CHAPTER XV.
THE SIBERIAN CHURCH.
The Russian Church.—Geographical area.—History, doctrines, schisms.—Ecclesiastical divisions of Siberia.—Church committees.—Russian Church services.—Picture-worship.—Vestments.—Liturgy.—Ordination.—Baptism.—Marriage.—Minor services.
It will be expected, of course, in a journey from the Urals to the Pacific, that something should be said of the Siberian Church, to treat of which is to treat of the Russian Church in Siberia. Wherever the Russians carry their arms, there, like the Romans, they carry their creed; and consequently all along the great Siberian highways, where the Russians dwell, they have their ecclesiastical system as in Europe. I shall therefore speak generally of things concerning the Greek Church, whether in Russia or Siberia, and illustrate them by what I have seen.
Our knowledge of the Russian Church comes to us chiefly from two sources: from the pens of ecclesiastical authors, and from the writings of modern travellers. From the latter, it is not too much to say that the Russians and their religion often receive a scant measure of justice, not to add misrepresentation; for when the British tourist looks upon the gorgeous and elaborate ritual of an Eastern Church, sees the picture-worship of the people, their kissing of relics, and invocation of saints, he is reminded of like things in the Churches of Italy and Spain, and he not unfrequently condemns both East and West as superstitious and corrupt alike. Such a charge, however, is far too sweeping, and betrays a lack of knowledge of many points which, if more generally known, would certainly bring English Churchmen nearer, at least in sympathy, with members of the Church in Russia. On the other hand, the writings of ecclesiastical authors are usually so technical as to fail in bringing before us what the traveller sees as the everyday religious life of a people. It is desirable to avoid these two extremes, and to distinguish between the recognized standards of a Church’s teaching, and the correspondence therewith, or otherwise, of the daily lives of its members.[1]
I do not propose to enter here upon the history,[2] doctrines,[3] or schisms[4] of the Russian Church, but proceed to observe that, for ecclesiastical purposes, Siberia is divided into six dioceses, presided over by 7 bishops. It contains 1,515 churches and 1,509 clergy; 14 monasteries containing 147 monks, and 4 nunneries containing 62 nuns. Russian dioceses are subdivided into rural deaneries, each consisting of a circle of from ten to thirty parishes, some of which, in Siberia, must be very extensive, though not necessarily populous. A priest near Tobolsk, however, told me that he had 5,000 parishioners; another at Kansk, near Irkutsk, had 2,000, widely scattered; whilst on the Siberian coast of the Pacific, Nikolaefsk and Vladivostock, towns of 3,000 and 5,000 inhabitants respectively, form only one parish each. Every selo or town of a certain grade has a church; and in some of the derevni, or villages, churches and small chapels, or oratories, are built, in which latter, services, other than the liturgy or holy communion, may be performed. The churches and vestments are furnished and kept in repair by parochial committees, of not less than five persons, elected annually, who, on retiring from office, are called “church elders.” They visit every house in the parish, and determine what proportion of the expenses should be paid by each householder. There would seem to be no difficulty in raising the necessary funds; and I must add that I was agreeably surprised in Siberia to see how well and how clean the churches were kept, even in the remotest and most out-of-the-way places.[5]
We had several opportunities, in passing through Siberia, of attending the Church services. Picture-worship is an almost universal attendant of Russian devotion—more so, if possible, than in Roman countries; and the Russian Church has found it necessary to issue many warnings against the perils of idolatry.[6]
Another prominent feature of “orthodox” worship is the plentiful use of lighted candles bought at the church entrance. In one church in Petersburg, and that not the largest, I was told that money is taken yearly for candles up to 10,000 roubles—say £1,000.
The vestments of the priests and bishops are gorgeous in the extreme. A metropolitan’s “sakkos” is shown at Moscow, which is said to weigh 50 pounds, by reason of the pearls and gems with which it is embellished. At the Troitza monastery are fifteen dresses for the Archimandrite, one of which, for the mere making, cost the Empress Elizabeth £600, the robe itself being valued at £11,000. This monastery is said to possess amongst its treasures two bushels of pearls, and, from what I have twice seen there, I am inclined to add an estimated pint of diamonds, to say nothing of emeralds, rubies, and sapphires innumerable!
