Orders of holiness of the Orthodox Church in ascending order. What are the ranks of saints? Equal-to-the-Apostles and Enlighteners

Glorifying the saints of God, the Church gives them in her hymns various magnificences, according to the way of their life on earth, rank, rank, various deeds and, finally, the kind of their death, which is why in liturgical books and Orthodox calendar she divides all the saints into hosts or ranks - saints, martyrs, saints and others.

• Under common name Incorporeal forces, the Church understands the entire spiritual - angelic - world, which is divided into nine ranks: thrones, cherubim, seraphim, dominions, powers, authorities, principles, archangels and angels.
• Holy men are called forefathers Old Testament who were ancestors according to the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their memory is celebrated on the "week of the Forefathers", before the Nativity of Christ.
• Prophets are the saints of the Old Testament, chosen by God to prepare people to receive the Savior and possessing the gift of foreseeing the future. Saint John the Baptist was the last Old Testament prophet.
• The apostles are the chosen disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ; some of them belong to the 12 closest, others - to the number of 70 of his students.
• Equal-to-the-Apostles and Enlighteners are called saints who, after the times of the apostles, by their preaching, led entire countries and peoples to Christ.
• The church fathers (“our father in the saints”) are called saints of the hierarchal rank: this includes saints - patriarchs, metropolitans and bishops of different cities of the Ecumenical Orthodox Church. The bishops of the city of Rome are called popes.
• Martyrs or great martyrs are called saints who accepted martyrdom for faith in Christ. Those of them who were martyred in the rank of bishop or priest are called holy martyrs, and those who suffered in monasticism (monasticism) are called reverend martyrs.
• Confessors and martyrs are saints who suffered persecution, imprisonment and torment for their faith in Christ, but who died in the world. Some of them had special brands on their faces during the torture. That is why they are called inscribed.
• Reverends (husbands and wives) - saints from the monastic (monastic) rank. Some of them, who took on special feats, also have private names: hermits - who retired to the desert and escaped there in solitude, hermits - who voluntarily enclosed themselves for life in separate caves or cells; pillars - labored on pillars or high towers in the open; silencers - those who have taken upon themselves the feat of silence.
• The righteous are called saints who pleased the Lord, living in the world and not relinquishing family and social responsibilities.
• Unmercenaries are called saints who pleased the Lord, living in the world and not relinquishing family and social responsibilities.
• For the sake of Christ, holy fools, or blessed, are saints who, according to the word of God, were insane for Christ's sake and wanderers who did not have a permanent home; for their humility of mind they were gifted by God.

The gifts with which the Lord endows his chosen ones are very diverse, and since holiness is primarily their manifestation in people, this concept itself includes many forms. In view of the fact that historically Christianity was divided into several directions, in each of them canonization, that is, the glorification of one or another saint of God, has certain features.

The concept of holiness came into use at the very dawn of Christianity. Then this category included the Old Testament forefathers, prophets, as well as the apostles and martyrs who accepted suffering and death in the name of Christ. In a later period, when Christianity became the state religion, they included pious rulers, kings, princes, and many others.

Orthodox holiness is borrowed from Byzantium and received in Rus' further development a system in accordance with which the saints of God, most clearly marked by His Gifts and deserving of canonization by their deeds, are divided into several categories, or ranks. Such a division is very arbitrary, since during the days of earthly life the saint could become famous for a variety of feats.

The Disciples of Christ Who Acquired Holiness

The primacy in this honorary row is traditionally assigned to the apostles - the closest disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, endowed with Him special gifts preaching the Word of God, healing the afflicted, casting out demons, and even raising the dead. Having taken on the great mission of spreading Christianity, almost all of them ended their lives with martyrdom.

From the Gospel we learn that Jesus called twelve of His closest disciples to the service of the Church He created, but later seventy more chosen ones joined them, and all of them were canonized in the rank of holy apostles. The holiness of the apostles is of a special nature, since it was certified by Jesus Christ Himself. It is known that in the middle of the III century, that is, even before the victory of Christianity over paganism, divine services were performed in their honor, and in the VI century a universal holiday was established.

