About the attitude of the Russian Ancient Orthodox Church to civil authorities
MESSAGE OF THE BISHOPS’ COUNCIL OF THE ANCIENT-ORTHODOX CHURCH
“Render
therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things
that are God's”
(Matthew 22:21)
Concerning relations with state authorities we do not propose anything
new but what was given to us by Our God, Jesus Christ, Himself, His holy
apostles and their successors – the holy fathers. For, in this case, just as
with any issue, the only measure acceptable to us, the Christians, is God’s
Word – the Holy Scriptures – interpreted by holy and wisdom endowed fathers and
teachers of the Christ’s Holy
Church
It seems that everything is quite clear in these
apostles’ teachings, however, these very words of the Scriptures brought about
numerous debates among people. The reason for disagreement is that the readers used
their own interpretation, their own subjective experience and visions about the
world surrounding them as the basis for understanding of the Holy Scriptures.
But Christ’s Church is different. The Church has no room for dissidence in the
issues of religious dogmas, for everything was quite fully and quite long ago
defined by holy religious teachers, thus, we heed only them to understand the
authentic meaning of statements made by the apostles.
While interpreting this apostle’s the wise father and teacher of the Church, the
reverend Isidore of Pelusium, in a message to a certain Dionysius, writes: “You wrote: what is the power but not from God? — and asked: is every governor
put into a position of power by God? I shall answer to this (and, please, do not be angry for I shall not say something
meaningless): it seems to me that you either have not read the teaching of Paul
or have failed to understand it. The Apostle Paul did not say: there are no governors
who are not from God but he spoke about the very fact of being a governor saying:
for there is no power but of God.
Just as people have governors, and some are governors,
and others are governed, it is not accidental, so that the peoples, just as
waves, were driven here and there, but, according to Saint Paul
And among the [unreasoning] irrational creatures one
may notice this same principle, as among bees which are subordinated to a queen’s
power, among cranes, among herds of wild sheep. And even the sea itself is not
without this godly subordination. For there too many of the clans are ranged
under one among the fish which make long expeditions from home. For anarchy, be
where it may, is an evil, and a cause of confusion. Thus, even in the body He has not made all
parts of equal honour, but He has made one less and another greater, and some
of the limbs He has made to rule and some to be ruled. That is why, we may
truly say that this very case, meaning power, that is authorities and a king’s
power, are established by God for society to be orderly.
But if some evildoer seizes this power illegally, we
do not affirm that he is put there by God, but we say that he will either vomit
out his entire vileness as the Pharaoh and, thus, be subjected to severe
punishment or bring to sense those who need cruelty as the king of Babylon
brought the Jews to their senses” (Book 2, p. 6).
So, blessed Theophilactus the
Bulgarian follows reverend Isidore. Explaining to the faithful the words of the
holy apostle and the cornerstone of the faith Peter, the saint writes: “Governors appointed by kings and the very kings themselves are named human
creatures as they are either elected or [put] established by people, and the
Scriptures sometimes name them as creation and establishment, as, for example,
in this place: “for to make in himself of twain one new man” (Ephesians 2, 15).
So, it says, subordinate to civil governors but subordinate to God as God
commanded. What did God command? “Render therefore unto Caesar the
things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's“(Matthews 22, 21). Thus, if they order
something contrary to God’s commandments, disobey them. Thus Christ commanded; thus
His disciple commands. It is done accordingly for the pagans not to say that
Christianity allegedly brings about a downfall of life (civil), that it is
allegedly the cause of disorder and commotion. “For the sake of God” – it is
added for the faithful as well. Some of them could say: this very Apostle
promises us the Heavenly
Kingdom
This is what the godly Saint John Chrysostom writes
about secular authorities: “Without going one by one into the benefits
done to states by the rulers, as that of good order and peace, the other
services, as regarding the soldiery, and those over the public business, he
shows the whole of this by a single case. For that thou art benefited by him,
he means, thou bearest witness thyself, by paying him a salary. Observe the
wisdom and judgment of the blessed Paul. For that which seemed to be burdensome
and annoying --the system of imposts--this he turns into a proof of their care
for men. What is the reason, he means, that we pay tribute to a king? It is not
as providing for us? And yet we should not have paid it unless we had known in
the first instance that we were gainers from this superintendence. Yet it was
for this that from of old all men came to an agreement that governors should be
maintained by us, because to the neglect of their own affairs, they take charge
of the public and on this they spend their whole leisure, whereby our goods
also are kept safe”[1].
