372 



GREEK CHURCH. 



The following particulars concerning the 

 missions of the Russian Church in Japan and 

 China are from the last report of the Presi- 

 dent of the Holy Synod, Count de Tolstoy. 

 The Russian mission in Japan took its rise 

 from the diocese of Kamtchatka in 1870. Last 

 year its personnel consisted of the archiman- 

 drite Nicholas, the head of the mission, the 

 monk Anatolius, twelve catechists and thirty 

 catechetical scholars preparing for missionary 

 work under the immediate direction of the 

 missionaries. Two of the catechists, Peter Sa- 

 saloff and Paul Savahe, zealously engaged in 

 proclaiming the gospel at Sendae, were pre- 

 pared for holy orders. By decree of the Holy 

 Synod, in accord with the Minister of Foreign 

 Affairs, Paul, Bishop of Kamtchatka, visited 

 Japan. The great importance of the Japan 

 mission, and the work which had been carried 

 on there year after year, demanded an increase 

 of the number of laborers. Wherefore, by a 

 decree of the Holy Synod, Enthymius and 

 Moses, two monks of the Petchersky Lavra at 

 Kiev, were appointed to missionary duty in 

 Japan. With the increased number of mis- 

 sionaries, the need of increased support became 

 evident. The Holy Synod felt it necessary to 

 ask for a grant for the Japan mission cf the 

 balance of the Government appropriation for 

 its support. It also permitted the head of the 

 mission to use, for its necessary expenses, what 

 remained of a sum granted for its support from 

 the special funds of the Holy Synod. It was 

 determined also that subscription-books should 

 be sent, by the head of the mission, to St. Pe- 

 tersburg, to individuals, for subscriptions in 

 both the capitals, for the needs of this mission. 



The work of the Peking mission was tem- 

 porarily checked in 1873 by the death of two 

 of its members. At present the mission is in 

 charge of the archimandrite Palladius. A 

 monk in this mission, Flavian by name, who 

 was assigned to it in 1874, is very busily en- 

 gaged in superintending the schools, and in 

 editing new translations for the mission. The 

 organization of the Russian Church is de- 

 scribed as follows in " A Brief Explanation of 

 the Seven Holy Mysteries," by Alexander Jelo- 

 boffsky, archpriest of the Church : 



Those persons who, by the will of God, are ap- 

 pointed to serve in the Church, and to teach men 

 the Holy Faith and a good Christian life, are divided 

 into three orders : 1. Bishops (in Kussian episcop, 

 arcMerie) ; 2. Presbyters (presvyter. svaistchennike, 

 ierie) 3. Deacons (diacon}. The bishops are the 

 principal, the chief, pastors and teachers of the 

 Christian Church. The word bishop (episcop) sig- 

 nifies an inspector, a superintendent ; archierie 

 means a chief priest. [It may be considered but 

 another form of the word hierarch, which is of like 

 derivation.] The bishops can celebrate all the seven 

 Christian mysteries. It appertains to them to or- 

 dain men to the ministry. Without bishops there 

 could not be priests. On account of their great 

 episcopal dignity, they bless the people with both 

 hands ; during the service they, wear special robes 

 indicating their office, and, in' token of their high 

 authority, they either hold in uhe hand, or there is 

 carried before them, a pastoral staff. Some bishops 



are called vicar-bishops, others archbishops, me 

 tropolitans, and, among the Greeks, patriarchs. 

 All these names, however, designate one office, that 

 of the episcopate, and only differ among themselves 

 in dignity and precedence. Vicar-bishops (the term 

 vicar denotes their position and duty) do not have 

 independent sees or dioceses, but assist other bish- 

 ops, under whom they are placed. On account of 

 the greatness of some dioceses, for we have some 

 with a very large population, or covering a great ex- 

 tent of country (there are dioceses five or six hun- 

 dred miles long, e. g., Novgorod), it would be verv 

 difficult for one bishop to acquaint himself with all 

 the churches, clergy, and Orthodox population of 

 these; an additional bishop is given in such cases, 

 as an assistant to the diocesan. An archbishop is a 

 chief bishop. The word metropolitan is not Kus- 

 sian : it designates a bishop who presides over one 

 of the chief cities of the empire; u mother cities" 

 they may be called, such as St. Petersburg, Moscow, 

 and Kiev. The titles of archbishop and metropolitan 

 are. however, given to a bishop for special services 

 and merits. The metropolitans wear not a black 

 mitre (clobuk), like the other bishops, but a white 

 one, ornamented in front with a cross of precious 

 stones. Consecrations to the episcopate are per- 

 formed not by one bishop, but \>j several. When 

 there occurs a vacancy in the episcopate, the Holy 

 Synod nominates to the see several worthy archi- 

 mandrites, and presents their names to the Emperor 

 for confirmation. On his designation, one of these 

 candidates is chosen. 



The second, the most numerous order of the min- 

 istry, is that of presbyters or priests. These are 

 ordained by the bishops, and receive through them, 

 from the Lord God, authority to instruct the people 

 in the Christian faith, and to celebrate all the mys- 

 teries except that of orders. Priests lay hands on 

 priests, but they cannot ordain. As a bishop with 

 us is always celibate, so, on the contrary, the priests, 

 like their people, living in the world, and with lay- 

 men, themselves also lead a family life. It is only 

 conceded to a priest to marry before ordination. 

 Very high and holy is the priest's office, and he who 

 is hallowed by it, and joined to the Saviour, ought 

 not afterward to be affianced to any hurnnn being. 



As bishops, on account of special services and 

 worth, are given the honorary titles of archbishop 

 and metropolitan, so worthy ,"nd honored priests 

 are distinguished by the titles protierie and prot-opres- 

 vyter. The name presbyter, signifying an elder, is 

 given to them. 



The senior priests who are set over the army 

 chaplains are called glavnie svaistchennikie. One of 

 them is the "Superior Priest of the Guards arid 

 Grenadiers," and the other the "Superior of the 

 Army and Navy." These appoint the clergy in their 

 departments, watch over their zealous and faithful 

 service, guide and instruct them in their various diffi- 

 culties; in a word, their duties in regard to the armv 

 chaplains closely resemble those of the bishops with 

 their clergy. To their high positions these honored 

 priests are appointed by the Holy Synod, subject to 

 the Emperor's confirmation. The third, the largest 

 order of the ministry, consists of the deacons. 

 The name signifies one who serves. Such a name is 

 given to the deacon because he does not and cannot 

 celebrate any mystery, but only serves (assists the 

 priest) in the celebration of the mysteries. Every 

 divine service can be celebrated by the priest with- 

 out a deacon, none by the deacon without a priest. 

 Ordinations to the diaconate, as well as to the 

 priesthood, are performed by the bishops. Some 

 deacons, serving" bishops, or connected with an im- 

 perial chapel, on account of their special dignity, 

 are called by the name of protodiacon. 



These three orders, bishops, priests, and deacons, 

 make up the Christian hierarchy the past^rs^the 

 teachers, the stewards of things spiritual. Ordina- 

 nation to each of these is a mystery, and is solemnly 



