an unsuccessful attempt to give Orthodox theology a Calvinist coloring. In the 19th century Contacts were maintained with Old Catholics. In the 20th century The Orthodox Church takes an active position in the World Council of Churches. A decisive step forward in the development of relations with Roman Catholics was the meeting of Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople with Pope Paul VI, held in Jerusalem in 1964. The following year, they issued a joint declaration in which they expressed regret over the estrangement between the two churches and the hope that that the differences between them can be overcome by purification of hearts, awareness of historical errors and a firm determination to come to a common understanding and confession of the apostolic faith.

The Orthodox Church today unites four ancient patriarchates (Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem) and another eleven independent (autocephalous) churches. The supreme position among the heads of Orthodox churches is traditionally occupied by the Patriarch of Constantinople, but he is not the sole head of the entire Orthodox Church. Orthodox churches are united by a common faith and common liturgical practice, but they all manage their own affairs independently. Listed below are the Orthodox Churches that exist today.

Patriarchate of Constantinople.

After the Turkish conquest of Constantinople (1453), the Orthodox hierarchy of the former Byzantine Empire suffered many hardships. Nevertheless, the Patriarchs of Constantinople continued to remain at the head of the Orthodox Church in Ottoman Empire, and only when Greece, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria freed themselves from the Turkish yoke, their religious ties with the Patriarchate of Constantinople weakened. Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) continues to be the main episcopal see of the Orthodox world, and the bishop who occupies this see bears the title of "ecumenical patriarch", but under his jurisdiction lies mainly only the greatly reduced Orthodox population of Turkey. As for the Greek territories, the independent Cretan Church (island of Crete) and the Dodecanese Church (islands of the Southern Sporades) are subordinate to Constantinople. In addition, the direct subordination of the Patriarch of Constantinople includes the monasteries of Mount Athos, a self-governing territory within Greece. The Patriarch also oversees Greek churches abroad, the largest of which is the Greek Orthodox Church of the Americas, with its head seat in New York. Small autonomous Orthodox churches in Finland and Japan are also under the jurisdiction of Constantinople.

Patriarchate of Alexandria.

The ancient episcopal see of Alexandria presides over the spiritual life of the small Greek community in Egypt. However, in the 20th century. Many converts joined the Church of Alexandria in the countries of equatorial Africa - in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, etc. In 1990, under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Alexandria there were approx. 300,000 believers.

Patriarchate of Antioch.

Under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch, whose residence is in Damascus (Syria), in 1990 there were approx. 400,000 Orthodox believers, approximately half of whom were Arabic-speaking Syrians and the other half from the Syrian diaspora in America.

Jerusalem Patriarchate.

In 1990, the flock of the Patriarch of Jerusalem was approx. 100,000 Christian Arabs of Jordan, Israel and Israeli-occupied territories.

Russian Orthodox Church.

Christianity was adopted in Rus' at the end of the 10th century. Initially, the church was headed by the metropolitans of Kyiv, and the main center of monasticism was the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. However, in the 14th and 15th centuries. the center of political life shifted to the north. In 1448, an independent Moscow Metropolis arose, and Kyiv retained under its jurisdiction only the territories of modern Ukraine and Belarus. The Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius (Sergiev Posad), founded by Sergius of Radonezh (d. 1392), became one of the main centers of Russian spiritual culture.

Russian church leaders were aware of the special role of their people as the most numerous of all Orthodox peoples. The theory of Moscow as the “Third Rome” arose: according to this theory, Rome itself fell away from Orthodoxy under the rule of the popes, Constantinople - the “second Rome” - fell under the onslaught of the Turks, so Moscow became the great center of the entire Orthodox world. In 1589, the Moscow Patriarchate was established - the first new patriarchate since the era of the ancient church.

Meanwhile, Ukraine became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Kiev Metropolitan began to submit not to Moscow, but to Constantinople. In 1596, the Union of Brest was concluded, as a result of which many Ukrainians became Catholics. Orthodox Ukrainians returned to Moscow's jurisdiction in the 17th and 18th centuries, following Ukraine's reunification with Russia.

After the church reform carried out by Patriarch Nikon in 1653, designed to bring Russian liturgical practice into line with Greek, opponents of these reforms broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church, who began to be called Old Believers, or schismatics. The Old Believers were divided into priests (who had priests), bespopovtsy (who did not have priests) and beglopopovtsy (who themselves did not ordain priests, but accepted priests who had already been ordained in the Orthodox Church and wished to join the Old Believers).

Over time, the Russian tsars began to play the same role in the Russian Orthodox Church that the Byzantine emperors had previously played. In 1721, Peter the Great abolished the patriarchate in order to achieve closer interaction between the church and the new administrative system. In the 18th and 19th centuries. The tsarist regime forced Ukrainian Catholics on the territory of the Russian Empire to join the Orthodox Church. In addition, the Russian tsars declared themselves the protectors of all Orthodox Christians outside Russia, millions of whom were subjects of the Ottoman Empire.

Despite strict state control, the Russian Orthodox Church continued to live an intense spiritual life. Seraphim of Sarov (d. 1833) was the inspirer of the great spiritual revival in Russia in the 19th century. John of Krostadt (d. 1909) made significant efforts to introduce the poorest segments of the population to church sacraments and services. In the 19th century Orthodoxy attracted many representatives of the Russian intelligentsia.

In 1917, after the fall of tsarist power, the patriarchate was restored in Russia and a new patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' was elected. The Soviet government imposed restrictions on the activities of the church, arrested and executed clergy, and launched large-scale atheist propaganda. Thousands of churches and monasteries were closed, many were destroyed, and some were turned into museums. The fall of tsarism prompted the Ukrainians to attempt to create a local autocephalous church, but the Soviet authorities suppressed this attempt.