This is the teaching of the apostles. This is the
teaching of the holy fathers. This is the teaching of the Church of Christ
The Scriptures say: “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1), - thus,
we have given a plentiful number of witnesses and evidence which are sufficient
to any sincere Christian heart to understand the Church’s teachings on this
issue.
Because of this, by following the holy fathers, we certify
that authorities are God’s establishment, for the reason that “For since equality of honour does many
times lead to fighting, He has made many governments and forms of subjection;
as that, for instance, of man and wife, that of son and father, that of old men
and young, that of bond and free, that of ruler and ruled, that of master and
disciple. … For anarchy, be where it
may, is an evil, and a cause of confusion“. “For
it is in no small degree that they contribute to the settled state of the
present life, by keeping guard, beating off enemies, hindering those who are
for sedition in the cities, putting an end to differences among any. For do not
tell me of some one who makes an ill use of the thing, but look to the good
order that is in the institution itself, and you will see the great wisdom of
Him who enacted this law from the first”[2].
We also testify that God who has established
inequality and subordination of the smaller to the greater in the world
requires from Christians voluntary and obedient submission to the governors in
the state, at work and in the family. However, submission should not be to merely
any order of a governor but must be accompanied by study and scrutiny of such an
order to ascertain its conformity with the Holy Gospel. Since, “when you hear: "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's", know that it means all
those things which in no way harm the piety; anything against the piety is no
longer that of Caesar's, but impost and tribute to the devil”[3]. Thus, despite a
personality of a ruler, we are to submit ourselves to him, be he faithful or
unfaithful, in everything which is not against the Christian faith and piety.
For, even if a governor is not a Christian, but if he is guided in his acts and
orders by morality, justice and honesty, it means, according to the Scriptures,
that he is God’s servant in all charitable matters and we subordinate ourselves
to God Himself by submitting to such a governor. But if any governor, be he
faithful or unfaithful, rises up against any virtue and forces us to violate
any, even the smallest, commandment of God, we are to oppose such an order
decisively and firmly, and with boldness should put forward the words of the
holy apostles to his immoral order: “We
ought to obey God rather than men”
(Acts 5:29). For only for the sake of God’s will and commandments we [should]
are to [subordinate] submit ourselves to civil governing rulers and only in [just]
precisely those things in which they subordinate themselves to God’s will, [subsequently]
consequently, the will of a human being in no case may be greater for us than
God’s will.
Even in our quite recent
history we observe examples how, wishing to follow the will of the Heavenly
Master, Christians disregarded the impious will of civil rulers. When Russian tsars
claiming to be Orthodox Christians provided support to perfidious reforms of
Patriarch Nikon and unsheathed swords against those who rose against such unlawfulness,
our ancestors preferred to leave their beloved Motherland where the Orthodox
Faith was subjected to abuse and to escape to other countries where their faith
was not infringed upon. The Scriptures say: “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another” (Matthew
10:23). And they fled just like their Master, Christ, Who Himself was a
fugitive in the land
of Egypt Lithuania and Poland Austria and Prussia Turkey and Egypt
Further on, we also testify that, despite the fact
that the power itself is God’s establishment, nevertheless, not all persons
with powers are put in such positions by God and are pleasing to God but
sometimes they are only permitted by God, for “if some evildoer seizes this
power illegally, we do not affirm that he is put there by God, but we say that
he will either vomit out his entire vileness as the Pharaoh and, thus, be
subjected to severe punishment or bring to their senses those who need cruelty
as the king of Babylon brought the Jews to their senses” (the reverend
Isidore of Pelusium). That is, an impious governor will surely answer for his
ungodliness, however, for some time, God may be patient with him, in the Hand
of God, as an instrument of punishment of disobedient, perverted and cruel-hearted
people. It is the behaviour of people, from their attitude to God’s Laws which
[determine] determines the way God rules the heart of such a governor, for it
is said: “The king's heart is in the hand
of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” (Proverbs
21:1). “If God blesses, He gives
governors who honour justice... But
God allows evil governors to bring [to sense] the sinners to their senses” (Saint
Theodoret of Cyrus). And we should obey such evil governors in everything which
is not contradictory to Christian piety by our acknowledging their right for
governing and pray for their correction and the salvation of their souls.
