: Vanga's "phenomenon" fits perfectly into the classical framework of experiences of communication with fallen spirits.
, head of the Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Non-traditional Religions. A.S. Khomyakova: There is no need to talk about any Orthodoxy of Vanga.
, Head of the Department of Sect Studies, PSTGU: Vanga was a sorceress, she was in contact with dark forces.
proved the anti-Christian essence of the Vanga phenomenon
: Vanga is an unfortunate woman, a victim of dark forces.
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov): Vanga's "phenomenon" fits perfectly into the classical framework of experiences of communication with fallen spirits.
The literature on Wang is quite extensive. However, acquaintance with numerous publications surprises with its monotony. It all comes down to external events and emotional impressions. Any assessment presupposes a careful and rigorous attitude to the facts, as far as they are available. Unfortunately, even the most detailed books written by Vanga's niece Krasimira Stoyanova are deliberately incomplete. “Some cases are so fantastic and go beyond common sense that I did not dare to include them in the book” (K. Stoyanova. Vanga is clairvoyant and healing, M., 1998, p. 9). But even in spite of such censorship, the memories of the niece, who lived with Vanga, reveal a lot.
Her parents - Pande Surchev and Paraskeva - were farmers. She was born in Strumica (Macedonia). The girl was born seven months old and very weak. According to local tradition, the newborn was not given a name until there was a firm certainty that the child would live. Therefore, the girl remained without a name for some time. The choice of the name was determined by the local folk custom: they went out into the street and asked the first person they met. The grandmother of the newborn went out of the house and heard the name Andromache from the first woman she met. Dissatisfied with him, she asked another woman. She told her - Vangelia.
Mother died when Vanga was three years old. Therefore, from early childhood, she was taught diligence, which remained with her until her death.
At the age of 12, an event occurred that changed her whole life. When Vanga was returning with her cousins to the village, a terrible hurricane lifted her into the air and carried her far into the field. We found it, littered with branches and sprinkled with sand. In addition to a strong fright, there was pain in the eyes. She soon became blind. In 1925, Vanga was taken to the city of Zemun to the house of the blind. She learned to knit, read, mastered the Braille alphabet, and cook. These years were happy, but difficult life circumstances forced me to return home.
In 1942, she married Dimitar Gushterov. Since that time she lived in Petrich, and at the end of her life in Rupta. She died on September 11, 1996.
Unusual abilities in her began to appear even Strumice, when she lived in her father's house. In 1941, the "mysterious horseman" visited her for the second time. Since that time, her supernatural abilities began to manifest themselves constantly. Many people came to her every day. She could tell a person's past. Discover details that even loved ones did not know. Often she made predictions and predictions. People left strongly impressed. It was clear that the invisible world was not closed to her.
A person, limited by the physical body, cannot cognize the other world on his own. Holy Scripture and the holy fathers speak of two sources of our knowledge of the supersensible world: the Divinely revealed and the demonic. There is no third. Who gave Vanga information about the invisible world? Where did this astonishing awareness come from? This answer can be found in the book of Vanga's niece: “Question: Do you talk with spirits? - Answer: They come a lot and everyone is different. Those who come and are always there, I understand ”(The Truth about Vanga, M., 1999, p. 187). The niece remembers. “I was 16 years old when one day in our house in Petrich Vanga spoke to me. Only it was not her voice, and she herself was not herself - it was some other person who spoke through her lips. The words I heard had nothing to do with what we had talked about before. As if some other person interfered in our conversation. The voice said: "Here, we see you ...", and then I was told in detail about everything that I had done during the day up to this point. I was just petrified with horror. We were alone in the room. Soon after, Vanga sighed and said: “Oh, my strength let me go,” and as if nothing had happened, she returned to the previous conversation again. I asked her why she so unexpectedly began to tell me what I did during the day, but she told me that she did not say anything. I told her what I had heard, and she repeated, “Oh, those powers, the little powers that are always with me. But there are also big ones, their bosses. When they decide to speak through my mouth, I feel bad, and then I'm like a broken one all day. Maybe you want to see them, they are ready to show you? I was extremely shocked and shouted loudly that I didn’t want to ”(Vanga is clairvoyant and healing, p. 11-12). In the second book, this story is told with slight differences. Vanga said: “When they start talking in me, or rather, through me, I lose a lot of energy, I feel bad, I am depressed for a long time” (Pravda o Vanga, M., 1999, p. 9). According to the teachings of the Holy Fathers and the age-old spiritual experience of Christianity, the feelings of oppression and despondency that Vanga speaks of unmistakably indicate that these forces are fallen spirits.
Other demons, which were the source of Vanga's phenomenal awareness of the past and present of their numerous visitors, appeared under the guise of their deceased relatives. Vanga admitted: “When a person stands in front of me, all the dead relatives gather around him. They themselves ask me questions and willingly answer mine. What I hear from them, I convey to the living ”(The Truth about Vanga, p. 99). The appearance of fallen spirits under the guise of dead people has been known since ancient biblical times. The Word of God expressly forbids such communication: "Do not turn to those who call up the dead" (Lev. 19:31).
In addition to the spirits that appeared to Vanga under the guise of "small forces" and "large forces", as well as deceased relatives, she communicated with another type of inhabitants of the other world. She called them the inhabitants of the "planet Vamphim".
“Question: Are those extraterrestrial ships really visiting the Earth, which are called so primitively “flying saucers”?
Answer: Yes, it is.
Question: Where do they come from?
Answer: From the planet, which in the language of its inhabitants is called Vamphim. So, in any case, I hear this unusual word - Vamphim. This planet is the third from Earth.
Question: Is it possible, at the request of earthlings, to contact the inhabitants of the mysterious planet? With the help of technical means or, perhaps, telepathically?
Answer: Earthlings are powerless here. Contact is made, in accordance with their desire, by our guests” (ibid., pp. 13-14).
When a person enters into communion with fallen spirits, he finds himself in a spiritual-hypnotic state. He does not perceive even the simplest questions of common sense. Why couldn't Vanga's relatives living with her see these astronauts, who were physical beings? Where did they leave their spaceship, which was also supposed to be a physical object?
K. Stoyanova gives various details about how Vanga communicated with the other world. And here we see typical mediumistic experiences that have been known for many centuries. “Only sometimes we couldn’t understand why our aunt turns pale, why she suddenly becomes ill and suddenly a voice comes out of her mouth, striking us with its strength, unusual timbre, words and expressions that are not in Vanga’s usual dictionary” (Vanga is clairvoyant and healing , p. 11). And another testimony: “And suddenly she spoke to me in an unfamiliar voice, from which goosebumps ran down my back. She literally said the following: “I am the soul of Joan of Arc. I came from afar and am heading to Angola. There is now a lot of blood flowing there, and I must help establish peace there.” After a short pause, Vanga continued in the same voice: “Don’t blame anyone for than this soul. She is not yours. She is no one's. The parent (our mother, Lyubka), who carried her in a trough when she carried her on her deathbed, is a witness to this. Then in an instant her soul flew away, and another soul moved into the body. Your parent recovered to continue her earthly life. But now her soul is not related to you, children, and cannot recognize you. " Again a short pause, and Vanga continues: "Your parent should visit Notre Dame de Paris, where she needs to spend the night in prayerful vigil - in this way, secrets about the surrounding world will be revealed to you "(p. 131-132). This whole speech is quite fantastic. It is only clear that she adhered to a view alien to Christian teaching about the possibility of infusing a soul into someone else's body.