During the Second World War, the state changed its attitude towards the church. Orthodoxy has traditionally been associated in Russia with patriotic ideology, and the country's leadership attracted the church to rouse the people to defend “Holy Rus'” against the Nazi invaders. The situation of the church in the late 1950s again became quite difficult.

The Church took a stronger position under M.S. Gorbachev in the late 1980s. The fall of the Soviet system in 1991 opened up new opportunities for growth and development, but also confronted it with new problems associated with the threat of Russia adopting the new values ​​of Western consumer society. In addition, the refusal to suppress manifestations of the nationalist spirit led to confrontation with the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The Uniates (Eastern Rite Catholics) of western Ukraine, annexed to the Orthodox Church in 1946, gained independence in 1990, forming the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Some of the church property and buildings were returned to them. In 1998, parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) operated on the territory of Ukraine. Negotiations are underway between the UOC-KP and the UAOC on unification to form the Ukrainian Local Orthodox Church under patriarchal control.

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), led by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (since 1990 Alexy II), unites within its fold a significant part of the population of the former Soviet Union. It is impossible to name the exact number of Orthodox believers (probably 80–90 million). In 1999, the Russian Orthodox Church had 128 dioceses (in 1989 - 67), more than 19,000 parishes (in 1988 - 6893), 480 monasteries (in 1980 - 18). The Old Believers-Priests, led by the Archbishop of Moscow, number approximately 1 million people. Bespopovtsy, part of many independent communities, also number approx. 1 million. And the number of Old Believers-Beglopopovites includes approx. 200,000 believers. The cooperation of the Moscow Patriarchate with the Soviet authorities led to the separation of the right wing of the church from it, which formed the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (Russian Church Abroad); in 1990 this church numbered approx. 100,000 members. In May 2007, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II and First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Laurus, signed the Act of Canonical Communion, establishing norms for the relationship between the two Orthodox churches and aimed at restoring the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Romanian Orthodox Church.

Romanians are the only Romance people who profess Orthodoxy. The Romanian Church received autocephalous status in 1885, and since 1925 it has been headed by the Patriarch of Bucharest. In 1990 it numbered approx. 19 million members.

Orthodox Church of Greece.

Syriac Orthodox (Jacobite) Church.

Religious life in Syria in the 5th–6th centuries. underwent almost the same evolution as in Egypt. The majority of the local Syrian-speaking population accepted the teachings of the Monophysites, which was largely due to hostility towards the Hellenized landowners and city dwellers, as well as towards the Greek emperor in Constantinople. Although the most prominent Syrian Monophysite theologian was Severus of Antioch (d. 538), James Baradai (500–578) played such an important role in the building of the Monophysite church in Syria that it came to be called Jacobite. Initially, the population of Syria was predominantly Christian, but later the majority of the population converted to Islam. In 1990 the Syrian Jacobite Church numbered approx. 250,000 members living mainly in Syria and Iraq. It is headed by the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch, whose residence is in Damascus (Syria).

Malabar Jacobite, or Malankara Syrian Orthodox (Jacobite) Church.

According to legend, Christianity was brought to India by the Apostle Thomas. By the 6th century. Nestorian communities already existed in southwestern India. As the Nestorian Church declined, these Christians became increasingly independent. In the 16th century under the influence of Portuguese missionaries, some of them became Catholics. However, attempts to introduce Indian Christians to Western religious practice caused protest among many, and in the 17th century. those believers who did not want to join the Roman Catholic Church became Jacobites. The Malabar Jacobite Church is headed by the Catholicos of the East with his residence in Kottayam, and in 1990 it numbered approx. 1.7 million members.

Malabar Syrian Church of St. Thomas, which separated from the Jacobite Church under the influence of Anglican missionaries in the first half of the 19th century, numbered approx. 700,000 members.

Armenian Apostolic Church.

In 314, Armenia became the first country to proclaim Christianity as the state religion. After the condemnation of Monophysitism in 451, Christological disputes in Armenia did not subside, and in 506 the Armenian Church officially took an anti-Chalcedonian position. In the 12th century Nerses the Gracious stated that the Christological teaching of the Armenian Church does not at all contradict the teaching of the Council of Chalcedon; Indeed, the Armenians were committed to the Monophysite doctrine to a much lesser extent than, for example, Ethiopian Christians. The Armenian Church survived despite the brutal massacres inflicted by the Turks during World War I and the atheism of the Soviet period. In 1990, the Armenian Church numbered approx. 4 million members in Armenia itself and throughout the world. The head of the church is the Patriarch-Catholicos.

EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES

The Roman Catholic Church includes 22 “rites”, forming six groups. These are the Latin Rite, to which 90% of Catholics worldwide belong, the Byzantine Rites, the Alexandrian Rites, the Antiochene Rites, the East Syriac Rites and the Armenian Rites. Believers of all Catholic rites adhere to the same doctrine and recognize the authority of the pope, but each rite maintains its own liturgical traditions, church organization and spirituality, largely the same as those characteristic of the respective non-Catholic churches. For example, Catholics of the Eastern rites retain the institution of married priesthood, since the celibate priesthood is a characteristic feature of the church discipline of Catholics of the Latin rite, and not a subject of Catholic doctrine. Catholics of the Eastern Rites are often called Uniates, but this name is considered offensive. Catholics of the Eastern Rite enjoy considerable freedom in the management of their affairs, since the Pope exercises some of his powers in relation to the Latin Church as the patriarch of the West, and not as pope.

