14 November 2019 года

Participants of the “Worship and prayer as major focal points of monastic fellowship” conference summed up its results

In the afternoon of November 14, the participants in the monastic conference “Worship and prayer as major focal points of monastic fellowship” continued their work at the Center for Slavic Languages and Culture of the village of Diveyevo.

A draft of the document “Monks Serving as Priests in Parishes” was offered for discussion. Metropolitan Georgiy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas heading the Inter-Council Presence’s Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church on monasteries and monastics explained that the discussion of this document had already taken place at the commission’s meetings. The document has already been submitted to the Secretariat of the Inter-Council Presence for approval but it suggested sending it to the monastic communities for consideration.

Hieromonk Lavrenty (Sobko), the monk from the Nizhny Novgorod Annunciation Monastery and the Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary’s instructor and spiritual adviser, presented the main provisions of the document in his report. He analyzed the practice of such a ministry throughout the history of the Church including the modern times and tried to offer recommendations to hieromonks assigned to serve in parishes.

During the discussion, it was suggested that the practice of sending monks to serve in parishes should be abandoned since it contradicts the monastic vows as today’s monasticism is still establishing itself. It was pointed out that such a practice has already taken root and the monks are loved and appreciated by the parishes, they have developed their own, often extensive flock, and this connection cannot be broken without a loss. The issue of special training of monks for service in parishes has been raised, especially for those serving during lengthy work trips when separation from their monastic communities becomes inevitable. The practice of taking turns to serve in parishes over short periods by the monastics of a monastery has been named the more favorable option.

To sum up the discussion, Metropolitan Georgiy noted that, on the one hand, the monastic sent to parishes, deprived of monastic lifestyle, and pilled down by worldly temptations, is weakened. On the other hand, we cannot leave the world without our care and spiritual support staying behind the so to speak “hothouse conditions” of the monasteries. A monastery should not escape the world and the monastics have to serve as ministers where it is necessary, at the same time staying connected with their monasteries.

At the end of the conference, His Eminence Georgiy read out a summary document. During its discussion, the participants pointed out the usefulness of such a meeting.  The dialogue about the spiritual and organizational questions in the life of monastics steers it in the right direction, allows it to embark on the path of spiritual success and connects with the true spirit of monasticism.