The Church services are of a monastic character, long and tedious, read in Sclavonic, “which is to the modern Russian,” it is said, “about what the language of Chaucer is to us”; so that, what with its ancient form and the rapidity with which the ecclesiastical language is read, it is practically unintelligible to many of the people. From time to time in the services commemorations are made of the Virgin and saints; and prayers are offered to them, blessings are asked of God through their intercessions, and the response, Gospodi Pomilui, “Lord, have mercy!” is uttered thirty, forty, fifty times or more, almost at a breath.
No instrumental music is allowed in the Russian Church; but the singing in large cathedrals, such as St. Isaac’s at Petersburg (where they have 30 choristers dressed in blue and gold tunics), is exceedingly grand. I do not remember to have heard elsewhere such extraordinary harmony. The basses descended to depths almost abyssmal, and the trebles soared to and were sustained at a height perfectly marvellous, whilst other voices were so profusely blended that I can compare the effect of the whole to nothing better than to an exquisite colored window. The hymn called “The Cherubim,” with music by Bortnyanski, I heard sung at Petersburg and Kasan; and at the latter place was not surprised to see tears falling from the eyes of a peasant woman near me, for my own were uncommonly moist. I made bold to approach and look over the music of one of the choristers, thereby alarming the Monk director, who, mistaking my interest, said afterwards he thought I had perchance come from the Imperial choir to take away some of his best voices.
The ritual and services of the Russian Church are contained in twenty volumes folio. The greatest part of the service varies every day in the year except in the Liturgy, where the greater part is fixed.[7]
As we passed through Kasan we happened to see the ordination of a priest and a deacon, which was interesting. Holy orders are regarded by the Russian Church as a sacrament or mystery, but are not indelible. If, for instance, a widower priest wishes to marry again, he can do so by resigning his priest’s orders and taking some inferior place among the minor orders, or by giving up his ecclesiastical profession altogether. They have five orders, namely, bishop, priest, deacon, sub-deacon, and reader; and the episcopal dignitaries consist of metropolitans, archbishops, and bishops, some of which latter are suffragans.[8]
The services connected with baptism in the Russian Church were formerly very numerous, though now they are frequently more or less combined;[9] one principal difference in practice between the Greek and English Churches being that the former always baptizes by immersion. The child is usually named after one of the saints in the Russian calendar, the yearly recurrence of whose festival constitutes the person’s “name’s-day.” This is observed in Russia more than the “birth-day,” which practice has the advantage that if the Christian name of a friend is familiar, one always knows when to congratulate him.
Marriage is counted one of the sacraments or mysteries of the Greek Church, but virginity is taught to be better than wedlock. Priests are commanded, under pain of degradation, not to join in wedlock persons of unsuitable ages, nor those ignorant of the essential articles of the faith, and in no case without due notice given. The Russian Church fixes the age of majority for the bridegroom at twenty-one, or, by permission of parents, as early as eighteen, and sixteen for the bride; it frowns on second and third marriages, and forbids fourth marriages altogether.[10]
There are yet other services, such as the so-called sacrament of penance, which closely resembles, but differs in two important respects from, that of the Church of Rome.[11]
And, again, the Russian sacrament of unction differs in more than one respect from the Roman.[12]
For the benediction of water there are two offices: the lesser, which is used whenever consecrated water is required, and the greater, which is performed at the Epiphany, in memory of the baptism of Christ, and is carried out with great ceremony. Another office in the Russian Church is that of “Orthodox Sunday,” which is in form somewhat similar to the English “Commination Service,” and in which anathemas are pronounced against those who impugn various articles of the Russian faith. Yet another service is “the Office of the Holy Unction,” that is, for preparing the chrism,[13] and there are other occasional and curious services, such as for the consecration of a church; for an icon or picture; washing the feet on Thursday in Holy Week; prayers on laying the first stone of a house; for seed time; longer offices to be used in drought, earthquake, plague, incursion of barbarians, for children when they commence their education, and many more; but I think that on this head I have said enough.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] In connection with this subject, we constantly meet with the terms “Eastern Church,” “Greek Church,” and “Russian Church.” Let us distinguish between them. If on a map of Europe a line be drawn from the White Sea southwards to Petersburg, thence along the western border of Russia to Cracow, then along the eastern and southern frontier of Austria to the Adriatic, this line will roughly divide Christendom between the Churches of the East and of the West. Eastern Christendom is sometimes divided into three main groups of Churches, the first group being the Chaldean, the Armenian, the Syrian, the Egyptian, and the Georgian Churches. The second is the Greek Church, whose members, speaking the Greek language, are found as far south as the desert of Mount Sinai, through all the coasts and islands in the Levant and the Archipelago, and whose centre is Constantinople. This is the only living representative of the once powerful Church of Constantine, called the “Orthodox Imperial Church.” The third group of Eastern Churches consists partly of the Sclavonic peoples, found in the provinces of the Lower Danube, Bulgaria, Servia, Wallachia, and Moldavia; and partly, and much more largely, of the Sclavonic people of Russia. The Russian Church, therefore, is an offshoot of the Greek Church of Constantinople, once the centre of Eastern Christianity, which Greek Church, by reason of its former Imperial grandeur, sometimes gives its name to the other Oriental communions.