The history of Christianity also knows the names of a number of ascetics who gained fame by spreading Christianity among tribes mired in paganism. Since in their service they in many ways became like the apostles, they were glorified by the Church in the rank of Equal-to-the-Apostles and thus constituted a separate category. Their holiness is a feat of enlightening the nations with the light of Christ's truth.

Saints of the pre-Christian era

The next two categories of saints - prophets and forefathers, which have already been mentioned in this article, came to us from Old Testament times. The first group includes the elect, on whom the Lord entrusted a special mission to reveal His will to people, or, in other words, to prophesy. A certain order of their veneration is established, and several days a year (mainly in December) are dedicated to the memory of each of them.

The Old Testament includes several books of the prophets, the special value of which lies in the fact that they contain a prediction about the inevitable appearance of the Messiah in the world, sent to deliver people from the curse of original sin. The significance of these saints is so great that one of them, the prophet Isaiah, who lived in the 8th century BC, is even called the "fifth evangelist."

The forefathers include the pious patriarchs who lived in the Old Testament times, as well as the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the righteous Joachim and Anna, who are called godfathers. Their holiness is the result of deeds that contributed to the coming into the world of the Messiah, who brought people salvation from eternal death.

Holy Successors of the Apostles

The appearance on earth of the Son of God gave impetus to the emergence of a numerous host of saints who became the successors of the apostles and led the Christian communities. Those bishops who, being at the highest levels of pastoral service, set an example of high piety and selflessness, the church has been glorifying in the rank of saints for two millennia.

They included a large number of bishops, archbishops, metropolitans and patriarchs, who contributed to the strengthening of the faith and steadily opposed schisms and heresy. The most striking example of such church hierarchs are Saints Nicholas the Wonderworker, Gregory the Theologian and a number of others.

It is known that righteousness and piety, manifested by the servants of God, are often rewarded with gifts sent down from above, one of which is the ability to work miracles. That is why, when reading the lives of many saints, one can come across descriptions of the miracles they performed. As a rule, these are the healing of the sick, the resurrection of the dead, the prediction of the future and the pacification of the natural elements.

Good Martyrs of Christ

A special category is the ranks of holiness associated with suffering for Christ. Among them are those who, by their willingness to accept torment and death, testified to faith in the victory of the Son of God over eternal death. The saints belonging to this very large group are divided into several categories.

Those who were honored to endure the most difficult and prolonged torments are usually called great martyrs (saints - Panteleimon, George the Victorious, If such a voluntary sufferer turned out to be a bishop or priest, then he is called a holy martyr (Hermogenes, Ignatius the God-bearer). A monk who accepted Christ's torment for faith and death, glorified in the rank of martyrs (Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna).There is also a category of passion-bearers.It includes those who accepted death and torment at the hands of their own brothers in faith (Holy Princes Boris and Gleb).

Holiness born in the storms of the 20th century

The host of Orthodox martyrs increased significantly in the 20th century, most of which became a period of persecution of the church, surpassing in its cruelty what it had to endure in the first centuries of Christianity. This period revealed to the world a whole galaxy of new martyrs and confessors who suffered as a result of mass repressions, but who did not renounce their faith.

Confessors include those who continued to openly proclaim (profess) their faith, despite the threat of prison and even death. Unlike the martyrs, these people did not die a violent death, but nevertheless suffered severe persecution. Their holiness is a manifestation of readiness for self-sacrifice.

Practically all decades of the theomachist regime in Russia are filled with examples of such feats. The above categories can also be described as ranks of holiness, directly related to the suffering of Christ, since the saints glorified in them, enduring suffering, were likened to the Savior.

Saints who became like angels during their lifetime

This high title is a testament to the fact that, having renounced the vain world and extorted the movement of passions in themselves, they became like, even during their lifetime, that is, they became like the angels of God. Their host is adorned with the names of St. Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, Theophan the Recluse and many others.

Host of faithful rulers

The Orthodox Church also honors the memory of those of her children who, being at the pinnacle of power, used it to strengthen faith and works of mercy. Upon completion of his life path they are counted among the faithful. This category includes kings, queens, princes and princesses.