From the experiments of Vanga and her statements it is clear that she was close to such theosophists as E. Blavatsky and N. Roerich. In the story of K. Stoyanova about the arrival of the writer Leonid Leonov, there is such a detail: “Vanga then had inspiration, and she spoke about the events that were fateful for his country. She made contact with a long-dead clairvoyant of Russian origin - Helena Blavatsky. We really heard amazing things” (p. 191). Theosophy of E. Blavatsky (her Buddhist name is Radda-by) is hostile to Christianity. This fact is also very revealing. When Svyatoslav Roerich visited Vanga, she told him: “Your father was not just an artist, but also an inspired prophet. All his paintings are insights, predictions. They are encrypted, but an attentive and sensitive heart will tell the viewer the cipher” (p. 30). It is known that the Council of Bishops in 2000 excommunicated N. Roerich, E. Blavatsky and others from the Church: “The Lord judged us to live in a time when “many false prophets appeared in the world (1 John 4, 1) who come to us” in sheep's clothing, but inside they are ravenous wolves" (Matt. 7, 15)... The old Gnostic cults are being revived and the so-called "new religious movements" are emerging, which are revising the entire system of Christian values, trying to find an ideological basis in the reformed Eastern religions, and sometimes turn to the occult and witchcraft. Paganism, astrology, theosophical and spiritualist societies were revived, once founded by Helena Blavatsky, who claimed to possess some kind of "ancient wisdom" hidden from the uninitiated. The “Teaching of Living Ethics”, introduced into circulation by the Roerich family and also called “Agni Yoga”, is being intensively promoted.
Fortune telling with the help of a magic crystal has been known since ancient times. In modern times, Cagliostro was engaged in divination using a magic crystal. For Vanga, this was one of the main ways to find out the secret about the person who came. “Sugar is also one of the secrets of Vangin's gift, since it requires everyone who visits it to bring a piece of sugar that has been at least a few days in his house. When the visitor enters, she takes this piece. He holds it in his hands, feels it and begins to guess” (p. 189). Sugar was a kind of crystal available to everyone, which everyone could bring by holding it under their pillow for 2-3 days.
All the above facts and evidence show that Vanga's "phenomenon" fits perfectly into the classical framework of experiences of communication with fallen spirits. The inhabitants of the other world revealed to Vanga the present and past of people. The future, as the holy fathers teach, is not known to demons. “Demons do not know the future, known to the One God and those intelligent His creatures, to whom God was pleased to open the future; but just as intelligent and experienced people foresee and foresee events that are going to happen from events that have happened or are happening, so cunning, crafty spirits of great experience can sometimes guess with certainty and predict the future (Vita sanct. Pachomii, cap. 49, Patrologiae, Tom 73). Often they are wrong; very often they lie and by vague pronouncements lead to bewilderment and doubt. Sometimes they can foreshadow an event that is already destined in the world of spirits, but between people has not yet been brought to fruition ”(St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov). A word about the sensual and spiritual vision of spirits). Therefore, Vanga's predictions are not only vague, but also fantastic.
“In 1981, our planet was under very bad stars, but next year it will be inhabited by new “spirits”. They will bring goodness and hope” (p. 167).
“We are witnessing fateful events. The two biggest leaders in the world shook hands. But a lot of time will pass, a lot of water will flow away, until the Eighth comes - he will sign the final peace on the planet ”(January 1988).
“The time of miracles will come, science will make major discoveries in the field of the intangible. In 1990, we will witness amazing archaeological discoveries that will radically change our understanding of the ancient worlds. All the hidden gold will come to the surface of the earth, but the water will hide” (p. 224).
“In 2018, trains will fly on wires from the sun. Oil production will stop, the Earth will rest.”
“Soon the most ancient teaching will come into the world. They ask me: "Will that time come soon?" No, not soon. Syria has not fallen yet!
The divinely revealed prophecies of holy men have always had salvific purposes. Through repentance and aversion from sinful life, through prayer, people were given the opportunity to avoid impending large and small disasters. So God commanded the prophet Jonah to proclaim: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be destroyed!” (Jon. 3:4). The prophet walked around the city for three days and called for repentance. “And God saw their deeds, that they turned from their evil way, and God took pity on the calamity, which he said that he would bring upon them, and brought it not” (Jonah 3:10).
In Vanga's predictions, which she made, there is some kind of fatal doom. K. Stoyanova asked her aunt:
“Question: If it so happens that you see with the inner vision given to you from above an imminent misfortune or even the death of a person who has come to you, can you do anything to avoid misfortune?
Answer: No, neither I nor anyone else can do anything.
Question: And if troubles, and even catastrophic ones, threaten not only one person, but a group of people, an entire city, a state, is it possible to prepare something in advance?
Answer: It's useless.
Question: Does the fate of a person depend on his inner moral strength, physical abilities? Is it possible to influence fate?
Answer: You can't. Everyone will pass. And only your own way ”(The Truth about Vanga, p. 11).
Vanga herself did not realize that she was communicating with the world of fallen spirits. Many of its visitors did not understand this either. A grace-filled life in the centuries-old experience of Christianity saves us from the seduction of fallen spirits, the spiritual nerve of which is the sincere and daily fulfillment of the commandments of the Holy Gospel. Such an attitude teaches spiritual sobriety and protects from pernicious delusion. “Let us refrain from ignorant, pernicious desire and striving for sensual visions, outside the order established by God!... With reverence, let us obey the establishment of God, who covered our souls with thick curtains and shrouds of bodies during our earthly wandering, separated us from the created spirits, covered and who protected them from the spirits of the fallen. We do not need a sensual vision of spirits to complete our earthly, laborious wandering. For this, another lamp is needed, and it is given to us: The lamp of my feet is Your law, and the light of my paths (Psalm 119, 105). Travelers with the constant radiance of the lamp - the Law of God - will not be deceived either by their passions or by fallen spirits, as the Scripture testifies ”(St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). A word about the sensual and spiritual vision of spirits).
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Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev, head of the Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Non-Traditional Religions. A.S. Khomyakova: There is no need to talk about any Orthodoxy of Vanga.
“In the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, in the 16th chapter, from verse 16 and below, it is said: “It happened that, while we were going to the prayer house, we met a certain maid possessed by a divinatory spirit, who through divination brought a great income to her masters. Following Paul and following us, she shouted, saying: “These people are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way to salvation. She did this for many days, Paul, being indignant, turned and said to the spirit: “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her,” and the spirit left at the same hour.
This text says that the woman had the gift of prophecy, divination, and she prophesied the right things - she said about the Apostles: "these people are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the path to salvation." It would seem that it is absolutely impossible to find fault with her words, but since her gift served as a means of enrichment, and we cannot understand the nature of this spirit that prophesied through her, the Apostle decisively intervenes in this situation and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ commands that the spirit left this woman.