Byzantine rites.

Catholics of the Byzantine rites live in the Middle East and in countries of Eastern Europe, as well as in expat communities around the world. The Melchite rite arose in 1724, after the controversial election of the Patriarch of Antioch. Since that time, some of the Melchites adhere to Orthodoxy, and the other part joined the Roman Catholic Church. The word "Melchites" (or "Melkites") means "royalists" and was used to refer to churches that professed the same faith as the Byzantine rulers - as opposed to, for example, the Copts and Jacobites. The Melchite Church is headed by the Patriarch of Antioch, who lives in Damascus, and in 1990 approx. 1 million believers.

As a result of the Union of Brest in 1596, many Ukrainians joined the Roman Catholic Church. Those of them who lived in the territories that became part of the Russian Empire in the 18th century were returned to Orthodoxy under pressure from the tsarist authorities, but the Ukrainians who lived on the territory of the Austrian Empire (in Galicia) became Catholics of the Ukrainian rite, and those who lived in the Hungarian kingdom - Catholics of the Ruthenian rite. Galicia later came under Polish rule, where on the eve of World War II there were approx. 3–5 million Ukrainian Catholics. They lived primarily in territory that was annexed by the Soviet Union in the 1940s and were forcibly annexed into the Russian Orthodox Church. The Church of the Ukrainian rite is headed by the Archbishop of Lvov. Many Ukrainians in the United States and Canada belong to it, and efforts are currently being made to restore it in post-Soviet Ukraine. The Church of the Ruthenian Rite, headed by the Archbishop of Pittsburgh, also belongs mainly to emigrants. Historically, the Hungarian, Slovak and Yugoslav rites, which were close to them, generally had a more prosperous fate at home. In total, these five rituals accounted for approx. 2.5 million active believers.

Catholics of the Romanian rite have existed since 1697, when Transylvania became part of Hungary, and numbered approx. 1.5 million people until they were forcibly annexed into the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1948.

In 1990, the Italo-Albanian rite included approx. 60,000 believers; these are Christians of the Byzantine rite living in Southern Italy and Sicily who have always been Catholics.

Alexandrian rites.

Coptic Catholics and Ethiopian Catholics adhere to a rite that dates back to the Alexandrian tradition. The Coptic Catholics are led by the Catholic Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria, and in 1990 there were approx. 170,000. Catholics of the Ethiopian rite, headed by their own archbishop in Addis Ababa, numbered approximately in 1990. 120,000 people.

Antiochian rites.

Three significant groups of Catholics adhere to West Syriac rites in their religious practice, which go back to the Antiochene tradition. As a result of the union of the Syro-Jacobites with Rome in 1782, the Syrian rite arose. At the head of the Catholics of the Syrian rite, who in 1990 numbered approx. 100,000, costs the Catholic Syrian Patriarch of Antioch, whose see is in Beirut. Mar Ivanios, a Jacobite bishop in southwest India, became a Catholic in 1930; His example was followed by thousands of Jacobites, who in 1932 received the status of Catholics of the Malankara rite. Their archbishop's seat is in Trivandra, and in 1990 they numbered approx. 300,000.

Catholics of the Maronite rite trace their origins to ancient Syria. Once St. Maro (d. 410?) founded a monastery in northern Syria, whose monks played an important role in Christianizing the local population and building a church, which became a difficult task after the Muslim conquest of Syria in the 7th century. According to legend, the first Maronite patriarch was elected in 685. In the 8th and 9th centuries. The Maronite community gradually moved from Northern Syria to Lebanon. The Maronites maintained almost no contacts with other Christians, and their doctrine had a visible Monothelite bias, which was explained by their ignorance of the decisions of the Third Council of Constantinople. When the Crusaders came to Lebanon, the Maronites came into contact with Western Christians. in 1180–1181 the Maronites recognized Pope Alexander III. They remained Catholics in a predominantly Muslim environment and, although they spoke Arabic, constituted a distinct national minority and had their own traditions. Currently, the Maronites play a prominent role in the political life of Lebanon. The influence of the Latin rite is noticeable in the liturgy and rules of the Maronites. The Maronite Church is headed by the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, whose residence is located in the vicinity of Beirut. In 1990 there were approx. 2 million Maronites in Lebanon, other countries of the Middle East and among Lebanese emigrants around the world.

East Syrian rites.

Catholics of the East Syrian rites include Catholics of the Chaldean and Malabar churches. The Chaldean Catholic Church arose in 1553, when a split occurred in the Nestorian Church and one part of it recognized the authority of the Pope. In 1990 it owned approx. 600,000 believers. Most of them live in Iraq, where they constitute the largest Christian community. Christians of the Nestorian Church in southwestern India who became Catholics in the 16th century are called Malabar Catholics. Malabar liturgy and church life bear the stamp of strong Latin influence. The Malabar Catholics are led by the Archbishops of Ernakulam and Changanacherya, and in 1990 this church numbered approx. 2.9 million members.

Armenian rite.

The union of Armenian Christians with the Roman Catholic Church existed from 1198 to 1375. This union began during crusades, when the Armenians became allies of the Latins in the fight against the Muslims. The modern Armenian rite arose in 1742. Armenian Catholics, especially the Benedictine Mekhitarite monks, made significant contributions to Armenian culture, publishing books and establishing schools. The Catholics of the Armenian rite are led by the Patriarch of Cilicia, whose residence is in Beirut. In 1990 there were approx. 150,000 in various Middle Eastern countries.