This tradition came to Rus' from Byzantium, where the emperors were actively involved in the life of the church and had wide powers in resolving the most important religious issues. Nowadays, many are familiar with icons depicting the noble princes Dmitry Donskoy, Alexander Nevsky and Daniil of Moscow, whose forehead is adorned with a halo - a symbol of holiness.

The Righteous and the Unmercenaries, Resplendent in the Order of Angels

Righteousness is an integral part of the life of every saint, but even among them there are those who especially excelled in this virtue and set an example for posterity. They are included in a separate rank and glorified in the face of the righteous. The Russian Church knows many such names - these are the righteous John of Kronstadt, Stefan of Omsk and Alexy (Mechev). Lay people may also belong to them, for example, Admiral Ushakov and Simeon Verkhotursky.

One of the consequences of righteousness is the need for unselfish service to people. Saints who have adorned their lives with this feat are called unmercenaries and also constitute an independent group. These include mainly doctors who professed the principle "every talent is given by God and should be used in His glorification."

Their host is innumerable, and there is hardly a person who has not heard the names of such saints as the unmercenaries Panteleimon or Cosmas and Demyan. They are also canonized in the rank of great martyrs, which is a fairly common occurrence when the same saint glorifies God with various deeds.

Despised and beaten bearers of the truth of God

And finally, one more rank, which for many centuries enjoyed special honor in Russia, is the blessed ones. This form of holiness is very unusual and in many ways paradoxical. Blessed, or, in other words, holy fools, in Rus' from ancient times were called those who, hiding behind external madness, trampled on all generally accepted worldly values, including ostentatious external piety.

Often their behavior was so provocative that they were not only insulted and humiliated, but also beaten by those around them. Ultimately, however, such self-abasement and voluntary suffering were seen as following the example of Christ. Among the Russian saints, more than twenty people have been glorified as the blessed, the most famous of which are Xenia of Petersburg and Andrei of Constantinople.

The very word "holiness", in addition to a purely religious meaning, in worldly life is often used to refer to objects and concepts that require a particularly respectful and even reverent attitude. It is unlikely, for example, that anyone will dispute the validity of such expressions as "the sanctity of motherhood" or "the holy memory of fallen heroes." There is no religious connotation in these examples, but nevertheless, the mention of holiness is always associated with manifestations of spiritual greatness and purity.

The Orthodox Church establishes a day of remembrance for each saint glorified by her. Most often this is the day of a blessed death. This day is celebrated as the birth of a saint in eternity and the day when he begins to pray for the Church in heavenly abodes, standing before the Throne of God. Sometimes the celebration is established in memory of the acquisition or transfer of the honest relics of a saint or on the day of his general church glorification.

Saints, according to the feat with which they shone before God, are distributed according to the ranks of holiness:

prophets. In this rank, not only the ancient Old Testament prophets are glorified, but, above all, the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist Spasov John.

Apostles. The Council, that is, the common memory, of the twelve apostles takes place the day after the memory of the chief apostles Peter and Paul (June 30 / July 13). Each apostle has his own day of remembrance. In addition to the twelve apostles, the seventy apostles are commemorated, chosen by Christ to preach the gospel. The Church also glorifies people — men and women — who have endured labors similar to those of the apostles of Christ. They are called equal to the apostles .

Saints— Bishops and hierarchs of the Church who served God and people with their pastoral labors and achieved holiness.

Martyrs. Martyr in Greek is denoted by the word martis which means witness. A martyr is a person who, by his death, testifies to faith in God, in salvation, in the immortality of the soul, and in the resurrection. People who bravely and steadfastly endured suffering for Christ, but for one reason or another survived and died later, it is customary to call confessors(the confessor was, for example, St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow).

Priests who have been martyred are called holy martyrs and the monks venerable martyrs.