[2] See Appendix A.
[3] See Appendix B.
[4] See Appendix C.
[5] Besides this parish church committee, there was formerly, and may be now in some instances, in large towns, a “directory,” consisting of about four members. In each diocese there is a “consistory,” of from five to seven members, presided over by the bishop, the whole being under the synod. Appeals, therefore, lie from the directories (where they exist) to the consistory, from the consistory to the bishop, and from the bishop to the synod. The synod, which has equal civil rank with the senate, and the ecclesiastical rank of a patriarch, consists of bishops and priests, whose nomination, appointment, and length of membership depend on the will of the Sovereign. There sits also with them a lay procurator, who is the crown representative, and who has a veto which can be reversed only by appeal to the Emperor.
[6] The “orthodox” Church draws a nice distinction between the unlawfulness of using in church an image proper, and the lawfulness of using the same image if carved on a flat surface; but the ordinary observer, who beholds people in an Eastern Church bowing down before graven images and likenesses of things that are in heaven and in earth, must find it exceedingly difficult to determine where reverence ends and idolatry begins.
[7] This Liturgy (which in the Greek Church always means the office for the Holy Communion, and is the ordinary morning service) is divided into three parts, namely, “the offering,” during which the bread and wine are offered by the people, and prepared by the priest; “the liturgy of the catechumens,” during which the Epistle and Gospel are read; and “the liturgy of the faithful,” during which the elements are administered. The priest and deacon receive the bread and wine separately, as with us; the laity receive bread and wine mixed together from a spoon, and standing; whilst to infants wine only is administered, for fear of ejection. The priest receives daily, the devout quarterly or oftener, and every one by law yearly.
[8] Each of the five orders has a separate ordination. At the ordination of a reader, he is clothed with a vestment called a sticharion; and the bishop among other things says to him, “Son, ... it is your duty daily to study the Holy Scriptures, and to endeavour to make such proficiency therein that those who hear you may receive edification.” A sub-deacon, on ordination, wears an orarion, like an English stole, girded crosswise over his shoulders. The bishop puts a towel also on the left shoulder of the newly ordained, and delivers him a basin and ewer, in which the bishop washes his hands. A deacon, when ordained, kisses the four corners of the holy table, the bishop’s hands and shoulder, and the part of his garment called the epigonation. He kneels on his right knee, lays his hands crosswise on the holy table, and puts his forehead between his hands. The bishop’s omophorion, or pall, is placed on his head, the stole on his left shoulder, and he is presented with sleeves or cuffs, and a fan with which to fan the sacramental elements. When ordained priest, the stole is exchanged for a similar vestment, called an epitrachelion, and there are also added a phelonion and a girdle.