Literature:

Posnov M.E. History of the Christian Church(before the division of churches - 1054). Kyiv, 1991
Shmeman A. The historical path of Orthodoxy. M., 1993
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Peoples and religions of the world. Encyclopedia. M., 1998

“The history of the emergence and features of the Latin and Byzantine rites of the Christian Church”

In order to sufficiently illuminate and reveal this topic, it is necessary to consider what the ritual itself is. The ritual represents traditional actions that accompany important moments in the life of the human community. Rituals associated with birth, wedding, death (Burial, Initiation) are called family; agricultural and other rites are calendar ones, rites that are mysteries (secret rites in which only initiates participate) are religious rites.
Christianity, like any other religion, is no exception and contains rituals. Rituals existed in Christianity even at its very origins; evidence and evidence can be found in the Holy Scriptures. With the development and events of Christianity itself and the Christian Church, changes also affected the ritual side of religion, thus, the rites were modified in their theological, semantic and ceremonial content, which ultimately led to the formation of the Latin and Byzantine rites in the Orthodox Church.
The Latin or Roman rite is a liturgical (liturgical) rite that developed in the first centuries of our era in the Roman Church. The consolidation of its basic forms is traditionally associated with the name of Pope Gregory I the Great.
The Byzantine rite is a liturgical (liturgical) rite that developed in the early Middle Ages in the Byzantine Empire. Many elements of the Byzantine rite go back to the ancient liturgical practice of the Antiochian Church.
When considering this topic, it is necessary to consider the very concept of Liturgy.

Liturgy (Greek: common cause) is the main public service, during which the sacrament of communion is performed. In early Christian times, there were following liturgies, which over time fell out of liturgical use (including the liturgy of the Apostle Mark, celebrated in Alexandria until the 12th century, when it was replaced by the Byzantine rite). Due to the common origin, the general structure of the liturgies is the same; the differences relate mainly to the prayers of the Eucharistic canon. The rite of the liturgy consists of three parts - the proskomedia (preparatory), the liturgy of the catechumens (at which the catechumens are allowed to attend) and the liturgy of the faithful (at which the catechumens are not allowed to attend). The order of the liturgy in the Latin Rite differs from the order of the liturgy of the Byzantine Rite, as already mentioned, in the prayerful content of the Eucharistic canon. The main parts of the Divine Liturgy are the Liturgy of the Catechumens and the Liturgy of the Faithful (in Western terminology, respectively, the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharistic Liturgy). The meaning of both comes down to the meeting of believers with God: in the first it is carried out in listening to His Revelation, in the second - in communion with the living Christ through eating His Body and Blood.
The central part of the Liturgy, consisting of the named sections, is also framed by the initial and final rites and may contain liturgical inclusions that are not directly related to the main sections. Both sections of the Divine Liturgy have Old Testament roots: for the Liturgy of the Catechumens it is the community synagogue rite of reading and interpretation of the Word of God, for the Liturgy of the Faithful it is the family Jewish rituals of Saturday and Easter meals (the latter has special significance, since it was on it that Christ established the sacrament of the Eucharist).
The Liturgy of the Catechumens owes its name to the ancient church practice of catechumenate, or catechumen (preparation for Baptism), when the first part of the Liturgy played an important role in teaching those preparing for Baptism (catechumens) the fundamentals of the faith. In those days, it consisted of several readings of the Holy Scriptures, the main one among which was the reading of the Gospel, as well as a sermon interpreting what was read; in addition, it included various prayer requests and, finally, prayers for the catechumens and their release, since only the baptized (the so-called “faithful” - hence the name) could participate in the second part of the Liturgy. The main parts of the Liturgy of the Faithful were the Proskomedia, during which the gifts (bread and wine) were prepared for the upcoming consecration, the Anaphora - prayer, during which the very consecration of the gifts takes place, and the rite of Communion, when the priest and all believers participating in the Liturgy partook of the Body and Blood of the Lord .
Most of the named liturgical elements have been preserved in the Divine Liturgy to the present day, although many of them were greatly transformed in the Middle Ages. Thus, in most Eastern rites, the proskomedia was divided into two parts and the main part began to be performed at the very beginning, before the Liturgy of the Catechumens, without the direct participation of believers; in all liturgical rites, a significant proportion of priestly prayers (including most of the Anaphora) began to be pronounced by the priest secretly; and much more.
In various local Churches over the centuries, Liturgies of different text, structure and external design arose, many of which were consolidated in the form of liturgical sequences, acquiring their own name. The name that a particular Liturgy bears most often does not mean its authorship (except in rare cases), but the authority with which tradition associates it. Over time, however, both in the East and in the West, a process of unification of the liturgical rite and the Liturgy itself began to take shape. IN Orthodox Church in fact, only two Liturgies were preserved - the Liturgy of Basil the Great and the Liturgy of John Chrysostom; The Roman Mass became established in the Catholic Church.