Our pious predecessors also teach us the same thing by
their example, as, on the one hand, they addressed the civil authorities
(heretics and persecutors) by pointing to their acts of injustice but, on the
other hand, they acknowledged their power over themselves and prayed for them
so that God would turn them to repentance and let their hearts hear the good
things pertaining to His Holy Church.
Thus, for example, when the Russian Tsar Alexey
Mikhailovich provided all possible support to the perfidious council of
reformers of 1666 our fathers testified to it at the council and to the tsar
with sadness in their hearts: “This
Moscow Council held during the rule of Tsar Alexey is not similar to holy pious
councils but, in its acts, is similar to evil heretical wily gatherings of
torturers as it was during the rule of
King Anastasius and King Constantine Copronimus of Greece and the like, and it
is not worthy of being named a holy council by us, the Orthodox Christians, but
it should be named a gathering of the devil and murderers of the Christians“
(deacon Theodore Ivanov. The Message related to the 1666 Council).
This notwithstanding, Tsar Alexey having likened
himself to ancient Greek heretical kings, however, the defenders of the ancient
piety did not defy his state power but continued to pray him and obeyed him as
his subjects testifying to this fact in their letters and petitions.
Thus, in 1667, that is, after the Great Moscow Council
which adopted Nikon’s reforms and other various delusions, reverend Solovki
monks addressed the heretical king and persecutor Alexey Mikhailovich in this
way: “From the Heavenly King anointed over
all kings to the Great Tsar of the entire Universe, Our King and Great Prince
Alexey Mikhailovich, the Sovereign of
entire Great, and Small, and White Russia we make obeisance to You – churchmen
from Solovki monastery – cellarer the elder Azarey, and treasurer the elder
Gerontey, and priests, and deacons, and diocesan monks, and all rank-and-file
brothers, and altar boys, and all monastery workers” (the 5th
Solovki Petition).
In 1668 Christ’s confessor, holy priest Lazarus in his
petition to the tsar wrote: “Our pious
Sovereign, Tsar and Great Prince Alexey Mikhailovich, anointed by God’s power... And may God of the world be with you and
protect you by His cross from any enemies, visible and invisible, for ever and
ever, amen”.
Like the holy priest Lazarus, martyr monk Abramius in
his questions and answers in 1670 testified to his attitude to the renegade
tsar: “I pray with all my heart to God
Almighty for the health of the tsar and for the welfare, safety, and
strengthening of his kingdom”.
Having spoken about recent times let us go back to
ancient times, the times of holy apostles, for the most illustrious in Church
history is the historic example of the service of God’s Prophet Daniel with his
three pious sons at the court of [Babylon] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. For
their violence God put His people of Israel Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the
land of Hamath
Seeing the example of the life of holy Prophet Daniel
and the holy youths we observe that only God’s will is of importance to
Christians, however, it does not mean that Christians should keep away from a
public and political life of countries where they live. Nothing like that, on
the contrary, since God’s servant may be any governor acting under the truth,
even if he is not [a faithful one] one of the faithful, all the more so, God’s
servant may be an Orthodox Christian carrying the burden of power. We know
numerous examples from the history of the Church, both the Old Testament Church
and the New Testament Church, when God’s children served unfaithful governors
and such service did not hamper their life of piety. Such was Joseph at the
court of an Egyptian Pharaoh and such was Prophet Daniel serving the [Babylon
Finally, if a Christian may be the head of a family,
undoubtedly, he may be the head of a state unless he needs to violate God’s
laws. However, it is not a command but a permission for it is said about
Christians: “For here have we no
continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Hebrews 13:14) about which
Christ Himself said: “My kingdom is not
of this world” (John 18:36).
