The hero of this article is the mitrophoric archpriest Nikolai Balashov. The life and biography of this priest will be described in several chapters of the text.
Senior priest
First of all, a few words should be said about who such an archpriest is and what the concept of "mitrophoric" means.
In the Orthodox Christian tradition, it is customary to award some priests who have particularly distinguished themselves in their church activities with special ranks and awards. One of these rewards for exemplary service is the priesthood. Translated from Greek, this word means "senior clergyman."
Such a dignity is usually given to a person who has been in church service for more than ten years. In former times, such priests were called "protopop." One of the most famous persons in the history of Russia who wore such a dignity is Avvakum. Sometimes a person becomes an archpriest who has been awarded the right to wear a special pectoral cross. At least five years should pass from this moment. Priesthood ordination is called ordination, and it is carried out by the bishop.
Headdress
Priests and archpriests can also be awarded the right to wear a church distinctive headdress - miter. This garment symbolizes at the same time the royal crown, since the clergyman during the liturgy is a symbol of Jesus Christ, the king of the world.
On the other hand, this is the likeness of the crown of thorns with which the head of the Savior was crowned during the crucifixion. The priest who received the right to wear it is called mitrophoric. Archpriest is usually the head priest of a church. If the right to wear a miter is given to the abbot of the monastery, who is a monk, then such a person usually receives the rank of archimandrite. And the monastery, which he leads, in such cases is called archimandria.
The beginning of the biography
The hero of this article, Nikolay Vladimirovich Balashov, was born in the fifties of the twentieth century. He did not take the path of church ministry in his youth, but went to this decision for a rather long time.
Nikolai Balashov received one of his several higher educations at Moscow State University, where he graduated from the Department of Chemistry. In the eighties, he had to work on a construction site. At this time, he already felt that his true calling was not at all in this, so he studied the Holy Scriptures and the heritage of the Holy Fathers.
Ordination to the priesthood
In the late eighties, when many residents of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics turned their attention to religion, the future Metropolitan Archpriest Nikolai Balashov became a reader in one of the cathedrals. After several years of diligent service, he was ordained a deacon and then a priest.
Activities of Archpriest Nikolai Balashov: works and publications
This priest is known not only for his numerous appearances in programs devoted to the Orthodox faith on radio and television, but also for his work in various church organizations, such as the Committee on International Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Committee on Public Relations and so on. Nikolai Balashov is also the rector of the Church of the Resurrection of the Saying in the city of Moscow. He is famous for his translation activities. In particular, Nikolai Balashov adapted the works of one of the American theologians into Russian.
About the tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church
In an interview, Russian priest Nikolai Vladimirovich Balashov spoke about his attitude to the possibility of adapting some church traditions to the requirements of the modern environment and told about the opinion of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is considered official. Father Nicholas, making these statements, reinforces them with quotes from such authoritative saints for Christianity as St. Filaret of Moscow, who was one of the people who contributed to the development of old age in the Optina Desert.
Nikolai Balashov said that the attitude of the Orthodox Church towards tradition has always been very careful. In his opinion and according to the canons of Orthodoxy, the main provisions of the tradition cannot be questioned and should not change under the influence of fashion trends, economic realities and political life of the country.
About the language of church worship
However, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov believes that some circumstances regarding church services can be somewhat improved in accordance with the needs of modern people. For example, the language of worship can be replaced by modern Russian. But you should not rush into the implementation of such a transfer.
A similar precedent has already taken place. It was completed at the end of the nineteenth century, when the first synodal translation of the books of Scripture was made. Then, according to Father Nicholas, a text that was adapted to the conditions of the modern Russian language at that time, after a short time lost its relevance due to the fact that some words and expressions were soon outdated. In addition, the translation of worship has both pros and cons. The undeniable advantage is that such a reform will lead to a greater influx of people into the church. This means that many will have the opportunity to partake in the saving word of God.
However, you need to think about those people who are not new to Orthodoxy. They can perceive the transition to new texts quite painfully due to the fact that many years ago they learned the words of prayers in Church Slavonic. Therefore, any such step should be thought out many times and taken consciously. In matters relating to the foundations of Orthodox dogma, no reform actions should be carried out.
In addition, father Nikolai Balashov also mentioned that the language of worship has already been changed several times. And the modern prayers that are read in temples are significantly different from those of their options that were used during the holy monks Cyril and Methodius. Therefore, the leadership of the church in the old days also did not exclude the possibility of changes in the texts of the liturgies, unless, of course, such actions are justified and necessary.
About family life
Mitrophoric Bishop Nikolai Balashov also repeatedly touched on questions about the family life of believers. For example, correspondents often asked about the church’s attitude to contraception. Nikolai Balashov admits the possibility of using non-abortion contraceptives in some situations. When spouses do not want to have children because of selfish motives - this is one thing, and when, for example, a woman’s health does not allow her to give birth to a child at the moment - this is completely different.
One of the most important points regarding this topic is the following problem: is it possible to marry people of different religions?
On this occasion, Nikolai Balashov, referring to the words of the Holy Fathers, says that if the husband is a believer and the wife is not, then the woman then has a chance to come to the Orthodox faith through the religious beliefs of her husband. Therefore, the church in no way protests against such marriages.