LATIN RITE.
As already mentioned, the Latin (Roman) liturgical rite developed in the first centuries of our era in the Roman Church. The consolidation of its basic forms is traditionally associated with the name of Pope Gregory I the Great. In the early Middle Ages, it was borrowed by a number of other regions of Western Europe, in particular by the Frankish kingdom, where it was significantly modified and supplemented. At the dawn of the Holy Roman Empire, the Latin rite became widespread on its territory and underwent many new changes, which were soon adopted in Rome itself. Despite the diversity spoken languages of this area, the only liturgical language of the Latin rite remains Latin.
Soon after the great division of the Churches, Pope Gregory VII unified the liturgical rite in the Catholic Church, leaving the Latin rite as the only acceptable for worship (a minor exception is the Ambrosian rite in Milan, the Mozarabic in some areas of Spain and some others; later, as a result of the union, Eastern rites will be added to them). In the Latin Rite, the Divine Liturgy is called the Mass (Missa Romana) [distorted Latin. missa, originally, perhaps, meaning dismissal (from the verb mitto - to release, send), and subsequently extended to the entire divine service].
The Roman Mass was reformed to some extent at the Council of Trent, and its rules and text were codified in 1570 by Pope Pius V. This rite of the Mass, called “Tridentine,” existed in the Catholic Church until the 1960s. The Tridentine rite of the Mass is preserved today by traditionalist Catholics. The Roman Mass was retained, although with notable modifications, in the Anglican Church and in some other communities that arose in the West as a result of the Reformation.
The structure of the Roman Mass is generally similar to the structure of all Divine Liturgies. Its two main parts are the Liturgy of the Word (Liturgia verbi: corresponds to the Liturgy of the Catechumens in the Byzantine rite) and the Eucharistic Liturgy (Liturgia eucharistica: corresponds to the Liturgy of the Faithful); The offering of gifts (corresponding to the Proskomedia) is an integral part Eucharistic Liturgy and is not separated from it, as in many Eastern rites. The Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharistic Liturgy together are framed by the Initial Rites and the Final Rites.

Initial rites
Entrance of the serving clergy into the presbytery (altar part of the temple); entrance prayers based on Psalm 42; rite of repentance (confession of one’s sinfulness, first by the priest, then by those praying, with a prayer for God’s condescension and forgiveness); the singing (or reading, if the Mass is without singing) of the entrance hymn (Introitus; in the reformed Mass called Cantus/Antiphona ad Introitum), varying depending on the day of the church calendar or the occasion on which the Mass is celebrated, after which a short litany of “Kyrie eleison” is sung ("Lord have mercy"); on Sundays and holidays, with the exception of the preparatory periods before Christmas and Easter, the hymn “Gloria” (“Glory to God in the highest”) is sung; a modified opening prayer (Collecta) is recited.

Liturgy of the Word
The Apostle is read (Epistola - literally “message”), then the gradual is sung, to which in some cases other chants may be added (tract, sequence, alleluia); the Gospel is read; it may be followed by a sermon. On Sundays and holidays, the “Credo” (“I Believe”: Nicene-Constantinople Creed) is sung or read.

Beginning of the Eucharistic Liturgy
Offering of gifts, or Offertorium. A variable chant sounds for the Offering of Gifts - Offertory. Incense of the offered gifts may be performed with the words of Psalm 140. The priests prepare the Bread and Wine for the Transubstantiation. The priest washes his hands (with the words of Psalm 25) as a sign of the requirement of moral purity. After several prayers over the offered gifts, and the call of the faithful to intense prayer that the Eucharistic sacrifice would be pleasing to God, there follows a modified Secret Prayer (Secreta; in accordance with the practice established since the 8th century, from now on most prayers are read secretly by the priest ; in the reformed Mass it is read publicly and is called the “Prayer over the Gifts”).

Eucharistic canon
The central part of the Eucharistic Liturgy is the Eucharistic Canon (Anaphora; called the "Eucharistic Prayer" in the reformed Mass). In the Roman rite, from the time of St. Gregory I the Great until 1969, only the so-called Eucharistic Prayer was used. The “Roman Canon” (Canon Romanus), which basically took shape already in the 4th century, but took a canonically fixed form at the Council of Trent. The Roman canon is an anaphora of the Alexandrian type, similar in structure to some of the anaphoras used in the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches.
The Roman Canon opens with a preface (the only part of the anaphora pronounced publicly; more than 10 prefaces were used, depending on the day or purpose of the Mass, although many more previously existed), which expresses thanksgiving to God the Father for salvation in Christ (emphasizing the special connection with the celebration event) and ends with the angelic doxology “Holy, Holy, Holy” (“Sanctus”). Then follows a request to accept and bless the gifts (1st epiclesis), as an offering made primarily for the Church. This petition is complemented by a prayer for the Church, for the hierarchy, for all the people ahead and for those for whom they make this sacrifice. The unity of the heavenly and earthly Church is stated; at the same time, honor is given to the Mother of God, the apostles and ancient saints revered in the Roman Church. There follows a repeated request to accept the offering and another prayer that the offering be accepted, filled with the blessing of God (2nd epiclesis) and become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Next comes the narrative of the establishment of the Eucharist, containing the establishing words of Jesus Christ over the bread and cup. The words above the cup are added to the words: “The Mystery of Faith” (meaning the New Testament-Union concluded by God with people at the Last Supper, which became the marriage union of Christ and His Bride - the Church, which the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians calls “the great mystery” ). The establishing words are continued by the anamnesis (a statement that the Eucharistic offering is made in remembrance of the saving sufferings of Christ, His death, resurrection and ascension), which turns into a testimony of the offering of an immaculate Sacrifice from God's gifts and gifts. This is complemented by a request that the Sacrifice be lifted up by an angel to the heavenly throne of God, from which, through the sacrament, the participants in the current liturgy will receive the grace sent down to them (3rd epiclesis).
After this, the remembrance of the departed and saints is performed - John the Baptist, Stephen and other saints, especially the martyrs and martyrs, venerated in the Roman Church from ancient times, supplemented by words about the supreme mediation of Christ, through whom our prayer and liturgy are performed, in whose action God creates everything, sanctifies, gives life, blesses and gives us all good things. The canon concludes with a doxology glorifying the one God in the Trinity.