Reverends— monks and nuns who pleased God with their monastic labors. Many saints entered the holy calendar (lists of saints) under nicknames that reveal the essence of their feat: the Hermit (a monk who voluntarily took refuge from worldly fuss and human glory), the Faster, the Silent One, the Stylite (a monk who performs his feat on a special tower - a pillar).

righteous- men and women who did not take monastic vows and were not worthy of a martyr's crown, but served their God Christian life. Among the righteous there are those who became famous for the feat of foolishness - imaginary madness. Holy fools we call blessed. By the feat of foolishness, the blessed ones brought reproach upon themselves and cultivated humility in themselves, hiding virtues under foolishness. In addition, with the help of foolishness, ascetics sometimes denounced the madness of worldly values ​​and aspirations. Such a holy fool was, for example, Blessed Xenia of Petersburg.

In the rank of the righteous, the Church also glorifies priests (not monastics) who have pleased God with their holy lives. For example, the righteous John Sergiev (of Kronstadt) and the righteous Alexy Mechev.

According to Christian doctrine, "one God is without sin", all people, even the most righteous, commit sins. Nevertheless, the church singles out people who, through prayer and good deeds, have received a special honor before God and have acquired holiness.

Canonization of saints- Elevation to the rank of saints. The conditions for canonization - there should be a cult of veneration of the saint, miracles from relics, objects, incorruptibility of relics, myrrh-streaming of consecrated icons in the church, evidence of the holiness of life.

Holiness(“holier than all saints”) - only one Mother of God, the Virgin Mary.

Apostles - this is a special order of holiness. Equal-to-the-Apostles adjoin the apostles - they, like the apostles, brought Christianity to entire nations (the Russian Orthodox Church venerates Princess Olga and Prince Vladimir as Equal-to-the-Apostles).

Prophets - Old Testament prophets Moses, Elijah the Prophet, etc.

Righteous - canonized laity (Abraham, righteous Juliana, etc.).

Reverends - canonized monks (St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Seraphim of Sarov).

Saints - canonized higher church hierarchs (patriarchs, metropolitans) - Metropolitan Peter (XIV century), Patriarch Tikhon (d. 1925).

Martyrs - those who died for the faith, the most massive rank of holiness (Great Martyr Tatyana, Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia - II century, now the new martyrs of the Lenin-Stalin era are canonized)

Faithful - canonized rulers (tsars, princes) - Boris and Gleb, Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy.

Passion-bearers -"endured passions", who died deeply in a Christian way, but not for faith - as royal passion-bearers, Nicholas II and the royal family were canonized.

Blessed - canonized holy fools, there were especially many of them in Rus', this is a kind of contribution of Russian Orthodoxy to Ecumenical Orthodoxy (“the fool” is God's disease, the holy fools in Christ walked naked, pretended that they were terrible sinners, but in fact they did not sin even in women's baths ). Basil the Blessed. In Rus' there were many deceivers who only played the role of holy fools, but in fact they were not holy fools in Christ - they, of course, were not canonized (example: Grishka Rasputin)

Until 1054 the church was one and Orthodox both in the West and in the East (the popes of Rome sometimes even saved Orthodoxy, because heresies often developed in the East, in Byzantium).

1054 - Great Schism(schism) of churches - the eastern part remained Orthodox, the western became catholic.

XVI century - Reformation- split in the Western Church into Catholics and Protestants. Thus, there were three Christian denominations: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism.

The main differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy

Differences in the sacraments:

Baptism - for the Orthodox, the complete immersion of the person being baptized (just like the first Christians baptized), for Catholics - sprinkling.

Communion - for the Orthodox - as in the first centuries of the existence of Christianity - full communion for everyone (both priests and laity are given both bread and wine), for Catholics - only bread for the laity, since 1965 lay Catholics can demand full communion for themselves; consecrated bread is also different - the Orthodox have leavened bread, the Catholics have unleavened bread

Confirmation - for the Orthodox immediately after baptism, for Catholics - chrismation only when the church comes of age (not earlier than 12-14 years old)

repentance - the Orthodox see the confessor, the Catholics - in the booths.

2. In management churches - for Catholics, the sole head of the entire Catholic Church throughout the world (the Pope of Rome), for the Orthodox, the principle of autocephaly - the self-government of local churches (Greek, Bulgarian, Russian, etc.).

3. Chief holiday- for Orthodox Easter, for Catholics, Easter was eclipsed by Christmas.

4. fasting days- the Orthodox tradition of early Christianity - Wednesday and Friday, the Catholics - Saturday. One of the Ecumenical Councils noted this violation of the apostolic custom in the Western Church.