As for Vanga herself, we cannot accuse her of some kind of self-interest, but a huge number of people fed around her, including the special services of Bulgaria and just people who led the region where she lived. It was a commercial project, which was controlled by the special services of Bulgaria. Maybe she said the right things, but the nature of this phenomenon needs to be investigated. Of course, many statements attributed to Vanga cannot be verified, but much of what is attributed to her does not correspond and even contradicts the Christian Orthodox faith.
... After all, the gift of divination is not such a gift, in the presence of which a person must be canonized. This gift can manifest itself in different ways, various influences of the spiritual world can occur, including negative ones. …
As for the fact that people go to the temple of Vanga, I saw the iconostasis of this temple - this is a completely non-Orthodox temple, and the icons in its iconostasis have nothing to do with Orthodox canons. Of course, it may be objected to me that we and Moscow are full of such churches in which this “Latin daub” is present, but in the temple that was built under the leadership of Vanga, there are not just “Latin daubs”, but faces of semi-occult content. Even just from the point of view of knowledge of the icon-painting craft, one can say that this has nothing to do with the icon.
Again, I repeat, about much of what is attributed to Vanga, we cannot say whether she said it or not. But if she really said all this, then there is no need to talk about any Orthodoxy of Vanga. Evil spirits, indeed, often influence people and, trying to win them over, tell them, sometimes, correct information. However, they do this in order to seduce a person, so that when he completely trusts the voices, at some point they will give him completely wrong information and move him to reckless actions that will destroy him and lead his immortal soul to hell.
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Alexander Dvorkin, head of the department of sect studies, PSTGU: Vanga was a sorceress, she was in contact with dark forces.
I already wrote in Athos Tales about Metropolitan Nathanael of Nevrokop (Vanga lived on the territory of the Nevrokop diocese), how, shortly before Vanga’s death, messengers from her came to Vladyka and said that Vanga needed his advice and asked to come to her. A few days later, Metropolitan Nathanael arrived and entered Vanga's room. In his hands he held a cross-reliquary with a particle of the Holy Cross of the Lord. There were a lot of people in the room, Vanga was sitting in the back, broadcasting something and could not hear that another person quietly entered the door, and certainly could not know who it was. Suddenly she broke off and, in a changed, low, hoarse voice, said with an effort: “Someone has come in here. Let him immediately throw THIS on the floor!” "What is it""? – the stunned people around asked Vanga. And then she broke into a frantic cry: “THIS! He is holding IT in his hands! THIS prevents me from speaking! Because of this, I can't see anything! I don't want THAT in my house!" yelled the old woman, kicking her legs and swaying. Vladyka turned around, got out, got into the car and drove off.
Vanga was a sorceress, she was in contact with dark forces. During her lifetime, she, like any person, could repent, and this is exactly what Metropolitan Nathanael hoped for, responding to her request. But, alas, she did not repent, and, naturally, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church treats her negatively. The witch herself really wanted to show her connection with Orthodoxy, since in this way she expected to attract new "clients". For this, she built the temple on the territory of her estate, but if you look closely, it can hardly be called Orthodox. Some external forms are observed, but the icons are terrible, the architecture is monstrous, everything is rude, clumsy, and in general everything is built around Vanga. It was supported by schismatic or openly sectarian pseudo-Orthodox groups. Anyone can dress up in a cassock, but this does not make him a priest.
Well, that someone had a godmother, so everyday Orthodoxy, in which only some external forms are observed, without connection with the content, and sometimes despite it, is even more widespread in Bulgaria than in Russia. In our country, too, sometimes unbaptized people become godparents - non-church parents invite their friends to be godfathers, without even wondering if they are baptized. The same thing often happens in Bulgaria.
But what is common between Vanga and the blessed Matrona of Moscow, I do not understand. Blindness? So Homer was blind. And the Venetian Doge Enrico Dondolo didn't see anything either. Nevertheless, he managed to lead the 4th Crusade to the walls of Constantinople and led the treacherous capture of the Byzantine capital, unprecedented robbery and desecration of its shrines. Vanga was openly engaged in witchcraft, spoke about the special gift that she had after a traumatic brain injury, and took money for an appointment. It was a well-established and well-established business, on which a lot of people profited - the entire environment of the Bulgarian sorceress. Blessed Matrona lay paralyzed, humbly carried her cross and prayed to God for the people who asked her about it.
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Athos monk proved the anti-Christian essence of Vanga's phenomenon
In Sofia, a presentation of a book was held, which proves the anti-Christian essence of the phenomenon of the famous Bulgarian soothsayer Vanga and the teachings of the so-called. "teacher" Peter Deunov.
The publication of the book, which is almost the first to present an Orthodox view of the phenomenon of Vanga, whose centenary was celebrated in Bulgaria last month, caused a lively discussion in Bulgarian society.
On March 15, at the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Hieromonk Vissarion, a resident of the Athos Monastery, Zograf, with the support of the rector of the same monastery, Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose, presented his book "Peter Dynov and Vanga - Prophets and Forerunners of the Antichrist."
At the presentation, the author of the book said that, having read a large number of reviews about meetings and communication with Vanga and Peter Deunov, he found among them numerous evidence that both mentioned their communication with dark forces. According to him, Vanga periodically experienced painful trance states and used magical techniques in treating people (for example, to cure certain diseases, it was necessary to stab a black rooster and eat its heart).
According to the author, these moments of the healers' activity are in no way incompatible with the Christian doctrine. In addition, both healers did not consider themselves servants of the Lord. Despite the fact that Vanga called herself a child of the Orthodox Church, in the temple she built, there is a deliberate violation of a number of church canons (for example, the icon-painting image of the prophetess stands in the place where the image of the Savior is usually located). In addition, Vanga recognized the transmigration of souls and other anti-Christian ideas.
The reason for the widespread popularity of Vanga and the appearance of calls, even from some Orthodox clergy, for her canonization, the author considers the consequences of anti-religious propaganda planted in communist Bulgaria, which taught people to explain phenomena that are difficult for them to understand with familiar, but devoid of their true meaning concepts.
During a lively discussion, the presentation participants spoke in favor of the need for further development of an Orthodox assessment of the life and teachings of various occult figures and the development of spiritual enlightenment of people. The rector of the Russian Compound in Sofia (the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker), Hieromonk Zotik (Gayevsky), offered to translate the book into Russian for distribution in Russia, where there is great interest in the life and prophecies of Vanga.
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Hieromonk Vissarion: Vanga is an unfortunate woman, a victim of dark forces.
Interview given by Hieromonk Vissarion, author of the book “Pyotr Deunov and Vanga – Prophets and Forerunners of the Antichrist” to the newspaper “24 Hours”
- Your reverend, your book "Peter Deunov and Vanga - prophets and forerunners of the Antichrist" made a lot of noise.
One part of the book is devoted to the analysis of the teachings of Deunov, and the other to Vange is a modern divination. Both of them are already in the hands of God, but the bad thing is that the substitute for Christianity, called occultism, managed to introduce into society. It seems to operate with ecclesiastical concepts, but in reality it pulls people in a different direction. This trick made me write about Deunov and Wang.