Communion
The last part of the Eucharistic Liturgy is the rite of communion. It opens with the Lord's Prayer (“Our Father”), followed by a petition for peace, a greeting to peace, the breaking of consecrated Bread and the combination of Eucharistic types (for more details, see the article Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom). A short litany of “Agnus Dei” (“Lamb of God”) is sung. Then the actual communion of the clergy and people takes place, after which the priest cleanses the sacred vessels and a modified sacramental chant (Communio; called in the reformed Mass) is sung, followed by a modified prayer of thanksgiving after communion (Postcommunio; called in the reformed Mass). The rite of communion ends with a prayer after communion, which varies depending on the day of the church year.

Final rites
Dismissal, which may be followed by a final blessing from the priest, as well as the reading of the final Gospel (usually the beginning of the Gospel of John).
The liturgical reform that began at the 2nd Vatican Council (1962-1965) and continues to this day is becoming even more significant. Its goal is to return worship to its original function, largely lost over the centuries: in particular, to make the participation of believers in worship more active and conscious, to revive the educational role of worship. The most significant steps in this direction lie in line with the so-called. inculturation (inclusion in a specific national culture), including the translation of worship into modern national languages ​​(while maintaining the “primacy of honor” for Latin), a more daring use of national music (while maintaining the “primacy of honor” for the Gregorian chant), adaptation to worship local customs that do not contradict the spirit of the Gospel, and much more. The divine service is noticeably simplified: many later additions that have distorted the original meaning or made it difficult to understand are excluded from it; at the same time, much that was lost over the centuries and had great spiritual value is returned. At present, as before, the overwhelming majority of believers of the Catholic Church belong to the Latin rite (this part of it is called the Latin Church).
The Latin rite, with all the tendencies towards its unification, was not homogeneous even in the era of the High Middle Ages. There were some differences within it, both regional and due to the liturgical practices of various monastic orders and congregations. Certain regional features were developed in the Churches and communities that arose as a result of the Reformation and the further development of Protestantism, some of which retained the Latin rite to one degree or another in their worship. The closest to the worship of the Catholic Church remains the worship of the Anglican Church (based on the Salisbury version of the Latin rite) and the Old Catholics; Worship in Lutheranism is somewhat more different.
After the adoption of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the role of the liturgy of the word was increased. In the Reformed Mass, the Gospel is preceded by one or two (on Sundays and feast days) readings from the extra-Gospel books of the Old and New Testaments (see the article Lectionary); after the first reading, a responsorial psalm (Psalmus responsorius) sounds, the stanzas of which are interspersed with a refrain repeated by all participants in the mass. An important place is given to the sermon, which is desirable on weekdays and obligatory on Sundays and holidays. In the final part of the liturgy the word is reborn ancient custom universal prayer, or prayer of the faithful (Oratio universalis, seu Oratio fidelium), - a series of prayer requests for the needs of the Church and the whole world, as well as, sometimes, individuals or groups of people. The offering of gifts is noticeably simplified: priestly prayers are replaced by shorter ones, dating back to early Christian times. In a number of communities, the ancient custom of bringing gifts by the people has been revived (the priest accepts bread and wine from the hands of parishioners; other fruits of the earth or gifts from believers to the temple are also brought to the altar), sometimes in a solemn procession. All important prayers that require the meaningful participation of the faithful, including the Eucharistic Prayer, are read publicly.
In addition to the Roman Canon (which has undergone minor changes; it is called “I Eucharistic Prayer”), three more Eucharistic prayers were initially introduced (the priest chooses which one to serve at his own discretion): II - based on the Anaphora from the “Apostolic Tradition” ", attributed to Saint Hippolytus of Rome; III - the creation of modern liturgists; IV - adaptation of the Alexandrian edition of the Anaphora of Basil the Great. Subsequently, several Eucharistic prayers were added for special situations: the so-called. "V Eucharistic Prayer" (for important assemblies of the Church), 2 Eucharistic prayers for reconciliation and 3 Eucharistic prayers of the Mass for children. (New Eucharistic prayers continue to be created in some movements of the Catholic Church, but not all such texts are approved by church authorities). In addition, more than 70 additional prefaces have been introduced for different days and periods of the calendar, etc. (some of them are forgotten ancient texts, others were created in modern times). An anamnesis has been added, pronounced after the establishing words by all the people. All Eucharistic Prayers, except I, contain epiclesis in the sense of invoking the Holy Spirit. Communion of the laity began to be allowed under two types. The complex and obscure texts of a number of passages in the Mass have been significantly simplified, and duplicate texts have been shortened. The initial and final rites have been simplified (the final Gospel is not read). Improvisation of the text is allowed in a number of places, and a number of prayers and chants allow for a large number of variations.
Also in the Latin Rite there is a Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts (which has an analogue in the Byzantine Rite), called Missa Praesanctificatorum. It is served only on Good Friday, when the full Eucharistic service is not supposed to be performed (for the same reason as in the Byzantine rite on all weekdays of Lent).
A small number of Roman Catholics refused to accept the reforms of the 2nd Vatican Council and retained worship according to the old (Tridentine) rite. Some of them remain in communion with Rome, using the old rite with its blessing. The other part of the traditionalists (“Lefebvres”, named after their founder, Archbishop M. Lefebvre; the official self-name is “The Brotherhood of St. Pius the Tenth”) is in schism with the Vatican.
Editions of the text:
Tridentine Order: Missale Romanum ex Decreto Sacrosancti Concilii Tridentini restitutum Pii V Pontificis Maximi jussu editum. (Reprinted several times since 1570).
Reformed rite: Missale Romanum ex Decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum auctoritate Pauli Pp. VI promulgatum. Editio typica. Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1979; Editio typica altera, 1975.
For the Russian translation of the Tridentine rite, see the book: Let us pray to the Lord. Prayer book for Catholics of the Latin Rite. Rome, 1949.
Translations of the reformed rite of the Mass into Russian have been undertaken several times; For the text officially approved by church authorities, see the book: I cry to You. Prayer book for Catholics of the Latin Rite. M., 1994.

