The hero of this article is Archpriest Igor Fomin, rector of the church at MGIMO. An explanation of some of the concepts presented above will be given in the first chapters.
Who is the archpriest?
So in the Russian Orthodox Church it is customary to call a senior priest. This dignity is given to a person for a long exemplary service. An archpriest can only be a person who received the holy dignity at least ten years ago. Another such title can be awarded to those who have been awarded the right to wear a special pectoral cross - one of the church awards.
There are also known cases when a protodeacon was appointed archpriest. In pre-revolutionary Russia, this dignity was called a little differently - protopop. The history of the church knows many personalities who influenced the life of the country, who were ordained as senior priests. The most famous of them is the Protopop Avvakum. At present, the sermons of the archpriest from the Republic of Tatarstan, the father of Vladimir Golovin, are very popular.
Rector of the temple
On the territory of the Moscow Institute of International Relations is its Orthodox Cathedral.
Archpriest Igor Fomin, rector of this church, is active in preaching. He is familiar to many Orthodox people by participating in radio programs and television programs dedicated to the spiritual life of Christians.
Regarding the rather unusual place of his service, the priest says that he never thinks about the social position of people who come to the temple. And sometimes he doesn’t even know if the person confessing his sins is a diplomat or a politician or not. For him, all believers are equal.
Work and publications of Archpriest Igor Fomin
As already mentioned, the priest is a fairly frequent guest on the air of Christian media. During these programs, he answers questions from listeners and the audience, and also discusses with the presenters on the most important topics.
So, during the program “Bright evening”, which aired on Radio Faith, the priest participated in a conversation about the so-called commandments of bliss that Jesus Christ gave to his disciples during the Sermon on the Mount. The priest said that according to the consensus of Orthodox theologians, this place from the Gospel is its most important part. These rules, bestowed on people by the Savior, represent the foundations of Christian doctrine.
They, unlike the commandments given by the prophet Moses, require a higher level of spiritual development from a person. Archpriest Igor Fomin reminded the audience about an episode from the Gospel when a young man came up to Christ and asked how he could gain the kingdom of heaven. To this, the Savior told him that he should keep the commandments. The young man replied that he had been doing this since his infancy. Then the Son of God told him about other rules - the commandments of bliss.
About family life
In another broadcast, hosted by Tutta Larsen, the issue of the role of man and woman in family life was considered. In this regard, Archpriest Igor Fomin said about the special destiny of each of the spouses. Both husband and wife must perform the traditional functions that were assigned to them by the Lord God. But, of course, a man should always be the head.
The priest says that when women ask him questions about what to do in a particular life situation, he first of all asks what their husband's opinion on this matter is. When the husband lies on the couch and does not want to manage family affairs, he certainly commits a sin. Father Igor always advises the stronger sex to use the right of the last word. Even if the decision is made by force, then you need to teach it, as if a man came to him on his own. To this, Leading Tutta Larsen admitted that the longer she lives with her husband, the more she wants to adhere to the rules established by the Russian Orthodox Church.
The most significant topics disclosed by Igor Fomin
Of all the points of the Sermon on the Mount, the father examined in more detail the phrase about the bliss of the poor in spirit. According to the priest, this is the name in the Gospel for people who are deprived of vanity and pride and therefore ready to follow Jesus Christ. Archpriest Igor Fomin gives an example from his biography. One of his friends has suffered from cerebral palsy since childhood.
Despite this, the friend in all sincerity somehow admitted to the priest that he was grateful to the Lord for being happy. When the priest asked him about the reason for his joy, he replied that he was grateful to the Almighty for his illness, which does not allow him to commit many sins. Such people can be called poor in spirit.
Archpriest Igor Fomin on female uncleanliness
During one of the interviews, the priest was asked about whether a woman can confess and receive communion during critical days. Father answered that this question is better to ask confessors. This is because there are no specific provisions on this subject in the Orthodox Church and for each individual case an individual decision can be made.
Concise answers to questions
On one of the sites dedicated to the Orthodox faith, Archpriest Igor Fomin regularly answers questions that interest people. He presents his comments in a very brief, but nonetheless informative and instructive form. For example, one of the visitors to the site asked him what sins should be confessed and which should be kept silent. To this, the priest replied that it is absolutely necessary to speak about all ungodly acts and thoughts.
What is bliss?
In one of the conversations, Father Igor said that bliss is somewhat reminiscent of the feeling that students have on the first day of vacation. Another example of such experiences can be found while enjoying ice cream as one of the most delicious treats.
Way to the temple
In this chapter, the biography of Archpriest Igor Fomin and the personal life of the priest will be considered.
The priest was born in the early seventies. Like many Soviet children, he entered school at the age of seven, and when he reached 9 years old, he was baptized. The boy was so interested in church services and the activities of clergymen that he began to attend temples regularly. Soon, the child was adopted as an altar boy in one of the cathedrals in the suburbs. When the young man finished school, the mentor blessed him to become a clergyman. But Father Igor admits that this decision was not easy. Until the very last moment, he doubted whether he would be able to fulfill this difficult duty. Fomin even tried to enter the medical academy.
But in the end he nevertheless made up his mind and went along the path on which he received the blessing. In the mid-nineties, he became deacon of the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square.
For a long time, Igor Fomin collaborated with the Orthodox magazine Form. It was he who was one of the authors of the idea of creating a church at the Moscow Institute of International Relations. When this temple was built, the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II appointed the young priest the rector of this cathedral.