The consecration, however, of a bishop is much more elaborate. He is called upon to confess the Nicene Creed. He anathematizes sundry heretics in particular, and all of them in general; confesses the Virgin Mary to be properly and truly the mother of God; and prays that she may be his helper, his preserver, and protectress all the days of his life. He promises to preserve his flock from the errors of the Latin Church; declares that he has not paid money for the dignity about to be conferred upon him; promises not to go into other dioceses without permission, nor to ordain more than one priest and one deacon at the same service; further, that he will yearly, or at least biennially, visit and inspect his flock; and among other things take care that the homage due to God be not transferred to holy images. He puts on his sakkos and other episcopal garments; and there is delivered to him the panagion, or jewel, for the neck; mantyas, or ordinary cloak; the cowl, mitre, rosary, and pastoral staff; after which he walks to his house attended by two of the superior clergy.
[9] 1, On the day of delivery the priest goes to the house, and prays for mother and child; 2, on the eighth day the child should be taken to church to receive its name; and 3, on the fortieth day it should be taken by the mother to be received into the Church, according to the service for the reception of catechumens. In the course of this service the priest breathes in the catechumen’s face, pronounces three exorcisms, calls upon the catechumen or his sponsor to blow and spit upon Satan, which he essays to do, not metaphorically, but visibly; after which follows, 4, the administration of baptism, when the candidate is first anointed with oil, then completely immersed three times, then clothed by the priest with a white garment, and a cross is suspended on the neck. Immediately after the baptism follows, 5, confirmation, or anointing of the baptized with chrism on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, breast, hands, and feet, with the words repeated each time, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Prayers are offered, an Epistle and Gospel read, and the benediction pronounced. Eight days after, the candidate is brought again to the church for, 6, the ablution of the chrism. The priest looses the candidate’s clothes and girdle, and with a sponge washes the parts that have been anointed; after which follows the last part of the service, namely, 7, the tonsure, in which the priest cuts the hair of the newly baptized in the form of a cross, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
[10] The marriage service consists of two distinct offices, which are performed at the same time. The first is called the “Betrothal,” when rings are given and exchanged; the second is the “Coronation,” in which the bride and bridegroom are crowned, and are thrice given wine to drink from a common cup, and thrice led round a lectern on which lie the Gospels. Weddings in Russia are usually celebrated in the evening, and among the friends are persons corresponding to a godfather and godmother, before whom, previous to coming to church, the happy pair kneel in the house, and ask a blessing. The godfather holds in his hand an ikon, usually of Christ, with which he makes the sign of the cross over the head of the bridegroom, and then gives it him to be his peculiar treasure. In old-fashioned places the godmother gives the bride a loaf of bread, symbolical of worldly prosperity, making the sign of the cross. The godmother also presents the bride with an ikon, usually of the Virgin Mary; and these two ikons are carried to the church, figure in the wedding ceremony, and are afterwards taken to the new home, to be sacredly preserved for life, and afterwards bequeathed to their children.
[11] Both Churches require contrition, and also confession. Confession in both Churches begins at the age of seven years, and is a secret, periodical, compulsory acknowledgment of mortal sins to a priest; but it is made less complete in Russia than in Rome—has less of an inquisitorial character; and hence Dean Stanley says, “The scandals, the influence, the terrors of the confessional are alike unknown in the East.” The other important difference between the two Churches is, that subsequent exercises of piety, commonly called “penance,” when enjoined upon the penitent in the Russian Church, are not performed as satisfaction offered to God. This, it will be seen, closes the gate against a great deal of Roman teaching concerning the meritorious value of good works.
[12] In the East the oil is not previously consecrated by the bishop, but at the time, by seven priests; and, further, whereas extreme unction is not administered by the Romans until the sick person is beyond hope of recovery, the Russians call for the elders of the Church, pray over him, even though the sickness be but slight, and anoint him with oil, in the hope that he may be healed both spiritually and bodily. The service is performed by seven priests (or at the least three), who place a table in the church or house, on which is set a dish with wheat, a vessel for the oil, and seven twigs with cotton tied around, one for each of the priests, who first anoint the sick and subsequently spread the Gospels, with their hands laid thereon, over his head.
[13] This ointment, made of 23 ingredients, can be consecrated only by a bishop, and in Passion Week. It boils three days, with a depth of five fingers of wine below the oil, and priests and deacons by turns read the Gospel day and night, without ceasing, from Monday till Thursday.