And how do you explain this to people, many of whom consider Vanga a saint?
This is the fruit of an atheistic upbringing. Our people were kept in spiritual ignorance precisely in those years when the Vanga phenomenon appeared. People who have forgotten the true criteria of holiness and spirituality can be easily misled.
Society itself can find arguments in favor of whether Vanga was a saint or not. Just look at the forces with which she communicated. How did they treat her. There is a lot of evidence that they tortured Vanga.
Her fan Velichka Angelova in her book “Vanga's Prophecies - the Only Connection Between Heaven and Earth” describes cases when the aforementioned forces forced Vanga to sweep away the cobwebs at night, then undress and dress again. Senseless things. When Vanga tried to resist, they, according to her stories, pushed her down the stairs and she broke her leg. All these things show the dark nature of these forces.
God doesn't treat his creatures like that. God does not behave like a tyrant. It is well known that Vanga fell into a trance. This is not a divine state, but on the contrary: the medium (in this case Vanga) falls into a trance under the influence of dark forces that use his body as a soulless thing.
No one deliberately wants to denigrate Vanga - her fans themselves write about these things. They write because they do not understand their true nature. Velichka Angelova describes the moment when Vanga growls like a dog, threatens others, which will harm them, breaks bones. These moments show people who Vanga really was - an unfortunate woman tormented by evil forces. Many times she complained of headaches. After the trance I felt bad. All this is very important for understanding whether she was a saint or not.
“And even if she was a victim, she helped people.
This is precisely the question. This help can come from two sources. One is divine, manifested through God, saints or healing from icons. The other is a trick, because evil forces cannot attract people by preaching death and destruction. Their trick is apparent help. And people without spiritual criteria turn to people like Vanga. Vera Kochovskaya is also one of the psychics of this kind.
Where are Vera Kochovskaya and Baba Vanga now?
Unfortunately, God's word says that the sorcerers who were engaged in summoning the dead (Vanga herself said that she communicated with the souls of the dead) have a place not with God, but in a lake of fire. It is literally written in Scripture. We can trust God's word, but we have free will not to trust. However, a Christian must believe the words of God and build his life in accordance with them. The Russian archimandrite Varnava described one incident that occurred shortly after the death of Vanga. She came to her sister Lyubka and told her: “Enough, enough liturgies. Enough. They don't help me. On the contrary, I am in the darkness of hell and they are burning me.” Of course, it cannot be proven that this vision is 100% true and it shows where Vanga is now. But many facts lead to this conclusion.
Vanga had many theological errors. She spoke about rebirth, about Roerich's teaching "Agni Yoga", which was officially denied by the Church. She said that Dynov was a saint. And he was declared a self-excommunicated person from the Church, a heretic, a dangerous false teacher. She spoke about fatalism, about metempsychosis (the transition of the human soul from one body to another). In her opinion, Christ does not have a figure, but it is known that Christ took on human flesh. That is, it distorts faith due to communication with spirits. And as a result, he gets communication with the dark forces of evil.
I compared in detail the treatment used by the holy fathers with Vanga's treatment. The difference is amazing. Vanga had many magical elements. For example, if a person had an insurance neurosis, Vanga advised him to slaughter a rooster, take out the heart and put it in a bottle of wine, then eat and drink the wine. Elder Paisius said that many magicians mainly treat people possessed by demons, and whose illnesses did not occur due to natural factors, but because of dark forces.
Due to her connection with demons, Vanga could “help”, but the soul of bodily healed people turned out to be connected with demonic influence. We must look not only at what has become of the body of some people, but also at what has happened to the sinful soul. It is no coincidence that God says that people who call the dead fall into sin before Him. Is it possible to neglect God's words and start thinking with your human mind? God thinks in eternal categories, and human thought is directed to the earthly world.
A priest from Petrich announced that Vanga should be canonized as a saint
Yes, Bishop's Viceroy Angel Kochev. I deeply regret that, called to be a teacher of people in the right faith and lead them to eternity, he is trying to canonize the worship of evil, because it was impure forces that lived in her body. And instead of explaining to people what a soothsayer, a magician and a psychic are and that these phenomena are denied by God, he tries to set evil as an example.
Prof. Svetlin Rusev says that such clergy as you are a disgrace both for the church and for the faith, and Dynov and Vanga are a gift of fate for this unfortunate land.
Unfortunately, Svetlin Rusev is a representative of an occult society that does not want to follow the voice of Christ and John of Rylsky, but bows before an occult teacher, which is Pyotr Dynov. He had claims to divinity - he considered himself either a reborn Christ, or the Father, or the spirit of truth. Deunov said: “Christ came 2000 years ago, the son came, and now the Father has come to Bulgaria” and endorses himself. Can a Christian, as he thought he was, be so blasphemous?
Dynov is essentially the forerunner of the Antichrist, because the Antichrist, when he comes, will claim that he is God. The bad thing is that enough people will be deceived by his miracles, his personality, supposedly bringing light, which in reality will cover the darkness. Dynov is dangerous because he had the natural abilities of a spiritual leader. His word was filled with power, but it did not lead to true Christianity, but to the abyss.
At the moment, there is a resurgence of interest in Eastern teachings, in the occult, and Dynov is an excellent example of just such an occult leader with proven hypnotic abilities.
The Holy Synod was repeatedly asked questions, but so far he has not expressed an official point of view on the Vanga phenomenon. Why are our spiritual teachers silent instead of showing us the right path?
Unfortunately, you are right. In important matters, the metropolitans should lead the people, not the people of the metropolitans. They must show firmness and determination. But understand that for many years the Church deliberately lost its best children.
State security agents worked in the Church and they led it in the wrong direction. Metropolitan Clement was indeed an agent of the State Security. The state security took care that people who were not always worthy of this honor ended up in seminaries and the Theological Academy. But each of us has a responsibility, including spiritual leaders. God will ask everyone why he did not do what he should have done.
We, church representatives, are not at the level that we should be, but we are part of this society. The media expect priests and metropolitans to be angels of God in the flesh. We are not angels of God, but we should try to be. Let each person look into himself before pointing his finger at the other and saying, "He has sinned, he has fallen."
But you are right that the bishops are silent for a long time about Vanga. Now I hope that there will be a public discussion on these important issues. I want the teaching of Christ to be heard. And everyone can make a choice who to believe - fortune tellers, occultists, Svetlin Rusev or the teachings of Christ. But you need to give people the opportunity to make their choice.
Much has been written about the environment of Lyudmila Zhivkova and her interest in the occult in the last years of her life. Among the close circle were Svetlin Rusev, Bogomil Raynov, as well as Svyatoslav Roerich, who was invited to make an exhibition and even awarded. All of them are erudite creators, intellectuals, with the help of which Lyudmila Zhivkova managed culture in Bulgaria. And Vanga was close to them. Maybe the occupations of the top of society somehow affected the people?