The Lord definitely divided [the humanity] mankind
into peoples, tribes and languages but it is not a reward to humans but a
punishment for impertinence revealed at the Tower of Babel when people blinded
by their pride sought to be equal to the glory of God through scientific and
technical progress, having forgotten that the mind, the ability for cognition
and creation are also given by God, [ too,] and are not a personal merit [and]
or an achievement of human beings: “And
the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as
they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar Babel
But it was also a punishment from which our Saviour
and Lord, Jesus Christ, came to save and saved us. For His initial will was not
to have any divisions among people but to have an absolute brotherhood which is
built on the earth by Christ’s faith and “Where
there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian,
Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:11).
The Church testified to the same in the Orthodox Creed
– we believe “in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church
The Scriptures call us strangers and pilgrims in this
world and underline that all our thoughts should, first of all, be about the
Heavenly Country: “Dearly beloved, I
beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
Saint Apostle is followed by the great master of the
Church, Saint Gregory the Theologian when he speaks about Christians: “My friend, every one that is of high mind
has one Country, the Heavenly Jerusalem
But should we be absolutely indifferent to the country
where we live, to the fate of the people to whom we belong according to our physical
birth? No, not at all! For it is said: “and
seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away
captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have
peace” (Jeremiah 29:7). An example of great love to the people of common
blood was the Apostle Saint Paul: “I say
the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the
Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I
could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen
according to the flesh” (Romans 9:1-3). Note that the Apostle cares not
about bodily wellbeing or a political power of his kinsmen according to the
flesh but about their salvation by gaining the Faith of Christ. And for this
sake he is ready himself to forfeit salvation for his love was great.
Following these Heavenly words and examples the Church of Christ
Nevertheless, since a Christian should care about any
city and any country where God has destined him to live, moreover, he should
care about a country which is most predisposed to accept God’s words. And one
of such countries, and even the first of them, without any doubt, is Russia
Although, to great regret, the Russian people now live
in the times of moral and spiritual
decay, but the people may still return to the faith of their pious ancestors
and again become the torchlight for the entire world for which we all pray to God
exclaiming: “Glory be to [you,] Thee, O lord, Who [care] dost care for about] our Russian land” [6], and we call upon His Most Blessed and Holy Mother:
“Our most Holy Mother, our assistant,
make us strong against enemies like humble David. In ancient times [you saved]
didst save this king’s city from alien tribes, [so,] likewise now save our country, Russia
We also pray to God through His ways to make it so
that the virtue of His children may be an example and an inspiration for all
peoples living spiritually among the resurrected and renewed Russian people.
Since we all should be turned to the teaching of Christ but not through
violence, but with the Word of God which is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even
to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is
a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
A support to the word should be our life according to God’s commandments and
the prayer for all people so that the words said by God may come true for all
of us: “And other sheep I have, which are
not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and
there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16). That is why the
Christians should “Have your conversation
honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of
visitation” (1 Peter 2:12).
But, is it possible in our bitterly sorrowful times
when it seems that apocalyptic prophecies come true? No doubt, it is possible,
for it is said “that one day is with the
Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise
… but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8,9), as “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that
repenteth” (Luke 15:10), “but where
sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20).
And if God pardoned the ancient people of Nineveh
Will it happen? We do not know. Only God knows as
everything is within His power for it is said: “Except the Lord keep the city, he that keepeth it watcheth but in vain”
(Book of Psalms 126:1). Our Christian case is not to guess about it, not to
test God’s fortune but to act under the Divine Truth and to pray for dying
mankind so that the words of the Scriptures may come true also with us: “And
God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of
the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not” (Jonah
3:10).
“Now unto the
King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for
ever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17).
The city of Moscow
The year of 7520, the 12th
day of the month of December.
In the week of the holy fathers and
in the memory of
Saint and Wonderworker Spyridon of
Trymithous and
Saint Alexander, Bishop of Jerusalem
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
Bishop of Siberia SERGIY
Bishop of Low Volga SAVIN
Priest and
representative of
His Eminence Jacob,
Bishop of Sion and Western Europe
GEORGIY (NOVIKOV)
Bishop of Upper Volga VASILIY
Bishop of the Ukraine
[1] Saint John Saint Petersburg
[4] “The angel of
the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young
child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee
word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he
took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt
[5] Saint Gregory the Theologian. Writings, volume 1, Oration
33, Against Arians and Concerning
Himself. Saint Petersburg
[7] Litia sticheron from the service to the Feast of Appearance
of Tikhvin Icon of Holy Mother, June 26th.
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