BYZANTINE RITE.
The Byzantine liturgical rite developed in the early Middle Ages in the Byzantine Empire. Many elements of the Byzantine rite go back to the ancient liturgical practice of the Antiochian Church. By the end of the 1st millennium it became dominant in Constantinople and other Eastern Churches. In recent centuries, it has been practically the only liturgical rite in the Orthodox Church (with the exception of individual communities). In addition, it is used in those Eastern Catholic Churches that arose as a result of the union or transition of individual Orthodox communities under the jurisdiction of Rome.
During the historical development of the Byzantine rite, many of its elements underwent significant evolution and vary greatly depending on the national culture and the specific region. Since in the era of the mature and late Middle Ages cathedral and parish worship was seriously influenced by the monastic one, these differences are largely due to the peculiarities of the dominant monastic rule (Typikon): for example, if in the Middle East and the Balkans the Studian rule turns out to be such a rule, then in Rus' the Jerusalem Rule dominates ( in the 19th century it was established in Georgia). A striking example of the “branching” of the Byzantine rite can be the liturgical differences of the Russian Orthodox Church in the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Old Believers (the worship of the priestless Old Believers is especially different).
In the Orthodox Church, only two Liturgies were actually preserved - the Liturgy of Basil the Great and the Liturgy of John Chrysostom.

LITURGY OF JOHN CHRYSOSTOM.
This is one of the two main Divine Liturgies (along with the Liturgy of Basil the Great) used in the Byzantine Rite. Traditionally bears the name of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (c. 347-407), but this attribution appears in manuscripts only from the 8th century; before this it was apparently called the "Liturgy of the Twelve Apostles." However, it is likely that John Chrysostom was involved in the development of its text.

Features of the Liturgy of John Chrysostom
In its basic structure it is similar to the Liturgy of Basil the Great, from which it differs only in the priestly prayers (which over time began to be read secretly), starting with the concluding prayer of the Liturgy of the Catechumens, including the Anaphora. This structure goes back to the ancient Antiochene liturgical practice, which received from the end of the 4th century. further development in Constantinople. By the 8th century. takes on a form largely similar to the modern one. Among the most significant differences between the current state of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (as well as the Liturgy of Basil the Great) from the original one is the separation of the Proskomedia, which was originally located at the very beginning of the Liturgy, and the transfer of its first part to the very beginning, before the Liturgy of the Catechumens (the bishop’s one is somewhat closer to the original the rite of the Divine Liturgy, when the first part of the Proskomedia is completed by the bishop during the “Cherubic Song”). Another difference is the secret reading by the priest of a number of the most important prayers, depriving the worshipers of the completeness of the text and a vision of its logical perspective; in reality, this turned out to be that the text breaks up into several parts, the larger of which is read secretly, and the smaller (including the conclusion) is pronounced in the form of priestly exclamations (the question of returning secret prayers to their original sound has been publicly raised recently by many Orthodox liturgists and pastors, including in the preparation of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1917).
Formally, the Liturgy of John Chrysostom in its current form is divided into Proskomedia, preceded by Entrance Prayers, the Liturgy of the Catechumens and the Liturgy of the Faithful.
Initially, the Liturgy of John Chrysostom was served relatively rarely in Byzantium. Over time, it became the main one in the Orthodox Church. According to the charter, it is served on all days of the year, except for Great Lent, when it is celebrated only on Saturdays of the first six weeks, on the Annunciation and Palm Sunday, as well as on those days adjacent to the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany, when the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is performed or there is no Liturgy. at all.
The text of the Liturgy of John Chrysostom is available in any edition of the Orthodox Service Book. There are also separate publications. For a critical edition of the Greek text based on early manuscripts, see the book: Arranz M. L "Eucologio Constantinopolitano agli inizi del secolo XI. Roma, 1996.

LITURGY OF BASILY THE GREAT.
It is one of the two main Divine Liturgies (along with the Liturgy of John Chrysostom) celebrated in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches using the Byzantine rite. It bears the name of St. Basil the Great (c. 330-379), although, according to many experts, not the entire text of the liturgy belongs to him.