Undoubtedly, they influenced the integral movement of the Bulgarian society towards the occult and, unfortunately, Vanga had patrons at the highest levels of power. She was a link between the occult, the dark and the common people, because not only party functionaries, but also people from the people went to her. And it was Vanga who was the bridge through which the dark forces entered the soul of the Bulgarian. But Lyudmila Zhinkova also played an undoubted role, and now Neshka Robeva, who is considered a positive person in society. She really has many positive aspects - this can be seen in her face. She raised our girls, who became world champions in rhythmic gymnastics and glorified our country. This cannot be forgotten. But now Neshka Robeva supports Vanga! And again we come to the fact that there is not enough spiritual education and spiritual criteria. While the Old Testament categorically calls people like Vanga - soothsayers, magicians, fortune-tellers, soothsayers, psychics, etc. - a sin before God, a priest from Petrich, called by God to be a teacher, says: "Let's canonize Vanga." This shows how Bulgarian society is moving in time - towards an occult perception of events. This is my pain and that is why I wrote this book - to make a comparison between the occult and true Christianity, and let each person make his own choice.
Encyclopedic YouTube
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✪ Reading. Issue 13. Two-volume book about. Job (Gumerova)
✪ Book: A Thousand Questions for a Priest
✪ Lecture 30. The Russian Orthodox Church at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries
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Biography
Born on January 25, 1942 in the village of Chelkar, Aktobe Region, Kazakh SSR, in a Tatar family. In 1948, the Gumerov family moved to Ufa, where Shamil spent his childhood and adolescence. In 1959 he graduated from high school.
In 1959 he entered the history department of the Bashkir State University. He completed four courses and transferred in 1963 to the Faculty of Philosophy of the Moscow State University, from which he graduated in 1966.
“I was led to theology by philosophy, which in the Middle Ages was called the “handmaid of theology” (“philosophia est ministra theologiae”). Philosophy began to interest me at school. We lived on the outskirts of Ufa. In our regional library, I found the classic works of R. Descartes, G. W. Leibniz, G. Hegel and other philosophers and became very interested in them. After graduating from high school, I wanted to enter the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow University, but they were accepted there only with a work experience of at least two years. Mom persuaded me to enter the history department of the Bashkir State University. There I completed four courses, moved on to the fifth. But my desire remained unsatisfied, because it was impossible to get a second higher education in the Soviet Union. Unexpectedly for me, the rector of the university, who knew about my passion for philosophy, offered to try to transfer to the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow University. Everything went smoothly, and I was accepted into the third year. A very busy life began, during the academic year I had to pass exams and tests for three courses.
In 1969 he entered graduate school, which he graduated in 1972. He prepared a Ph.D. thesis on the topic "System Analysis of the Mechanism of Change in Social Organization", which he defended in December 1973.
After graduating from graduate school in July 1972, he worked at the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences (INION) of the Academy of Sciences. From June 1976 to December 1990 he worked as a senior researcher at the All-Union Research Institute for System Research (VNIISI) of the Academy of Sciences. During these years, he met the Russian sociologist Valentina Chesnokova, in whose circle of friends his professional vision was formed.
On April 17, 1984, with his whole family (wife and three children), he received holy baptism with the name Athanasius (in honor of St. Athanasius the Great).
From September 1989 to 1997 he taught basic theology at the Moscow Theological Seminary and Holy Scripture of the Old Testament at the Moscow Theological Academy. In May 1990, he graduated from the Moscow Theological Seminary as an external student, and in 1991, also as an external student, from the Moscow Theological Academy. In 1991 he defended his thesis for the degree of Candidate of Theology.
On April 5, 2005, he was tonsured a monk by the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), with the name Job in honor of the righteous Job the Long-suffering.
In 2003-2011, he led the “Questions to a Priest” column on the Pravoslavie.Ru website.
On April 10, 2017, at the Liturgy in the Small Cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
Family
Work on the canonization of saints
In 1997-2002, on behalf of the hierarchy, he prepared materials for the canonization of saints. Among them are canonized as saints: the righteous Matrona of Moscow, Metropolitan Macarius (Nevsky), Archbishop Seraphim of Uglich (Samoilovich), Bishop Grigory (Lebedev), Archpriest John Vostorgov, Martyr Nikolai Varzhansky, Bishop of Belevsky Nikita (Pribytkov), Archpriest Neophyte Lyubimov Sergiy Goloshchapov, Archimandrite Ignatius (Lebedev), Hieroschemamonk Aristokley (Amvrosiev), Mikhail Novoselov, Anna Zertsalova, Schema-nun Augusta (Zashchuk) and others.
He also collected materials for the canonization of Archpriest Valentin Amfiteatrov, the ascetic of piety of the Moscow Ioannovsky Monastery, nun Dosifei, the elder of the Novospassky Monastery, Hieroschemamonk Filaret (Pulyashkin), Grand Duke Sergius Alexandrovich, spiritual writer Evgeny Poselyanin. However, the Synodal Commission for Canonization did not decide on their glorification.
Publications
Books
- Blessed Shepherd. Archpriest Valentin Amfiteatrov. M., publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1998, 63 p.
- Judgment on Jesus Christ. Theological and legal view. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2002, 112 p.; 2nd ed. M., 2003, 160 p.; 3rd ed., M., 2007, 192 p.
- Questions to the priest. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2004, 255 p.
- Questions to the priest. Book 2. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2005, 207 p.
- Questions to the priest. Book 3. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2005, 238 p.
- Questions to the priest. Book 4. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2006, 256 p.
- Questions to the priest. Book 5. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2007, 272 p.
- Questions to the priest. Book 6. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2008, 272 p.
- A thousand questions to the priest. M.: Publishing House of the Sretensky Monastery, 2009, 896 p.
- Sacrament of Unction (unction). M.: Publishing House of the Sretensky Monastery, 2009, 32 p.
- Holy baptism. - M., 2011. - 32 p. (Series "Sacraments and rituals").
- What is marriage? - M., 2011. - 64 p. - (Series "Sacraments and rituals").
- Cross power. - M., 2011. - 48 p. - (Series "Sacraments and rituals").
- Mystery of repentance. - M., 2011. - 64 p. - (Series "Sacraments and rituals").
- Spiritual life of a modern Christian in questions and answers. Volume 1., M., Sretensky Monastery, 2011, 496 p. Volume 2 .. M., Sretensky Monastery, 2011, 640 p.
- Law of God, M., Sretensky Monastery, 2014, 584 p. (co-authored with priests Pavel and Alexander Gumerov)
Articles
- The truth of faith and life. The Life and Works of Hieromartyr John Vostorgov. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2004, 366 p.
- “If we want to be the salt of the earth…”. John of Kronstadt. - Siberian Lights, 1991 No. 5, p. 272-278
- Three Quarters of Academic Theology (The Spiritual Heritage of the Additions to the Creations of the Holy Fathers and The Theological Bulletin). - The Theological Bulletin. M., 1993. [T.] 1. No. 1-2, pp. 21 - 39. .
- Right and Truth [Judgement on Jesus Christ]. - Journal of the Moscow Patriarchy. M., 1993. No. 5. p. 57 - 74.
