Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), being autocephalous, ranked fifth in the world among the local churches.At the head of it is now the Primate Patriarch Kirill.Russian Orthodox Church unites believers who live in the territory of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Estonia, Uzbekistan.
The history of Russian Orthodoxy leads from the Patriarchate of Constantinople.The legal basis of the ROC device is considered a divine commandment that contain the Sacred Scripture and Tradition.Later, here included the canons of the Orthodox Church, liturgical texts, authorized by the Church, lives of Saints, the works by the Holy Fathers and Church traditions.
Russia as successor to the Byzantine church, took over her with the Church canons of Christianity and church-civil ruling.Translations from Greek borrowed from Bulgaria or partially transferred to Russia.Greek Nomocanon formed the basis of the collection containing the texts of church canon law in Russia.The book of church government was named Rudder.
Slavic Kormchaia contained not only the canon law, but also civil ruling, borrowed from Byzantine sources.This was done in order to familiarize with the ruling power of the Byzantine citizenship.Sometimes Kormchaia Russian princes were made to the statutes relating to the church.Also included are articles liturgical and canonical nature.
In composition Kormchaia were very diverse.Later, from the XIII century, for subsequent lists prototypes served their two editors - Ryazan and Saint Sophia.Ryazan Kormchaia is a list of the Slavic, which was Metropolitan Kirill from the second Jacob Svyatislava, Bulgarian despot.It shows the canons with the interpretations Arista and in abbreviated form.
in Sofia Kormchaia been added to the rules adopted by Vladimir Cathedral, Russian Truth, articles of the statute of Vladimir, Yaroslav and other texts.And in this book canon law represented not shorten the text, and they are fully edited in accordance with the transfer Nomocanon.The first edition printed Rudder was made in 1650 under Patriarch Joseph.The basis was taken Ryazan list.When Patriarch Nikon in 1652 was released in the revised edition of the book form.Later, in the XVIII century, Kormchaia nov been amended, and was published in 1787.From it were made following the publication containing the canon law of the ROC.
In a well-established form Kormchaia comprises two parts.The first addition to the historical papers include extracts from the Apostolic Constitutions, the Councils - local and universal, rules of the Apostles, St.Fathers.All texts are presented to reduce and make forty one chapter.
The second part presents the state civil Byzantine legislation.In addition, there are texts that have been created on the basis of the Greek canonists: "On the mystery of marriage" and "On marriage wicked."There are several articles devoted to church discipline, worship, and other topics that relate to their authors - Greek patriarchs and church teacher.Total second part consists of twenty-nine chapters.Each of them is provided with the index.
As soon as Russia develops its own canon law, the second part of the book has lost its meaning.Gradually develop their statutes, rules and regulations that were intended to reflect the daily, earthly side of the church.In general, the legislation in the sphere of the Church is called to be a good tool for conflict management, service of process and organize her life.
Kormchaia is not only for church legislation.There were other sources of canon law in the Russian Orthodox Church, and these include the liturgical books (Missal, statutes, missals), which includes the canonical rules, and various collections.