Features of the Liturgy of Basil the Great
The order of the main sections is identical to the Liturgy of John Chrysostom; the difference is made by some priestly prayers (starting with the concluding prayer of the Liturgy of the Catechumens and further, most of which are said secretly), including its own Anaphora. The text of the Anaphora appears to have actually been written by Basil the Great. This is the so-called Byzantine edition of the Anaphora of Basil (besides it there is, in particular, a shorter Alexandrian version, possibly written by him himself initially, and then revised into the Byzantine version, which today is used with minor changes in the Roman Mass under the name “IV Eucharistic Prayer "). This Anaphora continues the tradition of Eucharistic prayers of the East Syriac (or Hellenistic Antiochene) type and is distinguished by the highest poetic and theological merits. Due to the fact that by the era of the mature Middle Ages the practice of secret priestly prayers had developed, most of the text of any Anaphora began to be read secretly by the primate, and only some of its fragments remained heard publicly in the form of priestly exclamations and chants (it is during these chants that secret prayers are read). The same fate befell the Liturgy of Basil the Great (it is precisely because of the volume of its Anaphora that the longer duration of the hymns sounding at this time is explained than in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom). Lately, however, many bishops and priests have been striving to pronounce it publicly and not violate its unity.
Over the course of centuries, some interpolations invaded the text of the Anaphora of the Liturgy of Basil the Great, some of which were imprinted in the Missals of the Russian Orthodox Church and a number of other Churches that experienced its influence. This is, first of all, a transfer of the last words of the epiclesis of the Liturgy of John Chrysostom, as well as the introduction of the troparion of the Third Hour into the epiclesis.
It is also worth emphasizing the features of the Anaphora (the central section of the full Eucharistic service), which is part of the Liturgy of Basil the Great.
The anaphora of the Liturgy of Basil the Great opens with a lengthy Preface (Predestination), the beginning of which is the solemn proclamation of the name of God - “Existing” (in the Church Slavonic translation: “Sy”; the Greek original is “ho wn”, which corresponds to the Hebrew YHWH - the name of God, revealed to Moses from flame of a burning bush): “This Master, Lord God, Father Almighty, worshiped! It is worthy, as truly, and righteously, and in accordance with the splendor of Thy shrine, to praise Thee, to sing to Thee, to bless Thee, to bow to Thee, to thank Thee, to glorify the One truly existing God...” A further development of the Preface, which, like the entire Anaphora, is addressed to the Person of God the Father, is the disclosure of the dogma of the Holy Trinity. The revelation of God is sung in the sense of God revealing Himself to people for the sake of their salvation: “... You are the one who has given us the knowledge of Your truth.” But the Divine economy itself - the work of saving the world through the Son - is revealed as a revelation of the Father: “... Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the great God and Savior of our hope, who is the image of Your goodness: a seal of equal form, showing You the Father in Himself. .." The economy of the Father through the Son, His revelation in the Son is completed by the appearance of the third Hypostasis of the Trinity: “Into whom (Christ) the Holy Spirit appeared...”. Through the action of the Holy Spirit, the service of people to God is accomplished on earth (“... from the Unfit all creation, verbal and intelligent, is strengthened to serve You...”), uniting with the angelic forces in the doxology “Holy, Holy, Holy...”.
Further, the usual narrative for any Anaphora about the establishment of the Eucharist is preceded by a detailed account of the history of creation, the Fall and God’s salvation of the fallen world. This part, like the previous one, is composed almost entirely of quotations taken from various books of the Old and New Testaments. Here again the revelation of the Father through the Son is persistently emphasized: “... when the fulfillment of times had come, You spoke to us through Your Son Himself, in Whom You also made the eyelids, Who is the radiance of Your glory and the mark of Your Hypostasis, bearing all the words of Your power, not theft of Nepshchev to be equal to You, God and Father: but this eternal God appeared on earth and lived with man...”; “...and having lived in this world, having given saving commandments, having left us the charms of idols, bring You into the knowledge of the true God and Father...” The theme of the economy of the Father through the Son gradually approaches directly the story of the establishment of the Eucharist, but precisely with an indication of the direct connection of the Last Supper with the Calvary sacrifice: Christ “gave Himself the betrayal (i.e., in return) of death, in which we were kept beh, sold under sin ; and having descended into hell with the cross, that He might fill everything with Himself (i.e., to fill everything with Himself), resolve mortal illnesses (i.e., the birth pangs of death: an image borrowed from the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Romans); and rose again on the third day, and made the way for all flesh to be from the dead by the resurrection...”; “...leave us the memories of this saving suffering of Yours, even as He offered according to His commandment: although He would go forth to His free and ever-memorable and life-giving death, in the night in Njuzh, giving Himself for the worldly life, receiving bread into His holy and most pure hands. ..” - and there follows a description of the establishment of the Eucharist, containing the Institutional words of Christ over the bread and over the cup; to the latter is added: “Do this in remembrance of Me,” expanded by the words from the 1st Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians (11:25-26), pronounced here on behalf of Jesus Himself: “For as often as you eat this bread and this cup you drink, you proclaim my death, you confess my resurrection.”
What follows is the usual anamnesis for any Anaphora (a statement that the Eucharistic offering is made in remembrance of the saving sufferings of Christ, His death and resurrection, as well as in anticipation of His second coming), which turns into a testimony of the bloodless sacrifice offered here with praise, thanksgiving and prayer : “Yours from yours...”; “We sing to you...” (as in the Liturgy of John Chrysostom).
The anamnesis is followed by an epiclesis (a prayerful invocation of the Holy Spirit, by whose power the transposition of gifts must be accomplished), the introduction to which is the remarkable words: “For this reason (...) we too are sinners (...), boldly approaching Your holy altar and offering a substitute The Holy Body and Blood of Christ..." The offered “substitute” (Greek “antitypa”) is, firstly, bread and wine, and secondly, the whole history of salvation in Christ, which here, in the earthly Liturgy, is offered as an offering to the Father. The Holy Spirit must descend upon the gifts that are presented, “I will bless, and sanctify, and show: this bread is the most honest Body of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ; This cup is the most precious Blood of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, poured out for the life of the world.” The epiclesis is complemented by a special prayer for worthy Communion and the union of all those who partake “into one communion of the Holy Spirit,” so that they will be numbered among the righteous.
For many centuries, the Liturgy of Basil the Great occupied a leading place in the Church of Constantinople and was celebrated more often than the Liturgy of John Chrysostom (almost every Sunday). Over time, however, they began to serve it less frequently, until, finally, the custom of performing it only 10 times a year was enshrined in the charter: on Thursday and Saturday of Holy Week, on the first five Sundays of Lent, on Christmas Eve and Epiphany Eve (or on the day of the holiday itself, if its eve falls on Sunday) and on the day of remembrance of St. Basil the Great (January 1/14).