- Good sowing. Russian writer Alexandra Nikolaevna Bakhmeteva. - In the book: A. N. Bakhmeteva. Stories for children about the earthly life of the Savior and Lord our God Jesus Christ, M., 2010.
- Guardian of the Church Tradition. - In the collection: “The Lord is my strength. In memory of Archbishop Alexander (Timofeev), Saratov: Publishing House of the Saratov Metropolis, 2013, p. 88 - 93.
- The image of the Heavenly Father. - "Orthodoxy and Modernity", 2014, No. 27 (43).
- Table book of the clergyman. M., 1994. (Articles in the Dictionary of Preachers section):
- Archbishop Ambrose (Klyucharev)
- Archpriest Valentin Nikolaevich Amfiteatrov
- Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky)
- Archpriest Alexy Vasilyevich Belotsvetov
- Professor Archpriest Alexander Adreevich Vetelev
- Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev)
- Archpriest Peter Viktorovich Gnedich
- Metropolitan Grigory (Chukov)
- Archbishop Demetrius (Muretov)
- Bishop John (Sokolov)
- Archpriest John Vasilievich Levanda
- Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov)
- Metropolitan Macarius (Nevsky)
- Archbishop Nikanor (Brovkovich)
- Archbishop Nicholas (Ziorov)
- Metropolitan Nicholas (Yarushevich)
- Archpriest Vasily Ioannovich Nordov
- Metropolitan Platon (Levshin)
- Archpriest Rodion Timofeevich Putyatin
- Priest Mikhail Dimitrievich Smirnov
- Archpriest Peter Alekseevich Smirov
- Archpriest Peter Alexandrovich Sollertinsky
- Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
- Metropolitan Filaret (Amphitheaters)
- Archbishop Filaret (Gumilevsky)
- Great Soviet Encyclopedia :
- Koenig R.
- Quetelet A. (with A. H. Khrgian)
- Znanetsky F.V.
- Mills C.R.
- Encyclopedia “Russian writers. 1800-1917" (Publishing house "Encyclopedia"):
- Albertini N.V.
- Ambrose (Grenkov A. M.), teacher
- Antonov A.V.
- Aristov N. Ya.
- Babikov A. Ya.
- Bassists P. E.
- Bakhmeteva A. N.
- Bakhtiarov A. A.
- Belyankin L. E.
- Bludova A. D.
- Boborykin N. N.
- Bulgakov M. P. (Metropolitan Macarius)
- Bukharev A. M.
- Valuev D. A.
- Vasilchikov A.I.
- Vekstern A. A.
- Gavrilov F. T. (author's under. - A. A. Ufimsky)
- Glinka G. A.
- Glukharev M. Ya. (Archimandrite Macarius)
- Govorov G. V. (Bishop Theophan the Recluse)
- Gorbunov I. F. Gorbunov O. F.
- Danilevsky N. Ya.
- Delvig A.I.
- Elagin V. N. (jointly with A. L. Varminsky)
- Ignatius (Bryanchaninov)
- Innokenty (Borisov)
- Iriney (Falkovsky) (jointly with M.P. Lepekhin)
- Ismailov F. F. Karsavin L. P. Kashkarov I. D.
- Kotzebue O. E.
- Koyalovich M. I.
- Kurch E.M
- Leonid, archimandrite (Kavelin)
- Menshikov M. O. (with the participation of M. B. Pospelov)
- Nicodemus, Bishop (Kazantsev N.I.)
- Passek V.V.
- Pobedonostsev K. P. (jointly with Sergeev)
- Poletika P.I.
- Radozhitsky I. T. (jointly with M. K. Evseeva)
- Rikord L.I.
- Romanov V.V.
- Orthodox Encyclopedia:
- Avarim
- Obadiah
- Haggai
- Absalom
- Aviafar
- Adonisedek
- Akila and Priscila
- Amfiteatrov V. N.
- Theological messenger
In collaboration with priest Pavel Gumerov
- Everlasting memory. Orthodox rite of burial and commemoration of the dead. M., Publishing House of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2009, 160 p. - 2nd revised edition, M.. 2011.
- Christian home. Traditions and shrines. M.: Publishing House of the Sretensky Monastery, 2010, 63 p.
Scientific publications
- System-semiotic invariants of culture. - In the book: System Research. - M., 1982, pp. 383-395.
- Methodological problems of system analysis of the organization. In the collection: "Philosophical and methodological foundations of system research. System analysis and system modeling. M .: Nauka, 1983. P. 97-113.
- Development and organization. In the collection: "System concepts of development", M., 1985. Issue 4., pp. 70-75.
- Global tasks and problems of "universal ethics". - In the collection: The concept of global problems of our time. - M., 1985.
- Ecological values in the system of culture. In the collection: System Research. Methodological problems. Yearbook, 1988. - M.: Nauka, 1989. - P. 210 - 224.
- Philosophical and anthropological problems of ecology. - In the collection: Ecology, culture, education. M., 1989. S. 96-100.
It used to happen that people went for spiritual advice to the priest, overcoming hundreds of miles on foot. Now it is enough to go online and in a couple of clicks to be on the right page. It may have become a little easier for the questioners, but for the shepherds it is harder, as the number of questions grows exponentially. And although the sins that a person encounters remain the same, the priest has to find the answer to the question of a specific person each time individually. Hieromonk Job (Gumerov), a resident of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery, talks about how to build communication and relationships with parishioners, and about his experience in answering "questions to the father"
Every priest for many years has to answer the same questions. Based on your experience, can you give advice to young shepherds on what to consider when answering?
A person whom God has appointed to be a confessor must constantly acquire active love in himself. I think that the most important thing is that the one who applied for spiritual help should feel that the priest participates in his needs, his problems. Any person, even without a subtle disposition of the soul, feels very well how they treat him: either formally, albeit very politely, or they show cordial participation.
I remember many years ago reading a small book called "58 Tips from an Elder of Athos". I was literally captured by one thought, to which I then returned all the time: do not miss the opportunity to please God by affectionate treatment of people. We often look for what good to do for our salvation. But we do not think and do not realize that such an opportunity is nearby. Affectionate treatment of people is nothing but a manifestation of active love in everyday life. This must be constantly remembered. And the first thing a shepherd should do when a person turns to him for advice is to show goodwill and openness to him. This is the basis on which he must build further communication with the interlocutor. I noticed that if this did not work out, if there was already some kind of coldness in the first words, then most often there would be no further positive result.
For everyone who comes to him, the priest must, at least briefly, pray. The Lord, seeing that we sincerely wish to participate in his problems, gives the shepherd His all-powerful help.
It is important that the priest does not show the interlocutor his employment. Everything must be done so that a person who comes in need does not feel that the priest is in a hurry or tired somewhere. The attention of the priest should be completely occupied by the interlocutor who came to him for advice. Sometimes I tell my parishioners: "Don't be embarrassed, tell me, I have enough time." And this helps a person a lot to overcome stiffness or to get rid of the imaginary fear that he takes a lot of time from the priest.