5. Liturgy(service with communion) for Catholics - only in Latin, for Orthodox - in national languages ​​(since 1965, Catholics have allowed services in national languages, but Latin remains the main language). The Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible, is recognized as divinely inspired.

6. Celibacy(celibacy) - in Orthodoxy only for monks, among Catholics - and for priests (in Orthodoxy priests are married).

7. In rituals and symbols- Orthodox are baptized with three fingers from right to left, Catholics - with five fingers from left to right, the main cross is four-pointed for Catholics, and eight-pointed for Orthodox.

8. Catholics introduced new dogmas which are not in Orthodoxy:

On the infallibility of the Pope of Rome (in Orthodoxy, only the Ecumenical Council is infallible).

About purgatory (in Orthodoxy only heaven and hell).

On the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary (according to Orthodox doctrine, she was conceived in the usual way and was subject to original sin).

On the overdue merits of the saints (hence the age-old practice of indulgences)

About the filioque (the insertion “and from the Son” into the Creed - that the Holy Spirit comes not only from God the Father, as the Orthodox believe, but also from God the Son). Hence - a special technique of Catholic prayer - getting used to the role of the crucified Christ. Artificiality in worship - organ, sculptures in churches. In Orthodoxy, “smart” (heartfelt) prayer, getting used to the role of Christ is adjacent to pride, there is no organ and sculptures, there are only icons and spiritual choral singing.

All these differences exist with a very large similarity between the two faiths. It is very important that Catholics and Orthodox mutually recognize the grace of priests, the canonicity of their ordinations, the reality of each other's sacraments (if a Catholic priest converts to Orthodoxy or vice versa, he is not ordained again, but immediately made a priest - it is considered that he has already been ordained).

Geography of Christian denominations:

Orthodox countries- Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia (Armenia is close to Orthodoxy, but there are certain differences).

Catholic countries– Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Philippines, all of Latin America, Lithuania.

Protestant countries– England, USA, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Canada, Australia, Estonia.

Most of all in the world of Catholics, the least of all - Orthodox (historically)

The saints of God are of particular importance in the teaching of the Orthodox Church. They were created, like other people, in the image and likeness of God, but only they strove to achieve the true likeness of God in everything. The glorification and veneration of saints is an important part of the spiritual life of the Church. Orthodox Christians believe that the saints are in the Kingdom of Heaven and intercede before the Lord for us. Saints are the bearers of bliss.

About them in the book of wisdom of Solomon it is said as follows: “The righteous live forever, their reward is in the Lord and the Most High cares for them. Therefore, they will receive a kingdom of glory and a crown of beauty from the hand of the Lord, for He will cover them with his right arm and protect them with his arm” (5, 15-16).” And a little punished, they will be greatly favored, because God tested them and found them worthy of Him. He tested them like gold in a furnace and accepted them as a sacrifice of the all-perfect” (3, 5-6).

Special meaning for the Orthodox has veneration Holy Mother of God, Queens of Heaven. The people call her the Intercessor and say: “He who does not know the Blessed Virgin Mary does not know Jesus either”.

The Church recognizes that in Her holiness She and John the Baptist surpass even the angels. In prayerful standing before the Lord, they represent all of humanity. Therefore, in the iconostasis it is customary to place the icon of Christ in the center, next to the icons of the Mother of God and John the Baptist, then angels and saints.

The veneration of the saints began with the worship of the relics of the martyrs; the first Christians turned to them with prayer. They came to the graves of the martyrs on their anniversary. Death, served the liturgy there, prayed for intercession and, it happened, became witnesses of miracles.

Through these miracles, the Divine grace of holy relics was revealed to Christians. Later, a tradition arose to separate and transfer the holy remains, and their entry began to be perceived as receiving God-sent patronage. Later than the veneration of relics, the veneration of the righteous, saints and teachers of the Church appeared. Now the total number of canonized saints is several thousand people.

