in July 1652 with the approval of the king and the Grand Duke of All Russia Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia was the Nikon (in the world called non Nikita Minin).He took the place of the patriarch Joseph, who died on 15 April this year.
During the dedication ceremony, which was held in the Assumption Cathedral, Nikon Boyar Duma and forced the king to give a promise of non-interference in the affairs of the church.By this act, he barely set foot on the church altar, significantly raised its credibility in the eyes of the authorities and the ordinary people.
Union secular and ecclesiastical authority
acquiescence of the king in this matter is due to specific goals:
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hold church reform, to make the church more like a Greek: to introduce new rites, ranks, books (before the construction of Nikon to the dignity of patriarchKing approached him on the basis of this idea, and the patriarch was to make it a supporter);
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decision of foreign policy problems (war with Poland and reunification with Ukraine).
King accepted the conditions of Nikon, as well as allow the participation of the Patriarch in addressing important public issues.
Moreover, Alexis Nikon bestowed the title of "great ruler", which was previously awarded only Filaret Romanov.Thus, Alexey Mikhailovich and the Patriarch entered into a close alliance, finding that their interests and benefits.
Home change
becoming patriarch, Nikon began actively to discourage all attempts to interfere in church affairs.As a result of his energetic activity and persuaded the king to the end of the 1650s failed to implement a number of measures that have defined the basic features of Nikon's reforms.
Home transformations occurred in 1653, when the Russian state has been included Ukraine.It is not a coincidence.Orders of individual religious figure envisaged changes in the two major ceremonies.Church reform of Patriarch Nikon, the essence of which was to change perstopolozheniya and kneeling, expressed as follows:
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prostrations were replaced waist;
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dvoeperstnoe sign of the cross adopted in Russia together with Christianity and is part svyatoapostolskogo tradition, was replaced troeperstiem.
first persecution
first steps in the reform of the church were not supported by the authority of the church council.Furthermore, they radically changed the foundations of tradition and familiar, is considered an indicator of the true faith, and caused a wave of indignation and discontent among the clergy and parishioners.
main directions of the church reforms of Patriarch Nikon were the result of what is on the table, the king went to several petitions, in particular, and by his former associates and colleagues in the church service - Lazarus, Ivan Nero, Deacon Fedor Ivanov, Protopopov Daniel, Habakkuk and Loggin.However, Alexis, being on good terms with the patriarch, did not take the complaint into consideration, and the head of the Church hastened to stop the protests: Habakkuk was exiled to Siberia, Ivan Neronov imprisoned in Spasokamennom Monastery and priest Daniel sent to Astrakhan (before it was stripped of his rankcleric).
So bad start forced Nikon's reforms to reconsider their methods and to act more deliberately.
Subsequent steps were supported by the authority of the Patriarch of the Greek Church and the bishops of the church council.This created the appearance that decisions are made and maintained by the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, which greatly strengthens their impact on society.
reaction to convert
main directions of church reforms of Patriarch Nikon caused the split of the church.Believers who supported the introduction of new liturgical books, rituals, church officials were called nikonianami (novoobryadtsev);the opposing party to defend the familiar customs and religious foundations, called themselves Old Believers Old Believers or ancient Orthodox.However nikonianami, using the auspices of the patriarch and the king proclaimed opponents of reform splitters, shifting the blame on them for the split in the church.His church as they considered mainstream, orthodox.
Setting
Patriarch Archbishop Nikon without a decent education, has surrounded himself with scholars, including prominent role played Arseny Greek, educated by the Jesuits.After moving to the East, he accepted the Mohammedan religion, after some time - Orthodoxy, and then - Catholicism.He was exiled to the Solovetsky monastery as a dangerous heretic.However, Nikon, becoming the head of the church, once made Arseny Greek his chief assistant, which caused a murmur among the Orthodox population of Russia.Since ordinary people could not argue with the patriarch, he boldly conceived to administer, with the support of the king.
main directions of church reforms of Patriarch Nikon
head of the church did not pay attention to the discontent of the population of Russia for its actions.He confidently walked to the goal, strictly implementing innovations in the religious sphere.
Fields church reforms of Patriarch Nikon expressed in such changes:
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during the rite of baptism, wedding, consecration treatment made against the sun (while in the old tradition of his case by the sun as a sign of following Christ);
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new books in the name of the Son of God written in the Greek style - Jesus, whereas in the old books - Jesus;
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double (augmented) was replaced with a triple Alleluia (Tregub);
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instead semiprosforiya (Divine Liturgy was seven prosphoras) was introduced pyatiprosforie;
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liturgical books published now Jesuit printing houses of Paris and Venice, rather than copied by hand;In addition, these books were regarded as distorted, and even the Greeks called them pogreshitelnymi;
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the text of the Creed in the printed edition of the Moscow liturgical books compared with the text characters written on sakkos Metropolitan Photios;differences found in these texts, as well as in other books, led to the fact that Nikon has decided to fix them and make the pattern of the Greek liturgical books.
So overall look church reforms of Patriarch Nikon.The traditions of the Old Believers more altered.Nikon and his supporters encroached on changing the foundations of the ancient church and rites taken from the time of the Baptism of Russia.Drastic changes are not contributing to the growth of the authority of the patriarch.The persecution suffered by the devotees of the old traditions of the people led to the fact that the main areas of church reforms of Patriarch Nikon, like himself, have become odious to the common people.