On the other hand, everything must be done with reasoning. If you do not direct, albeit gently, the conversation in the right direction, it can go on for hours. Those who come to the priest have a need to speak out. A person believes that if he talks in detail about what worries him, then the priest will be able to help him more easily. For many who come with severe problems, a long and detailed story gives a psychological release. Therefore, it is very difficult for a shepherd to find the necessary measure in communion.
What is the most difficult thing for a priest to communicate with parishioners? How do you find the right words? What literature do you use?
The shepherd is a co-worker with God. The Lord, who placed him in this ministry, helps and strengthens with His grace. Without this, it is impossible to carry such a heavy cross. St. John of Kronstadt wrote: “My God, how difficult it is to confess properly! How many obstacles from the enemy! How grievously you sin before God, confessing inappropriately! how much preparation for confession is needed! (My life in Christ. Vol. 2).
When I have to confess on a schedule, I begin to pray in advance that the Lord will help me fulfill this obedience and benefit people.
The performance of the sacrament of confession is undoubtedly the focus of pastoral activity, since the soul of a person is cleansed and reborn. But even just a conversation or a response to a letter requires special inner composure. Starting to answer letters from parishioners, at first I did not realize the whole difficulty of this matter. After some time, I realized that if a letter is written with pain, then you need to let at least part of this pain go through yourself, otherwise you won’t help. It is possible to write an answer very precisely and correctly from a theological point of view, but it will not work if there is no empathy.
To answer a variety of questions had to turn to a variety of sources. He often turned to the works of Saints John Chrysostom, Ignatius Brianchaninov, Theophan the Recluse, John of Kronstadt and others.
Secondly, I also relied on the knowledge that I had. You can call me a "perpetual student". I studied and study all my life. At the age of seventeen, a very important event happened to me: I made a choice of a life path. Before that, I had to make decisions: with whom to play, where to go on vacation, and so on. But none of these choices could affect my life. Graduating from high school changed my situation radically. What to do next? Since I had a real interest in learning, it was clear to me that I had to keep learning.
As I look back on my past life, I am amazed at how carefully God participates in the life of an individual. Knowing the natural capabilities of everyone, even in childhood and adolescence, He sows seeds in the soul, which should then germinate and bear the fruits that he needs for spiritual life and salvation. Now, with inner excitement and thanksgiving to the Lord, I see that He directed my cognitive interests along the channel that led me to theology and the priesthood. By the will of God, I was led to theology by philosophy, which in the Middle Ages was called the "handmaid of theology" ("philosophia est ministra theologiae"). Philosophy began to interest me at school. We lived on the outskirts of Ufa. In our regional library, I found the classic works of R. Descartes, G.V. Leibniz, G. Hegel and other philosophers and was very carried away by them. After graduating from high school, I wanted to enter the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow University, but they were accepted there only with work experience (at least two years). Mom persuaded me to enter the history department of the Bashkir State University. There I completed four courses, moved on to the fifth. But my desire remained unsatisfied, because it was impossible to get a second higher education in the Soviet Union. Unexpectedly for me, the rector of the university, who knew about my passion for philosophy, offered to try to transfer to the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow University. Everything went smoothly, and I was accepted into the third year. A very busy life began, during the academic year I had to pass exams and tests for three courses. After graduating from the university - a three-year postgraduate study, a Ph.D. thesis in the field of sociology.
My studies in philosophy, history, sociology, literature helped me a lot to answer letters later. When I went to church (this happened in April 1984), I was worried that I had spent so many years studying secular sciences, which, as it seemed to me, would no longer be useful to me. But it turned out that my reasoning was naive, and the Lord arranged everything in such a way that all my knowledge was simply necessary for me.
- Whose experience helped you in your spiritual choice and subsequent priestly path?
I think that my mother had the greatest influence on me, although she was baptized only in her old age, but in terms of the disposition of her soul (lovefulness, desire to live with everyone in the world, responsiveness to everyone) was always very close internally to Christianity. She did not miss a single opportunity to say a kind word to us. This was her need. She never scolded us. Already in her old age, she told me that her mother, my grandmother, forbade her to do this. Dad was often transferred to work in different cities. When my mother said goodbye to my grandmother (it was clear that they would not see each other again), my grandmother said: “I ask you one thing, do not beat the children and do not scold them. If you even hit your hand even once, my motherly blessing will depart from you.” But my mother would never have done so: she was simply incapable of it. Mom's love, her attitude towards people, of course, formed the basis on which my personal faith was born. This helped me, without any sorrows and upheavals, to gradually come to the realization of the need to be baptized and become a Christian. I then worked as a senior researcher at the Academy of Sciences at the All-Union Research Institute for System Research.
I came to the priesthood out of obedience to the confessor. When I went to church, my spiritual mentor, Priest Sergiy Romanov (now he is an archpriest), four years after that, said that I should teach at the Moscow Theological Academy. Such a thought could never have crossed my mind. But since I had complete confidence in his words, I easily agreed. Everything happened quite quickly and settled without any obstacles. I met with the Vice-Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, Professor Mikhail Stepanovich Ivanov, who offered me a course called "Christianity and Culture". He asked me to write a program. On the appointed day, we went with him to Archbishop Alexander (Timofeev), the then rector of the academy. Apparently, he had already made a decision, so the conversation was short-lived. After a few introductory phrases, he looked at the sheets that were in my hands and asked: "And what do you have?" I said, "This is the program of the course." He took the sheets, put his finger on some line and asked how I understood this question. I answered right away, and that satisfied him. He didn't have any more questions. Turning to Mikhail Stepanovich, with his characteristic vigor, Vladyka said: "Prepare for the council."
Under Vladyka Alexander, there was an obligatory requirement: teachers who came from secular institutions and did not have a spiritual education had to graduate from the seminary and then the academy externally. I graduated from the seminary in May 1990, and passed the exams for the academy in the next academic year. In the fall of 1991 he defended his thesis for the degree of Candidate of Theology. Since September 1990, I began to teach the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament at the academy, and basic theology at the seminary.
In September, the second year of my teaching at the academy began. Father Sergius says that it is time to file a petition against the priest. And I readily agreed. Some time has passed. And then one day (it was on Saturday around noon) I got a call from the vice-rector for educational work, Archimandrite Venedikt (Knyazev). He said: "Come to the all-night vigil today, tomorrow you will be ordained." I immediately got up and left. On Sunday, the week before the Exaltation, between the two feasts of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, September 23, I was ordained.
- What was your way to the monastery?
I was already sixty years old. Gradually he grew old and began to remember his long-standing desire to become a monk. While the children were small, of course, there could be no talk of this. But now they have grown. In addition, although I had been a healthy person all my life, a period of constant illness began. There was one more circumstance: the son got into the army, fought in Chechnya in an offensive group. I think the Lord specifically sent me all these trials, which prompted me to think about the monastic path.
I decided to read the Akathist to the Mother of God for 40 days. Before and after reading, I asked the Most Holy Theotokos to reveal God's will to me through Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), since I was teaching at the Sretensky Seminary at that time and he was the only abbot of the monastery with whom I had close contact. And the Mother of God exactly fulfilled my request: ten days later I was walking home from the seminary and walked around the temple from the south side in order to go to the gates of the monastery. Father Tikhon was walking towards me, we greeted each other, and the first words he said to me were: "When will you move in with us? We have prepared a cell for you." After that, I returned home and told my wife what had happened. Mother told me that this is the will of God. She added: "I feel good only when you feel good. If you feel good in the monastery, then do it, and I will be patient." A month later I arrived at the Sretensky Monastery. I took the tonsure in April 2005.