In the Orthodox Church there are no strict regulations that oblige believers to glorify this or that saint. Everyone can prayerfully honor any of the saints and even the departed righteous, glorified by the Church. However, there are saints who are addressed in special situations. So, in case of illness, they pray for healing, who was a doctor without silver, and John the Baptist is asked for healing from a headache.

In the Church there are such ranks of saints:

Ancestors - the ancestors of Jesus Christ in the flesh, the first executors of the will of the Lord on earth. Righteous Joseph, the husband of the Most Holy Theotokos, is also enlisted among the forefathers.

Apostles are disciples of Jesus Christ, they were sent to proclaim the Christian faith. Of the twelve apostles, eleven were martyred, only John the Theologian lived to see old age and died a natural death.

Equal-to-the-Apostles - saints who worked especially in preaching the Gospel and converting peoples to the Christian faith (Mary Magdalene, Prince Vladimir, who baptized Kievan Rus, Saint Constantine, ) .

The Evangelists are four holy men who wrote the Gospels inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Prophets - they were inspired to speak the Word of God. The Bible contains books written by sixteen prophets. The most respected prophets of the people are commemorated in special days: Elijah (July 20 / August 2), Jeremiah (May 1/14), John the Baptist (June 24 / July 7; August 29 / and September 1).

Martyrs are those who died for Christ and the faith. This is the most numerous category, since believers have been repeatedly persecuted throughout the long history of Christianity. Especially revered and glorified are the great martyrs who endured very cruel torments with unprecedented fortitude: George the Victorious, Panteleimon the Healer and many others.

Confessors are those who suffered for their faith, openly confessing it during times of persecution, but escaped martyrdom.

Reverends are saints who have become famous in monastic deeds. The monastic vocation is seen as a special gift from God. The life of the monks is devoted to serving the Lord, they try in fasting and prayer, they find the Christian virtue of love because of poverty, humility, obedience, purity. In the month Orthodox Church more than two-thirds of the saints are reverend.

Hierarchs - saints who became famous in the episcopal rank, outstanding church leaders. Saints Nicholas, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Basil the Great are especially revered among the people.

Stylites are saints who became famous for the feat of standing on a pillar in constant prayer. An example of this rank was St. Simeon the Stylite.

Right-believing princes and kings are rulers who used the power and wealth of mercy received from God to strengthen faith.

Unmercenaries are saints who became famous for their unselfishness.

Holy fools for the sake of Christ, who neglect all the blessings of life - clothing, food, housing; the purpose of their life is the confession of the faith of Christ. Holy fools, as a rule, take on the guise of insanity, they do things that seem strange. Often under the mask of madness lies the gift of divination and a sharp mind. The holy fools denounced human vices and took it upon themselves to reason with the officials. The most respected among the people are St. Basil the Blessed of Moscow, Procopius of Ustyug, Xenia of Petersburg.

Passion-bearers - who died not from the persecutors of Christianity, but from fellow believers - political opponents. Their feat is non-resistance to enemies and gentleness. Passion-bearers are Saints Boris and Gleb, the faithful Tsarevich Dimitri, who was killed in Uglich, and others.

The righteous are saints who do not fall under any of the above concepts (for example, John of Kronstadt, Zechariah and Elizabeth - the parents of John the Baptist, etc.)

Miracle workers are saints famous for performing miracles. This is not a special rank of holiness, because so many saints received this gift from God. Among them, St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Nicholas, and St. Anthony the Roman are especially revered.

Blessed Metropolitan Methodius, Primate of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church

"Vladik Methodius was the archarch of the old formation. A dazzling preacher, vіn volodіv for the gift of saying unreasonably modern people's warmth, truthful words, penetrating into the very depths of the wounded heart of a vіryan. , multiplied by zoseredzhenu respect to the mind of a spy. navit in the worldly dress in the new one, the Volova, her husband, was a spiritual person.

The liturgy of the Metropolitan was like an ancient urochist, it was observed that it was a real hierarchical liturgy. Vladyka is not fond of, if the liturgy used its own connection with the Byzantine tradition, at the liturgical youma there was a taman state and serendipity. At the same time, there was no call, even if the whole hour was already given for sure. Tsya vosna vlasna zіbranіst vіddzkalyuvalysya in everything that happened at the hour of the service ... ".