For many years you have been teaching in theological schools, and you yourself came to receive a spiritual education, already being a candidate of philosophical sciences. What changes do you see in the system of education and upbringing of future pastors?
For me, this is a very important and even painful topic. Under Archbishop Alexander, much was said about the moral state of students and the quality of teaching. Structural transformations by themselves cannot raise the level of spiritual education. After all, as Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky) said, theological schools are strong in tradition and proximity to the Church.
The most serious difficulty is that students enter the seminary not from some uninhabited island, but from the world around us, from our sick society, afflicted with many ailments. Some lack not only Christian, but also general education. A person who came to the seminary at the age of 18 cannot be re-educated in five years of study; he already has a fully formed spiritual image. And in the hostel life is such that sometimes they take not the best from each other. All this leads to the fact that some seminarians very easily fall under the influence of the spirit of the times. This then affects their ministry. Most often this is manifested in the desire to combine high service to God and people with service to oneself, not missing the opportunity to acquire something, make friends among wealthy people. Here in this I see serious consequences of the destruction of traditions.
- For several years you have been running the "Questions to the Priest" column on the Pravoslavie.ru website, which was in great demand and helped many to come to the Church. What place did this project occupy among your priestly obediences?
The rubric was created in 2000 before I came to the Sretensky Monastery. At that time, I taught at the Sretensky Theological Seminary the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. Then the editors of the site Pravoslavie.ru "often asked me to answer some letters. Then I became a resident of our monastery and my participation in the rubric became regular. Along with the performance of priestly duties, answering" questions to the priest "became my main obedience. It must be said that preparation and publication of answers to questions on the site was only a small part of the work.The number of letters gradually increased.The overwhelming majority of the letters that came were purely personal, and the answers were sent to the authors at their address.I find it difficult to say how many answers were sent, because I never counted Maybe more than 10,000. As time went on, Pravoslavie.ru became the most visited of all religious portals. In recent years, 1500-1800 letters have been received per month, and during Lent and on holidays the number of letters has doubled. Answers to questions that were of general spiritual interest were posted on the site. Hieromonk Zosima (Melnik) and I answered personal letters together. Young and energetic, he took the lion's share of the letters himself, for which I am grateful to him.
When you manage to help someone, you always feel joy. But I also had constant pain. Most of the letters remained unanswered: it is impossible to give more than what you have. The growing flow of letters literally covered us with a head. This obedience severely limited my monastic work, for which I have to answer to the Lord at the Judgment. By this time, there were about 1370 answers in the archive of the "Questions to the Priest" section. Therefore, the acceptance of letters was stopped. Now I have more time to communicate with parishioners in person. Our parish numbers about 900 people.
- What are the most frequently asked questions? What questions make you especially happy?
The invisible audience with which I had to communicate was very heterogeneous. Many letter writers had experience of the spiritual life. They asked to explain a certain place from the Holy Scriptures, to give a theological assessment of some work or cultural phenomenon. So, for example, one of the authors of the letters was interested in the Orthodox attitude to the "Divine Comedy" by A. Dante. Another asked to comment on the image of the holy fool in "Boris Godunov" by A.S. from the point of view of Orthodox spirituality. Pushkin. There was, for example, the question: how to relate to the work of the religious philosopher Lev Karsavin. Answers to such questions then made up a whole section of my book "A Thousand Questions to a Priest."
Many letters came from those who had recently come to the Church. Faced with the first difficulties in their spiritual life, they asked for pastoral help. Almost everyone who comes to faith at a conscious age has problems in relationships with loved ones who are far from faith. The authors of these letters asked for advice on what to do in a difficult, sometimes painful life situation.
The greatest joy for me was to receive letters from people who asked to help them enter the temple. Sometimes these letters were very short and simple: "I have never gone to confession, please advise me what to do." And I always, no matter how busy I was, no matter how many letters came, I tried to answer these questions without fail, because it was noticeable that something significant was born in a person’s soul, the Lord awakened some kind of sprout of faith that can easily wither if you don't take care of it. You feel some kind of reverent disposition towards such a person. I tried to answer these letters in great detail, despite any degree of fatigue.
- And were there any letters that upset, caused alarm?
Having lived thirty years in a very happy marriage, it is always hard for me to hear about family discord, which often ends in the breakup of the family. This is a tragedy. Elder Paisius Svyatogorets said: "The only value of life is the family. As soon as the family dies, the world will die. Show your love first of all in your family." And he also said: "When the family is destroyed, everything will be destroyed: both the clergy and the monasticism." It seems that the family was literally crushed by the vices and sins of our sick society. It is hard to see that the state does not make any attempt to curb the corrupting effect of television, radio, the Internet, and the low-quality press. Unfortunately, the clergy do not impartially remind the authorities of their responsibility for the moral health of the people. I am deeply convinced that representatives of the Church at all levels of the hierarchy must keep a distance in relation to power. Otherwise, their conscience is bound by earthly relations.
- This year you turned 70 years old. How do you experience this age?
The ideas of ordinary consciousness about old age are extremely primitive. In fact, the Creator endowed each age with wonderful virtues. "The glory of young men is their strength, and the adornment of old men is gray hair" (Prov. 20, 29). The holy writer calls gray hair "a crown of glory" (Prov. 16:31), referring to a person who has chosen the path of truth in life. Old age is usually complained about by people who entered the age empty-handed, without collecting spiritual and moral wealth.
In old age you experience the joy that fills a navigator when his ship has made a dangerous voyage and entered calm coastal waters. There comes that calm which is known to a man upon whom hard work has been entrusted, and he sees that the work has come to an end. Life is a special work that God places on everyone. To want to exchange old age for youth means to become like the king of Corinth, Sisyphus, who almost lifted a heavy stone to the top of the mountain, and he fell off. You have to go downstairs and start all over again. I remember that in December 1996, when I was teaching at the Moscow Theological Academy, the Vice-Rector of the Academy, Professor Mikhail Stepanovich Ivanov, celebrated his 55th birthday. It was a weekday. During a break between lectures, he treated us (there were several people) to some pastries prepared in our refectory. Speaking about his 55th birthday, he, whose duty it was to ensure that students did not have twos, said: "This is probably the only case when two twos are better than two fives." I kept silent, but internally did not agree: to return to the age of 22 means to roll the stone already raised up the mountain, and then to lift it again for 33 years.
However, old age is different. In the Bible there is an expression: he died "in a good old age" (Gen. 25, 8; 1 Chron. 29, 28), "full of life" (Gen. 25, 8; 35, 29; Job 42, 17), "in peace "(Luke 2:29). This refers to those whose lives were righteous and pleasing to God. A person who did not strive to live with God, but spent his days in vain, will not bear fruit in old age. "Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap: he who sows to his own flesh from the flesh will reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (Gal. 6:7-8).
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